I had a good time in Ohio, though we didn't 'do' a bunch of vacationy things. We hiked the rim trail of Conkles Hollow- where the kids took so many spectacular pictures last year. The "color" was peaking as we had to head for home. This was my first time to hike the upper trail. Unfortunately, I hadn't packed good walking shoes, but had only my comfortable slip ons. They are so close to being worn out... I had cramps in the arches of my feet long before the 3.5 mile trail was done.
The view is grand... and I was great entertainment for Tom and the twins. I am paralyzed with fear at heights, and in the places where the cliffs are undercut, or the trail strays to a couple of feet from the rim... my legs would shake and I would have to force myself onwards. They fearlessly tramp right to edges and peer over- and hop right over the deep, narrow crevasses that split the trail in a few places. Tom said I was in no danger of falling far, even if I had slipped into a crack- and he is right- even most semi-agile toddlers would be safe.
Uncle Buck/ Bob grew stronger daily while we were there. The day I first arrived was Sunday- he was nine days post op, four days out of the hospital. He came to Gramma Arlene's, and we sat out on the deck with a fire in the firepit, for about an hour. He went on home. Monday, he had to go to court ... and then Tom took him shopping for the two of them to get me birthday presents.
Which by the way reminds me! GRRRR! MEN! Bob had to be at court at 3:30 pm. It was about 30 minutes away. So Mom Arlene and I left the guys to go take care of business about 20 past 2:00pm. They knew supper was supposed to be ready by 5:00 or 5:30.
My nephew Eric showed up at 5:00, saying that Tom and Bob were loading into the car as he drove away.
5:30 came and went. The guys did not. 6:30. 7:00.
I was pacing the floor, worried half to death. Eric insisted they had been right behind him. He went looking for them. Called us about 7:40.. he had not found a trace of them. Scenarios of them hitting a deer- Bob's chest rupturing... Tom incapacitated... WHERE were they?
A bit after 8:00, they showed up, happy as clams.
That was as they were getting back from getting me 'birthday presents'. I had not heard a peep from them since we left them just past 2:00pm. They were sure Eric would tell me where they had gone.
But NOOO.
They had not TOLD Eric where they were headed.. they had told the other nephew, Luke.
Luke who didn't come over because he wanted to go put in a job application in a town 30 miles away. As far as we knew (aside from Eric saying they were right behind him) Bob had been tossed into jail on the charges against him... Tom fought the judge over it and was also jailed... they had an accident on the way back from court.... Bob had a relapse....
WHY do men never think to let anyone know where they ARE, or the outcome of something for which others are waiting on pins to hear about?
By 8:20, when they DID show up, I was so relieved I was nearly sick. They could not understand WHY I was so upset at all.
Oh, the court date was postponed since prior cases ran overtime.
Tom got me a pair of Ohio State University house slippers, an OSU scarf, and a pair of OSU flannel sleep pants. Bob got me an OSU canvas tote; and an OSU baseball hat... in PINK. (Yeah I have been wearing it... no you can't have it).
Tuesday, Bob was a bit incapacitated.He rested all day. Wednesday, we had him hiking around the lake... 7/10 of a mile. He had to sit and rest about 1/2 way. Tom and I hiked at Conkle's Hollow on Thursday. Friday, we all circled the lake again. Saturday, the same. Sunday, Bob was so much better, he didn't even have to rest at the lake. Monday, we took him on a grocery run, and he hiked WalMart. (Almost giving ME hear failure when he hefted a 24 pack of Mountain Dew for the boys... his weight limit is 10 lbs. After I freaked to the point that a passer-by asked Bob if he were an open heart patient... we calculated the weight was just over 11 lbs. Not terribly over the limit (The passer-by was a cardiac ICU nurse, who heard me try to stop Bob and admonish him about the weight limit. She said the give-away was how white I turned when I couldn't get between the carts blocking the aisle to stop him).
By Tuesday, he was so much stronger, feeling so much better, we could SEE it. He had to go for a blood test at the hospital. Afterwards, we went to Kroger, where he walked around, and then he and Tom did a short hike to a lake we discovered not far from Bob's house.
Tuesday morning, before we went to Bob's, we stopped by the library. Some guy and the librarian were having a LOUD political discussion. They got more and more irritating... and when the guy stated a LIE as a confirmed truth, I came up off my chair. Tom beat me to the fellow... correcting his mis-information on The Constitution. The guy told Tom he has read what some very smart people have said about what The Constitution says. Tom countered that HE has read The Constitution for himself. The guy went on discounting anything Tom had to say. Tom told the guy he had "drank the blue Kool Aid of the Left". I was looking online for a copy of the constitution when the guy left.
But when I leaped up, I felt a heavy chest pain, like an adrenaline rush. It settled to a dull ache resembling inhaling pool water. We went on to Bob's.... then to his appointment at the hospital. I was having capillaries in my hands rupturing- very painful!
So, while waiting for Bob's prescriptions to be filled, I took my blood pressure. It was 206/102. In the high range of high BP. Plus the chest pain. We thought it might be a false reading, so went on to Kroger, where I tested again. Still up there. By the time we left on Wednesday morning, it was in the middle of High BP range.
So I went to the Doc today. Doc Ben is great. They got me in within hours. My BP was in the "low" range of pre-hypertension. They ran an EKG... normal. He has me scheduled to come in early tomorrow for cholesterol and blood sugar tests... and a followup next week. Meanwhile, I am on a very low dose of blood pressure medication. Once he has the heart squared away (he doesn't believe it is heart related) he wants to do a scope of my esophagus... see if I have any constrictures that make me feel as if I am choking on food. (I KNOW I am not literally choking... not on cottage cheese, yogurt, or orange juice). Anyway... the venture into the medical woods has begun.
We did eat a low fat, low salt, heart healthy diet while in Ohio. I miss salt and fat.
Already.
I took my first dose of meds at supper, just a short while ago. I can tell I feel 'strangely different'. So I am closing. Besides, this is already epic length.
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