A step forward

I tried sleeping in the recliner at Dad's but it wasn't as comfortable as a bed. Then I accidentally hit the vibrate button. That was lovely! But it didn't last. Finally I turned off the router and printer, and slept in the back bedroom.
I must have fallen asleep pretty fast. I woke up from a dream, hearing a rustling sound behind the bed. That got my attention. I got up and put together an outfit for Dad. I chose a blood donor t-shirt because so many people come to take his blood. I made breakfast and packed a lunch. As I left in the car, I stopped to pick up the mail.
I think I reached the hospital around 4:30. It was below freezing and I had to buzz security to let me in. Thankfully it only took a minute or two. I rolled my carry-on up to the 5th floor to Dad's room. It was dark and quiet. I saw Dad in bed and a blanket-wrapped figure on a reclining chair – which wasn't there when I left. I quietly sat in a chair next to Faye and spoke softly to wake her up so she could go home. But it was Kevin that answered. I was so thankful that he came and Faye was at home sleeping. I sat quietly, hoping he would go back to sleep and I could fall asleep. But he checked his phone and tablet, exposing the room to bright blue light. He paced back and forth. He told me how the night nurse had brought the reclining chair up from another floor for him.
Dad started pulling his gown off. Thankfully there were no IV's or heart leads to pull at. He was not in a state of reason. He tried to pull the gown over his feet like pants. So I took the gown and handed him a pair of Depends. He put that on and calmed down.
Kevin took me to the small cafeteria to show me the snacks and drinks and coffee machine. I spotted a piano in the corner and suggested he come sometime with his dulcimer and play for the patients. He started playing the piano (at 6am). I was so embarrassed that I went back and sat by Dad. He was back before long.
I sat back to doze, but a tech came in to test Dad's blood sugar, waking him up. He had just gone back to sleep when another tech came to take three vials of blood. I noticed that Dad's shoulder was blue. But it did not seem to hurt him.
After a while Kevin left and I was grateful for the reclining chair. Go Kevin. Someone came to check Dad's bp. I pointed out the blue shoulder and he examined it, and said he would mention it to the doctor. It was light out now, so Dad wanted to get dressed. That was OT's business, so we worked on dentures and then the breakfast that came just after 7. Dad was antsy that he might not finish in time for his 8am appt. He ate a fig bar before breakfast came. I fed him until the RN raised the table to where Dad could feed himself. I texted Kurt and took notes until The RN took his BP again.
Allie the OT came to access his bathing. She thought the shoulder should be x-rayd. She asked him a bunch of questions about his living conditions. She mentioned that her mother took Metamucil instead of statins. He shaved for her, but the shaver needed charging. She checked his sitting and standing blood pressure – both the same but low.
The nurse practitioner checked the blue shoulder and discovered that it came off with alcohol. Andrew came by from General Medicine to say hello. Nathan came by with a schedule. Dad and I worked on tomorrow's menu, writing it in Faye's notebook.
PT Heather arrived. She asked questions and and tested his various muscle strengths. She promised to get him signed up for speech therapy which has a neuro component.

Rehab - finally

Faye arrived about 7:30. We talked for a bit and then I drove home, nearly running into another car that I did not see. I ate the last chicken leg, then made two breakfasts: one to eat and one to take along tomorrow. I watered the plants and took a bath. I put portions of two casseroles in a container for lunch. I put a fig bar and a jar of peanut butter in my carry-on for Dad. I sat down to write my blog post. There wasn't time to finish. I put the carry-on in the car and went back to the hospital. There was ice on the windshield, but I did not have time to scrape it off.
When I got there, it was just after 10 and the doors were locked. I obeyed the sign and called Security. Then I waited in the cold for them to arrive. Thankfully, a couple was coming out and I was able to get in without frostbite.
I met Faye in the room and we discussed the day until 11, then she left. Dad wanted to watch his favorite show which came on at midnight. So we stayed up. I fixed myself a bed on the reclining chair. I showed him how to turn the TV on and off, and had him practice that. We also practice raising and lowering the head of the bed. I had him call the nurse to get his chuck changed. Then I retired, hopefully leaving him feeling empowered enough to take charge of his environment. Earlier I had heard him tell the nurse that he had nightmares about being surrounded by people doing things he didn't understand.
So we both went to sleep, though it took me longer. As people came and went during the night, I would open one uncomprehending eye. By the time it registered who they were and why they were there, they were gone. I woke for real at 5:30 hearing Dad breathing heavy and fidgeting. I got up to check. His cath was leaking and he had taken off all his coverings, his watch, and an IV sock. I called the nurse, who said he'd done it earlier and they left him because he seemed to prefer it. She changed the cath, hung up a new bag of IV. He said he was hungry, so I ordered breakfast. Room Service refused to let us have V8 because she said Dad was on a heart healthy low sodium diet. The calcium chews were on the table. Faye said I could not give him them. But who knows what happened when I turned my back to answer Kurt's text. The nurse called to confirm the dietary restriction.
I worked with his dentures, trying to obey his directions even though he kept forgetting the steps I had already done. He was not quite ready when breakfast arrived. Almost immediately, the pastor appeared. There was a very loquacious tech cleaning the room. Dad started eating. The tech left when she finished and the pastor left a little later. Then I pulled out my breakfast and ate, too. I washed some blueberries for us both. His catheter started leaking again, but he did not want to stop eating. The OT tech stopped by, but said she could come back after he ate.
Dad insisted that I order lunch right away. So I ordered what I was going to order yesterday for delivery at 1. The OT tech came by to give him a bath and maybe see if he could bathe himself. I went to the visitor's center, which was empty, and did stretches. I came back and she said it went well. She was going to submit a recommendation for rehab. I sat down with Dad afterward, and wrote notes for my blog. Then a PT came. She put a gait belt on him and took him for a walk. I had to follow with a chair in case he got tired. She said he was almost too good to go to rehab. Dad wanted to hug her so she did. She also wrote a recommendation. Later Hannah came by to say Dad was cleared for Rehab and was just waiting for a room. She brought a cart to carry our stuff. It was almost lunch time. I gave Dad a fig bar and a banana. I started packing our stuff.
Rehab services would not start until tomorrow so Dad felt today was wasted. Dad put on his shoes. It took a long time but he did it himself. I tried to catch up on blog notes. My phone was low, and I had no cord to recharge it, so I shut it off. I took my homeopathic remedies. Lunch arrived a minute before Hannah came by to get him for rehab but said it could wait until after lunch. Dad ate his lunch and I ate mine. I watched him eat, but did not help him even though he had some difficulty. It was a big lunch and I wish he'd had it last night so he would not have woken up hungry. I realized I could go home to charge my phone, but I wanted to be here when he moves. My back was hurting and I got spasms. I told Dad I needed to sleep in a real bed tonight. He seemed reluctant to give me up.
Another lady came and said Rehab wanted him now. So he broke away from lunch (which he had been eating for an hour) to take a wheelchair ride. I grabbed the yogurt and almond milk from the tray to take along. We got into a nearby elevator and went to the 5th floor. The room was nearby the nurse's station. The tech put him in bed, which did not make him happy. The new (male) nurse said the #1 rule was not to get out of bed without professional help. Dad had no cath, just sat on a chuck. The nurse gave us quite the introduction. Dad needed changing. The nurse changed him and left. 10 minutes later he needed changing again. I had him make the call so he could learn to do it if I weren't there. It happened a third time. After the tech had gone, a doctor came. He asked a lot of questions, including the ones Dad answered every day: what day is it, what year is it, who is the president, what is your name, where are you? The only one he got wrong was the day of the week. He also asked how Dad got groceries and did he drive? After he left, I showed Dad the menu with the goal of having him order his own supper. We picked out which items he would like and I wrote them down. Then he dialed the phone as I recited the numbers. But he wanted me to speak the order. I ordered the Mediterranean sandwich, but they said it was not on the heart healthy menu. So we got the oven-roasted vegetable wraps again, plus assorted cooked vegetables. It seems like a lot of veggies, but the meat dishes were not on his diet. While we waited, he wanted his upper denture out. I took it out and wrapped it in paper towels. My back hurt and I tried to contact Faye with the tablet. But I could not get it to do that. The mobile apps were so different from the computer programs. I went into the bathroom and cried where he could not see me. I went back to try again. Then he wanted his denture back and was not happy that I hadn't cleaned it. I started to cry. He rubbed my elbow. Then I turned my phone on, expecting it to die at any minute. I called William but he could not come. I saw that Faye had texted she'd be here in 10 minutes.
When the meal came, it was big. I could not raise the table or lower the bed to fit under it, so he had to scooch to the side to eat. And eat he did. I offered to chew it for him, and he invited me to eat some green beans, so I did. Faye did come, when she found the room. We talked about the events of today and what we expected for tomorrow. I told her I hurt too badly to sleep in a chair again tonight. She said she would stay even though she had to work tomorrow. She said it was more important to be there at night when he might try to get out of bed, than during the day when he was surrounded by people. I didn't see how either of us could afford to be there all night.
Then I went back to Dad's house. It was awfully cold. I ate some nuts and grapes. I listened to the rest of a podcast while writing up my blog post from my notes. I called Chris and told him my dilemma. He said I was no good to anyone if my back went out. I called Faye. Dad set off the bed alarm while we were talking. And Faye had to go get someone to shut it off. So the response time was not good. I called Kevin and asked him to spend the night. He said no, but I hoped he would reconsider. Then I went to bed.
* This is the PT tech. Seems all the female techs and nurses like Dad. *

A day delay

I don't remember what happened last night when I got to the hospital. I am certain I talked to Faye for a while. Then she left. I stayed up with Dad. He was ready to turn in for the night. I turned off the TV and was trying to get him comfortable and he gave me a snarky answer. The night nurse gave him some lip about it. She took out the garbage and put a note in our file to skip the 4am garbage collection. I liked her right off.
I arranged pillows and a rolled up blanket on the reclining chair and laid down. I had the mp3 earphones around my neck, but I never used them. Dad fell asleep first, or at least I think he did. It is hard to tell sometimes. There were several visits during the night, but less than before. Dad woke up and started pulling at his gown and heart monitor and such. He was in a highly anxious state. I fought with him for 20 minutes to keep his gown on and leave attachments alone. He kept saying he wanted to wear pants. His head bandage was gone. I rang the nurse to get another one, but no one came. Finally an alarm went off and the nurse appeared. I thought it was because a lead was disconnected but she said it was the bed alarm when I leaned on the edge. She was unimpressed by his behavior, and said they all do it. So I guess had I not been there, Dad would have thrashed alone in the dark until he set off an alarm. Even then, they would just fix it and leave. He calmed down after I convinced him he could pee through the catheter and he did.
He had just gone to sleep, when a lady came to take vials of blood – about 6am. I begged for mercy and she said she'd come back later. (Two hours later a man came and took Dad's blood.) The diet dept called for a breakfast order and I said same as yesterday. The hospitalist came in. I told him how well Dad did yesterday and asked about the results of the ultrasound. He said he didn't know. He had a student with him. Breakfast arrived and I had to get Dad's dentures ready. He was very specific in how he wanted them handled. Then he would insist on me doing steps I had already done because he didn't remember I had done it. A lady came in at 9:30 and said Dad should fast between 10 and 2 for a CTA which required dye. I asked what that was about and she said I would have to talk to the doctor. She brought the hospitalist back. He explained that Dad had blood clots in both legs and they were looking for clots in the lungs. He said they also scheduled a procedure for putting a filter into the inferior vena cava, going through the inner thigh. I was disappointed and frustrated that rehab was being moved back by a day (or more?) So Dad stopped eating about 10:10. The diet dept called for his lunch order and I said he was having a procedure at 2. They said to call for lunch when he got back. I forget what we did then,. I think I joined fleece strips together by hand to make a ball, and he slept.
But someone came at 12:30 to take him to angioplasty. I said it hadn't been 4 hours. The lady talked to the nurse who said it was for the filter procedure not the CTA. So I gathered my most expensive possessions and followed Dad to Radiology.
I sat by him in a curtain room. He said his mouth hurt. He was not allowed to have water, so I offered to take out his dentures. I wrapped them in paper towels. A radiologist explained the procedure of inserting a filter going through the neck to the inferior vena cava. He said the neck was a better spot than the leg. He also needed me to sign consent forms, knowing that I did not have power of attorney. I had to check the box that they would use means to resuscitate Dad if needed. He said we would be given an appointment 6 weeks hence to remove the filter.
I waited until they took Dad to do the procedure. The nurse explained how to get back to the room and I waited there, reading. I also made out a lunch and dinner order from the menu. I was told it was a 15 minute procedure and he would be brought back immediately following it. But the time dragged on and I got worried. 2 pm came and left. It occurred to me that they kept him for the CTA. And that is what happened, but I did not see him again until almost 4. He was hungry, wet, and upset at being left somewhere all alone for a period of time. I immediately ordered him lunch, but the diet dept said it was supper time and they would send it by 4:30. And they did. By that time the nurses got him cleaned up and in a new gown with clean sheets. He was sitting up and arguing over the proper prep of his dentures. It took awhile to get him to the eating stage. I asked them if he could be walked later and they said yes. He ate his supper while I tried not to be emotional. I was tired and hungry. He gave me some of his carrot and celery sticks, saying they were hard to eat. The cod and spinach I had ordered for him were so small that the plate was mostly empty. It was a good thing I had food on the side.
Finally the nurse came to check on him and I asked again about walking him. She said how about in 10 minutes because he was eating a fig bar. She left and he got ancy because time was so short. I explained that there was nothing for us to do to get ready. He wanted his shoes and socks on, so I put them on. Then he insisted I sit in the hall and flag the nurse down to tell her he was ready. I refused because I was tired and there was no chair. Then she showed up, ready to take him. I got the walker and she disconnected him from the IV (oh yeah, he came back with an IV that was running incredibly slowly. It was faster to have him drink water). She clipped the urine bag to the walker and put a gown across his back. We took him into the hall and let him walk as he wished. He walked a lot. Then we put him back in bed. But then he wanted to sit on the toilet, so we got a potty chair next to the bed and sat him on it. The nurse left. He was not happy with what he passed. (more later, gotta run)

From bedridden to walking

Faye did not leave when I got there. She was discussing 'the big meeting' with the night nurse. But neither of them knew when the 'big meeting' to discuss Dad's immediate future would be. That left Faye wondering if she should go to work tomorrow, knowing she might miss it, or should she miss work and maybe the meeting would be late in the day or not till Tuesday. Dad asked me to explain to him what they were talking about.
Later, after the nurse left, I noticed Dad's hands were dry and chapped. So I handed him a bar of beeswax hand lotion to moisten them. Faye said that was a no-no since the nurse was obligated to chart everything that touched the patient.
Eventually Faye went home to sleep and then go to work the next day. Dad seemed to be resting, so I settled down to sleep in a reclining chair. It was not that comfortable and there was a blue light in the ceiling overhead that shown directly down on my face. I had put my eyeshades on Dad so I partially covered my face with the blanket. The nurse had put inflating sleeves on his legs. The machine that alternately inflated each one, encouraging circulation, made a loud beep every 13 seconds. It was quite irritating. It kept me awake, and either the sound or the feel of tightness kept Dad awake. I could have worn earplugs, but I wanted to be able to respond to Dad.
Actually he fell asleep before I did. But people would come in during the night to take his vitals or take out the trash and turn on the lights. Sometimes they turned them off again, and sometimes I had to get up and do it. So our sleep, such as it was, was interrupted.
We were awakened at 4:30. I was groggy and Dad was out of it. For some reason they decided to change out his catheter. But he fought them and it didn't stay on so they threw it out. He said he was in a nightmare movie. He was confused and accused me of keeping him that way. I told him I was doing everything I could to prolong his life and he said he didn't want to live in that state of confusion. That made me cry since I often feel the same way.
A nurse came with his meds, including Synthroid. But he refused to take it since it was not his GP that prescribed it. She and I both tried to change his mind, but to no avail.
He had to go, so I brought him a urinal. But he wanted his hips raised and I did not know how to make the bed do that. He asked why I didn't make it happen. As the darkness receded, he asked for the catheter so he could void. I pressed the call button on the bed, and waited. Finally I pressed the one on the remote. A voice answered and I asked for a catheter. The voice promised to call the nurse. But no one came. Again, Dad wanted to know why I didn't make it happen. He also kept asking for pants because everyone else had pants on.
Finally the hospitalist came in. I am not familiar with that term, but he was an MD. I was trying to help my dad with the urinal, and finally the MD took over. He knew how to make the bed slant downward. Faye might have been there by then because MCV said they had enough people today and could spare her.
The diet people called to ask for our breakfast order. I asked for same as yesterday, but switched out the frosted flakes for cheerios. It arrived soon, but he wasn't ready to eat.
I don't remember everything in order, but it seems like not long after, we got a phone call for the lunch order and again, I asked for same as yesterday and they knew what that was. Or maybe Faye answered that time. The regular nurse tried putting on the condom catheter and it did not stay. She had to clean him up. She took his gown off and wiped him all over and covered him with a towel. There was screaming nearby and she left to handle it. Dad was very unhappy. He wanted to put pants on. Finally a catheter expert came by. She said they were using the wrong size. She got him fixed up and covered with a clean gown, resting on a fresh chuck.
Two ladies from PT came by to see how Dad was doing. Faye suggested he would do better if they put shoes on him. So they did. And he remained flat-footed on the floor when they stood him up, but he would not move his weight over his feet, so finally they sat him back on the bed. It was disappointing. But Faye must have noticed something because she insisted they give him another try, and with a walker. One lady popped out and came back with one. They stood him up and helped him walk over to the door and back. He wanted to do it all by himself and walked again, upset that they would not completely let go of him. And then, they all walked out into the hall. He walked down one hall and up the next, around the nurse's station and back to the room, much to everyone's astonishment. He claimed he was not tired, at least not physically. They sat him in a chair, and we pulled the breakfast tray over. They left and we watched Dad eat scrambled eggs with his right hand, which he did not use yesterday. He ate quickly and we wondered if lunch was coming before he finished breakfast. Faye went to tour the 5th floor, which is where rehab patients live short term to gain strength. The PT ladies had said he might be able to go home with only two weeks of rehab.
The case worker came by with forms to sign. One was for an evaluation for rehab on the fifth floor and the other was notification of Medicare rights. They were simple enough but Dad wanted Faye to read him each line over and over while he picked the words apart to be sure he wasn't signing his life away somehow. The case worker could not convince him that Medicare would pay for it, so she left while Faye and Dad poured over the document. I worried that this would slow down scheduling the eval, which was needed to get him on the schedule for rehab. Dad signed the first one and gave it to the case worker. He moved on to studying the second one, then insisted on a copy of the first one. So I tracked the case worker to her office and got her to copy it for him. Eventually he signed the other one and I delivered it to her personally. I explained that he was worried about missing something in the wording and being so very careful about what he signs. She asked if this was new and I said no. She seemed to think it was a bad sign.
Dad finished breakfast while I was gone and someone came to finish up some assessment that she had started earlier, testing muscle strength. Faye stayed with Dad and I went home.
I was really tired, but also hungry and it was after 1. I brought in the trash can and picked up the mail. I told Dad's GP what happened to Dad, and that he wanted a note saying it was ok to take the Synthroid. I made and ate breakfast and put on an audio and laid down.
But my phone would ring now and again. Faye texted that Dad took another walk, twice as long as the first one. The pastor called, thinking I was at the hospital. Then Faye called, but probably didn't know it since she did not speak to me but I heard her recite my phone number to someone.
I gave up. I washed and ate some grapes, going through the bunches and only finding a few still worth eating. I pulled a package of spinach from the freezer and cooked it. I read e-mail until it was ready, then ate it. I wrote up notes for my blog. I did some yoga stretches and brushed my teeth. I laid down again for a bit.
Sleep did not come, so I decided to sew. I pulled out the fabric I brought to make another bib. But it was wrinkled. I searched for an iron. When I did not find it, I texted Faye, and then William. But on a third search, I found it at the bottom of the hall closet. I ironed the fabric and left it to cool. Faye asked me to bring Depends so I found four and put them in my rolling suitcase. I called Chris. I talked to Faye. She said the eval went well and that they predicted 5 - 7 days of rehab would do it, but then he needed 24 hour care at home for the next week. Then I had to get ready to go to the hospital.

The comfort of numbers

After a rush of activity out in the hall at 4:30am that woke us both, Dad went back to sleep. However, at 6am the nurse said we had to change rooms. They would have moved him out of ICU earlier but there was no step-down room available then. Suddenly there was, and they wanted his room for someone else. So the nurse gave me time to pack up all my things and all his things. She carried his stuff to the new room while we waited. When she came back, she said his new nurse would come get him. So we waited, like half an hour. Then a lady came to disconnect him, and wheel him to the new room, which was still in the neurosciences ward. I texted Faye and William the new number.
There was no monitor in the new room. I had been taking comfort from reading the numbers, but now there were none. And it was chilly. He had lots of blankets, but I turned the heat up to 70 for me. I am not sure it ever reached that. I showed him how to pump his lymph system by flexing his feet because he wanted exercise.
His breakfast found him around 7:30. He ate scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes, a banana, milk and frosted mini-wheats. I wasn't wild about the frosted cereal and he was surprised when I mention it had sugar. But he ate it anyway, in spite of claiming he liked things with their natural flavor. And also some shredded wheat crackers soaked in the remaining milk. While he was eating, someone came to take three vials of blood. And someone else came to take his vitals. The hospitalist came in to check, but did not give me any info. I asked about getting Dad up to try walking again, and he said yes, but later.
When Dad finished eating, he fell asleep. So I laid back too, but could not sleep. The room would not get dark and announcements were made every so often. And it was still cold.
Faye showed up, probably around 11, but I don't remember exactly now. She was happy with how well Dad was doing, both physically and mentally. If he could walk, he could probably go home. But he would have to work back up to it. She had made copies of the house key for me. We talked and the nurse came in. I asked to see what was under his forehead bandage so she changed it. It stuck to the gauze as she removed it and that made me cringe inwardly because I know how that feels. But Dad said he felt nothing. (Is that good or bad?) The nurse wiped it with wet gauze and taped clean gauze over it.
Faye ordered his lunch. She gave him his shaver and he went to town. But I left before he finished. I was tired.
I took my roller bag home. Faye had given me a list of things to do,and I did some of them, including finding notepaper so she could make more lists. I then put on vitamin patches and made breakfast. I ate while looking at e-mail and listening to several short audios. I plugged in my phone to charge. Then I put on a longer audio and laid on the couch to fall asleep.
And I did, but then William came over with a rolling walker that he had just bought on a yard sale. My husband knows never to wake me, on pain of death, because I have such trouble sleeping, but William hasn't. He went searching for Mom's rollator and found it in the front closet, along with another rolling walker. He left. I texted Faye. She wanted to know if the new keys worked, so I tested them and they did. I took my supplements and ate some strawberries and blueberries. I figure the food in his fridge is just going to go bad if I don't eat it. I packed some Ensure and Premier Protein for Dad. I sat down and wrote blog entries for the last two days. I posted the first one. I texted Faye, who said neither PT nor OT showed up.
I put on audio and was texting William when there was a knock at the door. It was Patrick, come to search the recyclables. He searched a bag of recycled paper for stamps. Then he talked to me about stuff. After he left, I texted Faye and then called her. We talked about Dad mostly. Then I went back to listening to the audio while I looked for Mom's therabands to use with Dad. I did not find them, but I did find some dry skin salve that I bought for Dad years ago and he could use now. I finished listening to the audio on tapping, making notes for later. Then I published my Sunday post, saving whatever happens later for tomorrow's post. Now I am taking out the trash and going to the hospital so Faye can go home.
* If anyone knows what the squiggly line by the "13" means, I would love to know. I think the 13 is breaths per minute. *

Really big boo-boos

I heard my alarm go off at 7:30. I followed my usual routine because it was easier than rethinking it. I sewed, then removed the seed crackers from the oven. I swallowed my morning supplements, then took a shower, and made breakfast. I ate it while checking e-mail. I thought of a few last things for Dad that I could throw in my suitcase. There was extra room so I packed my pillows, a small one in the carry-on and a large one in the suitcase.
At 9 we headed out, then backtracked because I wasn't certain I had my passport. Chris found it in my purse. Then we went to the airport. He parked and carried all my stuff in. I checked in at a kiosk to print my boarding passes. Then I stood in line to check my large suitcase. After that, we went upstairs to Security. He watched while I went through the line and got checked out. Then he left. I rolled my carry-on and laptop to the end of the concourse because the departure screen said Gate 10. But it was a big empty. So I had to go back to Gate 6 to find airline personnel. And that turned out to be my gate. So I waited, and then boarded at the first opportunity. Chris had bought me a first class ticket. But that didn't mean much on a puddle jumper. Being in the first row meant there was no under-the-seat storage for my laptop so the attendant put it over head. My purse was in the carry-on and my phone was in the laptop case. So when they made the announcement to turn phones completely off, I had to ask the attendant to get the case down so I could turn it off. The rest of the flight was uneventful.
I had an hour layover in Atlanta. Only traveling one concourse down, I got to the next gate quickly and wished I had walked, both for the exercise and to pass time. I texted some people. Again, at the first opportunity I boarded the plane to Richmond. The flight was uneventful until descent. They passed out snacks and I took a banana to go with my seed crackers. Snacks on a plane are better than snakes on a plane, but I was so bored I started imagining snakes on our plane. On descent, my ears would not equalize and the pain was quite strong. I tapped and it came down a little, but built up again as we kept descending. Repeat process again and again. I was so ready to land!
And finally we did. A nice lady helped me get my bag and case down. I walked quickly to the lobby because the plane was late. Al and Cecily were waiting for me. We went right to Baggage Claim and there was my suitcase, making its merry way along the conveyor belt. It was undamaged. We picked it up and headed out.
They drove me to Dad's house. William was there and opened the door, and helped with my luggage. I hugged them and they left. I talked to William as I made a bag of stuff to take to the hospital for the night. I threw in some of the food Dad had around, like his favorite crackers, Ensure, and yogurt. I ate a chicken leg. William gave me the idea of using my carry-on to carry it to the hospital. He gave me Dad's car and house key. I followed him to Johnston-Willis hospital. He led me in and showed me where ICU was. We found Faye with Dad. His skin tone looked great but he had really big boo-boos from falling: his forehead over his right eye, inside his left arm, and outside his right knee. There may have been other places I did not see. There was a big bandaid over his right shoulder but Faye said that was from an earlier incident.
She explained out he spent the night half-asleep, agitated and trying to get out of bed, trying to pull out his IV and removing the wires to his chest, and catheter. Obviously she had not gotten much sleep! After much instruction on what to do and where stuff was, including ordering his breakfast, she went home. William left soon after.
I was not looking forward to what she experienced, but as it turned out, mine was different. Supper came and it consisted of broccoli, chicken and rice. I put the yogurt on the rice to make it sticky. I handed him the fork and let him feed himself. He used his left hand because his right arm hurt; partly from the IV (which was now gone) and partly from his shoulder. He ate it all and I gave him some crackers and cups of water.
The night nurse came in and introduced herself: Peris. She sounded Jamaican. She came back after supper and asked me to leave so she could give him a bath. I walked the halls, looking at the empty rooms, and then sat in the visitors center for a bit. She was just finishing up when I got back. He was clean, his bed was clean and tidy, and the room was nicely arranged. There were sheets on a reclining chair by his bed for me.
He was talkative, and had an easy time putting his thoughts into words. That was unusual for him of late. He wanted to watch his favorite news show at midnight. I did not want to be up that long. But I flipped through the cable channels and discovered that the right channel was not there. I called his attention to the announcement of quiet time so others could rest. He talked a while longer, but then fell silent. The nurse checked on us. He fell asleep so I rested, too. Sadly, I have a much harder time falling asleep. I did it several times though, but he woke up every two hours for some reason or other. He pulled on the wires on his chest, and threw off his blankets and got tangled in the sheets. I rubbed my thumb in the palm of his hand for awhile and he went back to sleep.
* Dad eating his supper in ICU, the healthiest one there. *

Sudden decision

I got up at 8:30 after having a very interesting dream which I cannot now remember. I brushed and swished and did some satin-stitching on the banner. I drank a quart of water. I turned on the router and the laptop. I boiled water for nuts and tea. I printed my hair analysis results while listening to a podcast. I had to copy/paste from the original results to a file because some of the words were printed in color and I needed them to be black. My printer is out of color. I also had to reformat the columns. The speaker of the podcast I was listening to said that just having an eye chart in the room improved vision over time.
I made and ate breakfast while reading e-mail. Then I went for a walk because it was a sunny (if cold) day. When I got back, I called Faye to see what the situation was. Patrick was visiting. I talked to Dad for a while, but it was hard to hear him over the TV in his room. He said he was in a restaurant on the second floor of the hospital. Hmmm. Faye said he was joking.
I listened to podcasts while doing chores. I put away a bag of Swansons supplements. I trimmed a quilt top that came from Blanket Daze. I looked at fabric for adding borders. I texted Beverly to see how she was getting along after her father died. She called me and we talked.
I watched a tapping video on shame in the chakras. I took apart some trimmings from a casserole cover while it played. I took the pot wrappers off of two poinsettias and discovered that they were wet inside. I put plastic bags underneath them to protect the floor. I watched a video on replacing a diverter in the shower.
I ate the last of the beef, and watched a tapping video. Then I moved my laptop to the guest room to call my tapping buddy but the signal was too weak. I moved back to the dining room. We started our call but the picture kept freezing. Chris came home and was as quiet as he could be. She and I had to go to audio only. We tapped until 8:30, and it seemed to help.
I texted Faye to find out about any new developments. We watched one episode of ST:NG. I could tell Faye needed me, so Chris made plane reservations for me while I pulled myself together. I started packing, then stopped to make a batch of seed crackers. Then I ran around the house throwing stuff in my suitcase and carry-on. He did not see the need for supplements or special foods, but I packed some anyway. Sadly I had to leave the liquid stuff behind. I did not know whether to pack a project to work on, or if I would be too busy. When everything was packed except what I needed first thing in the morning, I sat down to write my blog, surprised that it was after midnight.
* This is one of Beverly's quilts that I don't think I have posted before. *

Energizer Earl

I slept pretty well last night, but still had trouble getting up in the morning. Nature got me up, but then I got back in bed. Sigh. When I finally did start my day, it was almost 9. The router was already on, so I played the first episode of Your Best Years Start Now summit. It was over 2 hours long. I satin-stitched for a bit, then took my morning supplements. I boiled water for nuts and tea. I wrote a condolence card to Celeste. Then I got dressed and put it in the mail.
I made and ate breakfast. Then I loaded my machine in the car and went to quilting. When I got there, I set up my machine for free-motion quilting. But I didn't get very far because the bobbin ran out. So I wound another one. But the whole time, I was talking to one person or another. One lady had a degree in law so I was asking her about the Korean doctors' predicament. She recommended reading the lease, and investigating the possibility of them making house calls instead of having a place of business.
After she left, Pat talked told me about her ex-husband and family matters. Around 2, Christie said we should pack up, so we did. I closed all the blinds. We proceeded to our cars and went our separate ways. On the way home, my odometer hit 9000 miles.
It was a sunny day. So I ate some beef, and then went for a walk. I did not time it. When I got back, I continued listening to the episode while bagging recyclables and playing Solitaire. I paused it when William called. He said our dad was in the hospital after falling while walking the neighborhood. Dad wanted to go home, but the ambulance took him to the nearest hospital. He was bruised and his pulse was low. After William hung up, I called Faye who was staying at the hospital with Dad. She told me this might be a blessing in disguise because the doctors were running so many tests. They might discover something his regular doctors missed. He was fully conscious, and had never passed out. I talked directly to hi for awhile. He sounded like his usual self. Faye sent me a pic, and he looked like he'd been in a fight. But nothing was broken. Other than his low pulse and blood pressure, everything was normal. And the cardiologist thought heart function would soon return to normal. (He just keeps going.) However, there was some discussion of a need for 24 hour care at home as a prerequisite for getting discharged from the hospital. I agreed to fly up there if needed.
Chris came home from a function. He took some stuff out to his car. I made and ate salad. I also ate what was left of the watermelon from the freezer. I wrote a letter for the Korean doctors and sent them a copy to use in case I cannot be there next week. I started printing pages from an allergy report. When Chris was ready, we watched two episodes of ST:NG. Wesley saved the day once again. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog and consider the ramifications of being gone for a week or more.
* These are Christie's blocks *

Color of the day: orange

Today started with satin-stitching on the banner and then coffee morning, followed by cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen. Then I took a shower and put on an orange outfit. I went to the Korean clinic. They showed me a Korean article talking about national certification for acupuncturists. They asked me to call, so I did. Afterward, I set up an account for him. Then I tried to get his certification sent to them, but that phone call wasn't answered. They also wanted me to call the medical board of Alabama and to renew his business license. But she talked to me while I was trying to get info online and I had to tell her I couldn't do that while she was talking. She was quiet for awhile, but started talking again. She insisted that I eat a banana. He showed me a text from the landlord raising the rent when the lease is up. We talked about that. I guess they wanted me to write a letter in response. Then a group of people walked in and wanted to know if they speak Spanish. The doctors went back with them and ran some tests, I guess. She thanked me and gave me tea and onions.
I left and went to the post office. I got the mail, then went to the desk to pick up a package. I also bought stamps and renewed our post office box for 6 months. Then I went home.
Chris was working late, so I ate some beef and made a salad. I listened to the last episode of Live Longer Feel Better. It was about emotional and spiritual factors. I read e-mail until it was time to go. Then I put on warmer pants and socks. I drove to choir practice.
At the church, I put the bank bag in the safe and put extra offering copies in the desk. I went to the sanctuary and picked up some new music. I sat by Cecelia and talked to Bill and Lars. But then the warmup started so I turned back to participate.
We practiced 4 songs, and rehearsed standing in special places up front. After practice, Lars and I talked about counting the offering and putting non-cash items in ServantKeeper. Then Jennifer told me about a bad experience she had with Dr. Bruce. I told her about the naturopath I had seen. We walked out together, leaving the church locked.
I drove home, arriving just before 9. Chris was playing a game on his laptop. He wasn't ready to watch TV, so I read e-mail and took all my evening supplements 5 minutes apart. At 9:45 I said I was going to get ready for bed. So he turned on the TV and we watched one episode of ST:NG. Then he went back to his game and I wrote my blog post for the day.
* Wearing orange by doctor's orders. *

The never-ending form

I had a hard time falling asleep last night, even after going to bed late. I got up at 8:30, but only after much tapping. I had been dreaming about trying to dial a phone but there were extra numbers and they were disordered and the lighting was low.
I did the usual morning stuff. In addition to sewing two patches together, I pinned paper to the back of the banner in preparation for satin-stitching tomorrow. I rinsed the seeds, which are showing signs of sprouting. I set the timer for 5 minutes over and over while I took my homeopathic remedies. Then I checked e-mail and watched the first few minutes of episode 7. Then I got dressed and went to quilting.
It was not well attended today. There was fabric and magazines all over two tables and ladies were looking through it. I threw in the fabric that the Thursday group gave me. Beverly wanted me to help her square up a quilt top, so I brought in my large square ruler. It did not lie flat, but she didn't want to press it. I smoothed it as much as I could, and trimmed each corner. Still, there was one spot that really bugged me and I wanted to fix it. So she got out Jane's machine and found some thread. I ripped out one piece and made tucks in other places. I sewed the piece back on and it was better. I probably should have done that before I squared it up.
Anita had put away all the leftover fabric. She said I could go through it, but I just wanted to get on with my day. Beverly and I put stuff away and she left. I talked to Anita for awhile and helped her put boxes of magazines in her car. Then I went to the Asian store for kimbap.
When I got home, I went for a walk because it was a sunny, although cold, day. It took about 25 minutes and I ran a few times. When I got home, I ate the kimbap with kimchi and checked e-mail. There were messages that I had to respond to. I watched more of episode 7:
Bioidentical hormones can help with alzheimers and pre-diabetes. Testosterone for men and estrogen for women are critical for the 'janitorial crew' of the brain to do their job. Hormones also help with osteoporosis, appearance, and muscle mass. DHEA helps with all cause mortality. Stem cells (from fat tissue) can be used for alzheimers and parkinsons. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are the most effective. They reproduce every 24 hours. At age 30, they take up to 48 hours to reproduce. After age 60, it takes 60 hours to reproduce. So the rate of reproduction is often lower than the rate of degeneration. However, an injection of young stem cells can trigger the older stem cells to reproduce faster.
At 1:35, I paused the video to drive to church. I cleared some space in the intern's office and got the offering out of the safe. There was a sheet on top which did not have a date, so I put it aside. As I started to separate the envelops, I realized that they were already ordered and empty. The checks and cash were paperclipped together. I called Tim to find out what happened, but had to leave a message. I went through the stacks of envelopes and checks at the same time, trying to fill out the sheet properly. But the ones with cash were not marked as to how much. When I got near the end, I finally figured out that the sheet I put aside was a record of all the offerings. Had I realized that earlier, it would have saved me a lot of time. Tim called to answer my question, and that took time too. After the call, I made sure the sums were correct and filled out the deposit tickets and stamped the checks. Then I went to the computer to enter the info and print reports. But Bill came in and wanted to talk about non-cash giving – like stocks and bonds. Also donations of items like paint and supplies. I told him I would bring it up at the next meeting. He said he was willing to attend.
After he left, I finished up on the computer and placed the reports in boxes. Then I cleaned up, and took the deposits with me. I went to the bank and submitted my work. When she had verified everything, she gave me receipts which I stapled to the summaries. Then I went home.
When I got there, I checked the mail, but there was none. I made and ate breakfast while finishing the episode.
Chris came home late and said he had had a beer on an empty stomach. He seemed to be in a good mood, but he sat with his computer and did not want to be disturbed.
I read e-mail. I filled out the new patient forms that Dr. Jarvis gave me. It was very hard. I did not know the answers to many questions and some I did not understand. Some required a much longer answer than would fit in the block. There were 7 forms, most of them 2-sided.
After answering, I scanned all but one into the computer. Then I folded them up and put them in an envelop addressed to the doctor's clinic. I printed out a page with the 134 foods that her machine said I was sensitive to. I also printed more offering forms to leave at the church.
When Chris was ready (and it took him an extra hour and a half), we watched one episode of ST:NG. I stayed up to write my blog post.
* This is a quilt that Beverly had finished and was binding. She must be sewing up a storm at home. *

Getting caught up

I got up at 9:30, although my phone said 10:30. I followed the first part of my morning schedule. Then Chris gave me a coconut oil massage. Later he took a shower and then I showered. I pulled the cases off of the pillows. I rinsed the seeds that were soaking overnight. I took more supplements, and ate a prepared breakfast while checking e-mail and then listening to episode 6 on depression. Things that have been shown to help: niacin, exercise, sunlight, low sugar diet, bioavailable curcumin, SAMe, lithium orotate, socializing. It was hitting pretty close to home. The speakers were able to put into words the feelings that I could not.
I paused it at noon to gather my quilt and sewing gear and head for my car. I drove to the gas station and filled the tank. Then I went to the church for quilting.
Some ladies were finishing up lunch, but there was space for me at a back table. I set up there. Rebecca explained about the circles for the next charity quilt and I took two. With the machine set up, I got the quilt in place to continue quilting. Mary Ann told me about a Netflix show featuring Marie Kondo who visits people's houses and helps them declutter and organize.
I worked on the quilt a little at a time, talking to Alice and Rachael. Eventually only Rachael and I were left. I got to the end of a row and packed up, so she did too. We turned out the lights and went home.
Chris was not there, so I resumed listening to the episode on depression. The speakers were able to put into words the feelings that I could not. I ate beef and yucca while it played. It was over by the time Chris came home. I knew he had been to the office, but he came in with bags of groceries as well. As he unpacked, he asked me to throw the sheets into the dryer. (He had done laundry as well.) I folded all of my clothes and put them away. I folded some of his stuff, too. He roasted brussel sprouts with coconut oil in the oven and I ate a few. I felt better on those than the ones last week which were roasted in olive oil. I opened a coconut, drained the water, cracked it open, and then scraped out the insides. It was a lot of work, but very tasty. I made a salad and ate that. I played solitaire until he was ready to watch TV.
But instead, we listened to the rest of the book on CD. I thought there would be time to finish the CD and fit in an episode of ST:NG, but it took too long. We dressed the bed and he retired for the night. I stayed up to blog and take my evening supplements.
* One of Larry and Trish's dogs. Ever hopeful. *

The Fab Four

Saturday
I did not sleep well during the night because I could hear the dogs' nails tapping on the floor as they roamed the house. One had a jingly collar, too.
It was a bad area for cell phone signals, but I texted Silvia and hoped it would go through eventually. I got dressed and ate one of my prepared breakfasts. The dogs were very interested, but I did not share. I finished the tea I had started drinking last night. Larry and Trish have well water and it seemed like a good thing because there was no fluoride or chlorine in it.
Chris took me to the hotel. He was greeted warmly by his old friends who hadn't seen him since last year. I had trouble getting signal to my phone so we walked out front so I could call Silvia. She and Linda came to pick me up. We went to an estate sale. I got some red velvet ribbon there. Then we went to Goodwill and talked and shopped. I bought some orange shirts since my new doctor said I needed more orange in my life. And I bought some green tops reminiscent of the one I got bleach on. Then we went to another Goodwill and met Mary there. I bought a small spoon for travel purposes. Then we went to Tuesday Morning. I got a jelly roll and some fat quarters. We spent a long time there because there was a lot to look at and we were still catching up.
Then we all went to Eli's for supper. The lighting was low and I needed my flashlight app to read the menu. There was a bowl of chili that looked pretty healthy and it was only $6. So that was good, and filling. We talked for a long time, until a live singer with guitar started his show. Then it was too loud for conversation, so we paid our bill and went to a hotel where Silvia had made a reservation.
She pulled up to the front. We loaded all our stuff onto a big cart and pulled it inside. Silvia got a room key and we went up to the 3rd floor. We unloaded the cart and she took it back. We sat on the couch and two chairs and talked into the wee hours of the morning. It takes a long time to catch up on a year's worth of events. They have all had a lot of stuff happen in the last year. We exchanged gift bags. Several ladies brought snacks. Around 4:30 we decided to get some sleep. It was probably closer to 5 when we were in bed.

* Three of the four rugs I made. Somehow the green one got left out. *

Sunday
I had a hard time falling asleep, maybe because I forgot to take my evening magnesium. After a couple hours of sleep, I woke up. Mary murmured that it was after 9:30 and breakfast ends at 10. So we got up and dressed. Three of us went to breakfast, which was still there even though we were late. I got an omelet and brought my prepared breakfast. When we were nearly done, Silvia joined us for coffee. We talked about visiting Celeste. Mary and I each had presents for her.
We packed up the room and got a cart to carry it all. We took it out to her car and she loaded her trunk like a giant tetris game. Mary had her own car, which looked exactly like mine on the outside. We each gave Silvia cash and she checked out and paid the bill. We all thought $87 for the night was a good price.
We drove over to Celeste's house to say hello and deliver the two gift bags. But her husband answered the door. He said she was in jail for contempt of court, and that her mother had died yesterday. I said prayers the whole time we were talking to him because his attitude was too calm and he seemed unconcerned about what she was going through. He would not visit her because there was a chance of him getting detained. It made me angry. We regrouped at Slivia's car. Mary called the courthouse to see if we could visit Celeste, but were told no. She can only have visitors on Saturdays and only if she signs for them in advance.
We gathered in front of Mary's car to take a group photo. Then Mary had to go check on her mother. I called Chris and got Larry's address so Silvia and Linda could drive me out there. When we arrived, we got all my stuff from her car, leaving the bag for Celeste which Linda kindly offered to deliver when Celeste is released at the end of the month. Chris and Trish came out to say hello. After the ladies left, we sat in Trish's kitchen and talked, surrounded by 4 dogs that insisted on being petted. One of them was in bad shape at 16 years old and is going to the vet tomorrow to be put down. It was very sad.
Then we hugged Trish goodbye and thanked her for having us on short notice. We climbed in the car and headed home, listening to the book on CD. We listened all the way to Huntsville, but did not quite finish the book. I slept as much as I could but the seat wasn't all the comfortable. We ate oranges, seed crackers, dates and figs.
We arrived about 6:30 and unpacked the car. I resumed watching episode 4 about Exclusion Zone water. It expired last night, but must have been in my buffer because it finished playing. I made a salad and ate it which watching part of episode 5 on cancer which expires tonight. When Chris was ready, I paused it so we could watch TV. We watched only one episode of Star Trek: Next Generation. We have watched 5 episodes so far and Wesley Crusher has saved the ship twice already. Then I sat down to write my blog post for the last two days.

* Group photo. What a great bunch of ladies! *

Going to Augusta

I got up at 8:30. I drank some green tea, put the trampoline in the garage and jumped on it for a couple minutes. That was something recommended for burning fat.

I brushed and swished. I drank water, and sewed strips together. I pulled out several rows of the rug. I boiled water, and turned on my computer. I listened to the next episode while crocheting the rest of the rug, and took notes.
I pulled out several empty containers to make extra breakfasts. I made 4 of them, and put all the relevant items in a food box. I started filling water bottles. The filter was kind of slow, so I had to work around that. I boiled some ginger and turmeric root for tea and added some of that to each water bottle, then filled them up when water was available.
I took a shower to get the onion juice out of my hair. But then my head itched intolerably. I remembered that Dr. Grace said something about a vinegar rinse. Also, my comb was full of white stuff which I thought was dead skin, but maybe it was the bar shampoo. So I sprayed my head with vinegar, massaged it in, and rinsed it out. My hair felt cleaner and the itch lessened.
I pulled out a small suitcase. As I got dressed, I threw in underwear and pajamas. I went out to my car to get the tea and onion juice that Dr. Grace gave me yesterday. I saw a package on my porch that was for our neighbor. So I took it over and made sure she got it. I also realized the weather was unusually nice.
I got a text from Dr. Lee asking how to get an Alabama acupuncture license. I texted back that there wasn't one. He wanted to know how to answer an e-mail and I said I would look at it next week. Score one for setting boundaries!
I ate breakfast while watching a video on using melanin for radiation exposure. I took a walk, came back and finished packing food box and toiletries bag. Chris came home, not happy that I wasn't ready. He called Larry and said we were on our way. I asked him to boil some eggs. I looked up the weather in Augusta and packed my suitcase. He put gas in the car and then we loaded our stuff. Lastly, I pulled the eggs from the stove and rinsed them. Chris put them back in the box while I ate the egg that cracked.
Then we got in the car. He started driving while I picked a book on CD for us to listen to. He had an assortment of Clive Cussler. On the trip, I ate some seed crackers and drank tea. As we were driving by Atlanta, we stopped at Chick-fil-a to use the restroom. Chris bought two chicken sandwiches. They smelled so good! He ate them while driving back onto the highway.
Eventually we pulled off at the exit nearest Larry's house. The phone GPS turned itself off. Chris had to reset it. Then we followed it down Wrightsboro and it proclaimed us to be at our destination. But we could not find it in the dark. We had to call Larry. We had to drive very slowly to see which dark driveway was actually an unmarked road. Then we pulled into his driveway. Larry came out to greet us. I tried to text Silvia, but my phone said there was no signal. Larry showed us to a room we could spend the night in. He gave us his wi-fi password. Chris got my phone signed in while I told Larry about my 5G experience. He said he would turn off the 5G if I started feeling badly. The three of us talked for a bit. I made tea and took my evening supplements. I posted to my blog while Chris and Larry talked about gaming. Then I was ready for bed.

Notes:
People over 60 should take a B-12 test because it is the only way to tell B-12 deficiency from alzheimers. Methylcobalamine is the recommended form. In one study, researchers cured alzheimers in mice with the human equivalent of 2 – 3 grams of niacinamide. Vit D, and healthy fats are also necessary for brain health. Find a passion or purpose, plus connection with other people. Too many omega-6 fats in the standard diet. Statin drugs lower cholesterol which the brain needs to insulate the neurons. A dog or cat can produce vitamin C in their liver to help detoxify as needed. But humans can't produce their own vitamin C. so we have to ingest it.

* This pic is from the modern quilt guild meeting. *

Interesting visit with the doctor

I did yoga stretches last night just before bed. Sometimes it helps me sleep. I mostly slept through the night. When I woke up, Chris was not there, and my alarm was about to ring. I brushed and swished, drank water and sewed some strips together. I turned on the router so I could get the address of Elaine's doctor. I typed it into my tablet and memorized the route. I realized it was taking me right around Adtran. I printed out some info for the doctor.
It was raining, so I took an umbrella with me. Visibility was not good, and I almost missed the cloverleaf. The tablet wasn't specific about distances. But I got there with not too much trouble. It was good to have the GPS and to memorize the route.
First I filled out forms in the waiting room. I was about to pick up a pamphlet when she called me back. I handed her the sheets I had brought listing my supplements, my symptoms, and the list of foods from Viome. She had me put my hand on the ZYTO scanner. We talked while the scanner fed electrical pulses to my hand and measured the responses. It generated a list of foods I am sensitive to. She said to try the environmental test next time. She gave me two kinds of allergy drops; one with special frequencies she added with the computer. The readout said I needed more love and joy in my life and that of the negative emotions, fear was at the top of the list.
Then I made appointment for the environmental sensitivity test, and paid for the food test and the drops. I went to my car and tried to get the tablet to guide me home. But it acted like it had no clue without wi-fi to get it started. The tablet would not show me the way home. I had to wing it. I arrived at my usual breakfast time. I took the allergy drops and made breakfast. I waited a little bit and then ate it while watching the next episode of Live Longer Feel Better. When it ended, I threw all the rug-making supplies into a bag and went to quilting.
I sat by Leanne. She told me that she was going to be moving to California. While we talked, I crocheted up the rest of the fleece yarn and cut more strips.
Then my phone rang. Dr. Lee wanted me to help him fill out a form for Blue Cross Blue Shield. I told him I would be there within the hour. Most of the ladies had gone. So I packed up and headed out. On the way home, I stopped at the clinic. I read the form and tried to fill it out. Some fields did not make sense to me. I wrote on the cover sheet that we did the best we could. He took the papers to fax them to the number that came with the form.
She gave me a banana to eat. Then she got a packet of onion juice and swabbed my ear with it, clucking disapprovingly the whole time. I had what felt like a niacin flush, but must have been a hot flash. So she insisted on putting a needle in my arm on a fire point. Then we sat and talked until she took it out. She also gave me some tea bags. I thanked her and went home.
When I did not see Chris' car in the driveway, it reminded me that he was working late and to go to the post office before it closed. There wasn't much, but I laid it by his laptop when I got back. Only junk in the home mail. I finished the episode and read e-mail. I ate a piece of beef and made a salad.
I found another, small, piece of green fleece. I sliced it up to make yarn, knowing it wasn't enough. I started crocheting. Then I sat down to jot notes to my blog. Before I finished, my tapping buddy was online. So we visited and tapped for boundary issues.
After the tapping, I took my evening supplements. I brushed and swished. Then Chris and I watched two episodes of ST:NG. Afterward, he went to bed. I stayed up to take the second set of allergy drops and the homeopathic remedies for strong teeth. I wrote up my blog post, did some yoga stretches, and went to bed.
* this is an image I downloaded from the internet. *

No patients with insurance

I woke up several times during the night, and while Chris was getting ready for work. I tried to go back to sleep and am not sure if I did. At one point I pulled the heating pad over me and did some mental tapping. I heard my phone alarm go off in the dining room. After a bit, I turned off the heating pad and let it slip to the floor by the bed. I got up to start my day.
Things got a little out of order. But it all got done. I did not sew, but I did make progress on the banner toward sewing tomorrow. I found another strip of fleece on my table to go with the rug. I trimmed the edges and set it with the others. I probed my finger for what felt like a splinter but I could not find one. I printed XL sheets for people on the Stewardship committee.
I swished while reading e-mail and jotting notes for my blog. I watched episode one of Live Longer Feel Better.
Today's episode was about toxins and what to do (or not do). Much of it was stuff I had heard before. But one man had a machine made in Germany by Gerald Pollack that is supposed to protect the people in a home from EMF damage. On the subject of vaccines, Dr. Levy said high doses of vitamin C for a week before, during and a week after a vaccination not only reduces side effects but helps the vaccine be more effective.
I made coffee and tea. I added some molasses. I meditated and tapped. Then I cleaned the kitchen and wiped the bathrooms. I vacuumed those floors. I watered the poinsetties and it ran onto the floor. So I wiped it up with a towel and a mop. I guess the floor got a little cleaner there.
I took a shower and got dressed. I went to the Korean clinic. They were happy to see me. But they were not dressed in white coats like usual. I showed her a pic of the pretty decoration that she gave me hanging on my china cabinet. She had some pieces of mail to show me. I made a few phone calls and handled the situations as best I could: He still had to go to court to contest a charge, and she had to get the vin checked. She put a wet cotton ball on my itchy ear.
I told them I heard that Alabama only licenses MD's to do acupuncture. We called a Chinese acupuncturist in town, but there was no answer. However an online search showed that the man in question was board certified and many of the acupuncture places in Huntsville and surrounding areas tied back to him. Finally I found one in Birmingham and called. He said his group was working to change the law, and he could not accept insurance. The Koreans were sad that insurance would not pay for their services. She asked me what I thought of her selling underwear in the left half of the clinic. They said it was a good business in California. I said it might work.
He got a hot foot detox bath for me. I was glad because it was cold in there. After the detox, we all left. She handed me a baggie of dried banana chips in the parking lot and told me to eat them on the way home.
Chris was still gone when I got back. I ate some of the banana chips while looking at e-mail.
I made and ate breakfast. Still cold, I put some beef and some mashed yucca in the toaster oven to heat. I cut some beige strips of fleece. I pulled the food out and ate it while checking e-mail one last time. There was a plea from another church needing blankets. So I grabbed one from the closet on my way out.
I took the blanket and papers and went to choir practice. I gave a time and talent sheet to Will and put the rest in Portia's box. I put the bank bag back in the safe. Then I joined the choir for warm-up. Cecelia was surprised to see me because I won't be there on Sunday. We practiced several songs. When the choir lined up at the front to practice the piece for this Sunday, I skated out.
I actually got home by 8. Chris was watching some Netflix series, but feeling ambivalent about it. He said I definitely would not like it. I brushed and swished and we sat down to watch Solo, a movie about how Han Solo met Chewbacca and won the Millenium Falcon. Then Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog.
* This is what I showed the Korean doctor. *

The high sign

I got up around 8. Following my usual morning schedule, I finished satin-stitching the brown circle on the banner. Later in the schedule, I read some e-mail. Then I got dressed and took my fleece strips to quilting.
I was intending to work on the latest rug, but when I got there, Anita and Thelma were working on dog beds. No one else was helping them, so I offered my assistance. Anita said I could stuff the 'pillows' that she and Thelma were making. So that's what I did. Thelma did some stuffing too, since I couldn't stuff fast enough to keep them both busy sewing them shut. I found some fleece in the stuffing bags that was the perfect color for my rug, so I set it aside. When most of the stuffing was used up, we quit sewing. We sorted through a bag of scraps that had just come in to make sure there was no paper or plastic in it. We also took out any usable strips, or yardage that could be made into a dog bed cover.
When we were done, I went to the Asian store for kimbap. I took it home and ate it with kimchi. Mmmmm. I was still hungry so I made breakfast. I had a chance to read e-mail then, but the cover screen for the computer got me into reading a story about a guy who builds gardens in old swimming pools.
After eating, I bundled up again and drove to the church. The secretary was just leaving, but we had a conversation about quilting. I did not know that she dabbled in it. She said I could use her desk to count the money since the pastor's office was full of painting supplies and the other office was full of … stuff. After she left, I set up at her desk. I counted the money and recorded it first on paper, and then on the computer. I printed out all the reports and filed them in the appropriate boxes.
I was making good time. I put everything back and headed out. I stopped at the bathroom just in case. Bad plan? I did not realize until after I finished going, that there was a bulletin hanging over the stall door. It was above my eye level, and it said 'out of order'. I tried flushing, but nothing happened. I thought the chain was off, so I opened the tank and saw that it was empty. Not daring to turn the water on, I went to the kitchen and got a pitcher. I poured several pitchers of water into the bowl, but it did not flush. So I gathered the courage to turn the water on and let the tank fill. Then it flushed quite nicely and I turned the water off again. So much for being ahead of schedule.
I went to the bank and made the deposit. There was only one since we had no checks marked for the capital fund. Then I went home. I checked the mail and found one piece for Chris. When I got inside, he had several packages for me. Two were supplements and one was printer cartridges. I thought I had ordered a black and a colored one, but instead I got two black ones. Chris installed one for me. He had brussel sprouts roasting in the oven. I read e-mail awaiting their finishing. But one of the links led me to Facebook and there was an announcement of the time for tonight's meeting. It was at 6, not 7. So I had to get ready. Chris took the sprouts out so I could have some before I left. Then I put a quilt and some rugs in a bag to take along for sew and tell.
I arrived just at 6. The tables were full so they set up another one and soon it was full too. The agenda was long. Sew and Tell was near the top. I took some pics but was not in a good spot for it. Then each committee head talked about what they needed help with while a sign-up sheet went around. Later 7 ladies talked about their sewing space and passed around pictures of them. There was also a discussion of sewing goals. I agreed to accept bags of scraps for dog beds. (I may regret that)
After the meeting, I wrote a check for dues and handed it to the treasurer. I got in two more discussions before I got away to make the trip home. I took a slightly longer way because I was tired of driving on the parkway.
Chris was ready to watch TV when I got home since it was a little after 8. But I wanted supper, so I made a salad. By the time I had eaten all of it, it was almost 9. I gathered my fleece strips and sat on the couch. Chris sat with me and we watched one episode of Call the Midwife while I sewed strips together and crocheted. Then we watched one episode of The IT Crowd, since it was short. After that, Chris went to bed and I stayed up to take my evening supplements and write to my blog. I had taken a lot of pics at the meeting, so I had to delete the blurry ones and crop the rest so I would have something for my blog.
* A lovely quilt from one of the members of our guild. *

Rotten apples

I woke up hearing Chris' alarm. I tried to go back to the dream I was having, but it was gone already. I did go back to sleep after he left for work. Later I heard my phone alarm ring in the distance. I did some mental programming, but kept getting distracted. So at 8 I got up. I brushed, etc, and did some satin-stitching. When I ran out of bobbin thread, I used the substitute machine to wind another bobbin from a different spool of thread. During the process, I smelled something burning. There must be something not right inside the machine, but it is a tough one to take apart.
I turned on the router and boiled water. I washed the 4-cup container that I use to measure the water I drink each morning. I also washed the big black pot that Chris used to cook the beef. He had it full of water in the sink. I wish he would have wiped it out first, or left it empty. I got out as much grease as I could, then emptied the water so I could put in soap and hot water.
I took my morning supplements and checked e-mail. I watched videos on remedies for loose skin, adrenal function and fatigue. The Dr. used a massage tool to apply pressure to certain points on the stomach. I had seen one yesterday in the closet, but try as I might, I could not find it today. I looked for something else that might do.
I watched more videos from Dr. Berg. I made and ate breakfast. I got dressed and put my sewing gear in the car.
I drove to Publix and returned the rotten apples. They gave me cash back. Then I went to quilting. Lots of ladies were there, in spite of how cold it was. They were still having lunch when I arrived. I set up in the back. I participated in a number of conversations first. Then I settled in to practice quilting. I did either three or five rows, stopping to rest from time to time. About 3 we all packed up to leave. I went home, and checked the mail. I brought in my sewing machine from the car. I ate some nuts while checking e-mail. I listened to two videos Day 4 and Day 5 of mirror work. I put some beef and mashed yucca root in the toaster oven to heat. I used my EMF meter to measure the router. Then I wrapped it in the special fabric and measured again. It was difficult because the reading was constantly changing. But my best guess on average was that the reading was reduced by two thirds. Hardly the 98% I was promised.
I was watched parts of a movie called Death to Smoochy when Chris came home. Lauri had told me about it and I wanted to see if it was worth renting on Netflix. I could tell it was not a feel-good movie.
I started another rug: first sewing strips together, and then crocheting until the strips ran out. I stopped around 7:30 to make a salad, which I finished eating just after 8. I took the second testosterone, then brushed and swished. We watched two episodes of Call the Midwife. The second one was a real tear-jerker. Then I wrote my blog post and went to bed.
* It's partly quilted, but I am not sure if you can tell from the pic. *

No Detour

I got up at 8:30. I brushed and swished and did some satin-stitching. I drank 3 cups of water. I made tea and nuts. I ripped off the tape that the Korean doctor had put on my shoulder. My shoulder felt a little better, but the skin was red from the ripping. I took a shower and got dressed for church. Chris reminded me to put on earrings. I bundled up and left on time.
However, when I got near the intersection of Weatherly and Bailey Cove, I could see it was all blocked off with police cars surrounding a bucket truck. There were cones blocking the lanes and funneling my lane into the WalMart parking lot. I pulled through to Bailey Cove, but there was no one going through the intersection that way either. The policemen were inside their cars, well inside the barricade, so there was no asking them which way to do. Therefore I had to backtrack to the parkway and go to Mountain Gap and come back to the church. I was late for the choir warm-up but they had just finished singing, and sang the last part one more time so I could join in. Others had run into the intersection problem as well.
Jennifer had left a 4-pack of butter and a bag of dried apple chips in my pew. I paid her, then went to the bathroom. I met Elaine in there and we got talking about her doctor. She said the food sensitivity test was a waste of time, but she recommended two other tests. I got a bulletin and sat by Don. I let him know I wouldn't see him next week.
We had a pastor who was a retired army chaplain, I think. She gave a good sermon, although I did not follow all of it. Today was baptism Sunday so the sermon and the hymns were about that. I spoke to the organist after the service, and Jennifer. She told me that she and her son went mushroom hunting on Christmas day and brought home a 20 lb hen's tail mushroom.
What with the sermon going long, and staying after church to talk, and having to go the long way home, it was almost 1 when I got home. I changed my clothes and made breakfast. I checked e-mail while I ate. I read an article about a trash can that has a motion sensor and is voice-activated. It sounded like a good thing until I read the comments. People said their pets figured out how to open the can and get into the trash.
After breakfast, we went to Publix for groceries. Sunday is not the best day to shop for produce. When I got home, we put the groceries away. I ate a can of soup. Chris called my attention to the ingredients that are on my Avoid list. Sigh. He prepared beef to go in the oven and he hardboiled eggs for lunch. I washed the cans from the store. I peeled and sliced ginger and turmeric to go in my tea pot.
I pulled out the apples we had just bought, only to find that they had rotten spots. Then I pulled out the avocados that Chris bought last week. They were rotten too, but I got a little bit of green out of one.
Since the stove top was so hot from the oven, I put coconut oil, coconut butter and raw cacao in a measuring cup and left it on the stove to melt. I also use the heat to mix up a batch of grapefruit lip balm, and poured it into little containers. Then I poured the fat bomb liquid into little muffin cups and put them in the freezer to harden.
Faye called to ask about some things she'd found at Dad's house. She talked about freezing rain turning to ice in her area. It was a somewhat rainy day here and I hoped we would not have the same.
I tried rolling up some small towels in a decorative manner. I pulled the fat bombs out and refilled the cups, using up the last of the liquid. Chris served me some mashed yucca and beef. I put butter on the yucca. I watched videos of hacks around the house and crafty stuff.
I went through all my supplements, combining the remnants of old with new ones. I made up 14 days worth, and took one. I was surprised how late it got.
Then we sat down to watch two episodes of Call the Midwife. Some of the situations were heartbreaking. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog and massage my shoulder with oil.
* This is my shungite bracelet. Just FYI. *

Organization

I slept late, having a dream about going through an obstacle course trying to find my way back home. When I awoke, Chris was already up. I got up, brushed and swished and sewed more blue strips together. I boiled water for tea and to soak nuts. Chris offered me a massage with benefits. So we did that, and then discussed the gov't shut down and related topics.
I read e-mail while Chris showered and did laundry. I did some crocheting while listening to an audio. I ran out of fleece yarn before the project was done. Chris made himself lunch and I made myself breakfast. I jotted notes for my blog while I ate. I read an article on 7 ways to eat a pine tree: pine nuts, male cones, pollen, sap, needle tea, cambium layer, and roots.
I went for a walk around the circle. It was cold and raining. Then I checked the mail. Nothing important.
I stitched more strips end to end. I made enough yarn to finish the rug and weave the ends in. I got an idea for another rug, but it could wait.
I rearranged stuff in the hall closet, which is the size of the shed. I got Chris to move the rugs out to make room for stuff on the shelves. I went through bags and boxes. Some things went into the donation box. Other things were just placed differently. I found our wedding album and looked through it. It went on a shelf. When I was done, there was space for my sewing box that I used to carry my machine in.
I checked our Netflix queue. There was stuff I did not remember putting there, but can't swear I didn't. I used the Browse function and found a bunch of AI movies to add to the queue. I also wrote down some movies that were available for streaming.
I made a salad using all the greens that were left. I had to fill my bowl twice to eat it all.
I listened to a podcast. Near the end I realized it was after 9:30.
We watched Moon on Netflix. It was an interesting story. I just wish it hadn't taken so long to tell it. I helped Chris put clean sheets on the bed. He retired for the night and I stayed up to blog.
* A quilt pic from last Sunday. *

Checking off the to-do's

I woke up from a strange dream about staying in a hotel room that kept getting rearranged. I got up to follow my morning routine. I continued the satin stitching on the banner. I read e-mail. I listened to an interview on why 5G is even worse than we thought. The speaker said the EMF's from cellular and wi-fi singals overpower the EMF frequencies from the earth so we are not getting the good restorative frequencies that our ancestors got. The testing was done with 2 and 3 G. So 4G is worse and 5G – who knows? He is working on a device to amplify the earth's frequencies.
Thelma had given me two hand warmers. I put one in the freezer and heated up the other one and put it on my shoulder. When it cooled off, I put the frozen sock of rice on my shoulder.
I looked for fleece for Jodi. I put some larger pieces aside. I searched the internet for more of the fabric that I used for borders on the banner, but had no luck at all, even though I read Mayfair Studio on the selvage edge and used it as a search term. Too bad, cause it seems to go with everything.
After breakfast, I put some hair in a zip lock bag. I wrote my name on it. I put that and a copy of the form in an envelop and addressed it. I put the envelop in the mail, and checked our box, but there was nothing for us today. I called the naturopath that Elaine uses and made an appointment for a food sensitivity test.
I wrote a to-do list of three places I needed to go, then got dressed. I went for a walk since it was the warmest part of this cold cold day After my walk, I went to Dreammaker and bought a bracelet made of elite shungite. Then I went to the $ store for gift bags. Then I went to the bank to deposit some Christmas checks. The lady asked for a deposit ticket. She handed me one, and I filled it out, using the only 10 digit number I could find on my checks. When she looked at it, she said it was the wrong number. ??? But she looked up the right one and the checks got deposited and I got some cash (for my next massage.)
When I got home, I gathered all my bags of fleece strips and organized them by color. I set aside the ones I wanted to use. I remembered the bib Faye asked me to make, and searched my room for the fabrics. I found them in the guest room. I tried to organize the clutter and decided that the junk room needed to be rearranged. I was in there when Chris came home. So that got interrupted.
Chris and I talked for a bit. I ate another slice of beef. I read more e-mail, trying to catch up. Then I made a salad. I ate it while reading some articles. I played Solitaire while listening to an audio.
When it was over, I cut a pile of blue fleece strips. Since my regular machine was set up for satin-stitching, I pulled out another machine to use. I sewed the strips end to end to make a ball of fleece yarn to finish the rug. At 8:20 I realized the time, and turned the machine off. I made tea and took my evening supplements.
Not knowing what else to watch, we watched the first long episode of ST:NG. Then Chris went to bed and I brushed and swished and stayed up to blog.
* This is the machine carrying case that Faye got me for Christmas. I finally remembered to take a picture of it. *