Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]
7/25/24
Aloha Everybody --
Well, just two days after my 80th birthday train trip in Canada, I joined the not-so-exclusive A-Fib Club. 
We were starting to take a hike in Jasper National Park when I felt light-headed and passed out, I recovered enough to get back to town, but later in the Jasper ER I did it again. An EKG showed I was in A-Fib -- an extreme form of heart arrhythmia. I was also dehydrated and had contracted Covid a few days earlier, plus something triggered a weird allergic reaction in which my tongue swelled up and my hands and feet itched. Sound like fun, eh? Both the allergic reaction and Covid symptoms passed quickly, but the A-Fib is still with me -- a surprise birthday present I'd rather not have received.
We cut our trip short after a few days in nearby Banff -- a stunningly beautiful place overrun with summertime tourists and unfortunately grey and hazy from wildfires in the area. It was also very hot -- 95d one of the days we were there. We realized that continuing to Utah was out of the question, given the even greater heat there, plus my ticker issues. We managed to cancel our arrangements and fly back to Kona directly from Calgary through Denver. You may have seen the news about the wildfires in Canada, which just a few days after we were in Jasper burned though the town and caused evacuation of the National Park. The ER where I received treatment just 10 days ago is possibly gone now.We definitely made the right decision to leave.
On Thursday I saw my doctor and another EKG confirmed my problem. I'll spare you the details (of which many of you are probably personally aware), but I'm now on four additional drugs to control the A-Fib and prevent a stroke -- a blood thinner. a heart rate regulator, a diuretic, and a potassium supplement (the last two hopefully will be temporary once my BP is lowered to a safe level).
All in all I'd say this hasn't been the best birthday I've had, but it wasn't all a lost cause. We loved the several days we stayed in Vancouver. It is a beautiful city with great architecture, art, transportation system, food, and excellent beer. Also, my train adventure through the Canadian Rockies was just what I wanted, including having dinner as the scenery rolled by and sleeping in our own comfortable compartment. Oh, and I should add that even though both of us got Covid, the symptoms were milder than an ordinary cold and only lasted a few days, something we attribute at least in part to our recent booster shots.
Returning home may not have insulated us from nature's current global fury. Kilauea activity has just recently taken a significant jump.Volcanologists have detected swarms of hundreds of small earthquakes near the summit that have come in several pulses. This is an indication that magma is welling up and recharging the system to the point that there may be an eruption soon. However, the magma has moved from the summit caldera to a fault region just south and east, so an eruption right at the summit is less likely now. Of course, the recent activity might also stop once the reservoir beneath the summit is drained. Time to sing a lullaby for Pele ...
Ok, that's it for now. Off to market and our beach breakfast picnic. Carpe diem!
4 comments:
Smooth sailing looking forward to hearing about many more adventures ahead. With greetings from Italy. Chris
How disappointing to hear this. You’re looking at it as glass half full, which is helpful. It can be frightening to pass out; you have no idea if the cause is benign or you’re about to croak! As a former medical coder, I can tell you that A-fib is very common, especially as we age. The treatments for it are generally effective, and people who follow a good health regimen like you can live for long time with it. We just hosted a friend who turned 80 in July. He is doing quite well, and is grateful for his 80 years. He has always battled anxiety, and I think he is the most relaxed now than ever. Attitude is everything!
Like Pèles’s earthquakes,your unfortunate birthday present served as a helpful signal that it was rime to go home while the getting was good. So glad to hear from you that you are getting good treatment and from Colleenthat the prognosis is good.
As you know better than most everyone else I know, I’ve been there any am still around at 85 years young. I still am thankful to you and Karen for taking care of Sandy and me during my recovery Forever friends, RW
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