Friday, August 25, 2023

Good Lil’ Piggie

 Yesterday I trekked back out to UT Arlington for the 12-week wrap-up of this interventional exercise study. While I may have gotten about half a lap farther on the six-minute walking test, I think everything else was virtually identical… certainly my weight was, but what was I expecting since I haven’t faithfully adhered to my own standards for diet?

I filled out their questionnaires about diet and exercise, which is only a reminder of how faulty memory and perception are! As well as perceiving things through rose-colored glasses - that intermittent yoga classes & a little bit of horseback riding did much for me in terms of fitness. My shortness of breath these days seems noticeably worse, but of course when it’s 100° outside that could play a factor.

However, I must be one of the most reliable guinea pigs they’ve got, because they gave me another Accugraph (the wristband accelerometer), fitted me with another CGM, and asked me to wear it all along with the Fitbit for another two weeks. Why not? So I’ll return September 14th, always nice to see the old campus!

I have not seen any workmen for the past week, supposedly the hold up is waiting for the HVAC man to come back and test the system? So needless to say, I don’t have any reasonable hope of us being able to move in over Labor Day weekend - there’s still raw sheetrock, ductwork and wiring dangling about. I went ahead and signed up me and my crew for the state veterinary conference, which is the third weekend in September down in San Antonio. As much as I’d like to traipse up to the Ozark trail ride which is that weekend, Baraq would beat me to death and I don’t have Annie legged up yet. 

I have to select a fork in the road as far as my ongoing healthcare needs: I did not pay the $3000 retainer for my concierge physician because quite frankly, I’m disappointed with how she stepped back and seemed  to be relying on routine diagnostic work and her stubborn insistence that I take an antidepressant for my long Covid symptoms - urging me to get another booster when I suffered a bad reaction/setback after the third one she strong-armed me into is disturbing.

My choices seem to be continuing on my DIY route with the health advice gurus I follow or to go see another chiropractic acupuncturist that my friend J really likes. The acupuncture treatments I took last year initially did seem to be helpful so I might give that another go…

But for now it’s time to saddle up  and go to work.



6 comments:

  1. At least you lasted through the initial study and moved onto the next. I doubt if they are looking for major improvements unless they are very intentionally bringing those about. 100 degrees is definitely not conducive for better outcomes for anything. It will bring about plenty of heat strokes. LOL.

    I love the Ozarks. So nice there but it's hot right now in that area too. And it's a wet heat. We may hit 100 today. Heat index 115. At least the vet conference will have A/C.

    Wish the HVAC guy would get his butt in gear!

    I have heard great things about acupuncture.

    Loved the meme. That's right, I'm not from Texas. LOL. Of course we do have plenty of real Mexicans here now in our area too and many own restaurants. And we have former Texans - my favorite one lives a half mile from me, a close friend. I do love Zany Quirky Lyle - the crooked smile, the hair, the ridiculous toe-tapping song lyrics, his former wife Julia, "Cowboy", "Private Conversation", etc.

    I hope work is easy on you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Weather seems to come in 2 varieties when I travel up to Ozark Trail: either stifling, sauna-grade heat or torrential rain! The first year I traveled up there, after Lucy swam through her ride the previous year (rain!), we had an heat inversion w/heat index of 130+... We kept on going slower & slower, as if we were traveling through molasses, until we quit about mile 55 bcz we were running too far behind the time clock...

      Delete
    2. I picked up the LL meme since he played Bass Hall in Ft Worth last night, but I couldn't interest Z & V in going :-(

      Delete
  2. But we fortunately were blessed with PERFECT weather when I hauled Baraq for Christina to serve as my avatar on the Ozark Trail in 2020! That was an awesome weekend https://endurovetssparkjourney.blogspot.com/2020/10/fartholio-rides-again.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. You are right about the weather here in the area. It is described as changeable. You can have all seasons in a single day. Today we finally got rain after not having any for a long time. It is dark and raining right now and we need it. The excessive heat warning stopped last night at 10pm after 5 days of it. 115 heat index. When the weather cooperates here it is beautiful though.

    I love the song "That's Right, You're Not From Texas. Texas has a lot to offer but the best thing are it's people. Especially Willie Nelson and the deceased Stevie Ray Vaughn. George Strait, ZZ Top, Usher, Sly Stone, Don Henley, Selena, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Jim Parsons, Michael Strahan, Shaq, Steve Martin, Matthew McConaughey. Those are some of my favorites. And you! I would have wanted to go to the Lyle concert. What is wrong with your boys???!!! LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Experiment of ONE goes on. I do hope the next round of acupuncture helps as well as the first did. I also hope the inspection happens and the move-in can proceed soon! (( hugs ))

    ReplyDelete