INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

On the whole, I'm having an involving time with computer science stuff at the local community college....but got shot to the local hospital with a case of incipient sepsis. My doctor took my temperature and pulse and said, "You're going straight to the ER. You're still oriented, so I'll let you drive yourself rather than insisting on an ambulance." So I went.

The ER intake was about as PTSD-triggering as to be expected, but the frustration came with 48 hours of no wifi access on my laptop and no adequate explanation from IT why; the best they could come up with was "Your computer has too few GHz." Now, I have four computer-related textbooks on my bedside table, one of which is (drumroll please) for an IT support class. Nurse one asked me about the textbooks, but kept sending me to the family retreat room, from which the computer had been recently removed. (I'm not gonna editorialize; she was sweet otherwise.) Nurse two asked me about the textbooks.....listened to my explanation of IT's explanation, and quietly logged me into one of the hospital's password-protected networks.

Not sure of the cellulitis/sepsis/mastitis order (connection). But mine was the kind with skyrocketing fever, heartbeat like a hummingbird on speed and outrageous blood pressure. It didn't help that we're having what is, for us, hot weather at midsummer (stop laughing, Floridians!) so between the temperatures outside and inside, I'd soaked through my clothing by the time I got to my hospital room

But setting sprung tomorrow, with a light step and a prescription for Bactrim. And, if it hasn't popped, a blister about the size of a golf ball. Pretty if it weren't attached to me. The cats will be glad to see me, and my poor husband has been overwrought. The hot weather isn't helping his temper.

And I do follow the group!

Midweek we will have 78 then 71 and 60s again. But around 90 until then. Why oh why?! I love autumn, this is NOT autumn.

I need to find a BD gift for my sister, her BD is Oct 1st. Last 2 yrs I have been too ill to get it together for a gift find, this yr will do it right again. She has been very patient with all my horror stories and supported me through all this.

Making Hubby go to bed. I couldn't go to bed, too uncomfortable to even stay in bed, cough and breathing, very very bad few days. It is a lupus / scleroderma flare. These things can last a few days or months then quit that to do something else fun and memorable. Have my hot water w lemon. Eucalyptus throat spray, essential oils breathe easier bottle, rescue remedy of flower essences, and the net to distract me for awhile. He wants to stay up and tuck me in but no sense. He sits on the sofa arm and about does a nose-dive when he nods off.

Tomorrow is the last day our daughter will be here. She has packed and labeled all her belongings so we can send them over without great trials - just a box every once in awhile to the PO and away it goes, she will get the money for them to ship here and there. I am getting through this because I see her and her new husband coming back in a year, carry on bags in hand, renting a car and coming down, having an adventure in the US. I see this and that is how I believe I will ever see her again. And only one more day to have to keep my mouth shut about anything that bugs me. We're doing all right there right now.

Dog is complaining because I didn't stay in bed. Soo tired.

Oh Blue ~ My heart broke when my baby boy moved out. An entire two blocks away...... I can't imagine the mix of emotions (((hugs))). Believe it or not, you will actually become closer once she is out on her own. And the visits you share, whether here or there, will be even more special.

Poor Danny Boy waiting for his mamma Poor DH worrying and trying to make you better They both love you 😊

Hope you uckies decide to calm down.

I've been wanting to thank you for re-introducing to me the joy of a well written short story. "A Baby Skunk Brother To Call My Own? Not!!!" Is my fave so far. I've seen the angry stomps of a highly irritated skunk many times. It is soo hard not to giggle at the adorable exhibit of outrage! Your descriptions are perfect; I felt as if I too were there to witness the one sided love-fest. Such fun, the poor older brother, tormented by the big baby who only wanted love 😸

Patty - The owls out back have been calling "Hoo-Hootie- Hoo?" so LOUD the past few nights. I made a recording on my phone - just gotta figure out how to post it. Hope you and your bestie are both doing well 🌷

Loverly - So happy the hurricane stuff is staying away from us for now - You would not believe the stuff that washes up on the beach after a storm!

Shepkitty: my breasts are now itching in sympathy. Yeah, anything that mucks with your immune system can provide an opening for something like this, and the tiniest scratch or skin break can provide the literal opening, (which is why I'm definitely keeping an eye on that blister. Not hard, given it's about half the size of my computer.)

major crush on Parker Stevenson for me (played Frank Hardy to Cassidy's Joe in the Hardy Boys TV series) Several cute, smart, educated and funny (acerbic/sarcastic) working through the business and comp.sci. departments.

Oh, trust me, Sassie, I do so appreciate your OCD! It's helped me several times before. I think my whatever it was will have to remain a/an FUO, as I'm now safely home with my kitties. The hospital (system) is hardworking and workmanlike, but hardly sophisticated I never knew what caused the erysipelas two years ago, and I'll never know what caused this, only that I should probably brace myself for bouts of "whatever it is" itis and periodic FUOs.

And that I should probably bring extravagant gifts for the nurses, as I tend to chew scenery when I feel particularly crap. Anyone who gets in the way gets shredded. Any hints there? (All I can think of, that can be enjoyed by most everyone, is a fruit basket. But there must be something else.)

They did do the bloodwork you mention, doing a blood draw every day I was there, but those were inconclusive. Searching for the culprit skin break would be hopeless, as I'm accident-prone, depending on how distant the causative skin break can be from the first weals and sodden inflamed patches (sorry, not sure of the technical term for that.) For this episode, I had an abraded point on my achilles tendon from a rubbing shoe, a cut on my foot (bad) of some standing, rose scratch on my ankle, and razor cut on my thigh....and that's just on the right leg.

All I'm sure of is that the staff was quite aware of the blister: it was about half the size of my mouse this morning. You couldn't miss it. Well, until I clopped it with my (other) ankle and the thing burst

The right leg injuries are enough.

I have large toe nails that embed on the inner and outer edges. The key is to lift them w a qtip or something firm yet clean. This worked for the last year. Spring 2016 I had a terrible infection in the right large toe for over a month and of course, like you Queenie, every thing I did would BOP THAT TOE. I was in the garden one day barefoot, sitting on a cooler to prune tomatoes and the hand pruner slipped, fell on the end of my toe and I yelled so loud it echoed down the ridge an across the farm fields. I thought someone would come to see if a tree fell on me. Hubby was not home and no one did. So that tells me something about what I can expect if I am screaming for help up here. Nearest neighbors are 1/4 mi away as the crows fly.

Anyway, one year doing all right w the tor nail cutting. And yesterday morning I cut my toe nails, straight across was the goal. But that one when I snipped cracked so the edge of the nail down into the skin and cuticle was now divided from the rest of the nail. Had to pry it out owwwww and twist it off owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww like a kid's loose tooth. And now I await an infection though doing what I can to avoid one.

I remember Parker Stevenson.