Category: Life with Pratts

Run Me Do

I am very pleased to say that I was wrong. I take back what I said 18 months ago. My running days are not over!

Walk, Don’t Run

For two months, I had physical therapy for my ankle, and I was making good progress. Just when I was about to move up to practicing on a treadmill in preparation of returning to light running, I was slammed with the combination cancer/AFib diagnoses.

The last time I went for a 3+ mile run, it took the time shown on the left. Now I am cancer-free and an ablation has taken me out the AFib. Having not gone running since February, 2024, today’s time for the same route is on the right.

My persistent AFib was asymptomatic, and although I never felt short of breath, I was struggling to get my time back under 10 minutes/mile. Today, I did it without even trying. The AFib must have been holding me back after all.

Eliquis Nevermore!

Two weeks ago, I wrote that I’d received a heart monitor to confirm that I am free of persistent atrial fibrillation. I wore it for exactly one week, with the data collected via USB and, presumably, stored in flash memory.

I returned the monitor one week ago, and after a misdirection by UPS it was rerouted and delivered on Wednesday. The data was reviewed, the result is here, and this is it:

No AFib was present during the study

Superman #233, published in 1970, cover date January, 1971

I’m very pleased that I’m able to stop taking Eliquis, because I was starting to see the effects of the blood thinner over the past six months. A couple of thorn pricks suffered while clearing overgrown brush outside resulted in blood blisters. A slight banging of a knuckle while working in the basement produced a significant bruise. So buh-bye, Eliquis!

My Daily Digs

  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi “Dog Shooter” Noem had an allergic reaction after visiting a biolab? If that were true the lab would have to be locked down and a determination made of exactly what substance caused the reaction. My guess is, Kristi was on some legal/illegal drug and/or she had an anxiety/panic attack.
  • Donald was talking tough when threatening Iran, but of course he did his TACO thing and backed off. That’s good, but the truth is he’s afraid of doing the wrong thing and being indecisive as a result.

Speaking of my digs, there’s today’s Jumble.

A while ago, I mentioned an unfinished pine bookcase — assembly not required — I’d ordered for the back of the Pratt Cave. My work on finishing it came out well enough that I’m waiting for another one, 12-inches wide. Placed together, they’ll be the same width as the piano that previously occupied the space.