It seems like today has been horribly long. But being souped up on steroids to get the breathing under control results in very little sleep. Four hours to be exact. And I feel like I could fall asleep and sleep until next week right now. Except that I still have a dose of steroids to take, and it'll keep me awake again. So. Yeah.
I explain none of this to whine. Only to show that I have a totally reasonable reason for rambling tonight and being totally incoherent, or if you understand any of what I'm writing, I suppose I'd go for being semi-coherent. Hah.
Went to the doctor this morning. I'm on a short course of antibiotics again to try to get this under control. I think they'll do it. I feel like I just need a little extra push to get me through it, so I'm hopeful. Had good news on the TB test as well. It was negative. As hard as it is to know that my husband was exposed to TB, it's a great relief to know that he didn't expose us. To have 4 of us on antibiotics for 6 to 9 months straight could be nerve-wracking to say the least. So we are both quite thankful.
Stopped at a couple of thrift stores while I was out today. I haven't been in a thrift store in months. I almost got some suitcases, because we do need some, and all we have are duffel bags. However, they weren't sporting a clearance/markdown tag, so I passed on them. They were still a good buy. Only $7 each, but I just decided to skip it. I did get 4 pieces of stemware to go with our good dishes. A couple of ours got broken while the good dishes were stored on the kitchen countertop for the last year and a half.
The new glasses don't really match the ones that broke, but they coordinate, so they'll work. The ones we had were solid blue. These are a clear glass with a blue foot and stem. They'll work. And when we have the newlyweds over, we'll all be able to share a little sparkling apple cider or SquirrelAide. SquirrelAide has been a holiday tradition in our house since we got married. It's just half Squirt and half KoolAid, but it's just so yummy! The grapefruit flavor of the Squirt gives it a nice little kick that other lemon-lime sodas don't. We'll be set for our next holiday toast as soon as I get the glasses washed, bleached and put away with the holiday dishes.
I spied a really big bag of all sorts of craft stuff for $4.99 at the one thrift store. It had a myriad of craft goodies in it. A new roll of magnetic tape, a couple skeins of new raffia, several yards of 3"wide lace, lots of pony beads, a couple new rolls of metal raffia and lots and lots of buttons as well as several other tantalizing tidbits that I was drawn to. I'm always attracted to craft stuff. I'm physically drawn to it and visualize everything I'm going to make with it within seconds of seeing what I have to work with. I looked at the bag of goodies for less than 30 seconds and decided to put it back. I have enough craft stuff in the storage pod on the driveway to last me my entire life. So I put it back and walked out with nothing from the second thrift store.
I still want to get the suitcases this weekend, if they're still there, because they'll be 50% off, but I don't need anything else. And I'm not going to feel bad, if I can't find suitcases right now. Duffel bags will work fine until things settle down. Eventually, though, I'd like to get some hard sided suitcases and paint pictures on the outsides for the girls, so they'd have very unique suitcases for when we travel. It will happen. Someday. I'm okay, if it's not anytime soon. I have enough on my plate right now.
Other than running to the doctor, doing a little window shopping at the thrift stores and picking up my medicine, I didn't do too much today. The wind was whipping up really bad, and it took several neighborhood trees down. Didn't feel like being under a tree when it snapped, so I just grabbed my unplanted veggies that had fallen and put them in a safe place out of wind's way. I did get a couple of loads of laundry done and some heavier cleaning in one of the bathrooms, but nothing impressive.
Oh. And I got to watch the LOST series finale. I'll miss the show. It's a wee bit like saying goodbye to a friend. Not a sad goodbye. Just a goodbye.
I'm hoping I'll have gotten some sleep tonight and can get a bit more accomplished tomorrow. It's the last day of school, so I'll take the girls somewhere for ice cream, as is the tradition, and do what I can when we get back home. And I'm even okay, if nothing gets done tomorrow. I'll be spending some time with my girls.
Funsies to all!
Showing posts with label TB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TB. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
How embarrasing. I'm red in the face!
When I saw my doctor yesterday to get my TB test, I decided to have him listen to my breathing. We've been sick with a lot of coughing around here, and it's been really hard to try to get under control. He said that I have asthmatic bronchitis. He figures it's viral, but he also doesn't want it to get any worse. So I'm back on steroids and a cough suppressant. The last time I had asthmatic bronchitis and it wasn't bacterial I ended up in the hospital. No sense in repeating that!
Unfortunately, the meds are keeping me wide awake. All. Night. Long. By the time I'm done with the meds in a few days, I'll be a walking zombie. While the meds keep my mind awake, they don't give me any energy. And they make me more than a bit irritable. And they make me gain weight, which I really don't need. I've gained close to 30 pounds in the last year due to steroids. It packs on a lot more quickly than it comes off. But they're a necessary evil. I'd rather gain a little weight and still be breathing and not in the hospital.
And although I didn't get sunburned when we were out shopping for garden plants today, the medicine makes me look like I have a 3rd degree sunburn on my face. It feels like one, too. So tomorrow when I go out to plant my upside down tomatoes and my strawberries and my peppers, I'll be wearing sunscreen, a big old floppy hat, and a great big grin!
After we took Hopper and Scooter to have their TB tests read, (thankfully, they were negative!), we went garden shopping. I found some small tomato plants packed in 9 count containers for $3. They're pretty small, but they're easier to use in the upside down planters anyway. I got a few larger ones as well, so we'll have staggered harvests. And I got a few varieties of peppers we haven't tried before. All in all, we got chocolate, purple, red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers as well as some banana peppers. Decided to try some yellow tomatoes again this year, too.
Lastly, we got some strawberries as well. We couldn't find any bare root strawberries, but I did find some 4 packs of 5 to 7" tall plants for $4. The one nursery was charging $4 for a single plant, and strawberries typically take off pretty well, so I think we made a good choice. The Bugster* got the holes all filled in the crown moulding and baseboards downstairs today, so I'll have her help me outside tomorrow. We'll have to drill more holes in some of the buckets to make them into strawberry planters, but it will be nice to keep them on the umbrella and out of the squirrels' reach!
Hopper begged to get some onion sets, so we could plant some onions, so of course I obliged! She LOVES onions just like her mama. When I was little, I used to sit on the counter and talk to my older sister while she watched dishes. I would enjoy her company and eat an onion like it was an apple. Hopper is the same way and always has to have several bites of onion when I'm slicing or dicing them for cooking. Onions also help with asthma, so I'll have to make sure we baby those little sets until they're big juicy onions ready to enjoy!
I'm so looking forward to fresh veggies from the umbrella garden this year! It's hard to beat fresh veggies grown in your own backyard!
*I changed our oldest daughter's nickname to The Bugster or Bugster. If you're interested you can read why here.
Unfortunately, the meds are keeping me wide awake. All. Night. Long. By the time I'm done with the meds in a few days, I'll be a walking zombie. While the meds keep my mind awake, they don't give me any energy. And they make me more than a bit irritable. And they make me gain weight, which I really don't need. I've gained close to 30 pounds in the last year due to steroids. It packs on a lot more quickly than it comes off. But they're a necessary evil. I'd rather gain a little weight and still be breathing and not in the hospital.
And although I didn't get sunburned when we were out shopping for garden plants today, the medicine makes me look like I have a 3rd degree sunburn on my face. It feels like one, too. So tomorrow when I go out to plant my upside down tomatoes and my strawberries and my peppers, I'll be wearing sunscreen, a big old floppy hat, and a great big grin!
After we took Hopper and Scooter to have their TB tests read, (thankfully, they were negative!), we went garden shopping. I found some small tomato plants packed in 9 count containers for $3. They're pretty small, but they're easier to use in the upside down planters anyway. I got a few larger ones as well, so we'll have staggered harvests. And I got a few varieties of peppers we haven't tried before. All in all, we got chocolate, purple, red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers as well as some banana peppers. Decided to try some yellow tomatoes again this year, too.
Lastly, we got some strawberries as well. We couldn't find any bare root strawberries, but I did find some 4 packs of 5 to 7" tall plants for $4. The one nursery was charging $4 for a single plant, and strawberries typically take off pretty well, so I think we made a good choice. The Bugster* got the holes all filled in the crown moulding and baseboards downstairs today, so I'll have her help me outside tomorrow. We'll have to drill more holes in some of the buckets to make them into strawberry planters, but it will be nice to keep them on the umbrella and out of the squirrels' reach!
Hopper begged to get some onion sets, so we could plant some onions, so of course I obliged! She LOVES onions just like her mama. When I was little, I used to sit on the counter and talk to my older sister while she watched dishes. I would enjoy her company and eat an onion like it was an apple. Hopper is the same way and always has to have several bites of onion when I'm slicing or dicing them for cooking. Onions also help with asthma, so I'll have to make sure we baby those little sets until they're big juicy onions ready to enjoy!
I'm so looking forward to fresh veggies from the umbrella garden this year! It's hard to beat fresh veggies grown in your own backyard!
*I changed our oldest daughter's nickname to The Bugster or Bugster. If you're interested you can read why here.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
An update here. An update there.
We never got a call back yesterday from the code enforcement officer. It must have been a really busy day. It made for a restless night last night. Very little sleep. However, the phone rang at 7:45 this morning, and it was her.
When my husband explained things to her, (that the neighbor was upset about dandelions more than anything) she was very understanding. She extended the time we have to the end of July without hesitation. Apparently, the 'setback' that was mentioned in the letter just meant that the storage pod was too close to the street. However, it's not blocking the sidewalk or anything, so she said she can let it go until we get it emptied out. We will be done for sure by the end of July. She'll come back out and inspect then.
She also said that the next time the woman next door starts giving us grief about things in our yard to just call her, since we have her phone number. She said that it's almost always someone who's mad at someone else who makes the calls. And she said she doesn't have time to deal with dandelions. She also said that the pile of pallets we have stacked up on the side of the house can stay, if it's 'usable wood'. It is.
I was talking to a friend about the whole situation today, and she said someone called on them a few years ago. She happened to go outside when the code enforcement officer was there to talk to her about things. The woman was very friendly and gave her an extension as well. She said that in her case the person who was calling was likely a realtor. Apparently several houses up and down the street had been reported, and when that happens it's usually a realtor who's trying to sell a house.
Jerks.
Breathing a little easier from the whole code enforcement situation.
Holding our breath on another.
My husband tested positive for TB when he had his physical a few days ago. We got the results right before the close of business yesterday. So we had to take the girls in to be tested this morning, and I'll go tomorrow. We won't have all the results until Monday.
Apparently, the positive result just means that he's been exposed to tuberculosis not that he has an active case. His chest x-rays must have shown that he does not have an active case, because the doctor said he's not contagious. Regardless, he has to be on antibiotics for 6 months in order to eradicate it. Even with antibiotic treatment there's a relapse rate of 2 to 5%. Not too bad, I suppose, but he'll have to be monitored with x-rays for the rest of his life.
It makes sense that he was exposed to it given his line of work, but I was surprised to find out that the bacteria can live for several months in the dust and air or on a hard surface. Makes those antibacterial wipes at the grocery store they put out to wipe your cart down even more appealing, doesn't it?
Onto a totally different subject...
I'm very thankful somebody mentioned D-Ribose for my fibromyalgia. Between that and the L-Theanine my friend mentioned, my fibro is not flaring. And considering the stress we've been under the last few weeks, that's absolutely amazing! So thanks to both of you!
My body and I appreciate it more than you can know!
When my husband explained things to her, (that the neighbor was upset about dandelions more than anything) she was very understanding. She extended the time we have to the end of July without hesitation. Apparently, the 'setback' that was mentioned in the letter just meant that the storage pod was too close to the street. However, it's not blocking the sidewalk or anything, so she said she can let it go until we get it emptied out. We will be done for sure by the end of July. She'll come back out and inspect then.
She also said that the next time the woman next door starts giving us grief about things in our yard to just call her, since we have her phone number. She said that it's almost always someone who's mad at someone else who makes the calls. And she said she doesn't have time to deal with dandelions. She also said that the pile of pallets we have stacked up on the side of the house can stay, if it's 'usable wood'. It is.
I was talking to a friend about the whole situation today, and she said someone called on them a few years ago. She happened to go outside when the code enforcement officer was there to talk to her about things. The woman was very friendly and gave her an extension as well. She said that in her case the person who was calling was likely a realtor. Apparently several houses up and down the street had been reported, and when that happens it's usually a realtor who's trying to sell a house.
Jerks.
Breathing a little easier from the whole code enforcement situation.
Holding our breath on another.
My husband tested positive for TB when he had his physical a few days ago. We got the results right before the close of business yesterday. So we had to take the girls in to be tested this morning, and I'll go tomorrow. We won't have all the results until Monday.
Apparently, the positive result just means that he's been exposed to tuberculosis not that he has an active case. His chest x-rays must have shown that he does not have an active case, because the doctor said he's not contagious. Regardless, he has to be on antibiotics for 6 months in order to eradicate it. Even with antibiotic treatment there's a relapse rate of 2 to 5%. Not too bad, I suppose, but he'll have to be monitored with x-rays for the rest of his life.
It makes sense that he was exposed to it given his line of work, but I was surprised to find out that the bacteria can live for several months in the dust and air or on a hard surface. Makes those antibacterial wipes at the grocery store they put out to wipe your cart down even more appealing, doesn't it?
Onto a totally different subject...
I'm very thankful somebody mentioned D-Ribose for my fibromyalgia. Between that and the L-Theanine my friend mentioned, my fibro is not flaring. And considering the stress we've been under the last few weeks, that's absolutely amazing! So thanks to both of you!
My body and I appreciate it more than you can know!
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