Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Where to start

First, my new pillow is grand. If you have one you remember loving more, strip it down to its sad self and look for the name. Input that name to google, and you probably will be returned a lot of pristine pillow pictures and where to buy it. Do it, and like Debby did, buy a couple for the guest bed, too. You'll know where to find the next replacement.

I mentioned a trip to my doctor recently. It was the standard several months out follow-up on the Lasix business. She smilingly said "This could have been a phone consult," and I said absolutely not; I needed to test the transport program in the building. Things went well until she announced she heard diminished breathing sounds in one lung lobe, and hoped I would stop for a chest x-ray on the way out of the building.

Long story short, the films indicated a very new case of double pneumonia. And that suddenly accounted for the volume of phlegm I've dealt with daily for the last little while. Given my penicillin allergy, the doctor prescribed azithromycin. Fortunately it's a only five day regimen. The stuff is brutal. I'm beginning to realize there really isn't enough of me to handle some "cures".

On the plus side, I woke to no phlegm this morning. We're following up by phone next Wednesday, after my Tuesday Covid shot. Given my reaction to the first shot, the doctor sort of harassed me until I agreed to ask my sister to drive me this time, to be sure I arrived home and went to bed still awake.

The sun is shining more often than not this week; snow is melting and so is the ice.


My beautiful weeds reappear. The footprints become giant, my stepping stone to the shed peeks out. Could it be spring? It's nearly March and return to daylight savings time.


Tomorrow Laura comes for the afternoon. I can resume my normal parking stance, my tires exactly on the edge of the drive. Since the snow event, not only was there a foothill of snow there, there was an ice skating path under the driver's side door that I didn't dare step on.


The last thing of importance in my world, the amaryllis continues its inexorable journey. How fortunate to be green. 



But I almost forgot; the rose arrived at its destination, and pleased PamJ. She left us a note and sent me a picture.

 

52 comments:

  1. Double pneumonia?? Yikes! You must have been doing some really hard coughing, I'm glad you didn't break a rib. I'm glad that's fixed now. Hooray for Spring soon too, although I personally dislike daylight saving and I'll soon have to turn my clocks backward for our autumn. I see a tiny red bird hanging from the blind behind the amaryllis :)

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    1. I got that red bird from Alberta's kitchen. I love it.

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  2. bi lateral pneumonia will kill you or you will wish it had, good thing you nipped that one in the bud! I had that when Erik was about seven years old and still had to take care of him - The days were black. Lucky for you you got antibiotics in time. You must rest! That is important, sleep all day- even if you can not.

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  3. A good job you didn't go for a 'phone consultation!

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  4. Seconding fly in the web's comment!
    That Amaryllis doesn't know how to stop...and neither do you xx

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  5. so was I wrong about the amaryllis and the green tips sticking up on the outside were leaves? arctic blast one week here, the very next 70s and back to early spring.

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    1. I have no idea what those side growths are. We'll see.

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    2. Could it be that the bulb is having babies?? I believe they do reproduce by adding bulbs to the sides, yes/no? And so very glad you got to the dr. and sorry about the pneumonia. I'm allergic to Penicillin too... Azithromyacin should kick it. Hope so, anyway. Take care...

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  6. Glad the pneumonia was diagnosed and treated Joanne. It sounds like you are feeling better already.

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  7. I hope your medicine works a quick cure for you. I like amaryllis too and used to have a couple.

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  8. Hope that chest is better soon Joanne. Take care.

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  9. Double pneumonia sounds scary, I'm glad you are improving. The weather here in the UK is turning quite Spring like. Long may that last.

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  10. Arrrrrgh. How did double pneumonia happen? I had regular pneumonia arising from influenza I got in France - and I was afraid I would break a rib from the coughing. Glad you were caught early and are doing better.

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  11. I'm sorry to hear about your pneumonia! I'm so glad you saw your doctor and she caught it early. Please take it easy and give your body time to recover. The amaryllis looks beautiful and healthy. She will be rewarding you with blooms before you know it.

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  12. Hari OM
    Good grief... the doc at least earned her bucks and you proved the worth of presenting in rooms! Steady on there ol' gal. You need to make like that amaryllis. Resurgent. YAM xx

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  13. Good thing you went in person to the doctor's and got a chest x-ray! Glad the medication is working quickly and I hope you feel better soon.

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  14. Phone consult! A phone consult would have missed that double pneumonia! Just shaking my head over that. Glad you are receiving care and hope it isn't too brutal.

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  15. Thank goodness you caught that pneumonia and started treatment, pronto. Double pneumonia is scary stuff. I am glad you are feeling better. Do rest, stay warm and heal. A little chicken soup would be good too.

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  16. I am so glad your doctor figured out the pneumonia. Lord, woman! Antibiotics can be a bitch, can't they? Are you eating yogurt with them?
    I hope that spring creeps ever nearer to you and that you can unfurl like a budding leaf.

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  17. in terms of the pneumonia....obviously take the antibiotics, drink fluids, and move around, walk. Inactivity is the worst thing you can do for pneumonia. Your lungs need to be working and breathing deeply. It helps getting the fluid (phlegm) out and oxygenates. If your temp goes up, be seen. Same with increasing sob with activity.

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  18. I'm amazed that you didn't realize you had pneumonia. When I've had it, and bronchitis, I was poleaxed. Couldn't have got to a doctor. I'm glad you caught it early. Very wise to insist on an in person visit.

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  19. Glad you were seen in person! I really can't wait to get back to the retirement property to take a good look at the kitchen table stored away there. I really think we have the same table!

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  20. When I went out witht he garbage this morning, I saw my neighbour almost wipe out on a patch of ice. We still need to be careful here, especially with daytime thaws followed by nighttime freezing.

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  21. Look after yourself. Have a rapid recovery.

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  22. Wow, and you were ambulatory with THAT! I'm amazed. I remember that as being strong medication (one pill a day?) but it sounds like it's kicking the pneumonia. Nice to see the snow go away. Spring is coming!

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  23. Glad you're feeling better. It's amazing how fast you can feel good in no time with proper treatment.

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  24. Sorry about the pneumonia, boy I understand. Hugs from here.

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  25. I'm glad you got the pneumonia diagnosed and treated right away.

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  26. I am very glad that you didn't opt for a phone consult. Hooray for a phlegm free morning - with more to follow.

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  27. Take care Joanne and stay safe.

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  28. It’s alway’s something, isn’t it, Joanne. Glad to read that you got it early and will be better soon. It also might prompt me to seek out a doctor.

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  29. Wow. If you'd had a telehealth visit instead of going in, you'd still have double pneumonia. Scary to even think of what might have happened.

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  30. Nope! Pneumonia is no fun - you don't want to do it again. I'd take it off "The List" now. Hope you feel/are doing better.

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  31. Good thing you saw the doctor in person so she could hear that pneumonia in your lungs! Feel better soon! The little spears of my daffodils are poking up through the dirt outside my kitchen window! And deep snow was there just a few days ago!

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  32. OMG Joanne, I am so sorry and so glad you insisted on the doc seeing you. We tend to put everything down to the feebleness of old age and we can be so wrong. I know I did. I hope you are well on your way to sustained health.
    XO
    WWW

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  33. It actually sounds like what my mom used to get... it was called 'silent or walking pneumonia'. Glad your doctor caught it and is treating it.

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  34. Double pneumonia? That sounds nasty. Glad you seem to have shaken it off now. And good luck with the second virus shot.

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  35. Wow. So many updates. I am glad to hear you are feeling better and really glad to hear that yucky snow is melting. I am ready for spring and DST. Take care, Joanne.

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  36. It's a good thing you didn't have a phone consultation with the doctor. I hope the pneumonia is gone in a hurry. A few years ago I bought two pillows (Macy's) that don't flatten. They're the best I've ever had.

    Love,
    Janie

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  37. Hopefully the pneumonia has been dealt with and is gone. Your pillow advice at the start of the post had me thinking this was going to a very non-serious post but then pneumonia popped up. Take care, all the best.

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  38. As a child I had pneumonia almost every year and sometimes twice a year. I rarely complained, because we would usually be living with my grandmother and she had some questionable "cures". My mother was loathe to take me to a doctor and I seemed to always be in my grandmother's care. For this particular malady, she relied upon honey and whiskey for the cough, a rag soaked in turpentine hung on the headboard to help one breathe, and my least favorite of all her cures that was included with every malady, a laxative, always a harsh one. She liked to keep our innards clean. I approve of your regimen, don't frget to get plenty of rest!!

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  39. Thinking of you, I planted my two tiny Amaryllis out by the driveway. Sppring thinks it is here.

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  40. PS: What's the brand of your new pillow, please?

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    1. sleepbetter is the registered trademark. I found it on Amazon as SleepBetter Beyond Down. They make a side sleeper and a front/back sleeper version.

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  41. Double pneumonia sounded terrible. I'm glad you've recovered from it. Augmentin is what for me is a cure worse than the illness.

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