"Oh, you have an allergy"

Well, I almost stepped on Biscuit just now.  I was walking across the room and he rolled under my foot as it came down.  I managed to stop, but that isn't the first time he did that.  Earlier today, I did step on his tail when bringing in groceries, but he didn't cry or act pained.  I'm starting to think he wants me to step on him. 

He doesn't do it with Ron, just me. 

Now that's a problem we had for a while, Torbie, when we first got her, didn't know Ron was blind and he kept running her over in the wheelchair.  Then he would feel bad, and give her treats.  I noticed one day she ran in front of him on purpose, so, when he "got" her, I told him "Don't give her any treats".  She never did it again. 

I slept OK.  The mucus pill did a good job, I think.  I woke up, tired, as always.  I hit the snooze alarm a couple of times.  I heard Ron in the kitchen, drinking.  He says his butt hurts a lot and he wants relief for it. 

I finally got up, to Biscuit's joyful cries.  He cried while I brushed my teeth and headed for the food container.  I scooped up 2/3 of a cup and put it in the bowl.  But Biscuit had to eat a little out of the scoop, before I put it in the bowl.  Baby Girl got first dibs on the food, then Biscuit. 

Ron was laughing by now, he is used to our morning ritual.  He says sometimes Biscuit will lay on him in the very early morning hours, willing Ron to wake me up so I can feed Biscuit.  Or so Ron says. 

Torbie went to bed with me, but she was gone when I got up.  Baby Girl never sleeps with me. 

I took my shower, not much of note except I am using my clarifying shampoo this week to strip my hair.  I have pretty greasy hair and have to wash it every day.  I can get away with skipping a day, but I had better use a pretty harsh shampoo when I do bathe. 

I got dressed and helped Ron.  He needs more everyday help lately, but I am OK with that as long as he is being decent.  And he usually is when I'm helping him - worst case he will be cursing at God for making him so crippled while I'm helping, and I tell him to tone it down. 

I woke up with a hive on my chest.  I need to keep a food log because I got a hive on my leg, last week.  I need to figure out the allergen and remove it.  I don't want a full blown case of hives like I had 9 years ago, that was hell.  I was so itchy.  I had to have a course of steroids and steroid cream to get rid of it all.  I remember the doctor came in and said what's the problem?  I pulled up my pant leg and he said "Oh, you have an allergy". 

It could explain a lot of my headaches - and I already have a suspect, everyone's favorite villain - wheat.  I will have to see.  It means going back to my food log, which I hate, but I'll do it. 

Back to my morning, Ron and I had made an extensive list.  I made a mistake with my backup supplies.  I had "extras" of some items, including toiletries, in a box under my bed.  I also put the Tylenol in there, too.  So it ended up smelling and tasting like soap.  Ron wasn't too happy.  I didn't tell him why it ended up that way, I just put the fresh stuff we got today in a dedicated bucket for OTC remedies. 

I took another mucus pill - out of my stash, and we went to the store.  Ron wasn't sure he could get in the cab.  Think about that.  Can your loved one get in and out of a car easily?  Than you're doing better than us.  He managed to struggle in. 

He likes to wear cheap knit shorts that are knee length, in summer.  I encourage him to wear them.  Wearing them actually saved his life, because "we" could see his legs were swelling.  They almost fell down in the back (the shorts), but I grabbed them and hauled them up again, preserving his modesty. 

We had another client, but he wasn't bad.  The driver was great and I'd like to see him again.  We got to Walmart and unloaded.  It's always easier getting Ron out, than in. 

The day Ron was discharged, after his accident (6 weeks later) an old lady saw me trying to get Ron in the SUV a friend drove.  She told me to "let him fall out, when it's time to get out,  just let him slide out".   It worked.  She said her husband had a stroke so she knew. 

I put him, in his wheelchair, near the front door, inside the air conditioning.  He asked me if I needed money.  Yes, I did, to buy his stuff.  I only had $80 to spend of my own and I could use a little myself.  I hated asking for money but I did, and he gave it to me.  He gave me more, later. 

I began picking things off the list.  Greens (meaning salad, and cooking).  I didn't eat much of the last batch but I won't eat any if I don't have them.  And I really want to eat better.  Even though I'll have to put it in my food log. 

Then some OTC remedies.  Ron wanted 3 Tylenols, one for storage (not with the soap!), and two for him.  I wanted some headache pills.  I go through them at a pretty good clip.  Tums for Ron.  Then some of the candy I hand out.  I wanted the Wonka Mix but they don't call it that.  They list all the candy flavors on the front of the bag and call it "mix".  I like Wonka mix better.  I also needed some gum to hand out.  A lot of the people really enjoy the gum.  Diet soda, cat treats, chips, vitamins.  The Vitamins were exciting.  I was looking for a couple hundred count women's vitamins with iron.  That's what I've been giving Ron, and taking myself.  But they didn't have it.  The only one they had was  a giant bottle, but it did have iron in it. 

I went ahead and got it, it seemed to have a good amount of vitamins in it, and Ron and I can split it.  He has been very good about taking the tablet if I give it to him every day, but he says he won't take it otherwise.  I can do that. 

"Administer medication".  Although he does most of it on his own. 

I got him some shorts and a couple of t-shirts, he is a very messy eater and I don't want to constantly wash clothes because he only has a couple of t-shirts.  He recently sized up to a Large, because the Mediums rubbed against his back painfully when he was dressing.  So, larger shirts, but we only had 5.  I like to do laundry once a week.  You see the problem.  I got 2 more and the shorts - size L. 

Ron called me, he had to go to the bathroom.  I took the cart up front, parked it just inside the door, and got Ron.  Then I had him put his feet on the cart and rolled him to the bathroom.  I took him to the door and waited.  When he came out, I took him to a cashier I like and checked out.  That's when Ron gave me some more money.  I appreciate it.  Now I have about $60 "fun" money after all my expenses: cats going to vet, cat flea medicine, cat food, auto-pays, doctor visit, budget for pills, etc.  This was just a tight month.  Next month I will just have autopays and budget $50 for my pills. 

That's a lot better. 

I did my deposit for the autopays.  Now I was done.  And I left Ron, and the cart, in the foyer while I got a #2 breakfast sandwich from McDonald's.  He called the cab. 

The nice thing about Arturo, if he is 5 minutes away he will tell you that.  If he is 30 minutes away he will tell you.  So you know he's coming when he says.  20 minutes.  Not bad. 

I stood there next to my cart, and Ron, and watched people pick out watermelons for their festivities.  I used to love watermelon, but there was a poisoning problem decades ago, they used the wrong insecticide on watermelons right before they were picked and people ate them and died.  It put me off watermelon.  I don't even like watermelon candy (but the recipients sure do!). 

We went outside and Arturo pulled up.  We got Ron loaded first - he still had a lot of difficulty.  Then we got the wheelchair and the groceries loaded. 

Then we went to the liquor store.  Ron was on the phone with the bank.  He gave the driver the money and he went and bought the liquor and brought it out to the cab, putting it in the front seat.  Then he drove us home. 

The driver put the liquor in the open garage (Ron used his remote).  He took out the groceries (nice touch) and we got Ron unloaded after he paid. 

I got everything in the house and put away.  I installed our new top of the line air filter.  Then I took a nap. 

Torbie joined me, that was a nice surprise.  She generally doesn't nap with me.  We had a good nap but I woke up with a bad headache.  I took something and laid down a while with her until it worked.  Then I got up. 

I did some online stuff for a while.  I plan to eat a healthy dinner with my pills tonight.  It can only help. 

With Ron so fragile, I need to be at the top of my game.  I bought a container of cheesecake filling a week ago and I'm still working on it, I just take a couple of bites now and then.  That's a lot different from my old binge eating half a can of frosting at a time. 

Yes, I did that. 

Not recently. 

It's amazing my blood sugar is normal.  So, trying to eat better.  I have some easy things to fix, burritos, hot pockets, etc.  Cottage cheese and yogurt make a pretty good meal with my pills.  I have all that. 

Ron has plenty of food so I'm not worried about him.  He's not eating a lot of red meat, which I'd like, but he is taking the iron multivitamins so I'm satisfied. 

We have tomorrow off, like I said they are doing something to the electricity at the plant, so no electric = no vendy so no stocking required.  Thursday he needs to call the doctor about setting up the liver ultrasound.  That is going to suck so bad for him, I won't tell him because anticipation will make it worse, but he can't stand any kind of rubbing on his abdomen, not even drying off after his bath.  You can imagine what the ultrasound is going to do. 

Biscuit is lying at my feet, has been since I started this blog.  He is such a good, cuddly, boy.  He fled when Mom came to visit but he's very loving with us.  Baby Girl is cute, but not cuddly with me.  She will let me rub her tummy sometimes, and will ask for it by rolling over and showing it, but she will never sleep with me. 

I'm going to go for now.  I think I'll bag up some candy and then do my God Time.  I didn't get it this morning.  I have some artificial energy from the caffeine in the headache pills. 

One reason I used to abuse diet Mountain Dew.