I'm Back!!!

Wow! All I can say is WOW!!! The last week or so has been very eventful, to say the least!! The weather here in the cool North West has been very warm, unusually warm. We are going on 70 days with no appreciable rain, so the weatherman says. So, it’s been hot and dry. Most people love it. Me…not so much. Well, I was doing sort of OK, MS wise, but somehow I guess my body just said, “That’s it!” After about the 5th day of temps in the house above 75 degrees, my symptoms started to flare. I started to have the old “ice picks” jabbing thru my ear and my walking was becoming very difficult, and various other pains that come on when I have a flare-up. I thought that I was handling it. Apparently NOT!! I didn’t up my fluid intake enough and I wasn’t using ice-packs to cool down. MDH came home one evening to find me “cooked.” I don’t know how he got me upstairs and into the shower, because I couldn’t walk. Somehow I showered and washed my hair and then lay on the bed with ice packs on my chest and neck. The house was about 80 degrees and I had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a couple of hours, with an afghan over me. I had been chilly. Hint, Hint. It’s 80 degrees in the house, (hotter outside), your face is hot and dry and your extremities are cold. Something is not right! I suppose the prudent thing to do would have been to go to the hospital, but we didn’t realize how really bad I was. We got some fluid into me and some juicy fruit and kept the ice-packs on all night. The next day I was better, but still couldn’t take care of myself. The things MDH has to do to live with me in this body. He decided “That’s it!” We now have air conditioning! The air-conditioning man “flipped” the switch yesterday!! Oh Happy Day!!! For those who can dance, there is dancing and singing and smiling!!! This wasn’t on our list of things to get done this summer nor someplace to sink some money, but one hospital visit, even w/ insurance, could just about pay for this “coolness.” MDH says, “Don’t worry about it.” After all these years, he just doesn’t understand that “worrying”, is my job!

I apparently had hyperthermia, not a heat stroke, but close. Whatever it was, not fun for all involved. Needless to say, I lived with ice packs and drank 2 quarts of water and sugar free sports drink and ate lots of watermelon, until yesterday. Today, diet and H2O consumption is back to normal.

So I have talked to my sister and told her the story. She says “we don’t sweat”, meaning our family. It’s taken all these years to learn this? I know that I have never liked the heat, even as a child. As an adult, I thought that the reason that I couldn’t take the heat was because of the Multiple Sclerosis. Maybe that and a body that does not work properly, in more ways than one!

At any rate, life is back to normal, or new normal…it doesn’t have to stop anymore when it gets too hot. I have just over a week to get the quilt done. I think 'll just make it!

As Always, Healthy Days to You....Your Smiling Maven

A Little of This and A Little of That!!

That’s what one of my granddaughters said to me this weekend and that will be the way this post is tonight. My granddaughters never cease to amaze and delight me. This one is almost 6 and she made this comment with a head tilt, hand gestures, and a giggle and a smile. How do these children learn to mimic so well? One of the serendipities of life is being a grandparent. Our son brought two of his daughters to our house for fireworks. They had already been to a local parade, but he felt it was time for them to enjoy the fireworks of his childhood. The weather was beautiful…unlike many of the fourths in the Pacific Northwest! They stayed until after dark…way past their bedtime! Some of the neighbors had fireworks and grandchildren, also. We had quite a show. It was magical for me. The weather was wonderful, the moon was rising between the fir trees, the fireworks were close enough overhead so that we could appreciate all the beautiful colors, and I had a very happy granddaughter on my lap! The other granddaughter was next to her Poppa and Daddy and the whole neighborhood clapped in appreciation for everyone’s efforts when it was over! One of those times that will always be remembered.

Then we also had a family reunion on the 5th. All the grandchildren were together and my niece’s son also. Still lovely weather, although a bit warm for me. My daughter and her husband hosted the event. What sweethearts! Never enough time to visit...or rather I remember what I would have liked to ask after the event! Great time anyway!

Then Monday morning, after a miserable night, I thought I had “weathered” the hot temperatures of the previous week and all the extra activity. By noon I knew that I hadn’t “skated”. The random pain and tourniquets had started and I spent the next day and a half sleeping a few minutes at a time….day and night. Much better now. We’ll have to get a couple more fans for the next round of warm weather. And of course, my diet has been extremely good since Sunday! At least I have learned how to reverse these symptoms and put the brakes on this unwelcome “monster” without running to the Dr.

Update on the quilt. I did get all of the squares finished before the 1st of July. I’ve got the 1st border on half of the squares and I think the rest should go on fairly smoothly. I’ve got just a month!

Have only read a little…However, one of the blogs that I read was talking about the President of France making a comment about outlawing the wearing of “burkas.” The blogger was talking about the attire being so demeaning and stifling. And then, out of the blue, he mentioned that also wearing this attire opened up these women to osteoporosis because of lack of Vitamin D! Even in the political world!

As Always...Healthy Days to You...Your Smiling Maven