February chitchat

[agate]

You have to love February. It's almost spring, and if it isn't almost spring, at least it's a short month.

How has everyone been doing?

I'm on my way out the door this morning for some routine lab work. It involves fasting, and so I'm taking some food with me to eat while I wait for the return-trip van.

I've been making more hats, this time while watching "Brokenwood Mysteries," a detective series set in New Zealand. I believe it ran on PBS.

Keep well, stay safe, avoid COVID, and don't forget to visit with us here.

[RandomThought]

While admitting that I am not a big fan of February I am gladdened by the fact that it tends to be short. I guess if I were to say anything nice it would be an enthusiastic nod to the 29th and note the oddity that is our calendar.

When i had routine, fasting blood work recently the phlebotomist and I agreed that coffee, black, no sugar is no way to start the day !

[Virginia]

Agate, thank you for getting us started again. I don't mind February unless it snows and then I really don't like it.

Hope your fasting blood work goes well and you enjoy your snack on the way home.

I am back in the business of looking for a housecleaner. What a way to start the month. I have a good one, but she seldom comes. She has two young children and one of them always have something wrong with them. This morning one had to go to the Dentist. I don't blame her. Children have to come first, but I really need someone.

Hope everyone has a good month. Would love for this to be the month when Sunshine 2 comes out and lets us know how things are going for her.

[agate]

It went well, Virginia, with transportation that was as nearly ideal as could be--no waiting that couldn't be avoided. I had time to grab my snack while waiting but it was only a 10 -minute wait.

The lab was really crowded. I've never known it to be like that but recently a new development opened up right near the medical center where the lab is. It looks like lots of boxy apartment buildings that are probably filled with senior citizens who want to be close to a large medical center. And they've discovered the lab.

The medical center might need to adjust its manpower to accommodate this influx of patients.

And I had a look at the New Normal. There were very few wastebaskets anywhere. I had to propel myself across the building before I found one. No reading matter lying around on tables anywhere (probably considered too germy).

And in the main waiting area where there are quite a few armchairs, at least two armchairs had huge signs on them: "Do not sit here--This chair has been used."

I wondered what "used" means and decided it's merely that someone has sat there, and so no one else can sit there again unless the chair is appropriately sanitized?

The chairs didn't look used or soiled in any way.

[Howie]

January seemed to go by pretty fast. I've started having seizures again. I just saw my doctor, and she upped the dose of Gabapentin, but it only worked the first day. I've had one or more seizures each day since. I'm close to the maximum dose recommended. I've had two seizures since I got up today.

I'm hoping this month sees an improvement. Everyone have a great month, and stay warm.

[agate]

Howie, I'm so sorry you're having seizures again. I hope your doctor is taking a very careful look at any medicines you're taking and at how they interact with one another. I've heard of seizures that are triggered by things like flashing lights or inadequate sleep. There's a fairly long list of causes of seizures, and these are known causes, not just somebody's theory. You might want to look into them if you haven't already.

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I hope you're taking things as easy as you can and avoiding stress of any kind.

[Howie]

Having an old black cat sleeping on your lap makes it almost impossible to feel stress....well, only when I have to disturb her to go pee.

[agate]

We can learn a lot from cats. When they want to take a nap, they're going to take a nap, wherever they are.

[SuzE-Q]

There are better treatments for seizures than gabapentin, Howie. Ask your doctor for a change of medication. John Travolta's son died of seizures. If you are having greater frequency, you need better management. It is so important to control them. Hope you get some improvement soon, that must not be fun at all, even in your zen state.

[Virginia]

Howie, I am so sorry these seizures have started again. I hope you didn't run out of meds again the end of January. I also hope you will let your Doctor know you are at the highest dose of Gabapentin and still they continue on.

Give that big black cat a pat on the head from us.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

Thank you for starting the February chitchat thread. So, thoughtful of you to do that before your blood draw. I'm glad that transportation worked out for you.

In our area, housing/apartments/retirement communities/rehab centers, etc. are all built around medical centers, which are easily accessible. We have noticed continued excavation and rebuilding to accommodate Senior living. It makes complete sense to me, as we are likely the largest portion of the population, who need access to these medical facilities.

You are probably correct that the lack of wastebaskets, magazines, and caution signs on chairs are related to sanitization due to COVID. That is a good sign, in my opinion, that they are aware of the potential transmission of germs on these surfaces. It's not just COVID we have to think about. There is MRSA, which is probably on every surface we touch.

Jonathan and Michael had MRSA, but they probably got it from the ER. When they were in ICU, I watched as carts, containing gowns, masks, and gloves, being placed outside of ICU rooms. No one could enter the room without donning all of the PPE. Then, it was all about MRSA. Now, it's about COVID, but MRSA hasn't left the building. It will be with us forever.

Howie ~

No offense intended toward your PCP, but you need a referral to a neurologist, preferably an Epileptologist.I agree with SuzE-Q that Neurontin isn't working for you, and increasing the dose may be futile at this point. There are many other Anti Epileptic Drugs (AED), which are newer and more specific to the various types of seizures. You have been on Neurontin for a long time now, so it very well may have lost its efficacy, or your seizures are increasing for another reason.

Please ask your PCP for a referral.

Also, here's a link from the same site agate linked regarding seizures and driving. If you don't get the seizures under control soon, you are at risk of seizures, when you drive, and that could be a serious problem.

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I'm sure you want to be safe, so call your PCP and request a neuro referral. Don't wait for a month, because your seizures could increase during that time.

Sending prayers and healing, positive energy to everyone ~

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

[Virginia]

Guess everyone is busy with wordle or one of the word games. I do the one wordle that started this, but that's it. I don't want to get that caught up in it, I might not get any reading done or.exercises or anything else.

I hope all of you are having a nice evening. Brothers picked my car up this afternoon and brought it to me. It has been in the shop all week due to a recall. Eric stopped and got me some lunch. We set and talked for awhile. I did my exercises and that was about it for me for today. When I eat lunch like that I have a hard time coming up with something for dinner. I usually eat yogurt for lunch and have more for dinner.

It was cloudy but warm here today, but it is due to turn much cooler by Saturday.

Have a good evening.

[agate]

Virginia, I eat yogurt for lunch too, along with a few Triscuits, and that's it for lunch, but dinner and breakfast are bigger meals.

I mopped the bathroom floor today, The mop gadget I bought a while ago that stores the water in a container and then you spray it out works well but sometimes there are edges at the baseboards where it hasn't reached. So my big "exercise" for today was getting on my kneeling pad and removing the dirt around the edges of the baseboards.

Why all this zeal? There was to be an inspection this last month but they postponed it on account of COVID restricitons. I'm sure they'll reschedule it, and it won't be very long now.

[Howie]

One good thing about owning your home (even though it's a mobile home) is that there are no inspections. And it's a good thing. You gals know how men are. Oink, oink!!!

I just don't care about dust, or the floors not sparkling like you keep yours Agate. I just can't do it. I used to be neater than now, but the tables are dusty, and the floors could use a good cleaning, but I just don't care anymore.

[Virginia]

Howie, how are you feeling now? Anymore seizures? I am hoping you haven't had any more. Did you go to the bank and grocery store today? Also you use to make a run to the dump when you went to the bank and grocery store. I hope you are feeling good now.