The Next Chapter: Living With Heart Failure

Right off the bat, for those who don’t know, I came home from the hospital on Sunday after 12 long days away from my family. A large percentage of my time away was waiting. Waiting for medication to kick in, waiting for procedures to happen and waiting for those magic words, you are getting discharged.

I am surprised I did not swim in my own puddles of joy. Inside me somewhere is a huge release of tears that I have no control over.

Hopefully it does not release on the TTC but that’s what the Dufferin bus will do to a person on a good day. I will never judge those people on Survivor again who lose it when they see their family after a few weeks. It was a mental game for sure. To avoid ever doing that again, I have a few new “musts” to follow in order to make life last as long as possible.

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The Last Month has been a Real Test of the Heart

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Hello everyone. Coming to you live from Toronto General Hospital, where the trays come in hot and the cutlery comes in cold. Why am I at the hospital you may ask? No I am not visiting anyone, I am a patient and have been here since July 4th. Yes, Happy July Fourth to me. MAGA and all that shit.

Before I go into why I am here let me lead with, as best I can say, I am fine. I feel fine, I am not sick, I feel like I am stuck in bed and have the world waiting on me and while nice, it’s like there are others who need it, not me.

I am here because in the last month it has been discovered I have both a heart arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation (AFIB).

Basically I have a runaway heart rate and one of the lower ventricles is much weaker than it should be. The heart is all out of whack.

How did this happen? They don’t exactly know yet. Right now they are focused on a long-term fix. I have a whole bucket of pills I am taking to slow down my heart to normal and then they can go about resetting the electrical function. Trust me it’s a lot to digest. I have had 5 days to get it down.

Getting Nutritional Advice From A Dietitian is Easier Than You Think

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Have you ever wanted to book an appointment with a registered dietitian and figured it would be too costly? Well what would you say if I told you there is a place that offers the service where you already go for your groceries? Yes, it’s true.

The dietitian program I am speaking of is offered at many of the Loblaws stores across Canada. In fact, the Loblaws we shop at weekly has the service and I had no idea it existed or that many of the services were free to the public until recently. Now that it has been pointed out, it’s like, I see that sign all the time.

I was given the opportunity to have a consultation with an in-store dietitian at Loblaws and I wanted to share my experience with you. I did learn a few things I was not expecting.

As a bonus, I also got some great tips on how to make Thanksgiving leftovers a little healthier. Don’t worry, I know Thanksgiving for us Canadians is long gone, but I will include some easy ways to take some classic comfort food dishes and make them healthier.

For Our Family Netflix is 100% Turn The Brain Off Time

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For those who follow the blog each month, you know I post something related to Netflix and kids. Each month the team at Netflix shares a theme that we write about and try to tie it to our family and viewing experiences.

This month, I have to admit, the theme just doesn’t stick for my situation.

For your March post, share which female Netflix characters your kids connect with and how they have made a positive impact.

Now, the obvious is, I don’t have girls and my boys will make a face if I ask who their fave female characters are.

Secondly, when our sons watch Netflix, I am not in the mindset to really focus on what my kids are taking away from it. Yes, call me a bad parent, but it’s the truth.  I am probably dozing with my eyes open.

They, like me, watch Netflix to turn the brain off and just enjoy 22 minutes of entertainment. Whether it’s Saturday morning or a quick cartoon before bed, it’s a time to just relax.

Shaolin Warriors: The Legend Continues

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If you are like us, you have a few wanna-be ninjas at home who love to spin sticks, jump in the air and lurk in the shadows. So what better event to see live than Shaolin Warriors: The Legend Continues.

Shaolin Warriors is a unique show performed by true masters of kung fu. The have trained from a very young age in mental and physical disciplines, perfecting the art of hand-to-hand and weapons combat, which allow them to perform feats one thought only possible in the movies. With the precision of Olympic gymnasts and the grace of ballet dancers, the Shaolin Warriors demonstrate their sacred and stunning art form in a dazzling theatrical display for the whole family.

Forget Secretly Cheating, We Just Do Our Own Thing

Catchy title eh? Don’t worry. It’s not what you think? I don’t have the energy to pull that off. I am quite happy with one special person in my life.

No, the title is referring to cheating on the person you binge watch Netflix shows with. Yes, it’s true. A recent study shows 46% of the people polled, will venture on with a show and not wait for their partner.

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So how do we get around that sticky situation at our house? It’s easy. We have our own shows. No waiting around required.

Currently my wife is blitzing through every episode of Scandal she can get her hands on, while I am spending time with The Fall.