sigh, again.

[jennlk]

- results of ultrasound are back. No muscle or tendon damage, significant fluid buildup in the joint (causing the swelling and 'bruise-style' pain), and arthritis (which the doc looked for, but apparently it's a non-typical presentation). Since weakness & pain still exist despite the splint, I get to go for an MRI. (I hate thumb MRIs.) Meanwhile, as there's no hematoma/bruising, I can take NSAIDS.

- BC is in the hospital with bacterial pneumonia. She's had some upper respiratory ick for a while, and kept going to urgent care, but apparently none of the docs she saw actually *listened* to her lungs. She tested negative three times for COVID and twice for Flu. Monday AM she was apparently shaking with chills and running a high fever so her family dragged her to the hospital, where she was admitted as soon as they could find a bed. At last word, she was responding to the IV antibiotics, and she might get to go home tomorrow *IF* she will rest there. So I spent some time on the phone today with the twp supervisor making interim plans for getting the bills paid while she's out. We'd (treasurers and clerks) had already planned to run around to the local banks to get my signature on file so I can sign checks on Thursday, so that will happen as planned. The only uncertainty is how long it will take my accounting account to be updated to "this user can write checks".

- worked a funeral meal at the church. it was the new pastor's first experience of a NLUMC funeral meal, and she was impressed. Left here at 1115, got home at 1515. I got (good) baked chicken and ham to bring home, and a bowl of fruit salad (bereaved family got dibs on leftovers, but there were still some.)

Comments

[minnehaha]

It's good that the worst things are not presenting re: your thumb, yes?


Bacterial pneumonia is awful. I had it three times, and they always tell you that "it's viral" and "wait it out." After 8 months the first time and much less time suffering the subsequent editions, I demanded a Z-Pac and was fine shortly thereafter. I am sorry that she is having such a rough time.

K.

[jennlk]

Thumb - I don't like not knowing why it hurts, but at least many very serious things have been eliminated.

I had bacterial pneumonia once, and my doc was right on it. I went in complaining of shortness of breath and general not feeling good (hadn't even started coughing yet!), and she listened to me breathe and immediately ordered antibiotics. Then she invited the residents at the clinic (it's attached to a med school) in to "hear what pneumonia sounds like". (she asked me first!) I suspect that part of her thinking was "a Z-Pac won't hurt anything if it isn't bacterial. if it is bacterial, we'll catch it early."

[minnehaha]

I am no fan of taking unneeded antibiotics, so I was patient about trying to get better without them. (See also: waiting 8 months.) But, by the third go around, I was headed out on a trip and said, "Gimme the scrip so when the time has passed and I'm still sick, I'll have the medicine I already know I need." Happily, the doc gave it to me.

K.

[jennlk]

I'm not a fan of unneeded antibiotics either, and my doc even less so. But I was the third case of pneumonia she'd seen that week, and other docs in the clinic had seen a few as well. They were very much playing it safe - "yes, it might be viral, but it probably isn't. The dozen cases we saw last week weren't."