Coronavirus

WOW!

I started this post in my blog on March 30, 2020.  It was just going to be the map of the US showing the concentration of reported cases.  But, things are moving so rapidly that I've since edited the post a few times in order to mention some of what else is happening in the three days since I started writing. 

As of today March 30, 2020

What can a person say that hasn't already been said many times around the world in hundreds of languages and dialects?

As of today, 4-3-20

Looking at the timeline below it didn't take long before it was clearly a worldwide problem.

When did the coronavirus start?  These are excerpts from a New York Times article by Derrick Bryson Taylor explaining the coronavirus timeline.  The entire article is worth a read.https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html  


DEC. 31

Chinese authorities treated dozens of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause.

JAN. 11

China reported its first death.

JAN. 20

Other countries, including the United States, confirmed cases.

JAN. 30

The W.H.O. declared a global health emergency.

JAN. 31

The Trump administration restricted travel from China

FEB. 7

A Chinese doctor who tried to raise the alarm died.

FEB. 11

The disease the virus causes got a new name.

FEB. 14

France announces the first coronavirus death in Europe.

FEB. 23

Italy sees major surge in coronavirus cases and officials lock down towns.

FEB. 24

The Trump administration asks Congress for $1.25 billion for coronavirus response.

       At this point the United States, where Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials warned of an                 almost certain outbreak, had 35 confirmed cases and no deaths.

FEB. 28

The number of infections in Europe spikes.

FEB. 29

The United States records its first coronavirus death and announces travel restrictions.

MARCH 3

U.S. officials approve widespread coronavirus testing.

       By this point, the coronavirus had infected more than 90,000 around the globe and killed about                                  3,000, according to the W.H.O.

MARCH 13

President Trump declares a national emergency.

MARCH 26

The United States leads the world in confirmed coronavirus cases.

       The United States officially became the country hardest hit by the pandemic, with at least 81,321 confirmed            infections and more than 1,000 deaths. This was more reported cases than in China, Italy or any other                      country.

MARCH 30

More states issue stay-at-home directives.

And it continues...

The first time the American public heard about it was weeks after it was first reported in China.  Then one person in America had it.  Then more.  Alerts began to trickle in.  By then it was too little, too late to stop it.

Anger set in as it was learned that the President ignored advice and warnings from our own intelligence agencies months before what was soon to become the biggest challenge ever to not only Americans but all humans worldwide.

Within days, the news was quickly spreading, often with incorrect (sometimes deliberate and sometimes unintentional) and confusing data.  It was so confusing, in fact, that it was difficult to even comprehend by the masses, much less responded to the threat on a personal level.

Things continued to get worse.

It wasn't long before everyone came to the realization that this was a bad thing.  Even then, there was still no cohesive plan on how to deal with it.  The President was telling everyone that it was under control.  Scientists were saying that was not true.  More untruths quickly followed, often mixed with unfounded exaggerations and finger-pointing as to blame.

Out of the confusion came the first clear instruction: everyone should wash their hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially after touching pretty much anything or anyone.  And to use alcohol-based sanitary-wipes if hand-washing was not available. (if you could find them)

Then we were told to "cover our mouth when we cough" became the 'suggestive message' that pretty much any kind of mask, even homemade, would offer protection from someone else coughing.  And there were not enough masks anyway.  They sold out quickly, and homemade masks were considered unsafe unless made to specific standards.

By then, fear and pandamonium were starting to set in.  We as a nation and as individuals were obviously not prepared for this threat.

To make matters worse, the stock markets world over began to sink further and further into recession.

All of this, so far, had occurred in less than ten days from when most Americans even heard about it.

While some people resorted to science for facts and solutions, others found comfort in religion and prayers.  Some resorted to downplaying the threat while others exacerbated it wildly with misleading and untruthful claims. 

The resulting confusion led to chaos and anarchy.  Warnings were ignored.  Preparation and testing were delayed,   Exposure, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment were all issues within themselves, each with their own seemingly insurmountable problems.  No one in authority had any idea what to do to contain it, let alone getting the supplies, equipment, and training to help front-line personnel respond without becoming infected themselves.

Panic began to set in, due mostly to the White House's ever-changing and frequently exaggerated statements.  The best and brightest experts were being ignored.

Frustrated state Governors began to take their own initiatives, often in direct conflict with official White House statements and assurances.

The public did not wait.  Within a single day, many store shelves were emptied of anything that could be important, with toilet paper being the highest priority. Bleach was also sold out, although it would have served no real purpose as scientists concluded that the virus was not a living organism that could be killed like bacteria.

Meanwhile, people were dying.  At first a few each day.  But within just a few days the numbers began to jump wildly and quickly reaching hundreds, then thousands of deaths.

Predictions of 'millions of deaths' were becoming common for the United States alone.

Businesses closed or changed their business to 'drive-through' or 'home delivery' only.

Millions of workers were laid off or told to work from home.  Everyone was told to stay home unless it was absolutely necessary to go anywhere.

"No Contact" and "Stay at least 6 feet, then 10 feet from others" were simple orders that were meant for everyone.  No hugging, kissing or shaking hands.  Families had to say goodbye to their dying relatives through windows, if at all.

Crowds were not only discouraged but they were also made illegal.  That meant churches, schools, sporting events, and even parties could no longer be held.  Large expensive weddings suddenly became small, family-only affairs, or postponed until later.

Within days schools closed.  Churches stopped having indoor services.  Other places where large numbers of people gathered were simply stopped.  Some managed to set up in-home classes for students, or on-line or TV religious services.

The stock markets world over started to tank, frequently dropping by hundreds of points in a single day.  Thousands of points on some days.  Trillions of dollars were instantly wiped from people's net worth, retirement funds, and investments.

Millions of workers had no income at all coming in.  Record numbers of unemployment claims were filed into a system that was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem.

Congress passed a huge stimulus bill that promised checks to every American, as well as to support businesses that were critical to both the economy and the welfare of the population.

Some towns and cities imposed curfews because they simply did not have the manpower to deal with a catastrophe of this size.  By then few people needed to be told to stay home and read or watch TV or sleep.  Just don't go out.

Even if you did need to go somewhere, perhaps far away from home, how would you get there?  Airlines canceled hundreds, then thousands of flights.  Airports were virtually empty.  Many gasoline stations were open but you couldn't be sure if they would be open elsewhere if you had to make a long trip.  Restaurants were closing outright, or for drive-through only.  Clearly, it was best to just stay home.

"How long will this thing last?" suddenly became the paramount question.  Weeks?  Months?  Yes and Yes.  Maybe even more than a year.  Then what?

All we know at this point is that life will never be the same.

Fredericksburg, Texas - A Gathering of Old Eggheads

Don't let the title fool you.  There were also some youngsters (mostly over 40) there and some almost twice that age with the energy and enthusiasm of the youngsters.  But some alternate names for it are: "Rest Fest"  "Elder Fest"  "Ol' Timers Fest"  "Geriatric Fest"  "Old Geezers Fest"  and probably one or two other aptly called monikers.

Here's the group photo:

First row left to right:
Pete Benac, Celtic Wolf; Evan's Tabor, Chubby; Ann Tabor, Chubby's Chick; Johanna Sanchez, William's SIL; Colleen Cremer, Mrs Lake Conroe Egger; Charlotte Harris, Mrs. Kolbdriver; Richard Harris, Kolbdriver; Frank Cremer, Lake Conroe Egger; Kim Price, Dessert Filly; Randy Price, AZRP; John Hall, Egret; Joan Hall, Lady Egret; Karen Chamberlain; Bill Wise, Wise One (above Karen); Sharon Schweitzer, Mrs Lawn Ranger; Mike Schweitzer. Lawn Ranger; Kelley Underwood, Egg Obsessed; Jay Taylor, SSN686; Bruce Underwood, No Joke Smoke; Kathy Taylor, Mad Hatter; Judy McMillin, Spring Hen; Monica O'Deskey, Molly Shark; Iris Broyles;
Leroy McMillin, Spring Chicken

Top Row:
Ella Sanchez, Egger Too; Lei Sanchez, William's brother; William Sanchez. Sancho65; Hotch Van Blarcum, Hotch; Clay Roberts, ClayQ; Diane Robert's; Ann Pospicil, Mrs. Popsicle; Zefrin Pospicil, Popsicle; Tom Chamberlain, Rusty Rooster; Lora Hofer, Crafty Pez Head; Darian Hofer, Photo Egg

Not Shown:
Shelly Van Blarcum; Rita Benac

The gathering was something Mike "Lawn Ranger" Schweitzer, a long-time Egghead and friend to all, dreamed up to re-group some of the Eggheads of Old.  Yes, the ones who set the tone and tempo for promoting and sharing their Big Green Egg EGGsperiences.

There's really no way to tell how many Big Green Eggs were sold around the world as a direct result of Early Egghead's enthusiasm.  But with very little spent on advertising, the Big Green Egg company kept growing by the tens of thousands of new customers year after year, even during times of an economic downturn in the economy.  Even they admit that 'word of mouth' was (and probably still is) their best advertising tool.

The important point is that most Eggeads first knew of each other only by way of an online forum.  Thanks to that forum we could share our EGGsperiances and recipes, ask questions, and learn from others.  Although we were hundreds of miles apart it didn't take long before true friendships started to develop between folks who may never meet in person.

Then "Eggfests" started popping up all over the country.  By definition, an Eggfest is a gathering of volunteer Eggheads who were willing to pay our own way just to cook and serve every imaginable type of food to total strangers who want to see what the Big Green Egg was all about.  It was literally a 'demonstration' of the Big Green Egg's versatility and usefulness presented by devoted Eggheads who just wanted to help people understand not only how it cooks food but how much better the food tastes when cooked on the Egg. 

With so many eggfests it became easier for us to meet Eggheads and potential Eggheads.  More important, it gave us Eggheads a chance to meet the very people we had only known through the online forum chat room.  In every instance, each introduction was a magic moment where lifetime friendships grew even stronger, no matter our lot in life.

Fredericksburg was a 'gathering' instead of a 'ceramic smoker/grill cooking demonstration.'  We spent our time with each other instead of with curious strangers.  It could not have been a better idea.  The time was right for it.

Literally, millions of Eggheads around the world owe a lot to the early pioneers of ceramic cooking.  But there are so many Big Green Egg owners these days, the close relationships we developed when we were few in number simply isn't possible.  Most Big Green Egg owners will never know the friendships and kinships we had in the early days.

After the event was over, Judy and I spent two wonderful days with Egghead Friends, Kelley, and Bruce Underwood, at their home on Lake Buchannan, a few Texas Miles east of Fredericksburg.

Then we drove home to Covington.  It was almost 600 miles.  We made it home in just under 12 hours in spite of the rain and heavy traffic.  And as tired as we were (and still are) we believe it was one of the best adventures of our 21 year EGGsperience as Eggheads.

A video/slide show is in the works and will be posted here.  I'm editing photos and video segments now so I can include them in the video.  Stay tuned.

My Elevator Just Got An Up-Lifting Workover

As some of you know, I have an elevator in my garage.  I designed it myself and purchased all the components.  My nephew and brother-in-law put it in for me.  Took 'em just two days.

It has been a life-saver.  I can't imagine being without it when I need to store something in the attic or retrieve it whenever I need it.

But even well-designed elevators are subject to wear and tear.  After only a few months I had to replace the electric hoist for some reason.  I think it was a cable problem.  But Harbor Freight gave me another one because I had purchased a 2-year extended warranty. 

I installed the new hoist and all was well again.  Until we noticed a popping sound coming from the hoist.  I took it down over the weekend and returned it to Harbor Freight.  They gave me a new one.  And this one was a later model with increased lift capacity (1,320 pounds).  I didn't need the extra power but I'm happy to have it.

I installed it and hit the up button.  The motor maid a very high pitched grinding-like sound.  I knew that wasn't right so I took it down and called Harbor Freight.  They didn't have another one at the Covington store.  So I called the Hammond store.  They didn't have one either.  So I called the Slidell store and they had two and both were the new models with increased lift capacity.

And off to Slidell where we got stuck in two Marci Gras parades.  So it took a while to get back home.  After a few struggles, a couple of which resulted in some minor blood-letting, I got it installed.  But I didn't have the energy or patience to splice in the remote control extender.

But as of this afternoon, I'm happy to report that it is back in operation and has already come in handy three times. 

I may make a new video of it in operation one of these days but if you're curious to see what I'm talking about, here's the construction video from two years.ago. 

https://youtu.be/au2-9RkvC7I

So Far, So Good in 2020

First of all, the weather this winter hasn't been nearly as bad as it could be.  One reason is that we've learned to not go outside when it's raining or cold.  But even the rain hasn't been bad, just wet.  And the cold only got down to 19° I believe they said.  And earlier this week it was warm enough for me to pressure wash The Coop and anything else that needed it.  So let's give the weather a 7 so far.

Next is our health.  Neither of us is sick, although we do have those annoying aches and pains from time to time. 

Judy is healthy and doing fine, except for some arthritis in her hands.

In my case, I've been getting good results from the only two issues at the moment.  The first issue involves my good eye.  I see fine, but the cataract debris leftover from my cataract surgery last year is still there after months of daily drops treatment and frequent doctor visits to keep tabs on my progress.  The debris is getting smaller and it doesn't bother me like it did at first.  It may take weeks or months for the rest to be absorbed by my body.  I'm not worried and give that an 8.

The other issue was that Squamous Cell Carcinoma that showed up on my heart-bypass donor leg.  The skin surgeon checked it last week and said I could stop coming for followup visits, as well as discontinue the bandages.  The leg is still a bit inflamed so I'll give that an 8 also. 

I also started a diet on January 1st and have lost 10 pounds.  But now I'm in that 'lull' when I neither lose or gain weight.  I'm still eating diet food and skipping the sinful foods that got me overweight in the first place.   (I really miss 'em too)

As for building stuff, I'm pretty much dead in the water.  About the only thing I built was a countertop easel for my new art hobby (yet to be started). 

But I did express my 'woodburning' skills on a practice board.  I can see myself liking woodburning as I get more experienced at it.

Oh, and I'm really starting to get interested in making cheese.  We'll see about that.  What I would rather make is a brisket.  A big one.  I can do that and even eat it if I stick with the Keto Diet.

We're leaving for Texas in about three weeks.  It will be our first trip back there.  This time to Fredericksburg for a gathering of some of the early Eggheads.  It won't be a traditional Eggfest type event.  It's more like we just sit around and talk about the good old days until someone gets an idea to do something else.  There's no telling what we'll end up getting into but I strongly suspect it will include adult beverages and food.  Yes, there will be a  visit stop along the way and probably multiple stops at Buc-ees and HEB stores on the way home.

Finally, LSU winning the National Championship made up for any bad days we may have had this year.  Geaux Tigers...

2019 Comes to an End

Medically speaking, 2019 was a booger of a year for me, starting with cataract surgery on my only good eye in January, followed by carotid artery surgery in April, followed by quintuple open heart surgery in May.  As you can imagine, there were some very trying moments during this period.  If it had not been for Judy I’m not sure I would have survived it.

I eventually completed my twelve weeks of cardio rehab and made considerable progress on returning my life to ‘normal.’

Then in September my only good eye developed a sharp pain and blurred vision.  Multiple trips to my ophthalmologist determined that some of the debris from the pulverized cataract dislodged from somewhere in my eye and migrated to another spot.  That caused inflammation that resulted in temporary vision problems.  We opted for the less risky, non-surgerical, remedy of waiting for my body to absorb the debris with the help of various drops.  It’s almost back to normal.

Meanwhile, I had two squamous cell carcinomas removed from my cheek/nose area and one from my vein donor leg.

I also gained back much of the weight I lost during my open heart surgery adventure.  Along with the weight, I also regained my strength and ability to return to my hobbies of cooking, woodworking and landscaping.

I also got good news about my teeth.  After two years of no dentist visits, all I needed was a good cleaning. 

And as of tonight I’m on a weight loss diet.  We’ll see how that goes in a few weeks.

Moose Milk and Cookies Party

It has been a good year for us.  That's in spite of my having a quintuple heart bypass, replacement aorta valve and carotid artery cleaned out. 

Add to that my cataract surgery in January.  It ran into some complications in October.  I'm almost fixed from that little scare.

Add to that two squamous cell carcinomas (face and leg) that required surgery. 

Add to that a number of 'blood-lettings' due to accidental cuts and bumps.  The way I do things usually ends up causing some blood loss.  BandAids usually take care of it though.

As bad as it sounds, I still have all my teeth and I even got an 'attaboy' during my last dental visit.

Meanwhile, Judy and I decided to throw a Moose Milk and Cookies Party for our friends and neighbors here in Terra Mariae.  It was two days ago and turned out great.  Here's the link to the YouTube video I made of it:  Moose Milk and Cookies Party

Everything else is just staying busy doing retired stuff.

We'll be closing out this year and starting the new year healthy and with most projects finished.  We may be able to plant roses next year so we can stop and smell them every now and then.

Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.

My Sweetie's New Hammock

Back in Texas (seems like a hundred years ago) my Sweetie loved to relax in her hammock. Most of the time she read some favorite book, or maybe took a nap there in the shade of the hot Texas afternoon sun.

That was the one thing she missed most since we moved here. But there was no place that offered shade in the afternoon when she likes 'hammocking' the most.

So what did I get her for our 46th anniversary? A hammock, of course. And with no 'for sure' idea where to put it, we decided to try it right off our porch. It's an easy place to get to and is large enough to accommodate the 15' long hammock.

We'll likely build some sort of arbor or pergola later on but for now, she's got a hammock to read or nap in. Here's what it looks like this morning.

By-Pass Surgery Update

(Note: Since first posting this update I have decided to add updates as they occur)

Everything in me feels great, and I'm back to doing most of the 'normal' things I did before the Quintuple by-pass and carotid artery surgeries back in late April and Mid-May.  As tough as that was to deal with and recover from, it seems like it never happened.

But (there's always a 'but'), my vein-donor leg continues to be a problem.  Swelling, occasional pain, red, a rare blister or two, very sensitive areas and areas of no feeling at all, and one dime-size wart-looking thing that mysteriously arose from one of the blisters sometime around July.  My cardiologist didn't know what it was, but thought it wasn't a problem.  Most likely some infection from the blister opening up.  I was told to leave it uncovered to dry out.  And I did leave it uncovered but as it dried it became painful at times as the swelling around it stretched my skin to very uncomfortable levels, especially when lying in bed.  The 'wart' was inspected multiple times by Nurse Practitioner, Jeff Kitch, on subsequent visits to Dr. Aduli's office.  No one seemed to know what was causing it.

This is what my donor leg looked like on May 24, 2019 at 3:05 PM (ten days after my open heart surgery).

This is what it looked like on November 7, 2019

You can easily see the 'wart' near the center of the screen.  That's a squamous cell carcinoma, explained below.

Meanwhile, the compression stockings that I had been wearing since the surgery didn't appear to be doing anything to help.  If anything, the stockings created more of a problem.  The heat and humidity in Covington kept me 'damp' to full-out 'wet' with non-stop sweating.  The wet stockings obviously became a problem for my legs, especially the donor leg.  I performed my rehab walking exercises inside my home until cleared for Rehab at Lakeview Regional Hospital.  I began wearing the compression stockings intermittently to see if I could wear them comfortably.

I enjoyed the Rehab at Lakeview, but the leg issue continued to make each workout very difficult, mostly due to the pain associated with the swelling.  The staff, including a registered nurse, were very helpful and made sure that I wasn't doing myself harm by trying to over do it.  They were also concerned that I perspired a lot.  It was true, but not unusual for me.

This is Louisiana in July and August, so some of the extremely high temperature/humidity/dewpoint days were compounded by my trying to walk (exercise) or work outside.  Or even try to relax outside.  When I removed my compression stockings my legs were not only swollen to the point of 'bursting open,' they had the look of a person's skin after hours in water.  And the "dime-size wart-looking thing" appeared to be larger and for some reason, now 'threatening.'

This went on until I had a routine visit with my dermatologist.  I asked her to take a look at the 'wart thing' to see if it was a dermatologist issue.  She didn't want to intercede in treating it while I was still a heart bypass patient in recovery.  But she said I should make sure my cardiologist looks at it.  She did not diagnose or treat the bump.

Earlier during the week  of 11/4, "they" (Erin Gill and Jeff Kitch, both nurse practitioners in my cardiologist's office) looked at it, took photos of it, and had no idea what it was.  There appeared to be no infection associated with the redness surrounding the 'wart' because the area was not feverish.  But there was still lots of fluid in both legs as evidenced by the swelling and the hardness of the calves of my legs.

Nurse Gill also gave me some samples of Livalo (Pitavastatin) which I'm to cut in half to use once a day to see if it works to lower my cholesterol (I had discontinued (with Jeff Kitch's reluctant permission) taking Pravastatin to see if there were any side effects from discontinuing it.  Pravastatin caused a great deal of joint pain.  The joint pain is considerably reduced by not taking Pravastatin.)  

A CT Scan was ordered, followed by a sonogram and blood test.  No problems there.

It was even discussed that I be hospitalized for a few days so that I could receive an intravenous antibacterial medicine.  So far, nothing came of that idea.

I asked Jeff Kitch if maybe I should see my dermatologist about it.  "I would!" was his response.

Two days later my dermatologist, Dr Christel Malinski, saw me (without an appointment) and quickly diagnosed the 'wart' as a squamous cell carcinoma.  She took a biopsy sample.  The results will take a few days.  She prescribed Mupirocin Ointment 2% to apply to the biopsy wound after cleaning.

This is what the leg looked like 6 days later on 11-13-19.  The biopsy wound seems to be healing nicely.  But some reddish/pinkish color remains.  The calf of my leg is not nearly as rigid as before.  As of 11-13-19 I'm still waiting for the biopsy results, which she said could take a few days.

This image is edited in order to highlight the reddish areas.

But Dr Malinski also assessed what was causing the swelling and other issues with the legs.  She said 'edema' is what is causing the swelling.  The fluid has to come out.  She strongly recommended that I resume wearing the compression stockings and to elevate my legs whenever possible.  She explained why.  It made sense.  She also prescribed a lotion or cream (Clobetasol)  that would help the surrounding areas of inflammation.  We could afford the salve but the Clobetasol was more than we could afford, so we didn't take it.  Instead, I kept using the lotion (Ammonium Lactate) that was prescribed by the nurse-practitioner, Erin Gill.  The Ammonium Lactate was discontinued on 11/11 at the advice of Dr Malinski because it was not steroid based and would not help the inflammation.  She gave me a sample product (Lexette) to try on the surrounding area near the biopsy wound.  I am uncertain as to whether it is working.

I've since taken to wearing the compression stockings during the day and spending an accumulated 1 hour or more (usually in 20 to 30 minute periods) lying on the floor with my feet well elevated in a chair while wearing my compression-stockings.  While in this position, I frequently raise one or the other leg straight up for one minute.  During that time I massage (milk) the calf of the leg downward.  Not being medically trained, I'm not sure if this effort works.  But I have noticed a slight improvement in the calf's rigidness. 

I expected to be called by Nurses Gill or Kitch during the following week (week of 11/11) to schedule a follow-up visit, hopefully with Dr Aduli, my cardiologist.  I assume Dr Aduli has been briefed on everything except the biopsy results from Dr Malinski.

Nurse Gill did call late at night on Tuesday the 12th.  As did Jeff Kitch's assistant, Rhen, the day before.  Both said the results of the CT Scan and sonogram were excellent, as was the blood test, but Nurse Gill that she got in trouble for ordering the tests.  Dr Aduli apparently did not agree that the tests were warranted since the cellulitis was no longer an issue.

I received a call from Dr. Malinski's assistant on Friday, November 15th, informing me that the biopsy was confirmed to be a squamous cell carcinoma, and it would need to be surgically removed.  They will fax the necessary documents to the Skin Surgery Center in  Mandeville, Louisiana, and they, in turn, will contact me to set up a surgery date.

As they say, "Every day starts with, 'We'll see what today brings.'"

Remembering Our Sailboat Adventure

It was a rainy day and I had little to do.  So I took a nap.  During my nap I dreamed I was on my sailboat in Biscayne Bay in Miami back in 1975.  Only I was older.  I was 78, my current age, not the 33 I was then.  And I was oddly alone.

I would never think of going out sailing without my Sweetie.  Yet, there I was, an old man letting the gentle wind take me wherever it was going.

The dream was very real and I could even hear and feel the soft waves as the boat glided through them with easy grace.  She steered well.  I felt safe, and in control.

It felt wonderful...

Then I woke up.

Three hours later I was still thinking about that dream.  So I went to YouTube and watched the short video I made of the few photos we took 45 years ago.  Instantly, I was back on the boat, this time with my Judy and our neighbors, Joanne and Val.  I remember it was a fantastic day for sailing for novice sailors.

I'll probably think about that sailboat and that adventure a lot in the coming days.  And no, I won't be buying a sailboat to re-live the experience.  I don't have to - I can just dream about it or watch the video, and I'll be taken back to a time in our lives that was filled with adventure.  This was just one of them.

If you want to watch the video, here's the link:

https://youtu.be/2JKNS0AYy_U

Tropical Storm Olga

A few days back I recall telling someone that we need a tropical storm to make up for the lack of rain for well over a month.  Ancient trees, lawns and ornamental plants alike were showing the stress of a prolonged drought.  Only a lot of water could help.  A summer shower was not enough.

Well, yesterday, 10-26-19, we got 'a lot of water' in the form of Olga.

            Tropical Storm Olga Damages Northshore Area

"Tropical Storm" she's called, and maybe "Hurricane Olga."  She definitely hit with the personality of a hurricane and the rage of a tornado.  And 72 mph winds were reported in Abita Springs, just a few miles from us.

Olga dropped 2” of rain on us and 5” or more on areas west of us. 

I slept through it but Judy was up and could hear it blow through.  We got to see the damage when it got light enough.  After a few minutes of looking around we were surprised that it wasn’t worse than it was.

The first thing I noticed was the back porch wireless phone lying in the middle of the sidewalk about 25’ away from its perch well under the porch.  Rain was still falling and it got soaked, but it still lit up.  That’s an odd object to go flying that far when there was a lamp right next to it that barely moved.

Winds had to be close to 70 mph here and probably more in other areas.  Trees were down everywhere in the Northshore area.  Some trees near our house were stripped of about half their leaves or pine-needles.  Roads were closed, some areas flooded, and the power went out, of course, about 5:00 am.  It came back on at 7:10 pm last night.  A long day without power and without any news and no TV to watch the LSU - Auburn game.  (we won - barely)

There was some damage to some our planted and potted plants, a picture-holder molly-bolt was actually pulled out of the porch's brick wall.  Another painting was down but understandably so.  It was just hung on a small nail.  Yet another picture near it was unmoved, 

A five-foot tall Hibiscus plant just off the Coop was knocked over. It may be salvageable.  The Coop itself was undamaged but it was full of pine needles and water.  We cleaned it up and cooked breakfast and dinner there.

Four doors down, the wind knocked down a brick-wall gate entrance.  As more and more neighbors come forward, we expect to hear of lots of damage to awnings and plants here in our neighborhood.  

Given the extent and type of damage we had, we think it may have been a small tornado or wind-burst because it seems to have made very narrow path between our house and the Coop.  Some things that should have been knocked over or at least moved were still in place only inches from where something else, even some heavy stuff, was moved anywhere from a foot to 25’ away.  It even knocked over a heavy concrete angel behind the Coop.

Our neighbors with whole-house generators had power all day, of course.  But we lived without it. I sure would have liked having a whole-house generator that started up automatically within 30 seconds of the power outage and runs forever on natural gas. (Added to the list of how to spend my lottery winnings.)

I now believe that weather is worse here than at was in Texas.

At least we don't have earthquakes or snow blizzards to deal with.

Eye Problem Update

We just returned home from the ninth visit to my ophthalmologist in three weeks.  Good news!  The 'debris' from the pulverized cataract that caused the problem is still there but "the edges are getting smoother" suggesting that my body's own defenses are slowly wearing it down.

It could take months to completely dissolve it but it no longer bothers me as much as it did the first two weeks.  At least I can see my computer screen without having to blow everything up ten times normal size.

And I can even drive and make sawdust and cook and do yard-work without a problem.  But I sometimes have to stop everything and put some drops in to lubricate my eye, or if my vision is affected too much, take a nap.

Meanwhile, my three types of eye drops (one a steroid), has been reduced.  The reduced drops will gradually signal my body to begin 'attacking' the debris as it normally would.  The steroid drops actually tell my body to ignore the debris until the inflammation and swelling go down.  Otherwise, my body would create a problem by attacking it as it would any other 'foreign object.' 

My doctor is very good about explaining everything, and stresses caution when discussing surgery options.  He is well aware of my concerns for surgery risks, since cataract surgery is how I lost vision in my right eye years ago.

He said the good news is that it is now under control and hopefully one day soon it will be completely resolved.

We also learned that he owns a Big Green Egg.  What a coincidence.
 

We'll See About That

Back in January of this year I finally had the cataract taken care of in my good eye (left one).  My vision was slowly getting worse, and although I could see to drive and get around, even build some things, it needing fixing. 

The risks of a problem developing during surgery was high, but so was losing my vision due to an accident because I had difficulty seeing or doing something dangerous. 

The surgery was a success and within days I was able to see 20/20 out of the eye.  I could also read or watch TV or drive without glasses.  I was both relieved and thrilled.

But three weeks ago I woke up at 2:00 am and could hardly see anything with the good eye.  And I had a really bad pain under the eyelid up high.  I could even feel a small lump under the skin.  Artificial tears didn't help so I went back to bed.

The next day it kept getting worse so we just went to my ophthalmologist's office and waited for an opening.  He was busy, as usual, but he saw me. He gave me some drops to try and come back the following day.  Then on the third trip he finally figured out that when he pulverized (that's what they do now) the cataract lens, some of it apparently didn't get sucked out.  Instead, it lodged behind something inside the eye and remained there all this time.  I apparently did something to dislodge it and it was causing the vision loss and pain because of the inflammation.  Plus, my glaucoma (pressure inside the eye) was higher than he would have liked. 

He said we have two choices: surgery to suck out the debris (takes less than a minute but has the higher risks) or let my body absorb the debris naturally (the lesser risk).  He wanted to try seeing if the body could absorb it.  So I started using some drops that would help move the process along.  That was three weeks ago and I'm currently using three types of drops, including one which is sort of a super-powered steroid based drop that I take four times daily.

Tomorrow I will go take yet another test that measures the swelling in retinal area of the eye.  It should be down even more since Monday, and a lot since this first started.

Meanwhile, I feel like I've got something in my eye all the time.  And small print drives me nuts.

Maybe tomorrow I'll be well.

As they say, we'll see...

Cardio Rehab completed

It took 144 days from my quintuple heart bypass surgery on May 14, 2019 until Friday morning, October 4,2019 when I finished my three months of rehab. Except for a week off to travel, and one day due to illness, I was there every day I was scheduled.

I feel better for it.

My thanks go out to the Cardio Rehab staff at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, Louisiana: Joann West, Staff Nurse, Renee Messenger, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and Caleigh Dolese, Intern. Not only were they 'professionals' in every sense of the word, they made sure that I was doing what was needed to rebuild my muscles, my resolve and my understanding of my role in taking better care of myself. Plus, they were a joy to be involved in my life for the entire rehab period.

And they presented me with a 'Certificate of Completion' that will be added to my list of accomplishments in my lifetime, along with my 'Discharge Instructions.' It may sound odd, but they hope to never see me again. I took that to mean 'in the rehab center as a patient.'

That being said, I took the liberty to make it a special day.

First, I talked about the Big Green Egg so much that I just had to cook something for them. I decided on White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. I realize they are not exactly into eating cookies, but I thought they may appreciate the fact that the Big Green Egg can also bake cookies.

I also wore my "I Survived Open Heart Surgery" shirt, but I added a sticker saying "And now I survived Cardiac Rehab."

Here are a few photos, including me cooking bacon and eggs for my graduation breakfast. I know... I know... And there was a huge Muddy Blary involved in both the cooking and eating of the breakfast.

Life is good after Cardio Rehab.

Jennifer's Visit

When we moved to Texas back in 1988, one of the first people who eventually became life-long friends was Jennifer.  She was just starting out in the business world.  Judy took her under her wing to help with the basics, but Jennifer was smart and savvy enough to catch on quickly.  She continues to shine in the business world, but more so in raising her triplets, Mollie, Elise and Preston.

Jennifer's Mom, Jo, was also an inspiration and some of the perspiration to the tasks that lay ahead raising three distinctly different triplets.  In other words, a loving and caring grandmother.

We got to see all of them yesterday.  They were passing through Covington on their way back to Texas and wanted to stop by.  It was a wonderful visit.  We didn't know just how much we missed them until they arrived.

They couldn't stay long but they left enough love and memories to last us a while.

I took a few pictures and made a short video of their visit.  Here's the link.

https://youtu.be/wMbCoiL_jtw