Hi all,
I'm really grateful for your support and sympathy as I work through this post-stroke stuff. I decided to make a separate thread where I can talk about that so I don't muddle it up with my Relationship thread. So this is a response to your recent posts over there.
The monitor is on my chest 24/7 for 30 days, collecting data. It's kind of weird...a little blue flash of light indicates it's sending data to the handset (essentially a cell phone--not functioning as a phone--that I'm supposed to keep within 10 feet of my body). Occasionally I have to remove the patch to recharge batteries or change the cradle-patch (once it--and my skin!--start peeling off). After the 30 days is up, I mail the monitor and unused patches back to the device company. They analyse the data --no idea how long that takes--and send a report to my doctors, who eventually post it on the hospital's patient portal (like all test results) so I can see it myself. That has been quick with some tests, like the brain scans, but was slow with the echocardiogram (a week). If I don't understand the result or there's not enough comment, I can call for an explanation of what it all means. Or, I can write any questions through the portal and an MD will reply. I did that for the diagnosis confusion I had between TIA and stroke, and my questions about cause--they assume but can't prove I had a clot, and it was stroke (small one) not TIA, for example. Got a detailed, clear reply from a neurologist that was very helpful. So I'm glad I stopped resisting the online portal.
All will be well. I feel fine and I do think the Co-Enzyme Q10 is slowly increasing my energy levels. I'm frustrated about lack of fitness and am moderately overweight (a few pounds into that category) and my BMI is a bit above healthy. So THAT writing is on the wall too.
Speaking of meshing topics, so this will appear both here and there...I have concern about M's health too, as he's significantly overweight and in denial. He's truly obsessed with food. His cooking is also a joyful hobby but I think the degree of focus on it (fantasizing long before a restaurant visit, waxing lyrical over favorite foods in various places, talking about recipes a ton) is out of balance in his case. Once I overheard him telling a trainer, "I never had a belly before this scoliosis" and thought, oh sweetheart, scoliosis doesn't cause jowls....
He tends to dismiss facts about ingredients and portions.
love y'all,
Hops
