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It has now been 5 months since the operation and 154 days since I had my last cigarette--I am still trying to find out where all the money I am saving is!!
More important than the not smoking is that it has almost been a month since I have had an anxiety attack and that has made such a difference in my life.
Three
to four weeks ago I started to cut back on the Lorazepam--the
tranquillizer--going slowly, like 1/4 of a milligram at a time for a
week or two, and I am now taking 3/4 of a milligram. Hopefully by the
first of the year or shortly after I will be off it.
There have
been many improvements but I am far from being my old self. I would
say I am about 50% of the way. Yes, I still have anxious moments but it
is just that--moments--and not as often. I still feel drained at around
5 PM and am not able to take a nap but my I am getting back to my old
sleeping patterns by which I mean going to sleep later and waking up
later. Today I didn't get up until 10:30 and I felt that was a great
accomplishment.
It is 5 months later and the hair on my chest hasn't grown back to the way it was but the scar is almost invisible and that has healed a lot quicker than I expected.
I
do have trouble, now and then, catching my breath but that doesn't last
long. Strange but it doesn't happen when I walk up the flight of stairs
to my place but when I walk a few blocks or/and sometimes when I am
just sitting not exerting myself at all.
As I had planned I have
not see ANY doctors this month and I am doing okay. The only worry
could be (but I don't worry about it) the level of my blood thinner
which I should have checked every two weeks. The next time I see my
primary will be January 15 and will have it checked then.
Two
other problems are my very loose tooth and I will be seeing the dentist
January 5th and the other is the problem with my ear and I will be
seeing the NET the same day as I see my primary.
I am changing my
heart doctor or, at least, seeing a different one as I am not too happy
with the one I have (had?), who I will be seeing on February 2. I,
also, am not going to go appointment crazy and really plan to have a
maximum of 2 a month and not every month at that! I will have to go to
my primary for the warfarin levels but we won't count that.
I am having some strange reactions, of which most seem to deal
with claustrophobia, that I haven't had before but that comes and goes.
Transportation
wise 2 big improvements, with one was becoming eligible for TOPS, which
is a county transportation system that makes private rides available
anywhere, anytime (including movies, malls, grocery shopping, etc.) for
$2.50 each way and I will be getting 50 round trips rides from and to
doctors through my HMO. Also I am
able to share a local resident's car. And, of course, there is Allen
who is very giving of his car, and time, along with Gino and John who
are there for me if I need them.
All in all I have seen the
biggest improvements, physically and mentally, this past month and I
think that is mainly due to not having anxiety attacks and, trust me, I
don't miss them!! Hopefully the new year will bring more improvements
and I won't feel I have to give monthly updates! :O)
And here is my favorite picture of 2008!!
