Snow shoveling

My lovely teenage neighbor saw me shoveling snow and yelled Mom, she's shoveling snow! Her mom: Go over there right now! I tried to tell her it was fine but she insisted on helping finish my long driveway. Saturday the two wonderful men in my life showed up to clear the drive. I explained I could do it, no problem but they insisted. Today at the clinic I needed to shovel the sidewalk and my MA insisted she do it because have a pm. Grateful for such kind people in my life, none of whom believe me that shoveling is ok with a pm. Of course I paid it forward by shoveling another neighbors drive. Probably burned enough calories to eat some sea salt caramels....

10 Comments

Ah Boston

by jeanlancour - 2013-12-16 11:12:12

You make me want to be 30 years younger, and have only a pacemaker. You Go Girl. Jean

Snow blower

by rfassett - 2013-12-17 04:12:33

Several years ago I bought my wife one of those big snow blowers. You know, the kind on tracks and are self propelled, and comes with all the bells and whistles - self starter and all of that. I have an occupation that occupies me for well over 90 to 100 hours per week during most of the snow season - which prevents me from doing much with the snow. She loves her snow blower and does the whole darn neighborhood's driveways and sidewalks. I offered to do it once for her and she would not let me touch her toy. Did I say "YYYIIIIIPPPPPEEEEE!!!!!!?

She does the house and I have my office's parking lot commercially plowed and have talked the plow driver into cleaning my walk and deck this year. The snow here is that danged lake affect stuff and is most often what I refer to as "heart attack" snow. I got my pass this year - but I doubt it will last. But I will enjoy it while I can.

Funny

by Moner - 2013-12-17 05:12:41

Hi Boston,

I enjoyed hearing how one of your neighbor's is looking out for you. Sounds like you have good neighbors.

But, I think I know how you feel, I was damned if I was going to let this pacemaker restrict me from doing the things I've done in the past. After the 6 weeks of not raising my arm above my shoulder, I was out shoveling the snow, when it came down in mid February 2012

Some of my family members still look at me with concern, but I tell them I'm not broken.

I'm fortunate to have concerend family members around me, but I like to be my old self too!!!

In fact, it's snow over here in Connecticut as I type, I'll be heading out to shovel in a few minutes.

Enjoy those sea salted carmels , I hope they have some chocolate on them.

Moner
>^..^<



Hazard to your health

by rfassett - 2013-12-17 08:12:41

I also live in snow country. My dear wife, who is a retired medical person, says "no snow shoveling this year for you". My verbal response was a resigned "OK". My inner response was "YYYIIIIIIPPPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm happy not to shovel

by Marie12 - 2013-12-17 09:12:41

but it does annoy me when people think I can't do certain things because I had a heart attack and have an ICD. I CAN lift a bag of groceries, I really can. While I understand my family is being considerate, I don't like being treated like an invalid. I figure in time, they may forget.

Don

by Bostonstrong - 2013-12-17 10:12:08

I am so sorry about your friend. Did he know he had a cardiac issue before this happened? A lot of people do not, with bad outcomes. You are so sweet to be concerned. I am a newbie at running but have been shoveling snow for years. My ex is a physician so I was always a single parent and did it all. My arteries are fine and since I got the pm the cold does not flare asthma like it used to. I have a snowblower for the heavy stuff, I only shovel the lighter stuff.
Come on up! Bring your family, in laws, ex laws, and outlaws, I'm always up for company. I will feed you something wonderful and then put you to work in the clinic. You might be more effective counseling my cardiac patients with stents who smoke and live on Mt. Dew, fried ham, and twinkies. None of them listen to me but I have the cardiologist referral line on speed dial.

It is fine

by gleesue - 2013-12-17 10:12:28

Come on you guy's. Snow shoveling is fine if you are not totally out of shape. Those who keel over while shoveling are out of shape and go out and over exert themselves. All one needs is a little common sense and the problem is there are a lot of people with out it.

Boston, I know you won't listen to these guy's. I shoveled this morning, no tot bad, just about three inches and I made it. I'm still here.

Rfassett, the one thing I do like about my PM is if there is really something I don't want to do I tell my wife that I don't feel good because it feels like my PM is not working right, and she believes me. I agree YYYIIIIIIPPPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Jerry

So, it's fine, huh??

by donr - 2013-12-17 12:12:42

Boston: Bernie Connnolly thought it was fine also at about your age. I attended his funeral in 1988 in the dead of winter in the National Cemetery at Rock Island, IL.

I applaud your spunk, but the kind of exertion snow shoveling takes in the kind of temps that go with it can rip the He## out of coronary arteries, Regardless of whether or not you have a PM. Remember - PM's are for electrical; Plumbing is another colored horse. Infarctions involve plumbing, not electrical control systems.

There is a big difference between running the Disney half & the Rock & Roll - both of which take place in much warmer climes and shoveling a heavy, wet snow storm.

You have already confessed to only starting your running w/i the last year - it's a bit too soon to be daring Jack frost & his deposits on the driveway.

Like I trained our two daughters - You have to learn to change a tire if you are going to drive - but the first thing you do is look for a male type guy to do it fort you.

You keep up this foolishness & I'm gonna do two two things - rat you out to your son & come up there. You don't want either. Remember - I'm the author of "Some Tough Love for Newbies."

Don

hey Boston

by lubro - 2013-12-18 07:12:38

I'm of the mind set that just because you have a "heart condition", you should not feel or be treated like an invalid. I live in the south, (NC) so I rarely have to shovel snow...But, like anything else, common sense should prevail. I understand the concern of others here, , but I really don't see a problem . I was concerned at first about tilling my garden...(may not be as strenuous as snow shoveling, but hey... it's a workout.) I tilled that sucker like there was no tomorrow...Felt GREAT....
You know your limits, and I'm sure you won't overdo it...
Have some of those salted caramels, and while you're at it, woof down a couple of chocolates...( remember tho....moderation )
Best to you...

Lubro

It's NOT the eexertion...

by donr - 2013-12-21 08:12:40

...it's the COLD! Brrrrrrrr.

Boston, be glad to come up & counsel your cardiac patients - when Heck freezes over!

Poor old Bernie - he'd had clogged arteries for years, but shoveled snow every yr, so thought nothing of it.

The diffence is that when it gets cold & you inhale all that fridgid air, it surrounds the heart & adds to the constriction of the coronary arteries & increases trhe potential for something closing down & putting you on the ground.

Tough love, baby, that's the solution to shoveling snow.

I had a cath about ten yrs ago that showed some clogging - 40 - 70- % & my cardio was not the least bit excited. Had a chem stress test last yr & the reading of that came back as NO clogging. I challenged that analysis & was told that it was possible, but that the test showed that I had good enough perfusion in the coronary muscle that i need not worry at this time.

As a pseudo cardiologist, my advice still stands - knock off the snow shoveling. Hire the neighbor's teen aged girl. She probably needs th exercise.

BTW: Just leaving the site of your last bid for fame & glory - Disney world. Was looking for the place where you did your face plant - was going to put flowers there & erect a granite memorial, but no one knew where it happened.

Don

You know you're wired when...

You have a maintenance schedule just like your car.

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