Sunday, May 3
For May 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 14 min with AHI = 0.61 Events: 6H. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min).
We are even later posting the blog today than last week, now afternoon.
About 5:00 p.m. at Exit 115, I-90, about 11 miles from our house, we met our friends from White Heron Winery to exchange things. They were on their way home from a weekend at the Farmer’s Market in Seattle where he sells wine and trades other vendors for things they grow or make. We got a loaf of spelt (ground floor) bread and a scone made from whole wheat bread, apples, nuts, and I don’t know what all was in there. We had picked up a lamp with a white heron motif for the winery.
On the way home right off No. 81 Road, about 6 miles from our house, we stopped for a package of dark chocolate baking squares that she was giving away. We will eventually find time to make our Chocolate Crock-Pot Candy and share with her family. This was the same gal we gave our old wheelbarrow too, and it was nice to pull up and see it sitting in the yard.
Most of the day was spent on finishing the blog, but tonight late, John fried some bacon, which I finished cooking in the microwave to make it crispy, while he made a very large pancake with blueberries and pecans. Atop it we had some of the real maple syrup we received from family in PA, and wrote up in yesterday’s blog page with a photo of the special bottle (check back to see last week’s story, if you missed it). We’ve since gotten an email address for a member of the syrup making family, and John wrote some cute memories for me to forward.
Here’s only one paragraph: “The collection and sale of produce from the land has a long history. I remember picking wild strawberries on the hill west of the house. I think your father carried them to Leeper and exchanged for Orange Soda – or some such thing. That was a while ago (60 years?) and I do not recall much about it. I do remember riding bicycles on the road to Leeper. There was a bike with half-circle handlebars, unlike most that have bends or angles. I rode that one. I don’t actually remember being in Leeper on the bikes – but, maybe your Dad returned with cash for our strawberries and then we took the bikes over there to spend it.”
I spent a fair amount of time working on music for our group to start anew with this Thursday, and we will play these tunes for 2 months. I’m still creating it. Will have to manufacture a master and go in to make paper copies, so we have some for each of the players, and more for the audiences. I can do those back to back.
Tomorrow is my main work day to make good progress on music. I hope to use Tuesday to go in for the copying because my Wednesday is too full.
Monday, May 4
For May 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 51 min with AHI = 2.03 Events: 18H, 8CSR. 1PP. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min). All activity was in the last two hours. Weird. After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.99, and machine was on for 9 hrs 3 min.
Last Saturday we drove north on US Hwy #97. We soon saw this:
My 8 sec. video of the wind towers in action
Then we passed a locally famous photogenic scene. We did not stop and so are using a photo by David Covert. He was working in the same building I did when I arrived here in 1988. During the last couple of fires David reported on the status of this place. People who did not know kept reporting that it had burned. David actually checked.
This landmark was not touched by the Taylor Bridge fire, but many of the trees near it were burned. My next short video:
In last week’s blog, I mentioned that any reports on the Fire-Wise presentations/activities would have to wait until I could process the information. It took me an hour just to move the photos from my camera. To upload 12 minutes of a talk took 3 hours and another 15 min one took 4 hrs. While that’s happening, neither of us can use our computers on line, or print anything to our printer. Here’s the start of some, and more are given later in the week.
First – some views on our way to the workshop in the Hidden Valley east of Cle Elum, not far from the Swauk-Teanaway Grange, where the fire crews were stationed and camped. We drove Hwy 97 to get there.
FIRE-WISE WORKSHOP: May 2, 2015
Part I – Carolyn Berglund [about 11 mins.]
Part II – Carolyn Berglund [about 17 mins.]
This is a photo of different types of metal mesh to have on the soffits of your house for best protection. Carolyn Berglund showed us during her talk, and at the break John brought it over to me to photograph.
Part I-Intro Jim Gylling [fire-zone resident; about 9 mins.]
Part II from within Jim’s presentation
[70 seconds of fire fighting information]
Part III Jim talks about large on-site water tanks [under 2 mins.]
Call came today from Lori, a scheduler at the Yakima Heart Center, to make a June appointment with a Physician’s Assistant (PA) for Dr. Kim, and he will staff it (be available for any questions). He is seeing fewer patients (probably because of the time limitation put on him by the system); he usually takes a minimum of an hour with his patients. He only has five days scheduled there in June. July is not published yet for scheduling. I mentioned that I did not want to see a PA, and wanted to see him. He has been with me the entire time and knows all my history since June 2009. He made the decision for my valve replacement, when the team of doctors thought it was too risky an operation for me. His comments were, “We’re going to lose her anyway, so we should take the risk.” John and I were in on the decision-making and aware of the concern.
I talked her into waiting for my 18 May appt with Toni to see how much battery is left, 5 years now having used it. I need to find out if Dr. Pham (surgeon for the implanted defibrillator) discussed the situation of just replacing my battery in the current unit, without making any changes or adding wires. I will take my calendar and check with Lori after we find out the battery life left. I don’t want to visit a PA. I want to see Dr. Kim.
John gave me the info to write the Pella salesman to tell him the outside framing was completely removed, and he hopes we can visit May 18 to finalize the order for a new and fancy sliding glass patio door. Also, the white Subaru is overdue for its oil change. We’ll go by COSTCO for gas and a few things – 8” scissors are on sale – 3 for $7.49, but not much else we need.
Tuesday, May 5
For May 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 21 min with AHI = 1.44 Events: 12H, 5CSR. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min). All activity was in the last two hours, again. Weird. After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.43 and machine was on for 8 hrs 24 min.
I spent much time on music and accomplished very little else. At least it is done (or so I thought until the first time through with the group on Thursday). Guess that whole project has stressed me the past few days. I rushed to town before 5:00 p.m. with the copies I had to Xerox for the players and the audience.
Wednesday, May 6
For May 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 42 min with AHI = 2.09 Events: 14H, 9CSR. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). This was my record high AHI since I started the CPAP machine in Oct, 2014.
Today was my day to play music at the Food Bank, go to SAIL exercise after, and by the hospital for my routine blood draw for the INR (required when taking Coumadin). I had a 35-minute wait. I visited nurses in the Outpatient Services to say hi and thanks again for all their help back in 2009 and 2010, on two different occasions when I had to have daily IVs of broadband antibiotics to fight the bacteria in my blood. Each session was 8 weeks. So, I got to know them pretty well. They still call me by name when I walk into the office.
I decided to call the Yakima Sleep Center and leave a message for the nurse of my Sleep Doctor (Kumar), who told me if I ever had any questions to call. My question was if there was anything to explain the high AHI numbers, and if someone would call me when they could.
Tonight we went to a fantastic lecture on the area in central WA as viewed and recorded and described by Tom Taggert, who owns his own Trike 8.
More about that later this week.
Thursday, May 7
For May 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 30 min with AHI = 0.35 Events: 3H, 1CSR, 1PP. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.33 and oximeter was on for 9 hrs.
Note the more reasonable AHI recorded last night. My rationale for my high AHI readings for the previous 4 days is that it is stress related.
I finished two extra pages to take for people for today’s music that didn’t make it into our original copied packets – She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain and I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”. Those are at the end of the packet in case we haven’t run out of time by the time we’ve played all the others.
I made it to Royal Vista with all the music, and people got there on time. We had 7 people show to play, and I was able to distribute the music before all the audience arrived.
I talked to Dan at KVC Cle Elum (doctor’s office) about yesterday’s INR=2.5. That’s good and I don’t have to have it checked for another month, or change my Coumadin dosage.
Once home, I had to take my pills and fill up my box for the week. I was 3 shy of one of the meds, so it has been ordered.
I have continued working on the videos taken last Saturday. Here is Suzanne Wade’s Intro to the day and to Matt Eberlein’s talk, which I don’t yet have recorded to You tube to share:
Suzanne Wade’s Introduction to Firewise Day [50 seconds]
I do have the videos of Ken Bevis from the Methow Valley to share with you about his personal experience with the Carlton Complex Fire, and also he is involved with the DNR’s Landowner Assistance Program with Scott Chambers here in Ellensburg to help people suffering losses from wild land fire.
Part I Ken Bevis Carlton Complex Fire [a bit over 12 mins.]
Part II Ken Bevis — his story [about 16 minutes]
Part III ‘FIRESTORM’ — Ken’s own song [about 8 minutes]
My battery quit and so the song video is compliments of another person, Lynnea Thibodaux. She lives in the fire area, about one mile north of the Old Barn.
John fixed an interesting dinner tonight, made from our asparagus (in a peanut butter sauce with cashews), served on baked potato, with our leftover pork from last night. I had so much on my plate, I only ate part, and we shared the remainder the next day for lunch.
Friday, May 8
For May 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 8 min with AHI = 0.14 Events: 1H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.11 and oximeter was on for 9 hrs 26 min.
We were awakened at 7:11 by a neighbor asking about shared irrigation water. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight, so we were not happy. I stayed up a little while, but laid down off my CPAP and with my oximeter on and slept almost another couple hours. John stayed up but then took an afternoon nap.
John is spraying weeds, building fence, watering, and reported a sad finding: only two of his 10 blueberry bushes are alive; hopefully, they will come back from the roots?
I’m working with bills, filing, updating monthly and daily records, blog, music, and all manner of things, including taking videos from my cameras and posting on You tube.
Here’s the good news, mentioned earlier in the week. I did not have to wait until May 18. Got my call from Lori about Dr. Kim, and she was able to schedule me with HIM, Dr. Kim, my regular Cardiologist on the 14th of July. I’m quite happy.
John will be able to pick up my meds tonight, when he goes in for gasoline, spray paint (photos next week), lawn mower blade/filter/spark-plug, cat food, and doughnuts for next week’s Emeritus Geography Faculty meeting. He also stopped at the (cheap) Grocery Outlet store.
Saturday, May 9
For May 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs with AHI = 0.43 Events: 3H. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min).
John left at 7:00 a.m. for working on trail at Denny Creek (over Snoqualmie Pass) but they worked on the Franklin Falls trail instead. They use the same parking area. As John left, Woody was ready to be fed, so I did.
Late last night I wrote Tom Tabbert asking for links to his great videos he showed us Wednesday night. This morning he responded, from their cabin in Elk River, ID (near our old stomping grounds when we lived in Troy, ID for 15 years).
I’m staying home today (with a very irritating runny nose) and not going to the Bluegrass Jam session in the Yakima Canyon at Big Pines Campground. I need to finish this blog and accomplish other tasks needing done, cleaned up, by the back patio door needing replaced. My time was wasted a lot by lack of an Internet connection to complete the work I planned, so I washed dishes and did other things not requiring being on line. It was very frustrating. Finally, after resetting my router twice, the connection returned.
The first video from Wednesday is mine of Nick Zentner introducing Tom Tabbert, then Tom introducing the night’s program, and the Trike, via video. You’re better to just watch the first 3.5 minutes of the following video, and then switch to Tom’s Channel on You Tube to pick up the original video.
Tom Tabbert explains what he flies
ICE AGE FLOODS PART I
LAKE MISSOULA AND THE CLARK FORK DAM
Tom’s video here: LINK. Questions & Answers next. LINK.
ICE AGE FLOODS PART II
EFFECTS ON EASTERN WA
Tom’s video here: LINK. Questions & Answers next. LINK.
ICE AGE FLOODS PART III
GLACIAL LAKE LEWIS AND WALLULA GAP
Tom’s video here: LINK. Questions & Answers next. LINK.
Sunday, May 10 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
{Photos below of plants along our driveway (a dry sage brush – steppe environment) blooming this week.}
{Columbia Puccoon}
{white Lupine}
For May 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 57 min with AHI = 0.38 Events: 3H No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.29, and oximeter was on for 10 hrs 12 min; I was not sleeping all that time, though.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan