The lagoon at the native plant center out on our favorite island. Mrs. Sherlock and I went out there this morning after class. It was a lovely adventure.
And I needed one. I had the perfect storm of not so positive things this week. I was still a bit sore in my chest and arms from my workout last week. The news in general has been upsetting. I was still absorbing some of the difficulties inherent in getting to know the new leadership in the League and feeling a bit, um, unsupported.
I have a lot to do and Tuesday I met with the people organizing the new in person class. It is a good opportunity but also a big stressor fitting this all in like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. On Wednesday I went to the bank to do an important piece of business for the League and after being there for 45 minutes was told that our Secretary needed to come in person to sign the documents.
Afterwards I took the bus to the grocery because some things I needed weren’t available Monday in my delivery and I had no other time to go. I sent out an email about the needed signature and found out the individual in question is not in the United States. Why did I not know that? We need to have this change done by next Tuesday.
I get home and there were messages from the bank. It is actually a credit union, but it is easier to say bank. Never mind, I could sign the papers after all. So, I signed these legal documents about our nonprofit status thinking about the current government’s feelings about same and was feeling anxious about the whole thing, and see above, unsupported.
And then I got a jury summons.
So, I say, that’s it, I am going to finish my murder mystery and take a bath.
And my neck starts to hurt, then my left shoulder, and then my left arm. And then as I was getting into the bathtub, my chest. The left side of my chest. I thought I had tweaked my neck somehow and it was just showing up. It started to get pretty uncomfortable and so I got out of the tub and put on my pajamas and took some nitroglycerin. I already take a slow-release nitro, and I thought this would knock it out. But no. The pain persisted. Chest, shoulder, arm, lung. Worse than anything I have so far experienced.
I changed back into loose clothes and did what hereto had been unthinkable and called 911.
There was a bit of a wait, and I am thinking well if this was a heart attack I would be dead by now, but the operator was wonderful. She had me chew four baby aspirin and sit and talk to her until the paramedics and the ambulance came. I have never done anything like this before.
The had me attached to an EKG and my blood pressure monitored in under 5 minutes. They put in an IV in the ambulance. The ER was chock full, so they checked my vitals again and then had me go sit in the waiting room. Not so long after that they took me back for another EKG and a blood draw. And then I went back into the waiting room. I talked to an admitting guy, I had a chest x-ray, I talked to a resident, I had another blood draw, I talked to the supervising physician, I had my blood pressure monitored. This back and forth to the waiting room went on for five and a half hours.
And then I got to come home. I took a Lyft.
I am fine. My chest and arm are sore like they have been through something. I had four things on the agenda yesterday. I did two of them. I have a follow-up appointment on Monday with my regular doctor.
I am pretty sure it was as I said, stress and inflammation but it was real. Nobody is implying otherwise. I told the Vice President of Admin in the League yesterday in person that I need support. I doubt that will happen and Walt just told me that I would be well advised to let go of my responsibilities with the League. I am not going to make any decisions right now.
And so, after all that it was just wonderful to go out to the island this morning where we got enthusiastic and knowledgeable personal attention at the native plant nursery. I got five plants I would not have gotten at any sort of regular nursery and Mrs. Sherlock, three. You pick your plants out and then they have you go for a walk around the lagoon with all this whimsical sculpture and signage and bird houses and amazing plants and when you come back everything is all ready.
This weekend I will make the time to get them planted. My niece was thrilled I actually took her challenge up and used the gift card.
And I am home and safe and grateful and thinking about what I want these next few years to be like.
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