Germ Warfare

I'm super paranoid about germs right now.  My immune system is shot, it wouldn't take much to throw me into a tail spin.  I ran a bunch of errands today, and everywhere I went, I looked for hand sanitizer.  I went into Walmart and only touched the two things I was buying and the "enter" button on the card machine.  I'm very careful about what I touch no matter where I am, I wash my hands so much they flake from being so dry, and I make a conscious effort to NOT touch my face.

I also visited my friend, Michelle.  She's in a rehab facility right now with a C. Diff infection.  Anyone who knows C. Diff knows it's a highly contagious, intestinal (?) infection that can go on for weeks.  In her case, it has gone on for weeks.  The symptom is wicked diarrhea.  It also means isolation, she's not allowed to leave her room or have contact with other residents / patients.  It means the staff put on a "hazmat" suit every time they come into her room.  It's caused by the overuse of antibiotics-kills all the good flora that keep things in balance.  Her doctors often don't know what to do to help her, so they give her a pill.  I only got as close as touching her foot when I left, which was under a blanket.  For now, that will have to be enough.

I took Isaac to see Annie (social worker @ Huntsman) yesterday.  I'd say he's a hard nut to crack, but I knew that already.  He's not one to open up and talk about much of anything, even when there isn't a life threatening illness hanging over our heads!  One breakthrough we had was when she asked me what Isaac could do to help out.  I thought about it, then asked if he could help make sure the kitchen was clean every night.  Dishes loaded, counters and table washed, etc.  Last night, I asked him to come help me with the kitchen, which he did willingly.  We worked together to get it done.

Mat is usually "the guy" when it comes to cleaning the kitchen in the evening.  But he's burning the candle at both ends, and not very effectively.  He's up by 6 a.m. and out the door.  It's usually 5:30 or 6:00 before he's rolling in again.  To make matters worse, it's musical season.  Instead of doing the prep he needs to after school, he's in rehearsal.  And it's Christmas season as soon as the musical is over.  We'll be counting the days until Christmas break!  I'm trying not to be a wimp, and cut him some slack, take care of some of that stuff myself.

Food is my nemesis. My taste is distorted, I have a "metallic" taste in my mouth, so nothing tastes good.  Even things I love, like Indian food, don't taste right.  It makes eating healthy, like I know I should be eating, nearly impossible.  You know the juicer we bought?  I can't even gag it down (although there was that time when Mat said if I drank my two inches of juice before he did, then I'd get the $150 Amazon gift card he got for some survey he did.  That time I gagged it down, and held him to his promise!).  Mat and Brooklyn like it, I can't stand it.  I can't find a salad dressing that makes salad palatable.  So I struggle, I have a hate:hate relationship with meal time, and eat more junk than I should (because I can taste it).  I'll do better, but right now I just need to eat and keep my strength up.

I went this afternoon for my "monthly-because-it's-all-I-can-afford" massage with Diane.  She has magical hands and does me so much good!  I had her put me on her schedule through the end of 2018, first week of each month.  I'm grateful her life's path took her to massage school, and made her one of the best out there.