I Was Attacked by my Bra! I Won, But I'm in Pain

Today I hurt. I purchased several new bras to keep "the girls" stable during healing. The one I wore yesterday was OK during the day, but at night it moved a bit closer to my armpit which features a bunch of stitches from biopsies which were done across the area. By the time the pain awakened me an hour before my alarm was set to go off, I was in serious pain. It's been 2-1/2 hours since I awakened, and I just took a couple of Extra Strength Tylenol. I also tossed both of the bras of that brand/style into the garbage can. I don't need this! Ouch! 

The bra I had on last night was at least at 
inch closer to the armpit than this drawing. 
It actually started shredding the steri-tape 
which is covering the armpit stitches. I get 
the tape removed tomorrow afternoon, but 
I'd much rather my doctor/nurse did it than 
a bra. Besides, it was quite painful! 

I have a different support bra on today, and it's hitting me lower, so no direct impact. After my Tylenol kicks in, I should be OK for the morning. I'm grateful that I see my Doc again tomorrow. I'd love to ditch the steri-tape and the stitches and let things heal on their own. 

Earlier this year we stopped the Fosomax 
prescription because it wasn't working any 
more. We are now doing bone density 
injections every six months. The damned 
things are EXPENSIVE. Thank goodness for 
good health insurance. 

I got the first bill for my bone density infusion injections yesterday. Ouch! The shot itself was relatively painless (she was VERY good), but the actual bill was more than $2000! For something I'll need every six months. Thank goodness for good insurance which has kicked my payment down to approx $350. Still, when I compare the cost of the infusion to the cost of my Fosomax prescription ... no comparison. Of course, the Fosomax isn't working for me any more ... so choices? None. 

Tomorrow morning I start out with an appointment 
with Dr Zachary Wilson, a Radiology Oncologist. 
He specializes in breast and prostrate cancer, so 
I'm hopeful he'll have decent news for me. He'll 
at least present me with the option to do radiation 
therapy. The other major therapy is chemotherapy. 
I don't know if I will be meeting another new 
doctor for that - I suspect it will be the case. 

Tomorrow I start out meeting the Radiologist. One of the questions they had asked me was about bone density, and I think I blew the question off. Well, ... that was probably a poor idea. I'll have to make sure I mention my crappy bones to him. It might affect whether I can have radiation treatment or not. I don't know if I necessarily WANT radiation therapy, but I'm kind of a "Clear out the gun cabinet, load everything up, and let it fly", kind of gal. At least I won't have to worry about losing my hair. Alopaecia took care of that years ago - LOL. 

I purchased a new bottle of Extra Strength 
Tylenol capsules when I started with my 
braces 2-1/2 years or so ago. I don't take 
pain pills often. I took two this morning - 
a clear indication of true pain. Ouch! 

So, I'm going to sit quietly until my Tylenol kicks in, then I'll bundle up for my trip to the shop. It's -14F outside right now, so bundling will be super important. I hope all of you have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow before I move my ass downtown for my various appointments. Slava Ukraini. 

Today is Opening Day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together - the State Fair!

I decided against the swimming pool this morning, since one of my wounds from Tuesday night is still seeping a bit. There's really no telling what germs exist in the pool, despite the chlorine levels being at their recommended point. I'll push off until next week, and it'll be the more intelligent thing to do. Only one of the three cuts is still slightly open, and I'm sure it will be closed by the time I go to sleep tonight. I'm a fast healer. 

As I said a few days ago, this isn't the exact model 
of my ancient Kenmore vacuum, but it's quite similar. 
The fact that they could get my vacuum running again, 
and for less than $30, that's a total win/win in my book. 

My vacuum is repaired and returned to my home. It turned out that the RESET switch was defective. Unfortunately, they don't make that part any more, so the repair guy did a bit of creative rewiring to get everything else functional again. As he said, "If it starts sucking up your draperies, there's nothing that's going to stop it, so just be aware of that." LOL Best of all, he only charged me a bit less than $30! He's a treasure, for sure! When it comes time to replace this vacuum with a new one, I'll probably shop there as well as Target. Although both businesses are local businesses, I'd rather edge to the small independent shop owner. 

The gates are already open, and people are already 
streaming in. There's nothing quite like the Minnesota 
State Fair. It's a small city, with a huge population, that 
exists for a short time, and then disappears again. Rather 
like that Irish land that appears and then disappears. Except 
this one has awesome food, great entertainment. lots of 
shopping, and SO much to see. I LOVE the MN State Fair! 

Today begins three days at the shop - Chickie is at the State Fair today, so DH has to work for her, but she'll be peppering our phone's in-boxes with photos of the foods she's eating and the things she's seeing. I haven't had a lot of time to research the available food choices yet, but from the beginning scan, there are a few I might be willing to wander off WildFit for. It's got to be pretty special (like Danielson's and Daughters Onion Rings) for me to go off-program, but I also know I'll be right back on WildFit after my State Fair time is over. She'll be back in the shop for Friday and Saturday, and I'm sure we'll be peppering her with questions about what she saw and what she recommends. 

To me, there's nothing I love more at the MN State Fair than 
Danielson and Daughter's Onion Rings. It's a tiny old-fashioned 
little place, staffed by the daughters and their kids, and they have 
the BEST onion rings I've EVER had - bar none. It's their 
batter. I don't know what's in their batter, but it's light, and 
crispy, and just perfect. 

I've just about got my "State Fair Kit" ready to go. I purchased a portable water pik, and have some sanitizer packets for anything that might be a bit iffy. They keep the bathrooms, etc in really good condition, so I'm not too worried about that. It's a city that only comes fully to life once a year. Other events are held at the Fairgrounds throughout the year, but every building and every venue is only open during the actual Fair. 

I purchased one of these to take to the Fair with me. 
It's a portable, rechargeable water pik, and it works 
pretty well. It's not as powerful as the one I use 
at home, but it'll be fine for the Fair. 

The Minnesota State Fair is the largest State Fair in the nation based on daily attendance. The Texas State Fair is the largest, but only because they run ten days longer than our Fair. On a day-to-day comparison, Minnesota has the largest State Fair in the nation, and we revel in it. I'll be driving by the fairgounds on my way to and from work (unless I get tired of the traffic and take some back-road shortcuts). I'll have my windows open and be breathing in that unique State Fair odor - fried food, sugar, and excitement. 

The Great Big Wheel towers over the rest of the 
Fairgrounds. They arrive 48 hours before the Fair 
opens, get everything assembled and ready to go, then 
after the Fair shuts down, it's packed and on the trucks 
for the next venue within 24-48 hours again. Remarkably 
efficient. 

The big Ferris wheel has returned again, and I'm SO happy. Sharon and I love going onto this. Sharon isn't much for rides, but this one carries us so high, and we can see all over the Fairgrounds. We're often sharing the cubicle with smaller children, and will help point out areas they might know so that they're not afraid of the height. The "Great Big Wheel" is 150 feet tall - the height of a 15-story building. They erect it in 24 hours and pull it back down again to head for their next venue, also within 24 hours. Extremely efficient. They used to sell physical tickets, now you just pay with a credit card and it prints your tickets out for you. 

So, I'll be looking up State Fair foods today, reading Chickie's posts, and looking forward to my own trip out to the Fairgrounds. DH's hip has been really hurting him, so we might not get as much walking in as usual, but it's always good! Always! The end of summer has arrived, but it brings the State Fair along with it, so it's less bittersweet than it could be. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Light (or Lack Thereof) and A Tumble - NOT Recommended for My Readers

There are many things I can call myself, graceful doesn't really come into the list. Lucky can come into it, though. And even though my hands look horrible today, and my body is seriously hurting, I still consider myself lucky. So here's the tale of a fateful day and the light that disappeared. 

It was quite the night, so here's the story...

It's been really hot, which means everyone is using their air conditioning and the power grid is strained to the max. We have had our fans on, but since we don't use A/C, that's about as good as it gets. Around 11:00 pm - Midnight I noticed a lack of sound. The fan wasn't running. Glancing up, the lighting looked wrong too. I grabbed my phone, intending to use the restroom and then check out what might be going on in the house, and like a total fool, I didn't turn on my phone's flashlight. 

My left hand has a deep cut on the exterior side, and a 
good amount of bruising. I'm sure it will turn lots of 
lovely colors over the next few days. 

So, as I quickly realized we had lost power, and determined to head downstairs and turn off the power bank/surge protectors we keep on the computers, I mis-stepped, missing the first step of my eight-step staircase (carpeted, thank goodness, or I'd probably be much worse off than I am). Stepping into space, I reached out for the hand rail, hitting it, but missing the grab, flipped over to my back (I have no idea how I managed that), and landed with a "thud" at the bottom of the stairs, dazed and definitely hurt. 

My right hand actually struck the wrought iron 
staircase hand rail, so the damage is a bit more 
wide-spread and extensive, starting with the 
interior view of the lovely bruising I got on 
my ring finger. Good thing my wedding rings 
go onto my left hand, not my right. 

DH was all "Are you OK?" and "That was a stupid thing to do", etc. (all very unhelpful), and I got up, turned off the computers, and slowly headed back to the main level of the house. I put bandages over the bleeding parts of my hands, assessed whether I had a broken tailbone or not (determined not because I have mobility - it might hurt a bit, but it's not broken, just bruised), and contacted the utility company to add our address to those who lost power. Within an hour, the power was back up, I turned the computer power banks back on, and went to sleep, deciding to skip the pool. I don't like having open wounds in the swimming pool - not healthy for me or the water. 

I have two major cuts on my right hand. The upper one 
is still bleeding a bit, the lower one is starting to heal. 
Of course I've got new band-aids on all of these, and I'm 
grateful that the damage was all on the pinky finger side 
of each hand, but it's still going to affect my schedule, and 
Sharon arrives on Thursday next week. It'll all get done, 
and we'll have one more thing to laugh about in our long 
history of "Things that have happened" to me, but this 
particular one, although I'm grateful it wasn't worse, is 
still something I could easily have lived without experiencing. 

So, I guess I have plenty of time to get to my 7:30 am Orthodontist appointment. I cleaned everything again this morning and put on new bandages. It looks far worse than it feels, but my tailbone is reminding me of my own stupidity, because it aches and hurts when I move. Still, it's a laundry, groceries, and housecleaning day, so no choice. Movement will be mandatory today. But, I suspect, it will be a bit slower and I won't get quite as much accomplished as I wanted. *sigh* That's life, right? Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully with more mobility. 

Rolling With the Punches - Or Life Is Unexpected

Yesterday was actually a really excellent day, except for the end which was a bit traumatic. DH was in a good mood, and as he had promised, he went outside between football games and shoveled away the latest snowfall. We got another inch or two overnight, so I'll be shoveling my side of the driveway today before I leave for work. We'll need to get everything cleared up before tonight - we're dropping down into dangerous temperatures tonight through tomorrow with extreme wind chills. 

Starting tonight we'll be back in dangerous wind 
chills. I know DH will want to get the snow off the 
roof. He knows how to dress, but he's really bad 
about coming indoors after 10 minutes. The wind 
chills we will have tomorrow will require that, so I'll 
have to be firm with him. 

Last night, as the Kansas City game was reaching the end of regulation play, I felt a sudden pain just above my elbow. I was wearing my pajamas and a sweatshirt, so didn't think too much of it, but decided to pull off the sweatshirt and see what might have scratched me (although the arm had been against my pillow, so nothing sharp was in the area at all). My sleeve was dripping blood - never a good sign. I pulled my arm from my sleeve and after cleaning things up and applying serious pressure to stop the bleeding, I was finally able to put several compression band-aids and a waterproof compress on top of it. 

The cut or tear is approximately where the skin lotion 
is on the above photo. It's a jagged cut, but I really 
couldn't get a great look since it was bleeding too 
heavily. I'm unwilling to put new bandages on it 
until tonight, and it only hurts if I put it into direct 
pressure or contact, so it's not infected. I'll keep it 
wrapped up for the day and deal with a new bandage 
tonight. 

The only thing I can figure out is a tear. I had been working on my computer most of the day, trying to resize and organize more photos of antique trade beads for my upcoming Etsy website. Sitting at the chair this morning, yes - when I move in a particular way, it's putting pressure right where the wound is. Then, last night, I had my elbow against the pillow in a similar position. I think I literally pulled my skin apart - bizarre, but something that can happen with the "elderly" (age, maybe ... attitude, certainly not). Older skin gets thinner and can pull apart for no reason at all. This is a bit distressing though, to be sure. 

I have a couple of boxes of these 
from a few years ago, and I have one 
of them on now. They may work 
fine, after it's had 24 hours to 
start healing. I'll be able to tell 
much better tonight. Then again, 
I've never yet met any bandage that 
could hold on through swimming. 
I could put K-tape on over the 
bandage to keep it in place ... 
hmmm, something to think 
about. 

Being fond of caution, I decided that swimming and chlorinated water would probably be a poor idea today, so I grabbed a Tuesday swimming appointment and cancelled my Monday. So this week, if all goes well, I'll be swimming Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I probably should drop by Walgreens and see it they have an elbow bandage cover for the water. I have one for feet and ankles, but nothing for arms and elbows. I'll leave the wound bound until tonight when I'll pull the bandages and re-apply new ones. I'm sure it will heal quickly, but caution is common sense. 

KC won the game in OT, but only because the OT rules 
are horrid. The NFL OT rules MUST be changed. 
Buffalo never even got a chance to hold the ball in OT 
because of the current rules which are unfair to whichever 
team loses the coin toss. 

The football games yesterday were both really good ones, so all in all, except for the blood sacrifice, it was a fun Sunday. Today, of course, it's back to the grind. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow before I head out to the pool in our next round of extreme sub-zero temperatures and wind chills. Ugh! April can't come soon enough. Stay safe, stay warm and be kind to others today. 

Stay-at-Home - Day 46 - A Return to a New Normal

I'm looking at my laundry basket, knowing that my washer is 1/2 flight down from my lower level. The problem with living in a four-level 1/2 split house is access when mobility is limited. Today I'm going to be stretching that because I need some clean clothes - I'm on my last set of underwear and I also want clean towels and shirts and leggings. So yeah - my choices are diminished. 

I love my Samsung front-load washer, even with the
various quirks that it has. I'm grown to depend on it
over the last few years and it does a good job. 

On a positive note, my knee scooter should be delivered either today or tomorrow (I'm hoping today, but it may be tomorrow). Tomorrow is a bit more difficult since I have to be at the doctor, then the bank, and then deal with a few mail orders at the shop before I can return home. I'm going to be driving all over the place and won't be home to accept a delivery. But, I registered on their website and I'll at least get a text when they are delivering the item. That might help. 

We're absolutely enthralled by the Brokenwood Mysteries, and delighted
to catch up on more episodes during another promotional
"Watch for Free" event. I have no idea how long this promo will
last, but I'm happy to take whatever I can. 

We're back into a promotional "free TV" event, and we've been continuing onward with "Brokenwood", which we adore. We're trying to get several episodes watched on an average day, and are almost finished with Season 4 of 6. It's such a great series - humorous and with good characters and plot twists. 

On that note, I'm going to try to get my laundry basket downstairs and start a load. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow - probably a late post tomorrow since my Doctor appt is scheduled for first thing in the am. As always, Stay Safe, Keep Social Distancing, and Be Well! 

Stay at Home - Day 45 - A Day of Effort

We were at the Toyota dealership at 8:00 am to get DH's truck serviced. For the first two years, his 6-month checkups and standard maintenance is free of charge, but we have to have it into the shop within a certain length of time. It was a long crutches walk to DH's truck to get it into the service bay (since he can't hear, and since the truck is under my name, he wants me to take care of the human-to-human interface). We went back home in Minion and then back out again two hours later when the truck was finished and ready for pickup. 

Shadow is a good looking truck, one that I wouldn't
mind owning, although nothing takes the place of
my Minion. 

It was a REALLY LONG HOP from my car, which I parked as close to the door as possible, to the service counter where we had to pick up the key fob and paperwork. Then an equally long hop back to Minion. DH was growling at me because I had some times when my broken foot was touching the ground. I'm supposed to be non-weight-supporting on this break, and I was doing a bit more "toe tap" which is approx 20-% pressure. By the time I got back home I was exhausted. I rolled myself into my comforter, put my leg up on my secondary pillow, and went to sleep for several hours. I was beat. 

I was a total wreck after two trips to the truck
dealer. I curled up on my couch with my bad leg
on a pillow and crashed for several hours. 

It's been a day where I've been successful staying off my bad foot approx 80% of the time, but not 100% by any stretch. Still, I'm trying my best. I see the ankle doctor on Thursday morning and maybe I'll get some good news. I could sure use some right about now. 

I want to thank ALL of you who were kind enough to send me birthday e-cards, messages, and texts. I always feel so honored by my friends throughout the world and my life is enriched by each and every one of you. Thank you SO much. 

On that note, since I have no intention of passing negativity through my posts, I'm going to sign off and wish you a belated wonderful Tuesday. I have every intention of being back tomorrow, so please Stay Safe, Keep Your Social Distancing, and Be Well.