A most embarrassing situation

I didn't know whether to post here or in my ALS journal. Even though ALS played a part, it seemed more appropriate here, since in many ways it is humorous, I suppose.

This was  a stress infused two weeks. It began in July 11 also at the end of my morning walk. I came in and for some reason went down to the lower floor. There I discovered our rec room now contained a lake. The hot water heater had finally given up the ghost. I had been concerned with this contraption for nearly two years, for back then it had left a small puddle of water beneath itself. Wonderful, I have not had any money for a while now. We live on faith. The hospitals and doctors have drained away any extra moolah I had.

But the water dried up and we still had hot water, so life went on. Every so often it would wet the floor slightly, then dry up again. This went on for nearly two years.  I have a home warranty I took out two years ago.  Still we had hot water and only theses occasional wetness and I was advised not to worry as long as this was the case. I was told nothing catastrophic would happen, but it did.

I came home from a morning walk and for some reason went don stairs. A third o our rec room was under water and their was a river across the utility room. I called the warranty company and they sent a contractor out. He said the machine had to be replaced. It took over 2 weeks to get the thing. That was two weeks of having no hot water.

Then the warranty company, who did pay for a new hot water heater and its installation informed me they would not pay for additional work that had to be done to bring us up to code. I would have to pay $1,275 out of pocket.That was $1,275 we didn't have, but my daughters came to our rescue and loaned us the money.

The round white item was something that had to be added to meeting the code, an expansion tank.

Then an overflow basket was required at the bottom and a drain had

to be installed. The drain is the white pipe running around my header and under the sink. It was these three things that cot me $1,275. But at least we have hot water again.

It has been a stressful time while we had no hot water. Lois is seeing double, so can't drive. She has been to an eye doctor and had a CAT scan done of her head. The doctor thinks it might be the muscles about her eyes. She goes back to him this coming week.

Meanwhile, we were both to our Primary. Me because it was my regular exam. The doc is concerned about that sore left hand I have. She thinks it is gout. She has prescribed to medication for me. One is Prednisone, which I took years ago for my Graves Disease. It is a steroid and it is nasty. It changed me into a mean, aggressive beast. I do not look forward to taking it again.

The other medication is an antibiotic. I have to be careful with this to avoid C Diff again. I must take a probiotic and if I get any diarrhea I am to stop use. I don't trust antibiotics. I defiantly don't want C Diff again.

She says if nt swollen finger doesn't go down in 10 days after taking these medications I will have to go into the hospital.

Besides the double vision, Lois' feet and ankles are swollen. They sent her to the Cardiologist for tests, but the only results of that were big bills we don't have the money to pay. All the tests came out as normal, so were meaningless. Her doctor thinks the problem is her medication, so she prescribed two new medications. I hope these work. Lois still has her sleep problem.

I have grown somewhat weaker. I do go to clinic this coming Friday. My daughter Noelle is taking me.  Now the embarrassing moment on Saturday. I went for me usual morning walk. I was finishing up and come back to me car. I felt tired. There is one bench along the curry last trail and I decided I would sit there a few minutes, except I couldn't. I couldn't position myself to sit. I kept going in circles on my walking stick and the next thing I knew I was behind the bench. I tried to come around the side to the front and suddenly I fell forward atop the back of the bench.

There I stayed. My head was down on the bench seat and the rest of me was dropped over the bench back like I was limp rag.  My rear was pointing up toward the sky. My shirt had ridden up and my shorts had become a wedgie. It was a very undignified sight, but I couldn't move. I could not push myself around with my arms of my legs.

Two ladies appeared up the hill and one called to me, "Are you all right?"

"No," I answered. I must have been quite a sight, stuck across the back of the bench with my now essentially bare bottom raised up toward them.

They each had a dog, but they came down to me. They could not move me off the bench top, however. Fortunately a man cam up the path and he was able to get off the back and seated. Another man came up and gave me a bottle of water. He said he had seen us from the road. I had to ask the one women to open the bottle. Meanwhile the other woman was on her phone. I had no phone. My cell phone broke a couple weeks ago and my replacement phone isn't working yet.

She said, "Help is on the way."

Help? What kind of help? Then I saw the ambulance coming with its lights blinking Soon two paramedics were coming up the path with a gurney.

"You won't need that I told them"

They asked a number of questions. I explained I had ALS. I told them if I could get on my feet I would be fine. My car was nearby.  They helped me up and the one paramedic walked with me to my car, asking if I felt I could drive. The other stowed the gurney and followed us in the ambulance. I made my car and we all left. I had to get gas and put some side in the one tire and pick up Lois' prescriptions, all of which I managed. By the time I got home my legs were gone, but we still managed to drive down to Smyrna and see our new grandson for the fist time.

I did not walk today and I am not at this point certain I can take further morning walks. As I said, I go to clinic at Jefferson this Friday, mybe that will answer my question, but I'd hate to have to give up my walks. I can't do much else.