Done Since 2019-06-23

[mdlbear]

Not a bad week. The high point was Sunday, which I already touched on last week; the woman who organized the memorial service later forwarded an email from someone else on the committee, saying in part "One memory that will never leave me was Steve Savit[z]ky’s beautiful selection at the memorial service." So there's that. The good mood from the reunion carried over into most of the week.

Some other high points were my lunches out with Colleen after getting her antibiotic injections. She got the last one yesterday.

The low points were all connected with C's illness; I will leave out the details. She seems to be getting weaker, which is worrisome. It's also been hard on my back in places, but I have drugs for that.

I don't think I've been getting enough sleep.

Notes & links:

0623Su
  * up 6:10; ; shower
  @ The World Is Made of Stories by David R. Loy 
  @ Reunion 2019 Schedule 0623Su | Reunion 2019 | Carleton College
  * 8am-8:45 Japanese Garden remembrance (Bells of Norwich)
    -> pulled it off almost perfectly;  quite a few people thanked me.
    % felt very good.
  * 10am catch shuttle from Carleton; should arrive ~11
  % still feeling contented (happy?) after the reunion.  So many stories! bought ->
  @ The World Is Made of Stories by David R. Loy (via Friday's class awards dinner)
  : terminal 2 "Humphrey" (1 is "Lindberg") is almost empty; time to chat with the ticket
    agent who checked my bag; 1-person line at TSA; lots of free outlets.  Plink is great
    for starting conversations.
  : Found the stupid room key -- *in* my bag of almonds.  :P
  * Southwest 5208 MSP to MDW Jun 23,  2:10 PM -> 03:35pm  boarding 1:40
              5705 MDW to SEA Jun 23,  7:10 PM -> 09:40PM
  * Shuttle  boarding 11pm leaving 11:15pm  from Door 2 arrives 1:40a
  * Call V after boarding the shuttle
  % still in a good mood.  I've been in a good mood all day.  Who knew, right?

0624Mo
  * up 5?; S=3.?;
  / C took a bathroom break at 3-something (?); then had another accident in bed around
    7.  Had severe trouble getting into the shower -- I had to move the seat -- and then
    couldn't get out and ended up "sitting" down to lie on the floor while I called 911.
    -> put Desti in S's room; Ticia vanished and didn't re-surface until hours later.
    % I ?panicked both times.  I become totally incoherent when trying to give directions
      when I'm under stress and C is panicked.
  @ Raspberry Pi 4 on sale now from $35 - Raspberry Pi [LJ]
    Raspberry Pi 4 Model B announced - OSMC
    Raspberry Pi 4 Review: The New Gold Standard for Single-Board Computing - Tom's
  & noon major cleanup; C still in bed.
    % incoherent babbling, etc. while trying to 
  * 1:15 C MAC
    ran into Carla.  Apparently home health can't give the shots because they're only
    covered if they're given in the hospital.  Otherwise $1500.  Each.
  ~ Island Drug -- no sign of my order.
  & get bagels for lunch, pick up lomotil scrip
    SL: TP, paper towels, new shower bench
  % total wreck.  triggered? by something in or around RiteAid; abdominal clenches (~2 Hz;
    sometimes re-triggering after attempting to stop) after dealing with bed linens and
    pads from morning.  Overload?
  x 2pm (5pm EDT) Loved ones with chronic illnesses group chat 7cups
  : Mom called.  Yesterday was Al's birthday.  And his daughter is expecting.
  @ Candace Kohl's career is out of this world - Del Mar Times
  / she hasn't been exercising.  She's gotten out of shape just in a couple of days.
  % I'm frightened, and exhausted

0625Tu
  & awake midnight; cleanup
  & awake 4ish
  * Up 60ish; ;
  / C took extra KCl last night, and it seems to have helped.  Moving much better.
    walked all the way from the bed to the living room chair without stopping
  * mail room key back to Carleton
  * call Island Drug to (re)order CPAP supplies 360-675-6688 x6
    -> order was never placed.
  ~ (V) 1:30 C MAC
  : Call from Wheelchair & Scooter Repair - they'll start looking for another tech.
  : email about $GIG, thanking me and copied to $CLIENT to get me paid(!)  More than I
    expected at the beginning, so go me!  Last time I had a contract writing gig was 1985.
    ! pleased.  ->G payment and appreciation from $CLIENT for $GIG
    -> sent signed W-9 and routing info.
  # new notation: ->G for something that goes into the gratitude post.
  : today I am plagued by crappy hardware.  The MFC doesn't scan, and doesn't connect via
    usb.  The laser printer works from USB, but not ethernet.  Two ports on the USB hub
    don't work.
    -> the scanner required drivers.  Damned if I know why it worked before; probably
       pre-upgrade.  The scanner and laser printer still don't work from the network
  * SL: lightly-salted peanuts, acetaminophen, sandwich bread, english muffins, tortilla
    chips, scrubby sponge, cottage cheese, 2 cucumbers, carrots, bacon; Cherry cool-aid,
    & mushrooms, ginger preserves, roll butter
    x If available, a couple boxes of: flavors - Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Lemonade,
      Cherry, Strawberry, Cool Raspberry, Peach Tea from Wyler's or Cool-Aid Sugar Free;
      Hawaiian Punch Sugar Free: Green Berry Rush, Polar Blast, Lemon-Berry Squeeze;
      all-beef corn dogs, s'mores ice cream -if on sale-, flax oil, sandwich lunchmeat 
    - totally missed the lunch meat and corn dogs, lost among the drinks and ice cream
  % having some of the Scotch I got at my retirement party; figure a 50-year reunion is as
    good an excuse as any.
  * a bit of a guitar noodle, mostly around A, D, G, C, and various minors and suspensions

0626We
  * Up 6am; W=206.6, S=6:50; litter boxen
    % a lot of weight gain?  too much salt over the weekend?
  % In retrospect, much of my current good mood comes from my singing at the memorial, and
    the comments I got afterward.
  * call Norco about wheelchair -> took a while to find the receipt, which was folded up
    and on my deskside shelves. -> left message.   The ball is now back in their court.
    -> called back.  they still don't have any 20" chairs in stock.  They should have
       communicated that; not clear why they didn't.  Promised to follow up.  It baffles
       me that apparently they were just sitting there waiting for it to come from
       "corporate" rather than actually ordering it.
    -> Friday, before noon
  * V 1:40 C Dr. R.
    -> V reports that they waited 40 minutes in the exam room and got a rude 4-minute
       appointment 
  * V 3:30 C MAC -> Carla said it's not the first complaint about Dr. R.  And then there's
    what Dr. Rangel said about him: "He's an asshole."
  * walk: end of Skyline.  set alarm for 3:00, left at 3:07, back at ~3:32
  * 7pm housekeeper interview.  Raven.  Kind of middle-of-the-road; 

0627Th
  & awake 5:50ish; cuddle (C was awake and reading)
  * up 5:15ish; W=202.6, S=6:13;
    % so, yeah; most if not all of the weight gain was probably water because salt
  : text from V.  I'm an idiot. -> taken care of.
  @ One year with Notmuch
  @ Pass: The Standard Unix Password Manager
  @ Tomb : File Encryption on GNU/Linux
  @ Rebasing and merging in kernel repositories [LWN.net]
  @ The Linux Kernel documentation — The Linux Kernel documentation
  * 10:00 wake C
  * bring med bag
  * 1:15 C MAC - Carla will meet us; V will come for a while
  & lunch at Bayleaf (next to Christpher's) in Coupeville.  {large Picnic, pat\'e} plate,
    2 glasses of Rosato Toscano ros\'e.  And a cookbook.
  @ sane - Community Help Wiki - installing network scanners
    sudo brsaneconfig4 -a name=mfm-scanner model=MFC-J4800W ip=192.168.1.78
  % 7:30pm sleepy  Probably not getting enough sleep.
  % some nice kitty time in the bedroom recliner.  Both of them.
  / major cleanup before/on bed.  She rode the wheelchair most of the way

0628Fr
  & awake 2ish; cleanup
  * Up 6:50; W=201.4, S=4:39; shower
    % naproxen for back pain
  & Sorted C's pills.  The ones she's actually taking fit into her white bin after
    removing the stuff she _isn't_ taking.  There's a lot of that, all piled in back
  ~ before noon: Norco is supposed to deliver the 20" wheelchair.  Nope. 425-949-4552
    -> Wednesday.  They didn't have the right address, and only do Whidbey on Wednesday
  * 1:15 C MAC
  * pick up CPAP supplies - Clinton
  & deli sandwiches for lunch from Pickles
  " One memory that will never leave me was Steve Savitsky’s beautiful
    selection at the memorial service. " Brad L. fwd by (memorial organizer)Anne C

0629Sa
  * Up 6ish; S=6:23;
  @ USB-C: Everything you need to know | Trusted Reviews
    USB-C - Wikipedia
  % stuck.  Haven't felt like _doing_ anything for days.
  * 11:45 leave for Coupeville (getting on the road takes half an hour)
  * 1pm C MAC -- LAST ONE!
  * L wants to borrow Molly after we get back -> she'll be back 9ish
  & went looking for the short version of Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love.
    Amazon makes a hash of it, making one expect that the multiple formats they present
    under a title represent the same text.  Not even close.
  : C bought me a gift box of summer sausages and cheeses for Father's Day.  Not the best,
    but okay.  Wished she'd asked.
  * set up new shower stool.  Perhaps a little less sturdy than the old one (but still
    handles up to 350lbs), but easier to clean and not as likely to retain water.
  / absolutely miserable bathroom trip.  she's not walking enough, and getting weaker.
    also more edema, which makes her legs heavier, which...
    % tizanidine  Back not helped by L needing help bringing in a piece of furniture

Comments

[rainydaysandmondays]

I hope C gets better.

[mdlbear]

Thanks!

[rainydaysandmondays]

It's stressful looking after another person... :/

[ljwrites]

Sending good thoughts to you & your family!

[mdlbear]

Thank you!

[jenk]

Hoping for the best for you all. Re edema, no need to reply if it's been handled already, but has compression been tried? (I have some lipodema and also some wonky valves in my veins.) I have compression stockings now but cotton/lycra leggings helped initially.

[acelightning]

I know it must be frustrating that Colleen isn't getting better faster, but it's frustrating to my husband and me that I'm not geting better faster. Certain types of physical recovery seem to take an unreasonably long time. Meanwhile, you might want to look into pelvic physical therapy. After the urologist told me there was nothing more he could do for me, my son recommended pelvic physical therapy - I suspect he heard about it from one of his women friends. I found a place locally, and I'm very encouraged by how it's been going.

[jcfiala]

I'm so glad the reunion went so well for you - I've never been to one of mine, although they've all been pretty far away.

Good wishes for C's recovery.

[mdlbear]

Compression has been suggested, but there doesn't appear to be any way to do it. Compression stockings don't fit, and Ace bandages fall off.

[mdlbear]

Hmm. Wish we'd known about pelvic PT 10 years ago. Not clear it would have helped, or would help now, because of the nerve damage. But might be worth looking into.

[acelightning]

You might be surprised by how much they still might be able to accomplish. The first visit is always an evaluation.

[acelightning]

I have always had a problem with the adhesives on most medical tapes, even ordinary Band-Aids; I get nasty oozing blisters that look like burns. My pelvic therapist used some sports tape on my belly, to help strengthen my abdominal muscles, and I got blisters from it. A bunch of Googling brought me to a product called Tape Relief (don't be fooled by the URL). It works precisely as described. A light application of the lotion prevents any reaction to the adhesive. (I even tried it with a Band-Aid.)