the hospital, the vet, the doctor, and staying happy....

First, the hospital: I stayed the night last night...had to go to the Emergency room because my heart was a-pounding, too hard, skipping and making me feel awful. It's hard to distinguish what's caused by anxiety because that vicious circle of panic, which causes some lightheadedness and dizziness...this palpitation stuff has been hitting me on and off this past week, and since nothing has changed in my life except for the prescription for Cipro, I googled the heck out of Cipro, and guess what? Some people have adverse reactions...really serious adverse reactions, including palpitations, shakiness, ect. The doctor at the E.R. did concede that Cipro can cause changes in the electromagnetic waves in the heart, but wanted to be positive that it wasn't something else...he suspected a possible blood clot in the lung because of a blood test that showed inflammation...so I had to have a CT scan, plus a chest x-ray, three EKGs, three rounds of bloodwork...overkill. Absolute overkill. But, since I went in, I was subject to it all...Emily accompanied me, and we agreed that if I didn't do what they strongly suggested, which was to spend the night to be monitored, I may be classified as going against medical advice, which means insurance won't cover....our insurance is awful anyway, nothing makes your heart pound like thinking of the bill, ha.

Anyway. Never a dull moment. I had a nice peaceful night being poked and prodded, all by my lonesome in a big cold hospital.

And I'm tired, but I do feel better now, and I won't be taking Cipro again if I can help it.


And, we took these two dogs to the vet this past week. Duke has a bum paw, swollen and sore...where a fatty tumor was removed last year, some smaller lumps grew back, and he won't leave it alone. We put a cone on him so he can't reach it, but it hasn't healed up...and he's 11, too old for more surgery...but still. So he's on doggy antibiotics, with some spray to help it heal up too, and then some supplements...he had to have some bloodwork so we can try some doggy ibuprofen for his advanced doggy arthritis...okay? The vets says he's a very healthy old man, except for his paw and his arthritis. Ahem. Then just a check up for Suri, regular vaccines for Lyme disease and distemper, and more heartworm meds. I will not say how much this visit cost, only that I don't know what mortified me more, the grand total, or the fact that I accidentally walked across the animal scale in the waiting room, displaying my lovely weight for the whole waiting room full of people. One lady smiled big at me, to show me that I'm not really that fat, and that she feels my pain, ha. No wonder I've had palpitations.


Suzanne and Sonja were picked up early from school one day for a well-child appointment. We had a little bit of fun doing selfies while waiting for the pediatrician.


And staying happy...this is Suzanne with little Lydia, Mali's baby girl...:)


And happy happy, Emily got a new car! She also got a new car payment, but oh well.


And a little bit sadness...I finally, after 25 years of owning this lovely lavender Norwegian Simo pram, let it go. Paul brought this home for me when Joseph was a baby...Aaron, Mali, Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille spent their newborn weeks sleeping in this carriage. But...it got old. It got musty and torn, it got old. I looked at the inside of it objectively...you know, putting aside the sentimental love for it, and I decided that I wouldn't want to put a nice clean newborn baby in it anymore. So...I gave it to the kids. They spent a few days taking pedals off of old bikes, and trying to put them on this, no doubt envisioning a cool go cart, but ha, it didn't work.

Anyway. Life is busy. But it's a good life.