The motivation for the skirting was originally to protect the dimple membrane from the sun and weather. The membrane keeps the water away from the concrete. The black material along the basement wall is the dimple membrane.
At the base of the basement, on the left, you can see a wee bit of the actual skirting that has already been installed. Once installed all around the house, it will be stained the same colour as the concrete.
Once the stain dries, Attila will back fill the trench with more crushed stone.
Yesterday I received a telephone call from the cataract surgeon’s office, on a Saturday! We discussed the original prescription, my anaphylaxis, and the unfolding of events in rectifying the situation. The conclusion was that I would be called again at the beginning of next week to further discuss medications. I was happy with the call, we seemed to be communicating effectively.
And we must have been communicating effectively. Today I picked up an alternative prescription, which does not contain my allergen. What a relief, it felt like the sun had come out from behind a very dark and threatening cloud.
I think there were errors made at the pharmacy, and at the surgeon’s office. My allergen is a tricky one, over the years it has been frequently confused with other substances. I do try to alert doctors, pharmacists, and medical staff to these nuances, but all too often they do not listen carefully, and only learn through their mistakes. This is why I have to pursue this with such vigour. Since it has been resolved I am letting go of that chapter. That goal has been reached.
What this means is that I now have all the medications I need for home care, before and after the surgery. It also means that the level of tension around here has dropped like a stone. I feel coherent again.
Now what remains is to establish what drugs will be used during the surgery itself. Because the call from the surgeon’s office on Saturday yielded positive results, I am feeling much more hopeful that my concerns will be effectively addressed.
I’ve inquired of others who had cataract surgery about declining the anaesthetic for the surgery, and many people have done just that with no ill effect. The eye drops used to freeze the eye seem to be truly necessary. So my next step is to establish the name of the drops, and hopefully the anaesthetic as well. Then I can research the ingredients, and with any luck my allergen will not be one of them.
I think the surgery may seem anticlimactic after all of the confusion over medications.
It is hot out there today! And it is going to get even hotter into next week. The lettuce growing in our garden will probably bolt and turn bitter very soon. Spinach will bolt when the weather turns hot, but we harvested all of it weeks ago, to preserve it in the freezer. Right now Attila is harvesting edible pod peas, beets, and strawberries every day. Our diet consists primarily of raw vegetables and fruit at this time of year, with the necessary proteins and complex carbohydrates as well.
Granny’s rose is in full bloom. The clematis is in full bloom. I love the scent of Granny’s roses, it transports me back through decades to happy times with cherished people.
Worldly
Weather
27°C
Date: 1:00 PM EDT Sunday 28 June 2026
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.6 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: 27.1°C
Dew point: 14.3°C
Humidity: 45%
Wind: ESE 18 km/h
Humidex: 31
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
Douglas Adams
1952 – 2001
Hi Maggie. I’m glad you’re getting the answers you need about the different meds. It does sound like you have to do a lot of the research about your allergens and medications they prescribe. But now at least you got their attention and they’re calling you! In the photo, what’s the name of the plant with the big leaves and striations? It’s beautiful
Thanks Sandy, it was touch and go there for quite a while. It isn’t over yet, the surgery medications are my next hurdle.
My allergen could kill me, and I’ve been surviving this for over 42 years. So I know a lot more about the allergen itself than the doctors or the pharmacists, out of necessity. The mistake they both made this time around has been made by professionals before, it is a very tricky allergy, keeps me on my toes.
The plant with the striations is a Hosta. There are hundreds of varieties of hostas. The only plants in our front garden that we bought are the Echinacea, all the rest were either donations, volunteers or rescues.
It sounds like you’re going to have to contact the anesthesiologist to check on wherher your allergen is in the anesthesia. My experience has been that they seem to almost be a separate world from the surgeon, so best to speak to them directly.
I’m glad to hear you got things straightened out with the eye drops!
Your garden looks so lush.
Teri, I have reached out to the hospital and have been interacting with a Patient Care Specialist. They have been quite helpful, as much as they can be, and told me my file has been flagged. Now I will wait until closer to my surgery date to talk with the pre-op team at the hospital.
I also hope to hear from the surgeon’s office about the medication they will give me for the operation, the surgeon mentioned a pill, and just said “there are no preservatives in the pill”.
However, after going through all the dangerous errors and misunderstandings over the home care medications, I prefer not to assume everyone is having a good day, making good decisions, and want check the ingredient list for myself.
I think, going forward, I need to make that statement frequently, “I’d like to check the ingredient list for myself”.
Maggie, I saw this quote today and thought of you. I like how positive it is.
“Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.” David Bowie
Ironically, he died at only 69 years old. Not at all old, compared to the age many reach today.
Love the quote Teri!
I agree, he was not at all old! He sure burned bright when he was here!