friday friday
Lots to write about today, so it's lj-cut time for the sake of space.
Marie is still at the nursing home. She is making reasonable progress, but still has a thirty-second attention span. She also needs to be nagged to eat. On the plus side, she's at the highest weight she's been in ages and does not look like a ball balancing on top of a pile of sticks. I have no idea if she will be coming home soon or not.
I had a tea party last Sunday, got out all the good china and linens and everything. It was the first time really entertaining at the new apartment. Lots of dainty food (I made CUPCAKES, for chrissakes) and socializing. One of my coworkers is a Premier Designs jeweler (think Mary Kay business model, but nice fashion jewelry) and she came and brought all her samples and did a presentation. It was a great deal of fun, and best of all, after it my apartment was clean and we had a fridge full of food. I didn't have to cook for four days. It was fabulous.
It also allowed me to get a (mirabile dictu!) start on Christmas present acquisition. The Premier Designs company is really generous when you throw a party for them. As a hostess, you get to order a certain amount of free jewelry as a thank-you, plus a hefty discount on everything else you get; I've got presents for six family ladies lined up already. The past couple of years it's been a huge rush at the end of December, so having certain stuff buttoned up already, before Halloween, is really a liberating feeling.
The job at Target is going OK, except for the fact I can't go into the ready-to-wear section without itching like crazy and handling the clothing causes me to break out in hives. After my last little attack, I'm under orders to not touch anything fabric until we figure out what's going on. At least Target's trying to work with me on this one... guess they like me enough to try to keep me around. Either that or they think the sight of me wheezing and covered in hives would scare customers. :>
The bastard-allergist-from-hell suspects a formaldehyde allergy/sensitivity. Fortunately there is a blood-based test for this, even if it's so obscure that their lab has to contract it out to someplace bizarre. The bastard-allergist-from-hell wanted to run an inhalation test on me... basically let me breathe in the vapor and gage the reaction. Like hell I woulda done it, I'd like to remind you formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. This is one of the reasons I refer to him as the bastard-allergist-from-hell. He's got no bedside manner whatsoever but he knows his stuff.
So, if that blood test comes up positive, this has the potential to be tons of fun. The laundry list of stuff I'd have to avoid/be a label-reading maniac to avoid is pretty long. Here's the abridged list:
Fabrics treated with formaldehyde resins- including all of the following:
Permanent press
Anti-cling, anti-static, anti-wrinkle and anti-shrink finishes
Chlorine-resistant finishes
Stiffening on lightweight nylon knits
Waterproof finishes
Perspiration proof finishes
Moth proof and mildew resistant finishes
Suede and chamois
Other potential sources:
Cosmetics and toiletries including fingernail polishers and hardeners, antiperspirants, makeup, bubble bath, bath oils, shampoos, creams, mouthwashes and deodorants. In many cases formaldehyde is used as a preservative.
Household cleansers, disinfectants and polishes
Paper products - formaldehyde is used to improve the water resistance, grease resistance, shrink resistance and other characteristics of paper
Building materials - urea-formaldehyde glue or adhesive is used in pressed wood products such as particle board, plywood and MDF
Medications including wart remedies, anhidrotics, medicated creams, orthopaedic casts and root canal preparation disinfectant
Paints, primers and paint-stripping agents
Smoke from burning wood, coal, charcoal, cigarettes, natural gas and kerosene.
Glorious. Ethan is worried. I'm worried. At least knowing is better than simply suffering it. I should get results back late next week or early the week after. Depending on the results, I may opt to quit Target earlier than I'd planned to minimize exposure.
Marie is still at the nursing home. She is making reasonable progress, but still has a thirty-second attention span. She also needs to be nagged to eat. On the plus side, she's at the highest weight she's been in ages and does not look like a ball balancing on top of a pile of sticks. I have no idea if she will be coming home soon or not.
I had a tea party last Sunday, got out all the good china and linens and everything. It was the first time really entertaining at the new apartment. Lots of dainty food (I made CUPCAKES, for chrissakes) and socializing. One of my coworkers is a Premier Designs jeweler (think Mary Kay business model, but nice fashion jewelry) and she came and brought all her samples and did a presentation. It was a great deal of fun, and best of all, after it my apartment was clean and we had a fridge full of food. I didn't have to cook for four days. It was fabulous.
It also allowed me to get a (mirabile dictu!) start on Christmas present acquisition. The Premier Designs company is really generous when you throw a party for them. As a hostess, you get to order a certain amount of free jewelry as a thank-you, plus a hefty discount on everything else you get; I've got presents for six family ladies lined up already. The past couple of years it's been a huge rush at the end of December, so having certain stuff buttoned up already, before Halloween, is really a liberating feeling.
The job at Target is going OK, except for the fact I can't go into the ready-to-wear section without itching like crazy and handling the clothing causes me to break out in hives. After my last little attack, I'm under orders to not touch anything fabric until we figure out what's going on. At least Target's trying to work with me on this one... guess they like me enough to try to keep me around. Either that or they think the sight of me wheezing and covered in hives would scare customers. :>
The bastard-allergist-from-hell suspects a formaldehyde allergy/sensitivity. Fortunately there is a blood-based test for this, even if it's so obscure that their lab has to contract it out to someplace bizarre. The bastard-allergist-from-hell wanted to run an inhalation test on me... basically let me breathe in the vapor and gage the reaction. Like hell I woulda done it, I'd like to remind you formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. This is one of the reasons I refer to him as the bastard-allergist-from-hell. He's got no bedside manner whatsoever but he knows his stuff.
So, if that blood test comes up positive, this has the potential to be tons of fun. The laundry list of stuff I'd have to avoid/be a label-reading maniac to avoid is pretty long. Here's the abridged list:
Fabrics treated with formaldehyde resins- including all of the following:
Other potential sources:
Glorious. Ethan is worried. I'm worried. At least knowing is better than simply suffering it. I should get results back late next week or early the week after. Depending on the results, I may opt to quit Target earlier than I'd planned to minimize exposure.