Notes from my first day of Ornish Rehab

Looking east from the 3rd Floor of the Cardio care building...it probably looks a lot like the building across the parking lot. The mountains beyond are probably close to my home in Black Mountain.

A station outside the reception area offers hand sanitizers. I don't like Purell because of the after-sticky-lotion that it has. So I use a clean paper towel to wipe off my palms. Other times during the day I was happy to do 20 seconds of hand washing.

One view of the gym. I walked the track around the outside on Tues. I made it further than the distance of 0.55 miles which is the circumference at Lake Tomahawk. It was much easier to walk in an air conditioned environment. The treadmills with a yellow sign on them to not be used are to keep patients at least 6 feet away from each other (if there should be that many.)

Yep, we each wore a heart monitor as we exercised. And our fearless leader checked our blood pressure, our heart rate, and our oxygen percentage several times during the 30 minutes that we exercised today. There's also a central console which I think shows some technicians the status of our heart monitors. I am so pleased with the amount of tracking of our heart activity...this is why I feel very safe with the exercise program.

I think 16 times around on the red path of the walking track was a mile. I made 12 circuits, with a few rest stops as needed. It wasn't as hard as the day before had been at the lake. I think that's partly due to lower humidity. I'll keep trying to find a good time at the lake, because I need to have 180 minutes a week of aerobic exercise.

The chairs and mats are in the area where we'll have instructions about some of the weight training. I gauged my efforts were a bit light today.

And then we had a delicious vegetarian lunch, then talks about nutrition, stress relief and finally support groups.

I brought home a lot more reading, as well as things that I need to track. Oh dear, I'm not good at writing any more, with the nebulizer meds which give my hands the shakes. I'll do the best I can. Which was my intention for today. I did. And I was exhausted when I got home. I hope my endurance at having attention and sitting will improve as the 3 hours each afternoon will require that...Tues. and Thurs. We start with the exercise before lunch, which is good. When I get around to doing an hour's meditation I hope I can stay awake!

Today's quote:
When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live. -Sarah Kendzior, journalist and author (b. 1978

What's so funny?

Blogger friend AC (his blog here) has posted several times about videos with people having falls, trips and mainly falls...in order to see if anything seems funny to us. Most of the comments didn't see humor in others' suffering. The animals which had trips and falls were sometimes seen as funny however.

I must admit I've been looking around my life to see what I laugh at. There's not much. And with my cough triggered usually by a laugh, I tend to do a hee hee hee instead. But I did experience some fun the other day at the Rehab program.

We were having our photos taken, one at a time, and apparently G. walked behind me while I was posing. She was called out as photo-bombing me. Then I sat down and the rest of the group took their turns. Then I was called out as photo-bombing everyone else, since my seat in the waiting room was in the line of sight of each of the photos being taken. What? Yes, I had sat right by the doorway. But I was there before he started the photos. So it was a typical incident of being in the wrong place at the right time.

And the rest of the day, I was either pointing at G. and calling her the "photo-bomber" or she was pointing at me in the same vein. At least we knew we were laughing then. Wearing masks continually made it a bit hard to know when anyone smiled at each other. But everyone in the group did have a chuckle.

And now I've already become one of the class clowns! Oh my, what a reputation to live up to. It's all about my anxiety though. Which is what we often use humor for...dealing with the situations that are hard to face.

Incidentally...I often laugh at writings which include these kinds of events. And some TV comedians are really just funny all by themselves. We said goodbye to Regis Philben a few days ago, and the way the universe schedules things, on Jeopardy the next night was a rerun of a Celebrity Guest show with him and Carol Burnett on it. Add memories of Tim Conway, and I immediately am ready to laugh.

What do you think as funny these days?

Today's Quote:

Don't go back to sleep.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the
doorsill where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don't go back to sleep.

—Rumi

Six different types of symptoms of COVID-19

Did you know this? From CBS News July 28, 2020 (here). It is in hopes of treating the symptoms better.

A new study of COVID-19, based on data from a symptom tracker app, determined that there are six distinct "types" of the disease involving different clusters of symptoms. The discovery could potentially open new possibilities for how doctors can better treat individual patients and predict what level of hospital care they would need.

Researchers from King's College London studied data from approximately 1,600 U.K. and U.S. patients who regularly logged their symptoms in the COVID Symptom Tracker App in March and April.

The six clusters of symptoms outlined in the study are:

1. Flu-like with no fever: Headache, loss of smell, muscle pains, cough, sore throat, chest pain, no fever.
2. Flu-like with fever: Headache, loss of smell, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, fever, loss of appetite.
3. Gastrointestinal: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sore throat, chest pain, no cough.
4. Severe level one, fatigue: Headache, loss of smell, cough, fever, hoarseness, chest pain, fatigue.
5. Severe level two, confusion: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain.
6. Severe level three, abdominal and respiratory: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, abdominal pain.

Today's quote:

David Abram has expressed:

That which has been and that which is to come are not elsewhere – they are not autonomous dimensions independent of the encompassing present in which we dwell. They are, rather, the very depths of this living place – the hidden depth of its distances and the concealed depth on which we stand. 

Snickers

 Can I take a picture of your dog? I really didn't want to pet Snickers..but he's kind of cute.

 The owner gave a snap of fingers, then made a gesture and said "sit."

 Dog would sit, then one of us would say something like "good dog" and up she'd he'd come. So owner said "sit" a few more times. Poor dog was like a yo-yo!

Today's Quote:
As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view. -Madeleine Albright, diplomat and author (b. 15 May 1937)

The mountain of flowers

 After almost all the land moving for the new subdivision, there was a huge mound (alright, not really a mountain!) which burst into bloom a few weeks ago. I am not out driving as often these days, so I did a good-old double take when I saw this.  The next day I made a special drive-by going into the road which now has a few finished units. They look like duplexes.

Today's Quote:
Not until black demonstrators resorted to violence did the national government work seriously for civil rights legislation ... In 1850 white abolitionists, having given up on peaceful means, began to encourage and engage in actions that disrupted plantation operations and liberated slaves. Was that all wrong? -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jul 1949)

My notes as I begin Rehab

The Ornish Rehabiitation Program

As a heart attack survivor, a.k.a one with heart disease, I'm eligible to have a special rehab program, one that we would call Wholistic back in the 80s. Somehow that term hasn't come up yet in my reading, or my orientation the other day. But it certainly does describe the program started by Dr. Ornish. At Mission Hospital in Asheville, I am part of the 35th cohort or class of patients to move through this program.

I must admit I am skeptical as to my ability to just participate. They look at me and want me to exercise quite a bit more than I currently am able. I won't bore you with the details of my struggles...much.

I hope I can look back at some point and read this and say that I've been able to do this, and more. That's because I trust they will push me and let me stop when I need to, but be able to know what I can eventually do. Trusting them as professionals who deal with heart patients every day!

The first program scientifically proven to “undo” (reverse) heart disease by optimizing four important areas of your life:

The Wholistic aspect is looking at the body, mind, emotions, and nutrition related aspects of a lifestyle. I'm all for that.

I will eat up the nutrition information, literally. We're going vegetarian, low fat. I may continue to do low sodium. I'm looking forward to learning how to do that. I've been eating pescatarian (vegetarian who eats fish) for the last 6 months. Yes, before the heart attack. But my heart gradaully had been blocking that artery for many more months, as I ate chocolate things, bacon burgers and fries!

The support group will be a good aspect, as others in similar shoes to mine can reflect back to me the places I may not want to look at, and cheer me on to healing. It's not therapy, which I fail to see any real difference. I'll be learning that too.  This is a 9 weeks program, twice a week for 4 hours. So just 72 intense hours.

Stress reduction....ah. I've known lots of those techniques from my graduate school training as a counselor 34 years ago. But does that keep my mind from whirling through things at 4 am? Last night I went through the alphabet naming a flower for each letter, and got to zinnia without being anything but just tired, and giving up on the letters Q and U. It was 5:30 the last time I tossed back and forth and saw the clock. I woke again around 6:30 and told myself I could take off the C-PAP and just rest for a minute. It was 8:30 when I pulled myself out of bed. It was not one of my good nights.

And we'l have a teacher for yoga and meditation. I've been able to do a few stretching exercises that I learned in Physical Therapy, as well as some basic yoga on my bed, but not real yoga. It will be great  to have a teacher and support for my limitations. And I've only been doing sporadic meditation in the last couple of months. I like to meditate, but it somehow gets pushed off my priorities list most days. Hey, I have to push to make sure I bathe. It usually takes me 30 to 45 minutes to do my morning and evening nebulizer breathing treatments, during which I can read blogs or emails but can't eat or write, 'cause my mouth and one hand are busy with the little device holding the solutions that are aerated to help my lungs.

BUT, the real goal of Ornish Rehab isn't just a life-style change. Lots of folks are doing a Heart-healthy diet, and increasing exercises. It's to reverse heart disease.

That's what won me over. And whenever I think I can't do this, which will come in lots of ways...I'll remind myself of that. Do it or die. And if I do it, I'll benefit in many ways.

Today's quote:
"Reverse & Prevent Heart Disease

We examined the ability of patients enrolled in the Lifestyle Heart Trial to sustain intensive lifestyle changes for a total of five years and the effects of these lifestyle changes on coronary heart disease. We measured adherence to lifestyle changes, changes in coronary artery percent diameter stenosis, and cardiac events. Outcomes in the experimental group showed significant improvement relative to controls. Additionally, compared to 1 year follow up, 5 year follow ups showed greater improvement relative to controls."  

https://www.ornish.com/proven-program/the-research/

The highway(s) over a mountain pass

Old highway US 70 went over the pass going west from Old Fort, NC to Ridgecrest, down into the Swannanoa Valley through Black Mountain, Swannanoa and then Asheville.  It was completely absorbed by the newer Interstate 40 over much of the pass (built in the 1960s.) The I-40 pass has 3 lanes going downhill, and 4 going uphill with one for trucks to go very slow.

The section shown above still remains, going east from Ridgecrest where autos aren't allowed any more, but bicycles and hikers often go to the Point Lookout where they can see across to Old Fort to the east. I walked down there one evening after dark with some friends...so I don't know if there are any remains of the restaurant (which was on Point Lookout I'm told).

The train track still runs in this area, around many switchbacks and tunnels. I blogged about the building of the railroad through this pass HERE.  The Swannanoa Valley History Museum had a good display about it. (I don't think that museum has been allowed to open yet from pandemic concerns.)

The Geyser (seen as the tall white column in this photo) still remains, as well as a small park, and the train tracks which now only carry freight. The hotel (seen behind and to the right of the geyser is gone. There is still a gravel road that comes west from where that leg of Old 70 ends in Old Fort.

Once you're in Black Mountain, again going west, there are several legs of Old 70 remaining. One of these comes off of the current US 70 on the west side of town. Old 70 is at the bottom of the hill where I live. Parallel and one block further south is new US 70. Old 70 is two lane, while newer 70 is 4 lanes, and has more businesses on it.  Old 70 dead ends in Swannanoa, less than 4 miles from Black Mountain. And newer 70 goes all the way to Asheville, becoming Tunnel Road. (It probably continues, but I've never tried to find where it goes through the city.)

But Old 70 was the only highway for many years going west between Old Fort and Asheville. All the tourists who came from the east of North Carolina had to climb that mountain pass. They were then driving under the Blue Ridge Parkway when it opened in the 40s. It still has an entrance onto US 70 in the Swannanoa area.

The familiar Parkway stone bridge over US 70.

The Black Mountain Inn is a B&B which served first as a stage coach stop on the original road which became US 70...and it overlooks the 2 parallel highways, as well as Interstate 40 about a quarter mile further south, just the other side of the railroad tracks. The Inn is about 4-5 blocks from where I live.

This delicious market bike display reminded me of our Sepia Saturday prompt for this week.

Today's quote:

Between where you are now and where you’d like to be there’s a sort of barrier, or a chasm, and sometimes it’s a good idea to imagine that you’re already at the other side of that chasm, so that you can start on the unknown side.

—David Bohm

More foggy lake

 Night blooming flowers (Evening Primrose?) don't know that 8 am is daytime yet.

 You can barely see the fountain in the center of Lake Tomahawk

 The spillway is the meeting place between sharp vegetation, a tree stump, and the foggy waters.

 A mother Mallard brought her ducklings across the waters.

Today's Quote:

A physicist is just an atom’s way of looking at itself. —Niels Bohr

Walk Sunday morning

 Today's quote:

The first being one must have compassion for
is oneself. 
You can't be a witness to your thoughts 
with a chip on your shoulder or an axe to grind.

Ramana Maharshi said, 
"If people would stop wailing alas I am a sinner
and use all that energy to get on with it
they would all be enlightened."

He also said, 
"When you're cleaning up the outer temple
before going to the inner temple,
don't stop to read everything
you're going to throw away..."

Ram Dass

Cheer-leaders and an Ent-wife

My graduating (high school) granddaughter and her best friend were celebrated in a party a week ago at my son's home. It included around 100 guests, my son estimated...

Oh my. I still am wearing a mask any time I leave home. But my granddaughter is about to move into an apartment close to where she will soon be attending college. She just has one class that will be in-person, while the rest will be on-line.

And she has a part time job with her girlfriend, to be coaches for a middle school cheer-team.  They obviously know a lot about being cheerleaders by now. And 18 year olds moving into independent living (there's one other roommate as well) is a great step in their lives. I wish them well.

The Spirit of an Ent-Wife.

If you've read Tolkien, (The Two Towers) you probably remember that Pippin and Merry got rescued by the Ent trees...who were looking for their Ent Wives. So here mine is, waiting to be sold at the Red House Gallery.

The Swannanoa Fine Arts League's Red House is open on weekends again. And I sold the last tree vase I'd had on display. So my Ent-wife is now there for anyone who likes her.

Quote for today:
Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others. For the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.
—Albert Einstein

Signs and summer flowers

 The hostas are at their peak for this summer, a week ago. Now they have all faded away for another year!

 I was a bit surprised by the signs on this resident's van doors...

They are still hard to read...
"Prophecy supporting message from God - Tsunami in Pacific and Chukchi Sea, thus say the Lord of Hosts."
"Test of faith message USA-
1. Clear ?? pertaining to all ___??
2. Begin to lift up the poor and needy among us in the USA
3. Vision - Star ______?"

I was a bit surprised that the Tsunami and some Sea I'd never heard of, the Chukchi Sea, were indications of the message from God. I wonder what that message might have been. And I was only able to understand and agree with the second listed test of faith...lift up the poor and needy. That's certainly needed more than ever these days.

I'm happy to sit here each morning, watching for mama hummingbird to come snack a bit, and see the sun rise behind the lush foliage of the trees. And my living room window looks out on the sidewalks to the entrances to 8 other apartments. Several times a week I see people carrying bags of groceries or meals (probably) to a few of these apartments. I'm glad that my neighbors (all seniors with food insufficiency) haven't been forgotten and there are still services to make sure they get enough to eat.

I'm very fortunate in that I have the car to drive to a store, and wear a mask while choosing to shop at less popular hours, and can afford plenty of food myself. I have been known to purchase some groceries for a few friends at times.The only trick is cooking food and then cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.

Yesterday I made banana bread, and looked up a recipe which used molasses...why? Because I had some molasses and wanted to try it.  I like this bread...not too much molasses taste, nor too much banana taste...and I cut back the sugar so it isn't as sweet as originally.

If I had a sign on my car (I tend to do bumper stickers) to reflect my faith, it would be "To Question is the Answer." I actually did drive a van with that bumper sticker for 12 years in the 70's. It's a Unitarian Universalist message.

Many people have stopped putting bumper stickers on their cars...but I don't tend to want to trade my car in until it's served me for at least 10 years...and I think I've only had this one about 4 years so far. But bumper stickers aren't made as well, and I've already lost a couple that I put on...I know the Hillary sticker.   I've still got a yoga one from the previous owner, and I've added one for Blue Ridge Recreation and one from the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. "Earth without art is just Eh." Can't say I remember the others...probably a bear from Mt. Mitchell.

Today's quote:

The surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean.
Some part of our being knows this is where we came from.
We long to return, and we can because the cosmos is
also within us.

We are made of star stuff.

Carl Sagan, Cosmos

Second blooms

The two rose bushes (Knock-out type) have finally bloomed again. I didn't feel like clipping off the dead heads - the rose hips actually, so it's taken a while to get this second batch of flowers.

Today's quote:
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common -- this is my symphony.
-William Henry Channing, clergyman and reformer (25 May 1810-1884)

The neighbors' flowers

 I found this nice setting in a different building than mine. There are five parallel buildings on the steep hill, with eight units in each one. Upstairs four open on the uphill side of the building, while downstairs four open downhill. It provides a sense of privacy that isn't possible in the other buildings with indoor halls to each apartment.

These are the last of the day lilies...

My four-o'clocks became food for Japanese beetles last week. So I sprayed them with garlic and soapy water. Then I read that they will be killed by eating four-o'clocks. So maybe the flowers will survive after all.

 While my courtyard has a few trees, the one uphill from me is mainly a wide open space.

The day lily beds were doing quite well.

Today's Quote:

"I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them." Clara Barton 

And she said, "The door that nobody else will go in at, seems always to swing open widely for me."