EXPIRED COVID TEST KITS Extended Dates

OK... Here goes one last post for a bit. I just thought it was important for everyone to know.

I just tested mom and me twice with test kits that we got almost at the start of the pandemic. I'd been saving the QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test Kits because it had a 2023-06-10 Expiration Date. I figured I'd better use it because it's only been expired for about 2 months. It did work. We tested the day after exposure to Art.

I tested again on Saturday with kits that weren't expired and mom and I were both 😅 negative again.

Art was still positive even though he's been on Paxlovid for 2 days now.

I was then concerned about our other test kits and remembered that my friend had told me there was an FDA website that listed extension dates for COVID test kits.

Here is the link:

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests

I looked at our kits and see the extension dates for the FlowFlex kits, but there was none for the QuickVue kits that had the 2023-06-10 dates. Darn!

I looked on Amazon to see how much these COVID test kits were running and found this. 

Therefore, before you throw away any of your valuable kits, please check this FDA website. As we have learned, you never know when you'll need them. 

For those of you in Canada or elsewhere, I hope your government is providing some of this information.

Stay safe everybody! It's still out there. (Art says no one wore masks on the airplane except them.) Sigh... it still didn't protect Art though. Our friend, Dave who traveled with him on this adventure is negative, thank goodness!

Recovery Hiatus (or When It Rains It Pours!)

I’ve been hoping and hoping my head would clear enough to write, but my vertigo has not gotten better. It started in mid June and just hasn’t gone away permanently.

Art was gone for a little over two weeks this month traveling through Tanzania on a safari and then Dubai for a couple of days with our good friend. I’ve been hanging on hoping and hoping the vertigo attacks would subside. I wrote the previous posts before my health took a dip. 

While Art was gone I couldn’t watch TV because moving images seemed to bring on nausea. I was also too drained to use the computer and my brain has been in a fog. My energy level is sporadic.

A surprising number of friends have told me they’ve experienced this and it eventually went away. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will clear up for me soon too. 

I’ll be back as soon as I can. Until then, please take good care of yourselves.

POSTSCRIPT 1: (August 16th, Wednesday) Art returned last night and was suffering from what he thought was post nasal drip. I noticed he was breathing funny and not his usual snoring. Tonight, he tested himself for COVID.

Would you believe… for the first time, he tested positive?

Both mom and I have been exposed. He is now quarantined in the guest room. I’ve tried wiping down surfaces he might have touched, but he’s been everywhere. I’ve sent a message to mom’s doctor. I’ll call our doctor to see how we can get Paxlovid….

What is that saying about When It Rains It Pours?

POSTSCRIPT 2: (August 19th, Saturday)  We did get the Paxlovid and he's doing better. However, I had to tell you one more important thing, so I just wrote a quick post for Wednesday about those valuable COVID test kits and their expiration extension. 

...And then I really am taking this hiatus. 😌

Testing Sunglasses for UV Protection

I knew that we'd encounter a lot of sunshine in Tokyo (even though it was the rainy season) so I thought I'd buy a good pair of sunglasses.

I rather liked this Joopin pair because it sort of wraps around your eye. Art and I kids brought sun-glasses too or their regular transition glasses.

My Joopin pair came with a Polarized Testing Card to test your glasses for UV protection. 

So I took my new Joopin sunglasses to the open window and tried out the card.

Sure enough, the words popped up to tell me it had UV 400 protection.

Sooo... I thought I'd put it to the test with the FREE glasses I got from t-mobile.

And oops! The words:

  "HD Polarized

UV400 Protection" 

did not show.

But then I got to wondering...

Maybe I should look into testing the Testing Card.

I went on to Amazon and found this UV card. It worked differently. 

If the sun is out and you're getting a lot of UVs, that bottom rectangle turns purple.

And yes, when I took it outside, the bottom rectangle did turn a dark purple.

Then I covered the rectangle with the Joopin sunglasses and yes, the rectangle testing area did not change color.

I then got my free T-Mobile sunglasses and put it under the sunlight.

The Joopin testing card had indicated that it was not protecting me from UV to my eyes.

But guess what? 

The free T-Mobile glasses stayed white too which indicated that UV wasn't getting through.

Hmmmm....

Then I got my regular transition glasses which are supposed to have UV protection. I got it through my optometrist.

And yes, the card stayed white indicating that it is protecting me eyes from UV rays.

Interesting, hunh?

Another Cardboard Project

Between mom, Art and me, we have a lot of pills to keep track of.

Sadly, with mom's worsening dementia, I can't trust her to take her own pills anymore even though I used to put them in a weekly pill holder marked for each day. She forgets a lot. Sooo, between Art and me, we dispense her medications and supplements.

I have all her pills in this aluminum pan in the kitchen on a shelf that she can't reach. I also made a list so we don't make a mistake as to which pill she must have for morning or night.

I also have Art and my daytime pills and vitamins/supplements in a metal pan on an even higher shelf. Unfortunately, every time we take our pill tray down, the bottles move and Art has complained noted that my pills are mixed up with his.

Soooo.... I'm thinking that I could make a cardboard organizer.

I need to get more Elmer's glue and maybe some paper tape which would be easier to use than this linen tape that Art used to frame the family puzzle he completed during the pandemic.

I keep a lot of sturdy cardboard every time I get an Amazon shipment.

Still, I decided to strengthen this organizer with two layers of carboard.

Gave it two coats of white house paint I happened to have.

The rear slot is for back-up meds we have.

I have a lot more than Art because he keeps his other medications upstairs to take when he wakes up.

I decided to take D3 and B12 just because I read online that it can help with vertigo. 

We'll see.

And here it is. Won't Art be surprised when he returns from Tanzania! 😁

Yup... he went on another trip. This time he'd gone with our professional photographer friend, Dave.

I'm sure I'll be able to share some of their photos later.

I showed my genius brother my pill holder and he praised my finished product. He's a really nice brother.

And he shared what he made for his granddaughter. He used cups and cardboard to make a Paw Patrol headquarters.

Is he amazing or what?

Using the Magic Eraser

Our friend, Dave showed us a new trick we could do with our Google photo app on our iPhones.

He demonstrated it by taking a photo of Art and me with people behind us.

We were totally blown away so I went home and tried it myself.

Sure enough. I was able to remove distracting people from our photo from Tokyo.

And this is how I did it.

After you click on Magic eraser, it will also give you suggestions on what it can remove. You can also circle what you want to take out so I did it here on this photo. Then you can either erase the suggestions or choose your own.

However, if you enlarge the photo, it might look a little weird where you've removed someone. So I'm thinking that if the people you're trying to remove is too big, it will be more difficult.

It's really a handy tool for small distractions you want to remove from your almost perfect photo.

Lahaina Lost

You cannot go to Maui without visiting Lahaina. It is a town steeped in Hawaiian history. It was originally a fishing village chosen as the royal capital in 1820 by King Kamehameha II and remained the capital until 1845 when Honolulu on Oahu replaced it.

Everybody in Hawaii is in shock right now. We've seen all the videos and pictures in the news, but it seems unbelievable. 

We're told that the hot, dry summer created lots of fuel for the fires and although hurricane Dora missed the islands it sent wind gusts that strengthened the inferno.

I have memories of Lahaina in photos we've taken during several of our trips.

I can't believe it's gone.

When I first heard the news, 6 people were known to have perished in the fires.

I'd heard there was little warning because the fires moved so quickly. 

There were reports of people having to jump into the ocean to escape the flames. 

And then the next day the number had jumped to 36.

I just looked and it's now 53. 

One of the most famous sites is the Banyan Tree. It is the largest in the US and was planted on April 24, 1873 which makes it 150 years old.

This is mom and me and Keola and Sarah.

And on the ocean side of the banyan tree is the Old Lahaina Courthouse which housed a museum, art gallery, NOAA exhibits and a Visitor Center.

My brother came by today and wondered if the banyan had survived the inferno. 

I saw this in the news showing the banyan tree still there. They are not sure it will survive the trauma, but they are hopeful. You can see the white shell of the Old Lahaina Courthouse in front of it.

I'm hoping no more lives are lost. I'm hoping...

Fun With Cardboard

I've written before about making a cardboard drawer separator a while ago.

Well... we'd gone to Costco after our tai chi class and bought 3 of those $1.50 giant hotdog and drinks deals to bring home with us to share with mom. The problem has been in making sure those drinks don't spill or get knocked around on the drive home.

So I had this idea.

How about getting one of those boxes that Costco and Sam's Club puts out for customers to use?

I also cut up an Amazon delivery box to make separators.

And then I had to paint it, of course. 😁

Good thing I painted it because I didn't have the cover on tight and a little of the fruit punch that mom likes spilled on the drive home.

Whatever the case.... YAY! It's done for the next time we decide to have some fun for lunch.

Man Bags

When we were in Tokyo in June, I discovered that I needed a small bag to carry just a few things like my wallet, cellphone, sanitizer wipes, etc. 

My daughter, Tiffany told me that she knew just the thing because that was one of the purchases she and my granddaughter, KC had been planning to get. It was a little bag from UNIQLO. She wanted to get it in Asakusa because you could have an embroidered design sewn on by the afternoon.

As a sort of Mother's Day, early birthday gift, she bought it for me.

I then discovered that boys and men were also using these sort of bags. That was a surprise. Art wears cargo shorts with big pockets to hold everything he needs which is amazing to me. But then I hold a LOT of the other things in a small backpack I always carry.

So imagine my surprise when I returned to Hawaii and saw this mannequin with a man bag at Macy's.

I just looked it up and man bags have gained a huge following. I saw a wide variety of man bags. But then I wondered if guys in Hawaii would actually use them because I don't think I've seen any of our male relatives or friends using them.

However, when we went walking with friends at the mall, guess what we saw. Lots and lots of guys using these man bags! There were a lot more guys with man bags but I felt creepy taking photos of guys I didn't know. Anyway, you get the idea.

I wondered if Art would want one... nope. His pockets will do fine, thank you.

Retiring Another Backpack

I was chagrined to see that the zipper on my Hedgren backpack had broken. 

There wasn't anyway I could repair it.

I wrote the following post which I titled Retiring a Back Pack on June 13, 2012. I explained how I'd bought the backpack because it was such a good deal, and it was!

"I'd bought it in Wisconsin's Outlet Mall in Kenosha at a Samsonite store.  They were selling it for $20.00 + $1.00 for a second bag.  I just couldn't pass it up.  Two bags for $21.00?  Wow!"

Wow! That lovely gray color really changed, didn't it?

Luckily, the backpack had gone on sale on Amazon for $88 in 2019 so I bought one to be ready for the time when this spare backpack would have to go to backpack heaven. The price had gone up astronomically, but I had gotten really used to this backpack and I'm a creature of habit.

So here I am 11 years later and switching over again to a new one, but I wasn't totally happy about the fact that there was now no side pocket for me to put my keys.

On the other hand there were now two pockets on the inside with one zippered pocket that was RFID protected.

OK...

And now there were two zippers to close the back flap which was convenient.

So I made the switch. 

I moved my folding bags and hanging sanitizer bottle to the new one and I will retire this other tired bag.

I wonder if I should keep an eye out for a sale on these bags, just in case. 😁

 

Vertigo AGAIN!

After returning from Tokyo, I spent a week concentrating hard on trying to record everything on my blog before I forgot the details of this very precious time. Yes, I recorded things in my journal, but they were somewhat brief.

And then it happened. Vertigo again! 

Art had gone on his early morning Saturday run (about a week after we returned from Tokyo) and I woke up with nasty case of vertigo around 3:30 in the morning. I staggered to the bathroom as the world spun around me and spit up thickened saliva. As soon as I was able to, I took a meclizine tablet that was given to me before I left on the trip to Tokyo. I'd had an attack a week prior to our trip and had gone to the ER where they gave me the meclizine.

I got this information from WebMD about meclizine which also goes under the name Bonine.

"Meclizine is an antihistamine that is used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by motion sickness. It may also be used to reduce dizziness and loss of balance (vertigo) caused by inner ear problems."

I suppose this vertigo attack could be from the stress of the travel, mom's falling and hitting her head, time change after returning to Hawaii, writing on my blog...

I don't know.  

I was very cautious after this 2nd attack. I was afraid of it coming back. 

It was surprising to learn that several friends and relatives had experienced the same thing. I would eventually learn from several blogger friends that they had this awful thing happen to them also.

But it wasn't over. The following Monday night at 11:00, I woke up again with the WORST vertigo EVER! I've written before that I haven't barfed in decades and suddenly here I was barfing again. Luckily, this time Art was with me and able to help me to the bathroom because I couldn't possibly have gotten there on my own. He was shocked to see me empty everything that could possibly have been inside of me into a plastic bowl. I tried to swallow a meclizine tablet, but it got barfed up. I think it was the 3rd time that there was nothing in me to barf up and the meclizine stayed put. 

After two hours at the sink, Art was able to get the wheelchair (that we have for mom in emergencies) and take me to bed to lie down again. 

I contacted my doctor the following morning and he's having me go to an ENT and to have an MRI. 

Friends and relatives have advised me to:

* Epley Maneuver

* not jerk my head

* go to a physical therapist

* take hydration solutions like Liquid IV or Nuun tablets for replenishing electrolytes

*  turn the air conditioner on in a darkened room

* avoid flashing lights,

* sleep on an inclined pillow so my head is at a 45 degree angle

*ETC. 

That last vertigo episode was on July 10th. I'm writing this on July 20th. I have my fingers crossed that it will go away soon. I know it's not over. I feel it at the edges of my consciousness. 

Then I read that meclizine needs to be taken cautiously and not more than 5 days. What?!? 😲 The doctor gave me a prescription for 10 days. I have no idea what to believe. However, I am being cautious. I was ready to take it every day for the rest of my life. I guess I won't.

I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope that it goes away eventually as it did for all my friends and relatives who have struggled with this like I am.

I hope.

POSTSCRIPT 1: (July 27th):

I was at the dentist a couple of days ago and told the hygienist how sorry I was that I had to cancel my last appointment 2 weeks ago, She said she experienced the same thing but it was when she was in her early 20s. She suffered from it for a whole year. She even had to cancel a class she was taking in college. She says she still worries that it could come back. 

I have learned that the computer doesn't seem to bother me as much as watching TV or doing a ZOOM call. I think it has something to do with control. Since I'm controlling what I do on the computer, it's more or less OK if I don't overdo it. But watching TV too long or a ZOOM call too long can start to make me feel nauseous. Maybe it's the movement?

I've read online that 30% of women in their later years will experience this vertigo. Men do too, but not as much. I know Art certainly had it about 16 years ago.

Have you ever suffered through this?

POSTSCRIPT 2: (July 31st): Good grief! It happened again this past Saturday night. Art says it was worse than the last episode. This is scary. I’m scheduled for tests in mid August. Friends have told me that these attacks do eventually stop. I hope so. People have mentioned vertigo to me before, but like Art says, you don’t know just how awful it is until you experience it yourself.

Sigh….