. . . but not on the western horizon. A major storm approaches and at this time next week western Washington (the Olympic Mtns.) is expecting a major wind and rain event.
Again a relatively quiet week. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday were the same with infusions that worked well. Actually, Tuesday, the Culligan Softener that broke was replaced and we added a reverse-osmosis system for giving us nice pure drinking water from our own well and our kitchen sink has a matching faucet from which it comes. The company operating from a phone-hub in Spokane (3.5 hours away) has a sub-base in Yakima (50 minutes away). There are glitches and this week’s was a requested “first in the morning” scheduling didn’t happen so by the time the installer arrived it was not possible for John “the driver” to perform that function and I had to get myself to the hospital. Look out Kittitas County! – down the Naneum fan I went.
We returned to routine on Wednesday and added two new stops: 1-a haircut for Nancy; 2-another setup with a 24-hr Holter Heart Monitor, but this time from KVCH in Ellensburg. This one was very nicely administered with care, and I will go back in the morning to have it tested before removing all the connections. This is quite different from ripping off the contacts and pushing into a mailing envelope to return to the Yakima Heart Center (never heard the results from that one either). Makes you wonder…. Hmmm.
Thursday was another busy day. Back to the morning hospital removal of the Heart Monitor. That went fast and John got to visit with a friend who volunteers there in Respiratory Services. On to the grocery for donuts to take by another friend’s house on the way home. Yum. It was to talk about taking one of our horses, Myst, back to their house and round pen, and on Saturday, to a horse training clinic. She needs exposure to different things, and we are too busy going to the hospital for IVs to take her ourselves. One of their horses is lame so they offered, and we accepted, gratefully.
Once back home, John moved horses around, and they came and picked her up in their rig. We went to town for me to fiddle with my “group” at a retirement center. It went well and we had a good turnout, despite vacations. From there, right away to the Out-Patient services for the IV of Rocephin. They were ready with room #4 which is most often my room of the 12 there. They had to change the dressing today on the PICC line (once a week). They are so good and had my Chocolate Milk Shake with added Glucerna, ready for me.
Friday was less involved. We played with the puppy, and went for the infusion. No surprises. Hit two garage/yard sales.
We planned for Saturday to be morning garage sales and a search for paperwork for retirement. We must have stopped midstream when my health went downhill and lost track of what we were supposed to be doing. Then buried some papers. There is no real harm done, it is just that the consolidation we were working on has been delayed.
Did not do the paperwork search, but did the garage sales for a couple of hours. It was successful, and then home for a good nap, before going for the afternoon infusion. Sale items, I can remember: western shirt and knit shirt and pants, $2 for all; nice old axe with a new handle ($5), a couple of bags, just nice looking, and one full of plastic coat hangers, $1 each. Then to another fun sale a few roads west, where John saw some boots (almost new, hiking type) that fit me perfectly, $1. We also got tongs and a nice saw for $2 total. John found a Louis Lamour paperback for a quarter. Oh, a throw for the furniture to keep the dogs from eating the quilt, $1; and a nice sweatshirt for John, $1.
Then more– A strange collection of CDs still packaged, one of Shelby Lynne for $1. Then one with a hat over the ears such as John wears for .25. On to two sales, one proceeds going entirely to the American Cancer Society, where we got John another sweatshirt for working around the place. $1. Then we met some friends at a sale in an alley, and found a cute little girl selling her plastic horse collection for 50 cents apiece. We gave her $2 and will put in the raffle at our trail riding club. We might keep one that looks like our horse. Another dust gatherer. John found two nice new potholders, large, both for a quarter!
Still more. We went to another at the SR. center where I was going for my exercise class before I ended up so sick in August. There we found 5 glasses to match the 4 we packed away last week. They are Christmas glasses which we were told came originally from Dairy Queen! While there John found me a beautiful quality sweatshirt with inlaid hearts, $2, and the lady in charge gave me a hanger that holds 5 or 6 blouses.
On to the last one, after a stop for donuts at Super One and my medication mouth wash to try to prevent these bacteria from entering my system again! There we found a leather jacket (a little small, although a large size, but I can wear with a light blouse beneath). It’s cool and only was $2, and nearly in new condition. John found a horse lead and rope halter there for $5 total. Each alone alone costs at least $10 or more from the store… maybe more. We haven’t bought either in awhile but will do a post-purchase check sometime.
Yes, I know this is not all according to my health, but I’m getting clothes that fit me in my new weight. And, I get my exercise in walking around the sales.
The infusion today was in the Intensive Care Unit and I had a nurse who was the one who got me there last summer when I was going downhill from the bacteria and they thought I was having a heart attack. Turns out my lungs were full of fluid from the bacteria loaded on my heart and causing the blood flow to decrease through my heart properly. That time, in 2009 June, they pulled off 4 quarts of fluid from me. Amazing.
Well, I’m much better now and able to navigate and might be up to exercise classes when they resume on Sept 20th at the Sr. Center (oh, properly called the Adult Activity Center); no one wants to be politically incorrect. What’s wrong with saying this place is for old people? It is a nice provision the city has for its “seniors.” They have trips planned and also lunch is provided for a reasonable fee every day but Friday and the weekend.
Sunday we go early for the infusion so we can get to a memorial service for an anthropology colleague who died from liver disease. John will go ahead and post this Saturday night because it could be after 6 or 7 P.M. here on the western edge of the continent before we could return home and add Sunday’s news (or lack thereof).
Have a nice week, and we hope to talk to you next weekend, having gone through a nice normal week. What a concept!
Nancy