tott swag arrived

 

 

Yesterday I took Sharon to the foot doctor and she took me to the diner for breakfast. I brought her back to my house for a cooking project. When we arrived there was a box on my porch. The Well Fargo wagon came again when I wasn't home. But I didn't order anything. I was puzzled.

I got Sharon into the house and I went out for the box. It was light and something rolled around in it. When I opened it it was my swag from Tail On The Trail. A very small item in a large box with air pockets.

Back in 2013 when this started they gave us a traditional metal water bottle just for signing up. I used it for years. It was chipped and dented. One day I dropped it and it cracked. I tossed it in the recycle bin.

This version is double insulated. The bottom 2/3's is metal. The blue part is sort of foamy—I'm guess that's the double insulation, and the tops is plastic.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Pat is improving. Christmas day they told me she had hours to live. Boxing day they told me she'd survive but would need a nursing home. (She rather be dead.) Yesterday she was sitting in a chair, and had walked a little. She started to eat too. Now they are are talking about rehab, and visiting nurses. We'll see.

not quite the return to walking i was dreaming of ...

 

My sister makes Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch look like happy people at Christmas. There was some incident in the 50s with poodles and a Toy's For Tots like organization. She's hated Christmas since. I live with my sister. We don't decorate. We don't acknowledge Christmas in this house. There is a wreath on the door and a poinsettia, that's about it.

Twice during the first two years of the pandemic she been taken to the hospital and then to rehab. They never figure out what's wrong with her. Now I noticed it was coming. It started Sunday. But this time the spiral down hill was much quicker. First she stops knitting. Then eating and drinking. Then she gets weak. Every day I beg her to go to the doctor. I get told to f*n mind my business. Wednesday she called me Elin. My late hypochondriac sisters name.

This time it took less than a week. Yesterday morning she was weak when she got up but she wasn't eating or drinking. She still dressed herself, walked down the hall and stairs, and even got into the car to ride along for errands. We got home an hour later. She could barely move. It was a struggle to get her in the house. She got worse as the hours went, still refusing to go to the doctor. I went to my brother's to drop something off and came home 45 minutes later. I think the decline sped up even more. I called Nurse Ratchett: aka Bonnie.

About 2:30 we called 911. Muhlenberg was full of covid patients so they took her to St. Luke's. Bonnie and I waited 10 minutes then we went in her car. The ambulances were backed up in the bay. Bonnie dropped me off. When I checked her in my sister was still outside. Bottom line: the right side of her heart wasn't working. I'm sure there's other stuff. I don't know. I also only understand 1/4 of what they tell me.

 At 9:15 they took her up to Critical Care. I left. I returned to the waiting room to darkness. Oh shit. It's only five blocks and it's pitch black out. Is it safe to walk?  I tried calling a taxi but they were backed up. I thought about downloading Uber but getting into a strangers car is just as risky as walking.  

I dialed Bonnie's number, and I walked home—5 blocks. It was so pretty with the Christmas lights and there were few people on the street. All was well.

I guess my walks for the next few days will be up and back to the hospital. Maybe I'll even try the stairs, though it wouldn't be a good place to get dizzy! I'll take a pen and paper and write notes phonetically because Bonnie will ask.

I am not updating family until after the holiday. No matter what happens. "Scrooge" will not ruin Christmas for everyone. Besides, it's not March.

i walked and didn't get dizzy.

 

The only house in the 'hood that's decorated for day, as well as night.

Today I took the "dog" for a walk and I didn't fall over. The dog walk is about a half mile. Nothing exciting but I have to go up my hill and then down a long hill and then back up my hill. This was not a fitness walk, but it was more than a stroll. And I made it home without being dizzy or light-headed. Maybe the vertigo is finally going away.

{Knock on wood now.}

Sunday I did get light headed driving up to Angel's dad's funeral in the Poconos. That was scary. When I decided to pull over onto Rt. 33 it was subsiding. There was a moment at the funeral home where I turned too fast and walked a few steps drunkenly. At a funeral home they think nothing of it. They just think you're "overcome" with grief. 

Monday I drove/ran around and delivered student projects to their houses. I have two more to do tomorrow, they are meeting me at school. I was careful on stairs, but other than that, no episodes.

Tuesday and Wednesday was more of the same. A little lightheadness and the occasional wobble. The headache is mostly gone. Now if the humming in both ears would stop, it would be back to normal. But I think that's here for the long haul. I'll get used to it. But is it asking too much for them to hum the same tune?

as my world spins, life goes on.

 

 

This was finals week. No classes to run to, and I even managed to stay upright to go for a walk. Alright, I only walked to the craft fair at the Art Establishment, but it did require two sets of stairs and crossing Broadway without falling over.

What else happened? Let's see:

• Received a lot of emails/texts/messages from students why their work wasn't done. I also made three trips to school to pick up projects. One is still AWOL. They emailed me on Wednesday night and said "I'd like to meet you at the Monroe campus on Friday to give you my project". I replied NO. I can't believe I did that. But I'm not driving all the way to Tannersville to get their work that was due November 9. Later, feeling guilty, I offered to meet them in Wind Gap, at the McD's right off the exit. They never replied or confirmed. Tough shit.

• One trip to ESU to watch the projection of the joint project between us and the University of Sao Paulo. I don't know if you can see it or not without logging into FB, but here it is. If you're ever in Stroudsburg and love Thai food, the Thai Orchid has great food. In another life it was a gas station. Don't expect fancy.

• I purchased stamps, addressed Christmas cards, and mailed them at the Broad Street post office in the hand-stamp box. I ran out. I need to get more made. Maybe if I stay upright.

• We baked kiffles and cut-out cookies at Bonnies. Only got dizzy once. Managed a great save so I didn't crash into her table.

• Angel's dad died

• I've been dizzy every day. Tuesday I was at Giant and nearly fell over three times. I'd like to report that their shelving and carts are sturdy. I also got dizzy at Sharon's taking in her groceries. I stumbled into the lobby like a drunk and flopped into the chair. Today it happened at the farmer's market. I grabbed onto the pretzel counter. Ended up buying a pretzel. I didn't want to scare those poor Mennonite girls. It happened twice more today coming up the stairs. Odd, because usually it happens going down.

Looks like I'll be calling the doctor back.

vertigo sucks

Monday after I took the vertigo medicine, the vertigo seemed to vanish. It was back the next day. I had stopped taking the Tylenol because the headache seemed less.  I was still having dizzy spells.I began walking very carefully. I avoided quick movements and stairs as much as possible.

Thursday I was still dizzy in the morning. I drove to ESU and had to pick up some printing. It's on the third floor. I went in search of the elevator. I had visions of falling down three flights of open stairs. It was weird using an elevator for such a short distance. That early morning dizzy spell was the last one I had. I took the last pill on Friday and thought I was cured.

I also ran out of eye drops last weekend. So Monday, while I was at Target, I tried to get the drops refilled and they were out of stock. They'd come in Tuesday. Tuesday is my long day, so after work Wednesday I went to get them. They still hadn't come in. I've now been out of them for 4 days. I wonder if the pressure in my eye was adding to the problems. I had to go to a different CVS for them. I opened them in the car.

I spent the weekend grading. Fun, right? 

Sunday is laundry day. I brought in the porch furniture and put it in the basement. Then I carried all the wash downstairs. When I brought the wet laundry up to hang it up I got to the top of the stairs and the world started spinning. I almost didn't make it to the living room. I fell onto the couch. I bet it lasted three minutes. The longest yet. The headache is back too. Vertigo sucks.

friday's walk in the hood

 

Friday my car was in the garage (to the tune of $500) so I couldn't meet Pam to walk. So she came to me!

We did a very simple walk. Pam is still recovering and can't go more than a mile and a half, preferably flat. We walked out Itaska, then Broadway and at Bergen turned to go to Delaware. Then at Bishopthorpe we returned home. Like I said, simple, flat.

But what was really important is that I didn't bag out because I didn't feel well. I thought I had an ear infection. But I also thought I was having a stroke. Let's go backwards a bit. Monday was my birthday. Another year older, and apparently closer to having a medical crisis. This is the way my brain works.  

Tuesday I got up, came downstairs and the room started to spin. I sat down. It stopped. It didn't happen again till late at night. I was lightheaded and there was a hammer on om eyes and nose. Of course I went to class. Wednesday the same thing. Thursday I drove up to ESU. I was about midway thru the class and I had to run upstairs for something. I was coming down the stairs, and I was about three from the bottom and it happened again. I grabbed the door and tried walking out. I tumbled to the wall. I managed to sit down on a uncomfortable bench. A few minutes later I stumbled, drunk-like,back to class. I sat down and it went away and didn't return. I started taking Tylenol for the headache. 

By Friday —walk day—I was confident I was having a stroke, that I'd pass out while walking and end up a week before classes end in the hospital. I was perfectly fine. WTF? After I got my car back, I ran into Dollar Tree and got dizzy there. Since I had a mammogram scheduled for today, I scheduled a doctors appointment. I had to know.

Saturday and Sunday was more of the same. I was careful how I moved. It seemed like sudden actions triggered it.

Today the mammo was fine. I went across the hall to the doctor. It's vertigo. I have a middle ear infection. I went to Target to get my medicine and walking around the store I got dizzy. I took the antibiotic in the car. I have not been dizzy since.