We're under a winter storm warning/winter weather advisory (depending on elevation) tonight and tomorrow. If I didn't already know this from checking the forecast, I would have known a storm was brewing because my ankle has been very cranky all day. It's swollen and is all kinds of red and purple. Ibuprofen and Tylenol are my best friends right now, and I also had to revert to using my cane. I suppose I got ahead of myself yesterday by walking around all day without it because I felt so good. I forgot that sprain recovery takes several weeks and has its good days and bad days.

This is bringing back memories of the YEARS it took (literally) for the same ankle, which I sprained in college, to quit hurting before every front came through. With this current sprain being much more serious, I suppose I'll have advance warning of weather changes for the rest of my life.

Other than that? I'm so glad this work week is over! I spent the greater part of the day catching up on yet another project that had languished in the absence of anyone to do it. I worked a short day because I stayed late yesterday, but because I normally work until at least 6:00, leaving a hour early put me squarely in the middle of rush hour traffic and a crowded grocery store. The fact that folks were panicking about the whopping 1 to 4 inches of snow in the forecast made it even more crowded. When I finally got home, I proceeded to not get much of anything done all evening. I had planned to catch up on e-mails but instead I just farted around on line, including listening to a lengthy interview of a certain baseball boyfriend that I had bookmarked -- I just really needed to hear his voice, so I listened to it twice, which ate up half an hour, and that's sort of how the entire evening went. Better luck tomorrow, I guess, although the first thing I'm going to do is get a sorely needed good night's sleep.

She's fussing over me. My GOODNESS, is she ever fussing over me! Honestly, though, I do appreciate it, because although I *think* the antibiotic is finally starting to do something about the infection, I'm still very congested and have no energy, so it's GREAT to have someone else doing all the food-related stuff and waiting on me hand and foot. Unfortunately, it turns out I'm going back to my place tomorrow afternoon instead of Saturday, as Mom has plans tomorrow evening. A two-day respite from The House of Doom is definitely a help, though, so all in all, I'm grateful.

I got a good sleep last night, had a huge and very healthy breakfast this morning, and Mom just asked me what snacky things I'd like before dinner (which will consist of turkey legs, twice-baked potatoes, and butternut squash, the latter at my request). After that, I think I'm going to lie down and get some more rest, because I'm pretty worn out and it's not even 12:30. Back to work in four days? Oh goody...LOL...

Have a great Thanksgiving, y'all!

It's about getting to the point where I just have to laugh at my merry-go-round of medical catastrophes because the alternative would be to get really, really depressed.

I was sicker than I thought. Not only did I have bronchitis, it was "headed for pneumonia," according to the allergist. I was shocked o.O that it came on so fast, seeing as how I felt just FINE three days ago. I also was really grateful that my instincts told me to make an appointment for today and not try to tough it out through the weekend.

So now I'm armed with antibiotics, steroids (low dose this time, so I won't go through what I did a few weeks ago), and nebulizer treatments, which basically involve breathing bronchodilator solution that is converted into mist by an air compressor. They're more or less a mega-version of an asthma inhaler. So far so good. It goes without saying that I *STILL* won't be doing any decluttering this weekend, dammit. I'll get to catch up on e-mails and watch MLBN and good stuff like that, though.

But don't be surprised if I'm a bit scarce over the next few days, as self-care of this blasted ankle needs to take priority for a bit.

Long story short, I got worked in yesterday with our very wonderful physician assistant, who said it's NOT infected, that I'm still in the acute phase of the injury, and that my current symptoms are just part of the normal healing process.  What I should be doing is aggressive RICE therapy (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation) in order to speed things along, so that's what I've been doing.  Soaking it in ice water multiple times a day, propping it at work (on an overturned wastebasket topped with a pillow) and at home (on three pillows while watching TV, and on two pillows while sleeping).  I've also ditched the air cast in favor of an Ace wrap, which the physician assistant said works much better because now that the immediate injury is over, I don't need as much stabilization, just some compression.  I'm also still using the cane for stabilization and balance if I walk more than across the room.

By doing all this over the past day or so, I've been able to get the swelling down from something resembling a balloon (which was really scaring me) to the point where hey, I can actually see the veins and arteries in the top of my foot.  YAY!

However, elevating it while at home means being away from my computer (makes me wish I had a laptop), so I'll probably be on line a little less for awhile, just in case I get really-really-really behind on comment replies and such.  First things first, KWIM?

I can't believe the Red Sox declined the option on Alex Gonzalez!  I had really taken a shine to the guy, and I thought he was doing a really nice job for us.   :::is all sadface:::

In other news, my ankle got REALLY sore after my last post; it was aching terribly (to the point of whimpering) even when I put no weight on it, which is a change from before.  I took a look at it and there's some redness and warmth.  There was a little bit of redness the day after I did it (the nurse practitioner commented on it), but the aching and warmth?  It reminded me of the way my "crankle" felt last year.  Now I'm wondering if I could possibly have a cellulitis on top of the sprain, or even a touch of arthritis or gout (both of which were mentioned as possibilities by my doctor during the crankle saga).  What I did for the short term was take half a Percocet (whiich knocked me for a loop as usual) and lie in bed with the leg propped.  I even napped a bit to whatever game was on MLBN, and although the pain is mostly gone I'm going to call for an appointment as soon as the office opens (even before I get to work) and have it looked at.  I'm also going to reschedule my two mental health appointments that I was supposed to have this week.  After all, both my therapist and my psychiatrist have offices on second floors of buildings with no elevators, and other than crawl up flights of stairs I don't think I can get there...

I'm not and have never been the hatin' kind when it comes to being a baseball fan.  I already e-mailed my NYY fan cousins to congratulate them, and I'm hereby extending that congratulations to all the Yankees fans on my f-list.  I really was hoping for a Phillies miracle last night but alas, Matsui got in the way.  I must say, his homely self was very impressive.  I missed the last couple of innings because I was too tired to stay awake, but I did wake up during the postgame for just long enough to realize it was all over.  And now baseball is put to bed for the winter, and I am sad, but of course there'll be plenty of hot stove action and other related news to keep all of us going until Truck Day.  And doG knows I have enough other stuff to keep me busy anyway.
 

Y'all don't even want to KNOW how bad today was in terms of my steroid side effects.  Fortunately, I realized sometime in the wee hours this morning while struggling not to crawl out of my skin that it would *not* be a good idea to go to work today, seeing as how I had maybe four or five hours of sleep on top of extreme irritability.  I called in and told my supervisor straight up that I needed a mental health day; she was very understanding, thankfully.  I fixed myself a cream cheese omelet and home fries with cheddar and salsa (the high point of my day), and eventually got myself back to bed, where I proceeded to be too agitated to sleep, and too anxious to sleep as well, because I kept on having this irrational fear that if I *did* fall asleep, I wouldn't wake up again.  Just the medication hell talking, and I know it, but I spent the whole day fighting this battle.  I eventually called my neurologist's office and left a message asking for some reassurance that I wasn't going to die, as well as some sort of time frame as to when the worst of this will pass, but they never called me back, which sucks.

I've been listening to various ambient music for hours now to try to distract myself and stay calm.  I had a very light dinner, just raw red cabbage salad and a Clif bar (scaling back from the mountains of food I gorged on over the past few days, yet another lovely steroid side effect).  I've taken my evening psych meds.  I've talked to my mother on the phone.  I'm starting to come down off the ceiling now, I think, but whoooeeee, was this a hellacious experience.  Now I remember why I usually avoid heavy duty steroids all costs.

When I'm feeling a little more up to it I will share the very bizarre dream that I had during my brief period of sleep last night.  It's making me laugh now.  Last night?  I woke up panting, literally.  Obviously it was not nearly so funny at the time.

This is going to be a very early night for me, needless to say.  Hopefully I can actually fall asleep and stay asleep this time.

Just watched the latest press conference related to the "balloon boy" incident, and I've got to say, I think the authorities are overreacting a bit.  And no, that's not the cop-hater in me talking.  I was able to look at the individuals as they spoke without feeling revulsion or anger.  I just listened and tried to be objective, and after hearing everything they said, it baffles me that they want to press felony charges on these folks.  I do feel that they need to make restitution for leading the authorities and media on a wild goose chase, certainly, but "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" and a boatload of other potential charges?  You've got to be kidding me.  What do my readers think about this whole thing?  I'm just curious. 

i'm going to do something really uncharacteristic here -- i'm not going to bother with caps and i'm just going to let the words flow, because i haven't posted all week and i just want to get this written while it's fresh on my mind, after which i will change into my pjs and sit on the bed and eat cannned vegan lentil soup (or maybe i'll make black bean and corn tacos, i dunno) and watch the cardinals game.  atm they're up 1-0 (thanks for the hr, holliday!), and they really need to win after losing last night.  i watched the game in bed and snuggled down into the pillows a little after 11 because i was so tired.  woke up a couple of hours later to find julio at the plate (spooky timing, yes?), so i watched him as well as albert, then turned off the tv and went back to sleep.
 

time to take my capital-free self into the other room.  i'm really dragging here.  enjoy the games, y'all.

I don't know whether it's the heat or the time I spent (both yesterday and today) lying perfectly still in an MRI machine, doing nothing but breathing while weird repetitive noises went on all around me (which activity tends to put me to sleep), but I'm so wiped out as to need to go to bed, like...as soon as I post this.  Fortunately, I can watch the end of the Sox game in bed, as it's on ESPN.  I did want to check in, though, with a little bit of baysbawl talk.

First...congrats to Dustin and Kelli Pedroia on their new addition.  I can't wait to see pictures of little Dylan!  Also, great news in that Remy will be returning to the broadcast booth this Friday!  And how 'bout that Papi and all his HRs?  Mang is on a tear, and I love it!  We're tied for the wild card lead again...now all we need to do is keep up the good work (and hope the Yankees start losing).

That's about it for now.  Game's almost over, and we're still up 5-1, so I'm cautiously optimistic, and on that note, I'm going to watch the conclusion from the horizontal position.  Comment replies?  E-mails?  Later in the week.

Ciao!

That's about it from here.  I have a nice chunk of time tonight in which to catch up on e-mails, LJ comments, and the like, which makes me happy.