old lady exercise at the senior center

 

Two, maybe three weeks ago I took Sharon for her followup on her shoulder surgery. She had been release from PT and by the end of the appointment, by the doctor. The doctor said she needed to keep up her exercises. Sharon, being like me, said she hates to exercise alone, but there was a chair class on Tuesday morning at the senior center. But she didn’t want to go alone. Dear god I am a carbon copy of her. It’s scary. I volunteered to go with her. After all my cardiologist appointment was dismal. More on that later.

We didn’t go last week, it was cancelled. (Oh shit, I hear the ice cream truck! He didn’t get the memo that Turkey in the Straw was deemed racist.) Yesterday, she said, exercise class tomorrow. Duck.

I spent the morning going thru bins of Pat’s stuff. There were items wrapped in newspaper that had Hess’s ads on it. They’ve been closed at least thirty years. I was flop sweating but I had to take a shower before I went.

I think the instructor is a volunteer. It’s only a half hour, a good workout, but really a little unplanned. Or at least it felt like that. But the important part is I felt like I worked out when I was done.

I’ve also started walking since the heat wave broke. I just need to get back in the habit. I’m hoping to do three walks Monday-Tuesday about three hours away in north central Pennsylvania. They are volkssport walks which may be discontinued in 2025. They are two counties I don’t have in my county book so I’m just going to do them.

Last Monday I went to the cardiologist. I didn’t get her, I got her PA. She was beautiful and intelligent and knowledgeable, and had no bedside manner. She was a by-the-book person. The more I talked to her, the more I disliked her. Instead of celebrating the small victories (like 8 pounds off), she just launched into whatever I was doing wrong. Mainly my blood pressure was high. Why, I have no idea. Well I figured it out later I didn’t take my meds. I think. 

She wanted to change ALL my medications. I put my foot down. Every time they monkey with my meds I get worse. Last time it was A-fib and look what happened there. After the dust settles it always goes back to what it was originally. 

I talked her into letting me monitor my blood pressure for two weeks. Twice a ducking day. This is what was weird. She wants me to do it first thing in the morning before food, before drugs, sitting upright for 15 minutes with feet on the floor, arm resting on table. Really? Why would I take my blood pressure before I took my meds? It’s going to be high.

Then she wants me to take it again after dinner. Fifteen minutes after food. Sitting upright for 15 minutes with feet on the floor, arm resting on table.

Plus she gave me the standard lecture on water and too much salt. So on the way home I did what I always do when someone gives me a food lecture. I stopped at Wawa and got exactly what they tell me not to eat: a large soda and an Italian hoagie. Yep, ate a week's worth of salt in one meal because I was pissed.

That night I got out the blood pressure machines. The CVS health one was Pat's. She was having trouble with it before she died. I had trouble. I changed the batteries. I worked for 15 minutes and couldn’t get a reading. By that time my blood pressure was high. Gave up.

In the morning I tried again. I was getting sick of F3 and F1 errors. The book was no help. Again, I gave up. Again. In the evening I tried with the grey one. That one did work to well. It squeezed my arm so hard it felt like a tourniquet, my arm was falling asleep. And I didn’t get a reading. It was an F1 error. I loosened the strap. Did it again.  Same thing happened. Loosened it more. I got the error again. Now a F1 error is the strap is not adjusted correctly. Then I started getting F3 errors.

I played this game for three days, and got zero reading. I could not stand how tight the band was. My arm fell asleep twice. I gave up. I decided to change the batteries, but had no AAA. I’m sure it is not a coincidence that I always forget to get them when I’m out. Maybe I should buy a new machine. I’m thinking about the Omron Envolv. It syncs right to my Health app. The cuff is attached to the machine. No cord. Gets excellent reviews. Because every house needs three machines. Maybe I should download one of the numerous blood pressure apps instead.

It’s been a week and I haven’t got a single reading. I’m supposed to message them to her in two weeks. I need to get on it.

not about walking

 

 

My house had an air conditioner. It was installed thru the wall in the mid-90s. How long we had it before that I don't remember. But my windows are giant and heavy so using it in the window was a PIA.

I'm the one that had it put thru the wall when I had the siding and replacement windows put in. The windows are only slightly lighter. We used that AC most summers when my mom was alive. Then I was stuck living with my sister. Over the past 22 years she hated the air conditioning more and more. The house was plenty cool. (If you sat in one spot and didn't move all day like her.) She would sit there in 90+ degree weather in long sleeves+sweatshirt+blankies. We used it less and less. The last time I could use it was when Lydia and Adonis lived here. Because Adonis needed it. Yep. Lydia's dog who she loved more than anything on earth.

The AC was beginning to show signs of age. It only had one setting, north pole. So when the room was cooled down you turned it off until it warmed back up. 

I thought I'd get one of those exterior ones like they have across the street. (Yes, I did have AC envy.) But the houses are too close together. I think I was short 6 inches. And I would have had to have a 220 line installed.

In an earlier post I said I swore I wasn't going to be in the heat again this winter. That post also documented my journey to that point to get an AC. It isn't easy. Or maybe I'm just stupid. Or both.

After that earlier post I did indeed go to Lehigh Appliance and they asked a bunch of questions. Didn't show me a single unit. Then they said our installer will call and make an appointment, come over and see what you need, and tell us. We'll call you with options. A few days later there was a stranger in my living room looking at the hole in my wall. He left, they called I ordered. He was coming back that Friday to install it.

That Friday was the day I went to Ephrata. I couldn't find anyone to wait for them to come, so I had to change the appointment. It meant waiting until yesterday. Almost a full 2 weeks. It has been a horrible heat wave. (I actually went to a friends house to work twice, and Bonnie's to mooch dinner once. I also cut off my hair because it was wet and sweaty and weighed ten pounds. Thankfully after the hair stylist fixed it it looks better.) It broke yesterday.

I finally have air conditioning and haven't turned it on except to be sure it worked.

Another heat wave coming.

swimming

 It’s hot and humid today, again. Thursday the AC arrives. Maybe this time it will be right.

My friend Pam invited me and a few others over for a pool party. I’m not a swimmer, but I am hot. I said yes in a heartbeat. 

Today was the day, but first I needed to get some work done, and some people picked up my parent’s bedroom furniture. Now if someone takes the desk, I can get those two rooms finished. And maybe the attic too. But probably not till fall. When I die or move there will still be a lot of stuff to get rid of. If it’s the former, it’s not my problem. If it’s the later it is.

I also scheduled pickup by the PPL for the freezer at the end of the month. They’ll pay me $50 for a working freezer. Not bad since I couldn’t give it away. The grill is still in the alley waiting for a scrap person to take it away.

I actually wore a swimsuit since my usual water attire was in the wash. On the way to the party I bought sunscreen. I forgot to put it on the back of my neck. I was probably in the water three hours total splashing and moving around. I even attempted to swim. Not sure how many calories I burned but it had to be a couple.

Then her husband (R) opened the hot tub. I thought it was odd, but he got in. They invited me, and I said, no, I’ve never done that before and well it’s hot. Hearing that they insisted, I managed to get in and not fall. It was a wonderful temperature. If my bath water could be that warm I’d be delighted. My swimsuit kept blowing up and making a popping sound. I had to be sure I wasn’t flashing anyone! Then R got out and jumped into the pool. I waited a few minutes and did the same. Damn did that feel good. Now I just want to take a nap.

Weather:             92, sunny, 71% dewpoint. 

athletic adventure: snorkling

I get a lot of emails from nature centers and conservation groups. It's the nature of the beast. They are always offering some sort of program and I always try to resist. Luckily my calendar does a lot of the resisting for me.

The Lehigh Nature Gap sent out a notice about snorkeling in the Lehigh. My calendar was free and I thought what fun. An athletic adventure and signed up.

About a week ago I started having 2nd thoughts. I was still having them yesterday morning. But I went. And all my seconds thoughts were correct. This was an Athletic Adventure that failed. Big time. 

I arrived with my water shoes and towel. They gave me a wet suit -- which I will never wear again --  and told me how to put it on. My legs went in okay. It was like putting on tights. The rest, however, was a struggle. People were coming in and putting them on in a heartbeat. Of course most were not wrestling 250 pounds into it. My suit was a XL. They don't go by width. They go by length. I just made the cut for XL. He wanted to give me a large! (Ladies. Think of it this way. You wear a large Spanx and they gave you an extra small. And it's the right size. Think about the wiggling that happens.) I worked 15 minutes and still couldn't get it on. I asked the instructor for help. He said he'd have to touch me. My reply, touch whatever the fuck you want. I was this close to just wearing my swim suit.

He got is on and zipped it up and then velcro'ed it. We were in an air conditioned building, I was sweating profusely and felt like I couldn't breathe. And I still had to put my shoes on. I had water shoes. I think sneakers might have been better.

We walked down to the river. (The soles on water shoes are thin. I felt ever pebble.) I figured we'd walk into the river about waist height and bend over and look in. The water was maybe a foot deep unless you were in the middle. People were laying on the river bed and looking. Or floating. I kept trying to get to deeper water but he river bed was rocks. Slippery rocks. I needed my walking stick and maybe sneakers. I couldn't sit down because I wouldn't be able to get up. I couldn't crouch because my knees don't do that. I learned at adult weekend that I can no longer even float. 

The third time I started slipping I was headed backwards. I righted myself so all those balance exercises must be working. It took me 15 minutes to get that far. Meanwhile 10-year-olds are getting yelled at for crossing the river. I turned and headed downstream, it seemed deeper. But then I slipped again. I headed back to shore.

I never once was able to put my face in the water. Hell. I never even pulled down the mask.

I should know better than trying water sports. I always fail at them. And it's mobility issues. The inability to get up and down is a big one. Squatting is another. And my super stiff upper thighs is a third one. But nothing I'm doing so far has fixed it.

This is what a beached whale looks like walking upright. Although as we were walking to the river the instructor kept saying we were penguins.

Weather:       low-eighties, sunny, not humid. (Thank goodness)
Bathrooms:          I-4.5
Wildlife:               Bald eagle on a telephone pole. Kept diving into the river upstream.