Don’t fix it if it’s not broken—I hope I’m finally learning my lesson

Can I share a couple quick gripes and then bow out quietly again?   I’ve had a rocky couple of days, and just wanted to vent.  First of all, what you see here is my old Xfinity router and my new X1 Gateway.  I’ve had my old Xfnity router for 7 years and it’s never given me a lick of trouble.

(Well, a few years ago I thought it was dying when my internet stopped working—I jumped thru enough hoops to warrant an actual technician here, who determined my router was fine, someone had disconnected my broadband connector in the basement.)

Anyway—for the last 5-6 months, I’ve been getting texts from Xfinity.  “We noticed you’re still using an old router!  We will be happy to replace that with a Gateway, at no extra charge!  Type 1 for YES, or 2 for NO”   I always hit 2—I was fine with my old one, why fix it if it’s not broken?

But the texts continued, so finally last week I caved and hit yes.  And two days later, this newer gizmo showed up at my mailbox, with instructions on downloading the X1 app and setting it up myself. 

Suffice it to say, I followed the instructions very carefully and everytime I ran a test on the app, got back “It’s not working.  Let’s troubleshoot!”   I troubleshooted until 1:30am Saturday night.  I finally said to hell with it, hooked my old one back up… nope!  That one was now officially a brick! 

The next morning, I got another text from Xfinity.  “There seems to be a problem with your internet.  Would you like a technician to visit you?  Our nearest opening is Sept 30 at noon-2pm.”  I said yes.  It asked me if I was sure.   I SAID YES THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!

I later figured out (on my own) how to ‘de-register’ and  re-register my old one, and got back my internet high-speed connection again.  And when that Xfinity tech arrives, I’ll be very curious to see if he gets the new one working—but I am REALLY attached to that old one and plan to let him know.  I should’ve trusted my gut to begin with.

It just reminds me of this continued inflammation in my head & face, the return of long covid symptoms after that 3 hour dental appointment.  I wasn’t experiencing any pain or discomfort with my teeth, all I wanted was a good teeth cleaning!  That dentist insisted I had 5-6 developing cavities!  I was 80-90% past the long covid inflammation, until he got in there and started drilling away.  This is Day 21 of it returning.  Again, why fix it if it wasnt broken… I just want to scream.

Finally… yesterday (Sunday) afternoon I was sitting here preparing to eat my dinner, some stewed tomatoes and a Havarti omelet, when my heart began racing.  I said “Oh well” and dug in.  A few minutes later, my heart began pounding and I broke out in a very hot sweat—I raced to the bathroom and threw up what I’d eaten.  Was I having a heart attack?

I called 911, told them what was happening and asked if I should wait & see if things subside.  They said absolutely not, they were sending someone right away.  I raced in my bedroom to change my pants and grab my wallet, by then the pain was spreading out across my torso and I was finding it more & more difficult to breathe.

Two EMT medics arrived within 10 minutes; I was laying on my living room floor but had my front door standing open so they could see me quick enough.  Long story short, I was taken to Mercy Hospital, had an x-ray, CT scan and abdominal ultrasound and they determined I had a large gallstone trapped in my bile duct.

If you’ve ever had kidney stones or gallstones, you know they can leave you gasping.  One feels like a knife in your back, the other like a knife in the stomach.  Here’s the difference though, kidney stones (once passed) leave you achy and sore in your back & sides for a couple days.  Gallstones?  The pain is like an on & off switch.  Once its passed, you’re fine.

I finally passed it a couple hours later.  Mercy was going to send me home, but after learning I lived alone and had no family nearby, kept me overnight for observation.  They even arranged a cab home for me early Monday morning.  Before I left the hospital, the AP asked me if I’d given any thought to gallbladder surgery (considering my prior history) and I did say it’s crossed my mind, what did he think. 

He said my attacks have been infrequent (my last one was a year ago) and as the gb looks healthy and hasn’t given me any real problems yet, why fix it if it isn’t broken.  Yes this time I’m going with that.

Thanks for reading, talk to everyone again soon.

UPDATE:  It took him 1 hour and 39 minutes, but Josh from Xfinity got my new gateway up and running.  The black one is no more, and Josh informed me it was on it’s last legs.  Life goes on...

I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but this (sorry to say) isn’t dead yet

I’m not the one who posted this question, but it showed me right away I wasn’t alone

The night before last, I was sitting here watching a movie, holding a couple ice packs on my face and trying not to think about this godawful long covid inflammation that returned on Sept 10—the day after my 2 1/2 hour dental appointment—when it hit me: was I the only one who experienced this? 

I checked out my former Reddit hangout (Covid Long-Haulers) and did a search for relapses following dental work, and omigod—dozens & dozens of people suffering big relapses after (extended) visits to the dentist.  One medical professional theorized it had something to do with a still overactive vagus (cranial) nerve, and high speed drilling and injections into the oral region while in long-term covid was a recipe for disaster. 

I only wish I’d seen this before sitting in that dental chair for 3 hours.

I also wish I had an idea how long this is going to last.  I was living with mild relapses pretty much daily, but they usually only lasted 30 minutes or so, 1-2 times a day.  My last “big” relapse was in July, and lasted 4 days.  This one (the most severe in over a year) has been ongoing for 2 weeks straight.

I’m sorry for sharing all of this again, I just wrote about it 2 posts ago.  I’m just worn out and infuriated.  I tried going outside yesterday for some sun & fresh air and it just made things worse.  All I can do right now is keep reminding myself I got past this before.

I am seeing a little improvement with my feet at least, I’m able to walk on hard surfaces (like my dining room & kitchen floors) without shoes, as long as I’m wearing double-thick Gold Toe socks. 

I don’t believe it has much to do with that shockwave therapy though.  My third shockwave treatment is later today.  During my second treatment last Wednesday, I asked the doctor if he treated many others with this foot disorder, he said yes, many.  I said “Are they all fixable?”  He said “I’m not going to lie to you, half of them have been coming here weekly for years.” 

WHAT!  I decided I had to be more pro-active about this.

I began watching so-called “plantar” specialists on youtube, and several days ago came across one doctor who said “If you’re experiencing burning sensations in your calves after a long walk, or the middle of the night while in bed, you need to start calf exercises right away.  If you ignore your symptoms, they could develop into Achilles tendonitis, or worse yet, plantar fasciitis.” 

Yep, that’s exactly what happened to me.  I’ve been doing foot & calf-stretching exercises 3-4 times daily for 6 days now. 

Anyway, that’s all I have right now.  I may not be posting again too soon, I need to get past these issues a little more or get in a better state of mind at least.  Yesterday a dear friend told me her sister was awaiting an organ transplant and it didn’t lessen my own discomforts any, but did help me see my own situation in a better perspective.  Thank you as always for being here, take care, talk to everyone soon.

Giving things a go with Bachelor Apron I mean Blue Apron

The other day I was on my tablet, reading an article from Bon Appetit about the “new” Blue Apron.  If you’ll recall, Blue Apron was the one that started the whole meals-in-a-box thing.  Anyway, Blue Apron was reinventing themselves.

Single serving meals, no more weekly subscription required, a once-monthly shipping charge.  Most of these outfits charge $15-20 a box to ship.  Blue Apron will now charge a flat $9.99 a month, regardless of how many boxes you have delivered.

I’ve been wanting to try one of these services for awhile, where the meals are mostly prepared.  I’m sorry but I just don’t have it in me to learn how to cook more than hamburgers or chicken, but I still need healthier options in my diet and more variety.  So it was either this or start flirting with 70 year old Dee next door.  Now that woman can cook!

When I visited the website, I saw they still had their traditional dinner kits, new “Bake in a Pan for Two” meals, and lower calorie single-serve “Dishes”.  I signed up for a one month trial that included free shipping and 30% off my first couple orders.

I got this box with 5 single serve meals and a pizza kit.   With the promotional discount, this wound up costing me $36.00.  

• Four-Cheese Enchiladas
• Creamy Red Pepper Fettuccine & Uncured Bacon
• Cavatappi Beef Bolognese
• Southwestern-Style Turkey
• Chipotle Cheddar Pork Sausage & Potatoes
• Truffle Honey White Pizza Kit

The pizza kit smelled delicious, I could really smell those loose ingredients.  The other meals were airtight, under 600 calories.  Not a lot, but I’m trying to cut back anyway.  You have 5 days to eat them or freeze ‘em.

You can either microwave or bake in the oven; I baked the red pepper fettucini with asparagus & uncured bacon first

I do plan on ordering one or more of the “Pan Meals for 2” next time.  They claim to serve 2-3, have more traditional components, and those pan meals (baked in an oven) should be enough for a couple dinners.

Here’s my first Blue Apron “Dish”, which I served with a small salad & garlic bread.  I think I baked it a few minutes longer than necessary, but I’m not taking any shortcuts via the microwave.  It was very tasty (and very spicy) and did fill me up.

 

Here’s the second “Dish” I had, the Southwestern Turkey.  It contains turkey, brown rice, guajillo chili pepper sauce, corn, peppers & onions, black beans, monterey jack cheese, jalapenos.  I added a dollop of sour cream, which pretty much made it perfect. 

It may not look pretty, but this was also filling and I was surprised how delicious it was.  (Very, very hot—but delicious!)

Finally, here’s the Truffle Honey Pizza—strangely, it cost the same as one of the single-serving Dishes, but was more than enough for two people.  It did take a lot of prep, but was worth it.  The crust was puffy and soft, the cheeses and toppings were aromatic and fresh, and that black truffle zest gave it a real gourmet taste.

If I order from Blue Apron again, you can be sure I’ll include another pizza kit.

I don’t think I can bring myself to pay $10.00 per single-serve meal after my 30% discount runs out though.  Are these single-serve meals worth $5-6.00?  Absolutely.  $10.00?  Nope.

Maybe this will be a “once a month assortment box thing”, but I’m not doing more than that.  Oh fudge, I better learn how to cook!

I think I know what’s going on… gosh darn it

Since last Wednesday I’ve been experiencing a full-on relapse of my long-covid inflammation.  Crackling in my head, face & neck.  Burning in the mouth and cheekbones.  Pressure & inflammation in my left eyeball, left temple, side of skull.

It starts out sore when I awaken, slowly rises during the morning, and by 1-2pm I’m laying on my bed with the lights off & door closed.  By 4pm it’s pretty intense.  It dies down by 6-7pm and settles into my neck, which I try to manage with a couple of pain patches until bedtime.

It’s been months since I’ve experienced such severe symptoms, and this started the day after my recent dental appointment last Tuesday.  I went in for a marathon session of 5 fillings and front tooth restore, a 3 hour appointment.  I should’ve spoken up and said I was just getting over 20 months of cranial inflammation, can we spread the fillings out, but I didn’t.  The next morning I could barely move my mouth, it was so stiffened & sore.

Was it all the drilling and propping my mouth open for 3 hours, or the 4 injections in my gums?  I kept flinching and he said “Let’s switch from novocaine to articaine, it’s a lot more potent.”

2 weeks earlier, I sat in that same dental chair and the same dentist picked & scraped at my teeth & gumline for 90 minutes, a “rigorous dentist cleaning”.  Yet I was completely fine afterwards. 

I can’t help but feel that this 3 hour dental thing re-ignited the long covid inflammation somehow.  I didn’t know that was even possible.  And yet here it is.  I was still dealing with mini-relapses daily, but they were mild and only lasted for 30 minutes.  I honestly thought I had this 90% nipped in the bud.  Hopefully this awful flare-up will fade soon.  It’s become painful to talk or chew.

Meanwhile, it’s been 4 weeks since I developed plantar fasciitis on the other end and I continue to hobble like a very old man.  My doctor explained how months of inactivity will cause you to lose strength & flexibility in your plantar fascia, hence my feet & legs giving out on me. 

Fair enough, I am starting those shockwave therapy sessions this week and doing daily stretching exercises to get my old self back.  As soon as my face recovers, I’m pain-free and more mobile, I’d love to travel south and visit family.  It’s been almost 2 years since all of this started and I last saw them.

I am getting a little improvement in my feet at night.  I sure wish I’d waited on all that dental work though.  Way too much, too soon.  (I still need those 2 molar implants!)

Here’s my usual disclaimer:  I’m not looking for sympathy, pity, nothing.  It just helps me feel less alone when I share.  I plan to keep posting on here like nothing is wrong. 

But when I’m my old self again, I’ll share it with you guys first!  Anyway, I promise my next blog is going to be more upbeat—with lots of food.

Thanks as always for listening. 

The time I met Polly Holliday (“Flo”) and her costars—but it’s not who you think

A couple days ago I heard on the news that Polly Holliday (who played Flo on the CBS show “Alice” in the 1970s-80s) died.  I was surprised to learn she never married or had any children, and was born July 2, 1937. 

She was exactly 3 weeks older than my dad—but with him being gone over 25 years now, she had a long life at least.

I was also surprised to see all the other roles she played in movies and on tv, I had no idea.  I only knew her as that waitress with the catch phrase “Kiss my grits!”

That’s not entirely true though; I saw her in a live performance once, and got to meet her after the show.

In January 1990, I was dating a girl named Rossi I met at the Shaler Highlands Apts (the first place I lived after moving to Pittsburgh).  We were the same age, and both worked downtown.  I was a computer programmer for Omega Systems, she worked in Public Relations at Heinz Foods.  

She worked for her mom, who was a big executive at Heinz.  The first time I met her mother, she asked me what I did for a living and when I told her, she said “How long do you intend to do that?”  When I told her I’d only been at it a few months, she said “Try to be a little more ambitious for Rossi’s sake.”

So one night we’re invited to Rossi’s parents for dinner, and her mother says she has a late Christmas present for us:  two tickets to the premiere of ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ at the Benedum Center downtown.  It stars Kathleen Turner as Maggie, Charles Durning as Big Daddy, Polly Holliday as Big Mama, Daniel Hugh Kelly as Brick.

(Kelly played the race car driver on the 80’s show “Hardcastle & McCormick” co-starring Brian Keith.)

Her mother tells us we MUST dress up and asks me if I own a navy or charcoal gray suit.  Yes, I have both.  She asked me if I had a nice tie and I said I had several—but she still had a tie delivered to my office a couple days later, with a $65.00 price tag on it.

The night of the show, a car was sent to pick us up at our apartment complex.  Rossi was gorgeous in a glittering red dress and I couldn’t believe my good fortune—but I felt out of place when we arrived, as most of the crowd in front of the theater was dressed pretty casual, and people kept looking at us and mouthing stuff like “Whoa”.

When the doors finally opened and we began filing in, I handed our tickets to the usher and he said “Sir, when the show is over please remain in your seats.  Either myself or another usher will escort you to our rooftop.”   Rooftop?

Polly Holliday as Big Mama, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Kathleen Turner & Charles Durning take their bows

It was a wonderful show, and when the lights went up and people began filing out, we remained seated.  We looked around the theater and noticed 5-6 other couples also in their seats, also dressed to the nines but appeared to be considerably older. 

We were taken behind stage (wow!) and up stairs covered in red velvet to the roof.  They had lights strung up, candles everywhere, and 2 tables in white linen with champagne, fruit, canapes, a chef standing behind a roast duck & roast beef.  It was very elegant.

I remember asking Rossi if she was used to this sort of thing, she said no, never.  We then heard a smattering of applause, and Charles Durning emerged, wearing baggy overalls with nothing on underneath, swigging from a bottle of whiskey.  He nodded at the group of us and said “Let’s get this shitshow over with” and walked over to the tables of food.  He didn’t talk to anyone the rest of the evening.

Daniel Hugh Kelly appeared next, in a red satin robe, with a towel wrapped around his neck.  He kept fluffing his hair back, and walked over and stood beside Durning.  I told Rossi “They don’t want to be here” and she said “But I do!” 

Then we heard louder applause and Polly Holliday emerged.  She had her hair piled high on her head with various rods in it at different angles, and wore a Japanese kimono with an obi pillow on it’s back.  She looked so tall!  She walked over to each couple and did a graceful bow, and when she got to Rossi & myself she said “What do you think?” and the three of us laughed and I’m not even sure why.  She was so kind, and so down-to-Earth, and told us she was going thru a Japanese phase and everyone should try it at least once in their lives.  She had the biggest smile I ever saw.

I very much wanted to tell her how much I loved her character Flo on “Alice”, but this whole affair felt so surreal & elegant, I was afraid to say anything that would reveal what a hick I really was. 

I have to admit though, the highlight of the evening was Kathleen Turner.  She was the last one to appear and was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING in a silver dress with long diamond earrings.  She looked 100% like a Hollywood star.  She smiled and nodded politely to the other audience members there, walked STRAIGHT OVER to Rossi and myself and asked what we thought of the show.  We told her she nailed Maggie, we just loved it.  She told us this was their very first performance, they were going on to Boston & Philadelphia next, then to New York.

Rossi said “I loved you in ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’, Miss Turner.  I hope that’s alright!”  Kathleen laughed and said thank you.  I was dying to tell her I’d seen all her pictures, I loved Prizzi’s Honor, Jewel of the Nile and Body Heat, but to be honest I was just… starstruck.  She looked at me and said “What is your industry?”  I said “Er… computers, Ms. Turner.”  Kathleen said “Of course.  How old are you?”  I told her we were both 28.  She said “I’m very impressed.”   Why?

All I kept thinking was that just 3 years earlier I was living in my friend’s attic back home, almost penniless—and in that 3 years time managed to go back to school, move to the city, land a good job and wind up on the roof of the Benedum with a bunch of hoity-toity rich people and Hollywood celebrities.  How?!

I did later learn the supper was sponsored by the theater, for locals who donated $25,000 or more to Children’s Hospital.  Rossi & I had gone in place of her parents, who were meant to be there on behalf of Heinz Foods who had made the donation.

Anyway, I’ve been wanting to share this story since I started this blog 20 years ago, but never had a good reason.  Now I do.  Rest in peace, Polly Holliday. I’m very glad I got to meet you and your terrific smile.

 

One shock after another: it’ll do a body good (hopefully)

The last couple days have been busy ones, health-wise; I just hope I’m going in the right direction, because right now I’m a bundle of nerves.  Unfamiliar ones.

Yesterday afternoon, I returned to my new dentist for 6 ‘deep fillings’ and a lower front tooth restore.  I was expecting a laid back session, as I was there 2 weeks ago and he gave me one of the best & relaxing teeth cleanings I ever had.  This session was a lot more intense though.  He had my lower mouth propped open for 2 1/2 hours and I think he gave me one too many shots of novacaine (because of all my flinching).  I awoke this morning with a VERY achy face and weird ‘stiffness’ around my mouth & chin.  Not a great feeling.  It died down this afternoon but returned after dinner.

(My bill was also $1,086.00—that’s what happens when you have no dental insurance!)  Anyway, I’m just hoping the soreness in my face ends in the next day or two.

Today was my appointment with the plantar specialist, Dr. Bill.  He did a thorough examination of my calves, ankles and feet.  I explained to him my sedentary routine for 16 months from long covid, then “getting back out there” with 2 mile walks to the senior center and back, 2-3 days a week.  Then a month ago I began experiencing burning sensations in my calves, then a week or so later, my feet.

He did tapping, twisting & pressure point tests, and diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis.   He told me he could work manually on my feet and calves alone, which my insurance would cover (minus a $32.00 copay), or I could also receive shockwave therapy.  He said he’s treated many people with plantar, and the shockwave patients usually recover in half the time his manual-only patients do.  I believed him, I’ve been reading up on this shock therapy a lot these last couple weeks. 

Unfortunately, my insurance does NOT cover the shock therapy and he told me it would be an additional $100 for a 30 minute session, or I could pay ahead and get 5 weekly sessions for the price of 3.  So that’s what I went with, not including the session I got today (which didn’t cost me extra besides my copay).

He had me lie on my back, while he rubbed ‘conductor goop’ on my right foot first, then my left.  It was cool & soothing.  Then he begain running that machine—“tik tik tik tik”.  I told him I didn’t feel anything.  He told me that the healthy parts of feet wouldn’t, there would only be pain in areas with damaged fascia or scar tissue.  Sure enough. I soon began having some very painful reactions.  He kept track of my responses, and came up with a pretty good map of where things are not good, numbered 1-8 for pain.

Dr. Bill thinks I’ll be in better shape in 5 weeks time, but told me no more ice; cool or lukewarm foot baths only.  He also told me no NSAIDs for 48 hours following a session, Tylenol only.  My next one is next Wednesday. 

I’m sorry for all this health stuff, I promise my next blog is going to be a better one—it’ll be all about food.

 

House Calls (on a Saturday afternoon, no less)

This past Friday (September 5) with the help of my dear friend Mary, I visited my new doctor in nearby West View so he could look at my plantar fasciitis and also have bloodwork done.  Mary, THANK YOU.

(I regret to say the foot problems have gotten worse since a week ago, and it’s just too painful to walk even with shoes.  I am seeing a so-called plantar specialist this Wednesday at Bellevue Chiropractic.)

Anyway, Dr.Mike told me he once had this same condition (from being an overzealous marathon runner) and wound up tearing the fascia in both feet.  It took him two months to make a 90% recovery.  He said “There’s an old saying, ‘work thru the pain’.  That is wrong.  Do NOT work thru the pain.”  Got it, doc.

Afterward, they took me into another room to do the bloodwork—I asked the nurse her name, she said “Karen but don’t worry I’m not one of THOSE Karens.”  What a shame that someone named Karen almost has to defend themselves now!

After they finished, they told me they’d have the results in a couple days and someone from the office would schedule another visit or talk to me on the phone.

So earlier today (Saturday) I’m sitting here on my sofa, the phone rings.  I don’t recognize the number, but pick it up anyway.  I hear “Hello Doug?  It’s Doctor Mike.” He explained he was reviewing my bloodwork and didn’t want to wait until Monday to call me.

Uh-oh!!  A woman at the senior center once told me her doctor called her once after-hours—to inform her she had diabetes.  My heart began racing and I said okay, I was ready.

He said “I’m comparing your numbers to 2 previous blood works, one 3 years ago, one 5 years ago.  Your good cholesterol numbers remain stable, your bad cholesterol has decreased.  We see no excess uric acid, nothing indicating possible prostate cancer, your glucose and A1C numbers are in safe ranges so you aren’t a candidate for diabetes.”  

I said wow that’s awesome and he said the numbers were much better than 5 years ago.  He also said “Your liver enzymes were 78 in 2020, making you a candidate for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.  Your enzymes now is 13, I would’ve been happy with 25.  How did you do that?”   I told him I gave up candy, cake, soda pop, nightly pie and weekend ice cream for the most part.  He said “I think that worked out in your favor.”

So, he wants me to come back in 2 months.  I’m still 30 pounds overweight, still have high blood pressure, still dealing with daily long covid relapses in the side of my skull and now this infernal plantar fasciitis in both feet.  But somehow, my insides are doing better than ever!

I know this was a boring read, sorry about that.  I just had to share the good news with somebody.

 

Picture of the Day: Loving those drugs from the Sixties

The other day I was coming down Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue and was surprised to see this storefront sign, hidden since the 1960s.  Construction crews were tearing down the front of Rite-Aid Pharmacy, which declared bankruptcy and shut their doors in my neighborhood in December 2023. 

(For the record, I sort of blame them for my long covid; I stopped there to pick up my blood pressure meds after Thanksgiving in Nov 2023.  They asked me to come back on Monday.  When I said “Will you guys still be around?” they assured me they would. 

When I returned, they were closed and had sent my prescription to Giant Eagle.  My friend Susie gave me a ride to Giant Eagle; she had covid but didn’t know it, voila.)

Anyway, Rite-Aid had been my drugstore for 30 years.  But when I moved to Bellevue in 1993, it was Eckerd Drugs, which were bought by Rite-Aid in 1996.

But before it was Eckerd Drugs… it was THRIFT DRUGS.  A Pittsburgh company, they opened in 1935.  And that’s what this was until 1968 when it was bought by JCPenney, who sold it to Eckerd.

Anyway, the construction crew had halted their work on the storefront (which is being converted into office space) but no one seemed to know why.  I thought I’d get a couple pics before they tore it down further. 

I don’t know why I find this so curious, I can’t help but wonder—how long has it been since anyone last saw this vintage sign?  A lady on the street said “I haven’t shopped at Thrift since I don’t know when!  But it wasn’t Thrift Drugs, it was Thrift Drug!” 

My dear woman, that sign is evidence to the contrary.  Anyway, I’d love to go back in time and take a gander at the items for sale inside.  Remember Breck Shampoo?  Prell in a tube?  Dippity-Do?  Hi-Karate Men’s Aftershave?  I wonder if it had a soda fountain?

Well, the good news is my bus drove past a couple days ago and they still haven’t torn it down.  It sure would be fun to see Thrift Drugs make a comeback!

Let the healing begin (well, let some healing begin at least)

Today has been a good day—well, a better day than the last few ones.  Walking VERY carefully, I was able to make it to the bus stop to catch a ride to the Lutheran Senior Center for lunch.  But when I arrived, I discovered I’d forgotten to sign up. 

(You need to sign up at least 2 business days in advance, I could’ve sworn I did last week.)

However, my timing was perfect—Evie had just arrived, discovered she too had forgotten to sign up so off we went to KFC for some much needed fried chicken.  We brought our food back to the center, and afterward she gave me a ride to Kuhn’s Market for some much needed groceries.  

Evie if you’re reading this.. thank you again.  I love you dearly.

When I got home, some welcome relief was in the mail.  The gout (or even fungal infection) I thought I had a couple weeks ago… it’s neither.  My PCP say it’s most likely plantar fasciitis, and based on the symptoms (burning calves & soles, painful to walk in your bare feet) he recommended a couple items which I just got in the mail today, pictured above. 

A pair of nubby foot rollers and some very excellent plantar cream.  It’s hot, but soothing stuff.

This whole ordeal has been too strange, I just wish I had a timeline of when this will end.  A lot of folks at the center (Evie included) have had this, and say that one day you wake up and it’s just gone.  I certainly hope so, my PCP said it could take a few months. 

It’s in both feet, but definitely more in the right one.  And on that note… here’s my 9 1/2 double-wide right foot.  Thanks for reading.