As I review my posts, I noticed something I have failed to mention. I have been oddly temperature-sensitive since the accident. I have normally kept the house at 72F daytime and drop it to 68 at night (having a heated waterbed has some benefits). And in daytime at 72, in Winter just I usually wear light slacks and flannel shirts (cuffs rolled up).
Since the accident, I've felt cold. I expect that is because I haven't been as active but it may be some reaction to healing as well. I had to bump the temperature up to 74F night and day and even then, sometimes wear a sweater in daytime. I should have remembered to ask my Dr about that.
Also, I notice that, even drinking about a gallon of water per day (yes, I fill an actual gallon jug), I often feel dehydrated. I initially blamed the meds, but I'm not on any anymore. What's causing that? It's not like I spend the day eating bread or crackers...
It's funny how the accident stopped all my projects in mid-work. I was in the basement and noticed one that I started THAT DAY! Because I seldom drive far or often, my old Toyota car battery tended to get discharged. So a few years ago, I bought a "battery-minder". It is a smart version of a trickle-charger. Starts and stops when needed and you can leave it plugged in.
It kept the old 2005 Toyota running and I noticed the new Subaru was slower to start too. My fault for not driving much (joke - I couldn't drive at ALL for almost a month). The Toyota dealer said "well drive 15 minutes every couple of days". But I don't. So I have the battery-minder. But you can't just slam the hood on the wires. It has to come through the grill.
Guess what? The cable doesn't reach the battery in the Subaru. But it came with 2 different cables. SO, I cut them to splice them together for enough length. Now, you have to understand that, as willing (and usually successful) as I am at SIMPLE repairs, electrical tape is the bane of my existence (next to 2-stroke gasoline engines like on chain saws). The stuff sticks to ME like flypaper and I can't get it wrapped neatly around wire splices.
But I had a bottle of "liquid rubber" and was applying it THAT DAY before I heard Laz yelling for help. It is still there today. I suspect it is "well-set" by now, LOL! I feel up to completing that repair now and feeding the cable back through the grill to the battery.
NOW, I'll attack it with electric tape. It is probably safe from shorts now with all that stuff on it. LOL!
And I won't have to worry about draining the battery again on lots of short errands...
Plus, maybe my best chess game ever against a computer! If you follow this sort of thing: I'm White.
A double-rook sacrifice... I NEEDED a game like that! LOL...
I continue to feel and walk better. I'm still stiff when I first get up in the morning or have been sitting too long, but that goes away more quickly lately. The stairs are easier and I can now carry things AND go up and down almost normally.
I took the last of the prescription-strength 600mg Ibuprophen today, which is OK. I think I can get along with an over-the-counter 200mg one 2x a day. I dislike taking meds; there is always SOME level of side-effects or consequences if you take them too long.
