Race Day, SS Syndrome, Side Effects Suck

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

10/26/24

 

Aloha All --

 

Well, today is  race day for the Ironman Triathlon .  It started about 6:30 for the swim portion. This year the ocean is pretty calm, but in the past it has been so rough that some athletes got seasick.  After the swim the athletes jump on their bikes and head on the highway to the north end of the island. The road is closed for part pf the day.  This is one of only two routes  along the west side of the island, so it causes some problems for motorists, who have to find other ways of reaching their destination. In town, where a part of the running course is plotted, the streets are shut down as well.  All of this discombobulation is particularly frustrating and irritating to people who aren't Ironman fans .  We're ok with it and don't mind the inconvenience for just one day a year.  Besides, we know a back way to Costco and this is one day when it isn't crowded.  Another is Super Bowl Sunday. On both days we try to do some nice relaxed shopping .  

 

On Wednesday I saw my cardiologist and went over all the tests I've had since I started going to him.  This included the report from my heart monitor that I wore for about 10 days.  Bottom line is that I'm still alive and likely to stay that way.  For one thing, I have no significant clogging in any of my arteries or veins.

Also, the blood flow to my head and to the lower parts of me is nearly normal. However. the flow to my lungs is problematic because of my emphysema.  The heart monitor results showed that my Afib is being well controlled by the medicine I've been taking (Amlodarone)-- very few episodes were recorded.  This has come at a cost, however, in terms of extreme loss of balance, lethargy, and even more vision problems than I had before. These side effects might be because my heart rate has dropped to the low 40's, even after exercising.  Also, the monitor showed a high number of pauses, times when the heart stops altogether for a few seconds.  This could be due to the drug, but it also could be due to something cardiologists call Sick Sinus Syndrome (SSS)-- a cute way of saying "You need a pacemaker."  In this case the "Sinus" is the node in your heart that initiates the heartbeat -- nothing to do with the sinuses in your head.  The plan is to cut my drug dosage in half and see what happens. If the pauses are still frequent I may have some hardware installed.  I'm hoping that the reduction also lessens my side effects.  BTW, the cardiologist has no qualms about me traveling -- this is because the test results indicate that a sudden and acute problem isn't likely in my case.

We're only two weeks away from our SE Asia trip.  This is when I usually kick up the gardening preparations, but at the moment I don't have the energy nor the balance to do this.  Hopefully I'll be better in a few days.

Ok, that's if for the week.  As the cartoonist Wiley Miller said in his strip Non Sequitur: “It’s much easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they’ve been fooled"  (3/24/19). Carpe Vita!

Tow Truck, Travel Prep, Tight Buns

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

10/19/24

 

Aloha Everybody --

 

One thing I neglected to mention last week was that a clutch problem developed with Karen's Miata.  This was the same thing that happened a couple of years ago, where suddenly the clutch pedal went nearly to

The Car Ambulance

the floor without engaging the clutch.  Naturally this makes it hard to change gears.  The last time I was able to drive in 2nd gear to the garage, where the  mechanic   diagnosed  the problem as a bad clutch slave cylinder  -- part of the car's hydraulic system that controls the operation pf the clutch.  However, this time the loss of pressure made it impossible to drive,  Fortunately Karen made it home before the cylinder failed completely.  I made an appointment to take the car to my mechanic, and I scheduled a tow truck to get it there last Wednesday.  This was a novel experience for both me and the car -- I've never had to call for a tow truck before in my life. and the Mazda has never needed one.  Anyway, it went very smoothly.  The truck arrived on time and the driver expertly and carefully loaded the car onto a flat-bed truck.  The analogy to an ambulance seemed apt.  The clutch problem was fixed that same day. but I had asked my mechanic to also look at the driver's side window, which had a problem going down without sticking about six inches from the top.  We've lived with this for several months by applying pressure to the window as it goes down.  Since the car was already in the shop, it seemed like a good idea to have this fixed at the same time as the clutch.  However, Mazda no longer makes the needed parts  -- it's 21 years old, after all. But the mechanic managed to locate another source for them. He placed the order but they won't arrive before next week  So we're driving without a window in the meantime, looking carefully at the rain forecast.

 

It's only a few weeks until we leave for SE Asia, so we've begun getting the garden and the house ready.  Yesterday we got our flu shots but held off on the latest Covid boosters because it hasn't been  4 months since we had Covid while on my ill-fated birthday trip to Canada.  The renewal point will be about halfway through the trip, so we've decided to wing it and get our boosters when we return. That's going to be a busy time -- besides re-opening the house and whacking back the garden, I'll have my first cataract surgery the following week.  Should be "interesting."

 

The Iron Man athletes are arriving in force now.  This past week dozens were zipping along on their high-end bikes or loping along like antelopes at the side of the street.  As I said last time, they're easy to spot  -- no body fat and buns like bagels.   Yogurt has become very hard to come by in the stores, as has anything else containing protein.  Our usual mix of languages has been supplemented by several more, making for a very cosmopolitan  atmosphere.  Also, the average age of Kailua has dropped by 10-15 years, I'm sure.

Ok, I'll skip the medical carping this week..  Next week I'll see my cardiologist to go over all my test results (including data from the heart monitor, which I sent in for analysis on Tuesday), and talk about an appropriate treatment plan. I'll regale you with that next time.

Off to market and breakfast on the beach.  Fasten your mental and emotional seat belts  -- we're in for a bumpy ride for the next couple of months.

Repositioning Ships, Fall in Hawai'i, Eye Surgery Ahead

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

10/12/24

 

Aloha Everyone --

 

Poor Florida and other parts of the East!  Two whammies almost back to back.  My condolences and sympathies for whatever losses you might have incurred, and best wishes for recovering.

 

Here our fall has continued with much less drama.  This is repositioning time, when the cruise ships have sailings to Hawai'i as they get ships from the northern summer routes to more southerly ones.  They

Time to Snooze

usually run a couple of trips from the mainland to the islands, and we've had several in our port in addition to our usual Wednesday visit from the one based permanently in Honolulu.  One even stayed overnight, something that is very rare.  Another sign of fall is that the flowering foliage shifts. For instance our various varieties of plumeria, nearly stop flowering altogether and even lose their leaves.  Many others, of course, bloom more or less year around. It's hardly barren here in the late fall and winter, though --there's always something blooming.  Another sign of fall is the annual Iron Man World Championship  Triathlon that occurs near the end of October.  This year is the men's final, whereas last year it was women's.  This brings in thousands of hard bodies from all over the world, some of which have already arrived to train for the grueling  event.  They are easy to spot -- absolutely no body fat, broad shoulders and narrow hips.  There are usually about 50 professionals who compete, but the ones I admire the most are the 2200 or so amateurs in various age categories who somehow have managed to train in addition to holding jobs.  

 

This was a pretty light week for physical exertion.  We did manage to work out at Planet Fitness, but we didn't play golf.  Our usual partner was out of comission because she fell off her horse and was too sore to play.  We could have gone alone, but she's an excellent ball spotter, and right now both of us need help. Speaking of eyesight, on Tuesday I had an appointment with my eye surgeon and I've decided to definitely go ahead and have him do my cataracts.  The first one is scheduled for the week after we return from southeast Asia in early December.  The other is scheduled for late January.  I'm doing my worst eye first, though it is doubtful a new lens will help much because that eye has considerable retina damage from my vein occlusion 12 years or so ago.  If it does help that will be a terrific Christmas present! My other eye has a better chance of improvement because the retina is in better shape, even though I've had a vein occlusion in it as well.  

OK, that's it for this week.  We're off to market and breakfast at the beach.  Take care and keep reminding yourself that morality does matter.

Cataract Culprits, Cardio Consult, Magic Golf Balls

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

10/5/24

 

Aloha All --

 

Although it was a challenge, this week we managed somewhat to overcome our laziness since we returned from the mainland.  First, on Sunday we did a mild workout at Planet Fitness, the first in many weeks. Then on Thursday we played golf at Makalei for the first time in months.  For me the golf was largely "aspirational." I'd hit a tee shot, then skip the approach shots and just putt out.  On a few par 3 holes, though,  I played for real, and even got one bogie! I had to rely heavily on Karen and our partner because if I hit the ball any distance at all, it would magically disappear because of my lousy vision.  All things considered, I did pretty good given how long it had been since we played last.  Oh, and we saw about 8 Nenes who have arrived for their winter visit.

Speaking of vision, I saw my retina doctor on Tuesday and as expected, got a shot it my right eye.  We also talked seriously about cataracts and whether I should have them removed.  The conclusion is to have the surgery because it will eliminate one possible cause of my recent sudden vision downturn.  At first I asked him for a referral to the same surgeon on Oahu that did Karen's eyes because the only surgeon on our island has a somewhat iffy reputation.  Then I learned that a new surgeon has recently joined the eye clinic I go to, and my retinologist thinks very highly of him.  It turned out the new guy was in the clinic and I was able to have a quick consult,  I was very impressed with his credentials and experience, and I may have him do the surgery.  This would be in an out-patient clinic in Hilo, which is a100-mile drive each way, but much easier and less expensive that flying over to Honolulu.  I have an appointment next week to talk some more and take measurements  I'm thinking of going with tried-and-true plain vanilla lenses tuned to distance vision -- anything more than an outstretched arm's length. I may still need reading glasses but that's ok.  I want my vision for every day activities (like driving) to be as good as possible.

In still more geezer health news, on Wednesday I saw my cardiologist for the 2nd time.  This was a quick visit to redo my ECG, with which my cardiologist said he was "very pleased."  Naturally, I am very

Only 5"

pleased he's pleased.  He recommended that now I'm mostly in normal rhythm that I wear a portable monitor for a couple of weeks that will record any Afib events.  Since I don't feel a thing when they happen, this seems like a good idea.  These devices have become marvels of hi-tech.  The model I am using is remarkably small and tapes to my chest,  There are no wires -- the electrodes are embedded in the tape that holds it on.  I can get it wet but I have to make sure the electrodes remain taped down.  The device records continuously for two weeks, then I send it to a lab which analyses the data and generates a report. This is better than my own ECG device because it measures even when I'm asleep. 

 

I know I'm writing a lot about my health issues lately, but unfortunately this is a major component of my life these days. My advice is don't turn 80!

Ok, off to market and the beach.  As you are bombarded with election rhetoric, keep in mind a Finnish saying:  "you have a right to your own opinion, but not to your own facts."'

Carpe vita.