This Year is Our Year for Success!

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  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    DH apparently noticed some signs around the neighborhood. He thought they "might be" nefarious and apparently was even considering taking them down. Luckily he said something to me. I asked him what his objection was to folks celebrating their kids' graduation from elementary school? LOL!!!!! (The signs have a big "5" on them.)

    He also was ruminating about the new COVID variant, fretting, and finally concluding "we could just do what we did before". Ah, you mean totally lock down, all food delivered, etc.? That BEFORE?

    Never a dull moment......

    Off to the dentist for a cleaning. Will the excitement never end?
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I was watching the CBS morning show today. They were interviewing Asa Hutchinson about the Roe decision. They asked him about the January 6th hearings . He said he believed Cassie Hutchinson’s testimony. He said she was very credible. He also said Trump shouldn’t be the 2024 candidate. He’s a Republican so I was surprised by his remarks. So maybe the hearings are making a difference with moderate Republicans.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    PamS53 wrote: »
    SIL was surprisingly cooperative. I delivered a deposit check today to the facility and we are proceeding with plans to move her in at the end of July. Now SIL is thinking she might move here instead of Colorado. Oh, joy.

    That’s a surprise that SIL is thinking of moving to your area instead of CO. Do you think her children had second thoughts about her moving close to them? It’s a surprising about face.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    mdubbs1 wrote: »
    I decided to go to the firm meeting (masked) and skip the dinners. DH is okay with that plan.
    That seems like a wise plan. You’ll probably won’t have as many people you’d be exposed to at the meeting. And you can mask up. I read the post about your husband’s ultra concerns about going back into lockdown behaviors. I’m only masking in medical settings these days. I continue to avoid large gatherings. I had a book group Thursday. There were only five of us and we’re all vaxxed and boosted. I feel comfortable in small groups of people I know and trust. One of the group members tested positive. The meeting was supposed to be at her house. She arranged for someone else to host and she’s home quarantining. My friends are pretty responsible about doing the right thing.

  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,936 Member
    SIL is visiting the area in Colorado next week where her son and family plan to move. I’m pretty sure she will come back gung ho to move there because it’s a beautiful place, it will be much cooler than the hot humid area where she currently lives, and her son is going with her and I’m sure he will do a good job of selling her on the area. She is a huge help to him and his wife in being constantly available anytime they need a sitter or someone to pick up the kids from daycare so they can do a last minute date or concert, or want to travel somewhere, or have dinner out with friends, etc., so I think that is partially what is behind their urging her to move with them. They would like her to live with them, but she feels (and I do as well) that she would be happier with her own space. However, housing there is very expensive, so it will be a challenge for her to find and afford her own place. At this point she doesn’t really know what she wants, but I think her visit to the area next week will help her make up her mind. Also, getting her mom moved here and settled will give her some mental breathing room since she won’t be responsible for checking on her all the time.

    Helene, I’m with you on the masking. I pretty much only wear one now in medical settings when asked to. Most of my medical offices now don’t even require it of their patients, though most of the staff do wear them. I did note that all of the assisted living facilities still ask visitors to wear them, as well as their staff, but the residents were unmasked, even when in the common areas. We are double vaxxed and double boosted, so I feel relatively safe. Even if I get the virus, the science indicates that it should be a fairly mild case, so I choose not to worry about it. I do avoid large crowds, however. I won’t be attending any concerts anytime soon, for example. We did go to see Top Gun Maverick last night, but it was in a very large theater and the seats are the large recliner-style so you aren’t super close to each other. I can’t imagine seeing that movie on a small screen — you would really miss a lot of the action.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I’ve been to the movies twice since May. I saw Downton Abby in SC in May and saw Elvis last week at home. It was a girls’ night. We had cocktails and appetizers on a restaurant patio right next to the theater. Eli’s wasn’t that crowded as people seemed to spread themselves out. I wish we had the recliner style seats here but no such luck. All the doctors’s offices still require masks. I have to wear one at PT. It’s understandable in medical settings and I’m happy to comply.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    From what I'm reading it's possibly going to get dangerous again for awhile as the new variants are ahead of where the drug manufacturers are in terms of getting the updated vaccinations ready. I'm just glad I've had some occasions to get out and meet with friends before we're locked down again. Not looking forward to that at all!
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I think people will just individually quarantine after positive tests rather than a general lockdown. We’ll be able to carry on but being cautious around crowds. I watched the Boston Pops and fireworks on TV. They said today 500,000 attended. No way would I expose myself to large crowds like that.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,936 Member
    Helene, I agree with you. I don’t foresee lockdowns again, unless people simply choose to do so. I think we as a nation have transitioned now to treating it much like the flu. We will likely get annual or possibly semi-annual Covid vaccines just like we get our annual flu shots, self-isolate if we get infected, and wear masks when in crowded situations. That’s pretty much what we are doing now. As a nation I think we are much better off now than we were at the start of the pandemic. We have ample testing sites and kits, we have treatments that have proven effective, and we have vaccines that have proven effective against the disease. I really don’t worry much about it anymore. If I get it, I don’t expect a severe case. I don’t know anyone who has had it that was vaccinated who had anything but a very mild case that resolved very quickly.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    PamS53 wrote: »
    Helene, I agree with you. I don’t foresee lockdowns again, unless people simply choose to do so. I think we as a nation have transitioned now to treating it much like the flu. We will likely get annual or possibly semi-annual Covid vaccines just like we get our annual flu shots, self-isolate if we get infected, and wear masks when in crowded situations. That’s pretty much what we are doing now. As a nation I think we are much better off now than we were at the start of the pandemic. We have ample testing sites and kits, we have treatments that have proven effective, and we have vaccines that have proven effective against the disease. I really don’t worry much about it anymore. If I get it, I don’t expect a severe case. I don’t know anyone who has had it that was vaccinated who had anything but a very mild case that resolved very quickly.

    I really really hope you're right! Around here I think getting tested in time to start one of the medications (assuming you could get access) would be very difficult. Parking lots at urgent care places are overflowing. Appointments at primary care providers take weeks to get, if not months. Forget a quick specialist appointment. Maybe reality isn't as bad as it looks from the outside. I don't foresee official lockdowns but I can foresee it getting bad enough again before the new vaccines are ready that DH wants to lockdown again like we did briefly over the past winter. Only time will tell I guess.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,936 Member
    Maryanne, do you have self-test kits at home? We got the ones the government offered for free, so we can test at the first sign of symptoms without needing an appointment anywhere. Most doctors here will call in a prescription, if needed, for their established patients. My sister tested positive this morning and that’s what her doctor is doing for her. Unfortunately, she was the coordinator for a large church gathering on Sunday to welcome their new pastor, so she may have inadvertently exposed almost their entire congregation, which is almost entirely elderly.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    PamS53 wrote: »
    Maryanne, do you have self-test kits at home? We got the ones the government offered for free, so we can test at the first sign of symptoms without needing an appointment anywhere. Most doctors here will call in a prescription, if needed, for their established patients. My sister tested positive this morning and that’s what her doctor is doing for her. Unfortunately, she was the coordinator for a large church gathering on Sunday to welcome their new pastor, so she may have inadvertently exposed almost their entire congregation, which is almost entirely elderly.

    We do have tests here. Need to keep checking expiration dates as they don't last too long. I have trouble imagining my primary care provider moving quickly to get a prescription called in based on my say so from a home test. Let's hope I never have to find out. LOL!
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    WASHINGTON — Pharmacists can prescribe the leading COVID-19 pill directly to patients under a new U.S. policy announced Wednesday that’s intended to expand use of Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid.
    The Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe the medication, which has been shown to curb the worst effects of COVID-19. Previously only physicians could prescribe the antiviral drug.
    The announcement comes as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising again, though they remain near their lowest levels since the outbreak began in 2020.
    Biden administration officials have been working for months to increase access to Paxlovid, opening thousands of sites where patients who test positive can fill a prescription for Paxlovid. The FDA change will make thousands more pharmacies eligible to quickly prescribe and dispense the pill, which must be used early to be effective.
    “Since Paxlovid must be taken within five days after symptoms begin, authorizing state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid could expand access to timely treatment,” FDA drug center director Patrizia Cavazzoni, said in a statement.
    Still, use could be limited by paperwork requirements. Patients are expected to bring their recent health records— including blood tests — and a list of their current medications so pharmacists can check for health conditions and medications that can negatively interact with Paxlovid.
    Pharmacists can also consult with the patient’s doctor.
    Paxlovid is intended for people with COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill. That includes older people and those with other health issues that make them more vulnerable. It isn’t recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    I came within a cat's whiskers of being creamed this morning by someone running a red light (and clearly not a yellow light as several cars before me had already gone through the intersection our direction). It was bizarre; everyone had stopped, cars at our light were moving; and this car RACED through in the midst of us. Of course Pam's awful accident immediately went through my head!
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    We were in a line of heavy traffic yesterday when a car raced past us on the right side. It was a wonder he didn’t collide with anyone since he was in the blind spot. And guess where he was going in such a hurry? He pulled into a convenience store about 50 feet from where he started his mad dash. Hard to imagine what was so important to him that he risked a collusion with sever cars.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,936 Member
    All I can say is, practice your defensive driving skills! It’s really getting bad everywhere it seems.

    I had my EMG testing yesterday for my ulnar nerve and now I will follow up with the hand surgeon on the 17th. This test was fairly painful and took an hour so I was very happy when it was over. The doctor who did it was great, but it really hurt at times. He likened what is going on with my hand to being like a 4-lane Highway but only 1 lane is getting through. There’s not much nerve response happening with my pinky now.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    Helene610 wrote: »
    We were in a line of heavy traffic yesterday when a car raced past us on the right side. It was a wonder he didn’t collide with anyone since he was in the blind spot. And guess where he was going in such a hurry? He pulled into a convenience store about 50 feet from where he started his mad dash. Hard to imagine what was so important to him that he risked a collusion with sever cars.

    Whoa! If there's one refrain that just goes round and round in my head these days it's along the lines of "I never realized how truly stupid/nuts/etc. so many of my fellow countrymen are" before all this." I'm not sure how I can continue to be shocked/amazed but somehow I am.
  • mdubbs1
    mdubbs1 Posts: 6,648 Member
    PamS53 wrote: »
    All I can say is, practice your defensive driving skills! It’s really getting bad everywhere it seems.

    I had my EMG testing yesterday for my ulnar nerve and now I will follow up with the hand surgeon on the 17th. This test was fairly painful and took an hour so I was very happy when it was over. The doctor who did it was great, but it really hurt at times. He likened what is going on with my hand to being like a 4-lane Highway but only 1 lane is getting through. There’s not much nerve response happening with my pinky now.

    I'm so sorry you had to suffer through that. The idiot really did lasting damage.

    For the last week or so my right heel has been really hurting and I'm limping a little more than usual. That was January 2000. Amazing how some injuries just never leave.
  • PamS53
    PamS53 Posts: 1,936 Member
    [quote

    I'm so sorry you had to suffer through that. The idiot really did lasting damage.

    For the last week or so my right heel has been really hurting and I'm limping a little more than usual. That was January 2000. Amazing how some injuries just never leave.[/quote]

    My left ankle (the one that was broken 6 years ago) has been bothering me some this week as well. It usually doesn’t.

    I need to talk to the attorney we retained after the accident to see what it means to a settlement if the hand surgeon agrees that the damage to my hand is likely permanent, which is what it seems I’m being told now. It’s my dominant hand and it affects my fine motor skills, so I would think that is fairly significant.
  • Helene610
    Helene610 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Do you think you might benefit from PT on your heel/ankle? I think I’m showing improvement after 3 weeks of PT. I have appointments scheduled into early August. My injury goes back at least 5 years. I waited a couple years before considering treatment and had really good results. I was pretty pain free for 2.5 years and in pain for the last six months. So if’s been a while for you, consider being evaluated for if PT might help you again. Very little downside to getting re-evaluated.