Blech...
Okay, so yesterday, I was good, and got both a flu shot and a pneumonia shot. Well, I
thought I was being good. About 15 minutes after I got the shots (one in each arm), they got sore. Kinda like I'd gotten knuckle-punched mid-way down my upper arms. Ow!
Today, I felt better systemically, but the lymph node in my right armpit got swollen and REALLY uncomfortable. As in, it was really unpleasant to let my arm hang at my side. Now, to contract this, I also couldn't raise my arm above level with my shoulder, because that hurt as well. At lunch, I realized it was also feverish and swollen. Looked like the rounded part of my shoulder slide down my arm.
At Mom and Annette's suggestion, I called my health insurance's 24-hour nurse hotline, and spoke with Mary Ann, who was very nice. Once we got it straightened out that no, I hadn't had in puncture injuries in my armpit (eesh!) nor did I have any other conceivable causes, she suggested I really ought to see someone within the next 12 - 24 hours to have it looked at, since it wasn't a normal reaction, and the swelling was about 3 inches long, top to bottom, and probably about 2 inches side to side. Oh, and did I mention the red line that started along the bottom edge of the swelling, and headed back toward my body?
So, a quick talk with my aunt, who volunteered to drive, and the recommendation of my health insurance to find an urgent care, that accepted my health insurance, off we went. I was worried and irritated, and while irritated won out over worried, red lines kinda freaked me out. Got the urgent care facility just before they closed (someone called about a minute after I got there, and they told that person they were closed).
After a blood pressure machine that read I should be in cardiac arrest, and then a retest, the doctor took a look and said he thought I was experiencing a localized reaction to the vaccination, compounded by either flubitis or another kind of cellulitis. Basically, he thinks the person who gave me the pneumonia vaccination got some into a vein, and it caused a minor infection (flubitis, or vein infection). The other -itis he mentioned is a skin (cell) infection, that can get very nasty if not treated. And apparently, that also explains the pain I have along the red line (VERY tender). So, long story short, he prescribed antibiotics for the next 10 days, with the admonition that if it's much worse tomorrow, or not better by Sunday, come back in. He also said take ibuprofen when needed, and try a heating pad, at about shower temperature.
Okay, so I tried to add a picture of the red lines (to show they're really not life-threatening), and a picture of the swelling, but Blogger refuses to upload them, so I'll have to try tomorrow.
From My Mom...
I say this on my mom's
blog. Naturally, I had to follow the command at the end of the list of reasons. I mean, honestly, if addition to being fabulously on the mark, I'm holding out hope for number 2!
1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, liposuction and air conditioning.
2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog box turtle has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.
7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.
9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans…
Re-post this if you believe in legalizing gay marriage.
Will the Person Who Ordered Snow, Please Step in Front of the Snowplow
Okay, so, explanations... First two pictures are off the front deck. Usually, the deck looks out over the valley, and towards Mt. Evans. As you can see, there's just a little snow, and low-lying clouds. Low-lying, of course, being rather a relative term, since I live up at 7000 feet about sea level. The picture with the chairs and the grill is from the back porch, and is mostly for perspective. The chairs are the folding stadium chairs. The picture next to it, with the aspen, if out my patio door, downstairs. It's looking northwest, and you can see the neighbor's house. This would be the neighbor with the irritating, barking spaniels.
The last picture, to the left, is also of the neighbor's house, also out the patio door in front of my room. You see a little of the aspen, and the illegal shed. Her driveway has an easement against it, saying nothing can block it, so that if there's a fire in our area, the fire trucks can actually get to the fire.
Luckily, it's supposed to be nearly 50 tomorrow, 60s Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 70 on Saturday. Hopefully they'll be able to finish whatever it is they're doing to move the illegal shed, so we can all feel a little safer again.
I hope you've enjoyed your vicarious First Snow of the Season in Colorado with me. Not sure I did...
First Snow of the Season
No, that's not confetti. That's snow. October 9, 2005, first snowfall of the season here in Evergreen. It was cold and wet all day; I'm not sure we ever made it over 40F, but about 4:30 or so, it started with the flakes.
According to the weather radio this morning, we could get as much as 8 inches of snow by morning. I'm hoping not; Mondays are NOT my favorite day of the week, and starting off with that much snow is not going to help. Not to mention the concern that if we're getting that much snow in the first fall, how does that bode for the rest of the winter!?
Now, considering this is Colorado, and the weather is incredibly mutable, changing all the time, I wouldn't be surprised if we hit the 70s or 80s by the end of the week. However, we have to get through the cold, wet snow before we get there.
Nathan and Kim - Post-Mexico!
So, a week ago, my younger brother calls me at 7:45 am, to tell him he's at the airport in Denver, an hour away. No mention was made before that about them being in Denver. However, with the help of Mom, and Kim's mom, we figured out flight times for the return trip. Grandma, Grandpa and I drove to the airport, and when Nathan and Kim didn't answer their phones, I paged 'em.
Worked like a charm! So, I got to see them today. I hadn't seen them since May. It was good to see them, both relaxed. We sat and talked for a bit, got something to eat, and then it was time to walk them back to Security.
