WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Littlesister]

Kappydell, So glad everything is working out much better for you and you can stand up straight again. That is wonderful news.  

I know chainsaw Mary has been mentioned on here several times. Don't know her but she must be a great knowlegable person. Yes have her join us. Would love to have her on here.  Sounds like she is already an honorary member here. 

This morning, went with DH to cook collards for farm market.  Got home about noon and fixed us a light lunch.  Then took a short nap. It is tiring having to get up at 4:30 am to be at market by 6 am.  Later got the call that car was almost ready and I could go to Enterprise to return rental and they would bring us back to auto place. Car was done and I got 3 things fixed for the price of one accident. That was great.  Back 5 years ago when I bought the car, I was in parking lot at store. Came out to car and man in monster truck was in parking place behind me. Before I got to my car, I saw him backing up. Though I never walked around to back of my car, he was laughing. Seems he tapped my car hard enough to chip it in two places.  They were small so never bothered with having it fixed.  Then about 1 year later I backed into SIL's truck, no damage to him but I did have to replace a tail light and the trunk was a bit out of line but did not hurt the opening or closing of the trunk. So I let that go as well. Just fixed the tail light out of my pocket.  Now after hitting my grandson's car and turning it in to insurance, All 3 things have been fixed. They did a great job and I would recommend them to anyone. All for the price of one claim. Looks like a new car again. They even washed it for me. So I got no house work done today. But tomorrow is another day. It will be a huge temp. drop, so not going anywhere. Maybe with a bit of luck, I can get DH to help with the dusting around here. Would give him something to do besides use the remote control. Yes he needs to follow Kappy's   exercise plan. Maybe it will speed Mr. poky up just a tad bit.  I am going to start walking the neighborhood again as soon as weather permits. Hoping to be able to start walking that one mile mark daily again and then add to it. Being a caregiver does slow you down a lot.  But he is doing good enough that I can leave him home alone for a couple of hours now by himself. 

 

AND, the weatherman is threating us with that dirty little 4 letter word for Thursday.  SNOW!  Can't happen that day as I have food ministry pickup on that day. We give out food every 3ed Thursday and it has never snowed on the 3ed Thursday of each month. My Church is a 30 min. drive down country road. Almost the only country roads we have left around here for that end of town. 

[Ambergris]

Snow is something we do not have to worry about. Nor ice on the ground.  It gets cold here, but snowy/icy roads are so rare that the schools, most government offices, and more than half the businesses close for at least part of the morning, until the roads are clear.  I don't know how you handle that stuff AT ALL.  Scares the daylights out of me just thinking about it.  You are heroes.

[Littlesister]

Ambergris, We don't get it as often nor as bad around here either. Are you in VA?  I know Northern VA gets it bad. I can tell you stories about some of my trips to Lynchburg in the snow but here in Suffolk area not so bad. People here don't know how to drive in it either. Ice storms are worse though. Black ice. 

[Jeepers]

Ambergris, you get used to it. Just drive slower than usual and have plenty of space between you and the other guy. Also for most places in the snow belts, the roads are kept pretty clear. Our small town does a great job. They start out by putting down a brine solution on the roads ahead of the predicted ice/snow and then do a lot of salting. Each snow plow has either salt or brine dispensers on the back of their truck. So while they are plowing in the front of the truck they can salt/brine from the back of the truck at the same time. Sometimes they use sand if they run low on salt. Rarely happens here because there are salt mines under Lake Erie. Did ya know the world's largest salt mine is under a great lake? Yep, Cargill and Morton. 

 

Our road crews do a great job of clearing off the roads really fast. They also do a great job of destroying mailboxes. They don't hit them but the force of the snow they are plowing is what takes them out. If they would just slow down even a little...

 

With ice, we stay off the roads as much as possible. Even 4wheel drive is useless on ice. Things rarely close here for winter weather. Sometimes schools are delayed an hour or so if it's bitter cold because most kids ride a bus and have to stand outside to wait for it. 

 

I probably won't have it so nice when I move towards the country though. Although I will be very close to a major highway. Oh well, I prep for times when I can't get out. 

[Mt_Rider]

3 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Did ya know the world's largest salt mine is under a great lake? Yep, Cargill and Morton. 

 

Nope, had no idea.  HOW do they mine under the great lake??????    Hafta look that up....curiouser and curiouser...

 

Well the good news is:  Doc was pleased with my blood lab numbers.  Said bad cholesterol was slightly up but not much.  Good cholesterol is lower than she'd like to see it...but again, not too concerning.  But you get that from regular cardio workout.  Which is challenging with MS.  Then she'd also like to see Vit D raised up....and I know that one is low with us who have MS.  I'm already taking natural VitD supplement but it's quite a small dose.  So DH will work on getting me something else.  Told doc I do expose a lot of skin all summer.  But due to hypothermia  [too much heat] with MS....I'm not in direct sunlight/heat much without a stiff breeze.  So there are obvious reasons why I my numbers on those specific things are off a bit.    Overall, she was pleased and said come back in a year......except get a couple of those standard tests we ladies do every few years.  Alrighty then!

 

Good news:  since I decided at the last minute to use energy and wash my hair this morning, I was able to get 5" of hair that had grown since Sept cut off again.  Less to wash/dry!  Hair lady kept saying how thick [hair density but fine, thin strands] my hair was.  Lot of hair on the floor with 5".  Due to the wait for hair cut, DH and I went to eat first....merely Wendy's but for us, that's Out To Eat. 

 

Bad news is.....that used a lot of adrenaline.  So....I'm gonna be   for a few days.  Some of that will be seriously unpleasant.  But...got 'er done!  This too shall pass. 

 

MtRider   

[Jeepers]

Salt mine...lots of places claim they have the largest one. Google lists different ones as being the the world's largest. But Ohio's is really the top one. 

 

I have to take a D3 vitamin. Anyone know of a really good vitamin and mineral brand? I just pick up the stuff at Wal-Mart or the grocery store. Is there really any difference in brands? 

[TheCG]

5 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

 

Nope, had no idea.  HOW do they mine under the great lake??????    Hafta look that up....curiouser and curiouser...

 

 

You want some real fun, look up Lake Peigneur Mining Disaster on Youtube.  This one shows a bit of that mine and how it all works. They basically drill the shaft down some ways away, then go sideways.

[snapshotmiki]

Today, I will (hopefully) rake the back yard where it was mowed as Oreo keeps eating big clumps of grass. Then clean out inside of my car and vacuum it. Also cut some mats off my long haired pup. First day for awhile I can spend time outside!

 

Ref flood insurance,

Local agent says he can't do a quote without a new survey--up to $2000 or more.  So how can the mortgage company force place a policy?  I'm sure they have not had one done.  Just one of the questions, we will ask when we know what they will do.  Along with a request for documentation, of course.  Now-- waiting.

[Jeepers]

Maybe I should have stayed home.  $$$$$

 

I finally got a computer ordered. It should be ready in about a week or less. I got a Surface Pro 7 something or other. It's one of those 2N1 deals where the keyboard detatches so you can use it like a pad. I got the one with lots of memory or RAM or whatever it is.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to drop some links or pictures on here again. I can still do it from my old computer but it takes FOREVER to get it fired up. It's so old. It should have been replaced years ago. I'll still use it off line and for old programs I have. It's a Windows 7. 

 

I didn't know you had to buy the keyboard separately. Sheeesh. Also I needed an external DVD/CD player. A couple of other things I can't remember. So, because I bought everything all at once, I saved about $560.00 for package deals. That includes the Geek Squad tech service for a year, Windows Office, virus protection, some sort of an adapter thingy and Geek Squad setting it all up. They give you a half hour time slot when you pick it up to explain things. Half an hour... 

 

I'm dreading Windows 10.  I have to upgrade though because Microsoft doesn't support Windows 7 any more. 

 

The person who helped me was a young kid. He was great and a lot of fun. I saw his manager when I was leaving and told him how helpful and nice Kyle was. There are still some really nice kids out there.  

 

[Ambergris]

19 hours ago, Littlesister said:

Ambergris, We don't get it as often nor as bad around here either. Are you in VA?  I know Northern VA gets it bad. I can tell you stories about some of my trips to Lynchburg in the snow but here in Suffolk area not so bad. People here don't know how to drive in it either. Ice storms are worse though. Black ice. 

Florida.

[Mt_Rider]

16 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I have to take a D3 vitamin. Anyone know of a really good vitamin and mineral brand? I just pick up the stuff at Wal-Mart or the grocery store. Is there really any difference in brands? 

 

DH will be looking for me.  I'll let you know what he discovers.  I think he takes actual fish oil capsules for VitD.  Is yours specific to D3?  I don't know that much about the specifics.

 

Took things very slow today.  Not too bad but....MS 2nd Day Affect will be tomorrow.  I'll see how much I overran the adrenaline then.   

 

MtRider 

[Becca_Anne]

Kappy so happy your surgery was so successful! Yes do keep up with the PT. My grandmother was able at 90 to recover from 2 broken ankles and was up and walking in 6 wks because she did all her PT  It really does make a difference if you do the exercises.

I have been looking into starting a garden this spring in my new yard, library is running a few classes in March on gardening in this area and I want to go. Different climate and I didn't do much gardening in Ashland because the deer were so pervasive they ate everything. Have not seen one deer here so hoping I can have a go at growing at least some tomatoes! I do need to learn what grows here well. Also much smaller yard so will have to be more selective.

[Jeepers]

Mt. Rider, when I had all of that bloodwork done a few months back it showed that I was severely deficient in Vitamin D3. She gave me script for it with no refills. So I bought some OTC. Same strength but I don't know if different brands are better than others. If it's water soluble does it run right through you anyway? I should probably ask for another prescription so I could turn it in to insurance. Probably cheaper than OTC too.

[kappydell]

Got it confirmed today that I will be going home on Wednesday.  We are delighted!  Of course the PT folks & the nurses all are telling me that I am the best patient they have...if that means I do what they recommend and work with a good attitude, well....I'm glad I could lighten their load a bit by being cheerful, optomistic and cooperative.  Today I was outside walking around with the occupational therapist, who actually lives quite close to me.  We talked about how the lumber company had clear cut near her home and now with all the rain there is flooding where there never was any before.  It was fun walking around in the sunshine (even though it was a little cool) and feeling fresh air on my face.  She said she expects I won't need much time before I am back to "normal" (?) I hope to be better than my normal has been the last few years, LOL.  One of the other residents saw me walking around today, and said she wished she could do the same, but....(always a but) the PT was "too hard" for her.  I tried to encourage her to hang in there and keep trying, pushing herself as needed.  But, I suspect she won't since she has convinced herself it is just too hard.  Oh well.  I told the therapist we needed a hokey pokey dance competition to liven things up.  She thought it was a cute idea but doubted if anyone had the enthusiasm to join in the fun.  Glad I'm getting sprung....life is too short to sit around doing nothing.  I can see why the staff changes so often....they get discouraged, too.

[Homesteader]

6 hours ago, kappydell said:

Got it confirmed today that I will be going home on Wednesday.  We are delighted!  Of course the PT folks & the nurses all are telling me that I am the best patient they have...if that means I do what they recommend and work with a good attitude, well....I'm glad I could lighten their load a bit by being cheerful, optomistic and cooperative. 

 

So happy you see the end very close at the rehab facility.   When DH had his knee replacement, it took a year before he was really glad he had it done. The ROM was slow in coming back, but the PT staff knew they had a tiger by the tail.     We've been remodeling this past year from a "100 year" flood, and he's been crawling around on the floor with the knee replacement. We're hoping to get a break soon so he can rest his joints. Over doing it can all be a no-no.  

 

Enjoy your freedom this week!! And be sure to have Chainsaw Mary be a frequent poster around here.   

[Cowgirl]

 

Popping in to say “hi.”

 

DH has been extremely sick with gout (probably gout, but they are STILL trying to figure out what the root of the problem is for sure) since September. He can barely use a walker. I have gotten a ramp for the house and we just got a wheelchair.

 

He doesn’t drink at all. He hasn’t eaten any red meat since September. Now they are talking knee replacement, but first they have to rule out a bone infection.

 

Lots of vegetarian meals these days. But he’ll be an invalid until they can safely replace the knee. That cannot be done until they are certain there is no infection though.

 

Anyway, my life has been focused on caregiving and working.

[Ambergris]

Spinach? Beets?  Other dark green leafy vegetables that might be aggravating it?

[Littlesister]

The RX of Vit D3 is usually 50,000 mgs. You can only get that amount from a written RX.  The highest over the counter is 5000mgs. Check the Rx for the miligrams. Natures Bounty is the one I use. I had to take the RX one for a while a couple of years ago. Now I take 2000 over the counter. The Natures Bounty is what I use. 

 

Glad to hear you are heading home from PT on Wed. Kappy. Keep up the good work. You have past a milestone.

 

Hello Cowgirl. Sorry to hear your DH has Gout.  There are several things that can set it off. High Uric Acid is the culprit. 

Best to stay away from these foods:  Cod,  Scallops, shell fish, sardines, anchovies, mussels, salmon, trout, haddock, nd organ meats. These are the worst ones. Main one being shell fish. 

The ones to limit are:  pork, turkey, bacon, duck, mutton, veal, venison.

Also diabetes, and pre diabetes can be a factor. 

Medications that can trigger Gout:    asprin, diuretics, chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTC), Indapamide, metolazone, spironolactone, Ace inhibitors, beta blockers, angiotensin II receptor blockers, cyclosporine, and chemo drugs.  

 

Not all of these will set off Gout but a comonation of these together could raise the uric acid levels high enough to set it off. All these are good things to know so they can be limited or avoided altogether.  Shell fish is the worst of all of this. Very high in Uric acid.  Hope this helps and gives you something to check into that he is either eating or taken in medication. 

[Jeepers]

Hi Cowgirl. 

Good to see you posting! Sorry your husband is having such issues. I've always heard your is very painful. 

 

Kappy...hurray for your recovery! I know both you and Chainsaw Mary will be glad to see you come home. Not to mention your furry beasts. 

 

Little sister, I just checked my  vitamin D3 Rx bottle. The dosage she gave me is 5,000. Must have wanted me to start out on a low dosage? Either Nature's Bounty of Nature's Made is the brand I take. I get the two names mixed up. 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, both of those are good brands. 

 

Went back to Church tonight and we are having our feed the hungry month. Everyone brings in food. So from last Wed. and today we had over 400 cans of food to sort and get put into the food pantry. Got that done and then went to service. The youth helped with it. We are aiming for a 1000 items. So far we are just over 665 items. So plenty of food to give out this Thur. with a good start for next month's hand out. 

I have to say though, I have really been lazy today. Sandwiches for Lunch and leftovers for dinner. Can't beat that. 

[snapshotmiki]

@Cowgirl, lots of vegetarian meals here too because of DH's condition and my weight control.

 

Still haven't raked my back yard because of weather issues, but the inside of my car looks great!

 

Yesterday, I went to Church twice and made French fries and sweet potato fries to have with our chicken burgers.  Set my vitamins up for the next month in little containers.

 

Today is laundry day and maybe clean bathrooms.  Not much else!  Well, need to make more hummus!  Found that I love that stuff and pretty good for me!

Edited February 17, 2020 by snapshotmiki

[Littlesister]

Miki. Did you have to remind me that my car needs cleaning out. Now I have more work to do.   As you can see I am on computer instead of doing what needs to be done right now. But needed a break.  DH cleaned kitchen today.  Shocker. 

Been doing a lot of bookkeeping, washing clothes, sheets, and towels. Getting ready to vac. and dust as that is a never ending job around here. Still can't get DH to help with dusting. My shoulder hurts. So suck it up and help dust. That's what aleve is for. Take one and help dust. Nope gotta watch TV. So I am going to vac. the den with him watching his shows.   Anyway. Break over and time to get back to work.

[Littlesister]

OK, So I have a mean streak in me.    DH couldn't dust because his shoulder hurt. Poor baby. He is feeling better and got lazy.  So I took vac. cleaner to den. Then got the dust rag and polish and the swifter.  Looked right at him with my hands full of cleaning items and said my arm hurts but somebody has to keep the house clean. Pain or not I still have to work.  And 4 hands are faster than 2.  He got up and dusted the bedroom. Wow! I'm impressed. My idea worked. He got off his duff and did something other than unload and load the dishwasher. Yes he cleaned the kitchen. But I went in there and looked around. No, he did not clean off the counters, wipe down the kitchen table, sweep the floor, nada.  Just unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. But I'll give him credit for that. And I did get him to dust one room. I'll take that. It's better than nothing. He needs to start walking and building muscle again.  Getting hard to get him to do anything. But even dusting and loading a dishwasher I guess is a start. 

Was looking through a few things this afternoon on what we have we can entertain ourselves with if we really do have to be quarantined in our homes. I have some board games, cards, puzzles and lots of books. Of course TV for DH. But he will put puzzles together. I can also do some sewing. Just things to keep us busy and not get bored.  I also have some adult coloring books. Why they call them adult coloring books I don't know but they are fun. Have some crossword puzzle books as well. That is about all I got to go through today. It was the easier task with having to clean house today. 

[Jeepers]

I have plenty of things to keep myself occupied too Littlesister. Sewing stuff, puzzles,  books, music, movies, old time radio MP3's, coloring books and colored pencils etc. When I go to The Dollar Tree I usually pick up a couple of the crossword and word search puzzle books at a dollar a piece. 

[Mt_Rider]

My driveway is in MUCH better shape for the hour I spent grooming the ice yesterday.    

 

I'm feeling it some today tho....  Less energy.  That was expected it so it's fine.  But this evening, I'm feeling.....sheeesh, I hope I'm not getting actually SICK again.  Don't feel right....almost nausea.  Made/ate some rice tonite.  Don't think anything I ate earlier was suspect.    I have been eating an increase in sweets after having minimal for 5 wks......  Could that upset things?  Well, there is this Valentines box of chocolates sitting right there....   

 

MtRider  Hmph!