it's been a hot summer

Last Monday I ended up in the ER with heat exhaustion.  The older I get, the less I tolerate the extremes of weather.  It was in the high 90's with heat indices in the 110's on Friday, Saturday and Sunday before then.  On Friday night I was out a bit too long, and I started feeling icky almost immediately.  It just kept getting worse and worse, but I made it till Monday evening before I just go to where I was so sick I just couldn't handle it any more.  I couldn't get hold of hubby at work, so I called Abby and asked her to take me to the ER.  After a bag of IV fluid and some Zofran for the nausea, I felt better.  I'm almost back to 100% after a week of taking it easy.  Still, though, I'm sweating sooner and more intensely than before.  I'm not sure if it's heat intolerance or if I'm having hot sweats.  I mean, come on, I'm 50 and Aunt Flo is still coming around like clockwork...any time she decides to leave I'm fine with it.

I had an overnight pulse oximetry test last week to rule out suspected sleep apnea.  Apparently I didn't do so well.  The nurse called and scheduled me for a sleep study this past Friday night.  I drove up there at 8pm like they told me to, taking along my pillow, a few low-sugar and low-carb snacks, and my computer.  I got into the room they were going to do the test in and noticed right away that there was a smell there I might have an issue with.  After looking around, I took a sniff of the bed and - whoa!!!  They used some really strong smelling detergent or dryer sheets on the linens, something I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to tolerate.  About 10 minutes later I knew I had to go.  There was no way I was going to be able to sleep in the bed, and the smell was beginning to nauseate me.  The nurse and I had already been discussing how she was going to be able to attach all the electrodes and such to me since I am allergic to adhesive, latex, and several other things.  It never came down to that.  It is just another test I doubt I'm going to be able to take because of how my body reacts to things.

So anyhow, that's how things have been going for me.

As far as other stuff, more mundane stuff....I made myself a pair of bamboo jersey sleep pants the other day.  I don't wear pants, but they required two piece pajamas for the sleep study, so I needed to make something to wear.  These things are insanely comfy.  If I wore pants, I'd make a ton of them.  It's like wearing silk or satin, only better.  You don't have to worry about having to hand wash it or be mega-careful with it.  Bamboo is also eco-friendly; it's self-sustaining, has natural antibiotic properties, and grows in the wild with no encouragement.  It makes great diapers and baby clothes, towels, and other apparel. It's a bit more expensive than the cheap, foreign,chemically-laden stuff you get in the local big-name fabric stores, but it's far worth the cost.

Today I made some new pads for my Etsy store.  They are plus size panty liners.  I've sold nighttime pads and daytime pads in the store but no panty liners or light-flow pads.  A few weeks ago, a repeat customer asked me to make her some panty liners, so I drafted some up really quickly.  She liked them, and they go together well, so I built a little stash up today and listed some in my store.  I have just one left to make.  Next, I need to do some birthday presents for my twin grandsons whose birthday is August 3.  I have a dress cut out and ready to sew up for myself.  Once those are done, I need to make a couple more dresses and finish a few other little things I have almost finished.

On July 14 I will be having surgery on my right wrist for carpal tunnel.  I had the left side done the end of last year and knew this was going to happen.  I decided a few weeks ago when I started getting a lot of tingling in my thumb and first 2 fingers on that hand that I needed to get with the program and get it over with.  Besides, that way I'll be recovered and back to functional in time to make Christmas gifts.  The other thing is that this is a contract year so hubby suggested I get this done just in case something falls through with the benefits, though I doubt it. 

One of the nice side effects of getting sick last weekend is that my appetite almost disappeared for 4 or 5 days, so it's been easier for me to get back to eating the way I should.  I'd slipped back into some really bad habits, including my stress eating.  It's been tough here since I got sick and the fact that some of my meds cause weight gain and fluid retention.  I had been praying in the last few weeks that God would help me with this struggle, and He did.  It wasn't how I expected, but I'll take what I can get.

No pics in this entry.  I'll probably have some next time around.  I need to get more pictures of the chicks; my daughter and her family are coming over tomorrow for dinner and then the guys are going fishing;  I need to make sure the camera batteries are charged.

God bless you and the ones you love; may He show you His grace, protect you, and keep you from harm.

Good night.