Sorting Out My Life

 Monday, once more. The traveling Nurse still hasn't made it to my house for the blood test for my blood thinner. I suspect that while it's important, it's no longer life & death in my case. I've managed to stay stable for three weeks now & that's a good thing.

The Respiratory Therapist came & assessed me. She cranked up my home compressor to 10!!! from the 6 I was at - my blood O2 fell too quickly & I recovered too slowly when I moved around. OUCH I had noticed & was using the bigger hose & cannula from the hospital stay because it gave me more air. The silicone ones provided by home service are narrower & twist tightly with usage, cutting down the air outflow. I have to ask for the bigger, wider ones!!! Hopefully, I'll be able to do more for longer - like stand up to cook, take the laundry out of the washer & maybe out of the dryer!! I might even be able to use my Dyson stick vac again. 

She also requested bigger O2 tanks for me - she wants to give me my freedom back but really doesn't want me to go back onto the alternating valve. She even wants to turn the O2 up a little more!!! I was quite vocal about being trapped at home with the new valve setting. I want my old alternating bursts of O2 back. With bigger tanks, I get another 30 minutes on setting 6. So a tank would give me 1.5 hours - and more if I cranked it down to 4 when just sitting. I could potentially go to a medical appointment if I don't have to wait too long. The hospital had me on 4 for most of my time there in both June & again in July. I figure I could go to any drive thru for lunch or even just a coffee if I wanted to with just one tank. I have to wait to see what kind of cart comes with the bigger tank. Ideally, a double cart would be my choice but I'm betting that NO cart will be offered since there's a handle at the top!! In the hospital, they came with a loop handle & I could pick them up or drag them easily. Not sure if I can manage two tanks at once but most of the year it's cool enough to leave one in the car .  .  .  . 

Knitting - not really knitting but I'm making dish/wash cloths once more. I've noticed more stiffness & aches in my hands lately, especially my fingers. My right forefinger locks up sometimes & my left middle finger leans to the right in a half Vulcan salute!! Probably stiff tendons. So I'm knitting garter stitch wash cloths to ease back into something more productive. I suppose I shouldn't sneer at dish/wash cloths since I love them in the bathroom, especially in the shower!! But it seems so - elderly - knitting something so basic .  .  .  I'm easing my embarrassment by calling it Therapy.