They say if you decide to represent yourself in court for legal matters, you have a fool for a client. Apparently the same holds true for medical issues as well.
With my CK blood level dropping to nearly normal (and blood tests having ended), and my feeling so normal again, I just assumed that I am "back to normal" and haven't thought about needing to watch myself, though Ned doesn't want me climbing stairs without someone behind me "just in case" and I've noticed that though I can walk about the house without assistance, and even feel more strong when I am cooking, which I have not for a long while, I still feel the need for a cane to walk outside, since I am uncomfortable with my balance. And when I am going into a more crowded place, like Atria, I feel much more stable with a walker. I remember that my friend Jeri, who has used a walker for a long time, says she uses a walker "because I fall a lot."
But we made a big mistake before Ned left for Hawaii. He left here at 9:30 in the morning and it was afternoon before I realized that we had not asked him to change the water bottle on the cooler. I knew it was running low and thought about reminding him, but in all the confusion of his leaving I did not.
So when dinner came, the water bottle was nearly empty.
No problem, thought I. I've been adding the new bottle to the cooler for years and knew that with my return to "normal" I could do it again.
Until I went outside to get the 5 gallon bottle and realized I could no longer lift it up. I managed to maneuver it closer to the front door and between Walt and me, we got it lifted into the house and we got it slid down the hall to the cooler. Now, I could have called our friend Jessica, who is "on call" for emergencies, but at that hour it seemed kind of silly to have her make a special trip just to carry water for us
But then came the hard part--lifting it from the floor to the counter. No problem, thought I. Only when I tried to pick it up, I realized I was not nearly as strong as I thought I was, or as I used to be. I am sorry there was nobody there to take a video because it must have looked very silly, all three of us working together, like the 3 Stooges, but we DID get it onto the counter. From there it was easy--I've done this part before. Tip the bottle over so it rests half on the counter and half on the cooler and then push it to an upright position. This DID take two of us to do, but it was the easiest part of the process.
It makes me angry remembering when I could sling the bottle over my shoulder and carryit to the cooler.
The next time it is due to be changed, either Walt's brother or Tom will be here and then it probably can last until Ned gets home -- we don't go through as much drinking water in the winter as we do in the summer, and since Walt admitted he prefers tap water, it's just me drinking it.
The afternoon was taken up by shopping. Alice and Walt went to pick up "a couple of things" at Trader Joe's and I went to do a bigger shopping at the supermarket. When we got home and compared our purchases, there were several overlaps.
I was tasked with getting eggs. Have you bought eggs lately? My god is it confusing. First you decide between medium, large and extra large (they were out of jumbo). Then do I want locally raised or not? Free range or not? Organic or not? white vs. brown? Do I pay more for "happy chickens" or less for budgetary reasons?
I almost didn't buy eggs. It was entirely too complicated (I ended up with extra large, locally raised non-organic white)
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