This was supposed to publish this morning but apparently I didn't do something right. Anyway, big surprise when I got to the hospital Sunday afternoon, they had completely weaned him off oxygen. I guess 14 days of IV antibiotics, steroids, breathing treatments, etc finally hit a watershed and BOOM. This mornings x-ray was so so much better than the last one last Thursday but still will take time to completely clear. His general health had improved so much that he was too healthy to qualify for the insurance to pay for the in house physical therapy so they discharged him from the hospital. Oral antibiotics for two weeks instead of 6 but that could be extended. Now to get a primary care doc and a referral to the pulmonologist who has been treating him and Home Health Care to work with him on physical therapy.
After fixing my dinner Thursday night, I turned on the hot water faucet to wash the few dishes and waited for it to get hot. And waited, and waited, and waited and no hot water. Checked the water heater and the pilot light was out. It had gone out a few weeks before Marc got sick so I didn't think anything about it and followed the instructions on the tank...turn the knob to pilot, hold down the knob, push the striker button, continue holding down the knob until the status light comes on. OK, pilot light would flame but the status light would never come on and when I released the knob it would go out. Well, fuck.
Called Rocky 8:30 Friday morning, could he come light my water heater as I was having no luck. No problem, I'm nearby, I'll be right there. He couldn't get it to light either. Called his plumber friend who said the thermostat was bad, it would cost as much to replace the thermostat as to get a new water heater, you need a new water heater. Well, fuck.
Rocky located a same size, 30 gallon, water heater in El Campo, about 20 minutes down the road, went by his current job doing something for the Methodist Church to ask if they would give him half a day to help me out and they graciously agreed, so off he went to get the new propane water heater.
Now, when we bought the one that had just failed, the one we were replacing was too wide to get it out through the door to the closet in which it sat so they had to take the molding off and remove the door jamb to get it out. The new one one was smaller in diameter and it could be installed or removed without having to do that again. So Rocky gets back, takes out the water heater, puts it in my studio room, opens the box of the new one and I'm looking at them and the new one is wider, 18” to the previous 16”. Rocky, it's not going to go through the doorway unless you dismantle it. Well, fuck.
He takes off the molding, removes the door jamb, gets the new one in and hooked up, tests it to see if all is well, pilot comes on, puts the doorway back together again, we turn on the hot water faucet in the kitchen and no hot water. Pilot is off, won't come on, further investigation and the guy sold him a water heater for natural gas. Well, fuck, fuck, fuck.
Rocky is not happy. Takes the doorway apart, removes the water heater, boxes it back up, takes it back and gets the one for propane he ordered, gets it installed, pilot comes on, burner comes on and we're in business. By this time it's 5 o'clock. I sent him home, we can put the doorway back together later. He came back Saturday morning and finished up.
the result of all that trouble
Consequently I didn't get anything done I had planned to do on Friday while at home, ran a few errands Saturday and catching up on my sleep, and headed back to Victoria Sunday.
I'm very glad Marc is doing so much better. However the last thing you needed right now was a hot water issue, issues, plural. Dangit, I hope this keeps working.
ReplyDeleteNo good deed, etc.etc.--is an absolute truth. Well, that job is done, and thanks, Rocky. Marc's recovery seems pretty speedy to me, but I wasn't there for two long weeks, watching it all happen. May he progress. Especially, may he stick with all the protocol that has been laid out for his recovery.
ReplyDeleteReally good news about Marc! The water heater, not so much.........
ReplyDeleteSo glad Marc is getting better faster than expected. It's so upsetting when the water heater fails. We had that problem and I suggested a Point of Use water heater. Boy am I glad David listened to me. It's been going for 15 years and I love it. .
ReplyDeleteMany cheers for the recovering man and triple fuck for the water heater dilemma. May all lungs and people and tanks improve speedily. You are on the way to better times, hurray.
ReplyDeleteMy heart weeps when I think of how much propane you'll buy and burn when there's all that free Texas sunlight to heat water, but I know you know that.
I would like to have solar panels but the house is piped for propane and while the AC is electric, the heater, as well as the water heater, is gas. Can't afford to replace a functioning heater. And we are surrounded by trees taller than the house in the summer and would probably need a new roof before installing panels. As working artists, we lived hand to mouth and now retired, limited to our Social Security. It sucks for sure being the environmentalist that I am. Not to mention the expense of propane.
DeleteAh, the mystical power of the f-word!. It doesn't improve things but you always tell yourself it might. And what's more, you feel slightly better.
ReplyDeleteAs to using the triple f-word you're way ahead of me. When I'm into multiples I tend to use the s-word. There's a politician in that wonderful TV series The Wire who uses it a lot. Except he lengthens it, like so: "Shh-eee-eee-iiit" So refreshing.
I very much appreciate the cultural development your blog is providing. Up to now I've been a bit prissy about naughty words. Reading you has been a sort of green light. Coming from texas too!
Perhaps I should put a disclaimer at the top of my blog...profanity spoken here. So glad I have opened up the world of cursing for you. I read somewhere that people who use profanity are generally more intelligent than those show don't. If so, I must be a genius.
DeleteLife just will not take a pause while we deal with the really important things will it? GAH!
ReplyDeleteHappy news about Marc, anyway. So glad he's doing so well.
Glad Marc is doing so much better. Hope he continues to improve quickly!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for Rocky!
I'm really really glad you have a Rocky to help you out! But what the actual heck having to deal with that in the middle of everything else. Also, yay Marc!
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful news on Marc. I hope he continues with a fast recovery. Gees Louise... what a time you have been having. That darn water heater issue. So glad to hear that your new water heater is now installed and working properly. I'm sure it was a very frustrating day for both you and Rocky.
ReplyDeleteWell that was a struggle. Our water heater is in the basement, I'm really dreading the day that it fails, it will be a bugger to get it up the stairs. Happy to hear that Marc is doing so well in such a short time.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that Marc is home. Hope all goes well with his recovery. And... what a nightmare with that water heater. Yikes. Really glad that you were able to get one after all of that and that it is working. Whew. Take care there.
ReplyDeleteOMG. What a tale. Poor Rocky! (And poor you!) But thank goodness it's finally working.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you have Marc at home and hot water! Hopefully life settles into a slow easy pace for you both.♥️♥️✌🏼
ReplyDeleteJust getting caught up and sad to hear that you have A Patient in your care. I feel your angst! I was telling my sister-in-law that the family of the sick one needs lots of stamina to make it through the recovery. She has been through cancer, covid and a stroke. My brother-in-law would appear to be a calm, laid back kind of guy. But listening to him tell us he was following the life flight helicopter to Atlanta, you could tell he was almost at that point of hysteria that I was at with the last hospital stay of The Patient. I realize that the patients suffer, but the family does, as well. Smoking is a vile habit to break. HeWho smoked 4 packs a day and quit cold turkey after the major cardiac event. He is baffled now that he has quit, that he is still dealing with the affects of his old habit. The damage does not just go away when you stop smoking. I hope he is a better patinet than mine!!
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me it takes about two years for the lungs to overcome smoking. Once the pneumonia clears he'll get treated for emphysema. And yeah, as he was getting sicker and still refusing to go to a doctor he said to me, I quit smoking 3 weeks ago, you'd think it would get easier to breathe instead of harder. Why are men such idiots?
DeleteWhy are men idiots? If I had that answer, I would be famous! Mine is on an anti-depressant since the heart attack, but I am going to talk to Amanda (NP) about adjusting the dosage or trying a different one. As hard as it is to advocate for him, it is worth the effort. The best thing to do now is to form a relationship with his primary care giver, since that will be the person to manage his medications. Since he has not been to a doctor in a long time, don't be afraid to suggest an anti-depressant if you see him falling into an abyss of self pity. I know you are like me in that you do your research! If you find that you need a sounding board, message me on Facebook and I will share all my wisdom, no matter how useless it is!!
DeleteI'm so glad to hear that good news about Marc. If the experiences of others I know is any guide, simply feeling better is the best encouragement to keep up with whatever regimes the docs prescribe. I'm rarely sick, but I do remember that moment when, after flu, I suddenly realize I don't feel bad any more. Here's to continued health for your water heater, and all home appliances, too. You certainly don't need any more complications in your life.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to the fuckery of Water Heaters malfunctioning and needing replacement. Ours caught on Fire at about 2 in the Morning, luckily The Son and I were Vampires and up at that hour and discovered where the Smoke was coming from! They are so expensive to replace, I'm still making payments on the damned thing. It seems expensive appliances now only last 7-10 years no matter how much you paid for them. When we lived in our Historic Home the Water Heaters were from the 1930's and still going strong in all the buildings on the property...
ReplyDelete