Really wore out today from the last few days but I'm doing okay. I will feel better in a couple of days when I recuperate from the past few days. My legs are really hurting tonight. Not sure why, I kept them up for most of the day.

I skate tomorrow and then will go to Interim for a little bit if I feel up to it. I'm trying to get my house clean too. It is so bad, especially since Dan was vacuuming out the fireplace and it blew out the other side of the shop vac and left the room in a big cloud of ash. I'm glad I wasn't home :)

I'm so wore out. Going to church for 5 services in a row and singing at all of them is really wearing me out. I started to not feel well at all during church last night.

We left right after the service. My chest was hurting, so I took a propranolol when I got home. I started feeling better in about an hour.

Tonight is the last night and the choir is singing a special so one more night!

I made it to aquacise class today, I did better than on Monday.

I'm doing fine, just very tired and very busy.

I'm not doing as well today. Not horrible, just not so punky.

Let's see. I tried Dr. Li's way for a couple of days, taking the atenolol every other day. But, that high heart rate was miserable, so by last Saturday I had resumed taking it every am. I figure if the new drug had an effect on my heart rate it would be really low with both drugs on board, but it's not. So, I'm back to a semi-normal heart rate with my atenolol.

Everybody says I'm still doing better, my color is better and I do have more energy. Dan is pleased with the improvement. I have already adjusted to the increase in the aldomet, so I am going to move up to a whole pill starting with tonights dose. (That's only a quarter of a tablet increase.) My stomach has settled down and I'm not groggy in the am.

While I am still not 100%, the decrease in my symptoms and the lack of fatigue have made such a huge difference in my quality of life. I keep praying for continued progress.

Finally, my lab results are back from the blood draw on Tuesday to check my Potassium; to see if maybe that was a factor in my leg cramps. Well, yes, my potassium is low. Not horribly low like when I had to have I.V. potassium, but low. So Dr. Li prescribed potassium pills twice a day for two weeks and then they will retest my blood...

I did pretty good in my water class. Really, really tired after the class. But, I was still able to get some housework done, with the help of an afternoon nap.

Well, I'm tired, so more later.

I had a good day on Friday. I had the usual morning grogginess and napped from 7:30 am to 9 am. I then headed into town.

Yesterday, Saturday, was not as good a day as the previous Saturday but still a good day. It is just a very long and physically demanding day.

Today is church day. Choir practice at 9, Sunday School at 9:45, Church at 10:45. I have invited a guest as the choir is singing a special today. If anything me being on the choir has given a new way of inviting people to church.

Tonight is choir practice at 4 and church at 5:30. I think we are having something special after church tonight, but I can't remember for sure...

I did not sleep well last night at all. My heart was racing and slowing down and racing and slowing down. I was just very uncomfortable. My head was so tired, but I just couldn't seem to stay asleep.

Tomorrow is another busy day as well, with my aquacise class and then Dan has an afternoon Dr. appt. Not much time for me to rest and get things done in-between.

I am so looking forward to the end of April, that is when skating ends. I am burned out with the politics, nazi parents, and back stabbing instructors. But, I still love those kids, just wish I could eliminate those other factors!

I've been tired again and struggling with higher heart rates since we are trying to decrease the atenolol. I am not tolerating the higher heart rates. I talked to the doctor's office yesterday and today about it.

We will see how it all works out.

We saw Dr. Li today. He is pleased with my progress. We are increasing my new med by a quarter of a pill. I am decreasing my atenolol to every other day. I need to start monitoring my heart rate during my aquacise class (I hadn't been doing that...) He ordered some lab work today to test my electrolytes. Mostly my potassium as I have been having episodes of severe leg cramps, my thighs in Florida and my calves this week. We did ask him about taking quinine pills, as they are for leg cramps. He said no, lets not do that as it can cause some potential heart problems and low blood pressure.

We anticipate some drowsiness again with each increase. We are anticipating about a two to three week adjustment. I will go back to Dr. Li in three weeks. If all goes well, we will plan to increase to a full tablet at that time. :)

I had another good day today, except for my calves, I over did it in my aquacise class on Monday, some how and my calves are so sore that I can't walk quite normal. Dan mentioned something about a penguin and so did one of my students...

I had a great weekend. I rested Saturday morning before I went in to skating. The medicine is still hard on my stomach but it's not keeping me down.

Skating went really well, I had fun and felt really good. I had a great day also on Sunday. I had no underlying pain or discomfort and truly felt good, not just looked good. (So many times it is all that I can do to smile and stay upright and people will come up to me and say, "You look good!" Drives me nuts!!!)

People at the ice rink noticed that I was feeling better and people at church noticed too. A lot of people thought my color was so much better, and it was! Dan said it was so nice to have me back. He said it's been about a month that I've been out of it.

Today I was really tired, but didn't feel horrible. I went to my aquacise class and really, really over did using my arms. I paid for it by not being able to breathe. I just backed off the arm exercises for the rest of the class. This morning my blood pressure was up and my heart rate was 94. After I came home from the class my blood pressure had dropped to 94/50 and my heart rate was up to 104 at rest. So, I think I over did it. I'm paying for it now. But, I think I am still feeling pretty good, just really tired.

I am behind in my daily devotions and on Saturday I was reading Wednesday's and wow, was it an awesome devotional. It really hit home with what I go through with my health. I thought I would share it with you.

A Living Hope

Life is hard for everybody, but it's much harder from some than for others. Puttting our trust in Christ as our Savior does little to change that. Nothing in the Bible promises us a free pass merely because we are Christ's followers: In fact, some of our wounds may not heal and some of our deficiencies may not be corrected during our lifetime. They may even get worse. Yet our deformities and weaknesses are only temporary.

Anticipating what God has in store for us can put a smile in our heart. Hope gives us poise and lets us live with inner strength, because we know that one day we will be dramatically different than we are now.

Take heart in what God has in store for you. Live today with the courage God gives you. Make what you can of your afflictions. But rejoice, because all that degrades and limits you is only temporary. It will be gone-some of it sooner rather than later.

If you have a living hope in Christ, you cand deal with your past because of your future. God's glorious best for you lies ahead. ----Haddon Robinson

Lord, give us grace to trust You when Life's burdens seem too much to bear; dispel the darkness with new hope and hlep us rise above despair. ---Sper

The scripture verse that goes with this is 1 Peter 1:3-9

Have a great day!

The mornings are still a little rough. We are thinking that maybe my new drug is causing some of my stomach problems. Although I am still experiencing the drowsiness from the aldomet, it is improving and definately not as difficult as it was in the beginning. I don't feel that I have reached full therapeutic range as my blood pressure has yet to drop. I have noticed that my run away adrenal responses have significantly decreased. (Not counting the 24 hours where I almost killed myself with the allergy pill!!!) When the phone rings or when I hear a loud noise, my startle reflex does not send my heart rate over the top for two hours. My anxiety is much more normal for the day-to-day circumstance of life.

I feel myself doing better in confrontation like situations. While I am still not like my old self, I have noticed an improvement.

Dan asked today if I noticed any improvements. He is seeing the unfortunate side effects of the drug and it is hard for him to see me go through them. So, even though he cannot actively see the improvements he is willing to hang in there with me. But, the mornings are rough and painful.

I slept all morning today, but I had an outstanding rest of the day. I was finally able to take a shower and was up all afternoon. I was able to get some things picked up, ate lunch and was able to make supper. I felt much, much better today. Yeah!!!

Wow, did I ever mess myself up yesterday. My allergies were really flaring up, but I couldn't find any of my allergy pills. I was so miserable with my nose itching and running even if I just bent my head down! I was just blowing my nose and blowing and blowing. So, when Dan called he told me where there were some of his allergy pills. So, I took one. I'm not supposed to take anything that has pseudoephedrine or ephedrine in it as it can raise the heart rate. Well, guess what! Yes, that drug has pseudoephedrine in it. I was so miserable. My chest felt tight and like someone was standing on my chest. My heart was racing and and on top of it I felt bad from my other new heart drug already.

What a double whammy. I couldn't sleep last night. I even took a sleeping pill, 2 aleve, and my leg pain herbs. (My legs were just driving me crazy last night.) What a miserable night. My brain was so tired but my body was on hyperdrive.

When I got up this morning I felt so miserable, my heart rate fresh out of bed was 132! I took my regular morning pill for my heart rate and added my other heart rate pill on top of it. I was still having chest tightness and pressure with shortness of breathe.

Unfortunately I was not able to go to my aquacise class today. I was bummed out, but felt so bad that I knew I wouldn't be able to participate very well.

So, by 11 am I was still so miserable. So, I called my doctor. My heart rate was still 94 with all of those drugs on board so my doctor had me take another heart rate pill. He pretty much chalked all of my symptoms up to that dumb allergy pill. He told me to never ever do that again! Told me I probably wouldn't feel better for another 4 or so hours.

I missed church tonight, but the good news is that I did start feeling better around 6:30 - 7:00. Of course by that time it was time to take my new heart pill that makes me sleepy.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a much better day than the last two. I'm still recovering from my very busy/stressfull weekend. Dan reminded me that it usually takes about 10 days from me to recover from a weekend like that.

Well, I'm going to bed. I sure could use a good nights sleep.

I'm not doing well today. I feel so bad I can't even explain how I feel bad. I'm not hungry. Dan just threatened to take me to the hospital if I didn't eat. It's the new pill. I'm also having stomach pains, it's a side effect too.

I hope tomorrow is better. I have things to do. Today I got a sub for my power skating class. I never got dressed or did much of anything.

Tomorrow has got to be better.

Yesterday was a long and draining day. I got up at 4:30am and made it home by 6pm. I then slept on the couch until 10pm. I then got up, put my pj's on and went to bed. I slept hard all night.

I was not doing well this morning. I went to choir practice and church this morning, but I shouldn't have. Dan said I looked awful up there singing. I felt awful.
But, by 4pm I started to feel better and we had an awesome choir practice!!!!!!!!!!!! and then a great church service following that. Dan said how nice it was to have me back. In the middle of the service (6pm) it was time to take my pill again. So, I waived good-bye to Dan and swallowed the pill. 1/2 an hour later I could feel its effects starting to work. It still makes me very drowsy and a little sluggish, but not as bad as when I first started to take it.

Gotta go. We need to eat supper.

I made it through tonight. Tired. Now I just need to survive tomorrow. I need to be at the rink at 6 am and will be there until after 5 pm.

It's after 10pm now. I've got to go to bed.

Aquacise class today. Boy is it hard, but I'm glad that I'm doing it.
I'm dragging and have a horrible headache tonight. I went to church but shouldn't have. I just don't feel with it.

I'm concerned about tomorrow. I have a lesson at noon, 3:30, 4:15, and a judges meeting that I'm running from 5:15-6:15. Then Friday I have the competion and everything gets started around 3pm and runs until 9ish. Then Saturday starts at 6am and runs until after 5pm. I'm barely managing with this new drug when I have nothing to do. Now I'm getting slammed and well, it makes me tired just thinking about it!

Goodnight.