Thursday, August 05, 2021

A Flabbergasted Weekly Link Round-Up

 


As I said to my friends on Facebook Monday, my gast is well and truly flabbered. I've been having problems with my right leg since March, which was the last time I was hospitalized for it. I've had weekly (sometimes twice weekly) appointments with my wound care doctor in an attempt to get my leg to stop leaking and actually heal. 

Recently, I'd been getting very frustrated with the bandaging that had been done on my leg. The bandage most often done resembled a cast without the plaster: four layers of bandaging and compression. If it's not done properly, the entire thing slips down and causes more open wounds. The two nurses who were excellent at bandaging my leg never seemed to be around when I was there for my appointments, and the nurses who did do the wrap were crap at it. (Rhyme intentional.) I'd have a big heavy bandage sliding down my leg within a few hours after it was put on. Their solution was always to have me come in for a re-wrap every time it slipped. I told them I had better things to do than show up every day to stick my leg in the air while they tried to mummify it.

Three Fridays ago, I was told that, if the bandage slipped "two fingers' worth," I was to remove it completely and put on my edemawear (specialized stretchy compression bandage). So that's what I did, with a modification. I didn't think the edemawear was going to be enough compression, so I added another layer (called Tubi-grip). I had to cancel the following Friday appointment, so I didn't see the doctor for two weeks.

When he saw how my leg looked last Friday, he declared it wonderful. He told me to continue doing my edemawear-Tubi-grip combo... that I didn't need to see the therapist 'way over in the northeast valley anymore... and that I was discharged.

Yes, I noticed that I'm the one who came up with the solution. After all this time, I could run a category on bandaging and ointments on Jeopardy! My leg is still healing, but it is healing without all the leaking and open wounds of the past few months. But my question is: What are Denis and I going to do now that our Fridays are free??? If we try to go someplace else, will the Jeep take us to the wound care clinic anyway???

Enjoy the links!


►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
  • A tiny Yorkshire terrier protected its ten-year-old owner from a coyote.
  • This butterfly is the first U.S. insect to be wiped out by humans.
  • This mama deer came bounding into a yard when she heard a human baby crying.
  • A wild goose was taken to an animal hospital. His mate knocked on the door to find him.
  • Watch the lemurs of the Oregon Zoo enjoying a Popsicle party.
  • Why Australia's trash bin-raiding cockatoos are the "punks of the bird world."
  • Watch this rare footage of African painted dogs returning to their den to feed some very hungry puppies.
  • Tasmanian devils wipe out a colony of little penguins in a major conservation backfire. More from Smithsonian Magazine.
 
►Artistry◄
  • Baker Teri Culletto creates visually tasty focaccia bread art inspired by Van Gogh.
  • Cake artist Rin creates a no-bake cheesecake showing a naughty pelican trying to eat capybaras bathing in a hot springs.
  • Alicja Kozlowska's detailed embroidered felt food sculptures.
 
►The Wanderer◄
 
►Fascinating Folk◄
  • At 103 years old, neuroscientist Brenda Milner is still unlocking the mysteries of the brain.
  • How one warrior named Zoel Zohnnie helped get water to Navajos in need.
  • Anna Pavlova, the prima ballerina who had the real Swan Lake.
  • The untold stories of one of my favorite actors, Wes Studi.
 
►I ♥ Lists◄

That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

Don't forget to spend some Me Time curled up with a good book!

24 comments:

  1. Wow, Cathy! I think that's fantastic that you came up with the right solution, and I can't tell you how happy I am that you've made the progress you have. How great is that!? And I'm glad the doctor actually listened to what you had to say, rather than assume the other protocol was the only one that would work. Very glad for you! OK, off to that Visigoth sarcophagus!

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    1. I think Dr. K. was at his wits' end. He'd been trying everything under the sun and couldn't get my leg to cooperate. I'm beginning to think that my leg got sick of the crap wrap and decided to cooperate. ;-)

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  2. I’m very glad to hear you are on a path to healing finally.

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  3. Congratulations on coming up with a solution to all that crap-wrap being applied to your leg. It's amazing sometimes what sheer frustration and desperation can cause us to come up with on our own. I can imagine how relieved both of you must be to finally have this behind you. Happy for y'all.

    Some great links as usual...I'll be back to follow at least five or six of them to learn the "rest of the story."

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    1. Glad you're enjoying the links, Sam. I'm enjoying my appointment-free Friday. :-)

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  4. Good for you, Cathy! Sometimes the simplest of ideas turn out to be the best! Someone told me rubbing the inside of banana peel on eczema would cure it and guess what? It's true! After months of different medications and countless trips to the dermatologist - that's what worked! Glad you are finally on the mend!

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    1. Thanks, Alison! (And I can't get over all the uses for bananas...)

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  5. That's wonderful news, Cathy! I have no doubt that you and Denis will find plenty of adventures on Friday that have nothing to do with the clinic. Have a good weekend!

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  6. Congratulations! I have faith in you and Denis finding other things to do with your Fridays, and your abilities to override your Jeep's inclinations ;)

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    1. I remember a period of time (roughly two months) when I was working 90+ hours per week. When I got a few hours off to do the necessaries, I drove to the grocery store... but I found myself pulling into the parking lot where I worked instead!

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  7. That's excellent news about your leg and some excellent links as well. Happy weekend and enjoy your Friday freedom.

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  8. Maybe you and Denis could visit some habergastery shops for sewing supplies and such!
    Free Fridays! What you can do? Depends on your being homebound or able to visit flora and fauna.

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    1. I'm afraid that any outside activities are going to have to wait until it cools off a bit. My fair English rose of a husband doesn't deal with heat as well as he used to. But there are plenty of museums and the like that we can visit.

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  9. Heat is tough. I have trouble with hot weather, so I stay in the a/c and read and watch TV and read blogs.

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    1. Many Phoenicians have the same problem. That's why getting out and enjoying someone else's air conditioning is a big thing here during the summer. ;-)

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  10. Right now I'm still in Bombay with Perveen Mistry in 1921, and friends have the nerve to wan tme to do some editing (that I have been working on). I took the weekend off to visit Bombay. What a relaxing read.
    Now to get to the library and get Ruth Galloway's adventure and other books.

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    1. You've got some good reading ahead of you.

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  11. Let's cross all our fingers that this latest wrap remedy holds for you Fridays free? I wish our museums were open. I am dying to visit one.

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    1. As much as Denis and I love visiting museums, we tend to be outdoor oriented, and we're chomping at the bit waiting for the weather to cool down so we can get back to the Desert Botanical Garden and the Wildlife World Zoo. Butterfly Wonderland would be nice, too.

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  12. I love to read about those trips to the botanical garden and zoo, and especially enjoy the photos of those critters and cacti. Perhaps that would make a good book title or blog headline: Critters and Cacti.
    Anyway, hope you are enjoying August. I have a slew of books, and more on library reserve I could not carry.

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