Sunday 13

 Dear Dave, After listening to you yesterday, these are some of my thoughts:

Get Cécile to see a grief therapist and maybe go to their first meeting yourself(might give you some ideas on a way forward...

Ask one of your buddies if you can stay at their home for a few days.  Offer to cook in place of paying rent??  You might be able to make a little cash by hiring yourself as a " concierge cook"(you could make a menu of your top dishes)

All my wisdom for now...

bela

I asked google about the stenosis and the results were very helpful to hear---You should pause swimming immediately until you speak with your cardiologist. While swimming is a wonderful, low-impact exercise, severe aortic stenosis means your heart valve has narrowed significantly, forcing your heart to work much harder to pump blood. Because you also manage hemiplegia and a seizure disorder, the combined risk of a seizure, sudden lightheadedness, or fainting while in the water presents an immediate safety hazard

there was much more information and advice, drawn from heart.org and other such reliable sites so we're both glad we looked it up and read what is said.  Main help, Bela has no clear symptoms like shortness of breath or dizziness or fatigue.  

already after noon, slow rainy, gray morning of goofing off 

at the end of chapter 13 our seminarian merges the night singing of the passion on good friday with his own circumcision.   Is that practiced in Italy in adolescence?  Has Moresco imagined the whole thing to dramatize what being in the seminary does to one?  More likely that; most likely that, and it goes so well with the whole holy week passion play mythos-vibe.  

We actually listened to the kelly corrigan wonders radio show this morning.  Talk with two musicians about the science of music and all that music does to and for humans.  

I'm 82, hemiplegic woman with seizure disorder, in excellent health. My cardiogram says I now have severe bioprosthetic aortic stenosis. Should I keep swimming once a week? What needs to be done? How dire is this situation?

11:57 AM

You should pause swimming immediately until you speak with your cardiologist. While swimming is a wonderful, low-impact exercise, severe aortic stenosis means your heart valve has narrowed significantly, forcing your heart to work much harder to pump blood. Because you also manage hemiplegia and a seizure disorder, the combined risk of a seizure, sudden lightheadedness, or fainting while in the water presents an immediate safety hazard. [1]

How Dire is This Situation?

While the word "severe" sounds frightening, this is a manageable situation, not an immediate catastrophe. Your excellent overall health works heavily in your favor.

• If you have NO symptoms (no chest tightness, shortness of breath, or dizziness): The situation is stable but requires prompt medical evaluation to plan next steps before symptoms develop. [1]
• If you DO have symptoms: The situation is more urgent. Severe aortic stenosis cannot be cured with medication, and waiting too long once symptoms start can strain the heart muscle. [1, 2]

What Needs to Be Done?

You need a formal evaluation by your cardiologist or a structural heart specialist. They will guide you through the following steps:

1. Symptom Review: Your doctor will ask if you have noticed subtle fatigue, shortness of breath during daily activities, or lightheadedness. [1]
2. Review of the Echocardiogram: They will look at the specific measurements of your bioprosthetic valve to confirm the degree of narrowing. [1]
3. Discussing Valve Replacement: Because your current valve is bioprosthetic (biological), it has naturally worn down over time. For an active 82-year-old, the standard, highly successful approach is often TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement). This is a minimally invasive procedure where a new valve is guided through a small tube in your leg, avoiding open-heart surgery entirely. [1, 2]

Safe Alternatives for Right Now

Until you see your doctor, swap the pool for safe, land-based movement. A gentle walking routine or a stationary recumbent bicycle are excellent ways to preserve your mobility and strength without overexerting your heart. Always stop immediately if you feel winded, dizzy, or uncomfortable. [1, 2]

When is your next appointment with your cardiologist, and have you noticed any recent shortness of breath or dizziness?

----

a cross-eyed girl playing a harmonium on the other side of the courtyard in the seminary!!

my goodness, I'm old enough and from an Italian Catholic parish that I know what a harmonium is, what it sounded like and how well Moresco talks about it, uses it, in his dreamy narrative flow 211

headache most of the morning, low pressure, rain, water, worry, all of the above?  doomscrolling plus, ? 

journalist Karen Ho popularized "doomscrolling" in 2020 after the word appeared somewhere around 2018  on Twitter !!!!