challenge for retirement

Post by **Polar Bear** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:57 am

I did it !!

First 18 holes of golf on the 'real course' having progressed from the 9-hole par 3 practice course.

6 months ago DH and I had never held a golf club and we got introduced to it by one of our sons, went along to the driving range one evening just to please son and be sociable. DH took to it like a duck to water, and I got drawn along in his wake. We eventually were attending the golf centre about 4 times a week and took out full membership.

Yesterday was a glorious day, golf course can be quite steep in places. It took over 4 hours to complete, walking quite fast as others tee off after us every 4 minutes, so there is no time for footerin' or faffin' about.

Sweat beads dropped onto my arms, my thighs were finding unknown muscles. My legs were like jelly when I finished it. But finish it ... I well and truly did, and felt so pleased with myself. Didn't bother to keep score as it was my first round on the course and was just wanting to get the feel of it,

Having been a bit poorly over the last couple of months, (Temporal Arteritis and awaiting tests for non exertion angina) and also with only getting usually about 3 hours nightly sleep and currently slowly reducing steroids, I was a bit concerned about the stamina required.

Yeaaaahhhh...... It's great that DH and I can continue to share our leisure time. And I am so chuffed with myself.

This retirement can be fun

SquirmingSusan · Post by **SquirmingSusan** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:59 pm

Good for you, getting out there and learning something new and then going for it! I'm impressed.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:17 pm

I was so pleased with myself - tho today my thighs feel like they've been hammered with a baseball bat.

I have no real talent for it and have to work hard at it, but that's ok.
Good enough, will do me.

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:23 am

Boy, my hat's off to you! I tried golf once....that was enough for me! Thank goodness hubby doesn't like it. I can see him dragging me sky diving in retirement, though.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:31 am

Things have been a bit quiet around the site for the last few days. Lets hope that means everyone is feeling good regarding their rls symptoms.

Today I will attend my first appointment at the Chest Pain Clinic for suspected non exertion angina and wonder, as the pain comes on at rest (but not for the last month), will they still ask me to do the treadmill. Six minutes on that treadmill which continues to get steeper and faster takes a lot of effort and last time 2 years ago, I finished it, but practically needed recussed at the end. Passed it at 99% and all they said on the report for that section was satisfactory...... Gold Star at least, I thought.

It will be interesting to see what other checks they do apart from ECG which has also been normal.

Google provides such a wealth of information and a lot of it is to the extremes, so at the moment I reckon I have a clot/s floating about waiting to strike without the need for exertion.

Of course there is also my Temporal Arteritis which is a vascular immune disorder and interupts/narrows the blood flow.

To be helpful I thought I'd prepare some notes that may be relevant, as a reminder to myself when specialist starts asking questions, or I may give it to him straight off just to read. I can just hear another doc 'sigh' as I bring out my notes. But I think they are very helpful. Just perhaps somewhat more thorough than some docs want. A few notes ended up with 3 pages.

But this doc at Chest Pain Clinic will surely need to know also about RLS, and Giant Cell Arteritis and the meds involved. Well.... I got the info whether he actually wants it or not.

I will update later as to how the appointment proceeds.

This thread was about golf being my challenge in retirement........ looks more and more like my challenge is to stay fit enough to get about the golf course.

Betty/WV · Post by **Betty/WV** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:56 am

Sorry to hear about all your health problems, Polar Bear. Hope all turns out well. I just had a stress test, but I don't do it on the tread mill, but I think that is because I am older (I don't know how old you are) and have bad knees. They do mine by injecting thallium and it races my heart as if I were on a tread mill. My test turned out good. I had a heart attack in 2002 and a stent put in an artery. If I could just lose some weight I think it would do wonders for me. Why is that SOOOOO hard????

Take care and I wish you all good things.

BETTY/WV

Betty/WV · Post by **Betty/WV** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:59 am

One more thought---I always take notes to the doctor also. If I didn't I would forget half of what I wanted to say. He is used to me pulling out my notes and going over them one by one. But I don't think I ever had 3 pages.

BETTY/WV

Betty/WV · Post by **Betty/WV** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:03 pm

Me again----Just wanted to share this with whoever. I read this and thought it was so beautiful and encouraging.

"Each morning when I open my eyes, I say to myself, I, not events have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is past, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I am going to be happy in it."

Reminds me of Psalm 118:24

"This is the day the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

BETTY/WV

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:59 pm

Betty, love your quote.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 4:05 pm

Just got back from hospital appt.
Did the treadmill.... excellent results, (I'm 61).

Doc says test is both diagnostic and prognostic and there is nothing showing up irregular. There is nothing sinister..... pain is probably random spasms ??? whatever that means ??

Didn't get my notes out, he had all he needed. Maybe just as well or he'd have had me down as neurotic/eccentric.

I asked about the dye test and he said no indications for it and that dye test is not without its own risks.

Well........... whatever it is it appears not to be cardiac.

Came away with the advice about losing a stone, jeez.... I just put on a stone with the steroids.

And Yes.... it is sooooooooooo hard. And I just love my food.

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 7:04 pm

This stuff can be so difficult. Getting to the bottom of what's causing symptoms is often not easy at all.

How are you feeling about what he said?

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:36 pm

Well, I reckon 'random spasms' would still have to have a cause.

Doc's Cardiac Nurse told me that chest pain is generally, cardiac, lungs, muscular, stomach, or stress. I guess that there isn't much that isn't covered in that lot. I know I do have stomach inflammation for which I take a med..

Doc said he fully understood that this was my pain and my concerns, but that without wishing to diminish my concerns, he sees patients and does these tests on a daily basis and he saw nothing to be worried about from a cardiac point of view.

Not sure how I feel about what he said .... Perhaps fed up cos does it mean heading down other roads looking for a cause and GP will likely say it is probably tummy what with my having stomach inflammation anyway or else he'll put it down to stress. Two years ago GP was saying that he reckoned my complaint then of pressure on chest and tight throat sounded very much like stress.

Perhaps I make my own stress

Post by **badnights** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:25 am

Well PB, golf! Congratulations on getting sore thighs! After a few times, it won't hurt at all.

I was thinking about your chest thing. The only truly dangerous thing that can give chest pain is cardiac, and since you're OK on the cardiac front, does that mean your pains can't be dangerous?

Betty: love that quote. Where is it from? The Psalms one is a favorite of mine.

Betty/WV · Post by **Betty/WV** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:11 am

don't really know where the quote is from. Read it on a post on a site called Sparkpeople.

Also I have had chest pain, feels just like a heart attack but it was a hiatal hernia. But I did have a heart attack and no chest pain, just indigestion and pain going down my arms. As my cardiologist says, "women are from another planet" when it come to heart attack symptoms.

BETTY/WV

Post by **Polar Bear** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:43 am

Betty: I've been checked and don't have a hiatus hernia. Yes, I understand we are totally different when it comes to cardiac pain .

Bethf: whether chest pain is not dangerous once cardiac is ruled out ???? don't know, suppose as long as it wouldn' t be something malignant. But then don't want to get neurotic about it cos that takes us down the road of starting to be a bit of a hypochondriac.

Hmmmmm..... I wonder........ Is one just naturally neurotic.... or do we make ourselves neurotic. Or even - define neurotic - (without looking up the dictionary).

My middle of the night insomniac ramblings - feel free to ignore.
Or perhaps if you are reading this in a state of medication while waiting for sleep, you will have forgotten it by tomorrow anyway. I know that when I have taken a sleeping pill but am still awake some events can be rather vague to recollect.

Ah well, its 6.40 and I've had one hour's sleep (probably the reason for my ramblings). Golf Course is booked for 18 holes for 12.15. It has been raining all night and to go around the course takes between 4 - 5 hours.

I reckon a wee bar of choccie would not go amiss for our half way 5 minute rest - a sort of a 'good girl sticker' for perserverance.
No... No... No... must take off some weght.

OK, its back to bed now and see if I get another hour of sleep, hubby has been happily snoring for 6 hours.