She rushed in just before lunch, frantic to put down the wild daisies, the beat-up water bottle, and her work gloves. I directed her to the kitchen sink and turned on the cold water so she could wash her nettle-stung hands. That was just over three hours ago.
Washington nettle is nasty stuff. I confess to being glad I have never encountered it and the resultant tingling, burning, and itching skin. I also confess to being exceedingly tired of explaining my best guess at what happened (her hands brushed against some nettle while she was picking daisies) approximately every two minutes. We have already washed hands, applied the corticosteroid cream, and taken Benadryl. There is nothing else to do for stinging nettle. I’ve even tried a silent scream in the bathroom, but that didn’t help.
Most of the ankle swelling from last night’s tumble is gone. Maybe it is only a strain and not a sprain after all. Maybe the RICE method works very well when immediately applied.
To keep myself from favoring the left foot and thus causing a whole new set of problems with my knees and hips, I am wearing both air braces today. They provide excellent support for my ankles as well as a constant reminder to go slow and limit my walking. I really do not want to aggravate either ankle. I hope to graduate to a single, smaller ankle brace by Sunday.
My new towels came in today. When I saw the Land’s End sale last week, I couldn’t resist: a bathmat and set of six (two bath towels, two hand towels, and two washcloths) at less than half their usual price. The Supima cotton is silky soft, and the color—lilac breeze—is lovely. Maybe I’ll even succeed in convincing Mom to use these towels instead of the fifty-year old threadbare ones I just threw in the wash.
We went to town to return a couple library books and go to the pharmacy, where I picked up a refill for John’s elderly cougar, Eiger, and some Sudafed for me. Funny that I did not need to show my driver’s license for the 50 mg Tramadol tablets (Eiger has severe arthritis) but did for my 24-pack of decongestants.
The silver lining in this cloudy day is taking the time to write, something I have neglected in the flurry of preparations for the new flooring. About an hour ago, Mom got bored and went out to pick berries, so I have been writing in the relative quiet of our home. The ceiling fan whirs overhead, the heating stove rattles like it does day and night, and the refrigerator trips on with a hum. The pain is picking up in my ankle, so once I check on Mom, I guess it is time for more ice.
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