Staying the Course -- 01-28-2019

[Superbob]

It's been sad to see our Stayin' spot kinda start withering. I think updating just once a month is too infrequent, so I will go back to putting up a starter post each Monday as before. Fred, thanks for the good wishes, and Martin thanks for posting after I had let activity just sit there for more than a week, maybe two actually. Keep going with that walking plan, Martin. I'm going mostly day to day with my Garmin step tracker and occasionally entering challenges with other folks around the world. Just started a new one today. Won the last one, strangely enough when my wife was in the hospital -- there are very long corridors in our hospital and we did a lot of moving from ICU to ICU to Step-Down to Rehab and then she had a minor fall after we left the hospital after almost a month, but docs decided blood thinners were doing her more harm than good and took her off them, and we are proceeding with at-home therapy and she's doing fairly well.

This has put participation in my beloved core fitness class on indefinite delay -- it's scary to leave her alone for an hour and a half at a time; however, regular half-hour walks are doable. She has a rollator, a walker, quad cane etc and a clear path from recliner to bathroom short distance, but I am nervous about her deciding to putter around and forgetting her walking aids if I am away for any extended period of time.

Anyway, we stay our courses. And count our continued blessings, which are many. Positive things are happening in the lives of my son and daughter and I'll get on that more as well as other happy happenings as we move along.

So back to weekly threads. Our band may be relatively small but it is a determined one with much experience to pass along, So looking forward to hearing from you all!

CHEERS,
SUPERBOB

 

[FredW]

This place is too quite.

I know people have lives other than the hart valve replacement forum, but what's up?

My friends (Steve and others) in the mid-west must be huddled down under blankets - experiencing this cold is not fun. When I was young (in my late teens, I lived in Idaho for a year. I saw -50F (actual temperature). I thought: "That's cold." Now, in my mid 70's, I see 0 degrees and I think: "WTF!, that's wicked hurts!, Why am I not in FL?"

I know, the friends in the south (Honeybunny in Texas, SuperBob in NC) will be also feeling the cold. They feel like 30F degrees is cold. If we see that, it is time to put on shorts.

So, to stimulate a few replies. I was recently diagnosed with sever sleep apena. I will be picking my CPAP device tomorrow and start treatment. I must admit, I'm trying to be open minded about this, but have plenty of concerns. This is a guy who hates to take pills on a regular basis, not I have to look forward to wearing a mask with a hose attached to a machine overnight. I don't even like to ware anything to sleep in, How can I snuggle with my wife wearing a mask and hose?

I know... I complain too much, but it does get me thinking of my quality of life and to what measures I am willing to go to in order to spend more time in an environment where we have a Trump for a president; I have to learn to live on 25% of what I use to make; and I have to make an appointment to roll over and kiss my wife.

Sorry, does that sound too negative?

Does anybody else struggle with these questions?

Stay warm and safe folks. Summer will be here in a few months and we will be complaining of the heat....

 

[Warrick]

Summer is here finally, 32 degrees C today (think its more like 36C right now) in mid canterbury New Zealand,
we have had an unseasonably cold summer since december but its making up for it now,
We have less than a week to go with our 12,000 ton pea harvest at work and then I’m off for a few weeks holiday and then back at work for 65,000 tons of potatoes to come in (I work on harvesting equipment and such like in a vegetable processing factory).

 

[epstns]

Hi, everyone!

I'm back from our unusual winter travels. In December we went down to Florida for some time in the warm sun. Next, between Christmas and New Year, we drove down to central Indiana to visit friends and goof off. Then, in mid-January, we flew out to Western Massachusetts to help our daughter and son-in-law get settled into a different house. We came back just in time for my monthly "week at work" now, when it is just a tad-bit nippy here in the upper rust belt. When I left the house this morning, the outdoor thermometer (electronic, so accurate) read -19F. With the consideration of wind-chill factor, that equates to about -45F. I didn't know how Gonzo (that's my car) would feel about the cold, but he started up on the first push of the button.

Traffic on the way to work was really light. A lot of places are closed due to the cold. Most of the park district facilities have been turned into warming stations for folks whose homes can't keep up with the temperatures. The homeless shelters are overflowing. I feel sorry for anyone who has to work outdoors - especially folks like firemen. Not only are they outdoors, but they work with water, too. As my dad got older, I used to hate to see him go off to work on these super-cold days. He was the guy who came and fixed your furnace or boiler when the heat went out. He always worked in the cold. Brrrrr.

I have done OK in controlling my weight, in spite of not getting to the gym for almost 3 weeks due to travel and now the weather. While we were out at our daughter's, we were so busy we had no time to snack. Meals were healthy, home-cooked foods, to I guess that underscores the impact of diet and consumption control on our weight. I figure that next week, when I'm no longer in the office and when the weather gets back to "normal" winter climate, I will hit the gym and get back into it.

SB - You and your DW are ever in my prayers. May she have a complete recovery and may you both enjoy a return to normalcy (not that any of us know what that may be these days).

 

[Paleowoman]

I’m still here, soldiering on with DS and his problems and with my various aches and pains. Weather cold here near London, but no snow yet. I don’t like walking in the cold though so I do a few miles each day in the house. I read an article the other day on the benefits of stair climbing exercise “snacks” for cardiovascular health (60 steps vigoursly three times a day) so I’m adding some specific stair climbs to my exercise routine, our stairs are 13 steps to get upstairs so that's 4.6 flights