Re: storm....at last
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: storm....at last
  • From: &* <d*@comcast.net>
  • Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:06:27 -0500
I'm glad that you're back to normal. Isn't it strange how accustomed we are to being able to have the world at our fingertips? When our internet goes out, I feel like a deprived addict. My husband says my fingers twitch.
Do you have a fireplace, wood stove or kerosene heater? We have a small generator, but it's only enough to power the refrigerator and lights. In a pinch, we could throw the main switch off and power the well pump, which was what we got it for, but in a storm, it's rare to have enough gasoline to run it for very long at one time. Our furnace is forced air, so no power, no blower. Fortunately, at about the time we got the generator, the power grid became more stable because they built a big transfer station close by, and since we're close to a corner where the line comes in from the major feeder line, we've not had to use it much. Mostly we've loaned the generator to people a little bit down the road who are on another circuit, and once to my parents when an ice storm knocked out their power.
I'm glad that Chet's ok. My Dad's cardiologist explained that while the A-fib in itself is not all that harmful, the blood that can clot in the heart when it's not pumping properly because of the A-fib can become dislodged and cause a stroke or pulmonary embolism. It's a fine balance between Dad's falling and the Coumadin that would prevent the clots. The cardiologist and his internist finally decided that the danger from his falling and having a brain bleed was greater than the chance of his having a clot, so discontinued the Coumadin. Dad will be 99 in January. His doctors have been doing an amazing job of keeping him going since his heart attack in '96. 

d
-----Original Message----- From: Aplfgcnys@aol.com 
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 10:40 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] storm....at last

Finally, after eight days without power and nearly three weeks without
cable connection
we seem to be back to running properly.  What a nightmare it has been.  We
did not
suffer nearly as much as some people, because we had a small generator that
gave us
water (we're on a well), heat and refrigeration, but no lights.  The
problem there was the
shortage of gas.  First of all, we were trapped on our private road for
four days by a
downed power pole.  ConEdison told us that if we cut their pole we would
have to pay
for it, about $850.00.  After we could get off the hill, kind neighbors
brought us gas.
They had gone to Connecticut to see about a daughter in school there, so
brought
us enough to get through if I rationed it very carefully - keeping the
generator running
just long enough to cool the refrigerator enough to keep food from
spoiling.  That meant
turning it on and off every few hours.  But when power came back it was
such a
disappointment to not have access to email, television, or my telephone.
We could
use Chet's land line, and people could call us, but the upstairs phone was
not in a
convenient place.  After many hours of telephoning we finally got a
technician who
came and saw the cable still lying on the ground and said he could do
nothing until
the "crew" could get there.  Then more days of waiting and telephoning, and
we saw
Optonline trucks putting the cable back up.  Still nothing.  Then a
neighbot said that
they had cable access - why didn't we?  Still more frustrating telephoning
until last
evening after dark someone came and got us back working again.  Whew!  We
have
already arranged to change our supplier to Verizon, but they can't do it
until next
month some time.

In the meantime, Sunday night Chet fell and hit his head on the wall.  He
didn't tell
me he had fallen, but when he tried to get up the next morning, he could
barely stand,
and was very nauseated.  It took some talking to get him to agree to see a
doctor- he's
a very stubborn old man.  Finally we got an appointment for that afternoon,
and a very
kind friend offered to help me get him into the car and to drive us.  Thank
goodness for
that, because I just don't drive after dark, and we didn't get back until
nearly  10:00 PM.
the cardiologist who we first saw took tests and found that Chet was in
Atrial Fibrilation,
which isn't serious, and he has had for a long time.  But since he had hit
his head, and
is on coumadin, they insisted that he must have a CTscan at the emergency
room.
This of course took hours.  Every other test there was normal, including
the fact that
he was no longer in A-Fib.  The final diagnosis was mild concussion.  He
has been
weak and wobbly all this week, but seems a bit stronger each day.  He is
getting
around without his walker this morning, so things seem to be getting better
- especailly
since I now have email.

I am reading all the Garden Chat posts with pleasure.  I have missed the
activity on
this list.  I do have a Facebook account, but don't use it.  Somehow it
just annoys me.
I have always felt very close to this group.  Not ony do we share major
interests, we
seem to share the same values.  I hope one outcome of this storm is that we
will keep
closer touch.

Auralie

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