It's been raining nearly every day for weeks and weeks and........the result is an intense lushness. The rural world in this part of Tennessee is saturated in vivid green.
I often take photos of my bedroom window while I'm in bed in the morning. The most recent morning fog.
A lot has happened between these incessant drops of rain. I hardly know where to begin.
I was in the Livingston hospital yesterday. Seems like I'm a frequent customer.
On Tuesday night my temperature spiked to nearly 103 (again). I was showing many signs of sepsis and the home care nurses were concerned. I agreed to go to the ER mainly because I wanted to get updated blood tests.
It was a miserable day. ER over-crowded. Seemed like everyone in town was sick. I had to sit in an uncomfortable hospital wheelchair for about ten hours. By then, my back hurt so much that I was ready to go into traction.
They took five or six blood tests (enough to satisfy Dracula for a week), urine tests, x-rays.
The results of the blood tests were good (no sepsis) but I have an upper respiratory infection.
I couldn't wait to go home. It was too late to get a ride from the transit company, so they got an independent driver. I had him once before and it was a nightmare. He drives recklessly and smokes like a chimney.....
....an hour sitting next to him in a cramped car, while he smoked and I have a URI...
He told me he used to be on drugs but now he found the Lord.
I kept wishing the Lord would put out his cigarette. Amen.
(It's amazing how cute I can be even when I'm half-dead)
I still feel terrible, very weak with the chills - which I seem to have constantly.
My shipment of frozen food arrived while I was in the hospital. I managed to drag the heavy box inside and put everything in the freezer.
I had planned on getting a new refrigerator this month. Then I suddenly decided that I need a new laptop.
My ancient HP Pavillion is over ten years old and has been working perfectly all that time. Lately the screen is fading, the keyboard doesn't work, and the entire machine is being held together with Duck Tape (or duct tape....whatever).
My new HP laptop arrived in two days. It got rave online reviews and no complaints.....which is perhaps encouraging. Unfortunately I haven't felt well enough to take it out of the box. For me, setting up a new computer is a traumatic experience. I'm not in the mood for more stress.
I figured that a few of you curious people might want to get a glimpse of my new gravel driveway.
Jon
I FINALLY CORRECTED ALL THE TYPOS....I THINK
Sorry to read you have been poorly, I think something is definitely going around, my husband and I have been sick for going on three weeks now. Upper respiratory crap again !
ReplyDeleteHow annoying that you were subjected to cigarette smoke for over an hour, how is the driver able to keep his permit to publicly transport people ?
Love seeing your misty view through your window, and kudos to the new driveway, looks perfect.
Get well soon.
Hugs,
Jo
I'm sorry to hear you are sick. Sometimes it seems like it will never go away. I feel awful most of the time, perhaps from my edema. At least the blood tests were ok
DeleteThe morning fog is frequent here and I never get tired of seeing it.
You seem to be doing better. 🙂 Better enough to complain, as the saying goes, but better in any event.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I'm a chronic complainer whether I feel good or not.
DeleteWell, at least you're home and there's food. So there's that. Very glad the sepsis fear wasn't the thing. And that you survived the driver from hell!
ReplyDeleteBreathe. I will, too. I always start holding my breath when your temp spikes.
I'm relieved that it's not sepsis - and I am definitely glad that I'm home with food.
DeleteThe driver from hell could make anybody more sick than they were in the hospital.
I'll try to breathe....
Thank you for erring on the side of caution and going to the ER! I was going to say, we know all about those LONG waits in chairs from H*** ... but 10 hours?! I'm at a loss for appropriate words.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where they get these 'professional drivers', but I thank God you made it home in one piece. Setting up new electronics has to go down as one of my least favorite things in the world ... but then, I'm dumber than the average bear in that regard. I hope you'll feel up to tackling that in the morning.
All of the ER rooms were occupied most of the day. They took all five (or six) blood tests in the lobby. Thank goodness that I had a room for the urine test.
DeleteI've had the driver from hell twice, and I'd rather hitchhike than ride with him again.
I really hate setting up a new computer. I only pretend that I know what I'm doing.
The fever and chills are a sign of some infection or inflammatory process. Suggest a blood culture, it'll show definitely if there was something. WBC's are a 'shotgun' approach and not specific. Cultures are less dependent on lab instrument accuracy.
ReplyDeleteYour place looks quite lush and verdant...wish my lawn was that well mowed.
Hope you're feeling better, Jon.
Best, Mike
I honestly don't know what kind of blood tests they did, but there were five or six of them. I'm completely ignorant when it comes to medical things.
DeleteMy lawn looks good now, but with all this rain it will be growing quickly again.
Thanks, Mike.
We had near two weeks of rain...I was ready to start building an arch!!! Nice sunny day today...but I hear rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday already. I know just how you feel.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be excessive rain just about everywhere this spring. Tennessee is the rainiest place I've ever seen. It rains all year long - - except when it's snowing.
ReplyDeletethecontemplativecat here. California has had much more rain than in the past decade. There are so many things to comment on here. Praise God that you got home safely.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend in Northern Calif. and she said they are having an enormous amount of rain.
DeleteI'm glad that the blood tests came out ok but I still feel awful.
I think I'm still recovering from that ride home!
Love the new driveway!
ReplyDeleteBoy! That was all you needed with a respiratory infection...an hour in the car with a smoker. Glad you are home again, though. Rest and recover. :)
I nearly panicked when the driver started smoking - - it was rude behavior. The other transit service doesn't allow smoking.
ReplyDeleteI love the new driveway and I think the people who come here are relieved. I haven't had any complaints so far.
Ten hours in a wheel chair! If you survived that you are a champ. I'm so glad it wasn't sepsis. That driver should know better. Nice driveway.
ReplyDeleteThat wheelchair was torture. My back hurt so bad that I was almost crying....and then I had to go home with the smoking driver.
DeleteWell, at least I'm back home in peace.
That driver was a jerk. Any port in a storm, I guess. But that port sucked. Thankfully your food did not end up in Chula Vista or parts unknown. The picture from your bedroom window is quite atmospheric. Rainy and cooler here in Ohio today. Yesterday was a beauty. Glad to see your driveway was completed. The thought of setting up a new computer gives me dysentery! Good luck. Take care and feel better.
ReplyDeleteParanormal John
I had that driver two times and hopefully I'll never see him again. It's ironic that I encountered a chain smoker just when I was diagnosed with URI.
DeleteIt rains here nearly every day - no exaggeration. I like rain, but not when I need to build an ark.
I'm always intimidated when encountering a new computer. I hate getting used to something new.
Also...since I first read this post, I've had this song going through my head:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJRc4RZPqE.....and I also just got a new laptop... it takes getting used to, keyboard is different, etc.
ReplyDeleteWalk Between Raindrops - - well, that's a nice song I've never heard before. Thanks for the link.
DeleteI haven't tried to set up my new laptop yet. Hopefully I'll eventually get the courage.
Tennessee is so saturated with raindrops that it's difficult to walk between them....
Never a dull moment, is there? I am glad you got treated at the ER in spite of the thoughtless driver. I do not smoke and never have. I can not stand the smell of cigarette smoke it is just a disgusting habit to me.
ReplyDeleteI have two HP laptops I bought a few years ago and am currently using an ASUS which I fear will be going out on me soon enough after almost 10 years of use. I hate dealing with "modern" technology but unfortunately it is the way of the world.
Your driveway looks awesome!!
I really wish there would be a dull moment once in awhile.
DeleteI never really smoked, BUT when I was young and wild in Hollywood I always had a lit cigarette. I thought they made me look tough (ha) but I never inhaled (honest).
Ten years of use is great for a laptop, but I noticed they make them thinner and flimsy now. I haven't set up my new laptop yet. I don't want any more stress.....
Catching up a bit late, Jon, and sorry to read that you had yet another hospital visit, but glad it wasn't sepsis (not that a URI is any reason to cheer). Glad you are back home and that both the frozen food and the new laptop were delivered. My old desktop was 9 years old when I decided it was past time for an upgrade so your notebook was due as well.
ReplyDeleteI think 10 years is about the limit for a laptop. Mine is slowly falling apart. I haven't had the courage to set up my new one yet.
DeleteIt's good to hear from you, Dorothy.
Wow! Check out that driveway Jon! No more excuses from the delivery folks. I have to catch up on your blog posts. I'm glad you're still here.
ReplyDeleteRon