Happy New Year everyone!
A lot has happened since my last post!
We have a new grandbaby who was born at the end of November!
We traveled across the country and spent Christmas with family and was able to have dinner out 3 times in a week!
I know that might not sound like a big deal, but it is!
Let me start at the beginning...
I was able to get 39 rounds of ACC chelation in before our trip to SoCal.
That last round was a little rough, as I had run out of 5mg ala (because the supplier was out), so for round 38, I had enough 12 mg capsules to split for one round. Round 38 at 6 mg went fine.
For round 39, my husband split 12.5 mg capsules, so the dose was 6.25.
No big deal, right?
Wrong.
I had increased symptoms (ear ringing, dull headache, adrenal symptoms).
Not what I needed right before an 8 day trip.
I didn't reveal this, but my daughter and I flew out to SoCal for our oldest daughter's baby shower, and the Tuesday before we left (on Friday), my head cleared 100%. It lasted for 2 full days! That was so awesome and a much needed answer to prayer.
The whole Charlotte team of American Airlines gave me exemplary service from literally the 10 seconds after I set foot in the door, until I was assisted onto the plane. A passenger even helped us on the plane and got our bags down from the overhead compartment once the plane landed. Still, I had a little meltdown once on the plane from the stress of all the preparation that's needed to get onto an airplane.
The American Airlines team in Charlotte set the bar so high on that trip, but I understood that wasn't going to happen every time I flew.
Still, my husband was accompanying me on the December flight, so I knew it would be ok.
While the American Airlines Charlotte team still offered assistance, traveling so close to a holiday makes things a little more chaotic. My adrenals are definitely better because we got to our seats on the plane with no meltdown!
After a wonderful Christmas celebration with family(the last time was in 1999 before we moved), we spent the week with our daughter, helping her organizing our grandbaby's room(my sister did a lot!), moving the last of her things from another residence and organizing her apartment. One day I worked so hard that I felt like I "broke" on the way back to our hotel. I have been sleeping better, so I was fine the next day.
Being on the freeways in Los Angeles was still a "white knuckle ride" for me, so we limited our driving time and driving distance.
We got together with friends at a restaurant on Thursday. In the past, going out to a restaurant hasn't been enjoyable, it's merely been a test of surviving to the end.
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| Wings at Simmzy's Venice Beach |
On Saturday, we met my brother in law and sister in law for dinner. The room wasn't loud when we arrived at the restaurant, but it was loud when we left. I call it success that I was still able to follow the conversation and enjoy the experience.
We went out again Sunday night with my family, but this time, it was not as easy to follow or engage in conversation. Still, much better that it has been.
We returned home on New Year's Eve.
It had been a busy week and I knew that it was going to take me a couple of weeks to recover.
I don't think it's related to my trip, but on Sunday (6 days after returning home), I woke up to my blood pressure spiking at 210/107. I waited 30 minutes and when my bp was still high I woke my husband up and we tried some things to lower it (hibiscus and putting my feet in hot water). My chest has been hurting in the area of my heart (near the sternum) for several weeks, so it was a bit disconcerting. My blood pressure lowered a bit, but then began going higher. With the chest pains, I felt I should get it checked out, so we went to the ER. Labs were good, with the exception of low potassium. The doctor had no explanation for either the blood pressure spike or the chest pains.
I'm continuing to monitor my blood pressure at home.
I skipped doing a round that week.
I just finished round 40 yesterday. The round was uneventful; hopefully the next few days off round will be, as well.
Here are 7 things that might help you when traveling by plane:
1. Purchase a good carry on that fits under the seat to keep needed supplements and food while you fly.
I purchased this one because it was large enough to fit my laptop inside. There's plenty of room inside and in the outside section and pockets. The only other feature I wish it had is spinner wheels.
3. When you get to the airport, request wheelchair assistance to and from the gate. (there isn't a charge for this, but it brings some cash to tip your assistant)
4. Make sure you book a seat that's convenient for you. When we traveled in December, we paid extra for the aisle and middle seats so that my husband could help me up when I needed to use the restroom.
5. Carry a cane if you need one. I carry a cane, which helps me, but also alerts others that I may need help or may take a little extra time.
6. Be sure to board first when the gate attendant calls for people who need extra time and help to board.
7. When you get off the plane, if one isn't already there, ask for wheelchair assistance to the baggage claim. Sometimes, it's a very long walk!
There are a few other things we did while staying in the hotel, such as stopping off at Trader Joe's to pick up fruit, muffins, milk and Fiji water, so we could have breakfast in our room without having to get dressed to go out to eat or wait for room service. I brought my favorite organic tea, infuser and RTIC tumbler with me so I could make tea first thing in the morning. (there was a Keurig and a mini fridge in the room).
There are a few other things we did while staying in the hotel, such as stopping off at Trader Joe's to pick up fruit, muffins, milk and Fiji water, so we could have breakfast in our room without having to get dressed to go out to eat or wait for room service. I brought my favorite organic tea, infuser and RTIC tumbler with me so I could make tea first thing in the morning. (there was a Keurig and a mini fridge in the room).
Hope your 2019 is off to a good start.
Have a Happy New Year!
Pam
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