Another test done and dusted

 So yesterday we had to get up a bit earlier than usual for my visit with Dr Fossum. Today was another early morning appointment that was over near the main hospital and buildings I have had other appointments at. So that is roughly a 30 minute trip one way, without traffic and not in primetime commute.

(Just a picture of an Easter Lily in full bloom in the complex)

So this appointment was primetime commute going west on one of two main routes going that direction. Maps said without traffic it would take 38 minutes. My brain luckily said, morning commute traffic, double that. So we left real close to 8 am for a 8 am check in. We made it on time with only a few minutes to spare. There was a nearly thirty minute back up almost immediately so I checked my watch and knew we would get there in time. Sure enough it cleared up mostly as we approached the large hill that usually backs up, but got through it without too much delay. 

Now the second hurdle was finding a new building in an almost familiar area. Thanks to maps again I knew what the building looked like and what side of the road it was on. Fancy shmancy new building complex for Sharp and for county services for women and children. 

The actual appointment was only minorly annoying as it involved a contrast injection that I had to sit still and wait for it to work through my system for 40 minutes. In the same kind of chair I get for my infusion but no massage or heating or small table. Just a vaguely warm cotton blanket and an attempt to nap without actually falling asleep. The actual scan took about 15 minutes so I did a lot of sitting and laying and breathing with my eyes closed.

Did I mention I hadn't had anything to eat since 9pm the previous night? l was starving up until I got in for the appointment then that acted as a distraction. At least my fasting glucose was 98 which was good. They have to check just to be sure and I forgot to ask why that was important. Doing my own research, turns out the tracer they use is reactive to sugar in your system. If there's too much sugar it won't be taken up by your system properly (mildly radioactive). So there's the answer I needed.

Test all done, slightly woozy from laying down and we zipped out as safely as possible, found our way back to my old Clairmont neighborhood.... which was the same area as the mosque attack the other day. I pointed it out to Jon as we passed it on the way to get to the Burger King further down the road.  Boy did that bring back memories. I could have told him all kinds of things but I was busy wolfing down a Whopper to take my pills. 

As soon as I heard the news that a mosque in Clairmont had a live shooter I knew exactly which one it was. There's only one in that area. I knew what was across the street, down the street, where the Vons was ... a few buildings had changed, new school for one and the oil change place on the corner where Beverly's used to be was now a Starbucks. Go figure. There were two other Starbucks walking distance, one in the Vons and another across from the Vons. To be fair, neither of those were drive up so three different 'markets' to cater to.

Other than that, restless legs are sort of calmed down the last two nights except right now I have a raging itchy spot on my left shin.... feels like it might be bruised under the surface so trying not to actually scratch (using my cup with ice in it to chill the area). No more appointments for about a week until my video with my . Boy do I have some things to tell her not on my chart.

The weather is turning warm, seems to be actually trending to summer and the May Grey seems to have been cut short. For now. We're just about out of money again, a few dollars left enough to get milk and bread but will run out of sodas before the end of the month.  We'll survive.  Other than today I've been limiting myself to one soda a day.Today I really needed two cokes, water wasn't cutting it so will see what happens tonight for sleep. Managed to cook Peruvian chicken with the yummy green sauce and some savory rice for lunch today, well used recipe and still very delicious.

'Stumpy' the latest garden resident lizard. It's missing most of the tail hence the name. I didn't see it when it was in the raised bed as I watered until too late. Was snugged up against the west side wall and darted off to the fence as I was pulling out my phone. Lonng toes and short tail. I splashed some water that direction not to annoy but thinking it might want some water.  Welcome to my garden Stumpy!

That's it for this week, will see what my doctor says next week and then it's a few days to the end of the month and more money! Yay! 

 

 

Lovely weather, frustrations of modern world

The weather has been wonderful and mild, breezy lately and the 'May Gray' is in full swing. Cloudy in the morning, clears off by around noon or one then around 4pm clouds start moving back in again and it's overcast through the night. I know, I've been up in the wee hours of morning for various reasons and I go look out the kitchen window.

Not the view from my kitchen window. Just sky and clouds between the trees where I walk Rocky. Only a few hours time between clouds moving out and in again.

Just had to get a picture of this wall art/light at the infusion center. The horizontal lines are actually glass 'shelves' with another colored piece in the middle. The backdrop is silver 'marbled' (no idea what it's called to get that effect). So you get this cool color effect from the two small lights above it. Very awesome. 

As for frustration, has to do with not sleeping well and modern ways of ordering food. Yesterday I was tired, had not slept well, as usual, and decided that with some of the extra money we had to order some cheap sandwiches from Subway. A footlong for $7, cool deal right? But you had to order online or on the app. Well I had the app loaded on my phone, pulled it out when we got there and had to update the app. A lady was ordering ahead of us for four people so we sat down at one of the tables. Long story short, the sandwich we wanted didn't work with the discount. I tried three times, realized the first time I had two sandwiches so I got rid of one, reordered the first one.... I was getting more and more frustrated because the ad said 'ANY' foot long sandwich. ANY means ANY right???? Well apparently not. After the fourth time of going through the menu and putting it in the check out bag and being told it doesn't qualify I gave up. I was hungry, didn't want to cook and by that time three other people had walked in to order sandwiches. Oh yes, and there was only one girl working there. No one in the back, just her, we've run into this problem before as well at that store. We ended up going to Jersey Mike's. A few dollars more but easier to order in person for sure. I have now uninstalled the Subway app on my phone as this is the third time I've had issues ordering through that app. Firehouse subs is another one we've given up on due to the app being screwy (not to mention the closest store is 30 minutes away).

So not being able to sleep is getting old really fast. Either my legs are 'twitchy' or I have to pee every hour or two, the sheets are wrinkled, Jon snoring... any number of things. Just not able to get anymore than an hour or two and it's not deep sleep, just dozing for the most part.  So 'sleep' yes but not satisfactory sleep. Getting a nap is not feasible either between me not taking naps unless I'm seriously sick and Rocky on my side of the bed for his nap. If I put him in the bathroom he'll start meowing and wake Jon up... so yeah. Speaking of waking him up, tried to close the kitchen blinds a bit to lower the light coming in while he napped but then the wind flaps the blinds and wakes him up so he's in a foul mood right now doing dishes and watching a local San Diego show. Just can't win anymore.

Radiation oncologist changed appointment from Wednesday to Tuesday so asked Amber if she could spare some gas money and she could. So we're set for gas for my next two appointments (CT scan on Wednesday), have a video appointment with my primary on the 28th and that's it for this month. Unless something comes up from the other surgeon, nothing in June. But he mentioned scheduling a pre-op appointment in June so we'll see what happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh my 'volunteer' tomato is not a Roma after all, it's a cherry. So probably it got washed to that end of the garden during the rain from the other lady who uses her own compost. Good size cherry tomatoes but definitely not a Roma. Still same growth habit so lots of tomatoes over long growing season. Still nothing from the other tomato plant or cucumbers or peppers.

Okay legs and feet are getting twitchy again, going to go get some ice cream from the freezer and try to avoid eye contact with Jon. 

 

Another infusion in the books and Bon voyage!

 The weather has been pale blue skies and warm temps with the cooler nights. Warming days are still coming with summer creeping in like the opposite of an evening fog. Same stealth, different temperature.

 Flowers in front of another resident's apartment, Dipladenia variety. The way the sun made the yellow throats glow caught my attention immediately. If I had a shadier front porch I would try and grow something out there.

Anyway, aside from money woes (that are alleviated for now) things are going okay. Back is almost completely healed, I have been able to take the 8 hour Tylenol every 12 hours or so because the pain isn't that bad until then. It's not just back pain though, there's my fingers and general aches of being old and side effects of meds. So I took my last pair of pills at 11 last night and only now around 4pm the next day my hands are getting cranky so time to take something for comfort. Actually everything is feeling like old machinery needing oil. Downside to the Tylenol is it takes forever for it to kick in may not feel any better for at least two or three hours after I take it. Back ache and joint pain are so far the only side effects of the infusion which is manageable.

My friend Margaret had a dozen eggs, some baking cocoa and chocolate chips for me (thanks to a funny video I had sent her) so we arranged a 'picnic lunch' at a park in the neighborhood of the infusion center. She provided sandwiches from a Jimmy John's of all places (had no idea they were in San Diego) and we all (she had her daughter with her and Jon of course was with me) had a nice chat about all manner of things. Only issue was we were in the shade, I had switched to my shorts and a tee shirt because weather said it would be warm and I was FREEZING!  As far as sandwiches go, JJ's is not on my list of places to suggest. It was all right but had to go minimal on fixings because I had no idea what they had. The roll was a bit tough and I guess I'm just used to the softer bread from our favorite three places. I am grateful and thankful for her providing lunch and will ever be so grateful.

So, on to the infusion. The last three times I got there on time and it took them a good twenty minutes to get my IV finally started. This time I figured, get there a bit early so I'm on time still, even called ahead despite them calling me two hours before the appointment. Got my IV (needle? Shunt?) set up but not connected between 1 and 1:15 then.... nurse disappeared muttering something about going to get the Entivio. I had taken my watch off because it would be in the way so had to look at my phone after a while and realized it had been another 15 minutes... we had been in the chair alcove for almost a half hour. So I caught another nurses attention and held up my hand, with unconnected IV and asked when we could get started. Nurse finally came back and got me started, I complained in a good-natured manner that I had hoped they would have it ready to go when I go there since I called ahead. No explanation other than 'the Entivio takes a bit to get ready'... well yeah that's why I was told to call ahead so it was ready when I got sat down. The infusion only takes about a half hour so my assumption is they have the chair reserved for an hour nothing more or less. Still kind of annoying that I sat there trying to do knitting and scrolling on my phone for a good fifteen minutes or more and the shunt in the back of my hand. Oh and she wasn't very good because she said the vein rolled a bit. My veins have not been difficult to hit in all the times I've been having them stuck with needles (except that one time decades ago on the wrist). So only minor bruising in that area which will need to be poked again in about nine days for my CT scan with contrast. Got that finished, both of us had to use the toilet before we left the building and off to home we went.  

Bon Voyage to Talib and Olivia heading off for another trip to Amsterdam by way of Seattle! Hoping they have a relaxing and wonderful cruise and sight seeing on the other side of the world!

We have foodstuffs and bills are being managed, that is all I can ask for these days.  

 

Weather shift and the usual troubles

Weather is wonky of course, it rained the other night, was cloudy, wind came up which meant weather change and now it's going to be in the high 80's and possibly 90 over the weekend. Welcome to Spring.

 

SIGH. I wasn't expecting this to be a cranky complaining post. Thank goodness the rent increase isn't for two months but have to start getting on track with that now.

We're doing okay with food but absolutely no extra money in the bank. Honest I didn't buy that much extra! We had to get gas and that was the biggest expense for sure. Way more than we've had to pay before for the amount we bought. I spent less than $50 on 'extra' food, I guess can't even do that at all now until those extra bills get paid off. 

Internet- paid 51.16

Amazon (yes I still have that) - paid 7.53

Storage on the 10th 353.00

Geico  on the 11th 58.69 

SDGE unknown until 14th 

Phone on 14th 55.00

 

So right now I don't even have enough to cover storage which is due on the 10th but from what I understand there's a 2 week grace period before they tack on the $20 late fee. So once Geico is paid all that's left is storage, SDGE and phone. Depending on SDGE I will be able to pay that and phone. 

Once again I am panicking and don't know if it will all work out. 

 

The other night I could not get comfortable. My back was hurting, everything felt wrong, got into bed and the sheets were too wrinkled, my knee was hurting, put on my sweat pants and socks and ended up sleeping on top of the covers and still was not that good sleep. I don't know what was going on but the next night it was better. I wish there was a way of just falling asleep for longer than two hours. That's about average, 2 or maybe 3 hours then get up to use the bathroom, get back in bed, hope for falling asleep in a timely fashion, most of the time it takes me another hour to doze off. I know one of the meds I'm on can cause insomnia but that's one I take in the morning for that reason. Can't wait until surgery so they can knock me out for a couple of hours and I can get some decent sleep. 

I am pretty sure we need a new mattress and that's part of the issue. It's an Ikea mattress so it's one sided otherwise we would have been flipping it over. There's a  ridge in the middle of the mattress so when I roll over on my left side I'm having to throw my leg over more to keep me from feeling like I'm rolling onto my back. I sleep on my right side and end up almost on the edge. As a result of this, the bottom sheet doesn't stay tight and one thing I cannot stand is a wrinkled bottom sheet. I don't usually wear pajama bottoms just an oversize t shirt so it's just one of those tactile things that makes me uncomfortable. Jon of course is usually asleep within minutes and snoring of course that is another factor that keeps me from getting to sleep faster. Can't sleep in the front room unless I put Rocky in the bathroom, which I did one time and still didn't sleep well because we have a short love seat and I'm taller than it can accommodate comfortably. Even that has sunken cushions. We were able to buy more Tylenol at Costco using the OTC card and it's the extra arthritis strength 8 hour formula.  Now I'm worried about my liver taking that but it's the only way I can actually function with minimal pain lately. Which is another side effect of one of my meds is body and joint aches.

Gorgeous day outside, can't drive anywhere that would use gas I need for doctor appointments, garden is plugging along. One of the expenses I used was a whopping $11 for fertilizer for the garden. The plants look better for it and ohpe to have some good peppers this year. Tomatoes are fruiting well thankfully, tough plants.

Photo was after I watered well so the peppers looks droopy but they're doing fine. Tomato, two cucumbers and the other tomato on the fence. I suspect by the time the tomatoes are mostly done the cucumbers will be as tall as the one on the right. First time growing cukes on the trellis so here's hoping they hang on and thrive. 

That's it for now, venting done and update accomplished.  Hands are starting to ache again which means 8 hour formula is starting to wear off.

Toodles. 

 

Shopping and recovery

 Groceries are getting acquired, weather is shifting again to cooler cloudy days, still going to be short on money as usual. Still trying to convince Jon (I'm doing what  I can) to save money and not spend every penny.

My lower back is feeling much better. It's not sciatica and from what I can feel I've done this before. I got a call back from the doctor's 'triage nurse' and she asked questions and determined I should have gone to the ER. I told her I can't afford to do that so will be doing self treatment and follow various instructions for lower back relief online. Regular doses of extra strength Tylenol, which we resupplied at Costco today using the OTC card huzzah. It is better, just feeling very stiff and can't bend over still and have to warm up my muscles when I wake up in the morning. Also have to not sit at my desk for long periods so setting an alarm every hour to get up and move around. I couldn't sleep well at all last night despite not being in much pain. I've determined that is a combination of a mattress that needs replacing and Jon's snoring. I actually took an hour long nap yesterday, couldn't keep my eyes open sitting at the desk. 

Rocky trying to snooze while Jon tells me about something he read on the computer. Hard to tell but he has one eye open looking like, ' is he talking again? I'm trying to sleep'. Yes that pile of clothes on the chair is mine and Rocky is resting his head on my knee brace. My knee started getting really cranky after my back went out so had that on for about a week.

We stocked up on various canned goods and things at F4L, got yogurt and apples again yay! We didn't get ice cream so we're going out today to get that since we went to Costco again today for meat and cheese. Beef other than hamburger was way out of my budget. Sure there was stew meat but my experience with that trying to make it work for other recipes has not worked. So we got a package of pollo asado, chicken breasts and hamburger, block of cheese and coffee for Jon. Still need more sodas and water a few other things I forgot to get first time around. I indulged in a snack vice of mine, onion dip and ruffle potato chips. Salt, salt and more salt. It's bad and I had two helpings the other day, very bad... ears were hissing, resting heart rate was way too high (that may have also been from being in pain) but I am having smaller portions and drinking lots of water as well. Trying to only have one soda a day and succeeding most of the time. I'm nibbling on apple bits or having yogurt instead of a soda if I want something sweet and having a glass of ice water. Fools my brain for the most part of having something cold and sweet.

Next appointment in the schedule is infusion on the 11th. Here's hoping there's some progress after the next one because right now, it doesn't seem to have done anything at all. Oh and the side effects of my other necessary meds is... diarrhea, body aches, arthritis...everything I have right now. Right. So will be on a semi regular intake of Tylenol as needed. Oh my hand shaking isn't as bad either, still there in a minor small tremble but not as bad as in January.

That's all I can think of for now, anything else will have to wait. 

May the 4th Be With you All!

 

 

Premonitions and pains

 So a post or two ago I had a feeling that the only thing that could happen next would be the rent going up. And it did. Got the notice today that July 1 the rent goes up an other $25 making it $1100 a month. I have applied for whatever help I can get on utilities and medical but don't qualify for much else. 

 Saw my boob doctor yesterday, he's got to communicate with GI doctor about timing surgery with the infusions so it doesn't affect surgery but I don't miss an infusion either. Tentatively there should be a pre-op appointment with him sometime in June. So yeah, things are moving ahead as much as possible with all the various moving parts shuffling around. 

A CT scan that was scheduled for sometime weeks down the road was rescheduled (which I missed) to be the same day as my final appointment with the Radiation treatment doctor on the 20th of this month. Luckily CT is early morning (9:30) and only takes about two hours which gives me enough time to grab some food (can't eat anything 6 hours before) and drive all the way from Kearny Mesa to Grossmont for a 2 pm appointment. 

As for the pains, I somehow tweaked my back/sciatica on Saturday and am in constant pain in my lower back/saddle area. Happens to be in the same spot they took the scraping for lymphoma last year. Coincidental of course but have to let someone know and if I have to get a referral for either a neurologist or chiropractor. Ideally taking an anti-inflammatory would help but .... the only one they can give me is prednison apparently due to my gut issues. That's my guess at least. I've tried a warm rice pack, cold rice pack.... nothing made a difference. It feels like if I can just twist my back to pop something back into place it would feel better.

We got our 'monthly government stipend' today, which is a day earlier than I thought we'd get it. Gas is up .20 from two days ago. I know, I had to get gas before my appointment yesterday and it was 5.49 and is now 5.69.  We got the essentials Jon pays for at Costco, stopped at Greek Chicken and got lunch and came home. 

I'm uncomfortable, Jon's uncomfortable and the note about rent going up did not improve our moods. Lunch was delicious but didn't lift our moods to our typical euphoria with the Greek food. 

Oh and I have cat litter from Chewy.com on auto ship and of course they tried to get payment yesterday when I didn't have money in the bank so had to try and clear that up today. It's kind of confusing (much like the SDGE page) on whether the order has gone through or is in proces. Is it going to double charge me for two orders? Looks like it's going to be a double order dangit.  Now cancelling the future order and hope the other order comes in time. We don't need it immediately, but will need it in the next two weeks or so.

It is non-existent to find a 1 bedroom apartment in San Diego for less than $1100. I looked. Any of them that are less than that are 'per person/per bed'. Student arrangements in other words and would still involve more investigation and scrutiny. I know at least one complex is right next to the trolley tracks near the university. By that I mean if you take the screen off the windows you could lob a can of soda and someone could catch it on the platform or in the trolley if the door was open. So no. Moving of any sort still involves over $2000 just for the move. Truck or trailer rental, arrangements with new location, and then there's all my medical appointments. We have to stay in San Diego and within a certain area of my doctors for convenience and continuity.

So we're stuck here with rising costs all around and technically we are cheaper than other places. So here we sit and will try and make do with what we can. Again will try and find storage closer and less expensive but that is another pipe dream.

Side note, in one of the buildings in the neighborhood they are doing something with a vacuum that runs a high pitched whine. Started this morning and only broke for lunch but is back at it again. Not good for my mood either. 

Just a quick update after my stress test.

 I'm exhausted and didn't even walk that long on the treadmill. My test was at 1 ish and it is now a little after 5 and I'm still exhausted. Boy howdy am I out of shape!

So first thing was getting me hooked up to the EKG cables and stuff. Not a big deal, been there many times. They thought I was going to sweat a lot so as a precaution used some tape on a few of them. Then... they wanted to do an echo/sonogram of my heart. Problem: implant is in the way. She tried all the angles, bruising me a time or two, having me roll back and lean forward (laying on my left side with a bp cuff) and breathe in and out.. the whole thing but wasn't able to get a good shot of one angle. So they did a 'contrast' IV not with a bag or anything just a syringe 'microbubble' contrast. Didn't feel a thing other than the IV needle. Barely got a good image that time and then it was treadmill time.

Honestly, I thought it would take longer but it was maybe a minute and a half. Slow start, I was kind of clomping and then it accelerated and inclined and hooboy did that get me winded fast! The cardio nurse was watching the instruments and said I had gotten to the target heart rate but could I go another 30 seconds, I barely  nodded another five seconds and she asked again and the echo nurse said 'no she's done' (something like that and I wasn't offended at all). I then had to hop off the treadmill quickly and back over to the bed in 90 seconds for her to try and do another sonogram but, still difficult and I couldn't hold my breath at all because I was winded. So oh well. Doctor came in and looked at all the readings (not my doctor just the doctor for the office that day) and said that all my numbers were good, heart rate was regular, blood pressure was good, only problem was not being able to see the heart completely to check for signs of a blood clot area. That is the only reason why they were doing the sonogram because of my Afib. They can't take the chance of missing one but the next step was some weird contrast something or other but didn't think that would really be necessary. Other than that, no calcification shows up when they did the CAT scan in January and nothing showed up bad now. 

People don't listen to me. I know they can't take any chances but other than that one hiccup that was totally on me, I have a perfectly healthy heart.  It's getting rather tiring having people treat me like I have a serious condition. I'm more concerned about the colitis than I am about my heart, well the cholesterol too but that's correctable with diet and exercise. 

So I'm pooped! Hopefully going to sleep really well tonight. Barring every hour or two waking to visit the porcelain throne.