Helped with the 74th Annual Sterling Old Settlers Picnic Saturday at the Cushing Community Center. 90 folks came, so we thought it was successful! Wonderful to visit with all the good neighbors and old friends. Got many memberships for the local historical society too! Left my camera at the cabin, so can't post the photos yet.
Monday night gave a talk on what is free in genealogy research on the internet to the Polk County Genealogical society. Less than 90 folks out, but the quality of the attendees made up for the lower numbers! Had to prepare by taking double dose of medicine to make my hands work.
Still in the declining phase of Myasthenia Gravis. Doctor says it will get worse before it gets better. Most annoying is that much of the time I can't type into my computer--hands and fingers just get tired and quit. The good news is my weight loss diet is much easier with swallowing not working sometimes! Couple of friends have something called Dragon Speak voice recognition, a program that lets you talk to your computer. Might try it out. Hope it listens better than Margo!
Right now the goal is keeping me somewhat functional and out of the hospital while meds start working. The doctor explained my next few weeks options:
Have 3 choices: more meds ($10 choice), a blood cleaning ($7000 each and need 3 or 4 3-hour sessions in the next week or two and it only lasts for a month or less) or an IV gammaglobulin infusion ($17,000) each for a 3 weeks probably relief of the symptoms.
The last 2 are only if you are so bad you can't function and would otherwise be in the hospital. We chose the more prednisone with the warning that I have a 50% chance of permanent diabetes as a result. The doctor explained the $ and said medicare would cover any of our choices, but I should know the costs of my care. For now, the low cost seemed appropriate so the prednisone is increased and I am eating as if I were already a diabetic (I try not even to look at something sweet, including Margo).
Visited my friend Gene today in Rochester. He started making wine at home as a hobby 41 years ago and now in retirement is in it as a business. His specialty is rhubarb wine, something he started when we had way too much in our garden. His wine is in several Rochester liquor and grocery stores. Came home with some bottles as samples. Normally we trade maple syrup, but we have none this year. His wine is really excellent--won awards at local and MN state fair many times.
Leaving the Sterling picnic on Sunday, I stepped on the brake pedal and suddenly it dropped down a notch. Backed up and sure enough, a spray of brake fluid on the ground! The arteries in the 91 Olds are leaking, so need a bypass or stent or something this week. As I get older, I am more tolerant of flaws in the machines around me too!
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My latest toy: The Itomic book reader from Walmart online order. $29 and buggy enough that it gives me great enjoyment in trying to get it to work. Wonderful as a basic book reader, photo viewer, movie player, adequate as a music player, horrendous as a wifi internet browser, but fits my retirement budget and sense of adventure very well. It is one of the few that will read almost any kind of file including Word documents. If you like adventure, this is for you! Absolutely no support including a missing website!!! Wonderful challenge and decent as bookreader. Will even read aloud any book I have on it in a sexy female voice! Only through online order. (this ad brought to you by the society of cheap electronic experimenters).
Wal-mart online Itomic Book Reader link