Thursday, August 5, 2021

Wednesday

Pale Blue Agapanthus

My daughter's health care provider called her in the morning to ask if she'd prefer to have a phone consultation with the nurse practitioner instead of going for an in person visit and my daughter decided to have the phone consultation, in order to minimize exposure to the Covid virus (today's Los Angeles County new Covid cases amounted to 3,734).  She submitted photos of her hives online and the nurse practitioner asked her several questions including when she first started having them, does she have any food allergies (none that we know of), have there been any changes in diet, laundry detergent, etc.  At the end of the phone consultation, she prescribed a steroid cream to be applied to the hives twice a day and an over the counter antihistamine to be taken once a day in the morning.  If there is no improvement in two weeks (or if things get worse) daughter is to call for a referral to a dermatologist or allergist.  We picked up the medications in the afternoon and she applied the cream soon after that.  But, she is waiting until tomorrow morning to take the antihistamine (since she was told to take it in the morning).

In the meantime, I combed Dancer to make sure he didn't have fleas, just in case these are flea bites (he didn't have any fleas) and gave him his monthly flea prevention medication, as well.  Then, I washed daughter's bedding, including her quilt, in hot water and she remade her bed with the freshly washed sheets and pillowcases.

M stopped by in the late morning to tend to the garden.  He watered both front and back and put a screen around the serrano chili pepper plant to keep the rabbits from eating it!  Bun Bun, the big white rabbit, is a frequent visitor in my garden.  I have a feeling he belonged to the neighbors two doors down from me (the same people who were trying to round up a rabbit in my front garden several weeks ago).  The problem is, they rented that house and left at the end of July (and left the house in a very bad condition, according to the owners, who have been clearing rubbish from the house, this week).  If Bun Bun was their rabbit, they left it behind to fend for itself!   Which it seems to do very well in my back garden!  LOL!    

M sowed a packet of chili pepper seeds in the bed where the green beans had been growing.  They were some old seeds that I had, but, I hope they will germinate and grow!  M will be off on a couple of weeks of vacation, so I will be watering the garden until he returns.  

Daughter and I had leftovers for brunch - I had the last of the milkrice and mackerel curry; she finished the pasta.  We had more leftovers for dinner - the pork bulgogi, rice, and vegetables.  Strawberries for dessert.

In the evening, I chatted on the phone with friend R and with aunt C.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Health insurance
- Daughter was able to have a phone consultation with the nurse practitioner
- Prescriptions and the availability of medications
- Hives are a relatively minor medical issue
- M tending to the garden for me

Today's joyful activity was treating myself to a chocolate croissant and daughter to an iced coffee drink on the way home from the pharmacy!  

Plans for tomorrow include tidying up the family room.

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August Decluttering Challenge: I've been keeping track of the items I'm decluttering in a separate draft post, but, I like how Eileen keeps a running tab on her daily posts, so I am copying her!

8/1 - 1 pair gardening gloves

8/2 - non-working heating pad

8/3 - old purse/handbag

8/4 - 1 computer CD containing a report 

14 comments:

  1. Let's hope the medications work for your daughter so that she doesn't need a referral to a consultant.

    Snap! My M (gardener) is going away for two weeks holiday too so care of the garden is left to me! It must be gardeners' holiday time.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen; keeping my fingers crossed that the medications help.

      Ha, ha, it must be the time of the year when gardeners go on holidays! My M takes a week or so off in August and again, between Christmas and New Year. He mentioned that there is a big succulent plants show coming up this weekend that he might attend; he usually grows several types of plants to show at these events and has won ribbons or placed in them (or whatever the proper terminology might be!).

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  2. Is there a rabbit rescue group you could call to round up the rabbits that were left behind? We have volunteer groups around here who round up and foster rabbits until they can find a home for them.

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    1. Oh, I didn't even know there were such things as rabbit rescue groups! I know there are people who will trap and release feral cats after spaying/neutering them, but, I've had very little luck with getting them to come and trap my garden cats. I shall check to see if there are any rabbit rescue groups. But, first, maybe I should verify who the rabbits belong to! I know my noisy neighbors, next door, said one of their friends have two white rabbits - I've no idea which two white rabbits belong to them! Bun Bun was in my back yard this morning, when I got up and opened the windows. He then hopped away and I don't know where he went. No doubt he'll be back in the evening!

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  3. I hope the hives go away quickly. My sister used to get them fairly regularly when she was a young woman.
    Bunny foo foo is still having a great time with my garden, but we pulled the zucchini and squash which appeared to be his favorites. I just wish he had eaten the entire thing instead of leaving us half nibbled squash.
    I am doing my challenge and so far have not even made it beyond the butler's pantry. I might need to up my game and do 2 a day!

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    1. Thank you, Anne. She started on the antihistamines, this morning.

      Oh, I wish Bun Bun took even one bite of the zucchini! That would have been an excellent reason to toss them on the compost pile, guilt free! LOL He seems more interested in the sweet potato tops and the serrano chili pepper plant! I also saw him near the watermelon vines, but, I don't know if he's eating the watermelon, the leaves, or the grass nearby as the grass only grows near the plants I water (no lawn as such).

      Yay, you are making great progress! I've decluttered 10 items a day, in the past, so, feel free to declutter as many items a day as you like! :)

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  4. Dancer happily says, "Not guilty!" I'm glad you didn't find any fleas. I hope the cream and anti-histamine will help your daughter.
    Do you think you have "won" a free rabbit? Seems Bun Bun may be ownerless now. Sorry to hear those renters left a mess for the owners.
    The dog next door must have been away for several days as we never saw or heard him, but I have just heard his beagle "woowoowoowoo" from next door so I guess we will be getting a visit soon. It is hot here today.

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    1. Ha, ha, Dancer says we always accuse him when things happen! :D Thank you; she took the first antihistamine pill, this morning.

      I really don't know if Bun Bun is ownerless, although he is starting to look rather dingy! I asked neighbor S's daughter if she thought the renters left the rabbits behind (the owner of the property is her cousin), but, she said she didn't know and that there were rabbits visiting her yard, too! Between the garden cats (I've noticed someone's all black cat coming to eat the cat food, recently, in addition to the three in my garden), the possums, the rabbits (Bun Bun, at least, seems to like cat food almost as much as the cats do) and the birds (who also eat cat food), I think I will need to buy more cat food kibbles! LOL.

      Ooh, your doggy friend is back! I'm sure he'll show up for his treats, soon!

      Keep cool in that heat! We are in the mid=90s, today. :)

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  5. I think telemedicine is a wonderful thing. I just scheduled an appt. for myself. Technology is amazing. Hope your daughter's hives clear up soon. I had them once, and they faded on their own within a day or two. In my case, it was stress after my father died. That rabbit sounds very happy with you. Kind of sad, but sweet. Animals always know where to go to find kind owners.

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    1. It really is wonderful; the clinic we were directed to go to was in Santa Clarita (the 3 Kaiser facilities closer to us were fully booked and didn't have any appointments available for this week). I thought of you when I heard it was in Santa Clarita. :)

      The rabbits are very happy in my garden because I've things for them to eat! They also know that I don't have any dogs to attack them (most of my neighbors have dogs). I'm not sure I want to be hostess to a colony of rabbits, though. I shall be checking around to see if there is anyone who can come and collect this rabbit and find a proper home for it.

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  6. How rude that your former neighbors left little Bun Bun, if it was their rabbit to fend for himself. Luckily you have a garden and I know you won't turn him away. Glad your daughter was able to have a phone consultation instead of having to go in person. Especially with cases rising. Yes, when I had hives, they were a little itchy. It took awhile for them to go away, but they eventually did. Hoping this is the case with your daughter. Denise

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    1. I know; people really shouldn't be allowed to keep pets if they don't know how to care for them! No, I won't turn him away. I might threaten to turn him into rabbit stew if he eats my vegetables and watermelons, but, I won't actually do that, either! I'm a bit of a softie when it comes to animals. :)

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  7. I'm glad your daughter was able to have her appointment remotely. I hope the cream and antihistamine help.

    I was just thinking the other day about Dancer and fleas. I recall a couple summers ago you having a real prob l email but you haven't mentioned it the last 2 summers.
    I'm glad he is flea free!
    Good kitty. :)

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    1. Thank you, Debra; it seems to be helping, although it is early days, yet.

      Yes, we had a problem with him getting fleas a few years ago. I've been diligent about giving him his monthly flea treatments, since then and we haven't had any problems. Keeping my fingers crossed that he continues to be flea free.

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