Thrive Without Janelle: The Accountability Group

[Absolom]

I'm still masking almost everywhere.  I did go maskless in the library when I went at opening and it was me and two employees in the whole several thousand square foot library a few times and this week in Sprouts, but they have excellent ventilation.  I'm glad to hear it's no worse for you than a bad cold and hope it's over very soon.  Now you can wait to get the next booster! 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Absolom

[Pickleinthemiddle]

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Gram, I'm really glad to hear you're getting that situation under control.  I have a soft spot for animals.  My lot is 1.2 acres too and I also have a creek running through it.  Most of the lot is forest, except for my front and back lawns.  And the forest is up against another wooded property that won't be built on because it's an extended area behind a condo. development.  On both sides it's very private even though we're not far from a main road.  On some days I hear ducks down by the creek going "bap bap" and of course I always hear the neighbor's sickly rooster crowing.  They had another one with a much stronger crow but the people in the condo. development complained (and they're pretty far away, too!) so they had to get rid of him.

As for me,  well, it finally happened - I have Covid.  I can't believe it - I avoid people all the time and sanitize like a maniac.  I think it's those public rest rooms....When I go out shopping I often have to go.  I don't want to get dehydrated in this intense heat so I drink a lot, but then I have to go while I'm out.  I keep telling myself I should start wearing masks in rest rooms but I always forget to do it - not anymore after this!  A lot of them don't have good ventilation and I think they can still have germs hanging around in them even if no one is in there.

Anyway, so far if I didn't know it was Covid I would never know the difference between this and a moderately bad cold.  I feel like crap and have been napping a lot but this is nothing out of the ordinary for me when I get a virus.  Too bad the booster for the new variant isn't out yet or maybe it would have been even milder.  They prescribed me Paxlovid but it made me puke my guts up so I don't think I'm going to take it again.  I don't think I need it anyway.  The first night I had a fever of 101 but after taking Tylenol my temperature went down to 98 where it's been ever since. 

So anyway it looks like I'm going to live, LOL.  So far hubby hasn't gotten it and we're staying away from each other or I mask when he's in the room with me.  He's sleeping in the other bedroom and staying in his mancave/office the rest of the time.  I hope he doesn't get it - he was in the car with me all day the day I tested positive in the evening.  I felt just fine during the day and started feeling like crap in the evening, which was when I tested.  So I hope he doesn't get it!

Glad you are doing better.  I think it was last year when I had it.  I felt bad, but not as bad as I expected to.  Over the years I've had several cases of the flu where I felt much worse.  The only difference being I felt like it took me months to start feeling more like my old self after covid. 

[Gramto6]

6,797 steps yesterday.

This was me taking it easy! Still have one trap active which means checking it regularly. Sadly yesterday I only got 3, they had already been fixed, so quickly released them. I am only going to set that one during the day/evening. I don't want a fixed kitty caught in it overnight.

I think there may only be 5 left to catch and 3 are small kittens, so won't they breed right away anyway. May have to wait a bit to try to get these guys.

I had no idea this process was going to be so exhausting!

 

The above I wrote early this morning. Since then I have managed to catch 2 of the 6 brand new kittens from under the deck. I'm not even going to try to trap any one today. Now I have to try to get a couple more of the babies. This is going to take a lot longer than expected...of course I did't expect newborn kittens either!!

@Yeah No hope you are feeling better soon. I have never stopped wearing a mask since the very beginning. I got some side eyed looks at the grocery store this morning which don't even bother me at all. And if (which is very rarely) I use a public restroom I always keep my mask on. Now I think I am going to take my sanitizer spritzer with me to at least spray the toilet and handle. So far I have not gotten Covid (knock on wood) and I don't want to get it this round.

[Gramto6]

8,517 steps yesterday.

Still chasing some kitties. Yesterday I managed to catch 2 of the newborn kittens from under the deck. Looking at them up close, it looks like 2 different litters. One is old enough to be fixed the other will need fostering until old enough. They have a 10 yr old girl that is going to take all the newborn and foster and find homes for them. I just have to get the other 4 out...

Quick run to town to pharmacy to pick up colonoscopy drink (procedure is Tuesday, ugh!) and then will try to get the other kittens in the afternoon. 

Rest time won't start until Monday I think...

[Yeah No]

On 9/8/2023 at 1:44 PM, Absolom said:

I'm still masking almost everywhere.  I did go maskless in the library when I went at opening and it was me and two employees in the whole several thousand square foot library a few times and this week in Sprouts, but they have excellent ventilation.  I'm glad to hear it's no worse for you than a bad cold and hope it's over very soon.  Now you can wait to get the next booster! 

Thank you!  I'm still dealing with it.  I've seen very slow improvement, but at least I'm going in the right direction.  I've been taking it VERY easy although for some reason it's been hard for me to get enough sleep in the past couple of days.  I'm going to have to force myself to take a nap today.

On 9/8/2023 at 5:00 PM, Gramto6 said:

@Yeah No hope you are feeling better soon. I have never stopped wearing a mask since the very beginning. I got some side eyed looks at the grocery store this morning which don't even bother me at all. And if (which is very rarely) I use a public restroom I always keep my mask on. Now I think I am going to take my sanitizer spritzer with me to at least spray the toilet and handle. So far I have not gotten Covid (knock on wood) and I don't want to get it this round.

I wore a mask up until this Spring when Covid numbers fell to extremely low levels and just about no one was wearing them.  Of course I still avoided people and put a mask on in situations that didn't feel safe, like at the doctor's office or on line at the Post Office.  And I'd stay far away from people in public too.  So whatever, I did what I could.  Unfortunately unless you live in total isolation you can't prevent every possibility of getting it.  My husband and I got together with his sister and her husband and I have seen my own friends for lunch here and there too.  I've eaten out in restaurants indoors.  Everything involves some kind of risk.

But get this - I'm sharing this here because I don't want to bring it up with too many people I know - When I tested positive my husband asked me if I thought he may have given it to me!  Now this is something VERY UNLIKE him to ever ask me unless he may have had a suspicion that it could be true.  I was a little flabbergasted at that remark and said, "Why would you think that's possible?"  He fudged his answer and said, "Oh, I don't know, I'm just asking".  Now you all know here that he drives for a living and the people he drives travel a lot and have a lot of in-person contacts with other people.  He may have been told by one of them after the fact that they might have been exposed to Covid but since he never developed symptoms he never thought it would affect him and didn't want to worry me.  But he remembers the news reports saying that asymptomatic people can still infect others.  He may have been Covid positive and not known it and passed it along to me, but by the time I showed symptoms he had already gotten over it and that's why he tested negative.  This is definitely a possibility according to the CDC.  In fact they say that they think a lot of the cases where people don't know how they got it were caused by family members that were asymptomatic.  I think this also applies to a friend of mine who had Covid several months ago.  Somehow his daughter never got it, or so he thought.  Now he thinks she may have had it prior to him and gave it to him while asymptomatic.  Then by the time she tested after he showed symptoms, she was already testing negative.

So it sucks.  I can do anything I want but my husband has to work and unfortunately I can't be there to force him to wear a mask all day driving. I realize that driving in a car all day with a mask on would be awful.  I wish he would do it, though.  I told him my doctor said that he should be doing that now anyway since he's been exposed to Covid.  He says he's doing it and I believe him at this point.  But I know he wouldn't love it if I asked him to do that in the future after this has passed.  Right now is not the time to bring this subject up, though.

[Gramto6]

7,842 steps yesterday.

Trying to take it easier. Almost caught a couple more kittens but they got spooked after one of the mamas saw me. She swooped in and grabbed her kitty by the neck and quickly took it under the deck. I'll see what I can do today, but Monday is prep day and Tuesday is the colonoscopy (and endoscopy-forgot they were doing that too) so I won't be chasing kitties those days.

Went to the Farmer's Market and ran into my first Anti-vaxxer. Man he would not shut up! Ranting about how the developer of the new booster said it was so dangerous it shouldn't be used. That it caused reproductive problems and then went to your brain. (Hmm, maybe he had it already? JK!) Yikes he was really out there! Sadly he sells some amazing heirloom tomatoes but next week I am not going near him. 

[Gramto6]

A perfectly round 6,000 steps yesterday.

I may be doing some nervous pacing today to keep my mind off eating. Garbage up to the road is the only place I'm going today.

Caught one more of the new kittens yesterday. TNR lady came and got it. I checked with her later and she said the previous 2 and addition are all snuggled up together and happy. 3 more to go, but don't think I'll even try again until Tuesday afternoon. The mamas are pretty spooked at this point.

Will be really happy when these procedures are done and I can get back just to corralling cats!

[Gramto6]

7,220 steps yesterday.

Yeah, pacing and running to the bathroom! 

Off for colonoscopy in an hour.  This time for some reason the prep was particularly difficult.  Glad there is only one more in 5 years and then no more!!

[xwordfanatik]

I feel you, Gram.  I have to have them every 5 years because of family history.  That prep sucks with a capital S!  I hope you're taking it very easy today and however long you need.  ❤️

[Gramto6]

7 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

I feel you, Gram.  I have to have them every 5 years because of family history.  That prep sucks with a capital S!  I hope you're taking it very easy today and however long you need.  ❤️

I don't have any family history unless my dad's prostate cancer counts. I think it was because polyps have been found every time (this time 2 small ones) so I get the 5 year plan.

That swamp water prep really did me in...I was clear after only about 5 cups of it with 11 more I was supposed to take. I called the nurse and got the typical song "They want you to drink it all (4 Liters!) I managed to get 14 8oz cups of it down last night and this morning, not pleasant. I also had an endoscopy done at the same time. Both ends at once ...Oh joy! NOT!

I am exhausted, drained and ache all over. Early to bed tonight. 

No clue how many steps I made and at this point for today, I don't really care!  

[Absolom]

The nurse told me that because that's what they'll always say.  My doctor told me I was way over prepped and had inflammation from it.  After that he said never drink more than to get to clear.  For me that was less than half a bottle.  My neighbor drinks the whole thing and poops five times.  I drink half a bottle and still go dozens of times.  It definitely should not be one prep for all.  

[Gramto6]

6,684 steps yesterday.

More than I expected but things needed doing and kitties needed feeding. Still very tired feeling today so will try to take it easy as much as possible. Looking forward to solid food again!!

Still tired from yesterday, but came away with another worry. The Anesthesiologist said I have a heart murmur. I knew that from new pcp but she said it was minor and nothing to worry about. This dr (he is a well respected heart dr too) said no, it was serious and maybe stenosis (didn't get all the words). He said I need an immediate echo cardiogram to see clearly what is going on. I see pcp next Thurs. and told this dr I would talk with her and get any needed test through her. This hospital I had my procedure at is not the normal one I go to.

Man, between my knee, my hands and now my heart, I think I am falling apart.

On the better side, Endoscopy showed no problems/bleeding in my stomach and only 2 polyps from colonoscopy which I will get the report on in a few days. Not expecting anything there. Always have had polyps and none were cancerous. So a good and bad day all in all...

Thanks for that info. @Absolom! Next time I will stop when clear and their instruction/wants be darned!

[Yeah No]

On 9/12/2023 at 11:44 PM, Gramto6 said:

I don't have any family history unless my dad's prostate cancer counts. I think it was because polyps have been found every time (this time 2 small ones) so I get the 5 year plan.

That swamp water prep really did me in...I was clear after only about 5 cups of it with 11 more I was supposed to take. I called the nurse and got the typical song "They want you to drink it all (4 Liters!) I managed to get 14 8oz cups of it down last night and this morning, not pleasant. I also had an endoscopy done at the same time. Both ends at once ...Oh joy! NOT!

I am exhausted, drained and ache all over. Early to bed tonight. 

No clue how many steps I made and at this point for today, I don't really care!  

I was once offered a colonoscopy at the same time as an already scheduled endoscopy (the doctor called it a "double dip", LOL).  I declined because my stomach was already messed up from my gallbladder having recently been removed and I just knew those prep liquids would do me in and make me feel sick.  I was told that there are pill preps now and I might look into them.  I have my first ever colonoscopy scheduled in February of next year and I'm already dreading it.  

14 hours ago, Absolom said:

The nurse told me that because that's what they'll always say.  My doctor told me I was way over prepped and had inflammation from it.  After that he said never drink more than to get to clear.  For me that was less than half a bottle.  My neighbor drinks the whole thing and poops five times.  I drink half a bottle and still go dozens of times.  It definitely should not be one prep for all.  

Good to know, I'll keep that in mind if I am forced to drink the fluid prep.

12 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

Still tired from yesterday, but came away with another worry. The Anesthesiologist said I have a heart murmur. I knew that from new pcp but she said it was minor and nothing to worry about. This dr (he is a well respected heart dr too) said no, it was serious and maybe stenosis (didn't get all the words). He said I need an immediate echo cardiogram to see clearly what is going on. I see pcp next Thurs. and told this dr I would talk with her and get any needed test through her. This hospital I had my procedure at is not the normal one I go to.

Man, between my knee, my hands and now my heart, I think I am falling apart.

On the better side, Endoscopy showed no problems/bleeding in my stomach and only 2 polyps from colonoscopy which I will get the report on in a few days. Not expecting anything there. Always have had polyps and none were cancerous. So a good and bad day all in all...

Thanks for that info. @Absolom! Next time I will stop when clear and their instruction/wants be darned!

Boy, you are like me these days going from one worry to the next! One minute I was worried about having gotten Covid, then I was worried about moles on my back (which I photographed and the doctor says are benign).  Now of course I am worrying about getting over Covid in one piece and not having Long Covid or any scary aftereffects.  And then for a while I was worried about a direct hit from Hurricane Lee, which fortunately is now forecasted to miss me altogether but hit out East in Cape Cod and further Northeast like in Maine, etc.  I feel like I've been through the wringer in the past week!

I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

[altopower]

@Yeah No and @Gramto6 - wow, you both have so many things going on with your bodies and hurricanes and other things! Give yourselves time to breathe and rest, and try not to over-worry. Much easier to say than do, I know. I'm having a nuclear stress test next week to make sure my heart is okay before I can be approved for my surgery. I don't know that anything's wrong but if there is, I'd rather they find it before something bad happens. @Gramto6, really push your PCP to get the recommended echocardiogram so they can check out what's going on. Prayers for you!

[Gramto6]

5,819 steps yesterday.

Still trying to take it easy. Will see how the day goes.

I have been stewing a bit about what the Anesthesiologist said yesterday. The nurse said he was a well known heart dr, but when I googled him, his degree and practice is all Anesthesiology, no mention of Cardiology at all. Yes, he may have heard something no doubt, my pcp did too, it is the severity that seems in question to me and I want a Cardiologist to give me a definitive answer. So I want my pcp to refer me to one for whatever testing is needed.

@altopower thanks for your good thoughts, I'm sending positive thoughts your way too, hope all goes well with your tests.

@Yeah No Yes, there are pills for the prep. When I first moved to MT from CA my first Colonoscopy used the pills and they were wonderful. But 5 years later for my next one they were not using the pills any more and no mention has been made of them since (2006 or so). Maybe there were some issues/problems with them, I don't know, but I am going to ask about them in 5 years for my last colonoscopy!! Oh and as far as having both endoscopy & colonoscopy done at the same time, go for it! You are out and don't feel anything maybe a slight sore throat after. The beauty is two for one sedation!

[Gramto6]

5,689 steps yesterday.

Did manage to take it easier. Feel pretty good today. Hope it keeps up.

As far as the murmur goes, I'm just going to do a Scarlet O'Hara and "worry about it tomorrow". Tomorrow being after I see my pcp! I decided I'm not going to stress over what is unknown at this point. Not worth it!

Think I will go and shop on Amazon, that cures all!    :))

  

[xwordfanatik]

42 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

5,689 steps yesterday.

Did manage to take it easier. Feel pretty good today. Hope it keeps up.

As far as the murmur goes, I'm just going to do a Scarlet O'Hara and "worry about it tomorrow". Tomorrow being after I see my pcp! I decided I'm not going to stress over what is unknown at this point. Not worth it!

Think I will go and shop on Amazon, that cures all!    :))

  

Retail therapy works!  LOL, that must be how Sobbyn dills with Kootie being around 24/7.  😜

 

[MaddyMaeboxerbabe]

I took a 3 mile very slow walk this morning.   Was thinking my allergies are really acting up.  Got a text from my daughter that both she and my youngest grandson who I had wed have COVID.  I tested and yup first time for COVID.  It is the second time for my daughter.  I ache and I am freezing even tho it was 92 today.   Hoping to be much better tomorrow!   
 

As I have mentioned before @Gramto6 you are an inspiration!   

[Teafortwo]

12 hours ago, MaddyMaeboxerbabe said:

I took a 3 mile very slow walk this morning.   Was thinking my allergies are really acting up.  Got a text from my daughter that both she and my youngest grandson who I had wed have COVID.  I tested and yup first time for COVID.  It is the second time for my daughter.  I ache and I am freezing even tho it was 92 today.   Hoping to be much better tomorrow!   
 

As I have mentioned before @Gramto6 you are an inspiration!   

Very sorry to hear this - hope your covid is mild and you feel better soon!

[Gramto6]

14 hours ago, MaddyMaeboxerbabe said:

I took a 3 mile very slow walk this morning.   Was thinking my allergies are really acting up.  Got a text from my daughter that both she and my youngest grandson who I had wed have COVID.  I tested and yup first time for COVID.  It is the second time for my daughter.  I ache and I am freezing even tho it was 92 today.   Hoping to be much better tomorrow!   
 

As I have mentioned before @Gramto6 you are an inspiration!   

Hope you feel better very soon. Sorry you have to go through this. (((HUGS)))

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, MaddyMaeboxerbabe said:

I took a 3 mile very slow walk this morning.   Was thinking my allergies are really acting up.  Got a text from my daughter that both she and my youngest grandson who I had wed have COVID.  I tested and yup first time for COVID.  It is the second time for my daughter.  I ache and I am freezing even tho it was 92 today.   Hoping to be much better tomorrow!   
 

As I have mentioned before @Gramto6 you are an inspiration!   

Oh, no, so sorry to hear that!  As you might already know I have Covid right now.  I first tested positive on the 6th.  It's 10 days later and I'm still recovering.  It's been very slow and frustrating but at least I'm seeing signs of improvement.  If the Paxlovid didn't make me sick maybe I would have gotten better quicker.  Oh well.  They consider mine a mild case but what the doctors think is mild doesn't necessarily feel mild.  It just means you're not in any medical danger and you don't need to go into the hospital.  I am just thankful for that at this point.  Just about everyone I've spoken to that's had it has told me it takes about 2 weeks to go away completely.  My biggest symptoms have been congestion and a cough along with fatigue.  I had a fever for 2 days and then it went away.  The fatigue hasn't been as bad as it could have been.  I'm able to do routine things around the house that don't involve a lot of physical activity.  And I went out yesterday after being told I was clear to go out wearing a good KN95 mask.  I went to two supermarkets and then home.  That was enough, I felt tired and rested for the rest of the day/evening.

The only advice I can give is call your doctor no matter what and get advice from their office.  They'll assess whether they think you need more than routine home care.  Ask them if they think you should take Paxlovid.  Otherwise in mild cases the advice is the same as for a cold or the flu - get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.  Resist the urge to do too much as you start to feel better because it will set you back.  I've been eating convenience foods and easy but healthy foods so as not to spend too much time and energy making anything to eat.  I'm lucky that this hasn't been so bad that I couldn't function.  It's just very annoying and feels like I'm being dragged down.

So far it looks like my husband is out of the woods.  He never tested positive and hasn't had symptoms.  Maybe he has that gene that makes him resistant to getting Covid!

Anyway, get well soon and let us know how you're doing!

[General Days]

I didn't mention my Covid, but I got sick with Covid on 9/5 and tested positive on 9/6, too.

I think when I came in here to post about it, I saw your post, @Yeah No, and was like, "Well, now I'm just being repetitive." A couple of in-laws and a friend had it at the same time, and none of us saw each other/got it from each other.

I started Paxlovid on 9/8, and it made me feel so sick the first day (I was vaccinated a gajillion times and had already started to feel better on 9/7). I must have missed the posts where you said it made you sick.

My second day on it, I broke out in hives, and had to stop it. I seriously think it delayed my recovery.

I finally tested negative yesterday. I wish I'd never started the Paxlovid. I believe it set me back (because of the reaction -- it does help a lot of people). 

I'm not going out yet, because despite feeling mostly better on 9/7, I fainted and got a black eye and bruise on my cheek, right where my face masks rest. 

I had a headache, chills, body ache, and gastro symptoms (and no appetite at all). Not my funnest illness.

@MaddyMaeboxerbabe, I hope you feel better, soon. Take it real easy. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Both Tylenol and ibuprofen helped more with my symptoms than I expected. It was real hot and humid here when I got sick (it's now much cooler). Trying to keep the house at a comfortable temperature also helped.

[altopower]

All you sweet people, I'm so sorry you have The Covid, as we call it here. Everyone I know who's had this variant said it took weeks to fully get over, so make sure you get plenty of rest and fluids. Then get some more! Sending healing energy to y'all with hopes you're feeling better soon.

[Gramto6]

7,649 steps yesterday.

Shopping and Farmer's Market added to the count.  I got some really good sauerkraut from the Miller Colony stand, that should help replace probiotics in my system. Plus I love sauerkraut!  I got a dozen of their brown eggs and some sweet golden raspberries too.

Glanced out the window earlier and there was a cat on the tin garage roof! The railing of the deck below was lined with kitties watching...oh great now I am going to have a bunch of "cats on a hot tin roof" in the Summer!! LOL  OG mama used to go up there (easy jump from the railing) I think trying to get to the bird house under the garage eaves. 

Today I am going to re-begin in earnest my attempt to catch the 4 newborns still left.

[Gramto6]

5,174 steps yesterday.

Still trying to stay in take it easy mode. Nothing on agenda today except taking garbage up to the road. May give my car a hose down now that the frost free pump is working. Wonder how kitties will react to the hose??

According to the weather report on TV last night, tonight there may be a chance to see the Northern Lights around 9PM, if the skies are clear (cloudy today is the forecast). I will be out looking for them, that is an awesome sight! Saw them once when we were in Alaska...

Edited September 18, 2023 by Gramto6

[Yeah No]

On 9/16/2023 at 6:34 PM, General Days said:

I started Paxlovid on 9/8, and it made me feel so sick the first day (I was vaccinated a gajillion times and had already started to feel better on 9/7). I must have missed the posts where you said it made you sick.

My second day on it, I broke out in hives, and had to stop it. I seriously think it delayed my recovery.

I finally tested negative yesterday. I wish I'd never started the Paxlovid. I believe it set me back (because of the reaction -- it does help a lot of people). 

I'm not going out yet, because despite feeling mostly better on 9/7, I fainted and got a black eye and bruise on my cheek, right where my face masks rest. 

I had a headache, chills, body ache, and gastro symptoms (and no appetite at all). Not my funnest illness.

I'm so sorry to hear about your reaction to the Paxlovid - I am happy now that I didn't try another dose.  Usually doctors are all about wanting you to continue on medications but in this case mine told me I should stop taking it, so I listened. 

Hives means you might have had anaphylaxis if you took another dose.  Scary!  I had that happen once before I realized what was causing the symptoms - in my case it was Ibuprofen (that was about 35 years ago now).  I had taken two doses over a 24 hour period with increasingly bad reactions like hives, not realizing it was the ibuprofen until after the 3rd dose, when I had the anaphylaxis.  Of course I was alone when it happened and thought I was dying because I couldn't breathe!  I fell on the floor it was so bad.  Fortunately it went away after a few minutes and it was then I put it all together and realized it was the ibuprofen.  So since then I can't take any meds. with that or aspirin in it because both are salicylates, and that's the allergy I have.  Interestingly I am not allergic to foods with salicylates in them, probably because the amount is too small to cause a reaction.

I'm happy to hear you've tested negative!  As for me, I finally tested negative today.  I might have tested negative before this because my previous test was 3 days before.  I had a feeling I would test negative but to be honest it feels like this thing is taking forever to get out of my system.  I first had symptoms on the 6th and here we are how many days later and I'm still hacking up phlegm and sounding hoarse.  Plus I am still feeling more fatigued that I think I should be at this point and my sense of taste cuts in and out.  When I wake up in the morning I have a sort-of "half taste".  By lunch time I can taste fine.  Also can taste at dinner, but later in the evening I end up with that "half taste" again.  So strange, but it's not uncommon for me to have some loss of taste with colds and flus either.  It is also not uncommon for virus symptoms to last a little longer for me than for the average person, too.  In my worst moments I worry about "long Covid" but everyone is telling me it's WAY too soon to be worried about THAT.

Anyway, thanks for checking in and I hope by now you are back to normal.

 

[General Days]

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Hives means you might have had anaphylaxis if you took another dose.  Scary!  

Right! That was so scary. My hives weren't too prominent or widespread. I kept having an itch on my left shoulder blade. And every time I'd scratch it against the back of my chair, it felt itchier, instead of temporarily better, but I just thought, "That's odd."

I ignored it, until I spotted a small cluster of hives in the crook of my left arm. I took Benadryl and called my doctor's office. I didn't want to go sit in the E.R. for hours, and at that point, my black eye and cheek bruise were at their worst, so it was painful to wear a good mask.

Being a Saturday, the practice wasn't open, but the oncall doc got right back to me. He said, "First of all, take Benadryl." I said, "Oh, I did that before I called you." Then he told me to stop the Paxlovid. I was not going to take anymore, regardless, so I felt relieved. I'd felt worse ever since I started it. I'd taken three doses (Friday morning and night, and Saturday morning), and started having symptoms I didn't have the first few days I had Covid, plus my fever had already broken before I started the med. I feel like it set back my recovery. I took Benadryl pretty much around the clock for the next day and a half, because a family member looked it up and said it takes about 40 hours for Paxlovid to clear the body.

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I had that happen once before I realized what was causing the symptoms - in my case it was Ibuprofen (that was about 35 years ago now).  I had taken two doses over a 24 hour period with increasingly bad reactions like hives, not realizing it was the ibuprofen until after the 3rd dose, when I had the anaphylaxis.  Of course I was alone when it happened and thought I was dying because I couldn't breathe!  I fell on the floor it was so bad.  Fortunately it went away after a few minutes and it was then I put it all together and realized it was the ibuprofen.  So since then I can't take any meds. with that or aspirin in it because both are salicylates, and that's the allergy I have.  Interestingly I am not allergic to foods with salicylates in them, probably because the amount is too small to cause a reaction.

Yikes! How awful. Thank goodness it passed. Did you take Benadryl, or did it just pass on its own?

It really messed with my anxiety for a few days. Many of the symptoms the doc on call was telling me to watch for (to determine if I needed to go to the E.R.) are also things I experience during a panic attack (shortness of breath, dizziness, chest tightness), so I told him that. He asked if I'd ever had hives as part of a panic attack, but I haven't.

I realized that's what he now thought was going on, but it wasn't. I'd been feeling pretty chill when the hives started. My appetite had started to improve, so my husband had gotten us subs for lunch. I'd just started to eat the second half of mine (unusual for me, even when well). I was just watching TV, and not worrying about myself, because I'd been on the meds for over 24 hours.

A nurse in my family said some people get hives with Covid (which is true of other viruses, too), but we both think mine are from the Paxlovid, because following both my second and third doses, I had a lot of new congestion, eye irritation, etc. I knew I was having allergy symptoms, but my seasonal allergies usually act up this time of year. I didn't associate it with the Paxlovid, until the hives broke out.

Quote

I'm happy to hear you've tested negative!  As for me, I finally tested negative today. 

Hooray! I'm so glad you're on the mend now.

Quote

I had a feeling I would test negative but to be honest it feels like this thing is taking forever to get out of my system.  I first had symptoms on the 6th and here we are how many days later and I'm still hacking up phlegm and sounding hoarse.  Plus I am still feeling more fatigued that I think I should be at this point and my sense of taste cuts in and out.

I feel exactly the same way, except I didn't lose taste or smell. My family keeps waiting for me to feel all better, because I tested negative, but I feel like I got back to 85% better then just plateaued.

If you talk to your doctor, you might ask if you can use Flonase nasal spray (generic: Fluticasone — it's an OTC steroid nasal spray). There have been studies that indicate it helps with anosmia (here's one), which can be all sort of all messed up with sense of taste. 

Do you think you'll get the new Covid booster? I intend to. I'm just trying to figure out when. I've read some places that you should wait three months after a Covid infection, before boosting, but I haven't yet found anything definitive. (I haven't looked all that hard yet -- because of the fatigue).

[Gramto6]

6,838 steps yesterday.

Got busy clearing/reorganizing pantry/storage area then other chores guess it added up! Kitties were not particularly happy with the hose when I hosed down my car since the freeze free pump is now working. I don't water much so not an issue really.

Will try to keep it slow, really interested in what pcp will say about the murmur and hope for the shot in knee on Thurs.

@Yeah No, that reaction is exactly what I had with just one Paxil dose. Couldn't breathe, fell to floor, thought I was dying. I also was alone, my DH had passed about 3 weeks prior. Like you, it did eventually pass. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had continued to take the Paxil.

My useless then dr said eat some chicken noodle soup and call in the morning if you don't feel better. Umm, he knew I was alone, wonder who he thought was going to make me the soup???  Really??  Chicken noodle soup will cure anaphylaxis???

Hope both of you with Covid get feeling back to normal very soon!!  Sending good thought to both!

[OlderThanDirt]

Just to add to the sample size, not commenting on all of your experiences,  but I think I was exposed to Covid on a Monday; started having symptoms Tuesday afternoon. I tested positive on Wednesday morning,  started taking paxlovid Wed evening. Fever and deep cough gone by Friday. No allergic reactions but I don't have strong allergies. I never lost smell or taste but I didn't have much appetite. The two friends I had lunch with on Tuesday both came down with it. Of the two of them one took paxlovid and one didn't.  The non-Pax one tested positive for almost 2 weeks.

I hope everyone is feeling better now. I was amazed how fast this variant moved. People I had dinner with on Monday didn't get it but Tuesday's did. We all had all our boosters but I hadn't had it before. I got the RSV and flu shots yesterday but I'll wait a couple months before getting  the new booster.

Stay safe.

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, General Days said:

Yikes! How awful. Thank goodness it passed. Did you take Benadryl, or did it just pass on its own?

It just passed on its own pretty quickly, thankfully.  I don't know what I'd do now if I had that kind of reaction because I have really bad reactions to all antihistamines, like bad vomiting.  I had an episode of vertigo this past Spring and was kept overnight in the hospital and even though I told them about my sensitivity to all antihistamines they gave one to me anyway for the dizziness.  Then they were puzzled when I kept throwing up as the medication was supposed to stop nausea too.  I said, "I TOLD you I can't take antihistamines!  I'm throwing up now because of THAT".  And I refused to take any more.  I have bad sensitivities to a lot of medications and it only gets worse as I get older.  I'm really screwed.  🙁

16 hours ago, General Days said:

It really messed with my anxiety for a few days. Many of the symptoms the doc on call was telling me to watch for (to determine if I needed to go to the E.R.) are also things I experience during a panic attack (shortness of breath, dizziness, chest tightness), so I told him that. He asked if I'd ever had hives as part of a panic attack, but I haven't.

I realized that's what he now thought was going on, but it wasn't. I'd been feeling pretty chill when the hives started. My appetite had started to improve, so my husband had gotten us subs for lunch. I'd just started to eat the second half of mine (unusual for me, even when well). I was just watching TV, and not worrying about myself, because I'd been on the meds for over 24 hours.

A nurse in my family said some people get hives with Covid (which is true of other viruses, too), but we both think mine are from the Paxlovid, because following both my second and third doses, I had a lot of new congestion, eye irritation, etc. I knew I was having allergy symptoms, but my seasonal allergies usually act up this time of year. I didn't associate it with the Paxlovid, until the hives broke out.

That is truly awful!  Yeah, I think the hives were from the Paxlovid because obviously they stopped after you stopped taking it.  I hear you about the anxiety because my reaction messed with mine too.  I have a lot of PTSD regarding Covid because after 3 years I had built up an intense fear of it, especially since my father died of it in early 2020 before anyone knew what they were dealing with.  He was 92 but nowhere near ready to die.  He was still driving if you can believe that!  We had only convinced him to stop driving a few weeks before he got Covid.  But he was amazing and so his death was truly tragic.  He died when 700 people A DAY were dying in NYC.  It was horrific for me.  I couldn't see him (was told to stay away from NYC altogether) and had to beg to have someone at the hospital to get a phone to his ear so I could tell him we loved him.  He couldn't even speak he was so weak and on oxygen.   I could go on.....Nevertheless I was petrified that I too would die if I got Covid so I was THE most careful person about it.  Virtually lived as a hermit for 2 years.  I was already a germaphobe before that so I was even worse afterward.  So my anxiety was pretty high already after getting Covid.  I wonder if that delayed my recovery somewhat.  It probably did.

16 hours ago, General Days said:

I feel exactly the same way, except I didn't lose taste or smell. My family keeps waiting for me to feel all better, because I tested negative, but I feel like I got back to 85% better then just plateaued.

Same here.  I took a definite turn for the better on Monday but ! was also at about 85%.  I read that when you get like that it's best to push yourself to be a little more active as it helps you recover at that point.  So I went out Tuesday and found that to be true.  I just went to a couple of supermarkets and returned something at Kohls but I feel like it was good for me.  I even got in about 5,000 steps!  I decided that was enough and I didn't want to overdo it.  When I got home I wasn't so tired that I had to lay down or anything, which was a great sign.  I think I'm getting better slowly.  Even the congestion is getting better although I still have that nasal "sick" sound in my voice.  My taste is still cutting in and out but it's more in now than it was before so that's progress!

16 hours ago, General Days said:

If you talk to your doctor, you might ask if you can use Flonase nasal spray (generic: Fluticasone — it's an OTC steroid nasal spray). There have been studies that indicate it helps with anosmia (here's one), which can be all sort of all messed up with sense of taste. 

 Actually I use Flonase semi-regularly and I read about those studies a few days into having Covid and started using it more.  So maybe it did make a difference.  I never completely lost my sense of taste (I know what that's like from having it before).  With Covid I had a kind of a "half taste" where I could taste the basic flavors like sweet, salty, bitter, acidic, etc. but not much else, although the weird thing is that the stronger the flavor of anything the more I could taste it.  I'm just hoping this "half taste" thing is on the way out.  Right now it's pretty much only a thing in the morning after I wake up and in the later evening after dinner.

16 hours ago, General Days said:

Do you think you'll get the new Covid booster? I intend to. I'm just trying to figure out when. I've read some places that you should wait three months after a Covid infection, before boosting, but I haven't yet found anything definitive. (I haven't looked all that hard yet -- because of the fatigue).

Yes I do plan on getting it.  I've had all the boosters so far.  I'm also trying to figure out when to get it and have also run into that problem finding anything definitive online and even with the Covid doctor I talked to about it.  She only confused me more, LOL.  She said something like there's no medical reason I can't get it right away but she recommended that I wait about a month post-Covid to get it.  From what I remember finding out from other people I know who've had Covid and from some articles, for at least a month after having Covid there's some measure of natural immunity to getting it again, so I think the rationale to delaying getting the booster for a month is just so you have the freshest dose later in the season when presumably near the holidays the numbers might go way up again like they seem to do now every year.  

Anyway, I'm glad we both beat this thing for the most part without even having to take the Paxlovid!  I'm feeling a little less anxiety now about ending up with Long Covid, although until this congestion goes away and whatever lingering fatigue I have, I admit I'm still going to be somewhat anxious.  But considering my intense fear of Covid, I think I'm doing pretty well with that!

13 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

@Yeah No, that reaction is exactly what I had with just one Paxil dose. Couldn't breathe, fell to floor, thought I was dying. I also was alone, my DH had passed about 3 weeks prior. Like you, it did eventually pass. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had continued to take the Paxil.

My useless then dr said eat some chicken noodle soup and call in the morning if you don't feel better. Umm, he knew I was alone, wonder who he thought was going to make me the soup???  Really??  Chicken noodle soup will cure anaphylaxis???

Hope both of you with Covid get feeling back to normal very soon!!  Sending good thought to both!

Thanks Gram!  I can't believe your doctor, how awful!  I remember calling my doctor's office and they told me not to take aspirin either because of the potential cross-reaction.  I haven't taken anything with salicylate in it for 35 years and don't even know for sure about my allergy status on that anymore.  I've read that it can change over time and stuff you were allergic to at one time you can not be allergic to years later.  But even if I were tested and told I don't have the allergy anymore I don't think I'd trust it just to be on the safe side.  Once you've had an experience like that it's so scary you don't want to risk it again.   Some people with allergies to stuff like peanuts don't even want to risk being in the same ROOM with a peanut if at all possible!  I know that's extreme but some people are THAT allergic to things!  I was actually lucky that I was young and that my reaction passed very quickly in only a few minutes.  If that happened now I would be even more convinced I was dying.  I thought I was dying when I had the vertigo this past spring because I could hardly stand and had to brace myself all the way to the door to be put on a stretcher for the ambulance ride!

Edited September 20, 2023 by Yeah No

[Gramto6]

6,692 steps yesterday.

Still trying to catch young kittens. Lots of back and forth to see if they were out. TNR lady came by to pick up last trap, it is useless for tiny kittens they don't even trip it. We discussed straw bale homes for the winter and looked around yard for best places.

With the weather changing I've also begun the change of Summer to Winter clothes. So that means several loads of laundry so I can put the Summer stuff away clean. And taking out Winter things and a quick tumble in dryer to freshen them. Lots of steps involved...

 

[General Days]

22 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

 

@Yeah No, that reaction is exactly what I had with just one Paxil dose. Couldn't breathe, fell to floor, thought I was dying. I also was alone, my DH had passed about 3 weeks prior. Like you, it did eventually pass. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had continued to take the Paxil.

My useless then dr said eat some chicken noodle soup and call in the morning if you don't feel better. Umm, he knew I was alone, wonder who he thought was going to make me the soup???  Really??  Chicken noodle soup will cure anaphylaxis???

Hope both of you with Covid get feeling back to normal very soon!!  Sending good thought to both!

 

Thanks Gram. That Paxil experience is so frightening. (Chicken soup? Oh my word.)

 

13 hours ago, OlderThanDirt said:

Just to add to the sample size, not commenting on all of your experiences,  but I think I was exposed to Covid on a Monday; started having symptoms Tuesday afternoon. I tested positive on Wednesday morning,  started taking paxlovid Wed evening. Fever and deep cough gone by Friday. No allergic reactions but I don't have strong allergies. I never lost smell or taste but I didn't have much appetite. The two friends I had lunch with on Tuesday both came down with it. Of the two of them one took paxlovid and one didn't.  The non-Pax one tested positive for almost 2 weeks.

I hope everyone is feeling better now. I was amazed how fast this variant moved. People I had dinner with on Monday didn't get it but Tuesday's did. We all had all our boosters but I hadn't had it before. I got the RSV and flu shots yesterday but I'll wait a couple months before getting  the new booster.

Stay safe.

 

I know other people who have taken Paxlovid and it was a real miracle drug for them. I expected it to be one for me, and was so glad my doctor's practice believes in prescribing it, because a lot of them won't. 

I am glad you're feeling better. No one should avoid it because of my experience. It was just luck of the draw.

 

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

It just passed on its own pretty quickly, thankfully.  I don't know what I'd do now if I had that kind of reaction because I have really bad reactions to all antihistamines, like bad vomiting.  I had an episode of vertigo this past Spring and was kept overnight in the hospital and even though I told them about my sensitivity to all antihistamines they gave one to me anyway for the dizziness.  Then they were puzzled when I kept throwing up as the medication was supposed to stop nausea too.  I said, "I TOLD you I can't take antihistamines!  I'm throwing up now because of THAT".  And I refused to take any more.  I have bad sensitivities to a lot of medications and it only gets worse as I get older.  I'm really screwed.  🙁

That is truly awful!  Yeah, I think the hives were from the Paxlovid because obviously they stopped after you stopped taking it.  I hear you about the anxiety because my reaction messed with mine too.  I have a lot of PTSD regarding Covid because after 3 years I had built up an intense fear of it, especially since my father died of it in early 2020 before anyone knew what they were dealing with.  He was 92 but nowhere near ready to die.  He was still driving if you can believe that!  We had only convinced him to stop driving a few weeks before he got Covid.  But he was amazing and so his death was truly tragic.  He died when 700 people A DAY were dying in NYC.  It was horrific for me.  I couldn't see him (was told to stay away from NYC altogether) and had to beg to have someone at the hospital to get a phone to his ear so I could tell him we loved him.  He couldn't even speak he was so weak and on oxygen.   I could go on.....Nevertheless I was petrified that I too would die if I got Covid so I was THE most careful person about it.  Virtually lived as a hermit for 2 years.  I was already a germaphobe before that so I was even worse afterward.  So my anxiety was pretty high already after getting Covid.  I wonder if that delayed my recovery somewhat.  It probably did.

Same here.  I took a definite turn for the better on Monday but ! was also at about 85%.  I read that when you get like that it's best to push yourself to be a little more active as it helps you recover at that point.  So I went out Tuesday and found that to be true.  I just went to a couple of supermarkets and returned something at Kohls but I feel like it was good for me.  I even got in about 5,000 steps!  I decided that was enough and I didn't want to overdo it.  When I got home I wasn't so tired that I had to lay down or anything, which was a great sign.  I think I'm getting better slowly.  Even the congestion is getting better although I still have that nasal "sick" sound in my voice.  My taste is still cutting in and out but it's more in now than it was before so that's progress!

 Actually I use Flonase semi-regularly and I read about those studies a few days into having Covid and started using it more.  So maybe it did make a difference.  I never completely lost my sense of taste (I know what that's like from having it before).  With Covid I had a kind of a "half taste" where I could taste the basic flavors like sweet, salty, bitter, acidic, etc. but not much else, although the weird thing is that the stronger the flavor of anything the more I could taste it.  I'm just hoping this "half taste" thing is on the way out.  Right now it's pretty much only a thing in the morning after I wake up and in the later evening after dinner.

Yes I do plan on getting it.  I've had all the boosters so far.  I'm also trying to figure out when to get it and have also run into that problem finding anything definitive online and even with the Covid doctor I talked to about it.  She only confused me more, LOL.  She said something like there's no medical reason I can't get it right away but she recommended that I wait about a month post-Covid to get it.  From what I remember finding out from other people I know who've had Covid and from some articles, for at least a month after having Covid there's some measure of natural immunity to getting it again, so I think the rationale to delaying getting the booster for a month is just so you have the freshest dose later in the season when presumably near the holidays the numbers might go way up again like they seem to do now every year.  

Anyway, I'm glad we both beat this thing for the most part without even having to take the Paxlovid!  I'm feeling a little less anxiety now about ending up with Long Covid, although until this congestion goes away and whatever lingering fatigue I have, I admit I'm still going to be somewhat anxious.  But considering my intense fear of Covid, I think I'm doing pretty well with that!

 

It's amazing to me how similar our experiences were. I'm a bit of a germaphobe too and was the most Covid-cautious person I know in real life. If I was one of Kody Brown's wives (thank you, dear Lord, that I am not), I would have been one of the ones in compliance.

I even wiped our mail and groceries, but I didn't make my family do it. I knew why I was doing it. I didn't necessarily think it would keep us from catching Covid. Rather, I felt like if I did everything I could to avoid it, and our household caught it, I wouldn't blame myself. (I also stopped once my household was vaccinated, and I made sure everyone got vaccinated and boosted once we were eligible.)

And to some extent, my precautions (not the mail/grocery wiping, but the N95 masks, avoiding contact etc.) worked for us, in that, there are four of us who still live together. Three of us have had Covid. None of us has caught it from the other. The first one got it in spring of 2022 at work. The second one got it over this winter. And I just had it. The fourth one is the person we've been protecting (pre-existing conditions). 

I am so sorry about your dad. My mom is elderly too, and she's like your dad was. She's in her late 80s and still driving. I've ridden with her recently and she's steady and cautious, and if I told her to stop driving, she'd tell me to go shit in my hat. 🤣

[Gramto6]

6,346 steps yesterday.

Received my new printer (Epson ET-2400) yesterday. Lots of back and forth, computer to printer to instructions, trying to get new printer set up. Still not working so probably will be same today. Beginning to wish I hadn't even gotten it!

Dr appointment went well. Regarding. the murmur (and alarmist dr) my. pcp said she was aware of the murmur, it had showed with.  a bit of stenosis last year on an echo I had through old pcp. She said it isn't as bad as I was told in fact they. have been watching it and I already was on the schedule for another echo next year. Phew!

My bp is fine with the reduced back to original dosage. In. fact my heart function has improved.

I got the steroid shot in my knee which. helped a bit right away but will take a couple days for the full effect to be seen.  If it doesn't help I'll see her in a month.  Pcp wrote an rx for Meloxicam for the pain and swelling of my joints. It is a once a day dose, a NASID she says similar to Advil, which I had only been taking once a day at bedtime at lowest dose. Drugs and I do not play well together, I'll give it a try and stop if I have any issues with it. sigh...

Done with drs until Nov 2, Yay!

 

[AZChristian]

59 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Drugs and I do not play well together, I'll give it a try and stop if I have any issues with it. sigh...

I feel your frustration on that.  Whenever they give me drugs for an issue, the side effects are worse than the original issue.  Good luck!

[Gramto6]

5,427 steps yesterday.

Less walking, more sitting and trying to sort out printer installation...still failing.

Marginal improvement in right knee, but the steroid shot does take a few days to kick in fully.

TNR dr and his wife (the one I have been dealing with) came over last evening with an automatic trap that I can trip from inside the house. We have to catch these new babies or next year I will have a bunch of unfixed cats mating again! Hope it works as they are very skittish now when they see me. So far 35 of my feral colony has been fixed, and 3 are out to foster and hopefully a new home. Still 6 or more newborns to capture...  They really want to get all these new kittens fixed!  So do I!!

Printer continues to frustrate me...

[altopower]

Printers are not our friends, @Gramto6. I'm pretty techie but the printer confounds me every time, so you're not alone!

Got the results of my nuclear stress test late yesterday. I'm not sure what they mean but the words "abnormal" and "severe" make me very glad I did this test for cardiac clearance for surgery instead of having heart failure on the table or a heart attack just living my life. 

But now I have to wait until someone from the office contacts me about what it all means and what I do now. It may not be anything dramatic but none of it was on my radar. Prayers appreciated.

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, altopower said:

Printers are not our friends, @Gramto6. I'm pretty techie but the printer confounds me every time, so you're not alone!

Got the results of my nuclear stress test late yesterday. I'm not sure what they mean but the words "abnormal" and "severe" make me very glad I did this test for cardiac clearance for surgery instead of having heart failure on the table or a heart attack just living my life. 

But now I have to wait until someone from the office contacts me about what it all means and what I do now. It may not be anything dramatic but none of it was on my radar. Prayers appreciated.

@altopower Thanks for the insight into printers, it is good to know I am not the only one fighting with them at times. I am doing the long needed upgrade to my laptop which may help...I hope! It says 2 days to completion, hope that changes as upgrade progresses.

Sending you good thoughts and healing energy, that all will turn out for the best!

[altopower]

Decided not to wait until a cardiologist calls on Monday to find out what's up with my stress test results. So I sent them to a friend in New England who is head of cardiac surgery at one of the hospitals :) They explained that it looks as though I have a blocked artery with a coronary angiogram ahead and probably an angioplasty with stent. If other arteries are also shown to be blocked, I'll be looking at a bypass. At least I have some new words to look up, and know that these procedures are done successfully all the time. It's still a blessing that we found it now.

[Gramto6]

5,679 steps yesterday.

Still fighting the printer and trying to update laptop... frustration remains!

At least getting my steps in each hour.

 

 

[Absolom]

I feel you on the printer.  Mine has been cranky lately and I start feeling like taking it to the garbage can is very appealing.

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

I feel you on the printer.  Mine has been cranky lately and I start feeling like taking it to the garbage can is very appealing.

i just got mine, a brand new Epson ET-2400, and the garbage can is looking better every day...

[Gramto6]

6,092 steps yesterday.

Still fighting printer. Also switching from Summer to Winter clothes so lots of back and forth today is garbage day so will be gathering it all up and taking can to top of the road.

Knee is feeling better each day. I didn't even take an Advil last night. Hopefully the relief will last a long time.

[AZChristian]

24 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Also switching from Summer to Winter clothes so lots of back and forth . . . 

We do our wardrobe switching in November and May.  Makes no sense to me to have summer clothing in my dresser drawers and/or closets during the winter.  Not into having things around I'm not using.

Speaking of which . . . every November 1st (before holiday decorations go up), we go through the house and touch everything we own.  If we haven't touched it since last November 1st, it's probably not going to be here next November 1st.  (This excludes tools and kitchenware which we don't know when we're going to need it, so we keep it.)  It take less time to do this every year, since we have less stuff to go through.  This year . . . hubby's baseball card collection is going to be massively trimmed down.  Yay!!!

[Absolom]

I do almost zero clothes switching.  Another reason I love living here.  I simply keep the coats in a separate closet along with the long sleeved shirts.  

[Gramto6]

Here in MT we have already had snow in the higher elevations and several mornings at or a bit below freezing.  We definitely have Summer vs Winter clothes here. Get out the boots, put away the sandals and shorts and tshirts, bring out the flannel pjs, wool sweaters and down coats. Last Winter was brutal with many days in the minus degree range barely rising to single digits. I hope this is not as bad a Winter this year.

@AZChristian that is a really good idea about touching things Nov 1!! I think I am going to start doing that this year. I don't want to leave my kids one day with all this "stuff" to go through.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Gramto6
added on to post

[Absolom]

I realized that I do put the shorts in a clothes box under the bed.  It won't be time until next month though.  3/4 length or close to it pants are a year round requirement. I can't remember how many times I've done Christmas shopping in capris.   

[Gramto6]

7,242 steps yesterday.

Caught a kitten yesterday...or it caught me! He walked right into the house after eating some food I had put out. Picked him up and he snuggled right into my neck. I had to keep it even though TNR dr said he'd be gone until today and not to restart trapping until today. I had the other gal pick him up. Still about 4 that I know of to catch.

Still going to stay away from printer instal today. It was just too stressful/frustrating and I don't need that right now.
 

[Gramto6]

6,863 steps 9/26 caught. another kitten!

5,961 steps 9/27.

Internet has been out 2 days with no end in sight. Trying to save data so not posting much. 

[MaddyMaeboxerbabe]

After a rough almost two weeks I am mostly healthy after a bad bout of COVID and making things worse by passing out and bringing furniture on top of me and waking to in complete darkness.  I wasn’t eating and I take lots of meds after my stroke.   I ended up with stitches on my chest and am still black and blue. A little too much excitement.   
 

hope everyone else is recovered!  

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, MaddyMaeboxerbabe said:

After a rough almost two weeks I am mostly healthy after a bad bout of COVID and making things worse by passing out and bringing furniture on top of me and waking to in complete darkness.  I wasn’t eating and I take lots of meds after my stroke.   I ended up with stitches on my chest and am still black and blue. A little too much excitement.   
 

hope everyone else is recovered!  

Oh so sorry to hear this!  I wish I could give you 10 teddy bears instead of just one!  (((((hugs)))))  So awful, I hope you are better very soon!

I stopped testing positive for Covid on the 18th,  but I still have lingering symptoms such as sounding like I still have a cold/congestion when most of that is gone, some fatigue, as well as times of the day when my taste is at about 50% of its normal strength.  Usually that will be when I wake up and in the later evening.  But it's hard to predict.  I am doing what all the big medical sites say to do to bring that back and in general it has gotten a bit better but it's taking its sweet-ass time.  I called my primary doctor's office about it and they told me to come in.  I was very lucky they had a cancelation that very day.  I saw a resident who told me I'm pretty typical so far and that none of my symptoms are out of the ordinary nor has it been long enough to consider them Long Covid.  They won't consider it that until I still have symptoms after 2 months have passed. 

They tell me I had a "mild case" but even milder cases can do this.  By "mild" they mean nothing life threatening, no shortness of breath or respiratory issues other than the congestion.  You can still feel like crap with a "mild" case, though.  And I usually do with all viruses, this one included.  But to be honest for the most part it was just like a bad cold for the first week.  The second week up until now has been different.  I never know what I'm going to get.  Some days I feel than others.   Some days it's primarily fatigue, others it's taste, and still others it's a sensitive stomach.  Weird.

In the process I discovered a new natural nasal decongestant called "Xlear".  @Gramto6, I'm wondering if you've ever heard of it.  Its main ingredient is Xylitol, which is actually a natural calorie free sweetener, but I guess someone figured out that it works well for moisturizing and clearing nasal passages.  Most people rave about it and so far I can't believe how good it is.  I find it superior to Ayr.   Anyway I recommend it highly. 

Here's hoping @General Days is doing better!