That Makes Sense

So, saw my cardiologist today about my weird blood pressure readings (big difference between the top and bottom numbers, like 126/43). After I explained what was going on, he pointed out that getting a liter (about a quart) of fluid within about an hour and a half is like chugging a quart of milk — what you call your “fluid bolus” in the parlance. Kidneys can only work so fast. So, every time I get my fluid bolus, I’m “topping up” my fluid volume, and it takes a while for my kidneys to “delete” the surplus. This is what is pushing up the top number of my blood pressure. My heart is having to move all that extra fluid. The top numbers rarely go beyond 150 and seldom go above 140, so they’re not that high, again good. He was very pleased with the low bottom numbers, though, as he says this shows my heart is getting a good rest between beats. I came away reassured.

We talked about the metoprolol plus the cetirizine causing nightmares. What I hadn’t known until I was looking into alternative antihistamines, was that prednisone can also cause nightmares. And guess what else I get on the day I get my chemo — a whopping dose of prednisone!. Aha! as the man says. . . . I already know that being on the spectrum means my brain is wired differently, and these drugs affect the neurotransmitters in the brain, so, maybe, duh?

This evening, I picked up the Savannah Squares Scarf Shawl I’m doing in Malabrigo sock yarn because I just wanted to work on it so bad I couldn’t stand it. So I did. And while I’m knitting and listening to classical piano music, I’m thinking, you could use this pattern to make a rectangular blanket if you cast on more stitches than called for, and put the extra stitches on the long sides . . . . Oh, be still my little monkey brain. . . .