Today I went for an echocardiogram along with a Holter monitor. I am surprised how hard the technician pushes while doing this. I was in an awkward position as I was trying to avoid lying on the side of my head where the staples are located. It was not very pleasant. They mentioned that my blood pressure was low and I said that if it is around 100 then that is the normal range for me right now. It took about 15 minutes to go through this process. Afterwards when we went to get the Holter monitor it would have been nice to know that I could not shower the whole time. I did not realize that I would have it on for 3 days. I had just showered so it was not a big deal, but my hair still has iodine in it. I am suppose to check the connections every once in a while to make sure that it is ok.
This weekend Xavier is going away for a tournament so I will be left at home alone. Melanie is a bit worried so she wants me to check in on her periodically. The neighbors have also been informed and told to check in on me on occasion. I had told them already and one of them wants to come here and watch movies the whole time to make sure I am ok. I am glad that we live with such great neighbours. I will probably have some people drop by on occasion so I can socialize a bit. There is expected to be a snow storm and the neighbours will help out with shoveling. I was explicitly informed that I can not shovel. I will be good about that. This is one of the longest periods where I have not worked. I worked a bit everyday but did not attend any long meetings and checked in with my team throughout. I was told repeatedly from my team and my wife to not work. It is really hard for me to not work. I had taken days off this week though since I was suppose to go away.
In the elevators at the hospital it is suppose to only be 2 people in it. Not everyone follows those rules and they pile in. It is a bit surprising. Melanie and I were talking and she did not struggle much to get in, but someone she knows has an adult son that was recently diagnosed with cancer and they were questioned why they were going in. I totally get it. You need emotional support when you talk to the doctor for a consult and to record or write down questions. There are some instances where you may not like the answer and you get distracted or just need to think about it. I did not realize how much it impacted me until my oncologist appointment in the fall. I knew that there was a chance for it coming back, but having it brought up I was not mentally prepared. It has not come back at the time, and right now it is still clear, but it impacts you. That is why it is really nice to hear the words of support from friends and family. They seem to know when to do it and it is always different people. There are people that do it quite consistently, but it is nice when others do it. It surprises me how many people read this blog of my random thoughts. Since I have a lot going on right now I write more and it is easy and fast. I should have realized something was wrong when I was struggling to write.
Quoc Hao