The Miracle of the Houseplant

Being home a lot makes me look more critically at the way our furniture is set up. During the height of the prednisone intake I was so "energized" that I even moved furniture around on my own, when no one else was home. It was the only way to try out a new look without anybody being disturbed or snickering.

But in our bedroom I thought that if we moved my bureau out of a sunny corner of the room, we could place a rocking chair there instead and have a sun-filled reading corner. I managed to get MyMan to help with the move and then I put up a few new pictures, trying to give the room a Hawaiian/Polynesian 30s look.

MyMan really liked having the light-filled reading space. All we needed to complete the corner was a nice pad for the rocking chair and a plant to fill out the corner.

I started pricing the kind of tall banana plants I thought would look good in that corner. Once I realized the cost, I vowed to myself not to have to purchase the plant. Somehow, I would find a good plant on the street. I just knew I would. This promise was silent, I never wrote it down either. I just realized that if I was patient, I would find the right plant.

How do we know these things? I found some beautiful plants in front of a mobile phone store, but they weren't giving those away.

Then on Monday, I was returning some books to the library and took a different route. Sure enough, in front of one house was a beautiful houseplant sitting in a water bottle. It wasn't just a any houseplant, it was a tall plant, exactly the height I was looking for. And the plant was long and leafy, perfect to mimic the palm tree pictured in the little poster I put on the wall.

I checked with the inhabitants of the house and they said it was OK for me to take the plant.

How do you like that? If only we could have all of our vows and prayers answered so easily.

No Longer Sleep Deprived & Correspondence

No Longer Sleep Deprived

I woke up at 9 a.m. this morning. So, except for waking at 6:30 a.m. to let the dog out, I slept 9 hours!!

Glorious sleep. I never ever sleep that late. But because everyone is home, and no one in the family has to leave early for camp, school or work, I had no need to get up either. WOW! This is wonderful.

So that's a significant change since the 5 1/2 hour sleep time I was logging in during the 60 mg prednisone days.

Correspondence

I have been corresponding with A Friend of a Friend, comparing our experiences with BOOP, which she had about 10 years ago. She and I compared the quality of care, insured vs. uninsured. At her suggestion, I am sharing this part of our correspondence:

...At the end of my hospital stay, there were several doctors involved in deciding the final diagnosis. The degree of cautiousness, offhandedness, seriousness really went from one extreme to the other. The British-accented doctor was obsequious as he deflected to the head of the department, who I believe was from East Asia. This department head was so refined and serious and the only one who asked any original questions.

One doctor, who I believe was from India, ultimately seemed less concerned than my own American-born pulmonologist, Dr. A., who was very cautious and was the one who originally asked for the confab to ensure it was the right diagnosis.

Is it cultural, personality, internal hospital politics? Who knows?

So, I'm beginning to learn that while payment is surely an issue, doctors are just people too. Some better, some worse. Some more interested than others. My own pulmonologist is very effective, but getting him to return phone calls is an issue. Is it because of the health care system or just his personality? Have I become too much of a "nudnik?" Who knows?

A Day at the Beach...

It's summer, we're free and so we went to the beach. Manhattan Beach Park. It was great. Of course, folks continue to turn away from me so they won't see my face. I'm still strange looking. But, now everything is relative.

L'Hitra'ot

25 mgs and Counting

Yesterday, as part of the weaning process, I started taking 25 mgs of prednisone.

The significant changes thus far include a new tolerance for coffee. The taste of coffee (decaf) was so bitter, it was unbearable since I started taking the prednisone. But over the past few days I actually drank a few cups and enjoyed it.

Also, while the wrinkles are coming back as the swelling subsides, there is no weight loss yet according to the scales. Dr. A. indicated that losses could begin next week, when I drop down to 20 mgs. a day.

Most likely, the August postings will be short, now that MyKid is finished with camp and there are three of us at home, all day. There are many more distractions and demands on the adults' time.

Hits and Misses

photo © Michael Jastremski for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

Can there be a more cliched sign of happiness than a butterfly?

But here's the truth: No sooner had I walked out of the house then a delightful little monarch butterfly, not unlike the one in the picture above, flitted out of our weedy garden, crossed my path and alit on my hand for a second before flying away.

It's true! It really raised my spirits...

And now to today's list of hits and misses:

Hit:

My face is deflating, or defatting. Hurray! But, I can tell because....

Miss:

The wrinkles are back!Wouldn't you know it? The first sign that the prednisone is receding is the reappearance of the fine and deep lines making "parentheses" on either side of my nose. Note to Nora Ephron: At least you can hide your neck with your turtleneck sweaters!

Hit:

I finally left the house today after two days of being so tired I couldn't go out. I took a nice long walk but...

Miss:

While I was on my walk, I forgot I had a lunchtime date to go with a friend to a lecture. She came to pick me up. I am so sorry!

And for those who understand and know...Remember the Destruction of the Temple....

One Day Honey, One Day Onion

Yom Asal/Yom Basal

With my apologies for mangling the Arabic language, I was told that this phrase, yom asal yom basal means one day honey, one day onion, which I hope everyone understands means that some days are better than others.

In Arabic, the words honey and onion rhyme.

I am now on week 2, 30 mgs. of prednisone a day and as productive and good as yesterday was, today was the polar opposite..

So, yesterday was honey...

Yesterday, I did yoga, walked to the library and picked up some books. Then to the supermarket for some groceries and stopped in a couple of stores, all in the parameter of a couple of blocks near the house.

...and today was onion.

Today, I woke up at my usual 6:30 a.m., went back to sleep at 8 or so and slept until 10:30. I had a doctor's appointment at noon. MyMan drove me and then I walked back home -- just a few blocks, most of it downhill -- and collapsed on the couch to sleep, again.

I'm trying to make supper now, but it is quite challenging. I have no energy. My back hurts, my arms hurt. My legs can barely keep me standing up. It's an easy, quick meal. Tacos!

Usually -- that is since coming home from the hospital -- I have had enough energy to begin cooking around 5 in the afternoon. This has been a great blessing, and a lot of fun, since for the first time, I have time to do a little planning and experimenting. So, I'm especially disappointed that I'm sort of blotto today.

Prednisone Perspiration

While the night sweats seemed to have abated, I still can suddenly start perspiring profusely. Those two words always seem to come together in English. As I may have mentioned previously, in the past, I never perspired profusely. I barely perspired.

But not since prednisone...

So today, because I really wanted to see what I looked like sweating I carried out what I am embarrassed to say was an act of total self-absorption. I actually stopped to watch myself perspire in the mirror. Also, like I said, it was a slow day.

Some drops ran down my cheek and rounded my engorged chin. Some sweat beads flew off my face. But surely the most bizarre thing that happened was when the liquid ran between my eyebrows, down the bridge of my nose to pool under my eyes in the shelf formed by my engorged cheeks.

If I hadn't leaned over and wiped the liquid away, would I have needed a windshield wiper to see?

Until I blog again, Adios!

Diabetes Watch and Yoga Poses

Diabetes Watch

From the beginning, there have been warnings about the possibility of developing diabetes as a result of taking the prednisone.

Several weeks ago, Dr. A asked that I start monitoring my blood glucose levels. I didn't do it. Well, he didn't ask for results at our last appointment, but asked again that I check myself.

So, now I have a home tester kit and have begun the process.

And this morning, I'm a little high...gotta keep checking.

It's scary, because I'm limiting my fruit/sugar intake...a lot!

On the other hand, I have had much less energy to cook real meals. So, I crave more quick snacks. I have to watch everything.

Yoga Poses

Yoga has become a real pursuit. I take books out of the library, download dvds and rent them, all in an effort to learn new poses so I don't get bored with the routine.

And I've discovered so much interesting information. Great books.

And when I do the poses, I really perspire. I know, like you needed to hear this?

But for me, who once could run around Prospect Park, and practically never break a sweat, this is really quite an experience.

Namaste

The Weaning Regimen

When I visited Dr. A, the pulmonologist, on Wednesday, he wrote out a week-by-week regimen of how much prednisone to take over the next 11 weeks.

Wk Mgs Notes

1 40 take all in morning

2 30

3 25 Below 30 mgs should expect bone pain, weakness, lethargy, depression and anger

4 20

5 15 alt 20 low dose on MWF

6 10 alt 20 low dose on MWF Should start to see weight loss

7 5 alt 20 low dose on MWF

8 20 alt days Days not taking the medicine will probably not be easy

9 15 alt days

10 10 alt days

11 5 alt days

On Friday, MyKid stayed home sick.

And I've been so tired...All I want to do is sleep.

I wanted to post a photo, but frankly, even I'm having a hard time with my looks.

Here's the deal: I put on a bunch of weight, all of it above my waist. My pants fit the same way.

But, my legs are weak.

Last week, running for the phone, I literally tipped over and fell down.

But I got up.

Have a good week!