Cav's Place

On July 6, so the day after the one spent at the hospital, I got up at 4:50 PM, just getting up to pee once until then. My first reaction at that point, even more so after having a look at my feet and seeing that they looked quite normal, was to think that the previous day had been a nightmare, didn’t really happen. On top of being so terrified of what having such problems meant and of needing to continue the investigations, I just couldn’t believe I could do something like that, go to a hospital and stay there and not lose it completely, even more so considering the amount of time. But after lying there for a while and staring at the ceiling I had to accept that it had actually happened, though I couldn’t and wouldn’t think about the next steps.

After starting to eat dinner at 3:05 AM and getting in bed at 5:25 AM, I didn’t set an alarm on the morning of July 7, but saw 1:53 PM when I got up. Then I had the usual stuff plus almonds, with a slice of something from my mother, with added jam, as the sweet thing, put on the full running gear, with some things in the pocket of my tights, but only went out at 7:15 PM. The reported temperature was around 29°C, supposed to drop by a couple of degrees by the time I’ll finish, but it had briefly rained earlier in the afternoon and had also drizzled just before I left.
The time was 50:45.92, with sector times of 4:32, 5:22, 6:09, 4:42, 5:23, 6:17, 4:45, 5:25, 6:14 and 1:56.91, making for lap times of 16:03, 16:22 and 16:24. When I saw that first sector, I thought 52 minutes was going to be my target, but I didn’t slow as much as I thought I would on lap two, so 51:30 became a clear target, and then lap three was also less bad than I feared and I actually had target times for 51 minutes from the start of it. Just barely made the first two though, so I kept pushing and sector three was actually less slow than that of lap two, so while that final sector from the half marathon run was a warning that I was far from safe, that time I could still run and was well under 51 minutes at the end… But that’s an utterly awful time anyway.
There was some wind in a few places, but the cooling factor it brought was probably more of a benefit than going against it harmed. Felt a few drops towards the end of sector two of lap two, which grew to a drizzle on the next sector and a light rain at the start of lap three, but that didn’t last long, as it returned to a drizzle by the end of sector one and later to just some drops again. Plenty of people though, so on top of weaving and going the long way around, I also had to squeeze through, occasionally slow, and a few times take to the grass. And roadblocks made me briefly stop on sectors two and three of lap one, and I think sector three of lap two, though there’s a chance it was on sector two. And then a misunderstanding with a cyclist again made me briefly stop on sector one of lap three, and there might have been at least one more brief stop after that, but my mind seemed to have decided to stop storing and I couldn’t quite remember by the time I got back. Physically, that bone spur was in a somewhat wrong position from the start and I didn’t quite snap it back, but otherwise there were no specific problems except the lack of energy.

Jogged to Kaufland after the run, getting green and red onions, cherries and lettuce at evening discounts, the lettuce actually being discounted even more by the time I got to the checkout, and also some bakery products at what turned out to be 49% off, the announcement saying that they were half off but the price labels not being changed, the employee telling someone else that they were half the listed price but that apparently not being quite the case. Also saw some bread, not the kind I’d normally get from there but would have gotten one if that’d have also been at half price, but that was before that other guy asked and I couldn’t get myself to ask, and by the time I got back the employee was taking the bread away and she had already done so for that kind. It sure is infuriating that they seem to throw away bakery products… But, to return to my purchases, also got some expiring sour cream and two bags of cat litter. Then I went to the self-checkout, saw a free machine, with the light being green, but when I went to it, it asked whether I wanted to continue shopping, I hit no, it asked for an employee, and two came when I called one over, one seeming to be training the other. The one who seemed to be in training logged on, then logged off to let me start, but seemed to have left me with someone’s store card still registered, the machine saying at the end that it wasn’t activated. But I could just pass over that and finish, getting back at 10 PM, having carried 15 kg. Then I had a late lunch, finished after midnight, and got back to the kitchen late, after showering, and there were things to clean after dad cooked as well, and I ended up starting to eat dinner at 3:20 AM.

On the morning of July 9, I got in bed at 5:20 AM, and after getting up earlier I left just after 2:10 PM, also taking the recyclables, which I dropped off in a bin on the way, and the stuff I drop off I Kaufland, which I dropped off there, after very briefly glancing in a store on the way. Then I checked prices at Kaufland and saw just one of the discounted bags of cat litter in their normal place, so I got it and left it in a cabinet, then went to that mall and had a look through the store I won those vouchers for, as a result of taking part in this summer’s Dream Trek, before going to Carrefour and finding plenty of nice expiring things, also bags of bananas that were discounted because they were spoiling, spotting one that wasn’t as bad, also an unannounced discount for Micky’s food, and the potatoes and tea I had mainly gone there for. The flimsy bag I had tore as I walked away from the checkout, after rushing and also throwing the cat food in it instead of the sturdy one, but nothing cracked and I could just pick everything back up and use the other bags I had. Then I got back to Kaufland, getting a bread at the regular price and a watermelon, that being the first time this year I saw Romanian ones at a somewhat decent price, plus an expiring thing and one more bag of cat litter, after spotting a pile of them in a different place. Meant to throw away the mask before leaving, in the bin they have for that, but forgot, realizing it outside but not going back up. It’d have been hard to get back anyway, as I was carrying a total of about 28.5 kg, so the sturdy bags and backpack at least made it possible to get back here, at 6:05 PM, the walk taking me just over 40 minutes.
However, I had also seen cucumbers, supposedly Romanian, at less than the announced price in Kaufland, and when I got here dad said he wanted to pickle some more, I asked if he wanted me to go back, he said no, I stressed that in that case he must not buy at a higher price from elsewhere, he said he won’t and will just give up on the idea… But I decided to go anyway, to get some more cat litter, look for evening discounts, make it feel that I deserved the expiring pieces of vegan cozonac I had grabbed from Carrefour, so I left again at 7 PM, also using the opportunity to check and see that the area around the National Arena was still closed off. Had a quick look in another store as I passed through that mall, then checked Carrefour again and grabbed a bit of garlic and one of the expiring bio (organic) yogurts which had appeared in that area, then got back to Kaufland for the cucumbers, also finding a kind of lettuce at a decent price thanks to the evening discount and a few lemons that were also discounted. Was thinking of getting two, but in the end grabbed just one more bag of cat litter, so I won’t break another 50 RON bill, and also a single orange, to get the total to exactly 10 RON, and was back a bit before 9 PM, after also having a quick look in this nearby store that dad tends to buy from, since he also needed dill and neither Carrefour nor Kaufland had any left at that hour. Didn’t see any at that store either, but I later learned that I probably didn’t look where I should have looked.
Had a banana and one of those slices of cozonac after finally getting back for good, but then only started eating lunch at 12:30 AM, rushing to finish before going back to the kitchen at 1 AM. Got in bed at 5:20 AM, worrying over the fact that a small amount of data appeared to continuously be received when I meant to turn off the network chipset, yet after waiting for a moment, before actually turning it off, Comodo Firewall no longer displayed any active connections. But that might have been an error, since something seemed messed up when I turned the network chipset on that night and I hadn’t rebooted, and after rebooting the next day I didn’t notice the issue again.

On July 11 I left a bit after 4:15 PM, going to the protest which was to take place at Cotroceni Palace, asking the President to act and show his continued support for Rosia Montana‘s inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, following information that the Prime Minister meant to withdraw or at least not support the nomination. But I left that early because I also meant to check another location of that store I won those vouchers for, and that meant that a drizzle which occasionally switched to light rain started as I reached Izvor Park, yet it would appear that it was actually better that way, since I was at that mall a bit after 6 PM, checked that store, also asked for boots, being told that they don’t have any in the store at this time of year, also quickly checked that Auchan, and when I got back out of the mall, a bit after 6:50 PM, it looked as if I had just missed some heavier rain which was just ending, quite a crowd gathering to take pictures of a double rainbow.
The rain was about to stop completely and the clouds were clearing as I reached the listed location of the protest, at 7:05 PM. However, most of the others who were already there were across the road at that point, so actually in front of one of the entrances instead of across the road from it, and the organizers were talking to the gendarmes, who at least at that moment agreed to allow the protest to be moved there. And they seemed quite nice and understanding throughout the event, at least to regular participants, limiting themselves to standing at the edges of the area the protesters were in and occasionally reminding some that a path should remain clear on the sidewalk and to not block the entrance that was there, though at one point I heard a gendarme ask one of the organizers to move the protest back to the initial location, then wisely dropping the request when he was told that the protest should soon end without any issues if people would be allowed to stay there, but that won’t be the case if they’ll be required to move. However, I did notice discussions with the organizers, starting quite early on, about the exact moment when they had sent the notification, which discussions continued and eventually led to a fine, which I heard was given pretty much when I left, or at most minutes later, apparently because the notification had been formally submitted a little less than 72 hours before the event. It’s possible that moving the location also had something to do with it, which would make it quite a dirty trick on their part, agreeing to it only to then use it to justify the fine, but I’m not quite sure of that.
About the protest itself, the matter of Rosia Montana again brought together various groups and activists that may otherwise be at odds with each other, including some of the “old guard”, though some notable names were still missing. Some 100 people attended, that number probably being reached around 8 PM or so, and starting to slowly drop maybe 15 or so minutes later. So it wasn’t a big event in any way, but after all this time it was sort of a matter of stretching our legs a little again, and that huge banner, the elephant and the flags brought by the organizers, plus a handful of other banners, ensured that it was visible and the topic was clear… With the exception of one moment when a small group arrived with a large banner asking for the legalization of marijuana, but they were quickly asked to no longer display it after a few other participants complained and they complied. I thought that handing out masks, on top or even instead of the flags, would have been a good idea, and even said so to one of the organizers, and she agreed, but said they hadn’t had time for that. Otherwise, there were some shouts and chants, but it did show that we’re “rusty”. As for pictures, there’s an official album, but I didn’t even take any, sort of just standing around, and after attempting to hand back the flag to the organizer who had given it to me and being told to keep it, I left at 8:25 PM. The numbers were already dropping by then, as I already mentioned, and it seemed that the organizers were getting ready to announce the end, but I don’t know exactly when that happened or whether there were other notable moments, except the fine. In fact, don’t even know how the participants reacted to that fine.
On the way back, I went to the Carrefour from Unirii, getting there at 9:10 PM and just grabbing some bread I don’t recall seeing before. I was in a hurry, so I picked the checkout where I saw a single person with few products before me… And ended up waiting anyway, first because that other customer was asking for bags, and about the various kinds, and then because another cashier came to that one to ask for the code for some bread and that cashier had to look it up on her phone. Still, I was out of there at 9:25 PM, at which point I took the flag out of the backpack, since the pretty long pole meant that it was catching against trees or ads or poles I went under or, occasionally, even simply past, and held it in hand as I jogged back… Only to lose some time at the building entrance, when I pulled out the bag I had the money in, to get the keys out of the pocket, and apparently that bag had ended up being torn at some point, all the coins scattering as a result. But at least I didn’t lose any, and was back at 9:55 PM. Then I had a late lunch, finished a bit after midnight, only went to shower at 1 AM, again having to make do with water that was mostly cold, also had another little annoying talk with dad, obviously got back to the kitchen late again, and started eating dinner at 3:50 AM, unless you count licking some things just before that point, in the kitchen, when moving and mixing them. Went to bed at 5:25 AM.

On July 13, after getting in bed at 5:20 AM, I was first woken up at 11:15 AM by that neighbor drilling again, but could get back to sleep and got up at 2:10 PM. Hadn’t set the alarm, since the plan is to run in the evening during this hot period. So I had the usual stuff plus almonds, the yogurt being a “Greek” one with 5.4% fat, and those wheat things with added jam as the sweet thing, drank all the tea, making more after I got back, put on the full running gear, with a few things in the pocket of my tights, and left just before 7:10 PM, when the reported temperature was about 31°C.
My back was hurting though, something feeling off since the previous week’s run, but that radiated towards the left and seemed to go away after a few days, yet at that point, maybe after jogging with that bread in the backpack, pain like I used to have way back seemed to threaten, also seeming to originate from the area of that bone spur but being different, in that worse way experienced back then, and on the right side, and it was quite bad when I woke up that day. And it was also on that day that I really made a note of the fact that my left eye was somewhat swollen, though I had also noticed it the night before, and had sort of been feeling it since the day at the hospital. Worse, since I thought about it at that point, I realized that there had been other days when my eyes had actually been pretty badly swollen when I got up, which I had just dismissed as an oddity at the time, especially since the swelling went away after a while, but swollen feet and eyes are the obvious symptoms of serious kidney problems, so that fear seems confirmed, and things have only gotten worse since then.
Either way, returning to that day’s run, the time was 1:22:48, with sector times of 4:20, 5:12, 6:06, 4:44, 5:24, 6:20, 4:54, 5:28, 6:22, 4:58, 5:36, 6:34, 4:55, 5:39 and 6:16, making for lap times of 15:38, 16:28, 16:44, 17:08 and 16:50. Had target times for 1:24, just hoping it won’t be my worst time over this distance, and after missing the target of 32 minutes for the first two laps it looked bad, but lap three recovered that difference compared to the target time, and what I guess was a rather beautiful sunset helped after that. I didn’t look at it, but definitely felt the difference in terms of the heat on lap four, and on lap five it was even better, no longer sunny and much cooler. When I saw I could afford 18 minutes on lap five and stay under 1:24 after all, I was finally pretty sure I was safe from that ultimate embarrassment, but since it was cooler I decided to push for 1:23 and at least managed that. It’s an awful time, but considering my form and, more importantly, health, and also the heat for at least the first three laps and the people, I’ll take it. I mean, I was thinking before that run that I’d be happy with 1:22 and content with 1:23.
And yes, there were plenty of people, so on top of weaving and going the long way around, there were times when I had to slow or take to the grass, this also happening on the long straights of what I think were sector one of lap three and sector two of lap four, if not the other way around, and I was on the grass for somewhat longer, also having to go around a bench, after the straights of sector one of what was maybe lap four, though it could have also been lap three. Worse, a few seconds were lost when I had to stop because of a roadblock on sector three of lap four, and maybe there was another brief stop, though I might have just slowed a lot, on that same sector, at that stall where people often gather, since I went behind it on laps three and five but on lap four I tried to stay on the path and couldn’t quite squeeze through right away. There were a few other moments when I might have very briefly stopped because of misunderstandings, and two on sector two of lap five, when I stayed behind a kid on a bicycle, meaning to use him as a road opener, but he was making it worse by stopping right in front of me when approaching a roadblock. I think it was also on sector two of lap five, though I’m not absolutely certain about the lap, when two kids were chasing each other across the path, the boy turned around, the girl turned after him right in front of me, and I ran into her, having to briefly stop as I touched her. Otherwise, except the lack of energy, feeling tired from the start, the back pain was definitely not nice, but after two laps or so I can’t say I felt it anymore until close to the end, and even when it returned at that point it was faint.

Walked to Kaufland after the run, quickly checking the Mega Image next to the farmers’ market on the way, then saw evening discounts in Kaufland and grabbed a few things and the shaving cream I was actually there for. Spent quite some time searching for it though, and didn’t realize it was close to 10 PM when I was at the self-checkout, so I had no problems with the machine, left the store, and just as I stopped to arrange the purchases in my bags I heard the announcement that bakery products were discounted by 75%, so if I’d have waited just a few more minutes the price of what I got would have likely been halved again, and there’d have likely been additional discounts for some other things as well. It was a bit funny when I got to the bakery area though, the employee standing in front of it and announcing the 50% discount out loud, commenting that there were too few customers, and at one point muttering to herself that it’s like she’s selling in a farmers’ market.
I was back just before 10:35 PM, had a late lunch, finishing when it was almost 12:30 AM, then again had to shower with mostly cold water, so I was again back in the kitchen late, started eating dinner at 3:15 AM and got in bed at 5:20 AM. But I’ll also mention here that I started reading Shadowrun Returns Anthology that day, after ending up with it as part of the package given away by GOG.com. Actually read the first bit before going to bed in the morning, then continued before going out to run and then just read a little bit more after I got to my room with the lunch, before starting to eat. And I finished it and wrote the quick review on July 17.

On July 15 I went out just after 7:05 PM, to the Carrefour from the park, finding eggs for my mother and also getting some for us, plus some of the teas dad wanted and an ice cream I grabbed for myself. Actually ate that ice cream on the street on the way back, and was back a bit before 8:30 PM. But more important is that, after noticing my feet swelling again the previous evening and night, then feeling somewhat at ease when it was better when I woke up that day, it definitely got my attention when the swelling worsened again in the evening.
At that point it didn’t seem as bad as it had been, but the next day it was, and I also found myself with time to think about what it meant, ending up panicking, whimpering and pretty much crashing. On the other hand, in part because I wanted to check what influence this had, on July 16 I timed my squats again and did them in 2:00! And I also finally reported the side effects after the second dose of the vaccine that day, also mentioning the swollen feet and the hospital visit, but only as other notes, specifying that the doctors didn’t think the swelling was related to the vaccine. Otherwise, after a rather early lunch, started eating dinner at 3:30 AM and got in bed at 5:20 AM, while the following night I started eating dinner at 3:10 AM, without having had lunch that day.
Returning to July 16 for a moment, I also looked up some of the “main” doctors who had checked me when I went to the hospital, and the following day I contacted the cardiologist to ask if I could go directly to the hospital she wanted to transfer me to… Maybe I should have tried the other one who wrote recommendations, since a cardiologist was obviously going to focus on her field, but she actually replied right away, remembered me and was really nice about it. She urged me to first have the anemia checked out, but again said that little can be done without hospitalization, while I said I’m mainly worried about my kidneys and also reminded her of my anxiety, with more details… Very likely too many, and by then I was also panicking again and didn’t know how to make her stop replying while still being nice about it, since I couldn’t get myself to read any other replies, so the exchange likely became awkward at the end.