and I've finished both antibiotics and steroids, I've discovered that I'm still having some tightness in my chest, coughing, and shortness of breath--in other words, I'm having mild asthma symptoms. They weren't enough to use a rescue inhaler, but I decided to take a nebuliser treatment tonight, and I am breathing better, so the albuterol is helping. I think I'll put the nebuliser in my backpack and take it with me again like I did while I was sick. I thought my nurse practitioner was being a little overzealous by referring me to a pulmonologist, but maybe it's just as well I have an appointment next month. I've had asthma all my life, although I was only diagnosed as an adult, and while it's mild as long as I don't hit certain triggers (like exercise, extreme cold or heat, or allergens), I've had more trouble of late, and I want to make sure everything's okay. So I'll go and see what the doctor says. I've never been to a lung specialist for it, just my family doctor, who diagnosed me, and allergists.
It was cooler today, which was a blessing. I went to the pharmacy this morning before work because a friend was out of something important, getting there before they opened. My meds were there, too, so I picked them up. After work I went over there and took something a co-worker had picked up for me at Costco over to my friend's. (He uses a meal replacement powder that is much cheaper there, half of what it is at Kroger, and in larger amounts--it's almost worth my rejoining Costco, to be honest, to be able to get it.) I helped him as he did some cooking for the week, then washed up the dishes afterwards and cleaned up a bit. I got home about 9 pm, started filling out my paperwork for the pulmonologist, decided to go ahead and take the breathing treatment because I was breathing uncomfortably, and now I've cleaned the parts and put the other set in the bag, am charging up the machine, and listening to the radio.
Tomorrow I need to get something from one friend to another, and I'm hoping my gas holds out, as I don't get paid till very late tomorrow night, and until then am totally broke. I'd forgotten about my funeral expenses payment, which went through fine, but other things didn't, so for the first time in awhile I've had a cascade effect that put my account seriously in the negative. I'm just hoping I have enough to pay my rent and car insurance when it's all said and done. I can't believe I did that--the dangers of automatic withdrawals, I know.
At least there aren't any appointments to go to this week, for me or anyone I give rides to. The next appointment is on Saturday. I think there are two more next week. I'm very low on PTO (technically the holiday put me in the negative, which isn't good), so I have to make up as much time as I can for anything I miss. I was a half-hour ahead as of yesterday; today I'm a half-hour behind, thanks to the pharmacy trip, but I can try to go in early tomorrow. Fortunately my boss was fine with things. She's pretty flexible. Even if I stay for the whole time tomorrow, I'll still be able to go get my allergy shot, since they're open till 6 pm on Wednesdays, so I'll try for that, assuming my breathing is okay. They don't want you taking a shot if you're having any trouble breathing, after all.
I never did hear from anyone at that public library about whether it would be worthwhile to apply for a tech position. The only job out there right now that's nearby and professional-level is the director of the Kentucky Virtual Library, which may be a little over my qualifications. I have the requisite library experience, but I've only supervised students and volunteers, and it requires pretty extensive management experience. Being a solo librarian does have its downside, I'm afraid.
Ten months. That's how long I have to find another job before mine ends. I did decline to serve on the new health sciences stakeholder group that's replacing the regional advisory council I served on the past five years (the one I went to Chicago for), because there's a good chance I won't be a medical librarian in a year, and I didn't want to start the new five year contract and then have to drop out mid-contract. I passed on a couple of Kentucky librarians that were interested, though, so hopefully they'll be able to represent the state. They've totally restructured things so there's no travel required, which is nice in a way, although I'm glad I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago these past few years. Anyway, I'm trying not to panic over the lack of job quite yet. But I'm getting concerned. I think we're finally supposed to get our final word on severance and related matters at the end of this month or into the next. That will help me make some decisions.
Okay, I think I'll go have the last of the last loaf of bread I baked. I'm hungry, and all I've had is some peanut butter on a piece this evening while my friend was cooking. I looked through a couple of his cookbooks. I've been reading Meghan Telpner's book, UnDiet, about cooking more real food and leaving the processed stuff in the dust, and I think I'm going to do some meal planning so I can come up with a small list for the store for when I get paid, and do some real cooking. YKWIA has taught me enough to follow recipes, and it would be much cheaper than eating at the cafeteria or food trucks at work, and much healthier. It did occur to me that while I've spent the last few years acquiring things like cookware, basic utensils, food scale, cutting boards, and a stock pot, I still do not own a casserole dish. That'll be on my list for eventual purchase, but for now, I'll just have to make sure I don't make any casseroles. :) (I do at least have a glass baking dish, although YKWIA once had one of those 'blow up' and shatter, so I don't know if a novice like me should use one.) I think I'll pull some cookbooks off the shelf and look for something good to cook this week. :)
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