Need to Practice More Self Control

As I mentioned a few days ago, Maunalani will provide a complimentary meal for you if you help the resident you are visiting during the meal. So I have been eating lunch with Dad. The portions at Maunalani are much more reasonable than at the Sunrise Cafe at Kaiser Moanalua; in part because kupuna eat less. I have been leaving the rice that they serve but eating most everything else. Here is today's lunch; I should have only eaten half the pasta but I am a sucker for pasta, especially with a tasty cream based sauce!

Clockwise from upper left: Tomato florentine soup, Tossed salad, Chicken florentine with angel hair pasta, Lemon butter broccoli, Pineapple cheesecake.

And I have been eating a full dinner as well. So at yesterday's official weigh-in I discovered, even with 2 walks a day, I have gained 0.2 pounds. Of course, the trip to Coldfyyre last night didn't help any even though I skipped my nightly pistachio snack to make up for it. I will have to be more adamant about my portion control, especially when it comes to carbs that I like.

Luz is one of the LPNs at Maunalani; she used to live on Whidbey Island! She moved to Hawai'i after coming here for vacation and finding out she was not allergic to any of the flowers here like she was in Washington; she also didn't break out in hives because of the cold. She said it was like being at home in Colombia. It was an easy decision for her to move!

On the way home I stopped at City Mill. I had seen a fruit picker there like the one I used for our apples in Washington; I got one for the papayas. I tried it when I got home; its works better for apples. Since papayas grow straight from the trunk there is very little space to maneuver the picker so that the tines can grab the fruit. You can't twist the papaya off the trunk like you can with an apple off its fruit spur.

DT is back from Michigan for a few weeks. He came over to borrow the RAV4 while he is here. He had pulled it out and washed it when I got home.


We watched My Destiny again tonight; we missed the last 3 weeks so we had a bunch of catching up to do. It seems that Matthew was doing Grace a favor making believe he was Lucas to flirt with Joy to cheer her up. (So he's only a 2-timer and not a 3-timer as we had originally thought.) Joy has pneumonia, a complication of her leukemia, and is in surgery to remove fluid from one of her lungs as the installment ended this evening.

Matthew & Grace. (Screen shot from KIKU)

Happy Birthday to Cathy!

I Met Wonder Woman This Morning!

Her name was not Diana Prince. Or Gal Gadot. It is Rhonda! I first saw Rhonda as she was walking up the last block of Wilhelmina Rise before its final intersection with Sierra Drive, along the easterly side of the park. She had her son Owen on her back and Baby #2 in her belly. We walked up to Maunalani's upper parking lot together, then she went around the circle and back down again. You go girl!

Rhonda & Baby #2 with Owen.

Dad was up eating breakfast when I arrived. He didn't stay up for long, he complained about his okole being sore. But he did say he wanted to get up again when Lynn came to play ukulele with Gloria & Myra. And he did.

At the end of the ukulele session Sulia made vaifala (pineapple smoothie) for the residents there. It was going to be the refreshment for the staff Pineapple Cooking Contest but there was only one entry so they just served the vaifala. (Sulia says they make it by grating the pineapple, but there was not enough time to do that in front of the residents so Jody had her use the blender.)

Making vaifala. L to R: Jody, Kriezl, & Sulia.

The one entry for the staff Pineapple Cooking Contest was from Jody; she made Pineapple Salsa. She gave me some a little later in the day. It was very tasty! She got my vote!


We started lunch out on the 2nd floor lanai; but Dad didn't like one of the people who came to the table - he was yelling and laughing uncontrollably. The noise bothered Dad so we moved to a different table and Dad settled down.

Clockwise from lower left: Tossed salad, Cornbread, Papaya, Coleslaw, Chili with beans, & Steamed rice.

On my 2nd walk of the day I left a little later and the day shift staff were leaving. Two of the CNAs offered to give me a ride; they didn't know about my daily exercise routine. One of the CNAs just started a week ago, the other works on a different floor. 

The Potential Most Favorite Roommate cooked tonight. He made Beef Luau; but he doesn't like the taste of coconut so he left out the coconut milk. We decided that was okay to do as long as he offered it on the table so that people could add their own coconut milk to the dish as needed. Otherwise it was okay.

The Roommate Who Was Learning How to Give Xander His Meds got a text a couple of days ago about a buy one get one half off offer from Coldfyyre ice cream. We went to redeem it tonight. They were out of Ala Wai Mud Pie and Pali Rocky Road; our household favorites. I had the Big Island Chocolate again; between them The Roommates tried the Big Island Chocolate, Cookies'n'Cream, Pistachio, & Blueberry. I am intrigued by the flavor called Green Sea, made with sea asparagus (Salicornia sp.); I think I will try that on our next visit.

Humor at Coldfyyre.

Coldfyyre also has some games available to play while enjoying your ice cream. The Roommate Who Was Learning How to Give Xander His Meds chose one called Scan. On the tan card (in the middle of the photo below) are 4 categories: Pattern, Shape, Color, & Position. A category is chosen and the top tan card is exposed, the players then need to search the blue cards for the matching picture for the category. The way we played it, the winner of the round calls out the category before exposing the next tan card.

Scan.

WARNING: TICK PHOTO at end of this paragraph. (Just warning you because my PCP said she was going to have nightmares because of the unexpected tick photo I sent her.) Here is the info in regards to the ticks that bit me & what I appear to have been exposed to. I have identified the ticks as the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) via the use of the State of Michigan website about ticks and tick-borne diseases. According to them, in Michigan this tick carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia; Michigan recommends early treatment regardless of what it is. Not sure if a tick can transmit both diseases at the same time or only one or the other; doesn't really matter to me, the resulting outbreaks both look nasty, however, the ulcers from the tularemia look more painful. No matter what, I want to avoid any outbreaks. Thus the 14 days of antibiotic even though we are not 100% sure what I have, if anything. (In Michigan you can take the tick in to have it tested for free to see what it might be carrying, then get treated appropriately.) WARNING: TICK PHOTO coming up next!!!

American dog ticks. (I didn't think they were that bad.)

Happy Birthday to Captain Tony!

More Dental Work

Although I had a periodontal appointment in the morning, I went up to Maunalani and did my morning walk. Since the walk started about 7:30 and ended about 8, I still had a bunch of time to spend with Dad before I had to leave for my appointment. I found out that they were having the Namaste session today. Arceli said they would make sure Dad was taken to Namaste while I was at the periodontist's. Since it was only to remove the antibiotic chips it was a fast appointment.


I got back at least half an hour before Dad was to be out of the Namaste session. I took that time to relax and listen to Chapter 16 of Storm Front. Then it was time to retrieve Dad and take him to lunch. Since Dad likes to sit on the 2nd floor lanai, that's where I took him. Dad didn't eat anything, he just drank a little of the Boost Plus before he said he needed to use the toilet. He's still having problems; it tired him out and he ended up going to bed rather than back out to the lanai.


When I first arrived at the Orchid Dining Room for breakfast, Uncle Larry called me over to the door. He gave me a white rose. It was from the flower arrangements that had been brought in from Sai's son's wedding. Uncle Larry calls me "Babe" because he can't remember my name; he's the only guy I allow to call me "Babe". He calls all the female nurses & CNAs "Babe" because he can't remember their names.


I found another red spot on my arm, similar to the others. This morning was only the second dose of doxycycline so I am not concerned about it. I put SPF 30 sunscreen on my legs this morning which I don't usually do. I usually use a moisturizer with SPF 15 sunscreen on my face daily; because of the doxycycline I have now added a mineral sunscreen tinted with iron oxide from Little Hands Hawaii that is SPF 40. Why all the sunscreen? One of the side effects of doxycycline is photosensitivity; exposure to even a little sunlight may cause sunburn. I need to take the doxycycline for 14 days, so I also need to slather on the sunscreen for 14 days.

Another blotch.

This helps keep it from getting too itchy

On my 2nd walk I found no new birds nor did I see the White-rumped Shama; this is the usual time that I see it. But I did find a really cool beetle! The sun was weak because of the cloud cover. And as I was on my way back up it started to drizzle, which felt good. The only problem is that it might mask any sunburn that I might have gotten. I don't really know how photosensitive the doxycycline will make me; maybe I won't have much of a reaction at all to it. I will just have to be cautious for the next 2 weeks.


Curtis returns from Las Vegas tonight. So tomorrow we can get back to a more normal schedule.

Tazzie & Kila

I met LaVie, Tazzie, & Kila on my morning walk today. I had seen them a couple times before but have never been able to stop to say, Hi! Today we all had enough time to get to know each other. They live downhill of the park and walk daily so I will be seeing them again. LaVie has seen some Rose-ringed Parakeets in the area; I haven't seen them yet; but if I do I will try to get a photo. I see them frequently down at the house since there is someone about a block away that feeds them. I told LaVie about the White-rumped Shama that I think is nesting near where she sits with Tazzie & Kila, she said she would be on the lookout for it.

Kila (L) & Tazzie (R).

After I left LaVie, Tazzie, & Kila I met Ariel. She was walking down to the park with Mei-mei & Rocco! I had originally met Rocco & Mei-Mei on Saturday with Omar; it's nice to get to know the rest of the family!

I got on the list at Maunalani for complimentary lunch for family members who come to help with meals for their loved ones. Today's meal was honey-glazed chicken, French onion soup, green salad, and layer cake.


I picked up the liquid doxycycline for the tick bites. I explained to the pharmacist that Dr. Pham wanted me to take it as soon as I picked it up so that if I had a reaction I would be at Kaiser & could get medical assistance. (Dr. Pham said if I was concerned about an anaphylactic response I should go to the Kaiser Moanalua pharmacy since there is an emergency room there.) A few seconds after I took the Vibramycin (doxycycline) I felt a warm sensation in my throat, kinda like what I feel when I take cough medicine; it subsided after about 30 seconds and nothing else happened. I will have to find out what type of colorants are used in this medication so I know those are safe.

As soon as I was done with that, I went across the street to Dr. Azuma's office for my dental appointment. My previous dentist retired and Dr. Azuma is taking over his patient load. Which also means new x-rays. Dr. Azuma has some fancy equipment & has gone digital. Even before I got in the chair, I stood up to get a CT type x-ray of my head! Dr. Azuma later showed me the scans and how he could do both vertical & horizontal "slices" to see what was happening.

The fancy x-ray machine.

Some of the scans from the fancy x-ray machine.

The green marks are fillings that need to be replaced.

One of the things the fancy x-ray found is that I have a calcified stylohyoid ligament, aka Eagle syndrome. Dr. Azuma asked me all kinds of questions about pain in my neck and head; all my answers were no. So now that I know about it am I going to be hyperaware of pain in my neck & head? Not sure, I've never had any hypochondriac tendencies before. We shall see what happens! FYI - Nothing else of interest popped up on the x-rays.

The rest of the appointment was like my previous appointments. When Lori took my blood pressure it was a little high from all the running around I did just before I got there, but not off the charts.

Not much of a view from this chair. These are the boots I was wearing when I took the "hiker" photo yesterday.

I spent a lot longer at Dr. Azuma's office than I anticipated. It was about 5:30 when I left. As I walked out of the elevator I saw these 2 women milling around in the lobby; I approached the automatic door and found it would not respond. We were now all stuck in the lobby! One of the women went back to the office they were at and phoned down to tell us we needed to go back up and take the stairs to get out after hours.

When I got back to Maunalani it was much later than I expected. While I was gone Nurse Ramona and CNA Dennis were unable to convince Dad to take a shower. So Curtis will have to work on that on Sunday. Dad was refusing to eat his dinner, but had finished all of his Breeze; I just needed to get him to also finish the Boost Plus, which he did.

Earlier in the day I decided to see if I could listen to The Dresden Files audiobooks that Kai downloaded to my laptop while we were in Michigan. For whatever reason the audiobook files he originally loaded to his tablet earlier were corrupted so we couldn't completely listen to them while we were driving from Wisconsin to Michigan; he only got the beginning chapter of each audiobook. While we were at Margaret & Vivian's he was able to download them to my laptop then transfer them to his tablet so we could listen on the way back. But because we were stopping for bathroom breaks, time zone photo ops, and other things, we only got through the first 9 chapters of Storm Front by the time we rolled into Green Bay. I want to listen to the remaining 18 chapters so I can find out who the killer is and how they did it! Kai downloaded 33 audiobooks; I'll be listening to Harry Dresden's escapades for a while.


Happy Birthday to June & Anne!

It Was A Little Wet This Morning

When I started my walk this morning it was rather pleasant, a little overcast but with sun breaks. As I was finishing it up it began to drizzle; it grew wetter as I got my things out of the car and headed to the covered overlook to do my cool down stretches. Then it really began to pour! I got kinda wet doing my sissy push-ups since the railing is not under the covered overlook.

If I look straight out from the overlook, here's what I see.

But if I look about 45 degrees to the east, here's what I see - no building blocking the rest of the view.

A night-blooming Cereus near the overlook.

During the first walk of the day there was no one when I arrived at the park but 2 dogs & their humans arrived shortly after I got there. One was a Brussels Griffon, the dog that looks like an Ewok. On the afternoon walk I briefly saw a Red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), it is distinctively different from the Red-vented bulbul. The Red-vented bulbul is dark on its head and chest; the Red-whiskered bulbul has a cheek patch that is red on the upper half and white on the lower half, it also has a whitish breast. The bird species count at Maunalani Park is now 18.

When I walk in to Maunalani in the morning I must look like a lost hiker, searching for the trailhead for the Lanipo Trail. I did that hike in high school, can't remember much about it now; I'll have to consider doing it again. But first I think I need to do some really easy hikes; I haven't done any hiking since 2005 when I developed fibromyalgia so I'm not sure exactly how much I can do now.

Too bad you can't see the boots, they complete the look.

I am sensitive to Tartrazine, aka FD&C Yellow #5 aka E102 aka Acid Yellow 23 aka Food Yellow 4. I found this out quite by accident; I ate a pickle that was made more visually appealing by the addition of FD&C Yellow #5. It was the only ready-to-eat thing in the house when I got home from work, famished; so I ate it while I made dinner. In a few minutes I could feel my heart rate increase, then my respiration rate increased & I started sweating. All symptoms passed after about 15 or 20 minutes and never came back that evening, but I didn't eat any more pickles that evening either. The next night I did an experiment. I got home and ate another pickle and waited. The same symptoms appeared! And then abated after about 15 or 20 minutes. To confirm that it really was the FD&C Yellow #5, on the 3rd night I bought a different brand of pickles that had everything but the FD&C Yellow #5 and ate one on an empty stomach and waited. And waited; I never developed the symptoms from the 1st night. I have been avoiding FD&C Yellow #5 since then.

I mentioned my sensitivity to tartrazine to Dr. Pham yesterday when she was prescribing the doxycycline; the pharmacy only saw "yellow dye" and put a hold on filling my prescription because the pills were yellow. So when I went to pick it up while Dad was in the Namaste session it wasn't available; I left without it. Later Dr. Pham called; the pharmacy had some diffculty tracking down the ingredients list but finally found that the pills she prescribed actually had Yellow #6 & Yellow #10, I don't know if I react to those. Dr. Pham ended up prescribing a liquid doxycycline which only has a red dye in it; she suggested taking the 1st dose while I am at Kaiser Honolulu and waiting there for 10 or 15 minutes to see if I react to the red dye.


On my quick run down to Kaiser Honolulu, I saw one of the bulk pick-up trucks collecting the stuff along Sierra Drive. There were 2 guys hanging off the back of the truck, jumping off at each stop to load up the bulky items. Curtis & I thought that OSHA had put a stop to guys hanging off the back of the trucks.


Dad was awake and in the Orchid Dining Room when I arrived this morning. I was told he only ate a couple pieces of papaya for breakfast; I got him to finish all his Boost Plus and the Breeze. Then I took him upstairs to the exercise session. Later he went to the Namasre session and zoned out. We went directly to lunch from Namaste; Dad had his usual peanutbutter & jelly sandwich; I had the pork adobo meal. I tried to get Dad to taste the adobo but he said he had never had adobo and wouldn't try it. When I think about it, I do not remember Mom ever having made adobo; she made vinha d'ahlos, but not adobo.

Clockwise from top left: Chicken noodle soup, Garden salad, Chilled diced pears, Pork adobo, Steamed rice, Succotash.

A new resident was admitted today about 11; I passed him in the hallway as they were taking him to his room down the hall from Dad, he didn't look so good. Just after my afternoon walk I heard that he had passed; I saw them wheeling him out about 4:30. I saw Cynthia working with one of the family members, filling out all the paperwork.

Happy Birthday to Val & Amy!

What's That Sound?

This morning as I was getting ready to leave the house, I heard the sounds of dripping water outside the back door. It turns out the hose fitting for the hose going to the sprinkler in the back yard was just loose. I really like repairs like that! (The sprinkler is on a timer so that the papayas and other plants in its path are watered regularly.)

Oh no! A leak!

All better now!

Temperatures today were a little cooler because it was slightly overcast with a light breeze. And it was still warmer at the house than it was at Maunalani.

At the house.

At Maunalani.

I had the park to myself this morning. It gave me a lot of time to check out the mystery bird, which is no longer a mystery! It is a Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata). I was having some difficulty because the juveniles and adults have slightly different color patterns.

Not perfect, but I could see a lot more through the binoculars that confirmed that this is a Scaly-breasted munia.

I met Dr. May this morning; he's says he's only here for a couple of weeks of rehab. He was listening to Bach on the computer in the library, which is in the same room as the reception area. He said he was president of the music club in college & would like to start one at Maunalani. I helped him find a copy of the Brandenburg Concertos to listen to on the computer.

I wish I could attach an audio file to this blog. As I mentioned before, Dad has been a little constipated. This morning he said he had to go to the bathroom, so CNAs Ashleigh & Evangeline helped take him there. A short while later I heard clapping and cheering! I talked to Dr. Gries this morning, he will increase Dad's Senna prescription to twice  day; I am also trying to get him to drink prune juice at breakfast.

As usual, at lunch Dad didn't eat any of his peanut butter & jelly sandwich, but he finished off both the Boost Plus and Boost Breeze. Basically the lunch they are giving me is what would have been his portion of food. So I offered him a bit of everything I had on the tray, multiple times; he always said no, he wasn't hungry.

Clockwise spiral starting at top L: Minestrone soup, Tossed salad, Orange pound cake, Chicken fettucine alfredo with Corn niblets.

On my 2nd walk to the park, I talked with the Honolulu Police Department officer that was directing traffic on Sierra Drive as they dug around the water line that was near the gas line. Since I had the binoculars, he asked if I had seen anything interesting. I told him I had confirmed that there were 17 species of birds using the park; couldn't tell if that impressed him or made him wonder about my mental state.

Dad got out of bed in the afternoon! His friend Walter's daughter Lynn was here to play ukulele & sing along with her friends Myra & Gloria. Dad actually sang along on some of the songs. After that he actually joined Lynn & Myra at the veteran's table in the 3rd floor dining room; but he didn't eat anything, only drank his Boost supplement.

Ukulele (L to R): Dad, Myra, Gloria, & Lynn.

Dinner (L to R): Dad, Mr. Watanabe, & Mr. Kam.

I e-mailed my Kaiser Permanente primary care provider (PCP) Dr. Pham photos of the blotches that are starting to form on several areas of my body. There were only 2 on Friday, now there are more. And the one on my left shoulder has gotten larger. I told her about the tick bite and asked her if I should come in to see her about it. Dr. Pham consulted with a colleague that has dealt with tick-borne diseases and is taking a conservative approach; tomorrow I am picking up a 2-week prescription for doxycycline, which is useful against several tick-borne diseases. FYI - I do not have a fever. After looking at photos of rashes & ulcers caused by various tick-borne diseases & reading about potential long term effects leaving it untreated, I agree with Dr. Pham's  conservative approach. Early treatment is more effective.

Left shoulder, 06/22/18.

Left shoulder, 06/25/18.

Left gluteus.

Right popliteal.

In order to have enough water to keep hydrated for my walks, I have been freezing 2 bottles of water overnight and filling my insulated bottle in the morning. I set one of the frozen bottles out in the morning; as it melts I pour it in to the insulated bottle. When the 1st is gone, I set out the 2nd one. It tends to provide me enough water for my entire day at Maunalani.

When I got back from Michigan, I also found a flyer posted for staff workout classes. One of the CNAs said I should check if they will let me in to the class! It might be a good piece to my current exercise program.

Happy Birthday to Felipe & Susan!

Mildred Does It Again!

Yes, Mildred brought me another lunch today; it was quite tasty. I will only do 2 walks per day this week and see how I do at my weigh-in on Friday with the extra calories I am taking in. I know she means well and I should tell her that I don't need it; although I have already told her that, perhaps I should be more firm about it. Or maybe I should accept the lunch and do the hard boiled egg for dinner? Auwe!

Clockwise spiral starting at left: Lemon meringue pie, Tossed salad, Split pea soup, Beef stir fry, Brown rice, & Corn niblets.

There was no one at the park this morning. And the birds were mainly Red-vented bulbuls. But there was also a small flock of "LBBs"; I took a photo, we shall see if I can identify them. There were a few people on the courts this afternoon but no interesting birds; I did not see the White-rumped shama today. The weather was a little cooler today; but it was still cooler at Maunalani than it was at home.

I'm thinking they look more like African silverbills than Chestnut munias, but I need a better photo.

Temperature at the house.

Temperature at Maunalani.

Today's Namaste session was in a different room without the recliners; Dad still went and enjoyed himself, though not as much as when they have the recliners. Later in the afternoon Dad grumbled about taking his shower; I think Curtis is better at getting him to take a shower. I know its not the CNA because it has been Dennis who is usually giving Dad his shower and that's what he was doing today.

Dad (L) and several others enjoying the view while they wait for the Namaste session to start.

We're not sure what was going on when these handprints were made. Looks rather worrisome!


The Roommates are planning on going to the casting call for Hawaii Five-O and the new Magnum P-I this weekend. They are wanting it to be a household activity; I will have to see what is happening with Curtis.

I am in the "All others" category.

Happy Birthday to Allis!