He’s got the blank look of a ‘nip user, and he stayed there like this, immobile for several minutes.
He’s really twitchy now, my next clue.
He moved over to the lapboard and slept it off. Good ‘niip!
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I couldn’t access the Internet on my laptop yesterday. It looked pretty grim because Spectrum tech support’s Jaimie wasn’t able to come up with a solution. I decided it was a good time to stand away from the problem and come back the next day. I have exactly no idea what I did differently today, but I have WiFi again. I hate computers! And I love them to death.
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Andy’s curious. Why won’t I let him come around to the other side?
Maybe it’s because he has “Itchy Paws” and all I need to start hyperventilating again is Andy to wipe out what little hard won progress I’ve made on the nightmare configuration issues on my new laptop and photo sharing from my smart phone.
Seems like I resolve one issue and bring up twelve more. I’m not kidding about hyperventilation! ( I hope the person who cuts my beard and hair is operating again soon or I might be tempted to do it myself. >self to myself< “Don’t do it, Doug!”)
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We’ve had a grumpy few days, thanks to a laptop giving up the ghost, but my new laptop means the kitty boys and I can return to regular posting.
What’s going to fall apart next? I suspect it’s time for the smart phone to go belly up. I mean, don’t expensive things always fail close to expensive holidays like Christmas? And it’s about the only bit of technology I use that’s left to croak!
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OK, the latest. I have resisted using any services available to veterans of the US military for 54 years. I had that “vacation” in Germany, with opportunities to visit other countries, Berlin when it was surrounded with fence and walls several times, and friends in France at the time.
Other veterans of my time were dealing with severe war injuries. I can’t forget those who died, so am glad I honorably served my three years of active duty when too many others were draft dodgers.
(“I thought this blog was about kitties, Doug.”)
The whole thought process is complicated and just how I think about why I shouldn’t use services that men and women in my generation’s war and all that came later seriously needed more than me.
Whew! So when my physical condition warranted more help than friends could give or were available to give in the near future, I followed the dialysis nurses’ insistence that I try the available public transportation that is just around the corner from me! The veterans affairs people authorizes payment of all fees charged, the driver took care of getting the wheelchair I needed this time to get to the oncologist’s office, and he stayed in Scottsbluff till I needed a ride home. He had some chores to take care of related to his driver’s job, and showed up at just the right time to pick me up!
He answered many questions about the transportation service, too, was a pleasant fellow, and he convinced me having a wheelchair would make future trips easier since the vans have a ramp to up load passengers and their wheelchairs. I’ve looked for one already. The selection is huge!
(“Well, mostly about you sleeping, Andrew.”)
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Getting to the appointment was conquering a mental roadblock and seeing that being a war veteran is not the primary justification one can use services available to all veterans. I recall, actually, how my brother, a US Navy veteran who served among other places in Thailand during the Vietnam War, used veteran services during times he needed transport to doctor appointments and treatments for medical issues. How could I not make the connection?
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I met Dr. Tjan and her nurse, Barb. I’ve had phone calls with Barb, who eased me through early questions and expectations. She helped me deal with confusion and stress, something I appreciate a lot! On top of it, once my driver took me to Dr. Tjan’s, she took over pushing me to the meeting with the doctor, which was when I learned she was “that Barb” who’d been so helpful and I now had a chance to thank her for all she’d done to allay my concerns up to then!
Dr. Tjan did the questions and family cancer history, my medications, and other questions. She let me know a surgeon from Regional West would see me in Alliance. At that time, I’d learn when I’d have the cancer removed from my breast and whether I’d need radiation therapy. Stay tuned.
(“See what I mean, Andy? Oh. You are asleep!)
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During the ride home, I had the low February sun warming me on one side and a wind noise on the other. The combination made it hard to stay awake.
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My cardiologist called from Rapid City. We sorted through a matter of which blood thinner I was on – none yet – and which one of two I would take. One requires lots of follow-up care, but is affordable. The other just requires taking it but is very pricey, the reason I didn’t want to take it. Dr. Bitar said he’d try to get a price break for me, though, it sounded like it would be a 30 day introductory price for a still-pricey drug. Jeez! Not to take a blood thinner is to risk a stroke. To take it might cost me financial issues!
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All in all, yesterday was a very productive day.
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Andy didn’t know he was in for a big day!La! La!Say what? (Tori and her husband brought oxygen back from Scottsbluff. The empties finally ended back at the vendors, thanks to them. Much aporeciated!)Andy was a bit shy but Tori was persistent. Well! Well! Well! Mr. Kitty! That’s a kitty purr if I’m not mistaken. (Tori had a chance to meet Andy in person when she brought the oxygen. She’s one of the dialysis staff and was excited to get the this chance after “knowing” Andy by my blog photos up to this point.)
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I finally see the oncologist today. This process to deal with the breast cancer seems to have taken a long time. More details as I learn about them.
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Sleep, of course.Greenies and getting comfortable.Ah, yes, more sleep! Play and looking out windows comes later, as does checking the kitchen cabinets for “mousies.”Zzzzzz…Zzzz….
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“Hello? Sounds like………kitty food!”Andy heard the >clunk< of the kitty food dish hitting the floor in the kitty food place.Time for kitty ffood!
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What a mess! Andy needs a good brushing at the moment, but he’s a very clever kitty when it comes to avoiding me when I want to brush and detangle him.
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Andy says I could use a spa day myself.
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Uh oh! That isn’t a Tootsie Roll Andy left on the end table. With enough paper towels between me and “it” I was able to sort things out. Andy occasionally has a “hanger”. I’m just happy it fell off where I didn’t discover it by stepping on it.I love my kitty!There! That’s a bit more comfortable.
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This is where we left Andy yesterday. Or what ever day it was!Oops! The Greenie fell over the side.It’s hard being Andy
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This is where I am, Tuesday, the 3rd of February, but I seem to have lost track of my days. Too much to keep track of these past few days!!
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Ready for night “mousie patrol.”
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Andy spent a lot of it watching the scene outside or sleeping in the north bedroom.Jere, he’s looking at the guest bedroom door. Dougy’s ghost?Sniffing at the inevitable Greenies before……ponering them, then……eating them, of course.
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My day was spent waiting for Lincare to pick up three four-packs of empty oxygen cannisters.
By late afternoon, the cannisters were still by the door. Waiting for a pick up, I missed my afternoon nap. I barely could keep my eyes open. I don’t chose to take these naps, my body hits a fatigue wall, a nap happens. I felt the fatigue all. A nap had to happen. So I just took one.
If Lincare shows up for the cannisters, fine. If not, I’ll just have to work around them for another week. They take up lots of room.
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Uh oh. A dark presence wants something.Yeah. Predictable.
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Andy knows what’s coming when……I extend a hand……toward……his face.“Happy Face Time!” I can’t scratch and rub his face too long or much. It’s one of his favorite things for me to do for him.
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Never too old to learn…
One mystery of the COVID-25 experience has been how I felt while breathing.
I checked my oxygen level with my pulse oximeter. Ninety-nine percent, yet it felt like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen.
Even with auxiliary oxygen, I was breathing in short, what seemed incomplete breaths. Oddly, the oxygen level in my blood suggested something else. I mentioned it to one of the dialysis nurses.
She checked my last monthly blood test results. My red blood cells count was 8.3 whatever measurement that is, and that is low, close to the 7.0 where I’d need a blood transfusion!
The pulse oximeter reading measured how high the oxygen saturation was in the diminished level of red blood cells, presenting me with the ironic situation of a desirable level of oxygen saturation in a blood cell concentration less able to take sufficient oxygen to my cells.
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Though I got part way to the dialysis room before dialysis, I called in and asked for help with the last half of the distance, a slight “hill” that adds maybe five feet more elevation to the trip from the parking lot to the door.
At the end of dialysis, I didn’t fight a wheelchair trip back to my car.
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Though this 2025 version of COVID isn’t as rough as that earlier one, it still wipes you out long after the infectious stage, which requires 11 days of isolation. I’ve heard a month after the isolation stage is typical!
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I have two things in the air because if COVID-25: possibly the operation on my cancer – I will find out next week at the oncologist’s; the start of therapy to help restore my strength.
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Andy let me know.In his own way……he hints around that……he wants me to follow him……to the ottoman.Yes, Greenies!
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I found out this morning that I still have COVID-25. Weird stuff. I cough a lot, but don’t feel that bad. It puts off therapy that I was supposed to set up today. I imagine surgery will be postponed, too, and I will end up in the isolation room at dialysis again.
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Sleepy boy.Andy had the apartment to himself much longer today.
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I had a busy day of being pushed around Box Butte General Hospital on a wheelchair.
To Radiology for two chest X-rays….
To the Laboratory to have one of those nauseating nasal swabs swished in my nasal cavity….
To a new feature of the clinics – a walk-in clinic – for a general examination and interview about when these symptoms- weakness, coughing spells, breathing issues – began and a possible connection to my recent time with COVID-25.
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The X-rays were similar to another set taken recently and showed no change or anything alarming apparently.
The Laboratory stop will reveal its findindings in a day or two.
The walk-in clinic findings will help in the detection of what’s going on with me.
On top of it all, one of the staff’s sons and she were in Scottsbluff today, so they picked up eight oxygen cannisters and delivered them to me since I wasn’t well enough last Friday to do it myself. My supply might not have lasted to the next delivery on Friday….
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Gad! The dialysis nurses, supervisor, and our PA truly came through in ways for me that are staggering! I couldn’t have done all of that walking or setting up procedures on my own. A huge thanks to them all!!
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Andy was sleeping in that weird “head-upside-down” position cats do….…when he switched sides.Is he watching me?Well, I’m watching him!Now that he’s awake……he’s giving me the “Feed me!” clue.
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It’s still miserably cold here, but tolerable enough.
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