Hmm...
Well, another Starbucks day today, so again, no biking early, no blood testing, but a brisk morning stroll around the building site that is my town to get the train. Round about ten it occurred to me that yesterday, my favourite Starbucks ran out of sweeteners. Now we all know I like to suck all conceivable joy and pleasure out of the coffee-drinking experience, by stripping out the fat, the caffeine and the sugar, and either not replacing them at all, or replacing them will fakery and bullshit - after all, I'm a journalist, fakery and bullshit are my stock in trade. So I actually left my briefcase and computer in my usual Starbucks, and went up to another branch, to grab one to go, and a couple of massive meaty pawfulls of sweeteners, to take back to 'my' place for the rest of the day.
I ordered my "Venti Decaff Skinny Latte, With a Shot of Sugar-Free Hazelnut Syrup, To Go" (I know, I know, but bite me, it's still less to say than my cold option of Disappearing choice), and bam!
The Catherine Wheel in my chest started circling. My head started swimming. I felt the weird, vaguely blacked-out sensation round the edges of my vision, and gripped the counter to stop from falling over. Then it began in earnest - the walk that became a trot in my chest. The trot that broke into a canter. And the canter that neighed and tossed its head and opened up into a full gallop.
"Ah, crap!" I said. The barista looked at me sharply - they don't know me there. I coughed. "Sorry," I murmured.
It wasn't easing off as I did some deep breathing. I looked for the right place in this new and unfamiliar Starbucks. Sighed.
"Sorry," I said again. "I'm gonna do something that's gonna look a bit weird, but honestly, I'm not a weirdo. Don't panic, it's a heart thing."
She glared at me - clearly, it's a bad idea to announce you're about to do a weird thing, even if you're rational enough to explain that you know it looks like a weird thing.
I went and lay on the floor, put my feet up on a chair.
No sooner had I stretched out on the floor and taken one breath than the gallop broke, straight back to a trot, and then back to a walk. I lay there for a few more breaths, just to make sure I was good, then stood up and collected my coffee, remembering the handfulls of sweeteners, and high-tailed it back to my Starbucks.
No biking tonight either - so sue me!
Meal tonight was chicken, a little pasta, some beans, and a little bread. I know, technically two carbs on the same plate, but small portions of everything, so I'm rally not gonna stress about it. Chest feels...interesting tonight. Not tight exactly, but not absolutely entirely spiffing either. Will see how I feel in the morning, but am hoping to get back on the bike before breakfast.
Humph - can do without such setbacks when I'm genuinely trying to make some progress.
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