Stray Thoughts 2.0

[taxlady]

They make meat like products for vegetarians like veggie dogs, and veggie bacon, burgers etc...why don't they make products for people who don't like vegetables? Carrots made from pork, or chicken formed in the shape of cauliflower? I think it would sell...no?

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Baconator Fries

Could this be Wendy's idea of a U.S. version of poutine?

Baconator Fries

 

[Addie]

I have two rings that I rarely take off. They are both aquamarines, my birthstone. One is an emerald cut and the other is set in an old fashion setting. When they get dirty, they look horrible. So I give them to Spike and he takes them to work for me and cleans them. They are so beautiful when I get them back.

Aquamarines are in the beryl family. The same as emeralds. They are soft and can damage very easily. So I have always be reluctant to try and clean them myself. But I found the perfect way.

A soft toothbrush and Dawn dish liquid. I put some Dawn on the brush and gently clean all sides of the stones. When I rinse them off, they looked like new. Unfortunately I am going to have to stop wearing the emerald cut one. My knuckles are so swollen, that once I get it off, I will have to leave it off. Of course that is the one that looks the best when it is clean. And the one I love the most. It figures. I could have Spike get it made a tad bigger for me. But then the ring will spin on my finger. Alas!

Most of June and now into July, I have been having a terrible time with my bad leg. Night time is becoming pure hell. Then this past week, I had a bout with sciatica. Same leg. I would love to get more than five hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. Getting old stinks, BIG TIME! I am not ready for it. Not even for the cane they gave me to use while I have the sciatica.

 

[Addie]

Living in a big city, I miss the small town celebration of July 4th. The doll carriage and bicycle parade. The concert on the commons and the small show of fireworks. The pie eating contests, the judging of the canned goods of home cooks. I think the small town celebrations are closer to exactly what the holiday and America is all about.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

My get-up-and-go got up and went.

 

[Addie]

I have as my wall paper five different pictures of the USS Eagle. The Coast Guard Training Vessel. The picture changes every ten seconds. You can't help feeling a sense of pride and patriotism when you see her in full sail. I had to choose between her and the Constitution. I chose the Eagle because you don't get to see the Constitution in full sail. And even though she has a full set of sails, they only go up for very special occasions. Like if the President wanted a ride on her. Or our 250 birthday. Right now she is in dry dock. For a boat that goes nowhere even in good weather, she gets a lot of repairs. Once a year they take her out to Boston Harbor, turn her around, fire off her cannons and bring her back to her berth.

No, I will go with the USS Eagle. Technically, she is quite capable of serving with honor in the event of ever needing her to do so. She does not have to totally rely on her sails. She does have an engine. But it is seldom used. Americans want to see her in full sail. I have seen her several times in full sail when she has come to Boston for a stay down on Commercial Street at the CG Station. And I fall in love with her all over again.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

My Wild Woman neighbor was giving an award-winning performance today, railing at her husband at the top of her lungs. I was sorely tempted to set up our lawn chairs in the street and sell popcorn for the performance.

 

[Dawgluver]

my wild woman neighbor was giving an award-winning performance today, railing at her husband at the top of her lungs. I was sorely tempted to set up our lawn chairs in the street and sell popcorn for the performance.

 

[Cheryl J]

^

 

[Addie]

Well I did it again! Someone kick me really hard. I made up a batch of fried chicken for Pirate yesterday. I made sure that it wouldn't be greasy as I was going to want a small leg. Well I ate the leg and got home a short while ago from the hospital. Sure enough a massive attack on the gall bladder. Bad enough that they were considering sending me up to the OR to have the dang organ removed as an emergency. But I was so unstable with the pain, they decided to address that first. Then the surgical team decided that they wanted to look at my medical history before they would operate.

Sometime in August I all I got. To be continued!

 

[Addie]

Be Your Own Advocate

If you have ever been in the hospital and they have you hooked up to the monitor, one of the items they keep an eye on is your blood pressure. Along with your oxygen level.

Well, this past trip there, they kept waking me up and checking my BP manually. And they kept adjusting the finger probe for my oxygen level. It seems that both levels were dropping to a dangerous level.

First they had an adult size cuff on my arm. I keep telling them to use a child size one. I am not a hulking man size. I am smaller than most 12-16 y.o. kids. But they do not like to listen. Also, I have arthritis really bad in my fingers. Need to go a certain direction? Just ask me and I have a finger that points in that direction. DO NOT SQUEEZE the finger probe. And don't think you know which finger will give you the best results. You don't, I do. Just ask me.

It took a couple of hours before anyone would listen to me. But only after I threw a tizzy fit. It shouldn't have to come to that. It was only after I threatened to pull an AMA that they listened to me.

A child size cuff was placed on my arm and the oxygen level probe was placed on my left thumb. The only finger that isn't swollen from disease.

As a result they got a better picture of what my BP was and my true oxygen level was. This is the second time Winthrop was told to lower my BP medication. The last time I heard the words "Crash Cart" being yelled out as they were flying to the elevators to get me emergency help. Winthrop was also sent a 'document' admonishing them to monitor my medications more closely and adjust the dosage according to my size, not my age.

Now you wouldn't think that the hospital would have a say about what my doctor has prescribed for me. But his hospital association is with the hospital that I go to. So they do have a say about how he treats his patients. They don't want to always cleaning up any errors he may make.

BTW, June, July, do not get sick. Those are the two months when all the new doctors are reporting right from graduation to their assigned hospitals. Rounds take forever, everyone has a chance to examine you and then discuss your case right there in front of you while you are trying to eat your breakfast or go to sleep. Even in the ER.

 

[Cheryl J]

If you have ever been in the hospital and they have you hooked up to the monitor, one of the items they keep an eye on is your blood pressure. Along with your oxygen level.

Well, this past trip there, they kept waking me up and checking my BP manually. And they kept adjusting the finger probe for my oxygen level. It seems that both levels were dropping to a dangerous level.

First they had an adult size cuff on my arm. I keep telling them to use a child size one. I am not a hulking man size. I am smaller than most 12-16 y.o. kids. But they do not like to listen. Also, I have arthritis really bad in my fingers. Need to go a certain direction? Just ask me and I have a finger that points in that direction. DO NOT SQUEEZE the finger probe. And don't think you know which finger will give you the best results. You don't, I do. Just ask me.

It took a couple of hours before anyone would listen to me. But only after I threw a tizzy fit. It shouldn't have to come to that. It was only after I threatened to pull an AMA that they listened to me.

A child size cuff was placed on my arm and the oxygen level probe was placed on my left thumb. The only finger that isn't swollen from disease.

As a result they got a better picture of what my BP was and my true oxygen level was. This is the second time Winthrop was told to lower my BP medication. The last time I heard the words "Crash Cart" being yelled out as they were flying to the elevators to get me emergency help. Winthrop was also sent a 'document' admonishing them to monitor my medications more closely and adjust the dosage according to my size, not my age.

Now you wouldn't think that the hospital would have a say about what my doctor has prescribed for me. But his hospital association is with the hospital that I go to. So they do have a say about how he treats his patients. They don't want to always cleaning up any errors he may make.

BTW, June, July, do not get sick. Those are the two months when all the new doctors are reporting right from graduation to their assigned hospitals. Rounds take forever, everyone has a chance to examine you and then discuss your case right there in front of you while you are trying to eat your breakfast or go to sleep. Even in the ER.

Oh my goodness...Addie....glad to hear that after all you've been through, that you're home and doing well enough to post so much info.

 

[GotGarlic]

Sorry you've had to go through all that, Addie. You have the right to refuse any treatment, including a blood pressure check. Tell them you won't consent to have it checked until they get the appropriate cuff. I need a child-size cuff, too.

Just wanted to mention that the medical academic year starts July 1. New residents are still celebrating graduation in June

On the bright side, you have lots of eyes and brains looking at you, so hopefully you ultimately get better care.

 

[NickeeCoco]

On the bright side, you have lots of eyes and brains looking at you, so hopefully you ultimately get better care.

I prefer going to teaching hospitals for this reason. They spend more time with you, and you learn a lot.

 

[Addie]

Oh my goodness...Addie....glad to hear that after all you've been through, that you're home and doing well enough to post so much info.

Well, there was some good news out of all of that. Winthrop has a "patient advocate" stationed at the hospital. Whenever an Elder Service Plan patient is admitted to the hospital, the nursing staff notifies her and she stops by to see if I need anything. When I got discharged, I called my son Spike to come get me. Instead she came by and told me that she had already arranged for Cataldo to take me home. (Medical Chair service.) Saved on my son's gas and driving through the tunnel both ways. It was a good thing she called them. We hit real heavy traffic in the tunnel and it took almost an hour to make a ten minute trip. There was an accident in the tunnel and that screwed up everything.

 

[Addie]

Helpful Hint For Coupon Clippers

So I have been doing my least favorite activity. Making out my grocery list for shopping. I have several items I need to replenish that aren't covered by food stamps. So I Googled the name of the product and up came the site of the company that made the product. I then looked for their savings and coupons program. Sure enough I was able to print out $3.75 dollars in coupons.

Companies will often have coupons available that you won't find in your Sunday paper or in the flyers. Proctor and Gamble offers coupons at their site on all the products that the company makes.

 

[taxlady]

I have started getting spam telling me they will help me find a divorce lawyer. I guess that's so I will sign up for the other spam about Christian and seniors dating.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Does Stirling know of your double life?

 

[Addie]

I have started getting spam telling me they will help me find a divorce lawyer. I guess that's so I will sign up for the other spam about Christian and seniors dating.

Do they offer to pay the lawyer?

 

[Addie]

We have an aggressive nut that has moved into the building. I had a coupon for Chex Mix. Only it was for two bags. I bought the two bags and knew I would only use one. So I stapled a note on the other one "For the Bingo Folks" and put it on the counter in the community room. Nutcase comes in and steals the bag while I am watching. I went after her to get it back. She started to scream at me at the top of her voice and insisted she was told she could have any food in that room. She raised her hand to hit me. I backed off and went to the office. I should have let her hit me. Because I would have pressed charges against her. Patti, the manager wants her out of the building. And so do a lot of us. I personally think she is at the beginning of Alzheimer's Disease. She wanders the halls, knocking on doors looking for someone to give her food. She does this all the time. She gets food stamps and has food in her apartment.

When she first moved in and if someone made the mistake of letting her into their apartment, she would spot something that she liked and claimed that the resident stole it from her and she wanted it back. Fortunately she is not on my floor. I have always had my door unlocked. Now I lock it all the time. This is the first time I have ever felt uneasy living here. Even when there was the stabbing in the apartment just above me I didn't feel uneasy. I am hoping she does something really stupid that gets her out of here. But I don't want anyone hurt. She also loves to steal. So hopefully she goes that route and it can be proved it was her.