What did you do today? 2019 version.

[harley]

Drove down to Home Depot mainly for some salt for the water softener, but also while I was there to pick up some paint brushes, light bulbs, and DW wanted some 3-way bulbs for her favorite reading lamp downstairs. I couldn't find any of those so I'll order them online, probably from Amazon.

And here I thought I was making all this wonderful progress with the physical therapy for my back. But moving four 40-lb. bags of salt around to their final storage place reminded me that within a year or so I'm going to have to find another way of moving those things around. Including having someone at the store load them in the pickup for me. I already use a hand truck to get them from the pickup to the basement but clearly that's not sufficient.

I measure my physical condition against those 40 lb bags of salt too. Our well water is really hard, so I buy 15 bags at a time.

A few years ago I could barely lift them. My muscles were weak and painful. I stopped taking statins and that got better. But it was still hard. Then I went low carb and lost a bag of salt (40 lbs). Now I'm able to sling them around with no difficulty, which is wonderful. Except for when my back acts up, in which case I try to avoid them for awhile. I sympathize with your situation. Some of the people in my neighborhood hire people to deliver and load them. I'm sure my time will come, which might be a sign it's time to move.

 

[USA]

Finished the mouth watering beef tenderloin (from Bar10Beef in Utah) that DH had made at Christmas. Went for quote #2 on new floors. Sis and BIL came by to test his 1st hearing aids.

 

[Calico]

I spent four hours today (3 pm - 7 pm) at the Veterinary Emergency Hospital 10 minutes down the road. They provide 24/7/365 emergency care.

One of my two cats stopped eating Christmas evening, and she has been intermittently wheezing and coughing up a storm. Today she was so lethargic she barely moved from one spot for three hours. Until this morning I thought she was just having difficulty bringing up a hairball, because she has a long history of them. But with the lack of eating and increased lethargy today I realized it was more serious than that, so off we went.

Suffice to say she was not a happy camper. During the exam she bit one of the technicians because she was so stressed. Then they popped her into an oxygen chamber to help with her breathing, and she remains there tonight. The vet just called with an update to say her breathing is much better now.

After the initial exam, the vet said there were 3 likely possibilities: heart disease, pneumonia, or feline asthma. After the films came back, and after consulting with another internal medicine vet, she said all signs point to feline asthma. I didn't even know cats could get asthma, and I've had cats for 40 years!

I'm just relieved it isn't heart disease or pneumonia. She will remain at the hospital through tomorrow and most likely come home Sunday morning.

Then, apparently, I need to administer meds to her daily via a "cat inhaler." I just ordered it from Amazon. It remains to be seen whether or not my cat will allow me to use the inhaler on her without sending me to the human equivalent of the emergency room. I have my doubts. Oh, and the meds apparently cost in the neighborhood of $200/month for life. The deposit (not the final bill) at the pet ER today was $2,000.

I don't care about the cost; this is one reason I have a cushion in my budget. She is only 12.5 years old, so she could have many more years of a happy life ahead if we get this under control. Assuming she doesn't kill me the first time I try to administer the meds, that is. So, if I never post again after 12/30 you'll know she did me in.

 

[Gumby]

My sister in law has an elderly cat with asthma. She administers medicine via an inhaler daily. I watched her do it when we were there for Christmas, and her cat tolerated it quite well. I don't know if it started out that easily or not.

 

[Calico]

My sister in law has an elderly cat with asthma. She administers medicine via an inhaler daily. I watched her do it when we were there for Christmas, and her cat tolerated it quite well. I don't know if it started out that easily or not.

I'm glad to hear that it works well for her and her cat.

My cat will be a challenge for sure, but I'm determined to give it my best shot. She is very loving unless you try to restrain her in any way, so this will be interesting.

I'm currently watching You Tube videos of people doing this task, and I swear that all the docile cats in the videos are sedated ahead of time!

 

[Music Lover]

Interesting morning...I drove to the airport to pick up some bullets and a stranger gave me a pair of hockey skates

Last night my GF's sister was trying to board a plane and had a pair of salt and pepper shakers in her checked bag that her grandfather had made from WW2 bullets. Security confiscated them but my GF talked to Airport Security and we were allowed to pick them up today.

While we were there a random guy offered me a pair of hockey skates...he had just dropped off a rental car and couldn't take them on the plane and didn't know what to do with them. I first offered to sell them online (worth $300) and transfer him the money but he said just to keep them. I then offered to hold them if he could find someone to pick them up and he agreed to that.

 

[Calico]

Follow up to post 2653

It turns out the monthly cost (cash) of the asthma inhaler prescribed by the vet for my cat is $300, not $200. It is exactly the same inhaler prescribed for humans with asthma.

I now have a much fuller understanding of why some folks have to choose between paying for medication for (human) chronic conditions, and paying other bills.

So, I spent two hours online today researching online pharmacies in Canada, and I found two where I can order the exact same medication for 40% of the cost here - $120 per month. This was an eye opening experience for me re: the cost of some medications.

I'll have to buy one month's worth for $300 to get my cat started, while I wait for the meds from Canada to be shipped here.

The more important thing is my wee feline continues to improve and should be home by tomorrow.

 

[jcfradio]

A nice quiet day at home today for a change! Last Saturday we were at DW's maternal family dinner (2 hr round trip), Sunday - visited my mother for luncheon and in-laws for dinner (3 hr round trip), Monday - brunch at DD's house, Christmas Day - everyone at our house for dinner, Thursday - cooked tenderloin dinner for in-laws 60th anniversary at their place (2 hr round trip), Friday - drove DD to airport (flight cancelled...LOL!) and visited brother (7 hr round trip ).

Now I can rest at home until extended family gathering with in-laws next Saturday!

 

[Walt34]

Both of us are pretty much recovered from the running around stuff that was done preparing for Christmas family gatherings and such. Today the weather was terrific - 66° F and with a high overcast with some breaks for sunlight - perfect for doing just about anything you wanted to outside. I'll take that for the end of December!

We did some more cutting of overhanging tree limbs and brush at the edge of the woods with the electric pole saw. DW wanted to run the lawn mower to collect leaves that were blowing around, and use an Echo ES-2400 Shred 'n Vac that hadn't been run for 17 years. At our old house it was used to suck up and shred leaves that gathered between the bushes and the house, a niche task for which it excelled.

To my astonishment, after filling the tank and half a dozen pulls on the rope it started right up! I do take care to drain the fuel from equipment like that for storage, but seals do often dry out and such nevertheless. I guess I got lucky.

 

[Souschef]

At 4:30 today, our phone rang!! It was the repair technician telling us he found the trouble and fixed it! Thank goodness for smartphones or we would have been SOL

 

[aja8888]

Took it easy today approaching 6 weeks after my hip replacement. Only walked 8,000 steps and then sat on my rear and watched the college bowl games.

 

[NW-Bound]

Raked and gathered up the leaves shed by the neighbor's tree over the backyard fence. The temperature got down to the 30s this week too.

Usually, the trees shed their leaves some time in November here, but this is the first time it happens on Christmas week. I did not notice that autumn this year was warmer than usual. Maybe it was.

 

[Charlotte]

It turns out the monthly cost (cash) of the asthma inhaler prescribed by the vet for my cat is $300, not $200. It is exactly the same inhaler prescribed for humans with asthma.



I now have a much fuller understanding of why some folks have to choose between paying for medication for (human) chronic conditions, and paying other bills.



So, I spent two hours online today researching online pharmacies in Canada, and I found two where I can order the exact same medication for 40% of the cost here - $120 per month. This was an eye opening experience for me re: the cost of some medications.



I'll have to buy one month's worth for $300 to get my cat started, while I wait for the meds from Canada to be shipped here.



The more important thing is my wee feline continues to improve and should be home by tomorrow.

I once had a cat that developed asthma too... we actually had a pretty cost effective solution. Our vet showed us so we could do it at home. We got a see thru plastic box about the size of a cat carrier. Then we purchased a nebulizer (like used for babies). You cut a small hole in the plastic box that the nebulizer tubing will fit into. Essentially you are making a breathing chamber for the cat.

You put the cat in the see thru plastic box and close the lid. Attach a tube into the plastic box so the nebulizer sends its vapor and fresh air into the plastic box. It takes about 7-8 minutes for a tube of the asthma medicine to finish and your kitty will naturally breathe the vapor that is in the closed box. We used a basic generic brand of asthma medicine that was about $8 for a month supply at Target!

I don’t think our cat liked it! But it was easier to put the cat in a box and let him breathe the vapor for a few minutes than to attempt any sort of mask direct to his face. Usually he’d just be sitting and looking around, slightly mystified as to why his people were doing this...

 

[Calico]

I once had a cat that developed asthma too... we actually had a pretty cost effective solution. Our vet showed us so we could do it at home. We got a see thru plastic box about the size of a cat carrier. Then we purchased a nebulizer (like used for babies). You cut a small hole in the plastic box that the nebulizer tubing will fit into. Essentially you are making a breathing chamber for the cat.

You put the cat in the see thru plastic box and close the lid. Attach a tube into the plastic box so the nebulizer sends its vapor and fresh air into the plastic box. It takes about 7-8 minutes for a tube of the asthma medicine to finish and your kitty will naturally breathe the vapor that is in the closed box. We used a basic generic brand of asthma medicine that was about $8 for a month supply at Target!

I don’t think our cat liked it! But it was easier to put the cat in a box and let him breathe the vapor for a few minutes than to attempt any sort of mask direct to his face. Usually he’d just be sitting and looking around, slightly mystified as to why his people were doing this...

This sounds like a creative solution; thanks very much for sharing. I'll mention it to my vet if the face mask angle doesn't work. The Aerokat chamber/face mask arrives tomorrow.

Tonight my cat won't even let me squirt the liquid prednisolone in her mouth. She simply will not tolerate being medicated in any way, shape, or form. It stresses her out to the point where is almost makes her physically sick, so I stopped trying. The vet said I could put the liquid in her food and hope she will eat it, so I did.

Thanks again for sharing your experience. Your cat was lucky to have you.

 

[Walt34]

Today was the last day of physical therapy for back pain. While I'm not cured (which I didn't expect) I am much better than I was (admittedly I didn't expect that either). Followed that with a gym workout and then enjoyed the last of the mid-60's weather we've been having. Tomorrow temperatures go back to low 40's which is more normal here.

 

[Ronstar]

Filed my paperwork for our real estate tax assessment complaint. First needed color photos of our home and comparables. I don’t have a color printer. Went to library with my usb stick of photo files. Plugged it into library computer - windows. I didn’t remember how to run a windows computer. It’s been almost 6 years since I’ve used one. Took a while to figure out how to print the photos.

Mailed my drone back to the manufacturer as trade in for a new one, ran some errands with DW and turned a billy club out of a cherry log on my lathe.

 

[pacergal]

On this last day of 2019 I am planning a small dinner and will ring in the New Year quietly with DH.
Happy New Years Eve!

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Was notified that my Sister passed away this morning from cancer. Will be a solemn night.

 

[travelover]

Was notified that my Sister passed away this morning from cancer. Will be a solemn night.

So sorry, especially hard at the holidays.

 

[MichaelB]

Was notified that my Sister passed away this morning from cancer. Will be a solemn night.

Heartfelt sorrow for the loss of your sister.

 

[pacergal]

Was notified that my Sister passed away this morning from cancer. Will be a solemn night.

My sympathies to you and your family.

 

[Ronstar]

Was notified that my Sister passed away this morning from cancer. Will be a solemn night.

Sorry for your loss.

Attended DW’s aunts funeral today. She was closing in on 95. Nice lady.

 

[Calico]

Was notified that my Sister passed away this morning from cancer. Will be a solemn night.

Very sorry to hear this. My condolences on your loss.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Thank you all. She just turned 64, 2 weeks ago. Life is too short. Why did I retire? Life is too short! Thanks again everyone.

 

[MRG]

Got up at 5:00 AM so I could go see a new eye doctor for a second opinion on my left eye. She was a welcome breath of fresh air. Probably spent an hour with her going over my symptoms and doing standard eye things and a new to me exam.

She told me, no my visual distortion isn't normal or likely to fix itself. She quickly pointed out I have a macular pucker that shouldn't be the issue at this time but may cause issues later in life. She suggested a different kind of test to inject contrast into my eyes to get a different perspective.

They set me up at the station and one gal is taking pictures of my retina as the other one injected dye into my vein. They gave me a minute to allow it to work more as a reddish glow settles over the room? I look up at the lights and they're all glowing red! WTF? I ask if they're starting NYE early? They informed me that is the dye and it will wear off in a bit. Gal also says my urine would glow a sick florescent yellow, it does.

So the doctor shows me the photos and with the contrast you can see inflammation in an area of my retina and what she says is some area that is still healing. So she sent in a script for the same drops I threw away two weeks ago. Hopefully this is a step forward.