Community Volunteering and Recognition Dinner (see Thursday)
Monday, Apr 4
For Apr 3 CPAP. I began using it again tonight. Reported figures. Time on 4 hrs 31 min with AHI=0.21. Events: 1 H, 3 CSR, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); oximeter on entire time with SpO2 in the 90s all night, spiking to 85 at 4:30 a.m. and below at 4:45 (can happen when I switch fingers to a cold finger), but then returned to the 90s the rest of the time.
I got up thinking I would write the oral surgery team to tell them about my last night’s successful use of the CPAP machine, after a week off, but I wanted to take off the CPAP data and join it with the Oximetry data before reporting in.
Before I had retrieved the data from my CPAP’s SD card, I had a morning call from my sleep doctor, Dr. Kumar, about my question. He asked for the rundown of what happened and gave his opinion. He agreed that while he did not think the machine would have caused the bleeding, that he would have recommended NOT using it in my case until as much as 2 weeks after the surgery. He said that everyone is different, but the tissue needed to be healed prior to use. What he said likely caused the bleeding was the dryness of the air being forced in, just as people get nosebleeds from dryness. In addition, he mentioned I should use the CPAP with the humidity turned up. (I had figured that much when I put it on last night, and set the humidity higher. I normally do not turn it on, and the night (3 days after the surgery I did not increase the humidity). Last night, I set the humidity to 1, and probably tonight, I will set it higher, maybe 3. I was grateful for his call and concern and very sorry we did not seek his advice sooner.
David, the farrier, called and postponed a morning appointment from 9:30 to 11. Thus brunch was late because John holds Myst for her trimming. My part is writing the check, and otherwise I have been working on music for the Fiddlers. We’ll use this set for the next 2.5 months.
After lunch, John emptied the ashes from the wood stove and started a fire. The wind is wicked today and the temperature is cooler feeling than the 56° reported, because of up to 33 mph gusts but 50 mph predicted as being possible. (Never happened here).
Tuesday, Apr 5
For Apr 4 CPAP. Reported figures. Time on 6 hrs 49 min with AHI=0.14. Events: 0 H, 2 CSR, 1 CA, 2 PP, 8 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min). That’s a low AHI for all the activity occurring, but it is because of the calculation formula for it depending so highly on hypopnea, of which I had none.
I have an 11:30 a.m. meeting at The Tav (local bar and eatery) with the fabulous clothing sorting team from the BNE site for the 3/22 clothing share we successfully held.
I went by the hospital for my blood draw and it was rather fast (for a change), but they extracted too much for the first vial and had to draw another. Darn – vampires in white lab coats.
After picking up my meds at Super 1, I came home and filled the box for the week, realizing I was out of another. So now I have to go back to get it. Too bad I did not do this yesterday and could have saved myself a trip.
I stopped off at Jazzercise, but did not stay because I wasn’t feeling up to par and still had nearly an hour of work to finish in town because I needed to take my music masters in for making copies for our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends. That I managed to finish by 2:45 and so I came on home. On my way, I picked up a loaner external disk from CWU to use for a couple weeks, while I locate mine.
I came home to a totally unexpected finding. When I left, I did not hibernate or put my laptop to sleep. I looked at it to see if I had any responses to any of my emails I sent before leaving this morning, and there was a new screen, telling me I now had to configure Windows 10 that had been downloaded in my absence. I was extremely upset because I had not requested it and did not want it. However, it was done, so I spent the next hour + answering questions and setting it up. I was a very unhappy camper. I am over the initial shock now, and have pretty much figured out the usage. I restored a few software programs that were wiped out, and I think I have almost everything now that I need.
Wednesday, Apr 6
For Apr 5 CPAP. Reported figures. Time on 5 hrs 14 min with AHI=0.00. Events: 0 H, 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max= 7 L/min). Oximeter not accepting charge; not used.
I worked on music separation of copies designating for players by name, and packing those along with the audience copies, for tomorrow’s distribution and use.
I picked up my friend Gloria on my way to Food Bank. We had a bunch of players there and were videotaped for advertising for the F.I.S.H. Food Bank. For lunch, after the singing, we had white sauce pasta with sausage, with too much garlic for my likes, as well as a tomato-based sauce (one I did not take), green salad, and carrot cake roll slice with cream cheese fill; in hindsight, I should have chosen two red velvet cookies with white chocolate, because the other was too dry. We packed foodstuffs in the back of our car to bring for our neighbors. Then dropped off at Grocery Outlet for food for Gloria, and while there, I checked the cat food. No pate, so will get some from Bi-Mart while it is on sale. From there on to SAIL class where we enjoyed with 12 people. I was too tired to go to Bi-Mart so I came on home, let Gloria off at her place, and helped take in her groceries. I spent a bunch of time on the computer with email, and searching the web about external disk drives.
John picked asparagus once I was home. I washed a load of dishes. We had a late dinner of leftovers.
A little after 9:00 p.m., we got a call from our neighbor Louaine that she smelled smoke in her bathroom. John got dressed and went down. I stayed on the phone talking as he was getting there. Things seemed all right and they thought a neighbor started a stove earlier and smoke had collected in her place via the soffit vents. John returned home. Still, a scary ordeal. John found nothing on a walk around the house, and so she was able to rest easier. Next morning she realized the furnace was not working and warming the house, so that was the source of the smell. The thermostat may have failed but a repairman, coming Friday, will have to determine the cause and the fix. With the temperatures we are having, that’s not a problem.
Thursday, Apr 7
For Apr 6 CPAP. Reported figures. Time on 6 hrs 10 min with AHI=0.32. Events: 1 CSR, 2 H, 4 RERA. No major mask leaks (max= 3 L/min). Oximeter not accepting charge; not used.
I received info about a community paper shredding opportunity so made a page for posting on Facebook, on a public group (Community Connect, Kittitas County) that reaches many people; you can get to this link to see my handiwork.
I went to town for music at the REHAB and saw people I had known there 6 years ago, residents as well as staff, including one staff member who does laundry and remembers me. Gave me a big hug. She’s worked there for 36 years. Then our group played music for an hour + including a request for ONE MORE by our little Haley, our mascot, all dressed in western garb for tonight. She requested, “I’ll Fly Away,” and so she did – dancing circles in front of us at the end. Sorry I don’t have a video of that and the residents’ reaction; it was priceless.
Tonight a little before 5 we left for the Volunteer Recognition Dinner. I know they will have a good evening planned for us. Serving starts at 5:30. It’s held at the local Moose. I am sorry I didn’t get a photo with John all duded up in a cowboy hat, jeans, western shirt, and leather vest. I got the leather vest at the recent BNE clothing share, 3/22. It appeared to be brand new and his size. Our older vests are a little too small on us – as they were when we got them at a yard sale years ago.
We have cowgirl, Haley Davison, not 3 until April 26, all dressed in western attire for the evening. She had on jeans and cowboy boots too.
Nancy in her funky cowgirl hat and Laura. The flower arrangement in front of us I won as a door prize. I subsequently gave it to Haley (above) because she loved the horse on the side of the vase (I didn’t get it in the picture above with Haley), and she loved smelling the pretty daisies. Laura plays the guitar and violin in our group, that just played this afternoon as mentioned above, and Haley danced around in her bare feet, kicking off her boots early in the hour of entertainment. This photo by Laura’s husband, Dale. Last November, Dale drove himself to the ER while having a heart attack. We talked heart-capades. John is the only one of the four that doesn’t have a seriously troubled heart. We visited over a high calorie dinner plate, with the main dish being pulled pork tenderly cooked in a good BBQ sauce. Sides were beans, potato salads, green mixed salad (with mandarins, the only part that I had). The dessert tables extended half the wall.
Friday, Apr 8
For Apr 7 CPAP. Reported figures. Time on 6 hrs 11 min with AHI=0.32. Events: 2 CSR, 2 H, 12 RERA. No major mask leaks (max= 6 L/min). Oximeter not accepting charge; not used.
Spent the morning with dishes, animal feeding, and ordering a 2-terabyte Seagate Backup Plus Slim External Hard Drive in pretty blue, with a bright red case I may not misplace. With “two day shipping” it will arrive in four days. Go figure. [Okay, Sat & Sun don’t count.]
John went up the creek (smile) to check the gate on the irrigation water. Our cattle-rancher neighbor (Sam; ~2 mi away), was, uncharacteristically, complaining about too much water. We don’t have a lot of water in our ditch, that comes off the same outlet. John did go check and shut his down as much as he could, shunting it to our side. Now John will have to spread it around our land and 2 others. There is a decrepit wood structure at the ‘Y’ that was designed to have slots for boards to adjust the flow. Now a plastic tarp has to do the job and doesn’t fit well.
I’m getting off my computer now to tackle more boxes of STUFF. I made fair progress today, getting receipts and related tax papers into months. Tomorrow, I shall worry with organizing by days of the month (never got it completed). Then I need to start entering into my Excel spreadsheet for ease in subtotaling. Guess both will wait until Sunday. Time to write IRS and go for an extension. (Actually, I did that and the letter is in my car waiting to take to the USPS to send certified).
I managed to change the filter in my CPAP and it was very dark – no doubt from all the smoke from our wood stove usage; certainly not from my not changing it every 2 weeks, as recommended in a clean house. Our is a very dusty house!
Today’s mail delivery brought a dozen rubber faced work gloves for John, and my present of a One Touch can opener. Very clever invention, as seen working below:
Literally, all you do is set it on top of a can (never the bottom), press the top switch for a couple of seconds, and it takes off on its own; step back and watch. It stops when done, and you can flip up the top with no rough edges anywhere, can or lid. I am thrilled. Not bad for $9. These things must be invented by the folks that make batteries – this takes 2 AA type.
Saturday, Apr 9
For Apr 8 CPAP. Reported figures. Time on 6 hrs 39 min with AHI=3.16. Events: 8 CSR, 21 H, 5 RERA. No major mask leaks (max= 9 L/min). Oximeter not accepting charge; not used. Don’t know the reason for the high number of hypopneas.
We awoke to sunshine and pretty young light green leaves, new grass showing, and fruit trees in the early stage of bloom. John looked at the backyard cam of a home 6 miles from his sister Peggy’s home, in Parma, OH, and here’s the view.
SNOW IN BACK YARD IN AVON, OH
We got on the phone and had a nice visit. She and John were reminiscing about places of business and people they knew in Clarion, PA, where they grew up.
Peggy finally remembered the name of the beer distributor that would bring their Mom a case of beer, or you could back your car into the place and they would load it. They can’t recall the name or exact place nearby where John (little then) would take glass beer and pop bottles for the refund. The proprietor once asked John if the bottles had holes in them. No, John said, looking at the bottoms. The fellow said if they didn’t have a hole, how could they refill them? Big joke on a little kid!
High of 79 today, and highest wind gust was 33 mph at the airport.
After a couple hours outside, John returned and we had lunch. I’ve managed to wash a load of dishes and now have the clothes ready once the water can warm again. Later: Clothes completed too.
We both worked on chores – John’s were mostly outside, except for a magnificent chicken soup casserole dinner, made with his homegrown asparagus, a butternut squash, pieces of chicken breast, mushrooms, in a creamy sauce, and topped with French fried onion bits. He doesn’t like me taking pictures of his creations, but this one was picturesque. It was also baked in a vintage brown Pyrex rectangular dish with high sides. You’ll just have to use your imagination. And, as well, it was quite tasty.
Sunday, Apr 10
For Apr 9 CPAP. Reported figures. Time on 6 hrs 38 min with AHI=2.41. Events: 12 CSR, 16 H, 12 RERA. No major mask leaks (max= 8 L/min). Oximeter not accepting charge; not used. Still cannot explain high AHI.
Started overcast and cold. Now sunny and pretty. Two outside cats fed, also Rascal, and John’s on his way to feed the horses, after reviewing this.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan