HOW TO KEEP YOUR MIND OFF SOMETHING

 Today was a day of "keeping my mind off" tomorrow. Tomorrow is my MRI and I didn't want to think about it very much. To do that I took a bath, washed my hair, and then finished invoicing my clients. I am up to date until tomorrow! Then I have to start the process all over again for April. But at least I completed the first quarter. I can breathe now. And pay for this MRI. 

I have a couple of different tactics to keep my mind off things: watch a series that keeps me entertained, do things like laundry that need my attention, or make candy. I stay away from reading books and taking long walks. For me it is too much time to think. My mind strays and starts to think of things. 

I couldn't eat so I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, mini carrots and apple sauce. I think I reverted back to my childhood. It was easy and comforting. 

I have to get up very early for this test so I am signing off now. 

Until tomorrow...

MY HAPPY PLACE

This morning I washed Lucky. Lucky does not like bathes. I have to put a muzzle on her to bathe her and she is very unhappy. But a) she was kinda stinky and b) the vet wants me to wash her feet with a special shampoo for yeast. While I had her in the tub, why not give her the full treatment! She definitely smells better. One of the good things about short hair dogs is they don't get very messy usually. Lucky hates to get messy so she rarely needs a bath. 

Then I decided to make some vegan chocolates. It been a long time since I made chocolate. I had a bunch of chocolate in the fridge from previous chocolate desserts. I melted that chocolate down and added some new. I made dark and vegan milk chocolate with peanut butter and some with pecans. I also made some plain vegan white chocolate. It is definitely my happy place. I don't even have to eat them. I just like making them. 

I will try to give some away to neighbors. 

Until tomorrow...

PRE-AUTHORIZATION?

What a day. I decided late last night to call first thing this morning and double check the insurance for the MRI first thing on Monday. I ended up calling at lunchtime after a meeting and found out the pre-authorization is pending. I called and called the doctor's office but no one was there. I called the MRI location again and they suggested I postpone it. I called the insurance company again and was told this location is out-of-network (which I was told it was in-network). Then I was told that I had a high deductible and this cost would fall under that deductible and I would be paying 100% out-of-pocket even if I had a pre-authorization. So I made the decision to go forward with the MRI. 

In between all the phone calls I invoiced clients to keep my mind off things. 

Until tomorrow...

HEARD FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY

 I heard from the insurance company about coming out to do a re-assessment of my water leak damage. I was so happy that I answered a restricted phone call. The woman was super nice but I was careful and did not say too much. Then I called my contractor and asked him to send the estimate so I can send it to her. Finally movement to fix my home but she is not coming out to inspect for two weeks.  

The stress of this whole situation has been very hard on my RA and fibromyalgia.  It is hard to sleep in an unfamiliar place, it is stressful having my things all over the place because I can't keep them downstairs and its hard having limited space. I don't mean to whine, it is a change in the way I am used to living and it is a bit discombobulating and stressful. I am happy it may be over soon. 

Until tomorrow...

 

WARM WEATHER

The weather has been so lovely for about a week. The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. 

It is wonderful except that my upstairs gets hot. It especially gets hot when I can't open some windows and doors because my home is still covered with a giant tarp. 

Last night it was hot and hard to sleep. Tonight I put a fan in the room to get air moving around. I am hoping that helps a bit. My downstairs is naturally cool and I really miss it. 

Until tomorrow...

PHYSICAL THERAPY SHOULDER #2

 Today was my second physical therapy session for my shoulder. He said he could see I was doing my exercises. I got this appointment because I was on standby. 

First he stretches my shoulder a few different ways and then I start doing exercises with latex bands. This time I did some neck stretches also. 

I asked him about the issue I had when I was driving. After hours of driving, I get pains in my shins when I have to press on the break in traffic. Kind of a cramping. He said it is shin splints. He showed me what to do to help the problem. Once again I was doing the absolute wrong thing to make it feel better. When you know, you know. 

Until tomorrow...

VET AND RA

I did two things today: took Lucky to the vet and went to my RA doc. 

I took Lucky to get her feet checked. She has been licking them despite getting an allergy shot. They did a test and she has yeast on her feet. I guess the equivalent of athlete's foot maybe? Anyway it makes her uncomfortable and she is licking the fur off her feet. 

The vet also said she needs more fiber so I need to make her peanut butter/pumpkin cookies again. She loves them and they give her fiber. 

Then I went to see my RA doctor for a check in. There is not much to say. She wanted to know how the plaquenel was going and how I was feeling. We meet again in four months. 

Until tomorrow...

FIXED THE LIGHTS

 Today was a day of recovery. Both Lucky and I needed to rest after the exhausting day yesterday. 

Since the raccoons visited, the lights in my backyard have not worked. Today I figured out why. The raccoons must have knocked the sensor that tells the lights when to turn on or something. I am not sure but I tested it and they come on now. Problem solved. 

My seeds look okay and no animals visited last night. 

Until tomorrow...

ROAD TRIP

Today I drove to see my old foster kid. It was supposed to be less than 2 hr drive one way that turned into a 2.5 hr drive there and 3 hr back. I decided to take Lucky rather than leave her home alone. We had her new car seat that is bigger, she can lay down and I can put a little bowl of water inside. 

We had to stop part way there so Lucky and I (but mostly Lucky) could pee. Once we got to our destination, we could only stay for about 20 minutes because we got there so late and I saw the line of traffic going the other way. We had a quick visit, stretched out legs and got back in the car. 

The ride back was very little fun. I luckily brought good music with me. Yes, I have an old car with a radio, tape deck, and CD cartridge player (has 6 CDs in it). No place to plug in a phone or iPod and no Sirius satellite. Before you ask, I do have electric windows. 

Lucky had a hard time on the way there since she was on the side of the car with the sun. Part of the way there I got out my expandable sun shield and used it to give her some shade. On the way back she napped a bit. 

This is her new car seat. It is big enough that she can lie down and I can put a little bowl of water. 

Once we got back, the gardener was there and he cleaned up after the raccoon mess. Then he weeded and helped me plant the seeds in my garden. I know I am capable of planting seeds but I needed him to lift and spread the soil and then install the drip system. 

I planted lettuce, green beans, carrots, and cucumbers. Before you get excited, I just put a few seeds of each item. It is a small garden and we discussed it and determined it was better to plant a few of each thing . I am also going to plant yellow zucchini and a tomato plant but I need more soil to do that. Listen, the worst that happens is nothing comes up. It is my time that is wasted. I have more seeds and I can try again. It is only April. 

Until tomorrow...

RACCOONS 🦝🦝🦝🦝

I took Lucky out back late last night and just missed a gang of raccoons. I know because I looked at the garden and something tore it up. There was dirt everywhere. I grabbed Lucky and took her back inside. I looked at my backyard camera and I saw one raccoon, then two more and then a fourth. They were running up and down my deck stairs and looking in my glass doors. We missed them by 4 minutes. 

Today I waited until after lunch to call the insurance company contact. I still had not heard from the new claims/inspector person. I was told that I "moved up in the log". I guess that is a good thing. 

Until tomorrow...

FEEDLY

 A reader wrote in and told me about Feedly. Feedly is a service that will pull all your information together in one place. An example would be if you wanted to follow two blogs, get the latest trends on rheumatoid arthritis drugs, and follow information about knitting Feedly will pull all this information together. It also tells you what the newest information that day is and you can bookmark items to read later. It has an app for your phone and iPad. 

I already bookmarked my sister-in-law’s blog. I have been missing reading it. Now I can feel more connected. 

Thank you reader! You know who you are!

Before I forget, happy 4/20! 

Until tomorrow…

PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR MY SHOULDER

I had my first physical therapy appointment for my shoulders. I got good news: he says my rotator cuffs are not torn. He says I just injured them. Well, I injured my left one when I fell in 2019 and then I irritated the right one by overcompensating. 

He gave me some exercises to do to make my shoulder feel better. He said it was stiff from not using it for so long. 

Until tomorrow...

CALLED THE INSURANCE COMPANY

I called the insurance company and told them I wanted a reassessment or appeal on my claim for the weather damage on my home. It took many hours but I got a call back telling me that someone would be contacting me to set up a visit to look at the damage now that the wall is demo'd. Hopefully this gets me a different result. 

I called and made my appointment for my brain MRI. The wait is 13 days. But at least I have a date now. I do better when I have a date to focus on. When things are open ended that is when I have a harder time. I've always said I can do anything as long as there is a conclusion or finish. 

My concierge doctor checked in on me today. She just wanted to know if things were moving along with the neurologist. It is so great having someone pay attention to my health. 

Until tomorrow...

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

Since Blogger change it's delivery system and no longer sends out emails, I have been trying to figure out how to get my blog posts to readers. Would any of my readers like to share how they read my blog? Do any other bloggers or folks that read other Blogger blogs, want to share how they deliver their blog to their readers? I am very interested.

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I have been taking medication for rheumatoid arthritis and various other medical reasons for many years. I have been taking some new medications and I have some questions for my readers: 

• How do you know if a new medication for you is working? 
• If you do feel better, do you usually feel incrementally better or do you feel drastically better? Write in and tell me. I am very interested. 

I started a new medication a few months ago and I am not seeing a drastic difference.  I have taken other medications and had a very quick response. I am not seeing much of a response at all. So how do I know if it is working? 

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I spoke to my neighbor today about getting my brain MRI. He has had a few brain MRIs and I wanted to hear his story. What it was like. He walked me through it and it helped me. I was fine about the MRI until today when I read the doctor's report. That sort of made it real and I started doom scrolling. That sort of made me spiral. I went down to my Dart Hall and threw some darts. That made me feel better. It made me focus and get some energy out. 

Until tomorrow...

BOOK CLUB APRIL

 This month we read IQ by Joe Ide. I thought it was good but it had a lot of characters to keep track of and I didn't like that. IQ is the first of a series so I guess the characters will be used in the rest of the series. 

It was very funny that I got on the virtual book club meeting and there was a guy who used to live a floor above me in my old apartment. He didn't recognize me and I could not remember his name. Once I told him my name, he remembered that I (and my ex) used to watch sports and got a little loud on game day. Rooting for the teams, of course! 

I have been practicing darts. I see improvement. 

I moved my sandbags away from the front of my home and once again, I fell. I hit hard on my knee and elbow. Yes, these falls hurt but they are more humiliating than anything. 

Until tomorrow...

DART ART

 Today was sunny but cold and windy. It was the type of day that you look out and it looks so beautiful but then you go outside and you need a coat. 

I had all these plans for today but none of them got done. I don't know what happened, I just didn't feel motivated. I got a delivery I was waiting for and then I got motivated. The package contained the items for my Dart Hall. I got a dart rack, chalkboard, eraser, dart sharpener, and two pieces of dart art.  I hung the dart rack and put all my darts in the rack. I drilled a hole in one end of the eraser and added a eye hook (I think that is what it is called) so the eraser can hang from the dart rack. The dart rack came with a hook on the bottom and a little bag. I put the dart sharpener in the little bag. Then I hung the chalkboard and attached the chalk holder. The dart chalkboard is for keeping score. I already had some chalk (from the days of my pond) so I put a piece in the holder. Then I took the two pieces of  "dart art" and hung them. The art is basically bits of information about darts: how to play, where to stand, how to throw a dart, information about darts, etc. Sort of fun and interesting dart stuff. 

 

Once I hung all of that by myself, I decided to make a sign for my Dart Hall. I designed it and made it and now I have to frame it so I can hang it. That is tomorrow's task. 

I stayed and played a bit. I am getting better. I am finding that RA and darts don't really go too well together. My hand gets really sore and I have a hard time gripping the darts. I only play for a short time. Right now I am doing a round robin type thing with myself. I have to get a dart in 1, then 2, and so on before I can leave. Today I got up to 3. It takes a long time if you are out of practice. If I practice almost every day I will get much better. It is in a very convenient location where I can stop and throw a few darts while I am doing laundry or getting the mail or taking out the trash. I think for me that is the trick. Put it in an easy to access location and I am more apt to do it. 

Until tomorrow...

CONTRACTOR VISIT

 The contractor called me in the morning and asked if he could come over in 45 minutes. I quickly showered and got ready. The contractor came and checked the situation out. He took measurements and notes. We talked about where the water is coming in. He was shocked that my insurance was denied. He said I should appeal and have them talk to him. 

So Monday morning I am calling the insurance company and find out what I need to do. 

Until tomorrow...

BOOK LIBRARY

 My neighbor decided to make a nice treat for the neighborhood. Another neighbor has a piece of land that is vacant. This neighbor has taken it on as a project and made it a nice little garden with solar lights and native plants. Today I saw two 4x4 pieces of wood when I walked Lucky in the morning. Then when I walked Lucky in the evening, I saw a whole different thing. 

On top of the 4x4s there was now a little house with glass doors. The fence had a square cut out and the little house was sticking through it. The little house was painted the same color as the owner of the property's house. Inside the doors there were shelves that were papered with book pages. Can you guess what it is?? 

It is a book library! Some books were put inside. It is such a nice addition to the neighborhood especially since our block is a through fare for walkers, skateboarders, and bikers. 

I will go through my books and add some of my own to give away. 

Until tomorrow...

LAST DAY OF MOLD CLEANING

 First this morning the mold guy showed up. He was only here for about 2 hours. He pulled off the wall board and took it right down to the studs. I thought is was a space about 3' x 5" but it ended up being a much larger space. He determined that YES it was part of the leak. The water leaked down into the crawl space and through the wall. It is opened up now and there was not too much mold. He cleaned it all up and put the stinky stuff on it. It is now ready for them to find the leak and seal it all up. 

That was all the excitement I had all day. It was marvelous! After the last month, I was so happy to have many hours of peace and quiet. No phone calls, no visitors and no deliveries. Pure delight. 

Until tomorrow...

NEUROLOGIST APPOINTMENT UPDATE

 I received some interesting information from a commenter who shared that Achilles tendon issues can be a sign of Anklosing Spondylitis. Now that I know this, I will bring it up next time I see my RA doc. Thanks for the information! 

The mold guys did not come today to work. Either I got the date wrong or they did. I am not sure but it worked out since I had a doctor's appointment. 

I went to see the neurologist this afternoon. I didn't know what to expect but I wrote down some notes so I was ready. Side note: I was not ready.  After a bunch of talking, she gave me a cognitive test. I did well on most of it but had a little trouble with some of the remembering part. She didn't say much but she wants me to get checked out by getting a MRI of my brain. I think she thought I would be upset but if she thinks I should, then I want to get checked out. Listen, if a neurologist says you should get checked, get checked. If a oncologist says get checked, get checked. They know what they are talking about and I am not going to argue. This is not a plumber saying get something checked where the consequences would be a flooded floor. 

I will be having the test in a couple of weeks. 

Until tomorrow...

EASTER MONDAY

 I had my final physical therapy appointment for my Achilles tendon today. I spoke to my physical therapist about my new physical therapy order for my torn rotator cuff. He said he "loves" working on shoulders so he will continue being my therapist for my shoulder injury. It makes it easier because he already knows me and we work well together. I start next week. 

I heard from the vet about Lucky. She is doing really well and is in good health.  All her blood and urine came back good. The only item that was something to worry about was her blood pressure. She had this once before. Last time we went back and they took her blood pressure outside and she was fine. She gets too worked up waiting for the appointment. 

Until tomorrow...

HAPPY EASTER

I spent this Easter doing some small tasks. I unboxed my solar panels that go with my solar generator. I took them out back and tried to charge up the generator. Unfortunately the pieces of the deck are right smack in the middle of the backyard so there was not enough room in the sunlight to set up the solar panels. I ended up charging it through the house solar panels. I think I'll ask my handyman to help me do it once the deck pieces are moved. I just need to figure how to set it up and the directions are poor. 

It was very nice out so I took Lucky for a few walks and then I read my book club book. I still have 100 pages to read and book club is this weekend. 

I got the rest of my tests back from the lab and everything is normal. 

Hope you had a nice Easter if you celebrate. 

Until tomorrow...

MARCH AND PROTEST

Today I went to my first march and protest in three years. I should say I kind of went. I was waiting to hear from the contractor so I was late. I took a taxi down to the meeting site and missed step off (which means the first step of the march kind of like kick off).  I had the taxi take me to the ending site of the march and walked back a few blocks and there they were. I walked a few blocks chanting with everyone else. Then we arrived at the stage and speakers where I stayed on the fringes for a while and then took a cab home. 

I was masked the whole time and stayed away from most people. We were outdoors and it was breezy. It was only one hour of being around people. I am sure I will be fine. 

It felt great to be out and active again. Of all the things I missed during the last three years, not being able to join the marches and protests was the hardest. George Floyd, Briana Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery,  BLM, prochoice, and the list goes on. 

Drag is an art form. Trans rights are human rights. That is all I'm going to say.  

Until tomorrow...

NEUROLOGIST CALL BACK

After a day of getting little things done, I received a phone call from a neurologist's office at the end of the day. I am so happy that I will get to see a doctor next week. 

I have been trying to get through to two different neurology offices simultaneously. I figure whichever office returned my call, will be honored with my presence. 

No word on the rest of the tests. 

Oh, I played darts today while I waited for my laundry. I had so much fun. I need lots of practice but I am already looking so much better. 🎯

Until tomorrow...

FOUND MORE MOLD

 I spoke to the mold company and they argued with me about the missed spot. I held my own and they finally relented that it is possible that their staff missed it. They will come out on Tuesday and fix it. 

Today was a super busy morning. First I took Lucky to the vet to get her mouth checked. Her mouth was bloody on Monday and I was concerned. She is not bloody now but he did see some inflammation. He thinks it is her stomach so he gave me some antacids for dogs. Then she had a shot of allergy medicine to stop her from licking her feet and legs. Of course she got a pedicure. He also took some blood to check her levels. He thinks she is doing great for 14 years old. 

Then I had a video call with my gut doctor. It was quick and went well. Nothing to report. 

The handyman showed up in the middle of it all to install my timer for the backyard lights. Now I should have lights in my garden in the evening and then my security light at night. Then he hung my dart board! I bought myself a great birthday present. He hung the dart board in a way that I can take it down when necessary since it is on the back of a door. Then he put a line on the floor at the appropriate distance for dart throwing. I really need some practice. I threw some today and I am so out of practice. My dad had a dart board when we were growing up and I used to throw darts when I was at his house. After putting up the dart board, the handyman put some caulking around an area when I have been getting ants sneaking in. 

This evening I attended an online Toastmasters meeting. I promised an acquaintance that I would attend. It seems like a nice group of people but I don't think it is my thing. I can't memorize an entire speech. I am more of an off-the-cuff type of person. It did get me thinking of other groups I could join. 

It is late and I am tired. 

Until tomorrow...

DAY THREE OF MOLD CLEANING

 I finally got some sleep. Once I fell asleep I was out like a light. The heating pad worked on my abdomen too. I feel so much better. 

I got the blood test back and everything looks normal. I am still waiting on the urine test. 

The mold guys showed up and took down some of the plastic so I can now go downstairs. Lucky and I can go in the backyard again. That makes me so happy. I had them leave up the plastic zipper doors protecting my bedroom and the stairs to the rest of the house. It will keep any dust contained to the area.  The contractor is supposed to come on Saturday to give me quote to fix it. 

The mold people missed a spot and will have to come back to get it. 

I can't believe how much less stressed I feel now that there are not a bunch of people running in and out of the house all day long. I have not been able to get any work done with all the interruptions. I am just so distracted and disheveled. 

I have been juggling so many things these last few weeks: house deconstruction/construction, health issues, taxes (ugh), foster kid, work, dog. 

Until tomorrow...

URGENT DOCTOR APPOINTMENT

Last night I could barely sleep. The hip where I fell was in a lot of pain. I could only sleep on my back. 

This morning I received a message from my doctor about test results and I decided to mention that I was in pain from the fall. She had me come into her office that afternoon. She decided I needed x-rays of my hip and back. While I was there she me run a few other tests. She spoke to my RA doc about something that came up on my blood test and they decided it needed further investigation. She spoke to two neurologists and they wanted her to run another test. 

While I was at the lab, I had x-rays, drew blood and peed in a cup.  I already got the x-ray results back. I do not have a fracture. She thinks I tensed up when I fell and that is why my abdomen hurts. (Like whiplash) it is probably a bad bone bruise on my hip. I have been told to use a heating pad, take Advil, and an Epsom bath. 

My doctor is so funny. She calls herself my detective. 

The mold inspector came and tested. I passed. The guys are coming tomorrow to take down the plastic. 

I can't wait to go in the backyard! 

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO OF MOLD CLEANING

 Today the guys showed up and sanded and used metal brushes to clean the mold off the places it was. It went on for hours. Sanding and vacuuming. They were here almost all day. I can't see the work because it is enclosed in what I call the "condom". It is all in a plastic enclosure. 

Tomorrow the inspector comes to test. If the test passes, then the plastic can come down. I have already spoken to a contractor to get him to come out and make an assessment about when he can fix it. I have been told it will be open studs until he can fix it. Fun. I think I will stay upstairs until it is complete. No sense in moving downstairs and then having to move back up during construction. Personally I think they could knock out the construction in one day with a couple of guys but I haven't seen what it looks like now. The floor is going to be the hard part. They had to rip up my beautiful bamboo floor. 

I spoke to the doctor and she thinks my labs were all good. There is a slight question that she has about one think and she is talking to my rheumatologist about it.  More to come on that front. 

I am just happy to have this process moving along. I want my home back. My landscaper asked if I am enjoying the backyard with all this nice weather. I had to tell him I can barely see the backyard. 

Tomorrow things will get better! 

Until tomorrow...

THE NIGHT AGENT

This will be short. We spent today relaxing after our last two days of adventures. The mold guy came for 15 minutes today to check everything. 

I read my bookclub book and watched a new Netflix series The Night Agent which is good. 

That was the entire day besides taking Lucky out for short pee breaks. 

Until tomorrow...

ROAD TRIP #2

The day started with me putting on my dirty clothes from yesterday and going outside to clean the bird's cage. Since it has been cold and rainy, I have not been able to take the bird cage outside to clean it. Instead I have to do a quick clean inside. This method is quicker but does not get the cage quite as clean. 

I take the cage outside, spray it with the bird cage spray and then hose it down. Then I put the pieces in the sunshine to dry. This time I took Lucky with me and she just hung out. Yes, I put the bird somewhere safe. He has a little travel cage that I use to take him to the pet store to get his nails and beak trimmed. 

After cleaning the bird cage and taking a shower (a necessity after the dirty bird cage), Lucky and I went on another road trip. This one was not so far. We went to a fun open space where people bring their dogs, fly kites, paraglide, and hike. I had been there once before with a friend and her baby. I took a really great photo of a hawk. 

Today it was super busy being a Saturday. We lucked out with a parking spot and walked about a mile. This time I brought water and Lucky's collapsible water dish.  I also brought my old 35mm camera and took some photos. 

While we were at this open space, I received more lab results. It was a mixed bag. One of the lab results does not look good but I am trying not to read anything into it until I hear the results from the doctor. I am hoping she does not make me wait until our appointment six weeks from now. 

Anyway, this was Lucky this evening. I think I broke her. She didn't want to get up to go to bed. 

Tomorrow we need to stay home and let her rest. It's been a long time since she has had this much concentrated exercise. 

Until tomorrow...