Staying the Course -- September 16, 2020

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Superbob

Steely Resolve!
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
8,481
Location
Coastal Carolina
Hello, all. Hope all are doing well and staying their courses.

Special thoughts to Cici, who checked in with us last week and was to be having her AVR today, I believe. I'm sure everyone here is rooting for her and will love to hear her thoughts again on STC as her recovery proceeds.

I believe LinH, among others, gave her helpful advice, including the desirability of having a recliner for your at-home recovery. I will second that. Certainly it's not essential; you can use pillows and cushions or whatnot and do fine. But I found a recliner to be my best friend (well other than my family members) after my open-heart surgeries in 2005 and 2019.The latest time around I splurged and got a lift recliner that will take me up or down to virtually any angle. It's especially helpful in taking you practically upright so you can stand up without having to exert pressure on your chest to do so. Even now, a year out of my 2019 OHS, I find this helpful, especially since I have an incisional hernia in the upper abdomen that I will be consulting with a specialist about before long. Finally, my cardio got me scheduled for a CT-Scan on the 25th, so we'll see what's what with the heart and the hernia, hopefully.

BTW, if purchasing a recliner doesn't work in the family budget, I understand recliners are available for rent for a few weeks or months.

As regulars here know, I am a weather freak, so I am following Hurricane Sally closely as it approaches the Gulf coast tonight. It's advancing painfully slowly -- 2 mph at last report -- which means it is dumping huge rainfall totals. Some places (like Pensacola) could get 20 to even 30 inches, which obviously could threaten lives and property. The remnants are expected to visit us here on Carolina shores Wednesday through Friday -- lots of thunderstorms, several inches of rain, but not likely the impacts now being experienced in Mississippi, (and especially) Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Gorgeous sunrise today on Carolina shores but thunderstorms expected to start this afternoon.

This Friday the 18th will be the one-year anniversary of my aortic aneurysm and valve replacement surgery at UNC/Chapel Hill. I think my family should have cake and ice cream for me, don't you think? Party time! Maybe I will write about some of my UNC memories later this week or next.

Also on my calendar is our annual community heart walk -- the Waccamaw Heart Walk (named in honor of one of our local Indian tribes). My wife, a stroke survivor, and I have participated in every Walk since we moved here 11 years ago. It is a joyful happening, lots of celebration of survivors, lots of help for those confronting their cardiac challenges. Thanks to COVID, though, this year's walk, October 17, will be drastically different -- no walking en masse, in fact all walking on our own, at home or wherever, not in a central locale. Details aren't out yet but somehow we will be in touch with other solo walkers around the country, thanks to technology. I hope this doesn't mean all will be walking with their noses stuck in their smart phones. One happy note is that I finally will be able to take my Elliedawg on a Heart Walk. She's too aggressive toward other dogs for me to take her on a big community walk but a virtual one should be just fine.

Ah the wonders of our linked-up world!

Okay, enough of my rambling. Let's hear what's on the minds of our hardy Coursers this week.

Cheers,
Superbob
🦸‍♂️
 
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Greetings Superbob.

I second your recliner recommendation. I’m still usIng mine a year out from my AVR!

I bought a recliner just before my surgery on the suggestion of some wise souls here (I think you were one of them). Was a very good decision. I used it continuously the first weeks. And it’s still my go-to comfy chair over 12 months later. Ha.

I’ve been meaning to sell it on but just can’t bring myself to do it yet – it’s far too comfortable! Does take up a bit of space though. Let’s see.

Here’s hoping the hurricane season is kind to you and your family.
 
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Missed last weeks updates. Sorry to read about another hurricane coming for folks b in the south. Seems there’s enough crazy going on without throwing weather into it. Sounds like I missed another newbie joining the ranks. I’m sure they received great advice advice from this crew.

Around here, school is back in full swing. My four remaining home bound kids are doing blended. Two or three days in seat. The rest online. They have always been quite studious, so it works. I think the older three would be fine staying this way. My third grader needs a bit more hand holding through the process.

The oldest is for weeks into his college career already and seems to be doing quite well. We made a supply run out there the other day. Amazing how “grown up” they look after just a few weeks out and having to manage their own day to day life.

Just started teaching my own fall class the other night. The university is in seat for starters. I have one student in quarantine already. I’m recording the class for her while she attends online.

Sorry, @Superbob, weather up here is boring. Highs in the 70’s, lows in the 50’s, some rain, mostly dry. Fall is approaching. Starting to see our first hints of color in the leaves.

I did love my post surgery recliner. Even slept in it for the first few days after coming home! Coming up on 11 years since that OHS and 30 since my first. Can’t believe it’s already been a year since your last one. Time stops for no one.
 
Thankfully, @Superman, our weather is supposed to get boring as well this weekend, at least for a while, after the remnants of Sally pass through. A cold front is to come through, bringing us "fall-like" highs of 70s and lows in the 50s at night. For me, 70s over 50s is just about the ideal balance. It is certainly prime walking weather. Humidity has been oppressive here with few breaks all summer.

Sounds like your children are adjusting to the "hybrid" model of schooling pretty well, and the oldest is doing well at college. All best to them and to you in your university teaching as well.
 
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I'm planning on a trip to Outer Banks in early October, so based on past history, a major rain event is coming and all the campgrounds will be flooded. I'm watching Sally!

I also just realized my 1 year anniversary from TAVR is next week - the 23rd. My local cardiologist said there is a small leak around the valve, so interested in finding out what cardiologist who performed TAVR has to say about it. I feel exactly the same as I did before TAVR - no better, no worse.
 
I'm planning on a trip to Outer Banks in early October, so based on past history, a major rain event is coming and all the campgrounds will be flooded. I'm watching Sally!

I also just realized my 1 year anniversary from TAVR is next week - the 23rd. My local cardiologist said there is a small leak around the valve, so interested in finding out what cardiologist who performed TAVR has to say about it. I feel exactly the same as I did before TAVR - no better, no worse.

The tropics are bristling with storms this season, no doubt. Hope you will be able to make your trip storm-free. Love OBX! We used to vacation with family there just about every summer when we lived in Virginia. As for your cardio follow-up, hope it will just be a small, inconsequential leak in the valve area.
 
I have trouble falling to sleep at night and take a benedryl. I can take a nap without needing anything, but at night I will just lay there for hours until I finally take a benedryl.

Last night, just as I'm starting to doze off, I realized I hadn't taken my benedryl. I decided to see if I could fall asleep without it. I dozed right off and even after a couple of trips to bathroom in middle of the night, fell right back to sleep.

What was different was I had made a dish with split peas, vegetables, and rice, and ... a lot of turmeric. I've tried turmeric for sleep before without success, so I think it might be a dosing problem.

If any of you want to try it, the easiest way is probably golden milk. It's basically turmeric, pepper, milk, and other spices. I think I probably need to add a lot more turmeric than most recipes call for. There are plenty of recipes online.
 
Didn't even know Teddy was a problem.
Portions of the primary road linking North Carolina’s Outer Banks barrier islands to the mainland were closed Sunday to traffic due to coastal flooding. North Carolina Highway 12 was impassable in long stretches on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Hurricane Teddy was several hundred miles off in the Atlantic, but the system was creating rough surf and dangerous rip currents.
https://www.wric.com/weather/coastal-flooding-along-n-c-outer-banks-closes-roads/
 
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