Sunday, Feb 18
Reflections to last week, late in coming. Both refer to last week’s blog activities, which was already published. First, is from Thursday night; second is from yesterday (Saturday).
(1) This movie below is rather long and not of the best quality videography, but if you are interested in birds and Celtic locations, you will enjoy this. I went with John to the local chapter of our Audubon group for a photo presentation. Last time you heard about their travels it was to the Cornwall coast for a bird-watching hike several years ago. They do a couple weeks at a time.
Jan Demorest & Steve Young ~~ Wales Bird Walk
Jump to Saturday for:
(2) This below was taken by Gene, a friend of Evie, the violinist sitting behind me, as we played Roll on Columbia, Roll on. It was written in 1941 by Woody Guthrie. In the video below, the second song is The Frozen Logger, by James Stevens, 1951. It is a funny song. I have on the red blouse you saw explained in last week’s blog, and my Ellensburg Rodeo hat, because it was the weekend of the Spirit of the West. Go back and check that out last week. Meanwhile, here is the link to the video of the two songs.
2 songs by KFF&F
You can find Woody singing Roll On Columbia here, with lyrics printed below it.
Woody
You can find Johnny Cash singing The Frozen Logger, here:
Johnny
Normally, I’m singing but much less so today, because I knew it would make me start coughing, which I did not wish to do. I started my coughing journey Wednesday night that week.
Monday, Feb 19 Presidents’ Day
Memories of the rollover of the logging truck, several years ago, at the spot where our driveway enters the county road.
We awoke to a cold morning, 24°.
John stayed home today, because grapevine pruning was cancelled with Cameron in Seattle at Pike’s Place Market. Tomorrow they decided not to resume because of the cold weather. Wednesday is a pruning day. On Thursday John cannot go because of a dental appointment.
Last night we published the blog (without the videos we received later this week). I had to upload mine of Thursday overnight for several hours, while I slept, and it took awhile to remember.
Foot doctor and our SAIL exercise class were both canceled today because of the holiday. I needed the time to try to recover and hoped to reach my doctor for some help, but did not succeed. I have felt bad all day, and realize I need to get to bed earlier than last night, and hope I don’t have the same occurrence as the middle of this morning (4:00 a.m.), with my inability to breathe.
Tuesday, Feb 20
This was to be our third class of Line Dancing today, Feb 20.
I don’t feel up to attending.
Instead, John drove me to Cle Elum to get a doctor’s opinion. Diagnosis: Pneumonia
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium tablets 500mg/125mg prescribed every 12 hrs for 10 days.
This is a combination penicillin-type antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (such as common cold, flu).
He had me breathe in and out of my mouth and listened. He also had me say 99 every time he moved the stethoscope, and then say the letter E (drawn out). Here’s what I found on line about that interesting technique. “E” to “A” changes in the lungs (egophony). Your doctor may have you say (drawn out) the letter “E” while he listens to your chest. Pneumonia may cause the “E” to sound like the letter “A” when heard through a stethoscope. He did that examination before I had the X-rays, then said, “You’ve got pneumonia.” To see exactly where and how serious, I then went for x-rays.
The pictures showed, on my left side, a flattening of the upper diaphragm. Hope you can see the thin orange line over on the right side of this drawing. Instead of being a nice upward curve, the “goup” was below the lung and that curve was replaced by a flat surface. Thus, we need to kill the itsy bitsy bacteria and get that stuff out of there.
Normal recovery time from pneumonia is one to three weeks, although I should begin to feel better after several days of antibiotics. (I did after 4 days.) He wants me to report back if I’m having any symptoms, and scheduled another X-Ray for a month away.
This is Pneumococcal pneumonia (bacterial, spread easily by coughing). So, I’m contagious and wearing a mask when I go to the doctor or to the hospital for a blood draw. Further, the medication plays with the blood thinner, so that needs checked every few days and the “rat poison” adjusted accordingly.
Wednesday, Feb 21
John left at 7:40 for WHC after doing the morning feeding of the livestock.
I cannot go out with my contagious condition, so I will stay home today and rest, missing music at the food bank and exercise at the senior center.
I had a relatively good night’s sleep, by sitting with my head up in my recliner. I cannot lie down horizontally and still breathe.
Been canceling things this morning, very sad, most especially attending a wedding with the bride being my former student and coming in from Sydney, Australia for their wedding in Vancouver, WA and on from there to Taiwan to celebrate with the groom’s family. John and I were fortunate to have met him 2 years ago at Christmas here in Ellensburg, at her parent’s house.
I had my breakfast and took my 3rd antibiotic pill. I do not feel any better yet on congestion and related symptoms.
John went to a geology lecture on Exotic Terranes by Nick Zentner. It is being videotaped by a team of 3 and they’ll edit it for YouTube. I’m sorry to have missed my favorite teacher at CWU. John said it was well done (as usual).
John says: Open this LINK . . . and note the green along the WA / Idaho border. That is the only original part of North America within Washington State. The image should slowly add parts, then pause with names on the right. Then it should start over. Nick’s presentation only covered a few parts of this complex story.
John came home in time to fix our dinner and I was able to take my antibiotic with something in my stomach about 10:00 p.m. Maybe I won’t have a stomach ache tonight, as last. I’m about ready to call it a night. I need some sleep.
Thursday, Feb 22
I had a bad night. I was awake for over 2 hrs trying to get to sleep because of the noises (rattling in my throat/wheezing in my breathing). I have had to sleep sitting up, and not lying down, but that wasn’t working last night either. I slept 2 hours, woke to potty, and then went back and got almost 3 hrs more sleep. Good thing I finally made it to sleep, because I was ready to go to the hospital and ask to be put on a respirator.
John left for town for a dental cleaning and exam at 9:30. Luckily, this visit is covered by our insurance, 100%. He’s going to do some errands for me going by the pharmacy for meds, by the senior center for me, and by Hearthstone to deliver the music for the group and audience.
One of John’s stops was by the senior center to pick up my camera that disappeared 6 months ago. It was my Nikon CoolPix 40mm zoom. A nice man brought it to the AAC because he (or someone ?) noticed photos of events there included ones taken at the senior center. I haven’t found out the details yet on who returned it, or where it was found, except it was in the location of the Mercer Creek Church. Last picture taken on it was 7-15-2017 last year !! Battery was still full. Recently, the closest I have been to that church is behind it, while playing music at the food bank. I have NEVER taken that camera in there, so I don’t have a clue.
This afternoon, I called my doctor and asked about the noises I was hearing when breathing this afternoon and about the problem last night. He had a few suggestions: hot liquids, soup, and saltwater bath for my nose (but it was actually below my throat). And also, he reminded me I wouldn’t likely feel better until 4 days (maybe) into the antibiotic. We’ll see. He’d told me hot steamy showers are good, but I’m in no mood for that.
Last night I was surprised and saddened to see that Bill Waltner died. He was the hospitalist when I was so sick in 2009 and went to the ER here in town. He was so wonderful to me, ran the right tests, talked to a specialist at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, and found out 4 days later I had bacteria in my blood (from a culture he had analyzed). He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call him anytime. Then he followed me through that year, and the next, and was so happy to see me survive my surgery. He always spoke to me when he saw me, anywhere in town. I’m glad I got to thank him before he died. It didn’t say so in the obituary, but he died of a brain tumor. John learned that from a woman at the dental office when he was in this morning. Bill was only 66, the same age I was when he diagnosed what I had.
Friday, Feb 23
For the first night in awhile, I had a fairly decent night’s sleep without a lot of breathing problems, with noise. I must be on the upgrade!
I did decide to take my overnight Oximetry, and the results are:
Oximetry for Feb 22: SpO2 lowest 84, with overall avg., 91.9%. Avg. low SpO2, 88.6%. Pulse avg. 55.8, low 50. Slept 8 hrs 10 min. The O2 isn’t great but it’s not that bad either, considering. In the doctor’s office Tuesday it was 94%.
John left @ 7:40 for pruning at White Heron.
Cold (13°) before the sun hit near the outside thermometer.
The slope where the vines face south, and the Columbia River. With a sunny sky it warms quickly, and did.
With cereal in my tummy, I took my antibiotic at 9:46 a.m. and will get ready to go for a blood draw and to pick up the music bag. It took longer than I had planned. I had a phone call from Kit Hultquist (John’s brother’s wife in CA) at 10:30, and left right after visiting with her. She sounded as if she was coping well with all their kids and grandkids nearby to keep her busy. I had called on the weekend and left a message that we hoped she was doing all right.
Saturday, Feb 24
Had a good night’s sleep. Snowed last night about 2 ½.”
Up to 40° with sunshine, after morning light snow, no new accumulation.
John’s taken care of the animals, and also fixed us a nice brunch. I helped with cooking the sausage links while he was taking care of things outside.
Now the wind is blowing hard and the sun is bright. We’ll publish this soon. John will be amazed I have no photos I took to include.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan