I Overdid It!

I had my first on-site physical therapy appointment this morning. Celia, the therapist, said I was doing so well, so she gave me a bunch of new exercises to do at home.

About 3 o'clock I took 500mg of niacin and a capsule of cayenne pepper. I had read that niacin is good for the heart, and my cardiologist recommended that I take it, saying he does too. And the cayenne is for the intense pain in my feet, a consequence of nerve damage due to diabetes. This was my first time taking both these supplements, and my body had an intense reaction. I was struck with nausea and eventually vomiting. I was dizzy and light-headed. Add to this severe pain upon any movement, which was probably due to my vigorous undertaking of the PT exercises this afternoon.

I tried to lie down and relax, but the pain was so intense. I was crying and moaning and on the verge of screaming. I eventually sat up and reached my cell phone to call Janet, my next-door neighbor. The call went to voice mail.

I struggled to take a few steps. I wanted to take some Tylenol, but the bottle was no longer on the kitchen counter. I'd have to walk as far as the hall closet, and I didn't think I could make it. Just then, Janet came to the door. What a relief!

Janet was so wonderful, rubbing my back as I vomited up lunch and the vicodin she found for me. After that bout, I was able to keep another vicodin down. She helped me hobble back to the bed and lie down. Each movement brought sharp pain. I also applied ice to my incisions and groin, where the pain was most intense. Janet brought over a heating pad that I used on my knee and neck. Heat is so comforting, so loving.

Before Janet left, she brought me the book I've been reading, Kurt Vonnegut's "Bluebeard." I read a chapter, then dropped off to sleep. Now I'm feeling so much better.

I'm so grateful for Janet and her tending of my needs. I'm just going to have to take those exercises a little less heartily when I do them tomorrow. I had been off all pain meds for almost a week; this was my first dose. I want to do everything in my power to avoid them altogether.