Cardio

[howeird]

Which brings us to today. Alarm went off at 5:30 am, because the instructions from the cardiologist said finish breakfast by 6:30. Breakfast was mandatory, it needed to be light, and without protein, fats or caffeine. They said oatmeal would be fine, so that's what I had. The appointment was not until 8:20, so I had plenty of time, but LJ was down so I played on FB and watched CNN & MSNBC until the attack journalism made me ill. When you bring an expert into the studio, trying to get him/her/it to make rash, sensational, unfounded statements which have no basis in fact is not the way to run a newsroom.

Everyone is focusing on the nuke plant in Japan, but the real story is elsewhere. Here is email I received this morning from a friend in Tokyo:

Yes, "gaman".  
 
I have returned to Tokyo yesterday.  Transportation system was smooth.  The sight from the train was darker than usual. 
Because of Fukushima, we have water problem.  It is risky to use tap water.  Water is sold out at every supermarket I went to.  So my mom in Kyushu prepares for water for me I hope, I cannot believe this situation.  But you know, this situation is much better than the suffered area. 
 
One of my friends and I talked about that this crisis could change most people's thoughts and values.  How hard people worked and earned profits, disaster destroys them includes people's lives in a moment.  We have to think what is most important.  So then we should have fun by just doing what we want to.  This idea sounds lazy though. 
 
I will get back to work tomorrow :(  It was two weeks that I am out of office.   (Stay-home for over one week was company's direction)

Off to the doctor, it was all nurses and PAs this time. First stop was radiology where an IV connector was taped to the top of my right hand. The NP used that to shoot me full of something radioactive, and in about 15 minutes I was on my back on a table under a large scanner which looked like someone had tried to make a butterfly mobile from two copier machines. The scan took about 20 minutes, music would have been nice. She walked me upstairs to cardiology.

Next was the not-fun part of the test. I did not think I had the stamina for the treadmill, so I had opted for a chemically induced session. But the RN who gave me the orientation convinced me that the treadmill was worth a try, it's more natural and if I don't have any back or knee problems it's a better way to go. A PA joined us, and I got to the third level of the treadmill before my legs were not long enough to keep up with it. They said I was a good 2 minutes of walking at that speed away from the target heart rate, so we shut off the treadmill and punted. The PA gave me the chemical through the IV connector, and when my BP reading was on target the NP from radiology was up there to irradiate me again.

I did not experience 99% of the scary symptoms the waiver said the chemical might cause. Just a wee bit of a feeling like a cold was coming on, which makes sense, since its job was to open blood vessels. I get worse symptoms from Viagra.

The RN walked me down to radiology, where I was to relax, eat the snack I'd been told to bring - this one needed to have fats and protein, so I had made a turkey ham and cheddar sandwich.

About half an hour later I was scanned again, and in another 20 minutes it was all done.


So now I am in the Mary Ave Starbucks, which is the nearest one not in Mountain View, seeing what the Toshiba's battery life really is. Definitely not as good as the Samsung - but I'd bought an extended life battery for that. Been here for 3 hours, I'm down to 40% battery. So not the 6 hours they advertise. But more than I would normally have the box on without power.

There has been a lot of eye candy, but also lots of pre-schoolers. Unlike my local branch, mommies here are staying just long enough for the kids to have a little treat, it isn't the day care center my local one can become.

The sun is out, it's almost warm outside, I should get some Vitamin D.