Ice Storm Warning Yesterday and Health News

Yes, it was another eventful winter storm yesterday. Louisville experienced sleet and freezing rain for the balance of the afternoon and evening with temperatures climbing through the 20s. Untreated roads and other pathways became a sheet of ice and very treacherous. Unlike last week's storm, which produced around 4 inches of snow before the ice began, this storm was mainly the ice... the ice being much worse than the snow. Schools and businesses shut down by the noon-time hour, then the city was basically closed for business in the afternoon. This morning around 10 AM, the temperature was still only 34 degrees F. The ice is not melting quickly as fog and light rain showers move in. Tonight, we may have a brief period of light snow before it all comes to an end.
In health news, the cardiologist specializing in pacemakers and defibrillators basically told me I need the defibrillator device. He said my heart has sufficiently weakened to the point that a bad heart rhythm could kill me at any time. The defibrillator would shock the heart back into its proper rhythm if this event occurred. I asked him about exercise, and he said that it probably would not strengthen the heart, but certainly wouldn't be a bad thing to do. I especially think so since I need to lose about 30 pounds to be average weight. Unfortunately, a bad side effect of the atypical anti-psychotic drug I take is weight gain, but I'm nowhere near the top dose. I'm taking 300 mg of Seroquel and the top dose is 800 mg. I'm just happy that I'm not hearing voices with this relatively low-dose of medication. A few weeks ago, I was taking three different anti-psychotic drugs... the Thorazine being taken mostly for sleep. Now I'm taking Chloral Hydrate syrup for sleep, the only potential risk being respiratory, not cardiac. The specialist I saw yesterday said that he would have worried about the Thorazine if I were still taking it because it could cause adverse cardiac effects. It's a good thing I stopped taking the Thorazine when I did because my dad tells me he has noticed some involuntary limb movements which could have deteriorated to tardive dyskinesia had I continued taking the Thorazine. My psychiatrist warned me of stiffness with taking the Thorazine, but not the involuntary movements. All of these drugs are potent and have the potential to help or to hurt you. I'm just glad I didn't develop the t.d. because it is potentially irreversible and people would likely treat you like you were crippled or worse. Back to the heart... the doctor is going to try and increase my heart medications to see if my cardiac output improves with them in a couple months. If not, it looks like I'm going to get the defibrillator.

Winter Storm Warning for Louisville

Well, it looks like another potentially major winter storm is likely to hit the Louisville area this evening into tomorrow morning. It looks like snow will develop around 4 pm this afternoon. Then, overnight, as warmer temperatures move into the higher levels of the atmosphere, the snow will changeover to sleet and freezing rain. Depending on the track of the low pressure system that will be bringing the inclement weather to the region, Louisville will experience a changeover to plain rain by morning. Temperatures have to rise a good 10 degrees from where they are now for that to happen. I'm a bit skeptical, but I believe the transition to rain will take place some time Tuesday morning. We may expect to see 2 to 4 inches of snow and sleet to accumulate before the changeover to freezing rain, which may coat trees and power lines with a tenth to a quarter of an inch of ice. It may be more if the transition to plain rain doesn't occur. Temperatures will top out in the 30s tomorrow, but how much above freezing will that be? I should be able to check in tomorrow morning to analyze the storm potential even more. But beforehand, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Louisville until noon tomorrow. The temperature means everything regarding this storm, as it does for any major winter storm. We've had no problem rising above freezing in other winter storms this season, but we'll see if this one's any different. More later...

Glasses and Cogentin

Well, I finally went to get tested for what tinted lenses I needed for my Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. I ended up needing two different shades of grey, which will look pretty dark, but really I know it's necessary. I got my psychiatrist to write a prescription for the Irlen lenses and a diagnosis of photophobia. I'm trying to get Medicaid to pay for the lenses. They have for some people, so it's worth a try. I think the prescription and diagnosis will be taken more seriously coming from my opthalmologist, Dr. Conrad. He specializes in eye diseases, but it's great to have a psychiatrist who cares as much as Dr. Miller. He has done practically anything to help me. He prescribed Cogentin to help with the pain and throbbing in the legs. It's an anti-Parkinson's drug which helps with akathisia. It's a good thing he told me to quit taking the Thorazine when the akathisia showed up. I just hope it isn't permanent. He has told me before that it takes about 2 weeks for the drug to get out of the system. But, the Cogentin in addition to Gabapentin (Neurontin) is taking care of the pain in my legs. I hate to drive now. There's just too much discomfort in my legs. Right now, I'm using dark grey sunglasses to assist me in the meantime. It will take approximately 3 weeks to get my glasses tinted and back to me. It will have the astigmatism prescription along with the Scotopic prescription. The diagnostician said they will just look like sunglasses, but some people end up with pink or green lenses, so I'm thankful that shades of grey were my colors.

Anyway, the weather has calmed down after the tornado outbreak Tuesday and the prior Tuesday. It looks like we're going into a much quieter weather pattern over the next two weeks. It will be significantly cooler, but not brutally cold (except Sunday,) when we get a quick shot of arctic air from Canada. It's getting to the time of year that arctic plunges in temperatures don't last very long. The wind will be gusty Sunday, so it will feel frigid. Most of the day will see temperatures in the 20s with wind chills getting as cold as the single digits. High temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s for much of the next two weeks. That is near to slightly above normal, average highs being in the mid 40s. More later...

Summer-Like Temperatures and Thorazine Withdrawal

Well, it's almost 2 AM, and it's very "sticky" in the condo. It's 67 degrees F outside, feeling more like a summer morning. I wish I had air conditioning because I would be using it now for sure. I slept about 4 hours before I got on the computer. I realize I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd write about it. I developed akathisia on the Thorazine that was helping me sleep, so my psychiatrist took me off the drug "cold turkey." Since then, I've had residual side effects. Mostly I've been experiencing pain in my legs. It has improved somewhat, but the doctor told me to take Benadryl for the anticholinergic effects, which should help the pain. It is very difficult to drive my car with this discomfort in my legs. I don't think it's dangerous for me to drive, but it is uncomfortable to say the least. I hope this pain goes away because I realize the Thorazine was damaging my dopamine receptors. What I'm experiencing now is psuedo-Parkinson's symptoms. Anyway, a lot of people are praying for me, and I know that the power of prayer is potentially life-changing and very real.
This summer-like weather Louisville is having today may result in a severe weather outbreak this evening. There's a significant potential for damaging winds, and even a slight risk of isolated tornadoes. Personally, I'm looking forward to high temperatures returning to the 40s. At least we probably won't see the 7 degrees F again that we saw on the morning of January 20th as an arctic air mass enveloped the region. According to the two-week forecast, the arctic air should remain bottled up in Alaska and Canada, and above-normal temperatures should dominate most of the lower 48. Again, I don't think we'll see temperatures in the 70s again in the two-week period ahead, but there could be a lot of 50s, more like what is average a month from now... and quite a bit of rain is in that outlook as well.

Another Night of Little Sleep and Glasses

I am so frustrated. Even with some pretty potent prescription drugs, I can't sleep. Well, I did get a bit over two hours, but that just isn't enough, not for anybody. I'm doing all I can to improve my cardiovascular output by walking daily and taking my medications. My decreased ejection fraction makes me tired as it is, and on February 7th, I see a cardiologist who specializes in pacemakers and defibrillators. If a pacemaker increases my energy levels during the day, I'm all for it. But, if the insomnia doesn't abate, I'm likely going to feel pretty lousy anyway. Sometimes I just wish somebody would knock me over the head with some blunt metallic object so that I can pass out. I don't want to use this blog to complain about not sleeping all the time, but it's a determining factor in how I'm going to feel each and every day. I've had two cups of coffee or I wouldn't even be blogging this morning.

Today, I go to Bardstown, Kentucky to test different colored lenses by trying to read something with the various shades. If the color is right, reading will be smooth and easy, not choppy or uncomfortable. Once the right color is established, my prescription glasses will be sent off to be tinted. I will miss them while they're gone. My vision is so much better now that I have corrective lenses. Of course, I've written about this in a previous blog. The coloring of the lenses block out certain wavelengths of light that interfere with one's visual processing so that they can read better and have improved depth perception, among other things. It's a rather painstaking process to discover what the right color is, but I imagine I will start with what worked in 1996. I really have a feeling it's changed. I was told all the prescription drugs, the chemicals I put into my body can change the wavelengths of light to which I'm sensitive. I will find out soon enough. More later...

An Inch of Snow Creates Havoc and the Last Polar Plunge!

Tuesday morning was a mess. The Louisville area had about a quick inch of morning snowfall, just before and during rush hour. The Jefferson County Public Schools decided to implement the two-hour delay, which had parents scrambling to find carpools and other arrangements for their children so that they could get to work as soon as they possibly could. The kids delighted in the late morning, of course. My niece, Lauren, had no school because my sister lives just outside of Jefferson County in the Goshen vicinity (Oldham County.) They called off classes period for the day. Children there had a four-day weekend. Lucky them, I guess. Anyway, temperatures were right around the freezing mark when the snow was falling and ground temperatures were cold enough to support the "sticking" light snow cover, until it melted off in the late morning/early afternoon hours when temperatures rose well into the 30s.

Also, Louisville is expecting another quick shot of arctic air to move in tomorrow (Thursday.) We should see a few flurries and another bout of frigid wind chills. Friday morning, I expect temperatures to fall into the single digits once again, but this coming weekend, there will be a major warming trend. A period of snow or wintry mix may fall late Friday night into Saturday morning before temperatures climb to near 40 Saturday afternoon, which, as "balmy" as it may seem, is about average for this time of year. Then, above normal temperatures take over for a few days, 50s expected by Monday. The extreme cold looks to be over for now, once this weekend arrives. The 8 to 14-day forecast suggests that temperatures will hover somewhere close to average and precipitation (mostly rain) will be heavier than usual. The only snow I expect to see over the next two weeks should be light and rather insignificant, following behind storm systems in wrap-around moisture. I expect a lot of snowfall to the north, in the Midwestern states, like around Chicago, where their seasonal totals thusfar are already exceeding the norm. Louisville's total snowfall for the 2007-08 winter season to date is 3.5 inches, considerably below the typical amount.

Johnny Rivers Rocked!

I was amazed at the talent of Johnny Rivers last night. He can play almost anything. He started off with a couple blues numbers. He played the solos with ease and excitement. Everybody who was there could probably tell that Johnny Rivers likes to play rock 'n' roll. He did play a few acoustic numbers, but that just emphasized the diverse music that Rivers could play. And when he played a slow song, the Louisville Orchestra kicked into gear and washes of strings just made them all the more beautiful. When he first took stage he said, "Hello, all you symphonic rock 'n' rollers!" You could tell that he had a good sense of humor. His singing was most of the time right on, but occasionally his voice revealed a lack of power. But, I had to remind myself that this guy is 65 years old. I just loved that he loved what he was doing, and it showed. His band was awesome as well. The keyboard player rocked like the best of them and was apparently responsible for some of the arrangements. The drummer was exceptional. And the bass player as well as the extra guitar player were obviously fine musicians. A funny side note... the backup singers were good, but one of them that my parents and I talked about afterwards was getting raunchy with some sexually suggestive movements. I know she was just really into the music, but watching her was entertaining. I'd like to see her at a dance party. Anyway, I really do want to get a cd compilation of Johnny Rivers' greatest hits. I know in several cases, he trumped the original artist who wrote the songs with his own version. He had an ordinary voice, but one that was very pleasing to hear.