Surgery--Again

Mebbe I don't wanna be a Sagittarius. Mebbe I'm happy being a Scorpio.

Incremental walking sounds good. Wish I could be there to do it with you.

What the doc said about just moving around is a profound truth. Since I was born an earnest couch potato, this all seems so unfair, but it is everywhere now, TV, newsletters, newspapers, blogs. Damn.

Maybe we can encourage each other with walking and moving around. I have been so inactive for the past few years that my old muscles have developed an atitude about walking, The moving around part is easier because of Bob, but the walking part is gaining on my strength of character too damn quickly.

Hope the new meds are helpful, Boidy. Bob has made me very well aware of how asthma can prove to be sometimes nearly insurmountable. His COPD is asthma based.

Here's walking with you, kid--and moving around.

Love ya.

Had to walk back home from the bank yesterday. Couldn't get a cab. Six blocks. I'm feeling it big time. Can barely stand. Legs shaky (a sign of muscle weakness). I was gonna go to Central Park tomorrow to watch Thomas in the marathon. He'll be running 26 miles. Now I'm not sure I can make it out the door (less than 26 miles). Phooey.

Took another of my little naps. Seven hours later, I guess I should eat dinner before it's time for breakfast.

Diane, you wanna try incremental walking? Sometimes I can do it. Sometimes I gotta walk more. I can do it when it happens, but the aftermath is ooky. Sometimes I can't walk at all--like now. A regular schedule makes sense.

I'm telling ya, kiddo. Asthma can most definitely be insurmountable at times. Insidious. There is, however, a bright side. What?! I see a bright side? Yes, I do. When you go to the emergency room with asthma, they take you right away. When I went to the walk-in, wait-all-day clinic and reported I had asthma, no waiting. I was taken immediately. Is that a bright side? Maybe so, in a dark sort of way.

Thomas is doing a full marathon?

I hope dem legs can get you there!!! Or a cab already.

Yes, Thomas is doing a full marathon. So is Joe Nation. But I don't know when Joe will be passing my spot. Thomas gave me an estimate.

It's not just getting there that's an issue. It's waiting around on my tootsies. I'll see how I feel. Don't wanna miss it.

Yes...sitting would be the way to go!!!

I've gone over some of the recent pages - and I think you're very brave, Roberta. I'm going to be following your progress from now on.

Break a leg!

Spider, this is one of the truly wonderful a2k threads, long as it may be, and long may recovery continue. I haven't reread it myself, but if there is a long thread to read (or read and skim and read and skim, etc), it's this one. Even Roberta's accounts about her relatively recent experiences with art therapy are the best I've read about the subject.

Thanks Osso!

I'm going to read all of it, bit by bit.

Spidergal, I don't know why osso thinks this is such a good thread. It's mostly my dealing with one ailment after another and kvetching a lot. However, I think you can get a wonderful sense of the society here through the comments on this thread.

Read, browse, whatever you choose. Glad to see you here.

I just tried walking around the room (had to get something). Couldn't make it without trouble. Won't be seeing Thomas in the marathon.

I'm mucho upset and disappointed.

Go Thomas.

Ahhhhhhh.... frustrated as heck a? Boida

yep... hmmmmm... you just gotta do what you can - tho I do very much understand how disappointed you were not being able to go see Thomas and Joe.

How are you doing today? Is the asthma getting any better now?

Talk when you can, know it's difficult at times. Highs. Lows.

Thinking about you, always. x

Still having problems with my legs. Can barely stand. Breathing is a bit better. Sigh.

I have to go to the hospital three times this week. Trying to figure out a way to avoid round trip cab fares and avoid the horrid ambulette service. One-way bus trips may be the answer.

Gonna stop off at the jewelry exchange on Wednesday (if I can walk) and try to sell some stuff. Gotta pay the rent.

No work at the moment.

I'm in a blech state of mind.

Sorry to hear that Boida.

Did you ever ask (I know you're facing a wall of stuff) re dlowan's question about lymph? I'm off the wall on this, just wondering.
Will have to look back to find that question.

osso, I asked when it came up. My lymph glands are fine.

Back from Bellevue. I had pulmonary tests today. Nearly passed out a couple of times. I had to keep breathing out even when there was nothing to breathe. My tongue is sore. I have no idea of the results. The doctor will tell me. The tech said I did well, but she meant that I followed her instructions well.

My cab/bus plan didn't work today. The testing place was in the back part of the hospital. The only way to get there without walking the whole way is by cab. Then between the breathing test and walking the seven miles from the back part of the hospital to the street, I knew that I wouldn't be able to walk from a bus stop to my building.

As one of my favorite poets, Robert Burns, said:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men.
Gang aft agley

PS: They checked my height. I'm shrinking again. I'm becoming petite. Not sure whether to snarl or sigh.

At the request of a certain a2ker who is currently in the hospital and whose first two letters of her name are Iz, I'm posting a couple of my recent drawings.

When we're kids, I think we start out assuming that we're all pretty much the same in the way we see and understand things. Then we find out we're not. When I was a little Roberta, it came to me a bit at a time (a light bulb at a time) that I was probably smarter than a lot of people. I settled into that understanding and moved forward with my life.

When I saw the pulmonologist several weeks ago, she asked me for a complete asthma history. When, where, symptoms, etc., etc., on and on. When I finished she remarked on how smart I am. Huh? I was just telling her my asthma story. I asked her how she could tell just from that. She told me that most patients don't see connections, don't have linear memories, don't describe symptoms with precision. That's how she could tell. I had a flashback to my childhood. I felt connected to that little girl I see in photographs.

i like your purple hair.

you should go back to that look, B...