Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke
Today was one of those days when my calendar seemed determined to outwork me.
I had not one, but two medical appointments: my annual eye examination and my hematology follow-up.
The hematology visits are relatively new. I began treatment in February, and thankfully the results have been encouraging. My energy has improved noticeably, and my running has benefited as well. Even so, my doctor believes I should continue treatment, so the appointments remain a regular part of my schedule.
The good news is that they are no longer every two weeks.
Now I only need to go every three weeks, which feels like meaningful progress.
Unfortunately, the appointments almost always land on Thursdays.
Thursday also happens to be lawn-mowing day.
Add an eye examination, a dental visit, or any other appointment, and my carefully organized schedule suddenly starts resembling an overbooked airport.
Last time, things became even more interesting because I had a nephrology appointment scheduled on the same day.
Those visits happen only once every quarter, but they were arranged back-to-back with another specialist. Since my wife couldn’t leave work during quarter-end closing, I took an Uber between appointments.
As an accountant, July is one of her busiest times of the year. Quarter-end waits for no one.
Originally, I thought I might go directly from today’s eye appointment to my hematologist.
Instead, I discovered there was a several-hour gap between the two.
At first, I considered simply waiting somewhere nearby, but my wife had a much better suggestion.
“Go home.”
She was absolutely right.
Rather than spending several hours sitting in a waiting room or a coffee shop, I was able to return home and actually accomplish something.
I bottled a batch of kombucha, worked through several household tasks, and crossed a number of items off my to-do list before it was time to leave again.
Having only a limited amount of time created an interesting sense of urgency.
Sometimes Parkinson’s Law—that work expands to fill the time available—works in reverse. Give yourself only a couple of hours, and suddenly every minute has a purpose.
By the time I headed to my second appointment, I felt surprisingly satisfied with how much I had managed to accomplish.
By the time I returned home afterward…
I was exhausted.
Running back and forth between appointments, errands, and chores may not qualify as an official endurance sport, but by the end of the day it certainly felt like one.
Still, I can’t complain too much. The appointments are helping. My health continues to improve, and that’s worth a few busy Thursdays.
Besides, next Thursday’s challenge will probably be waiting for me in the backyard.
The lawn never seems to schedule around my calendar.