Teladoc: A Safe Way To See the Doctor

 The other day I noticed that my hacking cough had never cleared up, in fact it had gotten worse.  I decided to book an appointment through Teladoc.  You can schedule either a video call or a phone consultation.  That appealed to me because of Covid.  Even though I am fully vaccinated, I still avoid crowds and people.  

I phoned the number that Blue Shield listed, and was informed that the cost would be zero, which was a pleasant surprise.   There was a phone recording announcing that the wait times were longer than normal.  I expected to hear back within a couple of hours.  In just five minutes, the phone rang!  The friendly doctor was on the line.  I was so excited.   "How convenient, and private, and amazing,"  I thought to myself.    There is so much about technology that I love.  I also own a couple of ETF's that have Teladoc listed.  I do think this type of communication is the way of the future. 

I gave the doctor  my symptoms, (which I had written down.)  Since the fires, I have been experiencing a runny nose, an overproduction of mucous and coughing, and was even wheezing earlier in the year.  I explained that the folk remedies weren't working.  I had tried reducing dairy, making ginger tea with honey, drinking homegrown oregano tea, and eating raw onions, which are an expectorant.  

He replied that the air quality from these  fires can really do damage to our airways and lungs.  There are so many particles blowing in the wind.   I told him I feel it in my chest when I sneeze.  I've been sneezing a lot, like my mother used to do.  I found it so annoying when she did that as a kid, and now I sound just like her.  

"Bronchitis," he diagnosed.  That made perfect sense.  He called in a prescription over the phone, and I was able to pick it up at CVS in an hour.  The drug store is a five minute  drive from my home.  I bought some other essentials for my stockpile,  and drove back to the house.

After taking the antibiotic and using the inhaler, the coughing stopped.   I slept soundly.  It was such a relief to take care of the problem and to stop procrastinating.  I normally don't use medicine, but when I do, it seems to work like a miracle for me.  Have you tried Teladoc?

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Intense Reaction After My Second Moderna Vaccine

 On Thursday, I went to Vons for my second Moderna vaccine.  I felt fine for the rest of the day.  Yesterday, however, was a different story.   I got up early and did my watering.  That alone completely wiped me out; I crawled back into bed, feeling flattened. 

I had to cancel an appointment because I was so weak.  It was like having Covid all over again.  Fortunately, I had made a pot of beef stew the day before;  I knew I might not have the strength to cook.   I had heard that the reaction to the second shot  is worse for many people.  I felt like I had been poisoned.  

I developed a headache, broke out in a sweat, felt sick to my stomach, and was emotionally overwhelmed.  My main concern was not being able to meet my responsibilities.  My car was in the shop, and I needed to pick it up.  I called my neighbor, and she said she would drive me there by 5:00 p.m.  She suggested I tuck myself in and drink lots of fluids.  

At around noon, I felt strong enough to walk the mile to the mechanic.  I texted my neighbor and headed out in the sunshine.  It was a relief to drive the car home and take it easy for the rest of the day.  Today I feel back to normal.  The whole experience was a reminder that health is wealth. 

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What I Learned From Capsizing my Kayak

 After I had collected all of my things, which were floating away from me in several directions in the ocean, I placed everything in the sand.  I was careful not to do it too close to the water.  mindful of the tide.  I tipped my Oru kayak on its edge, and drained the water out of it.  It's twelve feet long, so it was a stretch.   At least there is a space which allowed the water to flow out.  Trying to salvage everything was stressful, and I felt self conscious.   I should have thanked the people in the sailboat, I think they were drifting my way to  check on me.  They probably saw the whole thing.  It happened so fast.  I was probably in shock.  I had packed a couple of rags to wipe the kayak down; they were wet and covered in sand.   I needed something clean and dry, so I used a small towel.  

I was very fortunate that all I lost was my shoe.  That short experience really shook me up.  I felt kind of overwhelmed with the cleanup.  I got it done, though.  I had to vacuum out the car the next day, which is par for the course.  I drove home barefoot.  I had been planning to stop at my mechanic's on the way home, but instead needed to pick up a change of clothing and shoes before going over there.  I didn't want to show up barefoot, or wearing one shoe.

A strange thought floated through my head as I was getting ready to leave the beach.  "At least my kayak is still alive," I heard myself think.  "How materialistic," a different side of me chided.  I felt like my intuition had clearly warned me to go home, a couple of times.  I thought I was being lazy.   The adventurous side of me fought my gut, and won.  Next time I will listen to my inner voice.   It made me understand why there are so many accidents with hikers and outdoors people.  Nobody thinks it's going to happen to them.  

Back to being relieved that my kayak wasn't damaged. It is my favorite toy, I must admit.    "At least I am alive," I corrected myself.  I had no idea that my kayak would feel like a paper plane in the ocean when a small wave hit it.  The manufacturer makes it clear that these kayaks are for still waters and lakes, yet I thought that I could handle it.  How foolish.  Paddling around the marina had given me a false sense of security.

Had I not packed my pouch in the dry bag, I could have lost my keys, debit cards, identification, etc.  I need to make more spare keys and keep them in a safe place.  I am also glad that I didn't bring Lula.  She had wanted to go.  I knew it wasn't a good idea.

I did have a life vest on, and I tightened it before boarding.  I stayed calm and remembered what I had seen in the safety video.  They stressed hanging on to your paddle.  Mine hit me in the mouth and I had a slight fat lip, with a little bit of blood.  

I talked with a senior kayaker in the parking lot as I left.  He was very wise and understanding.  He told me that the canoes they rent out capsize in the wind, too.  

More about him in the next post...

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My Kayak Capsized!

 On my latest kayaking adventure, I visited  a small beach in Ventura, near the harbor.  As I drove in, I spotted a few people loading their kayaks onto their cars.  I decided to park there and explore a new location.  

I had spent the morning bicycling along the beach bike path, watching the surfers, and wading in the water.  The waves were strong, and the undertow current was intense.  I normally go to the beach earlier in the morning, but had decided to wait for the fog to burn off, and the sun to appear.  I had an uneasy feeling about going kayaking, but decided to push through the resistance.  Before leaving, I had loaded up all of the equipment in my car.  I chided myself for not trying something new.

Getting out into the water  was slightly challenging, because the inlet had some small waves near the shore.  I paddled hard through them, and quickly made it to the deeper water, which seemed much calmer.  I was concerned about the wind, though.  I stayed in the view of people on the  beach, just in case.  After a short journey, I decided to head back to shore.  My plan was to ride a small wave in, and jump out of the kayak.

All was going well, but when my kayak hit the sand, the wave knocked it. It flipped the kayak upside down as I was getting out; it was such a shock.  I quickly grabbed the kayak and pulled it onto the sand.  It was filling with water, and getting heavy.  I reached for my paddle, as well, grabbing one in each hand.  The kayak felt weighted down because of the sand and water inside of it.  Luckily, I had inflated my float bags and placed them in the stern and bow of the boat before leaving.  They take up space and keep the kayak afloat.

I ran back into the water and saw  all of my things floating away from me: my dry bag, my white, wide brimmed vintage sun hat, my rubber gardening shoes with the pink tulips on them, I even spotted  my cane!  I snatched up everything as quickly as I could.  Thank goodness for the dry bag.  It was securely fastened, floating, and worked perfectly.  Inside of it was my pouch, which had my keys, my identification, vaccination card, and phone.  Phew!  I was missing one shoe, which I never found.  I felt very guilty about that black piece of rubber floating around in the ocean with the sea lions, whales and dolphins.  

To be continued...

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Heating Your Cabin With Wood

 

Last week I ordered the new wood burning insert for my fireplace, in brown.  It is being shipped from Colorado, and will arrive this week.  The installation date will depend on the contractor's availability and schedule.  I am so excited!  It's a beautiful looking piece, made in Canada.  Some of the parts are from Ireland.  Both locations get very, very, cold, and the craftsmen there know how to deal with the bitterly chilly weather.  

Many of you have been asking me to post photos of my home and possessions.  I'm sorry, but I don't reveal information about my whereabouts, schedule, or what I have recently purchased.  I have a friend who documented his move from Las Vegas to Canada on Facebook.   He had been very successful in show business, bought a house, and had furnished it with beautiful things.  He carefully  packed up all of his possessions, rented a U-Haul, and headed back home to help his mother.  He woke up at a motel in Utah to find that someone had stolen the entire U-Haul.  They had unhooked it from his SUV, (which he had also shown us, online.)  Nearly everything he owned was gone.  He had to go and buy socks and underwear at Walmart.  

I felt sick when reading his news.  Often people assume it is just friends reading their posts, but police have found that this is one of of the most common way thieves steal.  They follow your Facebook or blog posts.  People upload photos of their homes, their prized new purchases, and their vacation plans.  It makes it very easy for criminals to break into your house when you are out of town.

During times like this, we really have to be aware.  No one wants to be negative, but we do have to be realistic and mature.  Some things are better kept private, in my opinion.  Many of our blogs attract international audiences.  Mine has  readers from countries that I never even knew existed.  Networks can be vast.  It's better not to advertise certain things, in my opinion.  

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Debbie Downer: Disney World - SNL

Putting Things Away After a Remodel

 

The new  flooring is almost done, and it looks spectacular!  I am so happy that I chose the dark oak wood.  It looks very dramatic and impressive.  I am enjoying sweeping and using my new Swifter mop.  The owner gave me a cleaning kit, which was so sweet of him.  I used to be the queen of vacuuming.  

Yesterday afternoon I cleaned the end tables, the antique lamps, and carefully put everything away...it was like moving.  I replaced all the hand knit blankets and shawls.  I get very anxious and irritable when I have my stuff all over the place.  It felt so much better once everything was cleaned and put in its place.

Today I'll be making a trip to the dump to drop off the old throw rugs.  They look like they are about fifty years old.  The house feels so much better with less stuff.  I am going to donate the televisions and stereo system to the Salvation Army.  The seller left them here when she moved.  I use a lot of her stuff, but some of it I need to release to where it is needed.

The new ligt green carpeting feels incredibly squishy and soft.  I absolutely love it.  The old stuff was from the 1970's.  It's amazing how different a home feels with new carpets and floors.  I am excited to vacuum!  There is more work to be done, but it is very rewarding.   I can't wait to go swimming and kayaking again.  

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