2016: First Quarter of January 1 through March 31, 2016

PamS53

My doctor's visit went well today. I actually saw the PA, whom I like a lot. She removed the wound vac to get a look at the remaining wound and was very pleased at the progress. I've enjoyed my afternoon of not being attached to the machine, but my home health nurse will be here in a couple of hours to put it back on. The PA ordered a coule of PT sessions for me to learn how to use my walker without doing any damage to myself, so that will start next week. She thinks I'll need the wound vac for around three more weeks, but I'm hoping to lose it sooner.

We had such a fun evening last night. One of my friends and her husband love to cook together and try out new recipes, and when they do they invite people over. They always warn us in advance that we are their Guinea pigs for the night, but so far, I've never had a bad meal there. Last night's dinner was grilled pork tenderloin, wrapped in bacon, with a balsamic vinegar and strawberry reduction sauce, smashed oven roasted potatoes, green beans, and an Asian slaw salad. Every bite was delicious! Dessert was a mixed berry cobbler served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. There was another couple besides our host and hostess whom we already knew well, so it was a very fun evening. I think I enjoyed it so much because I really haven't gotten out of the house much over the past three months and this felt like I was getting to returning to a more normal way of life. I'm more than ready!

mdubbs1

Pam - glad your appointment went well but sorry you still have the wound vac for now.

I just got a recorded call from Giant (grocery store) about a Bumble Bee tuna recall. DH and I just finished going through all our cans (the cats share a can every day so I have a stockpile). It doesn't look like we have any from the recall but we threw out 5 cans just in case because we weren't sure and along the way identified a couple cans past their expiration date to use up first. The cats know the sounds of the cans and they were quite interested.

Helene610

Pam..You probably also enjoyed the night out because you'd gone your hair done. LOL. I always feel so much better when my hair looks good. The dinner sounds amazing. The progress you've made lately in your recovery is wonderful.

Maryanne..I got a similar recorded call from Stop & Shop about the DiGiorno pizza and Lean Cuisine recalls. They both have the same parent company. It must be something new they've started.

I'm cooking corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot for tonight's dinner. Yum.

mdubbs1

Helene - just had to go look up that Lean Cuisine recall but I'm okay there.

Funny for the day - DH couldn't figure out HOW Giant got the information that I'd bought Bumble Bee tuna. Apparently it never dawned on him (in spite of him being Mr. Paranoid) that those "club cards" mean they have a complete list of our purchasing history for as long as they want to store it. Did he think the coupons they send are selected randomly? Rhetorical question.

Helene610

Yeah, but did you ever notice most of those coupons they print are for brands you don't use? For instance, if you buy Breakstone cottage cheese, the coupon is for Hoods. Sometimes I'll use one for a product I'm not brand loyal to but I'd really rather they gave me coupons for brands I actually buy.

I'm just finishing up a book by Lisa Gardner called Find Her. I'll bet you and Pam have read her. This is one of the DD Warren books. I picked up the Robb book from the library last night so I'll strat that next. I can see why I never read it before. it's a PPB and I prefer hardcover books. I hope the print isn't too small for me.

KonaKat

Good morning, everyone. I was up bright and early at which time I decided tackle the paper clutter. It is like dust bunnies; it multiplies if not handled promptly. I've spent a couple of hours on that plus some files, so it is time to take a break.

Spring arrives tomorrow but we will greet it with a mixture of rain and snow. Today is very dreary with falling temperatures. Yesterday was so nice but I worked yesterday.

Helene--At one time, I remember being able to find coupons for things I used. Now they seem to be primarily for items I don't use. I'm not brand loyal if there is a good deal but I would prefer a coffee coupon to that of a diaper coupon or some house cleaning products I don't have a need to buy at the time the coupon is offered or has stipulations that make redeeming the coupon a problem.

Maryanne--Those loyalty cards definitely track your buying habits. I did check my Lean Cuisine and found I had no problems.

Pam--Glad the hair appointment went well and that you are being treated well as a guinea pig for your friends' cooking experiments. It is a great feeling to know that progress is being made and a normal life will soon be in the future.

The Vitalicious Vitatops are very good. They make for a great snack in the evening.

mdubbs1

Helene - I have read Lisa Gardner. She's an on and off for me.

Naked in Death was available in hard cover and then later in paperback. Your library just happened to provide you with the paperback. I like hardbacks too. I buy most of my books used on amazon for a penny plus 3.99 shipping. I read them, my friend reads them and then we throw them on the CROM donation pile. One of my indulgences I guess. Like Pam I have a few I buy new when they first come out including J. D. Robb. Others I keep a running list of. I don't feel compelled to spend a lot of money on them as long as I have a list so I don't forget them.

I was an "extreme couponer/refunder" at two different times in my life. The first was way back. In those days it involved storing box tops and upc codes and filing them along with receipts. Later I did "the grocery game" for years. Maintained quite the pantry. It finally dawned on me that when I was eating healthy that "game" was not for the things I was eating and that it was just encouraging me to stockpile without thought. I haven't checked out the grocery game site in quite awhile. Last I looked the forums were gone which is a real shame.

Now I limit myself to the coupons in the Sunday paper and make no real effort to match them with sales.

KonaKat

Off to have the Quaker Weight Control oatmeal for breakfast. I'll be off to the city to take a friend out for a birthday lunch.

Helene610

I'm finally back online. DH finished moving his wiring and everything is back together. The TVs are up and running too. But I still have no phone service. Comcast just sent a signal to reset the modem/router. The message said give it 30 minutes to reset and if the phone isn't back. call them again. Fortunately I have the cell phone to call them on. The new carpeting comes on Wednesday. DH still has a small square of plywood underlayment to nail down. That was the section of the floor where the cable came into the house. The cable came right through the old carpet which DH wanted no part of. He ran new wiring from the garage ceiling up into the bedroom wall. I expected to have more problems getting the cable and internet back but they came right back. He stills has some baseboards to attach to the wall before the carpet comes.

Helene610

Just started the Robb book. I'm guessing it's set in the future? I'm only a couple of pages in but some of the gadgets she mentions are high tech sci fi stuff, right?

PamS53

Helene, it is set in the future, but not that far. I think the time period is around 2058'ish. I don't usually like anything Sci-fi, but I love these books. There are gadgets that make me a bit envious. I can't wait for my own autochef, for example! It's interesting to compare the things in the book with things we now have and use or that are almost the same. For example, smart phones are a lot like the PPC's they use, and self-driving cars are in development now. What I like best in this series, however, are the relationships among the characters and seeing how they develop and deepen over the course of time as I read more of them. I can't think of another series that has developed the characters as well.

We had a quiet weekend. I had a follow up doctor's appointment on Thursday which went well. I saw the PA and she was pleased with the progress of my wound. I start some PT on Wednesday which I expect to be painful but necessary. I've been putting partial weight on my foot several times per day, but I haven't tried to walk yet. That's what I wanted the PT for -- to help me relearn how without doing any further damage.

mdubbs1

Like Pam, I don't do sci-fy but love J D Robb. Go figure! The sci-fy elements aren't that far out and they are mostly things we all could envision (I think). And they aren't that integral to the story.

For some reason I am COLD today. Just seems really chilly although the sun is shining and it looks like a beautiful day outside.

Helene610

Pam, I'm sure the PT will check your gait as well. That's important so you don't develop a limp by walking incorrectly. DH's PT was pretty successful. He only has a slight limp if he's been walking too much like if we're out shopping. I have to call Comcast today to get our phone working again. It stopped working when DH relocated the modem when he was putting the cables into the wall rather than punching a hole through the floor and new carpet. He put everything back together last night. I had to call about the phone and internet. I did it through the interactive menu and had them send a reset signal to the modem. It restored the WiFi but not the phone.

KonaKat

Agenda for today? Calling Parkersburg Cardiology to schedule an Echo and a stress test; finding things to donate; making a pot of coffee (using what was left over right now); getting ready for tomorrow's trash day. We have Spring Break next week.

I had one of the Vitalicious VitaTops for breakfast and will follow up with an individual serving of Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt.

Pam--Your recovery is going very well. Keep up the great work. I need to check out this J.D. Robb if on the Kindle Unlimited library.

Maryanne--I am also cold despite the room temperature reading; I didn't feel this cold in winter when the room tempt was a couple of degrees cooler.

Helene--I hope your phone is back in working condition. It can be so frustrating when a communications item doesn't function especially if needed.

Helene610

Jean..No progress on the phone yet. Comcast did what they could do remotely. A caller gets a ring but the actual phone doesn't ring. And there's no dial tone to make outgoing calls. A tech is coming out tomorrow and hopefully it gets restored.

It's been quite chilly here the last 2 days. Overnight temps went into the high 40s. Yesterday never got out of the low 60s. That's a big difference when the weekend was in the 80s. I had to wear a sweater to run errands. Tomorrow is carpet installation so we're racing around trying to finish up. I'll be painting new baseboards in a few minutes. Were you able to get your appointments over spring break? You mentioned transportation would be easier if you could go then. I hope it works out.

I started my day with a Special K flatbread sandwich. My favorite breakfasts include some kind of eggs.

mdubbs1

My best friend is taking me to dinner tonight for my birthday. Then hopefully the birthday splurge will be over although I am going to see some family members on Sunday for Easter dinner. Hopefully I will be fully back on track tomorrow and the Easter dinner will be a one-meal blip!

I'm going to stop at the vet on my way to dinner tonight because I just opened the last bag of prescription diet cat food today! It's a pretty big bag but since I'll be up that way I might as well stop.

All Dubbs' are on diets except DH!

KonaKat

Helene--I wanted the appointments over Spring break so I wouldn't lose money from not working; no work equals no pay. I have already lost 5 days of work this year. I did call and they said they had my email and was wondering if I was willing to do everything in one day. If not, it would end up being three separate days because of the way the appointments were already made for other people. Three days equals 120 miles a day times 3 or 360 miles. The logic says one day of 120 miles works but I have to be there at 7:30am on Tuesday for a very long day. I will do it as that will leave a different type of appointment in the same city on Thursday of the same week. I do hope you get the phone working soon.

Maryanne--Happy Birthday. Enjoy your dinner out. You have been doing well so I don't think this outing will create damage. I also get Midnight's prescription cat food a couple of weeks before I think he needs it. They have had to order it at times as it would sell out, so I have learned to check in advance.

Helene610

Maryanne..Happy birthday. Enjoy the week and your celebrations. You'll get back on track in no time.

Helene610

Starting my day early. New carpet comes today and Comcast is supposed to be here to fix the phone. I painted baseboards yesterday. My knees are not what they once were. I can't kneel anymore so I had to slide along on my butt to do it. And them I had to grab on to a step ladder to stand up again. I don't mind getting only but I wish the knees worked like they did 10 years ago.

mdubbs1

The knees (and ankles) aren't what they used to be. My dad has apparently made the decision to move back to the family home. A move I applaud. I asked him if we should think about getting a stair lift put in. His response (at age 90!) was "the stairs aren't a problem". I wish I could say that at 66! Aleve helps some but I don't want to be taking that every day.

Today is the big test for me. Can I get right back on track? I think I'll be able to because while I enjoyed some of the birthday food I did not enjoy searching for the acid reducing meds that I hadn't needed in months.

I need to get myself back on the treadmill.

Helene610

That acid reflux is a good reason to get back on track. I didn't realize that your current diet had eliminated it. Did you have something spicy for dinner last night or is it more of a quantity problem? If your dad's needs change and he needs the stairlift. companies do installations pretty quick. as I recall, they came out to measure our stairs. We have a turn in the stairs so the rail was custom. They manufactured it and installed it in a day.

mdubbs1

Probably a combination of slightly spicy (spare ribs and spaghetti), way more fat than usual and way more quantity than usual.

When I eat on the "maryanne diet" (copyright pending LOL!) I don't have the same issues.

I'm really pleased that those days do not seem to have triggered my addiction. Surprised but pleased. I'm pretty much right back on track today. So those days expanded a little past the original plan but I'm hoping that they are over. Maybe it's because my diet now has so much more variety. I don't feel as deprived.

I had Hearty Grain cream of wheat for breakfast; NS soup for lunch. Dinner will be JC and I have two snacks set aside for this evening.

The big Savannah cat is back in our yard today. I really hope his people haven't abandoned him. That's one cat I don't want to even consider trapping/rescuing because I don't know what the heck I would do with him.

PamS53

I had my PT session today, which was short and sweet. I was done in less than half an hour, but accomplished what I wanted to get out of it. The therapist showed me the correct way to use my walker, how to stand up, sit down, turn and walk with just barely touching my toe down on the bad foot. I asked for some exercises I can do at home to try to restore flexibility and she gave me a set of things to do here. Tomorrow I will have my last home health visit to remove the wound vac and after that DH and I will do wet to dry dressing changes one or two times a day until the wound completely closes. I will be so happy to get rid of the vac! I'm still maintaining my 7 pound weight loss, though I have no idea how. I eat whatever DH puts in front me, and he doesn't even try to cook low calorie or low fat, etc. I am trying to exercise some portion control, so I suppose that is having some effect. I'm not losing anymore, but I'm hopeful that I will be able to maintain this loss.

We've been invited to a neighbor's home for Easter dinner and DH is trying to figure out what to take. I think he has a few good ideas that he can execute pretty well, so it won't be a big deal. I may try to use my knee scooter instead of my wheelchair since that gives me better mobility inside their home. Having been in their home several times, I know the chair would be pretty tight quarters, especially with a crowd. On the other hand, with the scooter it is hard to hold a drink or a plate since I need both hands to hold on and steer. What to do, what to do, lol!

Happy belated birthday, Maryanne! Sounds like you had a nice celebration and got right back on track. I really think we have to give ourselves permission once in a while to do exactly that. For me, it makes it easier to eat healthfully most of the time if I know I can splurge occasionally.

Helene, it sounds like you've been really busy! I know you will enjoy it once all the work is done and you get everything back in place.

Jean, I hope your tests go well and you're not too exhausted afterward. Hopefully you can rest up over the weekend.

mdubbs1

I am driving to York to meet Dad and my two brothers and one SIL for Easter dinner. My sister and BIL aren't coming east for this. I wonder when I'll see them again. The restaurant's menu doesn't look very favorable for a dieter. Maybe I'll just go with portion control. I'm pleased that dad wanted to set this up.

I have a hair appointment Saturday so at least the gray will be gone!

Pam - I'm glad you were pleased with your PT session and that they were able to help you!

Helene610

Pam..Maybe use the scooter to get yourself to a comfy chair and then have DH or your friends bring refreshments to you. I'm sure everyone will be understanding that you can't balance on the scooter while holding a drink or a plate. If they've seen you since the accident, they'll be very pleased with the progress you've made. And they'll be happy to help out.

Maryanne... You've been doing great. Enjoy your Easter dinner with the family. We'll be alone this year for Easter. The choir is doing 2 Masses for Easter so that will take up my morning. I'm not inclined to do a big dinner just for us. Normally my sister and brother-in-law would come over and spend the holiday with us. My sister is just a month out of knee replacement surgery so she's not up to a several hours drive to visit us. Plus we have a flight of stairs just to get into the house. The house is on pilings like many beach houses you see. I doubt she'd be able to climb the stairs even if she could make the drive. We can't go to her for Easter because I'm tied up with choir. It would be 8 PM for us to drive there with such a late start. Since we're singing at 2 Masses, we have an hour between them. All the ladies in the choir are bringing goodies to have with coffee during the break. I haven't figured out what I'm brining yet. I toying with deviled eggs.

PamS53

Hallelujah! The wound vac is gone, history! I'm so glad to be rid of it, I can't even tell you. Now we will do daily wet to dry dressing changes until the wound is completely closed. Progress!

Helene610

Yay! That's great news Pam. Your weekend will be so much more enjoyable now that the vac is gone. What exactly did it do to help healing? I've never seen one.

PamS53

Helene, it creates a suction over the wound(s) to draw out the bacteria and moisture, which speeds healing. Black foam is cut to the exact size of the opening then taped down. A second piece of foam creates a bridge over to dry skin and a tube is taped in place on that. The tube then connects to the vacuum device, and when it is turned on, it sucks the foam down into the wound, creating an air-tight vacuum. It's a little uncomfortable when its first turned on, but otherwise it's just annoying to have to manage the power cord and tubing. The first few dressing changes were pure hell, but eventually those became pretty pain-free as well. Sleeping with it was a challenge because of the tubing and sometimes the vacuum was noisy if the dressing wasn't as air-tight as it could be. The vacuum machine itself was about 8"x8"x2" inches and probably weighed about five or six pounds, but it had to go everywhere I did, so I either strapped it over my shoulder or put it on the handlebar of my scooter. To get dressed I had to clamp it off in two places, unscrew the two parts of tubing, then hurry to get my underwear and pants on before the machine's alarms would start going off to warn that there was no vacuum, while trying to balance on one leg. So I think you can get a sense of why I'm so happy to be rid of it, lol!

Helene610

Wow, that sounds like quite an ordeal. Did the vacuum operate 24/7 or did you turn it on x number of hors a day. I can see why you were anxious to get rid of it.

Our carpet install was yesterday and it went very well. the carpet looks beautiful. We took today as a rest day because we were worn out from getting ready for the carpet. We'll get the furniture back into the rooms over the next couple of days. It was lucky we didn't have plans for company this winter because neither bedroom was qavailable because of the prep work we had to do before the carpet came.

PamS53

It was 24/7. The only exceptions were I could turn it off to shower after wrapping and taping a plastic bag around my foot, and I could turn it off about half an hour before the home health nurse was due to change the dressing. Turning it off awhile before helped the foam to release from the wound and made it a little easier to get the old foam off. They recommended that I time my showers to coincide with the visits from the home health nurse so that I kept the vac on the wound as much as possible and keep my showers short. I got used to it, but now I'm looking forward to getting used to life without it again.