Little Requirements

I'm healing but not "healed".  I can drive the car safely and get through a store OK,  but getting in and out of the car is (literally) a bit of a pain.  

I have to help my right leg under the steering wheel in and out.  It's more "annoying" than anything else.   But I'd rather not do it anymore than I need to.  So I went shopping just for a can of fish flakes in spite of that.  Why?

They needed food suitable to their mouths.  I have some adult fish, some catfish, some baby guppies and a Betta (not all in the same aquarium).  The betta has pellets it loves (beats me why).  The catfish will eat anything that falls on the gravel.  I have frozen brine shrimp for the adult fish.

But the baby guppies need crushed flakes and I was OUT of flakes entirely.  Not even dust in the container.  I'm responsible for them as much as for the cats and the outside birds accustomed to getting suet and sunflower seeds.

So (reluctantly) out I went out bad weather notwithstanding...  I pay more attention to "the closest parking space" than I used to.  The shopping strip has speed bumps.  It drives me crazy when people come to a full stop before easing over them.  They are designed to be passed over best at about 10-15 mph.  

So I followed a car coming to full stops at each speed bump.  And there was a place where we had the right of way and the side lot area had a stop sign.  Guess who came to a full stop to wave the other driver on?  THAT messed up the expectation of 3 drivers and almost got me rear-ended!

I know people like that MEAN well, but they don't understand how it confuses others.  SOME people leave a trail of car accidents behind them and wonder how "others" cause them.  AARGHH!

Then I saw a close parking spot.  Guess who backed into it?  Of course that "full stop speed bump" driver had the right to it, but my bad luck meant the next open space was 50' more walking.

I was shopping at a pet store because I thought I would get a few middle-tank fish like serpa tetras (I'm down to 2 of them) while getting the fishy flakes.  No such luck; the tanks were nearly empty.  Maybe they are going out of business.  Or fish are hard to stock these days.  Whichever, I just got the fishy flakes.

The cashier is apparently required to ask if I found everything I wanted.  I know that if I say "no" they get all distressed and waste time trying to help me find it.  I mean, I already SAW they didn't have the tetras, so I said "yes".  

Which I'm sure goes into some report that they have everything I wanted (which suggests I wasn't looking for fish and was inaccurate).  Sometimes you can't win.  

Something else that annoys me is that EVERY SINGLE CASH REGISTER I EVER MEET NOW demands that I actively decline some charity or another.  I give to my choices regularly by credit card; I shouldn't need to have to press a button to say "no" at every cash register.  Besides, I bet the store would get a %.  And there is some slight public shaming (Oh look, he didn't give to save a homeless pet).

So, needing fishy flakes and not finding fish, I purchased and left.  I was advised that I had $3 reward points and used it.  Felt stupid using a credit card for the additional $2 and change, but I hate coins these days.  They just go into a large jar.  I need to bring them to my bank on a Thursday (they only accept loose coins then with some machine they have).  I understand; it is a bit labor-intensive.

Stopped at the local DIY store to drop off burnt fluorescent tubes and buy new ones for the plant stand.  They didn't have what I wanted.  Went to the next and they did (almost).  Not all artificial lighting is the same.  Watts are not that important.  Lumens and Color/Temperature are.  Very basically, Lumens are brightness, which is like "volume of light". Temperature in this regard isn't how HOT the bulb is; it is the red/green/blue color spectrum like in a star.

Plants mostly use red and blue for photosynthesis.  We see most plants as green because they DON'T use it and reflect it away.  The colors we see are what they DON'T absorb and use and (in light) expressed as "Kelvin" (temperature above absolute zero).  Long story not TOO LONG, plants grow best at 5000 Kelvin which (for reasons I do NOT understand) means mostly red and blue.

A typical room bulb is something like 2500K (which means it has green and gives us balanced color from OUR POV.  Pants like higher Kelvin to a point.  5000 is best, 4000 to 6500 is OK.  All I could find was 6100.  I bought some.  

Sorry for all the details, I never know where to stop.  Maybe I should have been a teacher...

I was pretty much worn out by the time I got home.  Too much walking and I can feel it.  But the fish needed the flakes and the baby guppies moreso crushed small and the plant stand had a few bulbs to replace.  You have responsibilities to things you keep.

So I take care of the birdfeeders even when I have to climb a 6' stepladder, go driving to get fishy flakes when they need them, etc.  

You do what you think you must.

The Battery Minder

I mentioned the "Battery Minder" previously that helped my 2005 Toyota start in its last years.  Well it may not have been the Toyota's fault.  I just don't drive far or often.  I know most people enjoy driving; I don't.  But it did make up for my lack of driving.

I discovered my new Subaru Forester was starting "slightly" slower than before I fell off the ladder and was taking some steps to attach the battery-minder to it the day I fell off the ladder.  But the Subaru battery is farther back under the hood than most batteries are.  The wire wouldn't reach!  I had 2 wires with the Minder and I spliced them together.  Used some brush-on rubber insulation to help prevent a short.  And there it say for 7 weeks!

Well I got back to hooking it up to the Subaru battery a few days ago.  I wrapped electrical tape around the new rubber insulation on each wire and them wrapped both together.  And set about attaching the spliced wire to the battery with the hood open.  The wire worked; the Minder came on flashing the appropriate lights. But you can't just leave the wire there, the hood will crush it when closed...

So I set about feeding the wire through the grill to the battery.  What a PAIN!  It didn't want to go from the battery out through the grill and it didn't want to go in through the grill to the battery!  It is REALLY cluttered in there.  No room for human hands...

I tried a bunch of different ways to feed it through and/or grab it with something.  It was getting REAL uncomfortable bending down into the engine compartment.  I FINALLY found a space I could get a hand into, but it wasn't enough.

Well, when several approaches don't work, try something else, right?  

I pushed a stiff wire in through the grill, and with one hand, guided it into view.  I made a loop on one end and tied some string to it and tied the wire to the string.  Perfect.  No.   The outside plug wouldn't pass through a narrow spot.

So I had to reverse the pulling wire.  The battery connection has 2 flat washers that slip over the battery posts.  I got the stiff wire through the grill from inside and attached the washers to the wire.  THAT didn't work; too stiff to get around a sharp corner.

So I pulled in partially back out, tied the string to the pulling wire (crushing the loop tightly) and pulled/twisted the pulling wire carefully.  

SUCCESS!!!

The Minder wires were through the grill and reached the battery.  I attached the washers over the battery posts and tightened them.  

Attached the Minder plug to the grill (so it wouldn't get pulled in).  Plugged the Battery Minder to an extension cord, the Minder plugs together, and the Minder showed normal charging signals.

And the car needed it!  It stayed on trickle-charging (solid red light) for hours before it turned green (charged).  HURRAY!

I just don't drive enough to keep a battery charged without help.  Seriously, my new-bought 2005 Toyota only had 30,000 miles on it when I donated it to Vehicles For Change in 2020!  My new Subaru has only 500 miles after 7 months.  

But I got that battery-discharging problem fixed, and that is the important thing.  When I want to do a short errand, the car has to work.  So I make sure it does.

It's the story of my life; I am just not "standard".  The world just isn't built for my habits.  I always have to struggle...

I usually win eventually, but it sure is never easy.  ;)

Scene Of The Fall

First, I've felt slightly stiff the past couple days.  I suppose it is because I am re-engaging some muscles  that I had previously been favoring.  Well, I've been more active lately.  Partly just because some degree of activity is recommended for healing; partly because after 7 weeks there are simply some things that MUST be done around the house.

I couldn't ask Deb to take care of me forever.  Thankful as I am for all that wonderful help, I feel a deep need to start to do some things again myself.  Oh for sure, I will ask for help if I need it, but there comes a time...

Which reminds me I need to return the walker to her so that John can return it to his workplace (before it gets "missed" maybe in an inventory).  I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble.  And besides, that gives me an opportunity to bring a "thank you" gift.  They said they loved my home-baked bread, but I also make an old family banana cake recipe that surprises people.  Think of spice cake in texture and appearance but with banana and walnuts.  The family recipe calls for a bundt cake pan (for even cooking) but I've learned how to make it in muffin trays.  

I was going to bring flowers, but it is near Valentines Day, so I will wait a few weeks on that, as I don't want to confuse a simple THANK YOU with a rather romantic holiday.  Anyway, I will continue with gradual and home-oriented thank you gifts.  My intent is "thank you" reminders of appreciation...

So I am doing more (having a couple minor setbacks) and expecting better things each week.  

Second, here is a pic of the "Beware Of Falling Idiots" zone!  The small ladder was there so I could raise the top of the extension ladder.  I am usually so cautious that I would have tied a rope to a middle rung and tied it around the tree so it couldn't move.  But when I bounced on the lower rungs and pulled side-to-side, it wouldn't move (and indeed it did not).  There is a "U-shaped" stabilizer bar on the top (for roofs) and it was very snug around the trunk.

The branch going to the left at the top is where Laz was sitting and calling for help.  That's why I had to stand on the top rung to reach him.  Well I had the trunk and branch to hold onto.  THAT wasn't the cause of the fall.

BTW, the pale circle near the top of the ladder is where I had a weak fork in the trunk cut down a few years ago.  I keep telling myself I should paint it bright yellow and then paint an emoji on it, LOL!

The ladder on the ground shows where I hit and the orientation.

Well, I had that ladder out to fill the birdfeeder, so I set it down afterwards to take the picture as a good reminder...

Superbowl Sunday And Other Stuff

I LOVE Superbowl Sunday.  It means I can shop at the DIY store without a crowd there, LOL!  It's like shopping for flowers AFTER Valentines Day or grocery shopping after Thanksgiving Day.

It is supposed to start snowing later today.  The weather-forecasters have (by self-admission) been all over the forecasts this week.  Snow, no snow, snow.  Heavy, light, etc.  Apparently, the conditions are so uncertain that they just can't tell exactly where this storm is moving.

Which is not a great surprise.  Washington DC is a turbulence zone.  That means Southern warms meet Northern colds where the Jet Stream crosses the uneven Appalachian Mountains, so almost anything can happen.  

I mean, we got a foot of snow on Veterans Day one year and they didn't even think it would RAIN.  Took 3 hours to get home!

So they are saying tonight we might get 1-3" of snow followed by rain here.  Or not, depending on some high pressure front moved north or south 20 miles.  Let's just say I usually just look ouit the window to see what is happening.

1" of snow will melt.  3" might be annoying.  I'm not recovered enough to shovel 3" and the snow-blower doesn't real deal with lesser amounts well.

But with the possibility of snow, I had to check the bird-feeders.  I could see the thistleseed ones were about empty, so I brought out enough to refill them.  On the way, I checked the sunflower seed feeder.  The 2 suet feeders were OK, but the main seed tray was nearly empty.  Damn!

Well, I love my birds and snow causes them hardships.  So I carefully set up the ladder and dragged the seed bucket out and up.  I was VERY VERY careful.  I have to order more thistle and sunflower, I'm out.  The thought of dumping a 50 pound bag into the metal trash can I store the sunflowers in is daunting.  Maybe I'll just cut the top off and scoop.  Same with the thistle seed.

You make adjustments to the usual routines when you have to...  But I like my birds.  The cardinals are my favorites in Winter, so very bright red.  But there are many others who depend on the suet and seeds.  The thistle feeders are visited by goldfinches and sometimes by purple finches.  The goldfinches are the Spring/Summer glory around here.  So I support a small flock of cardinals and finches for Summer/Winter viewing.  

I'm still stiff in the morning and after sitting at the computer, but maybe some less each day.  I have to remind myself not to put a foot up on the opposite knee.  It doesn't bother me at the time, but it hurts some after.  Habits are hard to break.  

Cleaning the litter boxes is awkward.  I can't lift them to the workbench where I normally do it (resting the ribs for another 2 weeks) and gettting on hands and knees is not the easiest thing yet.  But I CAN carefully and it is a requirement.

Walking around is not much of a problem the past days.  Not like I can walk FAST, but it is mostly straight-forward.  I can return the walker to Deb anytime.  I plan to do that along with a loaf of warm bread.  She and John loved it cold; warm will be better just before dinnertime.  

That's not actually mine, but darn close.  I need to remember to take a picture.

Ordered some new seeds.  Most of mine are fresh (refrigeration helps) but some are old.  Late for ordering and so some are out of stock, but I made adjustments and am trying 2 new-to-me heirloom tomatoes.  One is a cold-tolerant early producer and the other is a pear-shaped Japanese type that is supposedly very meaty with few seeds.  

Have to replace some lights in the plant stand.  Naturally, they are at the bottom which is awkward.  Oh well, what is life without a few challenges?

Ran out of fish food yesterday, so off to the pet store I go today.  I thought I had a large container half-full stashed away, but no.  But while there,  I could use a few more fish.  They only live a few years and I am down to mostly guppies and a couple catfish.  I want some tetras.  The guppies hide in the floating plants on the top.  The tetras swim around the middle.

Laz loves watching the Fish TV from the stepstool.  He doesn't go after them or I would remove the stepstool.

I am slowly catching up on things here.  Quite a To Do list after a month ignoring clutter and grime.  I wish I could just flood the house with soapy water and suck it up with the shop vac, but one thing at a time will have to do.

Hanging in there...

Fixing My Computer World

There are computer problems you expect and ones you don't.  I have been gradually examining all my apps to see which aren't 64 bit.  There are a LOT, so I have some work to do.  That is likely the source of most of my problems.

I have also added a Password Manager and better security software.  Until I actually go through them, though, they actually cause problems.  For example, when is the last time you turned on your computer to be met with the sound of a growling lion?  That surprised ME for sure.  It turned out it was a signal from the security app that I had malware ad apps that needed attending-to.  Not the easiest way to start a day, LOL!

Fortunately, Consumer Reports magazine has a 10 part step-by-step article on computer security.  I will follow that over the next week.  Some I learned myself; some I was not so aware of.  For example, I had just gotten their recommended password manager, but I also just acquired my first smartphone and was clueless.  So it is very helpful (and includes things I don't have but you might).

I will be spending some time following MOST recommendations.  I have a problem with deleting cache and cookies.  It always causes problems getting into some standard sites.  For example, I deleted them on recommendation from my security software (which, naturally, I don't want to identify for security reasons, LOL!).

But it took me almost an hour to get back into Feedly.com.  Apparently, I have it directly through Google, and they didn't want to recognize me for Feedly.  I got around it, but it took a while.  I'll be more careful of security advice.  After all, their purpose is "security", not "accessibility".  

My password manager may help on that, but my list is daunting.  I have so MANY sites with accounts.  Well, time to trim the list.  Many sites are old, and some are easy to access once a year as a "guest". 

Such fun!

Like, I only order seeds once a year.  I don't need to keep track of an account with 6 companies when I really only order from 1 or 2.  And entering my address once a year as a "guest" isn't worth keeping track of username/password.

Simplify and update.  Keep a clean machine.  Search for and delete 32 bit old stuff and replace with 64 bit apps.  That's my new rule...

After that, get my darn email straightened out.  I may reduce to one.  Having several themed-accounts was nice when it was supported by Verizon, but it is getting impossible to keep them working on AOL (which Verizon sold my account to).  Time to accept the inevitable and go with one.  

And that "one" will be "cavebear2118@verizon.net".   The others receive but replies stick in the outbox.  I will miss them, but I won't keep fighting about them.  You can always reach me at cavebear2118@verizon.net.  The others are less certain and will vanish eventually.  But they receive so it's OK to use them for the time being.

One Day At A Time...

Some Random Thoughts...

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.

Nearly OK

I'm beginning to get back to normal.  Not that I mean I will be jogging down the street and digging up the garden soil anytime real soon,  or walk down the stairs carrying an awkward load.  I still feel the stiffness in my hips and the separation of the clavicle from the scapula will probably always be slightly annoying.

The difference is that I can free-walk in a relatively straight fashion rather than waddling a bit side-to-side now.  I CAN carry things even down the stairs (keeping it light).  I can go up and down the stairs when I feel like it rather than carefully planning 1 or 2 trips a day.

I went outside the other day to fill the 3 birdfeeders (1 of which involves using a 6' stepladder which I was VERY careful on).  I dragged the trash bin to the street even with snow on the driveway (I'm going to let it just melt - no WAY I'm shoveling even 3" of snow).  

I had been just filling a large bowl with kibble for The Mews, but I am getting them more canned foods the past 2 weeks.  We were running short anyway, so I ordered more last week and Deb brought the large box in for me.  I got it opened and sorted out into the pantry yesterday.  Ayla really appreciated it; kibble is not her favorite food.  Marley likes both.  Laz grew up on kibble, so that is fine with him.  But I prefer feeding them canned.

I can get down on hands and knees to clean the litter boxes myself.  I can do laundry normally, but I am transporting it downstairs using a tall (unused) rigid kitchen wastebasket as a support on the stairs (I go down backwards and up forwards.  I watered the basement lettuce etc trays myself and that took some walking back and forth from the laundry tub and the lighted plant rack.

Driving the car is easy.  It is nice to just go out and get what I need when I want it.

I guess my biggest question now is how much and how fast I will finish healing.  It has been going well after the first couple weeks, and I feel better every day in general.  But I COULD hit a wall at some point. It is POSSIBLE my hips will always feel stiff after this.  Or that, when I get more active outdoors, my shoulder will always feel "loose and weak".  

The orthopedic surgeon said I "probably" will never need surgery.  My primary Dr (internist) has the same separation I do (he let me feel the lump on his shoulder) and says it doesn't bother him after several years. But they may not understand quite how physically-active I was around the yard.  Since I live alone and have no family or friends nearby, I push myself pretty hard sometimes by necessity.

So I worry about it.  My life may or may not change permanently.  On the other hand, while I seem to be aging slower than average, I AM aging regardless.  At some point, things I could easily do be before would be becoming more difficult regardless of falling off the ladder.  

I certainly can tell the difference between what I could a few months ago (pre-fall) and what I could do at 50 or 30.  It is part of the natural course of life.  If I need to move a large rock, I just need a bigger lever.  If I need to do something too difficult and awkward after this, I'll need to call a "handyman".  LOL!

If I am seeming to make light of all this, it is because I'm accustomed to do that about personal difficulties.  Trust me, a part of my brain is "yelling and screaming" about being injured and getting older.  But since I am injured and getting older and that can't be avoided, I shout that part down and decide how to get on with things.  

A LOT of people have it much worse that I.  And it could have been much worse.  I remind myself I could have landed on my head and died or landed in such a way to cause some various degree of paralysis.  I wouldn't handle that last very well.  I'm not sure I could deal with that!

But let's be cautiously cheerful.  If I was stuck as I am today, I could deal with it.  And I DO expect to heal more, after all.  A couple months from now, when gardening season REALLY starts, I may not even notice a difference.

We'll see.

Thank you all again for the continued good recovery wishes and advice.  They have made a difference.  It is good to have friends...

A Remembrance

Today, in 1966, my youngest sister was born.  It was a harrowing event.  It had snowed and blown for several days and drifts were piled up against the doors 6' high.  There was at least a foot of snow on the ground.  The major road behind our house was plowed, but not our neighborhood street.  

Mom was ready to give birth.  I was the eldest child at 15 and it was all a bit scary.  I was too young to really understand when my other siblings were born, but I knew something about it this time. 

The plowed road was 150' away from the garage.  Dad handed me a shovel and said "dig" as he wielded his own.  We dug out a path to the plowed road in a serious wind and had to repeat it as blown-snow came in. 

Finally Dad said, "you're in charge" and drove off with Mom.  No advice, no suggestions, just "do it".  So I did it.

Sometimes I think back on my life and note that Dad never really acknowledged anything worthwhile I did.  He was always rather critical and quick to point out errors.  But I guess what he said and what he thought were different.  When push came to shove, he was confident enough in me to just say "take care of your brother and sister" with some confidence and off he went with Mom...  This only really occurs to me while writing this.  

My recollection of the reports afterwards said 6 women were helicoptered to local hospitals for births that day and one was driven in.  That was Mom.

So there I was at 15 with a 13 year old brother and 9 year old sister.  Well, I had baby-sat/been in charge before for a few hours with prepared food but not for several days.  Damn good thing I used to help Mom in the kitchen...

I found food and cooked it.  I made sure my siblings got into bed at a decent hour.  I entertained and reassured.  Made sure they watched some favorite TV.  Dad called a few times to make sure we were OK.  We were.  I assured Dad we were fine and there was good food and all that.

The local road was cleared 2 days later.  Mom and Dad returned more easily than they left.  And brought a new sister.

Her name was Jennifer.  Mom forbid "Jenny" or "Jen" so we got away with "Jif" (she loved that brand of peanut butter as she learned solid foods).

I was off to college by then, and she loved it when I came home some weekends.  I was her mysterious Big Brother.  I wore hats then and always put mine on her when I arrived.  She loved that.  She was adorable!  And she adored me all her life.

Sadly, she did not have the charmed life I have had.  Mom and she did not get along as they both aged.  When Jen ("Jen" stuck better than "Jif") was in her 30s, it was discovered that she had an arterial/ventrous blockage what was inoperable at the time and that would likely kill her some random day.  

It happened when she was only 44.  Her male Partner In Life found her dead on the kitchen floor one day.  He has taken wonderful Fatherly care of her children since then.  A good person...

Jen raised 3 children to healthy adulthood, 2 of whom had cystic fibrosis and she spent a lot of time helping them survive as a single Mom.  She was a vegetarian, an organic gardener better than me, raised some fancy chickens for the unusual eggs to sell, and she followed The Grateful Dead when she could.  She happily shared anything she had.

When her partner announced a memorial for her, over 200 people attended.  She was loved and admired by many.  

So, today, I remembering her beginning and end.  It is not a very sad time.  She and family knew the brain blockage would get her some day.  She enjoyed her short life.  I think of her often.  Jen and Mom died the same year, just a few months apart and I lost a beloved cat.  2010 wasn't a great year here.

I'll remember her start in life more than her end.  It was unusual and memorable.  All of my siblings and I have some things in common that I cherish.  With Jen, it was organic gardening.  Jen wasn't a computer-type, but we exchanged letters sometimes discussing organic composting and our current heirloom veggies and a few thoughts on life in general.  

But she was always a special person to me.  So this post is about what started in 1966 and ended in 2010...

One Month Since The Fall

It's been a Whole Month since I fell off the ladder. Sometimes it feels like a week; sometimes a year! Time just doesn't pass normally when you are limping around and housebound.

On the other hand, I am nearly healed. I had a Dr appt Thursday (more below) and I drove there myself. Surprisingly, driving was easy. I brought the walker with me but I was basically just pushing it along in front as I free-walked.

I went grocery-shopping yesterday without the walker (though I knew the cart would have served if needed). It was nice to choose my own fruits and veggies again! I had the store delivery for the first time last week and it was obvious they didn't waste any time selecting ripe fruits or firm veggies - it is "grab&go").

Deb did a wonderful effort shopping for me before that, but my computer-made shopping has a lot of shorthand to save space. For example, only *I* know that "cukes" means the mostly-seedless mini or long English cucumbers, not the standard kind. So it was great to get to pick&choose.

I've done a couple loads of laundry. The stairs are no longer a problem (but rest assured I am VERY careful). I do time it so that I'm going down to the basement for other reasons as well (Dr visit, shopping). In other words, bring laundry down into the washer as I'm driving somewhere, move it to the dryer when I return, bring the dried stuff back up next day...

I can let the laundry sit because all my clothes are 100% casual cotton. I gradually switched to that after I retired. First, I don't much care about "fashion and fit". I'm a relaxed fit-camo pants kind of guy (though I still color-coordinate. Second, I am a serious static-electricity generator. I used to be able to dimly light fluorescent lamps just be touching them and The Mew's furs crackled when I stroked them! 100% cotton solved that.

Now, the latest Dr visit...

It was very irritating at first, but very satisfactory by the end. When you enter the building you meet a front desk person who wants a form filled out. I KNOW it is all about Covid-19 symptoms, it asked 2 questions I HAD to answer "yes" to. First was "Do you have any body aches"? Well, duh, I fell off a tall ladder, so "yes". Second was "Are you congested"? I've smoked for 50 years, so "yes". I shouldn't have checked those boxes.

It generated 15 minutes of delay while the front desk decided I was save to visit the Dr. You would think I had checked off the "Are you a terrorist?" box, LOL! But I was allowed to pass the desk eventually.

I was still at the Drs office before the appt to fill out the same form I had the previous week (in some ways, Dr offices understand computer records about as well as I know what "acromioclavicular separation" means). Then I was escorted to a waiting room.

What an appropriate name for a room. I waited and waited and waited. After 30 minutes (glad I brought a book to read) I heard some people saying "goodnight, see you tomorrow" and went out to make sure I had not been forgotten.

They apologized that the Dr was running behind but wopuld be there "in a few minutes". Yeah, right. After 25 more minutes, I decided that when it an hour, I would leave. I was JUST about to put on my coat when he came in. I was his last appt for the day. I told him I had just gotten up to leave. He apologized for being "busy". I told him "you're busy; I'm hungry".

Actually, that started us off well. He actually wanted to just talk at first, and not about my problems. World stuff. I guess doctors need to talk too. And I discovered (as I expect he did) that we have a lot in common. Maybe that's a professional thing to decide how to talk to a patient or maybe not. But he seemed sincere about the almost 100% we agreed on. Not that I'm a trained behavioral psychologist, but I've been a keen observor of human nature and I could see him relax.

I suspect he gathered that I was fact-based, anatomically-aware, and generally positive toward information and advice. So he got down to the cause of the injury. I had told that to the hospital (which he had the report of) and his own PA. But I can repeat myself, I can repeat myself...

So I told him the whole sad story while he took notes. He was appropriately sympathetic (unlike SOME doctors I have visited in far-gone years). A pessimist would say he was looking for errors in my recitation of the event; and optimist would say he was looking for me emphasis on certain parts. I just told him my best recollection. Well, maybe he saw something I hadn't emphasized before.

Anyway, he was surprised when I mentioned that the hospital said it had sent him a more-detailed report on their examination (xrays, ctscan, mri). That surprised him (see above about doctors and computers) but he found it when he looked. There were some things I didn't know myself.

One was "spinal stenosis"; apparently that is an arthritic tightening of the lower lumber spinal disks. But that was pre-fall, and he said that at 70, it is normal. Disks wear out, and I've led an active life. So, not to worry overmuch about that.

He did some physical tests. Held my knees firmly and had me push them together and apart, asking about pain (and feeling the strength of movement I assume). Had me try to lift each leg while holding them down. My left leg was fine; the right is weak. Checked my right arm for mobility. Explained that the shoulder joint is a 3-way joint and looser than the 2-way hip joint. Showed me some mild stretching exercises I could do at home.

His basic evaluation is that I am healing faster than average for even younger patients because I am very good shape. Oh, I bet he says that to all the guys, LOL! Seriously, he is likely correct. I don't do deliberate exercises, but I am constantly active (well not THIS month). I bet if I only got 10,000 steps in a "regular" day, I would be slacking. I stay standing up 90% of a day normally (but WOW does settling onto the easy chair to eat dinner feel great).

He says my ribs are healing well but don't stress them another 3 weeks. That wasn't a surprise. The first 2 weeks, I felt some slight movement and an occasional clicking sound, but that has gone away. I don't even detect any pain when I cough or do my deep-breathing exercise (recommended by the hospital).

I think the Dr was glad to have me as the last patient of the day as it was a pretty positive visit. He said most of his patients are hurt, angry, sullen, and just want strong meds. We discussed meds. I told him about the Percoset and my concern with it being Oxycodone. I also mentioned the replacement med was Tramadole and that it seemed useless and ineffective.

I told him I was a bit disappointed that the PA had refused a refill on the Percoset, as it HAD worked. And that I had been off it for 5 days before the PA visit without the slightest odd feeling. He made a note of that.

And then he asked me about my smoking. The connection was obvious. How prone to addiction am I? I described my smoking habit. I'm an odd one. About once or twice a week, I stay up REAL late on the computer. I mean, 10pm to dawn and past (I stayed up 36 hours once). I smoke then and only then. And only there. I can have an open pack of cigs by the computer in plain sight for days and not have the slightest desire for one.

He actually smiled. Well, of course he told me I should quit. But I sort of know that. What he mentioned was that it's a "habituation by situation". I LIKE having a lit cig in my hand handling the mouse. I LIKE having something to do while I sit and think about what to type. I'm not saying he approved of it in any way; he strongly encouraged me to quit.

So I asked him about what the hospital xrays, ctscan, and mri might have shown. He initially said "not much" because it depends on what they are looking for. But then he corrected himself saying the ctscan makes very good images. So he looked through the hospital report and found a part describing lungs.

The lung section was detailed. Apparently, they could tell that I had had a single lung lobe collapse (from hitting the ground I suppose) but that it had reinflated normally and that my oxygen level was 98%. He said that, if there had been any lung masses, they would had said so. So I'm clean of lung cancer. That is a relief.

Not much else to say. As I left the Dr, I told him the hour wait was worth the conversation and diagnosis. He told me that, in return, he appreciated my cheerful outlook and willingness to listen to advice. I like this Dr (internist). Funny thing is that I remember him very differently from my only other visit in 2018 (for an annual physical). He acted like he didn't know what that was. Maybe I'm recalling a previous Dr.

As I left, the doors were locked and I had to find someone to let me out. I had the only car left in the parking lot, LOL! It was THAT late. The drive home was easy and rather enjoyable.

All for now...

Getting Around Finally

I have been healing faster the past couple days!   

1.  I can mostly free-walk now (needed the walker only when I first got up yesterday).  Not normally or fast, but I can walk enough to function now and every day is better.

2.  I got down to the basement to do a load of laundry and it was easier than a few days ago.  

3.  Took the car out for a brief test-drive.  It is easier than even using the walker.  The hardest part was getting OUT of the car afterwards.  My right leg kept hitting the steering wheel.

4.  I have a last regular Dr visit later today.  I probably don't NEED the visit but it serves "for the record" in case something comes up later.  I'll use the walker, but probably won't need it.  Handy for carrying stuff!

5.  I think I will go out on the deck and maybe down on the backyard tomorrow (but not let The Mews out yet).  I have a couple small bags of kitchen scraps for the compost bin and they are starting to make their presence obvious.  :(

6.  I think I will leave the ladder up against the tree as a reminder.  I'll make a sign to hang on it:  "Use of ladders after age 70 can be dangerous to your health".

7.  I initially made a few ill-informed predictions about when I would be healed.  First, I thought 3-5 days.  Then, another week.  Well, Groundhog Day will be exactly a month and that is my more-informed guess for normal mobility.

8.  This January has not been "best  month ever" but I should be back to my normal activities soon:

Sorry, just couldn't resist that!  A sense of humor is important.  "Laugh, and the world laughs with you.  Cry, and you cry alone"...