Errands and Appointments

      We had some errands to do today and some appointments to keep.  
   Jeff and I both were suppose to visit 'the vampire'...a regular INR for me and a cholesterol test for him.  I scored in range with an 2.8 (yes!) but because it was with a decrease in dosage I have to repeat the test next Friday after a week of normal doses.  If I'm still in range (2.5-3.5) I will be retested in 2  weeks and then in 1 month.  Staying in range can be very difficult some times because I'm still not sure what pushes me out of range.  This time my nurse thought it was just because I had a cold and my body's reaction to the cold was enough to push me out of range.  (I had scored a 3.6 last week, just  .1 out of range but still out!) I have always relied on Robitussin when I had a cold.  It soothed my cough and dried up my runny nose.  Last winter I used it and my INR went totally out of control.  It took several months before we got it back in range and my attending told me not to use it anymore so this time when I got a cold I took Benadryl at bedtime just to dry up my runny nose and coughed and blew my nose the rest of the day.  With all the hoopla about the coronavirus going around, blowing your runny nose draws some strange looks. Most people don't realize it's not a symptom of the virus. 
   Jeff saw his endocrinologist yesterday and she suggested some changes with his diabetic medications but first he had to have his cholesterol and triglycerides levels checked.  When he got to the lab today he found that his attending had ordered some additional blood work, too.  We just have to wait and see if his numbers were low enough to allow the change in medicines.
   The lab where Jeff was seen is at one end of the building and the one where I was seen is at the other, so he parked in between and we went in separate doors expecting to meet back at the car.  I actually expected to find him sitting in the car waiting for me but as it happened we came out of the separate doors at almost the same time!
   Our errands took us to Ilion next where I returned some library books and Jeff paid the Spectrum bill.  We were back in Herkimer when we decided to stop for a late lunch/early supper.  Jeff's blood work had been 'fasting' and all I had to eat so far was toast for breakfast so Burger King was looking pretty good to us.  We were almost finished when our friend Coral came in.  She was surprised to see us...but glad...because she had some sad news to share.  Her husband, Len, had passed away this morning.  He had been hospitalized for a couple of months at the VA in Syracuse and had been home on hospice and palliative care for about a week.  She said it was a very peaceful passing.  We were both sorry to lose Len but glad his struggle was over.  We visited with Coral for awhile at Burger King and she promised to call with the time and place for Len's service.
   By the time we got home it was a good thing I had gotten the 'girls' chicken nuggets at BK.  Like most dogs, they have no sense of time...10 mins feels like hours to them so several hours must feel like a lifetime.  After we were sniffed and inspected, cried and  barked at, they let us in the house and I divided their chicken nuggets.  I had gotten one of BK's 5 for $4 deals that includes 4 nuggets so with the regular 6 pc. order that they share, they each got an extra nugget!  I cut the chicken nuggets in half and mix them with their dry dog food  and boy, do they clean their bowls!
   Right now everybody...but me...is asleep so maybe I can do some knitting.  I've got the 'Guernsey in Pink' shawl on the needles in my pocketbook but so far I haven't had time to do more than 2 rows at a time on it.  I'm not getting my 55 repeats of the lace pattern done at that rate.