Thursday, April 11, 2019

Foggy Mind

My day is not going well. So, you think, what's new? …..

Yesterday was a big buy day at several major stores. The warm days mean that I need to stock the store. I had already purged the store of expired items. That means I tried to use any food items in my own meal planning and tossed the rest. My expired items are just barely out of date, as I rotate my stock diligently and always try to buy staples with the expiration (one of my grandchildren always said "expirement date") date as far out as possible. HeWho picks up the frozen items at Sam's is not as careful as I am, but I will give the ice cream and such away as the season ends.

The expired Excedrin I tossed in my purse came in handy on that flight to Minnesota. Nothing wrong with the drugs, just maybe not as effective, but they knocked out my headache. Upon my return from shopping, with a large sedan trunk and back seat full, I texted my arrival to the men in the park.

They usually see me pull in and run like little kids to unburden my vehicle, always knowing I have snacks for them. That did not happen yesterday. I got a text back from HeWho was laying new sewer lines inquiring about me needing help. Of course I wanted help! I had lots of big case items that were heavy.

They sent me a helper and the two of us unloaded the car. Alex is a diabetic, so I dared not ply him with sweets. I had bought some diet sodas with him in mind, but they needed to go in the cooler first. I will make sure he gets one today.

Shopping, then putting away all that stuff is exhausting. I did it and handled the flow of traffic through the store, often having to stop and chat. Good thing I can load a cooler and talk at the same time. HeWho will come to a dead halt when he talks, but that is another story. 

When HeWho is the master of sewer did come in, I questioned him about Kevin (aka my wife). Kevin was not doing well when I left for my trip. While I was away, I got a call from HeWho knows nothing about the drugs he takes. He was sure Kevin was in the midst of a very painful gout attack. He described the swelling and pain and I agreed that he was probably right. HeWho thinks everything is gout, having had many attacks. Colchicine used to be the standard for treating gout and was dirt cheap. When it was found to be the culprit causing major damage to internal organs, doctors stopped prescribing it so liberally and now the drug is expensive.

HeWho prefers to take a pill rather that changing his diet or lifestyle used to take it daily, along with Allopurinol. Of course he no longer takes it. When he went in for his annual check up two days before my trip, he called me from the clinic to ask if he needed refills. "That is why you are there." said his wife who fills his pill takers. I had told him when he asked why he had to go to the clinic.

Another call about 5 minutes after the first call. "Um, what do I take?" I referred him to his I-Phone with the list I entered for him while he was having his finger re-attached in the emergency room last year. So, when he called me in Minnesota and asked, "Where is my colchicine?!" I was somewhat annoyed. I calmly explained to him that he was no longer on that drug. He argued, of course, causing me to ask if he even looked at the list of medications on his phone. How silly of me. He probably handed the phone to the person entering the re-fills and left that up to them. Good thing I put the dosing info along side the meds!

Kevin refused efforts to take him to an urgent care or the emergency room. HeWho called me again to see if I thought cranberry juice to be a remedy. I told him it would definitely help with a urinary infection or kidney stones, but since the knee and the ankle were the culprits that it probably wouldn't help, but wouldn't hurt either and if it would make him feel better he could procure it and offer it to the sick man.

Finally, Kevin called the last doctor who treated him and HeWho picked up the prescription for the colchicine and the pain meds. I was told that he was on the mend. Then I saw him. He looked life death warmed over and I told him to stay off his leg and give his body time to recover. He might be my "wife", but he is still a man and would not take my advice. I saw him out at the dig site trying to help with the new line of sewer pipes. He finally came to the office to pick up the items he asked me to get for him. He looked worse and I instructed him to go lay down for a couple of hours.

He called to report that his blood pressure was 96/57. I shouted at the poor man then and told him to get in bed and check it again in an hour and if it was lower he was going to the hospital. He was up and walking around "trying to feel better" when he gave me the blood pressure reading. He did not call me back. 

I checked in a few campers and took phone calls and reservations while HeWho was on another run for supplies. No surprise that he has made 4 trips for sewer pipe so far on this project. How hard can it be to measure and add a few extra just in case and pick it all up at the same time?

Long story here, I know, but Kevin did go to the emergency room last night. HeWho took him (I have night blindness and I would have taken him, but I only drive about 40 when I can't see well). I went to bed at 10 and I think HeWho came in after midnight. Kevin stayed at the hospital just as I predicted. He was having trouble eating, swallowing to be exact and will have an endoscopy some time today. He was hungry when I talked to him and mad that I had insisted on him going to the hospital. The wrath of sick men …. just rolls off my shoulders like oil.

So, the rest of the morning has been just awful. After the man of the house came to bed last night, Cujo decided he needed another drink of water, then Martha, the fat boy cat, stood next to my side of the bed griping to go outside (he must have come in when HeWho came home). By then it was 2 o'clock and I finally drifted off only to be awakened at 6:30 by Eddie who decided it was wake up time and wanted to go out. I was so tired, I decided to go back to bed and slept until 8:30.

Mt series of naps were not restful and my mind is foggy. I lost the store phone twice and had to call it with my phone to locate it. I turned the washer on and put laundry detergent in, but forgot the laundry and the second time I located the store phone I saw that someone had called and I redialed the number. It was me. The first time I called to locate the phone. Should I even try to mow? I need to mow, I want to mow. What If I forget what I am doing and try to mow the water in the pool? What if I fall asleep while mowing?

The weather had cooled down and a nice breeze is blowing. Perfect to mow. Supposed to rain later in the day. It snowed in Minnesota yesterday and I fervently hope that it does not head this way! But, with the way my day is going, it could.

7 comments:

Joanne Noragon said...

Is that why I'm so tired today? It's spreading?

RunNRose said...

Oh, my. The never ending saga! I hope Kevin is better! Had to laugh about the laundry!
How many times I have run a load of clothes and wondered if I had put in the
detergent as I was taking the clothes out? I put the clothes in first, then add the
soap. Apparently you do the opposite, It would not be a good thing to run the
mower in the pool. May tonight be better for you!!!!

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Your life is often one drama after another, sometimes we need to just wash the washing machine. Being that tied sucks.

Val said...

I hope Kevin is okay. I know you will miss him doing his wifely duties while he's incapacitated.

River said...

So annoying when men won't do the right thing and end up in hospital blaming everyone else for their predicament. please don't do any mowing on so little sleep.

ellen abbott said...

I'd make a snide remark about men refusing to go to the doctor/ER if I hadn't waited until I had had three months of off and on rapid/irregular heartbeat before I finally made an appointment.

Kathy G said...

Tomorrow WILL be a better day!