Welcome to another Stay the Course week!
I have granddog Dasher visting another week (his master travels a lot for work) and so yesterday I took the big boy on long walks morning and evening, just as in the days of Sadie's youth when we did two-a-days. Well, last night I felt like I had been run over by a train, but some Tylenol Arthritis and a night's sleep seems to have helped. I am thankful to have another day. It is a rainy one and Dasher went out solo to do his business and found for himself it is not a pleasant one. I think it is supposed to clear this afternoon so maybe we will did just one long walk today, which probably ought to be my goal. Two a day is pretty ambitious, especially with a dog much stronger than sweet Sadie was. (God, how I still miss her!)
Dasher loves to walk, but as night was falling and other dawgwalkers approached us, he went ballistic lunging and trying to get at the approaching dog. Growling/barking fiercely too, as though he would try to rip him apart. Clearly not acceptable behavior. He would "sit" for a few seconds as I commanded but then lunged some more. All this from a yellow lab that has never attacked anyone or anything as far as I know. Probably if he got to the dog, he would just want to play, but it's scary for all. I need a dog whisperer. Maybe I should take a bag of little 5 calorie treats and reward him when he obeys my orders to slow down and cool it. Supposed to be a trained dog, but walking is a work in process. I need him as a personal trainer so I've got to keep at it.
Tomorrow I have a follow-up echocardiogram my cardio is having done because she's concerned about a trend of left atrial enlargement. The numbers over past few years have definitely been increasing. It can lead to a-fib and things worse, so I am worried. I read that obesity is a key factor, so I can going to ask the cardio, when I see her next week to discuss results, if she can prescribe maintenance cardiac rehab for me -- $50 out of pocket per month for 3 sessions per week. I know many of the nurses and some of the patients from Mended Hearts and it's done at our nice Family YMCA. I doubt insurance would pick up the cost 11 years after heart surgery, but the pay-as-you-go maintenance level might be feasible. As you know, I walk and x-bike but I need the discipline of having scheduled appointments with people who will push me and monitor me. (And if the nurses want to sweet-talk me that will be fine, too. : )
Any good thoughts/vibes would be appreciated.
Will love to hear how you are proceeding along your own course.
Cheers,
SUPERBOB
I have granddog Dasher visting another week (his master travels a lot for work) and so yesterday I took the big boy on long walks morning and evening, just as in the days of Sadie's youth when we did two-a-days. Well, last night I felt like I had been run over by a train, but some Tylenol Arthritis and a night's sleep seems to have helped. I am thankful to have another day. It is a rainy one and Dasher went out solo to do his business and found for himself it is not a pleasant one. I think it is supposed to clear this afternoon so maybe we will did just one long walk today, which probably ought to be my goal. Two a day is pretty ambitious, especially with a dog much stronger than sweet Sadie was. (God, how I still miss her!)
Dasher loves to walk, but as night was falling and other dawgwalkers approached us, he went ballistic lunging and trying to get at the approaching dog. Growling/barking fiercely too, as though he would try to rip him apart. Clearly not acceptable behavior. He would "sit" for a few seconds as I commanded but then lunged some more. All this from a yellow lab that has never attacked anyone or anything as far as I know. Probably if he got to the dog, he would just want to play, but it's scary for all. I need a dog whisperer. Maybe I should take a bag of little 5 calorie treats and reward him when he obeys my orders to slow down and cool it. Supposed to be a trained dog, but walking is a work in process. I need him as a personal trainer so I've got to keep at it.
Tomorrow I have a follow-up echocardiogram my cardio is having done because she's concerned about a trend of left atrial enlargement. The numbers over past few years have definitely been increasing. It can lead to a-fib and things worse, so I am worried. I read that obesity is a key factor, so I can going to ask the cardio, when I see her next week to discuss results, if she can prescribe maintenance cardiac rehab for me -- $50 out of pocket per month for 3 sessions per week. I know many of the nurses and some of the patients from Mended Hearts and it's done at our nice Family YMCA. I doubt insurance would pick up the cost 11 years after heart surgery, but the pay-as-you-go maintenance level might be feasible. As you know, I walk and x-bike but I need the discipline of having scheduled appointments with people who will push me and monitor me. (And if the nurses want to sweet-talk me that will be fine, too. : )
Any good thoughts/vibes would be appreciated.
Will love to hear how you are proceeding along your own course.
Cheers,
SUPERBOB
