Last night was 2nd night off sleeping pills. Managed to sleep yet was finally awakened about 4 w/ the same fluttering in my chest going on since friday a week ago. Shit. Possible artery and or heart problem. I laid in bed freaking out considering how i will deal w/ this. The location is the hospital in Cottonwood. Do I really need to go? When? No classic heart attack signs but something has been really wrong and getting stronger. OK, go now b4 day crowd gets there, maybe a lull in treatment. I drove down and parked in the patient parking area. i prepared a sustaining pack and put my bike inside the van as I expected to be admitted. Checked in right away where I was ushered into an exam bed and the attention of 2 nurses that wired me up for an EKG. the DR walked in, we remembered each other as he was on duty last year and saw me for my blood clot. Familiar face. EKG was fine, HR was running in upper 70s, BP dropped down to 119/82, O2 saturation 98%. First vein in left arm for IV needle proved to be a dry hole as the vein valve closed off. Next stick was success in right arm. Blood work came back right on the money. DR told me that i lacked any of the 9 heart attack symptoms. He said the elevated CRP can mean inflation from sources other than the heart. He would not order blood test for CRP or cholesterol saying that is my primary care DR responsibility for which I have an order for blood work for the above items for today. Sufficient blood had been taken. No cause of palpation in my side. perhaps it is the prednisone of which today is the last day taking it. May my adrenals turn back on.
Discharged I drove back to VOC to the med lab for another blood draw. Today the phlebotomyst stuck the left vein again like she did 2 weeks prior. Dry hole again. Squirm as she poked around a bit then withdrew. Again the right arm flowed blood. Crazy thing is the blood is drawn here then sent to same hospital in Cottonwood for analysis. Awaiting results.
Tomorrow is the heart stress test.
Hung @ BnB for awhile. Told not to ride till after test.
Bought Dave Berry’s fiction Big Trouble from Well Red Coyote for something light fast reading book. Drove back to Deer Pass camp then spent the afternoon reading entire book. Funny, absurd, and fast reading. Fluff but enjoyable. I give back my read books to store.
Tonight sitting here @ campspot w/ door open enjoying a gentle breeze and not mosquitoes so far.
Today I stopped @ a water store that sells filtered h2o for 0.40 per gallon, .05 goes to local charity. I checked out the store and listened to benefits that are better than the Glacier h2o vending machines. OK, maybe. I bought gallons of h20. I was allowed to use their bottle cleaning station because I bought their h2o. I cleaned out my 2 gal drinking jug, first cleaning since I bought it last fall in Bend, OR. I suspected slime growing on the inner walls. I cleaned out my drinking jug.The h2o has a better taste than Glacier. Which would win a blind taste test? The store had h2o tank purifying product that I decided to buy as the van tank has never been cleaned. I poured the correct amount down the refill pipe then topped off the tank to full. I opened the non filtered outlet into a clean glass. The outflow was just icky w/ ick. I will flush the tank. The in line filter is doing its function so the h2o comes out clear from the sink faucet. I just wonder if my slimy jugs haven’t had an affect on me. Tomorrow first thing the accumulator gets plumbed back in line which will decrease the back pressure allowing the pump to not shut off and on.