I know. I know. How do those two things go together? Well, in all honesty they don’t, but when I was looking at pics on my phone for the health part of the post, I found these really cool shots of birds, and it seemed wrong to not share.
So, first health issues. Most of us get an annual checkup, and mine was Monday. I love, love, love my doctor. She’s smart and kind and is a great listener. I never feel rushed when I go see her.
She’s really proud that I’ve lost just over 30 pounds over the last two years. It’s made a difference in my blood pressure which had been borderline high and my blood sugar which was also in the pre-diabetic range. I did not want to take meds for the rest of my life (which I’m anticipating being a long time 😊 ), so I had to lose the weight. Dr. A says because I lost the weight over such a long time, the chances of regaining it are practically nil. That’s for sure. I’ve worked too hard to blow it. I do want to lose another 8-10 pounds, then I can go up and down a bit and still be okay.
Dr. A recommended a CAT scan to check for plaque buildup in the veins of my heart. My cholesterol is a bit high despite a healthier way of eating. So, I saw her Monday, and Wednesday I went in for the scan.
Places now mostly send you forms to fill out on-line before appointments, and I love that since I hate to write anything by hand. I filled out all the forms and read all the stuff. The information talked about inserting die in your veins and maybe getting a metallic taste in the mouth and maybe getting nauseated. I’m remember those feelings from when I used to give platelets. One of our daughters’ friends died from leukemia, and I felt that was something I could do, and I did for several years. Then I moved back to just giving blood, which I did for several years.
Once long ago I had some procedure when I went in the long tunnel thing. I hated it. Got the kind technician to let me go in feet first. Oddly, I have no idea about what I took that test for much less what the results were. Crazy, right?
I showed up for the appointment, and in the waiting room there were videos of some of the procedures. More talk of die. But then I was whisked back by this lovely technician named Avery into a room without the tunnel machine. Oh, joy.
She explained the procedure which didn’t include die, and I climbed up on the table. She put a pillow under my knees and left me alone. Instructions came over a speaker when to breath and when to hold my breath. I followed the instructions. And then, lickety-split the process was over, and I was rolled out.
What a relief. As I write this, I don’t have the results, but hopefully, the veins are okay, and I won’t have to take a prescription or deal with a blockage.
Birds have been scattered through this post because we’ve just had so many lately. And I am fascinated by them. The Egrets are white, and the Herons are gray. It’s so fun to watch them eat. They stick their heads in the water and come up with a tiny fish. They throw back their heads, and that tiny fish slides down their long neck. As I said, so fun. Well, maybe not for the tiny fish!
ACT OF BETRAYAL, Book 3 of the Second Chances Series will be on Sale May 15 -21 for 99 Cents on all venues. On May 15 you can find me on the NN Light Book Heaven Blog. And all month you can stop by and make comments that will get you registered to possibly win a $75 Amazon GC. Please stop. I found a new to me author Wednesday morning.
Have you ever had a CAT Scan? If you don’t mind, share why and what you thought about it. I’m so relieved I didn’t have to go in the tunnel. Maybe the tunnel is just for an MRI.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you. I get to spend the day with my two daughters and two granddaughters. We’ll attend a performance of The Decendents at Casa Manana then meet the guys in the family for an early supper that evening.
Newsletter will go out next week. As always, I love to hear from you.
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Thanks for sharing your photos, Marsha. They are stunning! I hope your scan went well. I had a MRI scan years ago. (They were checking for cancerous tumours.) The scan turned out clear, but I was surprised by how claustrophobic and scary I found it. I don’t normally feel claustrophobic, but this was pretty unpleasant!
I’ve followed you on BookBub 🙂
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Hey, Helena. So glad your scan turned out okay. Yeah, I think they must have improved the machines since you and I did those years ago. Grateful for sure. Thanks for the Book Bub follow. I’m still getting the hang of that platform. Happy Mother’s Day, Helena and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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Enjoyed your “health care” edition.!!Good news the testing was simple and easy for you. I dread having to go to the doctor, but worse those darn mammagrams. LOL…My good friends have Covid now–another weird variant. And they hardly leave their log home in the woods! I got my second booster last Friday. I had a headache for awhile on Sat pm, but advil took care of it. Ted had no reaction. Love those birds. So much fun this time of year watching birds building nests. Hope we have one again in our yard someplace soon.
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Hey, JQ. Still haven’t heard results, but optimistic. Yes, double boosted like you. Had no problem at all with this last one. Sorry you were a little indisposed. 🙂 That’s so weird your friends got Covid! It’s a crazy disease. Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
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Marsha, so wonderful you have a doctor you like and good to hear the scan was easy. Medical tests are pretty amazing these days. Loved the egret photos. They are such elegant birds. 🙂
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Hey, Reggi. Yes, I’m lucky in my doctor. She’s a gerontologist and yes, I’m that age. LOL But between us, she’s going to keep me around for a long time. I love watching the egrets eat. My favorites are the Canada Geese. We don’t see them as often as Herons who I also adore, but the Canada Geese, either in the water or air are just breathtaking. Well, and the mallards streaking along low over the water like jet plans are pretty cool too. As I said, we’re lucky. Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
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Hello Marsha. I hope your CAT went well. I had one last week. And one 3.5 years ago. I told my doctor yesterday at my yearly physical, that I am done with CAT scans for a very long time. (increased radiation using dye). Bill and I both have to go back for BP rechecks in a month. I’m going to try and lose weight during that time. I wish I weighed what Bill did…lol. Otherwise, everything went well.
Congratulations on your weight loss. That is just fantastic. You should be so PROUD!! 🙂
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Hey, Susan. I’m sorry you had to have the die. I was glad to skip that. Listen, sweetie. I don’t know how you keep any kind of a normal weight with your husband baking the way he does. If I lived with him, I’d be as big as a house, and I know you’re really trim. But losing weight did get my blood pressure down, so you go girl. you can do it. Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
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