Better Today

 Last night I chugged two water bottles with salt added. I was able to stop the heart palpitations that also came with covid the last time I had it in December 2022. I was really sick that time, for two weeks. I stayed in bed with a headache, chest congestion and random heart palpitations. My doc said it was good I was vaccinated or it could have been a lot worse.

It seems that covid makes me pee A LOT. It's a struggle to not become dehydrated. Along with all that "flushing" go my electrolytes. Low electrolytes and dehydration cause low blood pressure, and one can get dizzy or even pass out. It's interesting that when I went in the ER earlier this year the diagnosis was dehydration and a bladder infection. They gave me antibiotics and two big IV bags of saline (salt) solution. It took 5 hours! It's also interesting that looking back to the past, I've always been told to eat low salt, but my labs always reported that my blood was low in sodium. Drinking gobs of water without adding electrolytes is not good!

Before bed last night I decided to take a shot of asthma spray, meaning a puff from my inhaler. I have not needed to take it in over a year, since changing what I eat, but the covid was making me a little "tight". Well, asthma spray is like caffeine on steroids. I COULD NOT SLEEP. I was still awake at 3:30 am. I kept getting up and walking around. What else to do? Hubby was sleeping and I didn't want to disturb him. 

Then suddenly the lights on the patio popped on! At 3:30 in the morning! Ugh. I had unplugged the Netgear WiFi extender and now my phone could not connect to the 2G network to control the plug. So there I was at 3:30 am with a flashlight, plugging in the Netgear, waiting for it to connect, opening my phone's connection settings so I could connect it to the 2G band on the extender, just so I could push a button in the app on my phone to turn off the lights controlled by the connected plug. LOL

By then I was tired enough to go to sleep.

Earlier in the evening I saw the cutest poster on someone's wall on YouTube. I found the picture! It's now on my Facebook and my lock screen. Love it!

Hope you are well and have a good evening.

Well...

 ...covid. I had a test on the medicine shelf. Result: Positive. That explains the weird symptoms. 

We had a few glimpses of very welcome sunshine. I was able to eat a little. Feeling better. Maybe do a little art now. 

Progress

 I found a Medicare Advantage plan that isn't charging an arm and a leg for my Jardiance. They use a different formulary, which places it into Tier 2, making it free with mail order. It actually goes off patent in February 2025, but generic version aren't expected to be available for several years. Negotiations begin in 2026 to lower prices for all insurances.

I'm finally weaning myself from omeprazole, the PPI acid reducer. I've been taking it for years, and it is hard to stop taking it because of acid rebound. I eventually discovered that my heartburn was caused by a high carb diet. Attempting to stop the PPI caused several frightening incidents when I woke up aspirating acid. This was over the course of several years of attempting to stop taking it. Day one....Ok, day two...disaster.

So far I am 5 days out and doing well! I did buy a low dose of Famotidine to calm things down while my stomach learns to operate properly again. I stopped the PPI on Friday. By Saturday my stomach felt like it was boiling and I had some pains and nausea. Each day there is less boiling and finally only a hint of a problem. I still took one tiny Famotidine tonight to make sure there are no middle of the night disasters.

So this will be three (3)!!! medications down with the low carb way of eating, blood pressure, asthma and heartburn. 

Unfortunately my triglycerides are through the roof. They should be going down, because carbohydrates and alcohol are the main cause of high triglycerides. I must be making a mistake and consuming too many carbs. I don't drink alcohol. I am reviewing my food choices. I am ok with placating my doctor and my insurance with a very low dose of Crestor, even though that one doesn't do much for lowering triglycerides. One other is for some people, coffee can raise them. I cut my coffee way down, even just one cup of decaf per day for the week before my test. Will continue to work on it.

It's getting late, and I need to wake up at 2:30 am to get hubby off to work. At least I can go right back to bed after he leaves.

Oh, and I got my Covid-19 and flu shots on Sunday. Felt tired but I'm fine now.

 

Catching Up, Looking Forward

I was browsing through my California blog, "Stories from the Mist" and I came across something I wrote:

    "I mark my days by the sunsets I've seen and the rocks I've gathered."

I would like to add, forests I've walked in and autumn leaves I've admired. 

That was a draft from October 2020. I thought I should publish it, since it's me in a nutshell.

I haven't written in a long time. I spend a lot of time on Facebook connecting with people. I've learned that probably many of us are crying a lot. The pandemic caused a separation from friends and family, a long one. And then there was the insurrection.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm getting my second Covid-19 vaccination this coming Thursday. Other family members are still waiting.

Some very good news....my husband had his citizenship interview and he passed! The last step is the Oath Ceremony, scheduled in less than 2 weeks.

We went out to eat with our neighbors to celebrate. It felt good to laugh and and talk and laugh some more. It was zero that night. We are in a crazy long cold snap, like a polar vortex.

I putter around with my plants a lot. I belong to a succulent facebook group. I really should try to get all my succulent photos and advice all in one place.

I am so thankful for my husband. He is good company. In spite of the pandemic, we travel a lot, but carefully, masks, distancing, clean hands, don't touch one's face. Last summer we took many walks in the woods. 

Looking forward to getting together with family once we all have our shots.

Hanging In There

I feel safe at home. I feel the most in danger in grocery stores. Shopping is no fun anymore. We are stocked up on most everything we need, except cleaning supplies. Stores have been wiped out. I do have bleach and a bottle of alcohol and plenty of soap. We're good on toilet paper. Didn't hoard, but we have enough.

My hubby has never been the stay at home type, but even he is better at it now. The good thing is we are allowed to walk in nature, as long as we do the social distancing. My hubby's job is deemed essential, but all overtime is gone and his regular hours are cut. No compensation for that, either. So we take advantage of his extra time off and go for walks, when the weather cooperates.

I'm handling it fairly well. I am stressed, though. Try not to be. Concerned for family and friends and hubby and myself. Thankfully hubby's work sent all office people home (work from home) and spaced the workers on the floor far apart, so when hubby works he isn't around anyone else.

The speed at which this world has changed is mind blowing. There is a dizzying amount of compassion, advancement and also stupidity and poor-ass leadership.

I spend a lot of time with my plants. I text my daughter. I miss her. Haven't seen her in over a year. On a good note, their new house is almost ready for inspection. I nibble too much. Didn't I mention stress....

It's a sunny day, but hubby is sleeping. We did sit on the patio in the sun for a hour. The breeze was cold, though. That's about all I have to say right now. Take care and stay healthy.

The World Is Upside Down

2020

The year the world stopped
The year we all went home
The year we hoarded
We were the worst
We were all afraid
Global pandemic
No immunity
No vaccine
Quarantine
Shortages
Sickness
Sadness
Death

Hope
Recovery
Global effort
Race for a cure
Social Distance
Race for supplies
Companies retool
Race for a vaccine
We faced ourselves
The year we shared
Government stimulus
The year we stepped up
And fought for a better us