Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Adaptation Is The Key

I was discharged from the Yuma Regional Medical Center on Friday (2/15).  Rosie and our daughter, Michelle, picked me up from the hospital.  Since then I have had two follow ups with the medical team and an adjustment on my Coumadin dosage.   My blood was getting a little too thin, so they cut back from 3 mg to 2 mg.

Saturday morning we took all of our pooches and drove over to the old Yuma Territorial Prison State Park for a walk along the Colorado River. I can walk now without feeling tired or short of breath.  Here is a picture of Rosie and Michelle with two of the pooches:

IMG_6482

Michelle headed back for Pine Mountain Club in California Sunday morning after we enjoyed a good breakfast at the Foothills Eatery.  Since all the typical breakfast meats are forbidden to me, I had a short stack of buttermilk pancakes and a section of Michelle’s Belgian Waffle.

I am getting used to the new food and drink restrictions which include no pork products, red meat once a month, no butter or high fat products, no hard liquor or beer, but one glass of wine a day is allowed.  I have learned to take my own pulse and one of the really nice nurses gave me a stethoscope so I can listen to my heart whenever I feel the need.

After four days of initial adjustment, I am coming to the conclusion that my new lifestyle isn’t too bad after all.  Since all of this is to prevent the high probability of a serious stroke if left untreated, this life is certainly preferable to the stroke alternative.

Our neighbors at Caravan Oasis RV Resort welcomed me home and expressed concern for my well being and offered whatever assistance that we might need while I am in recovery.  RV people are really nice about helping each other out, and that certainly applies in this park.

The only adjustment we are making in our long term plans is making very short stays (2 to 3 days) in remote boondocking areas.  At least for the rest of this year, we want to stay in areas with a quick 911 response and good medical services nearby.  That may change as time goes on, if the attempts to “convert” my heart back to a normal rhythm are successful.

We are expecting a rare desert rainstorm overnight.  That should be interesting.

Thanks for checking in.

4 comments:

Allen DuGuay said...

Good to hear your doing well with the changes. And that you have so many caring people nearby. Looking forward to seeing you enjoy your summer travels this year and many to come.

TexCyn said...

Glad to hear you are taking care of yourself. As you know, it's an important key to your recovery. I'll bet it felt great to get out for that walk!

owensontheroad said...

So glad you are adapting so well. I'm sure it is not easy to change habits. It's all for the good!

TravelBug-Susan said...

We're happy to hear you're out of the doctor's office and feeling better. You are adding years to your life with those changes.

Good job, Jim.