Friday, November 10, 2017

Changing Trees and Changing Plans


Let's hop in the car and take a drive and check out a few pretty fall trees and I'll tell you about my week.  

It's a cloudy day on the afternoon of this drive last Tuesday but it was still an enjoyable day as I had spent the 3 previous days trying to breathe without pain in the center of my chest.  I have had this 2 or 3 times before and it is called costochondritis which is an inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage.

Sleeping was impossible the first night and I stayed in my recliner as lying down worsened the pain.  The second day was only slightly better as the Advil began to kick in.  By the third day, I was beginning to breathe easier.  

And on Tuesday, I was feeling good enough to get out of the house and go for a drive.  While I was out and about, I needed to stop for a few things.  BG and I were planning a little getaway for Friday through Monday.   


On Wednesday, my daughter called and asked if I would come take her to the doctor's office.  Her blood pressure was 142/122 and she had called the office and they told her to get there asap.  

After she got to the office and had her bp taken there, the numbers were down slightly.  They made her wait awhile and took it again and the numbers were down to a more reasonable range.  

An appointment was made for her for early next week.  They will decide the next route to take.  In the meantime, they want her to try to eliminate as much stress as possible.   Which is easier said than done with her responsibilities at work and constantly dealing with staffing issues.

I've stayed with her the last 2 nights, to be on the safe side.  She stayed home from work yesterday and rested.  Her blood pressure is still running too high but not quite in the critical range.  I'm not quite sure why they didn't go ahead and start her on blood pressure medicine.


We were supposed to be on the road to Branson today, which I hinted about in my last post.  But we didn't feel comfortable about leaving town while worrying about our daughter.  That wouldn't make for a very enjoyable time.  

So on to plan B...we'll go to Branson another time.  Daughter is going to work for awhile today and BG and I are going to the Big Town this afternoon to look for some warm, fire retardant clothes for him to wear to work this winter. 


I drove through our park this week and saw a few pretty red trees.  At least they looked red with my sunglasses on.  When I took my sunglasses off, the color wasn't all that great.  So, I held my sunglasses up to my camera lens and clicked.  The above photo is the result.  Have you tried to do this?  I know I learned to hold a sieve in front of my lens to get a sparkly look.  What other tricks to I need to learn?  If you know of something fun, please share!  :)

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day and I won't be posting again until next week.  I want to say Thank You to all the veterans who have helped to keep our country free.  God bless our veterans and God bless America!

Happy Friday to you!
xo Cheryl

22 comments:

  1. golly gee! now I have to go find a sieve.... lol.. the orange and yellow trees are just amazing. sorry you missed Branson and prayers for your dauther... I am wondering also why they did not give her bp meds. I don't know how old she is, but I think I started mine when I was 50ish

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  2. I have had this chondritis! The first time I had it, I thought it might be a heart attack. So glad you are better now! I have had blood pressure problems ever since I was a teenager. Recently I was in the E.R. twice with it. Mine will go very high, and then at times so low that I almost pass out. So maybe the doctor was thinking that about your daughter. This kind s called friable blood pressure. If it is going both up and down at different times, then a different approach is needed. They did not give me daily meds at first, instead I got an emergency pill to take if I go over 180. Wow, that tree picture is gorgeous, thanks so much for the tips!! I can't wait to try both.

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  3. Your fall colors are just gorgeous. Best wishes to your daughter. Blood pressure is no fun to deal with and neither is stress.

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  4. Cheryl, So sorry you have been sick. I never heard of costochondritis. I hope you never get that again. So sorry for your daughter also. Bless her heart. Stress is a had thing to shake...especially when it's with work . Hope your daughter gets on meds soon. She will always have a stressful job , so she needs meds. You would not have had any fun worrying about her if you had gone on your trip. Hugs to all of you. I enjoyed your pictures. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  5. Hi Cheryl~

    Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry that you have been having lung problems, that's no fun...I hope you get better quickly. I'm also sorry for your daughter, that's scary! Stress is always a huge factor when it comes to blood pressure...I hope you find out why it is happening, and that she is ok until she sees the doc. You will both be in my prayers.

    The photos are beautiful! I love the one with your glasses! Isn't it true thought, the colors always look so wonderful through sunglasses.

    The trip sounded fun, but children always come first, always have, always will... :0)

    Take care of yourself, and your beautiful daughter! And, I hope you get to go to, Branson really soon!

    Hugs and Love,
    Barb

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  6. I am so sorry both you and your daughter have had so much difficulty. God bless you both. Beautiful fall color you have shared with us and a neat trick with the sunglasses!
    Blessings to you this Veteran's Day weekend.

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  7. Love that last photo-great idea--and it sure made those leaves pop!!
    ahh--BP problems--I can relate-have been on meds since I was 40--am now nearly 70--and it seems it just keeps getting worse--and I try everything on my own to keep it down and am on 2 meds--but still have those 'days'--So I hope the very best for her--Prayers are headed your way for you both-

    enjoy the moments, di

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  8. I learned a new word today. I did not know that our this can happen to our ribs. Medicine is amazing and now I realize how many things can hurt us. I am glad that you are better.
    Thanks for sharing such lovely pictures of Fall foliage. Our trees are kind of bare because of winds and rain. Oh well
    I hope that your daughter is doing good. I hope that her BP is stable and that she gets a chance to relax.
    Take care all of you.

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  9. I am really sorry to hear about your daughter. Something like that is always so scary. We would rather be sick ourselves than see our children suffer. I know you would not have had a good time going out of town at all.

    Love that last shot. What a great idea to take the picture through sunglasses. I bet that would work equally well to get some amazing sunset shots here over the bay (which, by the way, started to freeze over today).

    I love your fall pictures but it feels like winter here today.

    Praying for you and your daughter's health! xo Diana

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  10. WOW! What a week you've had! Hope you are feeling better and that your daughter gets the needed help to lower that blood pressure.I have tried the sunglasses in front of the lens, it seems to work better in some situations than others.

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  11. First of all your photos of the trees are lovely. I like the one where you used your sunglasses. I thnk that was brilliant.
    Just know that you and your sweet daughter will be in our prayers. I can't even imagine the pain you had when breathing with that diagnosis. That is a painful one. I do think they should have evaluated your daughter further and put her on something. Trust me medical care is sometimes strange. We have had some experiences similar to that. I do feel they can get her controlled well. Jobs in today's world just seems so stressful. It's sad.
    Sorry, you missed your trip to Branson.
    Praying the rest of your week goes really well. Sending loveing thoughts, prayers and hugs your way!

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  12. i too have high blood pressure. it's nothing to mess with. i'm sure your daughter is calmer now that you stayed closer to home. i hope you don't have another bout of chondritis. glad you are feeling better now.

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  13. I hope your daughter getsa diagnosis soon and on meds. High blood pressure is so dangerous, but can also be an indicater of pain, stress, and other things going on in the body. Mine always shoots up when I am under stress or hurting somewhere else. I want to go to Branson so badly for the Christmas decorations...I hope this will be my year to get to go. I am glad you are feeling better. I haven't heard of this, but it sounds very painful.

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  14. So sorry you have been sick. Costochondritis is new to me and sounds miserable. Hope you are 100% soon. That had to be scary about your daughter and I too am surprised they didn't put her on any meds. Hope they find the cause and cure soon.
    Your trees are amazing. We are rather brown here.

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  15. I'm glad to hear you are recovering, Cheryl, but your daughter is on your mind and a mother knows what to do. Plan B is very thoughtful and caring. I have high BP, too. About a year ago it spiked like crazy. We were getting ready to leave on a trip for Vancouver and I had no idea what I'd do (in another country on top of it), if I had problems. My doctor advised me to get my own cuff, and I did at Walgreens for about $40. If the BP went over 160 (the top number), I needed to get to an ER. Fortunately I was good. I now take two separate meds for it.

    Hope everything gets back to normal in your life. Those gorgeous trees are definitely uplifting!

    Jane

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  16. So sorry that both you and your daughter have been ill. I'm glad that you are feeling better and I hope that they can quickly get your daughter's BP under control. Sounds scary. xo Laura

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  17. I think I have experienced a little of what you have described in your chest...it is quite painful and very scary. So glad you are better. I certainly hope that your daughter gets BP down and keeps it there...stress can do terrible things to our bodies for sure. I have taken photos through my sunglasses several times...sometimes the difference is stunning!

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  18. Wow...a lot has been going on in your life. So sorry for both your pain and your daughters BP issues...I do hope she can find a way to deal with the stress. Seems like everyone has so much in their lives these days.

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  19. Adding my get well and feel better wishes for your daughter and yourself, Cheryl. A getaway is not fun if you are concerned abot anything or anyone, so postponing your Branson trip will hopefully make it more fun when you do go. The colors are striking and what a neat trick to use your sunglasses as a filter. I have used a piece of screening to get a cross screen effect and nylons will give a soft effect.

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  20. My daughter, who also lives in Missouri, was sending me photos of her area of the fall colors....incredible this year.
    I do hope your daughter has some luck with getting her BP under control. Sooner than later!!!

    And I also like the photo with the sunglasses on the lens.

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  21. You must have enjoyed your drive inside these beautiful and colorful trees. It is so attracting:)

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