Friday, January 29, 2021

another test and the first blush of spring


I'm writing this part Thursday evening and as of Thursday evening, the whatever it is on my hands and feet has resolved itself and it has pretty much cleared up. Tuesday was probably the worst day. Even so, there was a bit of drama going on here this afternoon. We got a phone message from one of my readers expressing her concern (for which I am grateful) and suggested I look up covid toes and wished me to be well. That had not occurred to me this whole time so I did, it strikes the toes and fingers, hands and feet, palms and soles and the redness and swelling and sometimes lumps so it was sounding too possible. Also said it can be mistaken for chilblains. I did read about chilblains as it had come up in my searches and it described it perfectly but I discounted it since, one , it doesn't get that cold here and two, it had been warm the week I broke out.

I called my sister...so, this happened. Call your doctor, call your dermatologist and see what they say. So I called both but only got a call back by the dermatologist so far. So, this happened, I told her, and what did she think since she hadn't seem to know right off oh this is...whatever. She's waiting to see the results of my blood work and wants to rule out a few things but she did bring up that covid toes is similar to chilblains and we talked about that. Mainly that chilblains is a vascular thing, and maybe stress, and as such, I guess not limited to cold triggers. OK, that's logical. But, she says, it's entirely possible that you could be infected. She suggested getting tested again.

I had already tried to register at the local CVS which does free testing or I could wait for the once a week free countywide testing that changes location from city to city and I had just missed it here last Tuesday. I didn't qualify at CVS because my symptom wasn't listed and I don't think I have been exposed. So the dermatologist called the CVS to see if they would accept a 'script from her for the test. No, I would have to register online. But her symptom isn't on the online list. Just have her select something. So, I lied and I'm getting tested Friday. I really don't think I have covid. Covid toes with zero other symptoms or likely exposure seems very unlikely (and a call back from my PCP's office this Friday morning confirmed that it is rare but go get tested). I think the most likely reason is chilblains. But we'll see.

So much for the latest installment of, as Mary Moon calls it, how it is for old people.

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This Friday morning the sun rose on a clear blue sky which didn't even last a half hour before it started clouding over and now it is completely overcast. The bird feeder was empty again, they empty it in a day, the birds and the squirrels. I'm seeing all the usual...sparrows, goldfinches which I expect will continue their migration soon, a house finch or two, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, white wing doves, inca doves, I think maybe the little warblers that winter over here are gone, hard to tell through the screen and dirty window.

And now the sun has won out burning away the overcast though still a little hazy, temperatures in the high 50˚s heading for the mid 60˚s. The red shouldered hawks are out calling for mates during a stroll around the yard in which spring is emerging pinkly.

The various roses,

these so vibrant that even in the shade the camera can't pick up the detail in the flowers,


another small chinese fringe flower tree in bloom,

the blooming maple tree,

the first open blooms of the woodland petal pink, invasive little things that they are,

it's not all pink out there as the anemones are also showing off. 


And the pansies and violas, the only thing blooming until a few days ago during the short winter.





23 comments:

  1. Wow, Ellen! You know- that Covid toes thing crossed my mind too but then I immediately forgot it. Dang. Well, I'm glad you're getting tested. Is that NEXT Friday or did it happen today?
    Your blooms are so lovely. My azaleas are just starting to pop out a flower here and there.

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  2. Good Lord!! I had definitely missed several past posts and had to go back and see what the heck was going on with you. Curiouser and curiouser. I hope you are truly on the other side of this weirdness. It's pretty discouraging when it feels like your body is out to sabotage you.

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    1. all better now but if I learned anything from all this it's not to schedule all your checkup appointments within a two month period.

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  3. I forgot all about COVID toes! Everything is just weird. But your yard is beautiful!

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  4. This parade of flowers in January is amazing. Thank you for bringing them to us.

    I had thought of covid-19 toes, but refrained from suggesting it, partly fear of intruding, partly because it's apparently self limiting. As long as no opportunistic infections happen, and it seems that hasn't happened, then okay.

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    1. it's early, even for us. you wouldn't have been intruding so put that aside. I guess I didn't consider it because I thought it would accompany other symptoms, none of which I had.

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  5. Covid Toes? Another thing to niggle at the back of my mind every time I get a little twinge. I read your response to my post about Mother. We grew up with hearing "don't upset your mother" with great regularity. I called my step mother "Mama". Loving the unlovable is hard.

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    1. my parents made a mosaic topped coffee table of our family tree, which was pretty neat, but the family motto was 'do as I say, not as I do' which I found to be very hypocritical the older I got. my mother had uppers, downers, and valiums in her bedside table while they were berating me for smoking a little pot.

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  6. Replies
    1. I did check that but it didn't present that way. for one thing, no blisters. I should get a shingles vac though. but, you know, I still feel invincible. Well, maybe not invincible but I feel like I have for the last 40 years of my life.

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  7. Well that is weird, never heard of covid toe for godsake! How strange, these times!! So today is Friday and you have been tested, you will not find out until next week sometime and that is a long time to hold ones breath, which I am doing!
    Your flowers are a welcomed delight! You live on another planet it would seem...

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  8. I'm jealous. I need some greening and blooming but it is still a couple of months away here.

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  9. There's something about your area that seems to bring Spring into bloom even sooner than here. After looking at these photos, I'm going to have to get out and about today. It sounds like wind and rain might be on the way for tomorrow. We'll see. I just need to make a big scouting trip through my "loop" -- down to Galveston, across San Luis, around to Brazoria, etc. I did just look out the window and found my big, fat robin is back at the bird feeder, munching on dried mealworms. I was gold about a woman who goes to the fishing and hunting box stores and buys earthworms for hers, but that's pushing it a little far, I'd say.

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  10. I hope you have gotten some answers about all of it. There is so much going on all at once and trying to figure out what's symptomatic of what is a very tricky thing. I like how you balanced it all with the beauty of the blooming flowers there. Such a lovely view of early springtime.

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  11. Glad you are feeling better. I am jealous of your blooming beauty!
    Stay well!

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  12. I really enjoy looking at your spring, it's all snow, rain, slush and floods here.

    You probably have your negative test back by now, but just so you can compare, here are some skin manifestations associated with covid (pictures s. Figure 1): https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/512932

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  13. Lots of pink! I don't even understand what chillblains are. I always thought they were something people got in Victorian England from sitting too close to a fire. Guess I should read up about that. Anyway, I'm glad you're getting tested, but it DOES sound unlikely you'd have Covid toe in the absence of any other symptoms.

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    1. chilblains are a vascular ailment and usually break out when your feet and hands get too cold, probably from poor circulation. I don't think I have poor circulation so who knows why.

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  14. The flowers are gorgeous. The Son recently Tested Positive for COVID and he had no visible symptoms other than the Feet problems associated with it, we got Tested since he's been around us, waiting on our results and Status, it's Anxiety ridden! Be Well, Stay Safe.

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    1. so sorry to hear this! but my test came back negative.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.