My physical therapy student came over last week, the first contact with a non-relative in 15 months. Well, except for getting a few shots.
It was pretty hard to communicate through masks, well, for me, but it was good to exercise and catch up with him.
And today, some friends stopped by one their walk, so I got to chat with them, too.
I sure wish I felt better after all that.
I almost choked to death this week, and sadly, it wasn’t because my nephew was making me laugh. Even worse, I don’t think I am really exaggerating.
I got in bed one afternoon after work to watch TV and take a little nap.
As I watched TV, I was drinking water, something I have done for while. It went down the wrong pipe that day. Badly. I started coughing and couldn’t stop.
Mom helped me. My sister helped me. I could not stop.
Later that evening, I just felt rotten. But at least I stopped coughing.
When I was in grad school, I lived with my oldest sister’s family while I internet the newspaper where she worked.
She got me a bench to put in their shower, so I didn’t have to stand.
As I recall, my oldest nephew, then 6 or so, also took advantage of it.
I was thinking about this recently because I hurt my back. Not the standard neck/shoulder pain but a new one at mid-back level.
To soothe it, I undid my chest belt, leaned my hands and head on the front grab bar, and let the water hammer may back.
Wow, it felt good. And it made me really miss taking a shower standing up.
My right leg started jumping shortly after I went to bed.
Briefly I considered calling my sister to help me stand up.
But then I decided to just sit up in bed. I rarely need help for that.
Hmm.
I almost made it.
But then I fell onto the left side of my bed.
Not too bad as far as falls go, but my left arm was pinned under my body, so I couldn’t call for help on my watch.
I thought about panicking, but then I realized it wasn’t too latent my niece and nephew were probably still awake to hear Fame if she barked.
So that’s what I did.
Then I got to work wiggling my arm free.
I was getting there when heard, “What do I do?”
It sounded like my sister, but she doesn’t ask for direction, so I figured it as my niece.
It was.
She eventually got situated, and my brother-in-law came in at the end to give an assist.
And my leg stopped jumping.
When I was little, we used to watch a cartoon very loosely based on Gulliver’s Travels. I say “very” because its plot revolved around a kid named Gary Gulliver and his dog Tagg shipwrecked on an island with Lilliputians, some of whom team up with Gary and have adventures.
I remembered none of this and looked it up. The only thing I remember is the above Lilliputian: Glum.
Glum was, well, glum, suggesting the gang was doomed or would never escape. The glass is half-empty for Glum.
I have been thinking about Glum recently because I seem to be stuck feeling things are rather hopeless.
Pandemic-wise, I know they are improving, and I am vaccinated.
How do I act now?
And it’s more than the pandemic, which I suppose is a signal it is getting better because I have room in my head for multiple worries. Yay?
On an online support group for Freidriech’s ataxia, someone asked who thought we’d walk again. Few people did.
I guess I don’t think I will, but I had never thought of it as a yes or no before.
It kind of forced me to think about the unlikelihood.
Finally, I am really struggling with the sleep machine, and I want to cry about how hard it is to use for me. Not the wearing—although that is hard—but putting it on, hitting the power button, trying to adjust it, everything.
Maybe Glum was right.
