I ended up back at the Citrus Memorial ER yesterday to have xrays to ensure nothing is broken. No bones were broken, but there is massive bruising behind and around my sternum. At least I left the ER with a prescription for some great pain medication. With the medication I can breathe fairly normally and move my arms a bit. For the most comfort, I have to lie still and directly on my back. Coughing while medicated is barely possible by holding my sides and trying to keep the cough to a minimum. It still feels like someone is beating a stake through my heart, but I can bear it. With out the medication I WISH someone was beating a stake through my heart.
No broken bones, but a broken spirit is about here. Tomorrow I'll miss the first AARP TaxAide session in three years. I'll also miss Wednesday. Since I missed all the classes and now, working sessions they may wonder if I'm actually with them or not! Sometimes I get someone who is a pain in the butt, but so far this year I've had all nice people and they are so happy for the help.
Spirit breaking weather is still with us. As we cruise into March, the high temps will be 67/45 for Monday and go down from there. Later in the week we may see 65/34, but it will be considerably cooler during the week. I know that I'm not the only one tired of this winter. There was a group from Maine in the ER waiting room and they were bemoaning the fact that there had been very little snow in the Bangor area. In the news there was mention of flooding from some of the rivers due to the precipitation being all rain. Snow builds up and the rivers can handle a slow melt over time.
One TV channel was interviewing people on ST. Pete Beach. Dressed for the weather in jeans, parka, and woolen cap, they claimed that they were so happy to be here rather than up north where they're getting ten more feet of snow. I expect this to be my last negative post for February 2010.
The wacky adventures of Paul and his patient wife, Helen
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
I'm At It Again!!
As you may know, I've not been enjoying the weather, my health, or myself this winter. This is one winter I will remember for a long time, as I remember the winter of 1980/81 which finally made us come to Florida. Always quick to catch a cold and slow to get rid of a cough, I've been taking it easy, drinking fluids, and getting plenty of rest. I seemed to be making progress.
This morning at 6 AM, Jodie was at the gate yodeling for her breakfast. This was much too early and I told her to go back to bed. She usually does and thus I get another hour or two of sleep, much cherished sleep.Today she was not to be appeased and continued to sing. OK, I gave up and got up. In the dark I headed for the door, but stumbled on the way and came full-force on my sternum on the corner of the bureau. Damn, that hurt....a lot! Dazed, I got up and TOLD the dogs to GO LAY DOWN! They did and I ambled back to bed. I laid there letting the pain ease as I sucked on another cough drop to avoid coughing. An hour later I got up and fed the two brutes and let them out. After they returned I returned to bed and got a little more sleep.
I am in very little discomfort if if I don't breathe too deeply, don't move too quickly, or cough at all. In my mind I'm thinking of how this can be prevented in the future as it appears I'm getting more and more unsteady and fragile. The only thing that comes to mind is a padded room, and a well padded one at that.
This morning at 6 AM, Jodie was at the gate yodeling for her breakfast. This was much too early and I told her to go back to bed. She usually does and thus I get another hour or two of sleep, much cherished sleep.Today she was not to be appeased and continued to sing. OK, I gave up and got up. In the dark I headed for the door, but stumbled on the way and came full-force on my sternum on the corner of the bureau. Damn, that hurt....a lot! Dazed, I got up and TOLD the dogs to GO LAY DOWN! They did and I ambled back to bed. I laid there letting the pain ease as I sucked on another cough drop to avoid coughing. An hour later I got up and fed the two brutes and let them out. After they returned I returned to bed and got a little more sleep.
I am in very little discomfort if if I don't breathe too deeply, don't move too quickly, or cough at all. In my mind I'm thinking of how this can be prevented in the future as it appears I'm getting more and more unsteady and fragile. The only thing that comes to mind is a padded room, and a well padded one at that.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Long, Long Winter!
Winter still has it's miserable icy hands wrapped around my throat. I will admit that I do not like cold weather. I don't even like cool weather, except in the middle of a hot spell, but this year is ridiculous. Here it is February 26th and the morning temperature was 27 degrees below normal. This afternoons high will be about 22 degrees below normal. Veracruz, Mexico is 77 degrees under sunny skies with a low tonight of 63 degrees. AAAAHHH, that's much better. I am close to the breaking point, and when I break, it won't be pretty. I'll set the thermostats up as high as they will go and when it reaches around 90, I'll dance around in my shorts.
Not only is the weather cold, I have contracted the second cold since early January. Spending an extended time in the ER waiting room at Citrus Memorial with a number of sniffling, sneezing, coughing kids, Helen observed that we would soon succumb to the germs, and we did. I was too sick to attend certification classes at AARP TaxAide and had to study on-line and at home. Lat Monday at TaxAide I had a couple who were fighting the effects of a cold, but came to have their taxes done. I could see that they were not well, but stupidly chose to help them anyway. They sneezed and wheezed, and we sat there passing contaminated papers back and forth without my giving it a thought. I finished their taxes and soon they were gone and forgotten.
I remember them Tuesday afternoon when I developed a dry tickle in my throat that turned into a cough by late in the day. Wednesday I was due to do taxes at the Inverness Library. I stopped at Walgreens to get some cough medicine, anti-bacterial hand spray, and cough drops. I was hoping that perhaps I could get done early and head home to bed. It was not to be.
Thursday I finally got out of bed at 2:25 PM and had some hot corn chowder. Then I checked my email, finished my juice, and went back to bed. In bed, out of bed. In bed, out of bed, That was the rest of the day.
Today, I feel great!!! Except for the constant cough and the slight headache. I think I'll have to do taxes with a mask and rubber gloves.
We moved from Massachusetts to Florida to avoid winter. I don't know how much more of this winter I can take.
Not only is the weather cold, I have contracted the second cold since early January. Spending an extended time in the ER waiting room at Citrus Memorial with a number of sniffling, sneezing, coughing kids, Helen observed that we would soon succumb to the germs, and we did. I was too sick to attend certification classes at AARP TaxAide and had to study on-line and at home. Lat Monday at TaxAide I had a couple who were fighting the effects of a cold, but came to have their taxes done. I could see that they were not well, but stupidly chose to help them anyway. They sneezed and wheezed, and we sat there passing contaminated papers back and forth without my giving it a thought. I finished their taxes and soon they were gone and forgotten.
I remember them Tuesday afternoon when I developed a dry tickle in my throat that turned into a cough by late in the day. Wednesday I was due to do taxes at the Inverness Library. I stopped at Walgreens to get some cough medicine, anti-bacterial hand spray, and cough drops. I was hoping that perhaps I could get done early and head home to bed. It was not to be.
Thursday I finally got out of bed at 2:25 PM and had some hot corn chowder. Then I checked my email, finished my juice, and went back to bed. In bed, out of bed. In bed, out of bed, That was the rest of the day.
Today, I feel great!!! Except for the constant cough and the slight headache. I think I'll have to do taxes with a mask and rubber gloves.
We moved from Massachusetts to Florida to avoid winter. I don't know how much more of this winter I can take.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
South to Alaska
Juneau, Alaska and Inverness, Florida are worlds apart, or so you might think. They are about 3350 miles apart and Juneau is farther north than any point in the lower 48. However, there is one area where the two cities share similarities..............current weather. Yes, it's true! Daytime highs and evening lows are the same in both cities. Juneau is expecting a low of 29 degrees tonight while Inverness is supposed to hit 25. Are we making a mistake by spending the winter in Florida while planning a trip to Alaska in the summer?
In all fairness, this anomaly is because Juneau's temperature is running well ABOVE normal while Florida's dismal weather is running 20 or more degrees BELOW normal. At least I HOPE that this is an odd situation and not one that will continue much longer. The lows forcast for Inverness the next five nights are 25, 32, 29, 31, and 34 degrees.
In all fairness, this anomaly is because Juneau's temperature is running well ABOVE normal while Florida's dismal weather is running 20 or more degrees BELOW normal. At least I HOPE that this is an odd situation and not one that will continue much longer. The lows forcast for Inverness the next five nights are 25, 32, 29, 31, and 34 degrees.
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