Eggs, Tuna, Screaming Ambulance

 Friday, I changed the small eggs that expire today for the large eggs that were free at The Pig. They refunded me the cost of medium eggs, and gave me the large eggs. So, we are all square. 

I bought another four four-packs of Starkist Tuna, making the total cans at 56 now. That is a year's supply if I eat one can each week. However, with an expiration date of 2006, I won't worry how fast I eat them.

That is all for Friday...lol. 

Well, it is all except for the ambulance that came screaming to the house after Tommy called 911 for me. My esophagus needs to be stretched again. NOW! It was a horrible experience. I ate the rest of my dinner over the next two hours, one tiny bite of chicken at a time. I will call the doctor immediately. It has been since 2018 or '19 since I had this done. 

Tommy is reveling in the fact it rained Thursday and today, meaning he does not have to water plants. He said he can hook up the automatic watering. So, maybe I will buy that. Well, I will pick it out and he will pay. It will be brutal out there in the afternoon sun with heat radiating off the brick house. 

oops, I forgot

Dinner: I baked eight skinless thigh and ten tenders along with potatoes, carrots, and onions. I made coleslaw. So, dinner was chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, and slaw.

Ambulance

 Around ten last night, I got out the oximeter to put on Tommy's finger. I thought he might object. I told him to give me his index finger. He gave me his middle finger. No, not that way. Finally, I got the oximeter on his finger. Then, I struggled upright and to my chair. In about a minute after putting it on his finger, I asked him about the numbers on it. He said he would see and reached toward his table! He said I told him to take it off when I left him. I said, "Don't take it off." As usual he said that "take it off" was the last thing he heard me say. 

He tried to put it back on and could not. I kept saying "squeeze it" as he tried to pry if open sideways. He refused to quit breaking it until I raised my voice. I got it back by having him toss it to me. I held it up and showed him how to look at the notch and squeeze there. Well, this is not going well. Finally, he did get it on his finger but sideways.  I went over and put it on before he broke it. I can only stand so long, plus, I am still weak.

He cannot hear well along with his selective hearing. Now this. My voice has not recovered and is not strong. Communication is iffy. 

His OA was 89. I know that below 90 is not good. So, I called 911 and firemen in a huge firetruck and an ambulance came. They would not come in but had him come out. One of them got the lawn chair and put it in front of the door. So, his OA was 94, still not good but not critical. They said the ER would send him home with that level. So, I kept him...lol. 

He used the oximeter after struggling from the bathroom and his breathing was shallow. I was told to let him sit a bit before using it for a better reading. 

It is Sunday about 3 am and I am sitting in the dark listening to him breathe, shallow, raspy breaths. He swears all the gurgling in his throat is from his head not his lungs. Anyway, I did something for him the best I could, something I did for asthmatic daughter and anyone who was coughing and gurgling around me. 

He should have been lying on his stomach, but I had to settle for his sitting up. I had him cough out without taking another breath while I beat lightly or not on his back/lungs. He got lots of mucus up. I don't know what this maneuver is called. I did this for my daughter with asthma when her lips turned blue as she struggled to breathe. She, however, lay across the ottoman with head and arms hanging off. After she struggled and ran to the bathroom to get rid of the mucus/phlegm, her lips lost the bluish tinge. I fussed at my doctor for not teaching me this. 

I learned this from a special ed teacher. I saw her doing the pounding bit to a 12-year-old child's back who had cp and mental capacity of infant. I questioned her. She said it was because he could not cough, so she did this to compensate. When I asked her about my child with asthma, she told me how to have her flat on the edge of the bed with arms up and hanging over near her head. So, she helped me with the ottoman idea. 

Don't get bent out of shape at the word "pound." I am not hurting him, nor did I hurt my child. If you want, think "pat hard." Not one medical professional has ever been alarmed or corrected my concept. 

When I told him that tomorrow (Sunday) I am taking him to urgent care, he said okay. I know he is ill when he is so compliant. 

I need to get one of those devices where the person sucks on a tube and makes balls rise. I will get that for him, spirometer. 

Sunday afternoon

I sat up most of the night, listening to him breathe. I turned on the light, woke him and pounded on his back and he coughed and spit for so long it was scary. Finally, I slept from 8 am until 1:30 pm. Last night, he finally quit objecting to my saying it was in his lungs. 

When I tried to sleep around 4 am, I could hear something. I ran as well as I could and turned on the light, asking him what I heard from him. He was trying to cough and was getting stuff out of his lungs. I had lectured him on how he needs to stop letting it all rattle, how he needs to breathe more deeply. It is scary what I hear. I am trying to keep him off a ventilator.

One comment mentioned my thermometer might be off. I have taken it to three doctors and taken my temp as soon as the nurse did. Mine was the same temp, so I had thought of that. 

I suppose I ought to get in the kitchen and find our Campbell's selection for the day. 

Men are so difficult to take care of when ill. When Tommy does not fight me, I worry because he is very ill. Right?