Tag: ta-da

CHF Recovery: Day 22

Really not feelin’ it today. (Where “it” is “anything.”)

  • Got up at 7
  • Had protein shake and morning meds
  • Sat around grumpily for hours
  • Ate the protein bistro box I bought yesterday
  • Finally got off my ass and went out; walked a few blocks to the subway stop on 77th and rode downtown

I had intended to go to Chinatown and walk around taking pictures, but when the train got to the Astor Place stop I spontaneously got out, deciding to go to Cha An again. While walking toward Cha An I realized that entire street is lined with Japanese restaurants and other businesses, including a store. I picked a sushi restaurant and went there first for some protein.

  • Had a late lunch (3:15) of delicious sushi at Sharaku
  • Went to Sunrise Mart

This place was great! You take a laboriously slow elevator to get to it, which reminded me of older department stores and such in Japan. The store is filled with groceries and beauty products and video rentals, and in the very back corner…dishes!!!! I was so excited! (My mood had already picked up quite a bit thanks to the sushi but this pushed me over the edge.) I ended up buying four rice bowls, each with a different beautiful pattern. Then it was time for Cha An!

  • Went to Cha An

I ordered the matcha and the dessert sampler, and they were both awesome. The matcha is served in a large, beautiful cup (not a traditional pottery-style cup, but a porcelain one, but it was gorgeous) with red bean and mochi confections on the side. It was the perfect balance. The menu had said the matcha was sweet, which concerned me, but it had not been sweetened; it was just the right kind of bitter.

The dessert sampler included five items: mochi with what I believe was chestnut filling, black sesame creme brulee, lemon cake with jam and whipped cream, red bean ice cream with a black sesame cracker for contrast, and two cookies, one green tea flavored and one that I think had the flavor of roasted rice. They were all amazing; I think I liked the creme brulee best, followed by the red bean ice cream and the mochi.

I forgot to take my mealtime medicine while I was at Cha An, so I stopped in at a bakery and bought a bottle of water…and a gift box of macarons, because macarons.

After taking my meds, I headed back uptown. I’d thought about continuing down to Chinatown, but I had a bag full of bowls and macarons at this point and I didn’t feel like lugging it around.

  • Rode the train to 86th
  • Walked a few blocks back to Airbnb
  • Settled in and did some reading
  • Got peckish so went up the street and bought a slice of pizza

Yes. Pizza. >_< White bread and salty and greasy and unhealthy. My sodium count must be through the roof. I don’t even know. I don’t know how much sodium was in all those desserts, either.

Today was a cheat day ;P I’ll be good again tomorrow.

(It was real New York pizza. I had never had it before. You gotta have real New York pizza in New York, man.)

  • Changed into pajamas
  • Did a bit more reading

Now all that’s left is:

  • Take evening supplements
  • Go to bed

CHF Recovery: Day 21

It is so difficult to maintain a low-sodium diet. I hate it.

Today the plan was to go to Cha An for lunch, then check out Chinatown. We did both of these things, but at first there was some confusion about whether or not I could actually eat anything at Cha An.

Cha An is a cool Japanese restaurant that focuses on tea and dessert but also has appetizers, side dishes, and a couple of meal options. I was looking at the menu before heading out to meet Kathryn and it seemed like it wouldn’t work out. This was really upsetting, because I had really been looking forward to this place. I grumped around for some time, then decided I could probably have the “salmon toast”, so we met up and went there as planned.

I ended up ordering the appetizer sampler, which came with six different items in very small portions. The fish items didn’t seem to have heavy sauces, and nothing tasted particularly salty, so I was hopeful I’d be safe. We shared a seasonal parfait at the end of the meal, which consisted of assam tea jelly, chestnut ice cream, and sweet potato custard, with toppings of mochi, chestnuts, and a matcha (green tea) Rice Krispies treat bar. It was amazing.

Later, when I attempted to tally the nutrition information for these items, I learned that one of my appetizers, the seaweed salad, has a ton of sodium. I was not expecting that at all.

Dinner happened at a diner we passed while walking back to Kathryn’s apartment, and it wasn’t very good. I did find something I could eat: grilled chicken with steamed vegetables and a baked potato. The portion size was ludicrous. I received two full chicken breasts and enough vegetables for four people. I got tired of eating it after awhile, so I stopped eating even though I was still hungry.

The highlight of the day was Chinatown. Kathryn took me to a three-level grocery and home goods store. The top level had beauty products, home office supplies, and some cute decorative items. The middle level was the grocery store, with a wide variety of food, including tons of snacks. The bottom level, Kathryn had kept as a surprise: it was filled with dishes!

I spent ages there, going through the aisles again and again, looking at bowls and plates and cups and teapots. It was so wonderful. I haven’t had a place to shop for Japanese dishes since Hibari Market in Lexington shut down, years ago. There were so many different designs! So much blue and white! I ended up getting two medium-sized bowls in a traditional Japanese pottery style and two small bowls with a pink sakura pattern. (Here’s hoping I can pack them properly for the trip home…)

So, while my heart failure tried to ruin the day, it ultimately failed.

  • Got up, had protein shake and morning meds
  • Goofed off online and wrote a very tiny bit
  • Took a shower
  • Met up with Kathryn and went to Cha An
  • Went to Chinatown and it was awesome
  • Went back to Kathryn’s apartment, stopping at a diner on the way; took mealtime meds
  • Hung out at Kathryn’s apartment for awhile
  • Came back to the Airbnb; at this point I was grumpy
  • My host made me some eggs and toast for a snack
  • Ate the snack and then got back on my computer for awhile
  • Grumpily ate a piece of baklava
  • Took evening supplements

My mood was not great at the end of the day—I actually started crying a couple times on the walk home—but I think it was due to the day being long and tiring. I’m going to bed now, and hopefully I’ll get some good rest tonight.

CHF Recovery: Days 18, 19, and 20

So, I’m on vacation, and that means my normal routine is disrupted. I had planned and booked a trip to New York City before my heart decided to fail, and everything was nonrefundable, and I am at least able to walk around, so I came. And I’m having a great time! Here are my status updates for the first three days.

October 1

  • Got up around 9:15am
  • Had my protein shake and morning meds
  • Piddled around online
  • Had second breakfast with my Airbnb host (eggs and toast, yum!)
  • Continued piddling around online until something like 3:30pm
  • Walked from my Airbnb to Central Park
  • Wandered around Central Park a bit
  • Walked from Central Park all the way down to Times Square; it was nighttime so I got to see it all lit up
  • Went from there to Starbucks to get a chai while I waited for Kathryn
  • Met up with Kathryn and went to a diner for dinner; I had a salad and she had some sort of delicious-looking Eggs Benedict thing
  • Went back to the Airbnb and realized I had forgotten to take my evening meds with dinner
  • Ate yogurt and took meds
  • Wrote a short story
  • Went to bed at 1am

October 2

  • Got up around 9:30
  • Had protein shake and morning meds
  • Goofed off online
  • Showered and got dressed
  • Met up with Kathryn for lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant
  • Had steamed cod (recommended by the American Heart Association!) and it was delicious
  • Went around the block to a coffee shop and sat with Kathryn while she had her favorite flavored coffee
  • Went back to the Airbnb and had a couple cookies and some tea while playing around online (I tried to think of something to write but was unsuccessful)
  • Got dressed for dinner in a skirt that didn’t fit me when I first got it! I looked really cute
  • Met Kathryn at our favorite (e.g., the only one we’ve ever really tried) sushi restaurant
  • Had a deluxe sushi plate, half of which I had to take back to the Airbnb
  • Also had a scoop of vanilla ice cream that was AMAZING
  • Walked back to the Airbnb

Let me just interject here that I love walking around Manhattan? It’s just so full of energy and interesting things to look at! I’ve noticed this time that everyone is doing sushi now. There is almost a sushi restaurant on every block. But what really took the cake for me? A bagel shop with the sign, “Now serving sushi!” What is happening? :D

  • Ate my leftovers while reading online and chatting
  • Went to bed at midnight

October 3

  • Slept until 10am! This seemed dramatic until I just looked at the other times I got up this week
  • Had protein shake and morning meds
  • Made myself two eggs and a piece of toast
  • Hung out with my Airbnb host for awhile
  • Went back to my room and goofed off online some more
  • Asked my Airbnb host if he had any chocolate and he DID and he GAVE IT ALL TO ME
  • I ate it all
  • Wrote 2310 words on a story and I’m not sure where it’s going or how much longer it will be!
  • Finally showered at like 5pm and put on my octopus skirt
  • Met up with Kathryn for dinner at a Greek restaurant

Let me just mention here that the walk was GREAT and it made me feel so good, because the weather was perfect! It was nighttime and dark, but not cold at all. And it wasn’t hot. It was my favorite temperature, really. Somewhere around 68-70. Ahhh it was just so comfortable. I had a spring in my step!

  • Kathryn had souvlaki with lamb and I had a gyros with rotisserie chicken and they both were made with French fries inside them and it was fascinating and delicious
  • Took my mealtime meds
  • Then we went to a froyo place
  • I had strawberry with strawberries and banana and white chocolate chips and Nilla Wafers
  • Kathryn had birthday cupcake batter with a bunch of different candies and it looked awesome
  • Neither of us could quite finish
  • Walked back to my Airbnb; it had gotten slightly chilly but not bad at all
  • Goofed off online, as is my wont
  • Couldn’t really focus on what to write next, so didn’t write anymore
  • Took evening supplements and went to bed at 11:30pm

CHF Recovery: Day 17

Today I am traveling! So I did my morning routine a bit out of order.

  • Got up and dressed in workout clothes
  • Put whites in the washer
  • Went on a 34-minute walk (I was so anxious to finish! Also it was really chilly out so I wore a hoodie. Fall is finally here)
  • Put whites in the dryer
  • Drank protein shake and took morning meds
  • Got started packing
  • Went out for Thai food with Sean
  • Finished packing
  • Went to the airport
  • Got through security only to discover my flight was delayed
  • Purchased and leisurely ate a salad
  • Finally got on flight
  • Ate Biscoff cookies because they are my favorite part of flying Delta
  • Arrived at LaGuardia, grabbed luggage, got a cab to my Airbnb
  • My host graciously carried my suitcase up all the stairs
  • Unpacked (the room is so nice, it has a computer desk AND a roomy wardrobe)
  • Went to BED at like 2:30am

CHF Recovery: Day 16

Woke up at around 8:30 from a bizarre dream in which I was hired without submitting a resume or portfolio by FedEx. “What will I be doing?” I asked, concerned that they would make me a driver, as I do not know how to drive the trucks. “What have you done in the past?” the lady rejoined. “Content management, writing, and design.” “You can work on my new web initiative!” the lady said.

Later in the dream I was naked, but it wasn’t your stereotypical nudity dream. I was perfectly comfortable, walking around and talking with people at my new job site. Most people didn’t see it as a big deal. One man looked me over and said, “Whoa!” “Yes,” I replied, slightly sardonically, “I’m naked.” I belatedly made to cover my genital area, but it was out of annoyance at the man’s reaction, not shame. He didn’t deserve to see my scars, I thought, to read my life history on my body.

The man laughed and said, “You know, we really don’t have a nudist policy!” And I was somewhat relieved, as I hadn’t even thought there might be a problem with being naked at work.

  • Had protein shake and morning meds
  • Spent basically the entire day in my PJs, reading
  • It was great
  • At around 4pm I took a shower and got dressed
  • Went to Shane’s and Otter’s to get chicken strips for dinner (Sean likes Otter’s fried chicken strips because, he says, they are like Wife Saver’s)
  • Watched the currently available two episodes of Designated Survivor with Sean while eating dinner (it is a fantastic show so far!)
  • Ate my evening meds
  • Took a few hours to finish editing my story and then finally posted it
  • Took bedtime supplements and somehow managed not to stay up all night waiting for comments on my story

I was in a really good mood all day. I was relaxed and comfortable and happy with the story I had written. It was so great.

CHF Recovery: Day 15

Woke up twice in the night, once around 3:30 and once around 6, due to various body pains that need not be discussed (not heart-related). Then I snoozed until 8 and lounged around in bed a bit before getting up.

  • Got up, had protein shake, took morning meds
  • Dawdled online until it was too late to have a walk before therapy
  • Showered and dressed; my nice jeans fit again!
  • Went to therapy and had a very nice session
  • Came home and messed around online some more
  • Had a lunch of yogurt and trail mix
  • Walked a 5k! (I could have done a shorter loop but I felt like going farther, and the trail is flat so it wasn’t difficult)
  • Showered again; I was sooooo sweaty
  • Ate the leftover peas, about 1 cup

Sean came home while I was eating the peas and said, “Wanna do sushi?” Of course I did. “When?” I asked. “Now?” But alas, it was a little after 4pm, and they don’t open until 5:30. So I called and made a reservation for then, and finished my peas.

  • Started editing the story I wrote yesterday
  • Went to dinner and had sashimi

At Sushi Huku the sashimi platter is a combo that comes with miso soup and salad; I couldn’t eat either of these because the soup and salad dressing both had a ton of sodium. Sean ate the miso and I took a couple bites of lettuce. The sashimi was fantastic, though.

A beautifully styled platter of sashimi, featuring a large shrimp head

At the end of the meal they gave us little bowls of flan, and I did eat that! It was a nice palette cleanser, and if MyFitnessPal is right, there wasn’t an exorbitant amount of sodium in it.

  • Came home and ate a brownie while continuing to edit my story
  • Put my story into Google Docs and invited a couple people to comment
  • Went to bed at around 12:30am

CHF Recovery: Day 14

  • Got up, had protein shake, and took meds
  • Dressed in workout clothes
  • Went on a 35-minute walk (I think maybe the last 2 minutes can count as a cooldown)
  • Took shower and dressed in shorts and T-shirt

When I got changed I tried on a skirt that Mom got me from Modcloth as a birthday present. When I first received it back in May or June or whatever, I couldn’t zip it all the way up. Today I could! And it looks pretty cute. I think I will take it on my upcoming New York trip.

  • Wrote ~700 words on a short story
  • Got a chai latte and protein bistro box for lunch
  • Continued writing for hours
  • Ate the leftover half of that Mediterranean salad for dinner
  • Ran an errand to Kroger and got a sweet tea to increase my Writing Energy

Note 7:35pm: As of right now, the story is at 3297 words, which is incredible for me to have written in one day. Then again, I haven’t written anything in weeks. I’m going to try to write more.

  • Wrote until 11:30, finishing at over 6000 words
  • Took bedtime supplements and went to sleep

CHF Recovery: Day 13

It’s September 26, day 13 since I started trying to eat less sodium and take walks every day. I haven’t managed every single day but I’ve done a lot of walking. I haven’t walked yet today because I had a doctor’s appointment at 10:30; I will go a little later, I think.

My period is over; it ended yesterday and I am very relieved.

  • Got up, showered, and dressed in normal clothes
  • Had protein shake and morning meds
  • Went to the doctor

The doctor visit was just to catch my PCP up on all the Happenings™. And also one little tiny kinda gross thing that doesn’t need to be mentioned. It went fine and I am home again.

  • Ate half the salad I bought last night, so as to not destroy my sodium count for the day
  • Read stuff online until Sean got home
  • Cooked a dinner of grilled chicken, boiled peas, and mashed potatoes, all with no salt
  • Ate dinner and took meds
  • Purposefully avoided watching the presidential debate
  • Went to bed around 11:30pm

I did not go on my walk. I thought I’d go after I cooked dinner, but in retrospect that plan made no sense.

CHF Recovery: Day 12

I am still on my period. Will it last until Wednesday? This is day 13. If it lasts till Wednesday it’ll be a 15-day period. That’s…pretty long

Note 2pm: It looks like my period may be over! Thank goodness. Now to bolt down some protein before heading out with Charles and Heidi.

  • Ate leftover steak from last night
  • Switched wallet and such to my camera bag, filled a water bottle, and headed out
  • Went to the Atlanta Greek Festival with Charles and Heidi

Note 6:15pm: It was awesome. They seem to have a whole new building this year? Or are making use of a building they didn’t use before. In any case, the vendors were all set up in a large ballroom, and it was far easier to navigate. In the past they’ve tried having them in the classrooms of the cathedral building and outside next to the stage, and neither of those places really allowed for good traffic flow, so this was great.

I had a chicken plate. I skipped the white bread roll (digestive issues) and the green beans (way too much sodium) and ate most of the chicken, about half of the rice, and the whole piece of spanakopita. It was really good. After that we went and got pastries (I got three pieces of baklava, one for today and two for other days) and then went back to the vendor area so I could buy a bowl I had spotted earlier. It’s gorgeous FYI:

handmade bowl I bought at Atlanta Greek Festival

I also saw an amazing matryoshka wooden apple with the most meticulous, beautiful artwork on it. It was the best of all the matryoshkas I saw. Unfortunately it was $200, so I did not get it.

  • Came home
  • Ate a piece of baklava
  • Picked up Wendy’s for dinner, since the Greek food was at like 4:30

I thought a salad would be safe, sodium-wise. I was wrong. The salad I chose had 1070mg of sodium, which given what else I’d eaten was not going to happen. Thankfully I had also gotten a small chocolate Frosty, so I ate that instead and saved the salad for another day.

  • Went to bed at 10pm

CHF Recovery: Day 11

Whoops, I forgot to even make a post yesterday. So here’s September 24, 2016

  • Got up, had protein shake and meds
  • Snuggled with Sean for a long time
  • Showered and got dressed; wore my size 8 shorts that I am really happy fit me again
  • Went to brunch with Sean; did pretty well on sodium
  • Basically goofed off on the computer until dinnertime
  • Went to Aspens with Sean for dinner; wore a nice dress

Note: We had a nice date because of Sean’s birthday, which was the day before. I splurged a bit on dinner but I did make sure they didn’t use salt when seasoning my steak. They gave us a Happy Birthday slice of red velvet cake for free and we also got apple cobbler. I had some of each.

  • Took my meds at the end of the meal as I had forgotten they were in my purse; almost lost the tiny heart pill when I dropped it but when I stood up it was somehow in my chair
  • Drove home as Sean had had some drinks
  • Goofed off online until bedtime

CHF Recovery: Day 10

September 23, 2016. Period: Day 11.

Ugh.

  • Got up around 8:30
  • Took morning meds and had shake

Note 9:45am: I feel crappy. I don’t want to do anything. I need to do things. I am going to force myself to do things.

  • Did a task I had been foolishly putting off
  • Went on a 35-minute walk with a 3-minute cooldown
  • Got a phone call that greatly relieved me about the task I’d been putting off
  • Took shower
  • Got dressed; discovered my size 8 shorts fit me again!
  • Made myself some over-medium eggs (they broke) and toast
  • Ate some Whoppers and got uncomfortably full ;_;
  • Drove up to the doctor’s to get some paperwork filled out

Note 2:50pm: I found out that my kidneys are actually worse than they were in the hospital! Fantastic. So I need to drink a lot of fluids, but if I gain any weight I have to not drink a lot of fluids, on account of: heart failure. Double fantastic! I love the thought of being on dialysis

I am exhausted and as soon as I get this paperwork to HR I am going to bed.

  • Organized paperwork and sent it to HR
  • Got Sean’s paycheck out of the mailbox, drove to the bank, and deposited it
  • Divided a bag of trail mix into single-serving baggie portions (95mg sodium each)
  • Napped from a little after 5 until just before 8
  • Ate a yogurt and some peanut M&Ms for dinner (I need to get some sort of meal system going)
  • Picked up Sean from the airport at like 11pm
  • Got in bed sometime between midnight and 1 but didn’t get to sleep until around 3

CHF Recovery: Day 9

Tomorrow Sean gets home, and it’s also his birthday. I want to do something nice.

  • Got up at 7:30am
  • Weighed myself
  • Drank protein shake and took morning meds
  • Did a bit of reading and chatting
  • Went to the lab to have bloodwork drawn
  • Went to breakfast at J. Christopher’s, where I had the “South Beach” and discovered that two pieces of Canadian bacon have more sodium than two pieces of regular bacon (probably due to density or something)
  • Went to Costco and got protein shakes; while I was there looked for a big pillow to use for sitting up in bed, but did not find one
  • Went to Walmart for eggs, rice, and snacks; did not find a pillow there either, but did get a Kylo Ren candy fan because I am an adult

Kylo Ren candy fan

The candy doesn’t have any sodium okay

  • Came home and put groceries away, mostly; took it slow carrying the bags down the stairs
  • Sat down to rest a bit; read stuff online
  • Warmed up the second portion of the dinner I made yesterday; took my dinner meds and ate dinner while watching Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition
  • Watched three episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Kathryn
  • Watched a friend’s art stream
  • Went to bed at around 11:30pm

CHF Recovery: Day 8

September 21, 2016

So, here’s a bit of TMI to start out our day.

When I was in the hospital (which was the night of September 8 through around noon on September 11), they gave me my depression medication, but they did not give me any birth control. Birth control is what regulates my periods. I was due to go off the birth control/start on the placebo today, September 21, and with the way my cycle has been, that would mean I would actually start my period on Friday, September 23 and it would last until next Tuesday or Wednesday. This is a standard period of five to six days.

However, because I went off the birth control early, my period decided to start early too. I started spotting on September 12, and it began in force on September 13. It’s September 21 now, which means I’ve been having my period for nine days.

I started taking my normal birth control right when I got home, but that obviously had no effect. I thought about just bumping the placebo up, but ultimately I did not do that, which means I now have a week of placebo ahead. I’m sort of worried this means I will have a period for this entire time. I mean…eventually I’ll run out of uterine lining, right?

Sigh.

In any case, I have an appointment today, so I’m going to try to get my morning routine done more quickly.

  • Weighed myself
  • Had my protein shake and morning meds
  • Read stuff online
  • Went to appointment
  • Did more reading online but felt very mentally tired
  • Took a nap from 2:00 to 4:30
  • Cleaned rotten food that should have been cooked last week out of the refrigerator
  • Cooked dinner: unseasoned chicken breast, unseasoned basmati rice, unseasoned steamed green beans (I threw some pepper on at the end though)
  • Ate dinner and took mealtime meds

Note 6:15pm: My appointment was with a therapist. I am supposed to pay attention to what I criticize myself about now. I need to figure out a place to put that. I do a lot of criticizing myself.

I feel very overwhelmed by all the stuff I need to do, even though it’s not all that much stuff.

  • Created a spreadsheet to track self-criticisms
  • Realized that I hadn’t eaten very many calories, so had a cookie, because that’s healthy lol
  • Oh whoops there’s another criticism
  • Went on a 30-minute walk with a 5-minute cooldown
  • Took a shower at like 8:45pm!
  • Sat around reading, and also wrote a tiny ficlet about Kylo Ren

I didn’t hit my calorie limit and I only had half the amount of sodium I could have today. This seems surreal, but I’ll go with it I guess. Tomorrow I’ll try to make sure and eat lunch.

CHF Recovery: Day 7

Here’s my junk for September 20, 2016.

  • Slept in until around 8:30
  • Took meds and drank protein shake
  • Sat around online all morning

Note 11am: I am now going on my walk, damn it. Need to get back on track.

  • Walked 30 minutes with a 5-minute cooldown
  • Rested
  • Showered and got dressed
  • Ate the rest of my personal pan pizza for lunch
  • Made a couple of Important Phone Calls
  • Relaxed and read stories
  • Got a protein bistro box and a chai latte from Starbucks for dinner

Note 6:30pm: I have just learned that the fruit and cheese bistro box and the PB&J on wheat bistro box both have one more gram of protein than the protein bistro box. Why is it called the protein bistro box? hahaha. The fruit and cheese one has basically equivalent sodium, so I can switch things up a bit in the future! The PB&J one has 100 more milligrams of sodium, so I’d have to watch it with that one.

  • Had mealtime meds with dinner
  • Basically sat around reading all evening
  • Went to bed around 11pm

CHF Recovery: Day 6

Catching up; here’s September 19, 2016.

  • Did not exercise
  • Did not even change out of my pajamas
  • Spent all day on the computer reading stories
  • Thought about watching TV but did not

I guess the only thing I accomplished was moving my computer from the master bedroom back into the office. I took it slow so I wouldn’t strain myself.

For food I basically ate a ton of snacks that we had in the house, and finished the sashimi from the day before. By dinnertime I was really craving pizza so I let myself have some. I ordered a personal pan pizza and ate half of it. I went a little over on sodium, but not horribly so.

This was not a great day. Hoping to get back on track. Maybe I needed some rest. I dunno.