followed by another day of hacking up crap. And we were in air conditioning most of the time. We even used the recycle feature in the van.
At least we got back at a decent hour. The only big problem at home is the humidity, and it's only a problem when we go out. I made a point of staying in today. The next few weeks will be busy enough, as my partner prepares for knee replacement.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Even a mask doesn't always help
I went yesterday and the day before to a friend's house to help her with some computer and phone problems she was having. Karen used to smoke, but stopped several years ago. About three years ago, her daughter moved home. Phyllis smokes in the house, although she is restricted to her room.
Last year, they had a house fire, but the insurance company's cleaner's did a pretty good job cleaning up, and most of the smoke odor was gone by the time the contractors finished with repairs. Now, the entire house reeks of cigarette smoke, so we wear masks when we go to visit.
I think the reason the smell permeates the entire house and never seems to diffuse has to do with the differences in how houses are constructed these days. We have another friend who lives in a 300-year-old farm house. Her son smokes, but her house, even though it was well insulated in the course of remodeling, doesn't smell like tobacco smoke. Karen's house, on the other hand, is about 60 years old and mostly brick. She keeps it closed up much of the time, too, so there is real chance for the house to breathe.
The mask helped, but not enough. For the past two days, my peak flow has been significantly lower than usual and my chest has been tight and uncomfortable. I'm not sure what else to do, as I miss my friend, but can't spend time at her place like we used to.
Last year, they had a house fire, but the insurance company's cleaner's did a pretty good job cleaning up, and most of the smoke odor was gone by the time the contractors finished with repairs. Now, the entire house reeks of cigarette smoke, so we wear masks when we go to visit.
I think the reason the smell permeates the entire house and never seems to diffuse has to do with the differences in how houses are constructed these days. We have another friend who lives in a 300-year-old farm house. Her son smokes, but her house, even though it was well insulated in the course of remodeling, doesn't smell like tobacco smoke. Karen's house, on the other hand, is about 60 years old and mostly brick. She keeps it closed up much of the time, too, so there is real chance for the house to breathe.
The mask helped, but not enough. For the past two days, my peak flow has been significantly lower than usual and my chest has been tight and uncomfortable. I'm not sure what else to do, as I miss my friend, but can't spend time at her place like we used to.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
New place, same old results
On Friday, we took yet another trip to Wilmington to help our friend tend to her older sister. The sister, who is in her 70s, has Alzheimer's, but her physician has gotten her medication adjusted to the point where Charlette, while still sometimes confused, is much more "with it."
This trip included the bonus fun of taking Charlette down to Delaware City to visit with a high school chum. The friend isn't doing well, and was recently placed on oxygen full time. It was bittersweet to see them together, as they tried to remember what they shared.
The visit wasn't long, fortunately, but most of the way through, I excused myself to the car to use the nebulizer again. I was nearly finished when the rest of the my party exited the house.
From there, we went back to Wilmington and zipped through the grocery shopping. Then we headed back home. My partner forgot her bag in Delaware City, so we stopped in to pick it up, then took the rural road south for a while before heading back to the tourist-jammed main road.
Yesterday was horrible. Both my partner and I were sicker than we've been in a while. Congested, wheezing, hacking, and using the neublizers and decongestants regularly. We're both better today, but come away from the trip with the lesson that's so hard to learn: Just because you can't smell, taste, or see what's in the air doesn't mean it won't make you sick.
This trip included the bonus fun of taking Charlette down to Delaware City to visit with a high school chum. The friend isn't doing well, and was recently placed on oxygen full time. It was bittersweet to see them together, as they tried to remember what they shared.
The visit wasn't long, fortunately, but most of the way through, I excused myself to the car to use the nebulizer again. I was nearly finished when the rest of the my party exited the house.
From there, we went back to Wilmington and zipped through the grocery shopping. Then we headed back home. My partner forgot her bag in Delaware City, so we stopped in to pick it up, then took the rural road south for a while before heading back to the tourist-jammed main road.
Yesterday was horrible. Both my partner and I were sicker than we've been in a while. Congested, wheezing, hacking, and using the neublizers and decongestants regularly. We're both better today, but come away from the trip with the lesson that's so hard to learn: Just because you can't smell, taste, or see what's in the air doesn't mean it won't make you sick.
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