Blood Clots In The Lungs

Back home after a week in hospital because of blood clots in the lungs. For weeks I was not feeling good. I could not understand why it was so hard to breath. Little by little it got worse. Then it also started hurting at every breath. It was bad. I was unable to go for my evening walks with Canelo. Then one night I was sitting in the bed (could not lay down) Leif woke and realized it was bad and took me to the hospital. I still feel weak but am so thankful things are as good as they are now. I need medication for, at least, the next six months maybe for even a longer period. There are many risk factors for developing blood clots. In my case the most likely one is overweight. I have to lose weight and I will. I hope and pray I will not have to go though any other clots. It hurt and it was scary.

View from hospital window

Five Removed Teeth

As I mentioned in my posting of March 1 the veterinarian recommended us to take Quismo to a dental specialist.

We took him there yesterday at 7:45 am. He stayed there till 6:30 pm. Unfortunately he had five bad teeth that all needed to be removed. I feel so bad to not been able to understand the situation. It must have been very painful for already quite a long time.

I worried about when and how he would be able to eat after the procedure. The vet said he probably wants to have something to eat as soon as we come home. She was right. Quismo was very hungry and had tuna for cats. For the next two weeks he’s on a softer diet. He loves dry food and is loudly meowing for it each time I am in the kitchen.

He is on pain medicine for three to five days. That he takes without any protest. But, the mouth wash, the “hyvänmakuinen suuvesi” he let me know is not hyvänmakuinen.

The instructions for the future says. Daily cleaning, brushing required. I guess I have to buy three brushes one for each Quam, Quismo and Canelo.

Canelo’s teeth also need checking. I’d love to take him right the way but we have to, for some time, recover from the recent costs.

@ the vet with Quam & Quimso

Last Monday, 25 Feb, we were at the vet with Quam and Quismo. It was time for their vaccination. The vet also checked eyes, ears, teeth etc. Eyes and ears were fine but she said they both really must have their teeth cleaned from plaque. We already were about to leave when I, luckily, remembered to mention about Quam’s left hand claw. You know the shortest finger. She had a look at it. It was worse than I knew. The vet said it needs a surgical procedure to have it fixed. The claw had grown too long, turned to grow into the skin and out on the other side. Also there was an inflammation. Oh no ! My poor Quam ! I had no idea it was that bad. He was given prescriptions for pain medication and antibiotics.

Yesterday we took both cats there. Quam for both cleaning of the teeth and the claw operation. Quismo for teeth cleaning. They were sedated  for the procedure and stayed there for about four hours. Quam’s teeth are okay but the vet recommended us to take Quismo to a specialist for a X-ray. She thinks he has a more serious problem than just plaque. We are going to take him to the specialist but I truly hope the vet is wrong and they are not going to find any other problem than the plaque.

Quam looking out the window after I cleaned and changed the sterile pads this morning and wrapped his paw into a nice looking parcel. He does not like it at all. It makes it difficult for him to move.

A sketch of the operated nail. (heh-heh, not good at drawing )

Next week we are going to take Quam to the vet for a re-check. I hope his paw by then is healed and that he does not need any medication anymore.  Everything is so expensive. I’m glad we have an insurance. It does not cover all but at least we can have some of the costs back.

The Weight Loss

Today when I was checking the Iltasanomat (a Finnish paper) headings. One title caught my curiosity.

“Could this be the most incomprehensible diet?” 

Kelly Osbourne sharing her tips and advice on dieting.

I clicked to read. No way! She used a rubber band diet method! I laughed.It sounded like a joke. Too funny and too silly to be true. After finishing the story I looked for more information on the internet.

It’s not a joke. There are so many writings on the subject so I better believe the method works.

The thing is you wear a rubber band to your wrist. Make sure it’s not too small to cut the blood circulation. When the cravings set in snap the rubber band hard against your wrist. Yup, it’s meant to hurt. I now actually believe the method works. I don’t know if it’s a fact that Kelly Osbourne did use a rubber band or not. I was unable to find any writings about it. Anyway, she has succeeded amazingly well in losing so much weight. Congrats Miss Osbourne!

I told Leif about the method. He said one word. Humbug! Humbug or not guess what ? Yes, I’m wearing a rubber band 😀 For how long I don’t know.

My Weight Loss Project began 2.1.2013

I was at the health center in the beginning of December to renew my prescription for the blood pressure. As last time, one year ago, they recommended to lose some weight. They reminded me about the benefits of losing weight. Even a 10 per cent weight loss is good for the health/blood pressure. Of course they are right. So I’m going to do it. I hope I will make it in three months.

I do know all the benefits of losing weight. I also know all about how to lose weight. I have tried all the different diets. I watch all the weight losing programs there are on TV. I have attended the Weight Watchers three times. Each time I reached my goal, normal weight for my height. What I have not yet to figured out is WHY I let the weight come back! Okay, of course I know why. The reasons are so obvious I don’t even bother commenting them.

I need and want a kick start. The cabbage soup diet is a good way to get going. Tomorrow I will buy all the ingredients for the, in my opinion, super delicious tasty soup. Guess who hates the smell of it. Yup it’s my husband Leif. Sorry honey, you don’t have to eat it but you have to stand it.

Supersize vs Superskinny

You know the British TV program about one over weight person and one underweight person swapping diets in order to under supervising learn how to eat in a healthy way. Every time I watch the program I come to think of us, me and my husband.  I have this eating disorder and am the supersize. He is the superskinny but luckily without an eating disorder. He is able to eat anything and as much as he want to. He still is the same weight he was when we met in 1966. It’s unfair.

I’m not a good drawer 🙂

I hope for the best. I hope I will make the 10 %. If not, it’s not the end of the world. I think the chances to make it is, to quote a famous Finnish ski jumper, the odds are fifty/sixty.

Week one is behind. The cabbage soup was yummy. Leif is happy there is no more of it for now.

Flu season

Yes it is the time of the year when the flu viruses love running around and competing in hitting as many as possible down with it.

My son was down with a terrible flu about three weeks ago. So I really was not very surprised when I about ten days ago, got my first symptoms.

It all began with a sore throat. It was hard swallowing. Two days later it was time for the sneezing and runny, stuffy nose. By the way, there’s an ad on TV I really dislike. A man is sitting in his office, the room is filled up with used paper tissues. An other version of the ad is the same man sitting in his car which of course is filled with used paper tissues. I find the ad distasteful. The ad’s for Otrivin Nasal Spray. The Otrivin is a very good medication. I use it often and have used it for years. The reason I don’t like the ad is because of the used tissues. Am I strange ? Is that abnormal ? Now I was kind of in the same situation. I had to use hundreds and hundreds and again hundreds of tissues. Every time I had to blow my nose I had the vision of the ad on my mind. I almost was able to feel myself trapped in a room filled with used tissues. Ugh ! Then there was still the coughing ! I was quite sure I would have my ribs cracked. It was hard. It was tiring.

Now, thank goodness, I feel good. I feel the energy coming back. I’m so glad it’s over 🙂 I sincerely hope you people will be lucky not to get the flu.

The Cataract Surgery

Well, I had the cataract surgery done today. I felt very calm going there but when the other women all were asking for some sort of tranquilizer/sedative I suddenly felt pretty nervous too and asked for it. I’m glad I asked otherwise I might have panicked in the middle of the procedure. My right eye now looks like someone hit me. It’s swollen and the white of the eye is red. All other patients’ eyes looked normal. You could not even see that they had an operation. Both the surgeon and the nurse said my eye will be okay soon, in a couple of days. Also the blurry vision is going to be clear in a day or two. The eye have to be treated for three weeks with two different kind of eye drops four times a day. I’m so happy it’s over and done. I know my left eye also need an operation but that’s in the future. I don’t even want to think about it now.

Cataract Surgery

Yesterday I was at the eye clinic in Helsinki. I went through an examination for a cataract surgery. After examining my eyes the eye specialist told me there is cataract in my both eyes. He decided for a surgery but only for the other eye at this stage. The surgery is going to take place in the middle of September. I’m both looking forward to it and at the same time feeling slightly nervous about the surgery.

Avannon avajaiset

Eilen oli uuden laiturin ja avannon viralliset avajaiset.  Tapahtuman järjestivät Jupperin AvantoSaukot ry. Sää suosi. Aurinko lämmitti ihanasti. Tarjoilla oli kaffetta ja avantomunkkeja, Tietoa avantouinnista, nuoren pojan break dance esitys laiturilla ja lopuksi AvantoSaukkon naiset (kolme) pulahtelivat avantoon.

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Sunday Feb 5 ~ Minus 30 Celsius

 

On the beautiful cold, sunny winter day, Sunday Feb 5,  we were celebrating the day of  the Finnish national poet J.L. Runeberg and we were voting, the second round, for a new president.

The next president of Finland is from the beginning of  March Sauli Niinistö.

On the way to vote we drove by the lake.  There is this new place  for those who love to swim in the winter.  Our neighbor is a winter swimmer.   She suggested I’d try it. I know it’s good for your health. But, no, no, no !  Brrrr.  I’m not going to do it. I probably would have a heart attack .