Doc Says Okay To Return To Normal

Sixty-five days after my quintuple heart bypass life is back to 'Normal.'

Well, almost...  I'm still taking lots of pills and trying to regain my strength, but I'm getting there.  The on-going problem with my vein-donor leg is still an issue, and I'm scheduled for some ultrasounds over the next few days to see if circulation is okay.  Meanwhile, I'm to wear thigh-high compression stockings.

Plus, I just finished my third week of cardio rehab.  Nine more weeks to go.  I'm glad I signed up for it.

And I'm doing daily walks that when combined with my normal walking, total 3 miles or more according to my FitBit watch that also gives me other data, including weekly reports on my progress.  I try to add a few more steps each day.  So far, so good. 

But Dr. Aduli (my cardiologist) emphasized caution on what I do and avoid trying to do too much.

Even my ophthalmologist, Dr. McComiskey, said my vision after the cataract surgery in January was good.  I easily read the 20/25 line and later the 20/20 line as I relaxed.

I've really wanted to get back to doing some of the lawn care, making sawdust and just doing simple , but necessary, tasks around here.  Like, make a panel to fit into the garage window for the portable A/C we bought.  Seems to work just fine now.

And as of this morning I weigh 10 pounds less than I did going into surgery.  I'll continue with my efforts to lose some weight.

In spite of my leg problems, I actually feel pretty good.

Hurricane Barry And I'm Cooking Ribs

We're in Hurricane Barry's slow, very wide meandering path, but after two days the worst of it is about a hundred miles west of us.  We're just getting some rain.  Even so, there are areas close to us that are flooded or close to being flooded from Barry's rain.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of strong winds or tornado's near us, so we have pretty much determined that we are safe.  No matter, we were not going anywhere anyway until Barry is no longer a threat.  Besides, most businesses closed so their employees could prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

So what do we do when a storm just misses us?  We cook.  I had some ribs that I wanted to smoke, and Judy wanted to make a big pot of beans with smoked sausage and ham-hocks.  Good timing.  We will have ribs and maybe some beans for dinner tonight.

I suppose you could say we squeaked by another destructive weather event while getting some much needed rain.  I should be able to attend my third week of rehab next week without a hurricane threat.

That's Something About Chickens

That's Something About Chickens

Early in our adoption of a Big Green Egg as our preferred method of cooking, we dubbed ourselves "Spring Chicken" and "Spring Hen" among our Egghead Friends. That was in 1999.

As we became better and further known, we built an outdoor kitchen, which we called the "Chicken Coop." It sat promately on our little 1/4 acres in Spring, Texas USA which we called The Chicken Ranch, aptly named after the famed "Chicken Ranch" in LaGrange, Texas. Yes, the very real place that was immortalized in the movie, "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" with Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton.

Here we are standing in front of our Chicken Coop.

Meanwhile, both our enthusiasm for the worldwide Big Green Egg community grew and our collection of Big Green Eggs went from one to as many as six.

In order to carry on the 'Chicken Ranch' theme, we named our growing collection of Big Green Eggs girl's names. There was Lily Large, Shirley Small, Maggie Mini, Lola Large, Lula Large and Mini-Maxine.

And when any one or all of the "girls" were cooking something, we boasted that they were "working." And we would display a red light over the Coop's entrance.

The story made it to CNN. http://www.cnn.com/20…/LIVING/…/09/eggheads.irpt/index.html…

We have since moved on and now live in Louisiana. Naturally, we had to have another "Chicken Coop" so we built one and use it almost daily. No, there's no red light over the door.

But the purpose of this post is highlight the role chickens have played for thousands of years all across the world.

This short history lesson should help you to see why and how chickens became so popular. It's worth a watch. Enjoy...

Click here: https://youtu.be/O7dAG4T-5h4

Slow Down Leroy

Today was to be my third rehab day.  I arrived there early but it didn't entirely turn out as I expected.

It looks like I was a bit too optimistic as to my ability to quickly adapt to the rehab routine.  When I arrived this morning I was ‘wobbly’ and told the nurse that before she even weighed me in.  I told her I didn’t get much sleep last night due to my leg being in pain.  And that I had pears and cottage cheese for dinner last night and for breakfast this morning.  Naturally, she instantly became concerned and asked me questions.  Like ‘did I take my meds this morning?’ and ‘have I been eating iron-rich food regularly?’  I told her yes on the meds but that I had stopped taking the iron pill four days ago because it was tearing up my insides and exit port.  And that I told my cardiologist about it, who reluctantly agreed to it. Besides, I was already taking vitamins that contained iron.  As for eating, I just don’t feel like eating much during this oppressive heat.

She was quick to say that lack of iron probably caused me to be wobbly.  So she started taking my blood pressure and it was okay but over the next few minutes it ranged from under 100/.. to 130/..  So she told me to not do the treadmill.  Instead, I did the arm cycle and bicycle.  They weren’t hard to do but they were harder than before.  Then she put me on the elliptical machine for fifteen minutes, but within two minutes I was beat.  That was it for me.  They made me drink water and rest.

She said I still had my color but that I may want to call for a ride home.  I decided I felt strong and steady enough to do it myself and returned home early.  We decided to have a big breakfast up the road and I came home, crawled back into bed and slept until 1:30.  I still feel a bit weak.  I think we're having steak tonight.  My cardio surgeon said I should eat lots of steak.

I then called my doctor’s office and told them about the incident, and that I was going back on the iron pills.  They agreed that my 'wobble' could be the lack of iron and said okay, but if it happens again, call them for an appointment.

I'm also skipping my daily walk through the house to get my 5,000 + steps in.  I'm just not up for it.  Maybe tomorrow.