Monday ER

 April 8

steps 3000

Monday, we got into the car for Tommy's appointment. The seat felt damp. Then, I put my hand on the seat--a puddle. We kept going.

Tommy's doctor would not send a wheelchair for me, so Tommy told them he would not come alone.

Off we went to ER. The wound was enflamed and hurting. 

We were sent to big rooms, tiny rooms, all over.

Okay, skipping ahead to over four hours later. 

The male NP said he did not have a room for me so he could examine the wound in my groin. Nurse suggested I could take pants and panties off, stand, spread my legs so he could see the wound. !!!! What country am I in?  She was not a nurse, somebody who pushes wheelchairs.

NP said it was most private room he had. In order to escape, I agreed to sit in one of the big chairs with wooden arms. I took off clothes in this room full of everything but a bed. I wanted a towel and the NP was frustrated, demanding to know why I needed a towel? "So I don't have to sit on this plastic chair,"

Then, I noticed a window shade was open! This is a nightmare. He almost closed it. Tommy did not volunteer that it was still open. 

Picture this. No, don't. I sat in the big chair wearing no panties or pants, slid forward a bit, threw left  leg over the chair arm, and held right groin open while the doctor squatted with a flashlight! horrors. 

He gave me a round of antibiotics. There is more, but shoulder hurts.

Car still wet. I was soaked to the skin and could not wait to peel them off after sitting in wet clothes all day.

Stocking Up because of Tariffs?

april 6 

steps 3000

My legs were in pain, so I walked 3000 steps to relieve the pain. Hope it works. I used a slow pace. Hopefully, I have not damaged healing to wound or vein. 

Tommy only bought a 9-pound pork butt, not 19 lb. Sorry. He froze 3 bags of 2 meals in each one. So, six meals frozen. He will freeze some of the meat cooked in cooking bag. When I eat chicken breasts, he will have pork.

I slept longer last night and sounder. I believe the lack of sleep lately helped me to sleep last night. The 1 mg of melatonin and half a Percocet helped, too. 

Reading about people stocking up before the price increases has gotten me to thinking about that more. We will not stop eating some things. Other things would be foods we would leave off. However, I don't want to stop eating pecans or prunes. So, I have overstocked on prunes and pecans and popcorn. The popcorn is Orville Redenbacher's air popcorn in a jar. We use nothing on it, no salt or butter. We eat it two or three times a week. I eat prunes and pecans every night. I fear we would eat other fattening things if we don't have our regular snacks. 

Oh, we won't give up fruit as a snack. I wonder- how high bananas will go?

We will see. Are you stocking up on anything because of tariffs? Any thoughts? I made a mistake in that my pecans and prunes are from USA. Probably, there will be some increase in cost for some reason that tariffs affect. 

Tommy Cooks By Himself

 Today, I have felt so awful, just no energy or motivation. I did not sleep well last night. Melatonin makes me feel terrible  the next day.

The pork butt needed to be cook ed now. I told him he needed to do it. It was too big for the crock pot or a cooking bag on a pan. So, he cooked it by cutting it in half. I told him what to put on the halves and he did. Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder on both pieces. He put a bottle of water in the crock pot and half a bottle of water in the cooking bag. 

He has seen me do this before, so he needed very little instructions. Then, he peeled potatoes and carrots. I was in no mood to slice an onion. Even though my right arm was hurting so, I chose to the clean up the potatoes and carrots after he peeled them. I don't trust him to get all black places from potatoes.

So, he cooked 18 pounds of pork and as many carrots and potatoes as he chose. While that was cooking, I had a huge salad, grated cheese, prunes, and pecans. I had meat, half carrot, and small piece of potato when the meal was done. 

Later, he cooked me three cookies from refrigerated section in Publix. We had a half glass of milk. 

That was all I ate except for half a glass of milk this morning and one piece of bread. 

Right now, I feel better because the melatonin has worn off. Tommy is insisting I go to doctor for my elbow and for the wound in groin. Plus, breathing is difficult like when I had the blood clots.

My weight loss has not progressed. I was taking oxycodone and intestines not working as I wish! 

The temp out today was somewhere in mid 80s. Nice. Of course, we have to have bad weather after it is warm. 

Three times today, I have received a call from my bank saying they need to confirm a transaction with my bank by checking my account info. The third time, they wanted to know last four numbers of my account, My bank will want to know about this.

I think it is time to take the shamrock down from the door!

I slept well

 The Percocet is not very strong. I cannot sleep well when I take it. I remain awake just barely and restless. Thursday night I decided to take the  Percocet and melatonin. It worked. I slept over eight hours. 

I also slept on my back so shoulder would not be in a strain and pain. I had to lie with feet pointed out so toes would not be mashed by blankets. 

We planned to go to Cullman to get the forms and instructions for filing our taxes. We could not find them down here. Of course, I have been encouraging Tommy to pick them up from a library nearby. But, it is done. Tommy needed to go in PO to pay for my PO box. We got a burger and headed home after we ate. 

I slept for three hours and we went grocery shopping. Four bags of salad fixings were the top of my list--blueberries,  2 cottage cheese, 2cabbages, two jars of Orville Redenbacher's air pop popcorn, 4 bananas, cookie dough, Special K, bread, maybe something else.

Something strange has happened to my right hip, the one I fell onto that never hurt for four days. I thought someone in icu had hit my hip point and asked them what they did. Well, nothing. After they left the room. i had a huge pain again. Now, there is a huge knot and lots of pain. Tommy says there is a big bruise.  

My lymphedema leg pumps are sitting idle since I am afraid to use the pressure on the wound. I am not suppose to use upper legs and pelvis to exercise or do anything strenuous. Pedaling is out, too.

Keep your fingers crossed I can sleep. 

I will try to type

 But, there  will be no edits.

I have felt so bad today that I wanted nothing healthy to eat. However, I did not resort to junk food. I decided I wanted grilled cheese. I asked if he would try to make it for me if I helped him. He agreed. 

I am not a good slicer. When I have torn or shoulder, I am even worse at slicing. He brought everything to me and then took cheese back in kitchen sliced. When I got everything assembled in the skillet, I told him to cook it low and show if he was not going to stay with it. He did cook it low until I came in and turned it up. I told him to cook it higher like I had it since cheese would be already melted. 

He came in looking proud of the perfect grilled cheese on plate. He said, "Now, I am going to make one for me now that I know how." It was cute. He had never made a grilled cheese sandwich before! I suppose I should not be surprised. 

Dinner was drawn out, not a cohesive meal--grilled cheese sandwich, cabbage, strawberries, pecans, 3 prunes, 1/2 banana. I ate one food at a  time.

I forced myself to type this. 

On the phone, my family doctor told me this was too mist for his office, so I need to find another doctor. 

Tommy looked at the incision for me. It is inflamed and painful, unlike when it was done originally. So, need help with help. 

Temp in high 80s. Had hair colored at shop. $85 + $20 tip. I really look great...lol. Since I cannot raise right arm to apply color or wash my hair, I had no choice. 

Exhausted and in pain!

I Forgot

 I have appointment next week for  post-surgery appointment. I would rather have this arm amputated than endure the pain!

Given To Me

 I asked a nurse if they had a toothbrush I could have. She brought me a little kidney-shaped container with toothpaste, toothbrush, and mouthwash. After that it a seemingly steady stream of items given to me--socks with sticky dots so I would not fall, a thermometer, three pair of panties I had let lie because I did not know they were mine, 4 sample boxes of Eliquis, a tube of Mupirocin, inhalation powder and inhaler, other meds. There were lots more things I forgot. Oh, three diapers, not panties.

The hospital would not allow me to bring a tiny refrigerator to put food in my room. Made to strip in front of double glass doors, told only staff was out there ever. Well, Tommy was allowed to walk through when he came to visit. This it is a violation of Hipaa. Cannot find evidence. 

Good news--my family doctor finally got several wheelchairs, so I can get into the building. he is close to me.  I feel worse, so glad for this news. 

gotta go