Summertime, Summertime...

Sunflowers welcome the sun with delight








But Luna Hibiscus only open at night.

 Blueberries fresh from the bush are a delicious treat














And tater digging is pretty neat.


                 

 

Mowing in the summer is not

too cool

 





But a dip in a river
or pool MOST DEFINITELY RULE!

 

HOPE YOU ARE  ENJOYING YOUR SUMMER!

 

 

I'm Puzzled

   
         It all started last Christmas.  Ron gave me a 1000-piece jig saw puzzle entitled, "National Parks America."  This was appropriate for two reasons.  First, my bucket list includes seeing all the U.S. National Parks before I pass on to a better place.  Secondly, I grew up doing jig saw puzzles with my five siblings every New Year's Eve.  I loved the gift.  For the next few weeks, this puzzle dominated our dining room table. In between other activities,  I worked on it.  Ron also worked on it but our 12 year old grandson, Cole, turned out to be the quickest of all in recognizing the pieces that fit.  We completed it in just a few weeks.
    
     Hooked,  I bought more puzzles.  After all, putting together puzzles is supposed to be good to keep you mentally sharp and help prevent dementia.  I bought Ron a 750 piece puzzle entitled "Clunkers."  The finished puzzle depicted cars from the 1950s & 60s in a rustic scene staged in a colorful drive-through bar and restaurant setting.  He finished it within a couple of weeks.  My 6 year-old grandson Nathan, with his brother's help, completed a 100-piece Glow Zone animal puzzle shortly after. 

       Okay, I admit it, I got cocky.  I bought a 2000-piece Mega puzzle with very intricate zoo scenes. I spread it out on a large cardboard sheet on the table because I knew it would take a while.  No one wanted to join me in this challenge but after working on it a few minutes each day for several weeks I had almost all the edge pieces.  All was going well until we had guests for dinner and I had to move it. I mistakenly placed the cardboard with the puzzle-in-progress on the arms of a recliner in the corner.  Wrong move!  On the way to the bathroom, someone knocked it on the floor.  Oh my!  I would have to start all over again.  I decided to postpone the challenge. I put it away with a plan to bring it out again next New Year's Eve.

       So I was done with puzzles for the time being, that is, until I discovered www.jigsawplanet.com.  I learned I could put together puzzles, any theme or size,  to my hearts content for free online.  You are actually timed to see how long it takes you to put your selection together and where you rank with your competition.  This feature turned out not to be such a confidence builder for me. I completed a 63-piece frog puzzle in 20 minutes.  The top completer finished the same puzzle in 2+ minutes.  Determined, I did a 48-piece Mona Lisa in 17 minutes. The best time was slightly over a minute.  Bummer!  I guess I have a long way to go but can you beat me?

New Year - New Goals

         For those of you who follow this blog, you will remember last July I posted
"Somebody  Talk Me Out of It."  I was thinking about walking the nearly 500 mile Camino de Santiago trail in Spain for spiritual and health reasons.   I promised to make a decision around Christmas about the reality of undertaking this 30-40 day/15 to 20 miles per day trek.  I set about embarking on some common sense training and conditioning to see what level of endurance I had.  This is how it went.

        Ron was supportive and biked with me on several of my longer training expeditions  My son, Craig, treated my aches with acupuncture.  He toyed with the idea of meeting me somewhere along the way to walk and provide acupuncture treatments as needed if I decided to pursue this goal.  My friend, Susan, walked and talked with me on numerous occasions which provided a great diversion from just focusing on the walk.  As she walked with me, she weighed the possibility of hiking the Camino with me.

       My training routine was consistent and progressive. I went from my normal average 2-3 miles of walking, 3-4 times per week to 5-6 miles every day.  However, I jumped it up by a mile or so per day, 7 miles, 8 miles, 9 miles, 10 miles.  I even had a spreadsheet to document my daily goals vs actuals. Each day my legs and hips ached and I was really tired. I applied ice and took Epsom Salt baths. Craig also gave me acupuncture a couple of times per week. After a month or so, because walking every day was so time consuming, I decided to back off.  I  focused on making my average mileage increases by the week rather than by day. That turned out to be a good plan. It took the pressure off of me when I needed to do other things. Life happens, you know.  

     Throughout my training, I was amazed to see how my body snapped back overnight and how ready I was to go again the next day. My energy level seemed to elevate instead of diminish. I gradually increased and, in mid-November, I was able to complete my goal of doing a 16-mile hike on the St. Marks Hiking and Biking Trail. YAHOO!  I made it in about five hours (including stretching and pee breaks).  I called my sisters, Cindy and Anita, on my cell while I walked. Ron met me at the end with a huge smile and bear hug.  We celebrated at the Riverside Café, a waterfront restaurant at the end of the trail, with lunch---a beer and steamed/raw oysters.  

     It was a great feeling of accomplishment.  To be honest, although I am relatively healthy "for my age," I really never thought I had it in me.  I guess the old cliché about you never know until you try is true, which for me meant pushing myself beyond my comfort zone.  I have been a walker for most of my life but never to this extent.  The amazing thing to me is walking five miles is easy now (as long as I stretch before and after that is). 

     What I did not expect to happen during the many weeks of walking through the woods, on trails, and sometimes at the gym, was to evolve from focusing on the exercise and the end goal of doing the Camino to increased awareness of the present moment, especially on the outside walks. Because of other commitments, the timing of my walking schedule had to be flexible. This was good.  I began to pay attention to little things like how the air touching my face and, even the woodsy sounds of nature, were different, depending on the time of day or season  I love the lush dark green summer woods but, as the seasons changed to fall and into winter, I began to see things that had been hidden before, like the late afternoon sun enhancing the color of the leaves and dancing on Overstreet Lake.  I guess I had a lot of time to ponder and maybe even space out a bit.  Gradually, I acknowledged I did not have to do the Camino to be inspired or achieve my fitness goals. 

      As I began to absorb this small revelation, my attention turned to Ron and how much I loved traveling and seeing new things with him.  The Camino trek was just not his idea of a vacation.  I decided I would rather spend the time and money I would have used to go to Spain on something we could do together.   Although he was supportive of my earlier goal, I think he feels the same way.  Consequently, we are planning a trip to Eastern Canada in the summer and a "follow the leaves" trip to the northeastern U.S. in the fall.

     So I went full circle from my July blog, I talked myself out of it.  No one had to do it for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love walking more than ever. I actually get a bit cantankerous when weather or commitments keep me from doing it.  As a matter of fact, my new goal  is to log in 1200 miles in 2015.  Unless, of course, someone talks me out of it. 

    
        

 

POTS

     My guess is you have never heard of POTS.  No, I'm not talking about the herb you put in brownies or smoke.  The POTS I'm referring to makes you feel lousy.  I had never heard of it until my beautiful, young daughter-in-law, Paige, was diagnosed with it almost three years ago.  It rocked her world!   And, the worlds of those of us who love her.

  So what is this malady?  POTS is the acronym for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.   It is hard to diagnose or manage.  In the U.S. alone, it is estimated to affect more than 500,000 people and millions world-wide. POTS can strike any age, gender or race, but it is most often seen in women between the ages of 15 and 50. Men and boys can develop it as well, but approximately 80% of patients are female.  Technically speaking, it falls under the broad category of a dysautonomia autonomic disorder. It is believed to be caused by many phenomena, including pregnancy, trauma, and can be genetic. There are many confusing facets of this autonomic disorder which are way over my head.   My watered down interpretation is that having an autonomic disorder means your brain and your heart are not communicating effectively.  This makes me visualize the scene in the movie, "The Jerk." Steve Martin's character tried to clap his hands together but he could never make contact. 

     There is no known cure for POTS.  Sometimes symptoms can diminish with age. Some patients have fairly mild symptoms and can continue with normal work, school, social and recreational activities. For others, symptoms may be so severe that normal life activities can be significantly limited.  Statistics show that approximately 25% of POTS patients are disabled and unable to work. Fortunately, Paige is not in that group, but much to her chagrin, she does miss work a few days per month due to POTS.   Here's the rub:  most people who suffer from it look normal and healthy.  That is why it is so hard to diagnose and is often misdiagnosed.

     Here are some of the symptoms of POTS:  headache; fatigue; sleep disorder; weakness; hyperventilation; low grade fever, tremors; sweating; anxiety/palpitation; dizziness/vertigo; and pre‐syncope/syncope (fainting).  Paige's experiences with POTS included every one of these symptoms.  

      In a way, she was lucky.  When it became overwhelming, she did not have to wait years to find out what the heck was going on or be told in the meantime it was all psychosomatic. After a major episode of hyperventilating and nearly fainting at work one day, she was sent to the emergency room and ultimately hospitalized.  Her family already had a connection with a local cardiologist, Dr. Farhat Khairallah, who specialized in dysautonomia because her father, after fainting while driving,  had been diagnosed earlier with a similar form.  Dr. Khairallah was immediately called in.  He put her through many tests, including a tilt test.  This is a test many doctors would not even consider.  During this test, blood pressure and heart rate are measured.  The patient starts out horizontal on a table and is slowly raised to a 70% vertical position.  One of the criteria for a POTS diagnosis is a heart rate increase of 30 beats per minute (bpm) or more, or over 120  bpm, within the first 10 minutes of standing.  Paige's heart rate fluctuations were right in line.  She realized after her diagnosis and learning more about this syndrome, she had been feeling symptoms for years, dating back to her teens, but it had worsened over time. 

     She explained, " My doctor believes I have been experiencing POTS symptoms since my teens.  As a teen, I started having dizziness and fatigue anytime I would get up from a sitting position,  I thought everyone experienced this so I was not concerned.  My heart began racing so much in college I had a series of tests done, including wearing a heart monitor.  I've always had trouble keeping my hands and feet warm.  I even had chilblains (blistering caused by inflammation of small blood vessels) removed from my toes when I lived in Colorado in the 1990s. I was diagnosed as having Meniere's disease in my ears about 2006.   In 2009, I had painful vasospasms when I was nursing our youngest.  Consequently, I had to stop nursing him after six months.   I had a low grade fever and felt awful for almost a year before my episode at work."

      So what happened after Paige was diagnosed?   Dehydration is known to be a big problem with many heart and autonomic malfunctions so one of the recommendations to counteract the symptoms were to a drink at least 90 ounces of water every day.  Dietary restrictions, strangely enough, included increasing salt intake.  Some researchers suggest increasing vitamin B-12 if blood tests show there is a deficiency because it improves the nervous system.  She was never told that was her problem.  Dr. Khairallah put her on Fludrocortisone to increase her salt retention, Midodrine which causes vasoconstriction, increases blood pressure which allows more blood to return to the upper parts of the body.  He also gave her Adderall to increase vasoconstriction and blood pressure.  In addition, Paige followed up with a doctor 200 miles away who specialized in POTS and, by the way, could relate on a personal level because he had POTS. She was advised to avoid caffeine (except when she needed an energy jolt to function) and alcohol. She was cautioned not to lean over or stand up too quickly because the blood would have a tendency to pool in her extremities and cause the dizziness.  The most consistent research indicates a regular exercise program is the one thing that has the most positive effect on managing POTS. Paige was encouraged to keep her strength by exercising, i.e. walking or riding a stationary recumbent bike.  Another suggestion was to maintain a realistic schedule, otherwise be prepared to suffer from fatigue when she overbooked herself.  

     The water consumption was not a problem.  Paige incorporated an increase in the number of ounces she drank immediately.  Increasing salt was easy.   However, as a working mother of three, who experienced fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, and occasional low grade fever, trying to follow any consistent exercise routine or avoiding a hectic schedule has been nearly impossible.  Although her symptoms are still sporadic, i.e. she has good days/weeks and not so good days/weeks, Paige manages to push through much of the time. 

     Her goal from the onset has been to try to maintain as much normalcy for herself and her family as possible.  Sometimes she feels really good and is full of vim and vigor.  She did cart wheels with her nine year old daughter at Thanksgiving for heaven's sake!!!  Alas, the following week she could barely make it through a day of work much less deal with children, homework, soccer practice, etc.     She dropped the medication after several months because they did not seem to help.  Currently, her approach to managing POTS is acupuncture, taking a daily multi-vitamin and salt tablet, with an occasional B-12 vitamin.  She plans to incorporate a stationary recumbent bike regimen in 2015. 

     I am often amazed at how much she is able to do under the circumstances.  The good news is that she has a supportive husband, family and friends who kick in when she is going through a rough patch.  Not everyone who has POTS has a support group.  For those that don't, there are lots of support groups available, online and otherwise.  If you are interested in learning more or getting help for yourself or a loved one, check out these websites:  http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org; http://potsplace.com; http://dysautomia-support.meetup.com.  

   
 

Anyone Needled You Lately?

      Do your children ever needle you?  Well, to be honest, my son Craig needles me on a regular basis.  Don't get me wrong, I know his intentions are good. You see, he is an acupuncturist.  In his youth, he was quite good in all kinds of sports so I thought he would probably pursue a career in  athletics like coaching or something similar.  Little did I know, his life focus as an adult would become helping people get well, stay healthy, and active as long as possible by integrating traditional Chinese medicine with Western philosophies.

      Truth be known, I was supportive but a bit skeptical when he first decided to venture into the realm of  Chinese medicine by enrolling at the Atlantic University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Asheville, NC. However, he was already a certified massage therapist so I guess it was only natural for him to pursue additional training in finding ways to direct the body's natural blood flow and energy (Qi) to achieve optimal results.  In Eastern medicine this is done through acupuncture, herbal remedies, and positive lifestyle changes.

     Okay, I'll admit it.  I was good with the massages he was already doing for me (who wouldn't be?).  I was fine with herbal remedies.  Heck, I had been drinking herb tea for years.  Positive lifestyle changes, i.e. healthy diet, exercise---you got it! BUT, I was scared of the needle thing. Yes they're tiny little things but...


Yes, this is Craig placing
the itty bitty needles in my knee.

      One day I had a stinking sinus headache.  I mentioned it to Craig and he offered acupuncture as a better alternative to all the over the counter remedies.  I bucked up, let him treat me, and 45 minutes later my headache was completely gone.   After the initial small pricks, I didn't even feel the needles while I was relaxing on the table.  Amazing! 

     That was over seven years ago when he first established his Tallahassee Chinese Medicine practice. He made a believer out of me.  The skeptic in me shut up.  Since then I have received acupuncture and herbal treatments several times per year for other ailments including insomnia, plantar fasciitis, colds, arthritis in my knees, and other leg pain.

  Craig expanded this year.  Another acupuncturist, Rachel Kelley, has joined his clinic.  In addition, he includes a "community acupuncture" concept as a part of his services.  This concept allows the patient to make the choice of receiving private or the same individualized treatment in a group environment for a reduced amount.  The patients actually determine what they will pay on a sliding scale.  This provides an affordable option for people to receive acupuncture treatment.  Quite innovative, don't you think?

     As for me, Craig can keep on needling me.  I believe we'll both benefit in the long run.