The Stress test.

A stress test is a way of finding out how a heart function under duress and while alive. I had the good fortune to take this test because I was found to still be breathing and moving limbs in a fairly coordinated way. It is usually the job of the cardiologist to perform inspections or investigations of life people’s hearts. For a few years now I have been taking a medley of medications that were suggested by my cardiologist to increase the ‘efficiency’ of my heart. On a previous visit it was found that my heart wasn’t pumping at enough strength to bolster staying alive for as long as possible and bearable. I say bearable because each time I put on TV there are endless tales of Covid woes together with the latest sharks biting people…At times it makes one wonder about the efficacy of life. I hear the word ‘efficacy’ being bandied about so I thought of using it now as well. That word has become popular because of the different Vaccines ‘roll-out’

Gerard on the treadmill.

‘Rolling out’ also has become popular but it doesn’t sound as nice as ‘efficacy’. ‘Esoteric’ is also a nice word to use now. The word ‘logistics’ has faded, and one needs to be fully alerted to witness seeing or hearing this word. Big semi-trailers with dual cabins still sometimes have ‘logistic’ written on large canvas coverings. Does it hint at deliveries on time?

But going back to my stress test at the cardiologist. My main aim was to find out the efficacy of all my tablets. My prescriptions include blood thinners and hypertension tablets as well as diuretics, thyroxine and Entresto which is the new very expensive pill on the block of medicines. I might imagine it, but when the chemist sees me coming with my list of prescriptions, he tends to smile, straighten up on his raised podium, and starts rocking on his heels. Of course, I get most of the medications subsidized and pay little. None the less, the chemists or apothecaries get a nice little earner.

I normally have low blood pressure, so why the hypertension tablets? I also query the blood thinner and the diuretic usually reserved for swollen limbs or overweight people which I am definitely not.  My nights are now spent more en passant my bed and lounging sullenly near the toilet. Why? However, the good news is that my test showed me improved from last time and much fitter than most my age. I am lucky. As for the questions relating to my tablets. This was all a bit  too esoteric and I was thrown by the cardiologist using the efficacies and combinations of blood pressure versus thyroid levels and organs. My companion and lovely Annette persisted with questioning but he gave her short thrift.  Told her; leave that for Gerard to decide.!!!

.

The Agapanthus.

 

Agapanthus.

Certain domestic duties are shared between both of us. Washing-up is one of them. We have a dishwasher but we both decided that the effort in using it was more than just doing it by hand. Lately I do this chore more than H. as it warms my hands. As you all know, we are both on medications, some we share but all kept in different pill boxes. One has ‘Helvi’ and the other ‘Gerard’ written on. My pill-box is much bigger. (as it should)

One of the pills is giving me very cold hands. The quack reckons he sees those suffering from that condition rarely. He looked at my hands which I had gloved in Arctic gloves. The gloves are black and very solid, bought at great expense from the R.M Williams shop here in Bowral just around the corner from the CBA bank.  The cardiologist looked at my fingers and clicked with his tongue. I asked, should I be alarmed? He reassured me. ‘It is due to a medication that calms down your heart’, he said while looking at my list of medications. ‘Just keep wearing your gloves when your fingers turn white or show signs of distress. Fortunately, the cold fingers only last between about 10am and 2 pm when the drug starts to wear off. I am not sure how fingers are supposed to show distress.

Of course, when I wash up I don’t wear the gloves and have the water as hot as I can bear. With the present heatwave and the temperature outside inching towards 36C my fingers don’t need the gloves while outside.

We don’t share the vacuuming. Helvi would not know where the on/off switch on the vacuum cleaner is located nor how to empty the dust container. I have left it far too late now to change it. Helvi has her stock answer; “I do everything else.” This is so drummed into me I never even challenge anything to do with vacuuming or other duties fixed in concrete. Putting out the garbage bins, paying the bills on-line and most of the cooking, is also not to be challenged.

Of course, Helvi does all the beatifying in our lives. Our home is such a lifter of spirits, a  glorious poem in  form and beauty wherever one looks, the combination of furniture, the cushions, the books and all the odds and ends, both inside and outside.

The above photo shows a popping agapanthus outside, just like that and so all of a sudden. And then that blue bowl. It has been sitting there for years but how nice. Look at the two basil pots. How nice.   Who would think of trying to strike some Chrysanthemums from old flowers and use a wine-glass?

“It is everything else.”

The walk.

 

 

 

” There was no possibility of taking a walk today”. The wind was howling and the sky yellow with dust and smoke. The trees giving clear warning signs by twisting and bending with stoic acceptance. What can they do about it? At best resist but surrender some branches if necessary. It must be painful to be a tree at times. But, all things pass. Even big storms.

We were not really given an option not to walk with the yelping of Milo. He knows how to bend and twist us to what he wants. He stands inside looking at the closed door and gives those sad little yelps before looking pleadingly at us. How do they learn that? I mean, people can easily make one and another feel guilty, but a dog?

After packing Milo in the car where he sits on the console between me and Helvi, you can tell he achieved his wish. No wagging of tails or joyful acknowledgement. He is so confident in his control there is no need for civility or gratefulness. He stares straight ahead and waits for us to take off. With the howling storm we thought of just driving to the next town and taking a short walk. During week-ends we keep walks with Milo short.

Motor-bikes and Milo don’t mix and we haven’t been successful in him making amends with noisy motor-bikes. He goes wild and just about performs self-strangulation straining manically on his leash till I am purple in the face trying to hold him. After parking the car we went for a walk. Helvi holding onto me and I holding onto an arrogant Milo. The storm was so fierce even I was scared of blowing over. At our age a fall could be nasty. One of the good things of dying is that it is much easier done lying down. It helps to stay positive.

Did you know that Charlotte Bronte after submitting some of her best poems to a possible publisher was told, that even though her poetry was very good, ‘a woman best fulfils her life within domesticity and family. Creative writing was best left to men!’

As for our walk, we managed to do a short one and only one motor-bike passed us. It is still storming outside. Tomorrow, I’ll be back for a check-up by the cardiologist after a month of medications for an unreliable and restless heart. I take 6 different tablets and some of them are giving me intestinal storm and freezing cold hands. The tree of life, for sure. It is summer and I sit around wearing heavy gloves. But, what can you do?

All things pass.