Co-worker tests positive

 In the past 5 weeks I was only at the office one day, last Monday. After I was under the weather after my covid vaccine.

When I came in found out that someone in the lab tested postive for covid and I spent some time with them last Monday. I remember being annoyed at them for wearing mask under nose.  Sadly they got covid mild so they still aren't taking it seriously. And by doing that putting other people at risk. At least 2 people had to stay home and get covid tests because of him. 

HR wants to know if we are positive but dont warn people others have tested positive. 

 Was also annoyed because our covid cleaning stations had no paper towels. Just bottles of a disinfectant spray.... ? I sent a bitchy complaint about that to maintenance and 3 rolls arrived promptly. 

Tacos Don Rigo

 Terry decided to try the taco place on St.. Jean especially since they make veggie corn quesadillas that I can eat. Except of the 6 times he ordered (by phone and then even twice more in person) we gave up. 

Every other time... somehow my corn quesadillas became wheat flour tacos... even though he would specify CORN quesadillas. 

The last time was Sunday. He waited in line outside for an hour to place an order and then waited another 30 minutes, get home only to realize they fucked up my order again. He asked for his money back. Was mot going to wait another 30 minutes again.  Not worth the wait. They get 1 * for bad service. 

Yesterday he made quesadillas at home. Delicious and guaranteed to be corn and not wheat tortillas. 

Deadly 2021

 My sweet next door neighbour to the left died March 7th of this year. She was 83. 

And today, it's the teen boy neighbour to the right that died of cancer. All I know is it was orginally cancer in the bone of one of his legs. Just saw the funeral transport pick up the body. He was only 14. So sad. 

This has not been a good year for my neighbours... there was also those across the island who's house burned late January. 

Team Pfizer

Wore a dragonfly dress to get my COVID-19 vaccination! 
 

More creations from 2021

 Non retro sewing I've done in 2021. 

Bamboo French Terry made with Butterick B5313

Rayon woven made with Simplicity 8125

Made with Burda 7798

Made with Vogue V8685

Double gauze made with Burda 8071

Made with McCalls M7538

Updated photos: Retro Pneumonia Sewing

 All these were made with patterns from the 1960's and 1970's in the past 2 weeks while recovering from pneumonia 

Stretchy cotton with Simplicity 9625 from 1971

Made with cotton leftover I found in my stash using Simplicity 9833 from 1971

Made with Simplicity 7691 from 1968

Made with flowery seersucker using McCalls 2127 from 1969

Made with cotton using Simplicity 5632 from 1973

Made with cotton from my mom's stash using McCalls 6740 from 1963

Pink cotton made with Simplicity 7506 from 1967

Tops made with leftovers

Today I finally got to take photos of everything I've sewed for myself since the beginning of 2021. I hadn't felt well enough to actually take decent photos. Today I took the time with my good camera to to document everything I made so far.

The two tops are made with fabric leftovers. One is made with a favourite green/leopard print and the other is made with 2 different rayon knits left overs

Made with New Look  6204

Made with Jalie 2794

More retro sewing

 I made this green 70's dress sometime back in late February. The pattern I used has Susan Dey as model, which I remember from the Partrige Family.  I used some stretchy cotton so the dress fits perfectly. I love the sleeves. 

Last week still recovering from pneumonia I made this Sailor top: 

Finally!

 Took stalking clic-Sante website for 3 days, every hour to get me an appointment. 

I had missed appointments at costco Pointe-Claire, my pharmacy... Wednesday, by the time I saw them they were booked. 

But yesterday around noon, I was able to book appointment at the East community center in Pierrefonds on Gouin near Sunnybrooke. It's where I went for most of my local covid tests. It's a small building well organized and my appointmemt is for the 18th of May. 

It now says when you book that you must not have had covid in the past 3 months. I never tested postive for it. But had pneumonia... and to be honest... wonder how long I'd had pneumonia.

 Also wonder if it was not covid... what the fuck caused my pneumonia when I wore masks and went very few places other than work???

No appointments

I had to cancel my May 4rth COVID-19 vaccination because I had pneumonia.  Today I finally felt physically healthy enough to schedule an appointment... there aren't any in a 15km radius or it's AstraZeneca which I do not want. 

Now crying uncontrollably again. 

Sad

2021 has sucked as much as 2020 so far.  I'm getting older, less functional. 

I'm also rethinking my life. What have I accomplished? I'm about as insignificant as they come. I've spent most of my life trying to be a better person to what end? Anytime I go out of my comfort zone and make an effort it backfires and instead of enriching my life I feel even more  useless. 

I've managed to estrange most of the people I love so really what's the point? 

Most days I feel like the world's biggest asshole. I can't say anything right or do anything right. I'm a giant waste of space and not worth anyone's time or energy. 

Pneumonia retro sewing

 I've been mostly bedridden the past 3 weeks but on some days I managed an hour or two on the sewing machine.  

Happy Mother's day!

While I was at the hospital May 2nd, from where I was sitting in the ER, I spotted these 2 mothers from my line of sight. 

The closer one, was holding a 5 year old who seemed to have a vomiting issue. As she held him she rocked him softly.

The one in the background, is holding a 2 year old with a sprained or broken arm/hand. She held him in her arms 6-7 hours trying to keep him calm. 

So I wish all mom's out there a happy mother's day. This photo symbolic of the love mom's have for their offspring. 

Edit: on this mother's day 2021, neither one of my daughters acknowledged it was mother's day or messaged me. I spent the night crying.  It hurt very much. 

Hospital visit Friday night.

 Went back to hospital Friday night as was still experiencing breathing problems and was worried. I tested negative for covid Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.

I was checked completely both lungs and heart. They did electrocardiogram, blood tests to check for blood clots in lungs and heart and xray. 

Pneumonia is clearing as it should. I suspect my shortness of breath is pollen allergy related. At home I get phlegmy cough. After 8 hours in AC at hospital waiting... no phlegmy cough. 

I ended up talking to a Sacre-Coeur hospital cleaning lady. She works in the ER cleaning exam rooms between patients and had broken a rib doing so. She got COVID-19 March 2020 at the same time I did. She was also born in 1962. We talked about our symptoms and the ones that remained. 

I've been saying my arthritis is 10 times worse. She said same exact thing. More problems sleeping. Extra fatigue and unexplained shortness of breath. All the things I've been saying for the past year. 

The doctor I saw Friday thought I was fine... my oxigen saturation was 'better than his'. Meaning it was 99% ... I mean i'm always told how in poor shape my lungs are in. But apparently they still do an ok job. 

I'm taking next week off work to regain strength. After 3 weeks being sick in bed... I need to get back healthy. Want to do 2 daily walks and get my body back in shape. 

 

Feel like I've been hit by a truck.

 Between the medication and the pneumonia I feel like I've been hit by a runaway train. Between the epic nausea, there's the epic hunger, the sore tummy and runny stools. 

I feel good mid afternoon onwards but as soon as I try to sleep then the coughing starts and I feel I can't breathe and I can't tell if it's my anxiety fucking with me or I'm really experiencing breathing difficulties. The ER doctor said to come back if I experience breathing difficulties and I know if it is covid, you can deteriorate rapidly. 

I also seem to still have fluctuating low grade fever. Up to 37.5 again... anywhere higher than 37.1 and I get the cold shivers constantly. 

Because May fourth was not with me, and could not get my COVID-19 vaccination, I joked that there's an Epic battle going on inside of me... all episodes of star wars.. 

Going for 2nd Covid test today. Did not take my nasal steroids yet just in case it helps give false negatives.

Budesonide - my friend

 I've been taking budesonide under it's various forms now for over 30 years.  Until 5 years ago, I took it mostly during allergy season or if I had breathing problems. Since the pneumonia of 2016, after seeing respiratologist, I've been taking it as pulmicort all year round and symbicort during allergy season (May- October). But since March 2020 been taking symbicort exclusively. 

When I was talking to ER doctor Sunday night, he picked up my Symicort inhaler and said, you know budesonide is excellent for treating COVID-19. 

Told him that when I suspected getting covid March 2020, that I has doubled up on my inhalations when I started feeling my lungs heavy and am still taking 2 inhalations twice a day since. 

After looking at my  Xray he said I have a spot of pneumonia in my  lower right lung but the spot in my upper right lung that was concerning them in December is gone. 

He also said I don't currently have covid lungs and even if I tested negative on the test they gave me at hospital, I should get another test on the 5th. 

He had my blood tested for CRP (C-reactive protein). High levels of CRP with patient spitting yellow-green sputum, is a sign of pneumonia. My CRP was extremely elevated which could mean I have covid but also just plain pneumonia. That's why he wants me to have 2 negative covid tests. 

The good thing is despite having pneumonia and feeling miserable, my oxygen levels were at 99% So my crappy bronchiectasis damaged lungs are still able to keep my blood well oxygenated.

The antibiotic-steroid cocktail I'm on is keeping me agitated, unable to sleep, nauseous and with upset stomach and runny stool. Prednisone, 30mg a day for 5 days. Amoxi-Clav  875+125 mg for 7 days, and azithromicyn 250mg for 5 days. 

I've been having low grade fever again. Early this morning  I was at 37.5. It sucks because it gives me nasty shivers.

Hello pneumonia my old friend

 One of the features of being autistic is often missing the words to explain what's wrong with you, especially physical ailments. When you seek medical treatment, your face and body language often do not match what you're feeling or what you are trying to put into words. 

 This is the third time I have pneumonia. The two times prior, though I felt 'off', I had to cough up blood to seek medical help. This time I was able to notice it before it got that bad. When asked by triage nurse why I thought I had pneumonia I said... it felt like it and I didn't want to wait till I was coughing blood. Got a strange look.

 Another thing I've noticed is... I'm so used to coughing, hurting myself coughing that I really don't pay that much attention to my coughing. Eighty percent of the time I end up seeing a doctor because a family member or friend tells me my cough is worse and I should get it looked at. 

 It's more or less what I told ER doctor. Cough worse bf insisted I be seen. It also never helps that when I get pneumonia, I don't register high fevers. The past 2 weeks I had low grade fever that peaked at 37.6. It's also what clued me in because I never 'look' like someone with pneumonia.

The sucky part? I had to cancel my COVID-19 vaccine. ER doctor said to wait till I'm better.