And the Rest

My hypertensive emergency followed by working hard to feel better amd juggling end of year stuff with kids and buying a house have left me little time or energy for my computer.

I am finally starting to feel like myself again.  Some of the medication wipes me out... Sometimes.  Hard to predict.  Todd has done a lot of scrambling to help ferry the kids to and from their schools.  I was able to accompany Adam on his zoo school field trip on Monday, which a week before I couldn't imagine walking that long.  But I didn't bring the girls; it would've been too much.  I also made Adam's Sports Day.

I feel older and weaker.  I sprained my foot maybe 5 weeks ago and it aches.  I can't travel fast.  And this morning, for the first time, I took all the kids, lugging Ellie in her car seat to both schools and it was hard.   I hate all the medications I'm on but the goal is to get me off at least one.   And I'd hate being dead more.   I worry about what this all means in the long term.  I couldn't stop thinking of how my early demise what affect our kids while in the hospital hooked to a satellite heart monitor.  That whole first day in the hospital my blood pressure steadily rose again as it had the day before and I kept telling them but they wouldn't listen.   Bethany came by to bring me food and some personal care items... One of the few people I would want to see me that way... And I much appreciated it more than she will know.   Shortly after she left, It hit 190 again and they finally listened and tried a new regimen.  It worked through the night but the next morning it fluctuated while Todd was there (bobby was able to come that morning) and they added two more medications that finally seemed to stabilize me.  They told me I could go home that night at 7 and I didn't want Todd to bring the kids there.  I was ready to drive myself, but the nurse talked me out of it as my migraine and nasea were strong and I was weak.  So it was Bethany to the rescue again!  I was lucky she was able to come take me home.

I have reduced my caffeine and am learning what are low and high sodium foods.   What makes me mad is that lifestyle changes won't fix this, only help.   This will likely be a struggle for life.  They did an ultrasound on my kidneys last week and thank God they seem fine.   There was a concern that a failing kidney could have caused such an out of control rise.   She is going to do some other tests to rule things out.  Keep me monitored.   They took away my blood pressure cuff as I was checking obsessively and I was concerned how would I know I'm dying?!  But I'm learning the signs of my body.

The same exact day this all happened, Tammy's grandfather passed.  A man always with a smile and friendly conversation for me, I was sad to hear that he's gone and I know it's a loss that her whole family feels deeply.  :(

(I edited the last entry as I didn't realize how horrific the spelling was)