wow, K9!
Hilary and other Windy City-ites…
- Thread starter Spiky Bugger
- Start date
navygrrl
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2023
- Messages
- 220
I think that's awesome! My husband picked me up for our first date and I never left. Sometimes you just know.
Exactly.I think that's awesome! My husband picked me up for our first date and I never left. Sometimes you just know.
We met online on a Sunday, met in person on Wednesday, spent 1/2 day together on Thursday (played hooky from work), he came over that evening, and never left - moved in officially over the weekend. He told me he was going to marry me before I even knew his last name, but we waited 6 months to actually get married - this August will be our 25th anniversary.
We had a wonderful trip planned to celebrate our anniversary - cruise from SF to Auckland, travel for 2-3 weeks in NZ, then a week in Fiji at a resort. I hired a personal trainer back in September to get us in shape for the trip.
But Charles has been vaguely unwell again for several months, with more muscle mass loss, falls, fatigue and weakness. His doctors are “on it,” but he’s too weak to take on this ambitious agenda. We canceled the cruise reservation last week. Maybe we’ll substitute a few days at a very expensive local spa experience instead. https://www.castlehotsprings.com/
We had a wonderful trip planned to celebrate our anniversary - cruise from SF to Auckland, travel for 2-3 weeks in NZ, then a week in Fiji at a resort. I hired a personal trainer back in September to get us in shape for the trip.
But Charles has been vaguely unwell again for several months, with more muscle mass loss, falls, fatigue and weakness. His doctors are “on it,” but he’s too weak to take on this ambitious agenda. We canceled the cruise reservation last week. Maybe we’ll substitute a few days at a very expensive local spa experience instead. https://www.castlehotsprings.com/
I’m sorry Charles has been under the weather. I hope his doctors get to the bottom of the problem and get it fixed.
That spa looks intriguing.
hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 3,766
Hope Charles feels better soon. Spa looks amazing!
I love this kind of story.
really sorry to hear it, hope the doctors figure out what's going on and can fix it.
Oh hai - I’ve just been busier than a diarrhetic cat covering shit. We had to pack up, empty, and move out of our house for the LOOONG overdue renovations (we’re getting new floors so everything had to be out). And it’s been very unfun.
As for (my) Charles (at least you, me and Liz are married to Charleses), his health is still not great. But I got very angry at him for not doing anything about it, and for a change he (sort of) listened to me, or at least decided he’d better do something to shut me up.
So he went to his PCP, with a list of issues I thought he should mention and address. This included his 50 year history of smoking, and I knew he qualified for a low dose chest CT. In addition, the PCP wants to change his diabetes and liver meds - he wants him off insulin and to change his diuretics.
The CT comes back with mostly good news on his lungs (of course he has some emphysema), but some really concerning “incidental” findings - a small ascending aortic aneurysm to go with the abdominal aortic aneurysm, and severe blockages of three of his coronary arteries. But the PCP’s response to this information is to up his statin and that’s it.
I’m of course beside myself about it. So I download the CT report and send it to our cardiologist through my portal, who wants him to come in. But now I’m stuck - C will be pissed that I went behind his back.
There was then another “slight” distraction: C was scheduled for carpal tunnel surgery on his right hand on the 7th. With all the work that needed to be done at the house, it would have made sense to postpone it, but I didn’t say anything, because I saw a benefit: if he was incapacitated, he would have to accept some paid help, and maybe not have a heart attack. (Note: we live in the Phoenix area, and it’s already in the 110°s.)
So we show up at the surgicenter for what C thinks is going to be surgery with just a nerve block, and the anesthesiologist takes a look at him and isn’t amused. He had no bloodwork or cardiac clearance for general anesthesia and he’s concerned.
So I helpfully suggest that C had a stress test a few months ago with his cardiologist, and the anesthesiologist gets on the phone with the cardiologist, and they compromise on doing him with just sedation and an open rather than endoscopic procedure.
A few days later, I messaged the cardiologist and asked that someone call C for an appointment based on the CT report, but not say how they got it. And they did. He’s had an appointment with the cardiologist’s PA, and I assume there will be a follow up shortly. But at least they’re on the same page.
In the meantime, I had to do all of the prep and loading of the RV, because we need to live in it for the summer in Phoenix. I lined all the cupboards and closets and most of the windows with Reflectix, made sure we were in a spot where the RV faces east so the fridge is on the north side, bought a portable AC in case the two rooftop ACs can’t handle the heat, and we’ve been living in the RV for 3 weeks. So far so good. Tomorrow should be the last day of emptying the house, and Charles has help for tomorrow.
And I need to get my ass in gear and go to the paints store tomorrow to pick colors for the painted kitchen cabinets, and then soon I need to go to the flooring store to pick the flooring, finalize and order the marble medallion I want for the entryway, and some copper inserts for one set of cabinets (they will look like this, but Shaker style) as an artsy-fartsy bit to go with the copper prep sink, faucet and cabinet handles.
Still to figure out:
• The barn door for new Costco room (closing in the too-small front dining room to make a butler’s pantry and place for the appliances that do not need to live on the counters and in my bedroom closet)
• The countertops
• The cupboard handles
• The inserts for the spice cabinet (the ones I want are ridiculously pricey)
• Exact wall colors
• I’m sure I’m forgetting something
I’ve already bought the sinks and faucets, and the pendant lights. And I bought the appliances in Nov 2021 …
In the meantime, I had my annual check up with our PCP, and as soon as the work on the house starts, I’m going to get the smoker’s CT and cardiac calcium scan (not covered by Medicare but not that expensive and worth it). And I had my annual eye exam and suddenly, my cataracts are “ripe” and I need to figure out when to have them done and with which intraocular lenses.
Getting old is a lot of work!!
My organs recital is over … how’s everyone else doing?
As for (my) Charles (at least you, me and Liz are married to Charleses), his health is still not great. But I got very angry at him for not doing anything about it, and for a change he (sort of) listened to me, or at least decided he’d better do something to shut me up.
So he went to his PCP, with a list of issues I thought he should mention and address. This included his 50 year history of smoking, and I knew he qualified for a low dose chest CT. In addition, the PCP wants to change his diabetes and liver meds - he wants him off insulin and to change his diuretics.
The CT comes back with mostly good news on his lungs (of course he has some emphysema), but some really concerning “incidental” findings - a small ascending aortic aneurysm to go with the abdominal aortic aneurysm, and severe blockages of three of his coronary arteries. But the PCP’s response to this information is to up his statin and that’s it.
I’m of course beside myself about it. So I download the CT report and send it to our cardiologist through my portal, who wants him to come in. But now I’m stuck - C will be pissed that I went behind his back.
There was then another “slight” distraction: C was scheduled for carpal tunnel surgery on his right hand on the 7th. With all the work that needed to be done at the house, it would have made sense to postpone it, but I didn’t say anything, because I saw a benefit: if he was incapacitated, he would have to accept some paid help, and maybe not have a heart attack. (Note: we live in the Phoenix area, and it’s already in the 110°s.)
So we show up at the surgicenter for what C thinks is going to be surgery with just a nerve block, and the anesthesiologist takes a look at him and isn’t amused. He had no bloodwork or cardiac clearance for general anesthesia and he’s concerned.
So I helpfully suggest that C had a stress test a few months ago with his cardiologist, and the anesthesiologist gets on the phone with the cardiologist, and they compromise on doing him with just sedation and an open rather than endoscopic procedure.
A few days later, I messaged the cardiologist and asked that someone call C for an appointment based on the CT report, but not say how they got it. And they did. He’s had an appointment with the cardiologist’s PA, and I assume there will be a follow up shortly. But at least they’re on the same page.
In the meantime, I had to do all of the prep and loading of the RV, because we need to live in it for the summer in Phoenix. I lined all the cupboards and closets and most of the windows with Reflectix, made sure we were in a spot where the RV faces east so the fridge is on the north side, bought a portable AC in case the two rooftop ACs can’t handle the heat, and we’ve been living in the RV for 3 weeks. So far so good. Tomorrow should be the last day of emptying the house, and Charles has help for tomorrow.
And I need to get my ass in gear and go to the paints store tomorrow to pick colors for the painted kitchen cabinets, and then soon I need to go to the flooring store to pick the flooring, finalize and order the marble medallion I want for the entryway, and some copper inserts for one set of cabinets (they will look like this, but Shaker style) as an artsy-fartsy bit to go with the copper prep sink, faucet and cabinet handles.
Still to figure out:
• The barn door for new Costco room (closing in the too-small front dining room to make a butler’s pantry and place for the appliances that do not need to live on the counters and in my bedroom closet)
• The countertops
• The cupboard handles
• The inserts for the spice cabinet (the ones I want are ridiculously pricey)
• Exact wall colors
• I’m sure I’m forgetting something
I’ve already bought the sinks and faucets, and the pendant lights. And I bought the appliances in Nov 2021 …
In the meantime, I had my annual check up with our PCP, and as soon as the work on the house starts, I’m going to get the smoker’s CT and cardiac calcium scan (not covered by Medicare but not that expensive and worth it). And I had my annual eye exam and suddenly, my cataracts are “ripe” and I need to figure out when to have them done and with which intraocular lenses.
Getting old is a lot of work!!
My organs recital is over … how’s everyone else doing?
Last edited:
We’re doing ok, as far as cataracts, I did the Toric lenses years ago. This spring, I had the YAG procedure which is the laser cleanup many need within 5-10 years post op. Other than having a boatload of readers around the house, it’s been great.
Having a major set of hospitals within an hours drive has been a great help. And having doctors who don’t see us as obese is even better. Even better, this spring we found a bariatric surgeon who is versed in the DS and fixed my hiatal hernia without screwing up my innards. His staff is typical of most, they have no clue how DSers need to eat or our vitamin levels but are willing to pull our labs, we just continue to monitor our own as we’ve done for years thanks to you and others who paid it forward all those years ago. Especially since our PCP and the absolutely wonderful NP who handled our care has been a blessing. She was willing to learn and help. He retires at the end of next month. We break in a new PCP this month who has been working with my bariatric surgeon’s patients. So I don’t have to explain my innards.
Our house is a money pit, we fix one thing, something else breaks. We live at Lowe’s and Home Depot, thank goodness I get a Veteran discount on most things. We’ll get there but it takes time. If we could have found a way to rent with all our cr, we might have. Owning is expensive.
hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 3,766
I'm also married to a Charles!
Glad to hear from you and sorry it's been so hectic and challenging lately. Love the cabinets - you are so creative!
That's the truth! My new neighbors want us to split $20k expense for a replacement wooden fence between our yards, but we disagree with the estimate and style.
Also glad that you have an excellent NP and knowlegable PCP-to-be.
wow, you are brave as well as prepared.
I'm glad Charles is getting things taken care of, and hope if the heat gets too bad you can maybe find the time to drive up into the mountains? so much to take care of but 110, yuck.
Our neighbor has a privacy fence on his side of the property line so he gets to choose style and color. Thankfully it isn’t obnoxious.
hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 3,766
Mine wants to make the fence lower (reduce height from 8ft to 4 ft). Thethey will be able to see directly into our great room and vice versa if we don't add drapes to our floor to our 18 foot high, narrow windows, which let in beautiful light. Plus they want horizontal wood, which is more expensive and doesn't match the standard vertical wood fence on the other side of our yard. Finally, they want to extend cantilevered portion over the edge of our backyard ravine, impacting our view and also possibly contributing to cliff decay.
Not a fan. I feel we already are being very tolerant of their unneighborly ways, which include things such uplighting the trees outside our bedroom window until 11 pm every night.
At least they turn out the lights at 11PM. Two of our neighbors leave theirs on all night long.
