A super stressful day...

My Mum lives in a bungalow in Emba.  She and Dad moved into this rented property back in the summer of 2013 and over the intervening years they/she have done lots of things to make it into a fabulous home.  Arguably this is a little large for Mum and Freddo but we have discussed all its pros and the cons and there are many many more pros so she would like to continue living here for as long as possible.  Today she was having a meeting with her landlord who has not increased the rent from the beginning to discuss an increase which would come into effect next year when her contract is renewed.  I know she will have worried herself sick about the conversation that was to take place but we had done some sums about what the rent might have been had it been increased year on year and how much she could afford but as I pointed out to her, bungalows are sought after and rents on the island have shot up to levels which make it unaffordable for many.  Whilst renting has many positives as the tenant your tenancy is rarely guaranteed long term which is fine when you are younger but terrifying if you are in your mid-80s.  We have discussed all sorts of alternatives but really, for now, staying put is the most attractive option.  I am pleased to say that her landlord is a really nice and reasonable chap and he was at pains to reassure Mum that he is more than happy with her as a tenant and his proposed increase was very reasonable under the current economic conditions.  She will hopefully sleep well tonight knowing that her future (for the time being) is secure.  What happens when she becomes less active and capable is still up in the air.

I left Mum's to go to the Evangelismos Hospital for my appointment with the cardiologist and a stress test.  Good job I arrived early as I had to have a rapid test to enter the stress test facility and the cardiologist hadn't told me.  This was to be my first Covid test but it wasn't too uncomfortable and at least I knew that I was negative which was a relief because both John and I were wondering whether our recent ill health might have been Covid related.

Before my stress test I went into see the Cardiologist who took my blood pressure and my pulse and declared that I was unfit to take the stress test.  He is pretty sure that my recent severe allergic reaction with the steroids have caused or contributed to the pulse issue so he told me to go away for an hour or so and chill and then come back and he would recheck my blood pressure and pulse and then if ok do the test.

I had planned to nip down to the Mall but the traffic (due to the road works on the Mesoghi Avenue) was dreadful so I did a little drive round Kennedy Square where I spotted this fabulous old door.  I would have parked up and gone for a wander but I didn't have the right change for the parking meters and as I was returning to the car a traffic warden was approaching on his moped so I was glad to be driving away and not being fined.

I called into Dominate before returning to the hospital - I knew I would be able to get a drink at the cafe there so I sat outside with a rather disappointing 'smoothie' which was out of a packet and flavourless, availed myself of the facilities and grabbed myself a bargain pair of sandals in their end of season sale.  On my return the Cardiologist rechecked my stats and said they were not good enough for the stress test and decided I should take some beta blockers for a while to bring things back to something closer to normal.  I was a bit disappointed but he did yet another ECG which showed the same problem as the previous one (whatever that is) and said that his initial priority was getting the pulse under control, then he could let me do the stress test and he would deal with my cholesterol and triglycerides!