Sunday, Mar 20
For Mar 19 CPAP. Reported figures, 7 hrs 55 min with AHI=2.65. Events: 19 H, 16 CSR, 2 CA, 6 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter lost its battery power, and was only on from 11:23 to 2:37.
I received photos of our Brittany in California from an early morning training session. Seems folks are getting lots of 4-legged creatures running with all feet in the air. Here’s Daisy:
Daisy with all four feet off the ground running and hunting for birds; middle pointing; right Jeri searching for bird to flush. Dog must hold for the shot and be sent for the retrieve. (Terminology is a ‘broke’ dog.)
On point again; middle Jeri flushing the bird in front of her and Daisy standing to await the flush; Daisy going for the retrieve.
We went to a potluck and practice session to get ready for the April 2 celebration of the 40th Anniversary Dance of the Blue Agates Round and Square dance club. Prior to our practice session we eat. John fixed a pork loin roast and a side dish of sweet cherries and Honeycrisp apples. He came home and I stayed for 3 hours to practice the repertoire – same songs we have done for the past several years, with a couple of corrections to chords, notes, and size of lyrics for aging eyes.
Each year the square-dancers invite a dozen of us to provide dinner music, and afterwards, we too (with spouses) get to go through an awesome buffet for the dancers. This year our little mascot, Haley, who dances for and interacts with the residents, is invited.
Monday, Mar 21
For Mar 20 CPAP. Reported figures, 7 hrs 19 min with AHI=0.41. Events: 3 H, 2 CSR, 6 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); oximeter on entire time with high SpO2 and normal pulse.
I worked on photographing music pages of Maury’s book. I want to return the book Thursday. While I found The M.T.A. song, it is not the version & melody the Kingston Trio used. I will be able to listen to their video and do the tune by ear from the notes I have. Parts are right on, but other phrases are strangely different.
In addition, I worked on corrections to last night’s performance practice session for changes to send to people involved on 4/2 at the fairgrounds.
I heard from Carol Findley that John is welcomed at the Volunteer Recognition dinner, Apr 7. Some of the things people volunteer for did not fit the “wants” of the elites running the system. Many people’s views of the world got left off the diagram.
John does trail work and isn’t about to switch to doing meals on wheels or one of the other desired activities. So his hours on the trails no longer count and we wondered if he was also dis-invited to the annual celebratory community dinner.
I am able to use my external 4-socket USB port (can choose which ones); my camera and oximeter are hooked up now and I was working between them. YIPPEE. I suppose I can use it for my external disk back up too, and I need to do that soon, as I am overdue.
I called the Safeway Pharmacy today to check on why I had a prescription waiting for me when I haven’t ordered anything. Found out it was the drug dose increase I was supposed to have refilled at Super 1, not Safeway. Now that has been corrected. I only get one prescription filled at Safeway, because it is cheaper by paying cash.
Need still to load in my meds container for the week, but I realized I was low on my Furosemide last night, and called in to see about getting that prescription refilled. I found out it was outdated and needed reordered. That was done and it only cost me 42¢ co-pay for 45 pills. That’s a 3-month supply because I take only every other day. Amazing. For once (probably the last time), the cost of a medication decreased!
Tuesday, Mar 22
For Mar 21 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 15 min with AHI=0.00. Events: 5 H, 9 CSR, 11 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter on entire time with high SpO2 and normal pulse.
I went by CWU music library for Whistling Gypsy Rover – from Mary Wise, an acquaintance of many years.
Delivered clothes for Joni Zehler at share; some a gift for her and her daughter, and the other bag for her to use her sewing prowess on. Later this week I have been able to use the rice bag she sewed for me to put on my swelled cheek (still) from the oral surgery. More below on this.
GOOD NEWS ABOUT DAISY Jeri called OFA to find out the results on her recent trip to the Newport Beach Veterinary Hospital for OFA X-rays with Dr. Debra Cohen and found that Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH has Excellent hips (this after she got a fair on her first X-ray from her local vet — probably from improper positioning). This is our co-owned Brittany you saw in training photos above. The two following dogs also belong to Jeri & Kurt Conklin: Camelot’s Coppers Rollin’ Four Dice JH – Excellent Hips (Good on his prelim X-rays) and CH Camelot’s Labyrinth N Illusions Magie JH – Excellent Hips (Good on her prelim X-rays). All elbows were normal!
Winds up to 46 mph gusts blew through the Kittitas valley today.
It was a long day. I went to CWU music library to retrieve a book of folk music that I can check out as an Emerita professor and also used my complimentary parking sticker I paid much annually for during the 22 years I was there.
Had to run by Super 1 for some meds and then went to the clothing share for an hour, and while there picked up an aluminum pan gift from a member to have to feed the rest of the grain to our horses that Ebony left behind. We were short one feeding pan, having just 3 of the black rubber type. I stayed and helped until I had to leave for our local hospital for my annual required Pulmonary Function Test. It is required to check for Amiodarone’s effect on my lungs, if any. The drug has successfully controlled my atrial fibrillation since 2010, but for some, a side effect is lung scaring and a poorer lung function.
Results of my PFT show an improvement in all items, so that was good.
After my test, I went back to clothing share until the end. I had been in charge of arranging for the county’s free clothing banks to send a representative or two to pick up leftovers. We managed to distribute everything out of the room, so that was a positive thing. Many people came throughout the day, finding clothing for their family, and other families throughout the county will benefit. It was a quite successful event. Our personal stash of unused clothing is diminished. Nice.
Photos of the collection process for our Buy Nothing Ellensburg Second Annual Clothing Share Event, under the guidance of Kathryn Carlson, wonder woman, who stored the majority of the buildup of sorted, organized clothing by size and type from newborn to plus adult clothing and wearable accessories, boxed and stored in her den, extra bedroom, and hallway. She hosted others in our BNE (Buy Nothing Ellensburg Facebook Group) to come into her home to sort. She was a drop off site for containers of donated clothing. She and her hubby, Jim, went to other collection homes and carted stuff into the event. A couple of us went to homes in town and in Kittitas to pick up clothes, delivering them to Kathryn’s house.
The above collage shows from top left to bottom right the tables of clothing set out the day before at the LDS church – kind folks to donate the space and volunteer helpers for the set up, distribution, and clean-up. The share was open freely with no limits to the community. Other photos show boxes stored at two members’ houses, top right the hallway at Kathryn’s, followed below left other shots of stored material there, bottom middle are a couple of the vehicles and a trailer used to transfer the “stuff” from the various places. Missing are a clothes hanger full of women’s clothing donated by a gal whose mom died. Also included were men’s clothes from another member’s dad who passed. Shoes and accessories are not displayed in these photos. I tried not to bring anything home.
Wednesday, Mar 16
For Mar 13 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 50 min with AHI=1.46. Events: 9 H, 8 CSR, 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter on entire time with high SpO2 and normal pulse. An extra hour of oximeter without CPAP usage lowered the AHI to 1.41.
I picked up my friend Gloria and we went to the Food Bank & SAIL and delivered some clothes to a gal, and then I drove on home to my neighborhood to deliver food.
John sent me a photo from the Wall Street Journal that I shared with a few people.
Caitlin LaBar says, “It’s the Owl Butterfly, Caligo memnon, a common species often used in butterfly houses.”
Thursday, Mar 24
For Mar 23 CPAP. Reported figures 4 hrs 37 min with AHI=2.60. Events: 12 H, 6 CSR, 10 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=22 L/min); oximeter on for couple more hours. I have no explanation for the high numbers.
I was working on music much of the morning, and then went to play at Hearthstone. Was a small showing of players, but we did well and had a good involved audience. We did have one of our players have a hypoglycemic-type event so they got him a cookie and orange juice, and he rested awhile before going home. He was okay. John drove me in and went shopping while we were playing.
Our little Leprechaun, Haley, was there in her dress, for the last day of Irish music. In April, she will be 3 years old.
Note, the people directly behind the top of her head are our friends, Jim and Lillian Brooks. He was a geography professor in the department I joined in 1988, and was still teaching. For 17 years, he actually served as the President of Central Washington University, and when he left office, he returned to teach for several more years. The CWU library is named after him – and here is a photo below, as I have just mentioned going there earlier in the week.
This is the James E. Brooks Library at Central Washington University. The music library is on the 4th floor. [Note sign, white on black.]
During our playing at Hearthstone, Haley crashed, beneath the grand piano. {We don’t use a piano in our group.}
Previously to this, she had been running around the room making many residents smile. She is not bashful at all. All the residents love her.
Friday, Mar 25
For Mar 24 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 57 min with AHI=1.29. Events: 9 H, 10 CSR, 9 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on entire time with high SpO2 and normal pulse.
John fixed an early breakfast and we left at 11:25 in my car with John driving, for my oral surgery. We paused at 11:35 for me to take my Amoxicillin, for the 12:30 p.m. check in for two implants.
Afterwards, John will drive us by Big 5 for him to check out a good price on boots, and I will sit in the car; then to Costco to fill my car with gasoline, $2.09/gal only 2 cents/gal cheaper than Ellensburg. He did not find boots with the kind of “top” he wants. Many styles do not have sides that when laced come nearly together over the tongue. Waterproof trail boots are thus only WP a couple of inches higher than the sole. Not good.
From Costco, he brought me a frozen yogurt w/ strawberries and a 6-variety case (24) of yogurt cups.
On the way home, we had to go through Ellensburg to pick up my pain medication. I was lying pretty low the rest of the night, wishing for my pain to cease. The pain pills did not make a difference until I got a little relief at 2:30 in the morning. I have been faithfully taking it along with 3 Amoxicillin / day for the rest of a week following the procedure.
I have been taking two 500mg tablets of Acetaminophen every 6 hours. I called the pharmacist to see how much Acetaminophen was in the Percoset pill, after reading that it had a lot and one needed to be careful with supplements. The literature warned about not exceeding 4000 mg per day because of potential liver damage.
She told me each pill had 325mg of Acetaminophen, and that she usually told patients to stop their supplements with Tylenol or Acetaminophen but that she trusted me to watch the arithmetic. I started keeping my notes, and I usually take one Percoset with one 500 mg Acetaminophen until I reach a maximum, under the 4000.
Now for a report on my oral surgery. The preparation began with an attempt to get their CT scanner working, but it never did, so they had me walk around the corner to a another X-ray machine, which did not provide a 3D image. They will retake the next time I am in the office in a month for suture removal. Third time should be a charm. It wasn’t working right on my consultation appointment either, when they usually take them.
They drew blood to get my platelets to make a mixture to pump into my gums where there needs to be bone to be re-grown to support the implant posts.
Then the surgery began with a local antiseptic, without epinephrine. Getting the back root canal fillings out was a tough job. Then they inserted the platelets. The doctor had two assistants – one handing him the instruments and the other holding the drainage suction and keeping my cheek out of his way. The team was competent and I heard most of the commentary, plus was getting an explanation about what was happening along the way. I appreciated that. The surgical procedures lasted about an hour. After that, I was given post-operative instructions.
We made it home about 4:30. It seemed okay but I took a Percoset at 4:00, as we were driving home because the pain had started. It got worse through the evening and I could not take another pill until 8:00 p.m. Then I realized the places opened and covered at the end and sutured were oozing with some blood, I began pressuring the gum with a gauze roll in the place of the two missing teeth. Not sure that will help. The area was not losing blood right after the surgery, so they did not install a gauze pad. They said the platelet mixture often serves to clot the blood.
I would like to go to sleep, but I have to put ice on and off every 20 minutes – to prevent swelling. I just wish I had something to help the pain. Plus, I am quite tired.
This below came from the Earth Science Web (Weekly sends) I’m on from a Geographer friend in Michigan, Mark Francek. His commentary is interesting – so I will start with that, and then give you the link.
Eclipse as Viewed from a Plane
Mark’s comment: (WARNING: You will want to pummel the guy for his repeated OMG’s. Mute this and then enjoy.) “Passengers on a flight from Anchorage, AK to Honolulu, HI witnessed a solar eclipse high in the sky. They all cheered when they saw the moon cast a shadow over the land. They were also in awe when the sun shined like a diamond when the moon moved and helped create flares in the sky.”
Link: DEFINITELY MUTE THIS BEFORE WATCHING:
Saturday, Mar 26
For Mar 25 CPAP. I did not use my CPAP or my oximeter last night.
I spent the morning finding the details of what was expected from us at the Memorial service today, and getting music copies ready for our Fiddlers and Friends (6 of us) to play after the memorial service at the lunch for the attendees. We were requested to play only happy songs.
Our group has known Lois since 2001 and she always enjoyed our music. She sang every song without needing to look at the lyrics. A dear lady, she picked the songs for her celebration of life and wrote her obituary, including that she enjoyed our music very much. She also loved flowers and wanted everyone who came to remember the beauty of flowers. Her family arranged to give packets of flower seeds to all the folks attending. She was the mom of Barb Pettit, married to Jerry Pettit, the Auditor for Kittitas County. He and Barb also are members of the Blue Agate Square and Round Dance club for whom we will be playing next weekend, while they eat their dinner at their annual anniversary dance. They knew of her love for our music, so they invited us to play for an hour after the end of the service, at the luncheon, and then they fed us afterwards.
I am only supposed to be eating soft foods, and I was happy they had a lovely fresh fruit salad, potato salad, and BBQ sauce for very tender small shredded beef, pork, and turkey. That was my dinner.
Sunday, Mar 27 Happy Easter!
For Mar 26 CPAP. I did not wear my CPAP machine mask last night. Oximeter recorded all night, however, from 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Without the CPAP on, the chart below shows me that my Sp02 is improved with it on.
The day has been blustery with alternate sunshine and clouds, but consistent wind since 9:30 a.m., with gusts above 30, max 36. Finally, the temperature got to 52.
Weather report partial today:
John started by tackling building a fence around the top of a big planter-box out front. One of the cats thought it a litter box – just as tulip leaves began to show. The deer will nibble the leaves on the tulips or anything green but this year the cats disturbed it first.
I spent time on various inside projects including records, blog work, dishes, putting ice on my still swelled face, taking medicine for pain and antibiotic need, and scanning some stuff I needed to capture.
John just returned from all his outside chores, I have to proof and spellcheck this, put on a jump drive with the photos, and give it to him for his editing work.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan