My second shingles shot laid me low for a day, but part of my issue may have been dehydration, too.
Although my arm hasn’t gotten sore (as it did with the first shot for several days), my pulse was higher than normal the second day (90 to 110 beats per minute; it’s usually 65) and I had chills several times and a very minor headache off and on most of the day. I slept most of the day and at night on both ends. So, I’m well-rested, for sure, and feel a lot better today.
The only physical activity I did was to go grocery shopping with Lisa at Winco. That wiped me out, so I went straight to bed afterward and slept until the phone woke me at 3 pm when a client called. Thankfully, what she wants done could wait until morning!
DEHYDRATION
I was pretty sure the higher heart rate was due to dehydration, so I drank several glasses of water. That brought my heart rate down to near normal. If it hadn’t, I was advised to go to Urgent Care because, on the rarest of occasions, a shingles shot can cause that to happen, and it isn’t good.
My problem is that I seldom feel thirsty, even when I’m dehydrating. I walked (I should say “mountain climbed!”) at Chambers Bay Golf Course the day before. I’m sure that’s when the dehydration began, because I didn’t take water along and only drank a little at one point (more than halfway around where there was a water fountain).
It’s quite the workout to walk there, as anyone will tell you who isn’t in tip top shape. I got around the whole loop in an hour and ten minutes. It’s about 7500 steps, but about a quarter of it is very steep and hilly, so it feels like it’s farther and it’s definitely a lot harder than walking around here in my neighborhod, where there are only two semi-hilly places, and neither of them last very long.
At Chambers Bay, once you start climbing, you climb for a good 30 minutes, I’m estimating. I stopped a few times, momentarily, to let my heart rate drop (it was around 137 at times, which is too high for my age). I have a good heart, and it recovers quickly, so a brief pause is pretty much all it takes.
CHAMBERS BAY WALKING BUDDY ON WEEKENDS
On some weekend days, Tallulah de Haas will be joining me for the walk. She read the article that was in The Tribune (Tacoma newspaper) about De’s lock of hair going into space and reached out to me. That’s how we met. We had a quick how-do-you-do at Starbuck’s one time when we met so I could give her a rug for her puppy dog. She works weekdays, so weekends are her only days to walk. I just hope it isn’t too people-y then. If we go early enough, it shouldn’t be.
I’M DOWN TO TWO RATS
Another of my ancient rats died this past week, so I’m down to two (from a total of nine). These two are equally ancient, so I expect them to die in the next month or two, too. They seem happy, though, for now!
Back to bed! I’ve put a pork roast into the crock pot and am going back to sleep until the aroma wakes me in several hours.
Nighty night!
Afternoon Update
I’m having two dental appointments in Seattle on the same day next week. The morning one is to have my tooth gap measured so they can order the abutment and crown for it; the afternoon one is to prepare a lower tooth for a crown.
I got the appts on the same day to reduce the number of times I have to drive up there again. It can be a real PITA to commute during a.m.and p.m. rush hours, so the fewer trips I have to make, the better. I presume the next appts can be made in twos, too, so I only have to go up a couple more times before my dentistry is complete. WOO HOO! I’m all for that!
