Water, Water everywhere, ....

I have lived in this area for 5 years.  Sad to say I haven't made the most of the environment around me.  Recently, I have had cause to visit the sea a number of times.  It is beautiful.  I paddled.  I got excited because I saw someone with the same scars as me in the water.  I went up to a complete stranger and asked about her experience and whether she had been given the all-clear to go in the sea.  I asked the Nurse at my practice, who has some experience in Cardio Nursing, her advice in my case.  She seems to think that because it was my valve replaced then going in the sea is off limits.  I am allowed to paddle.  I am going to ask my Cardio Nurse but it seems my body-boarding days are over.  I now regret the times I did not go in the sea but I can still go to the beach.  And I must make the most of that.  I really experience the power of God when I am watching the sea. 

I found another place where water is very important.  Well, sweat actually.  I have to do a lot of exercise to get my heart back to the condition it was in before the diagnosis of a dodgy heart valve.  It was recommended to me that I bought a heart monitor so I can exercise in my zone!  And I have been trying for a few months now.  I had one exercise session where I got a good reading; the rest of them I have had heart beats per minute all over the place.  I know something was not right when my bpm was 101 and then immediately 164.  (My zone is 110-122 taking into account my age and medication.)  I did a few searches on the web and found out what was going wrong.  I checked with my Cardio Nurse and she confirmed my findings.  The sensors on the chest strap need water (sweat) to work probably.  I jiggled with the chest strap and make sure that they are moistened at the start of the exercise session.  I am now getting much better readings and the crazy bpm jumps have stopped.  So for this lady the old maxim: "Ladies don't sweat, they glow." is not going to work.   I have even managed a few minutes jogging without being freaked out by my heart monitor.  Roll on 5k.