"When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping"

[gerisullivan]

Yesterday, my sister had an allergic reaction to...something. A blood pressure medication she's tolerated well for years, most likely. The pharmacy had changed providers of the generic formulation the last time she had the prescription refilled. Sue believes this contributed to the problem. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.

Whatever the cause was, after her facial swelling worsened rather than responding well to 3 separate doses of benadryl-equivalent, she called the 24-hour number her surgeon gave me right after surgery. And, yes, the response was just as we expected and dreaded -- it was time to head to an emergency room for evaluation and treatment.

All is much better now, for the short term, at least. But it was a long day and an even longer night. Emergency rooms and the gurneys therein aren't known for their comfort in the best of times. The whole thing was especially tortuous a week after my sister's hip replacement surgery.

This perhaps helps explain why it is that when I went to Sparrow Hospital to pick up a steroid prescription for her today, I left with an elephant, a harp, and a tuba as well as a bottle of pills.

Yes, you read that right -- an elephant, a harp, and a tuba. As benyalow quickly deduced after I mentioned having them in my car, they're not full-scale. Not even close. They did, however, make for a full-scale, successful bit of shopping therapy. That, the arrival of fresh flowers, and a nap did wonders for strengthening the equilibrium that's seen me through so much so well of late.

No photos of the elephant, harp, and tuba, yet alas...

Remembering that Google is my friend, I went looking for links instead. And turned up my elephant. I'm pleased to see that I paid several dollars less for my single elephant than the per piece price on the two packs offered here. Here's another view. Again, priced higher than what I paid. Sparrow Hospital's gift shop doesn't appear to be marking up prices to take extra advantage of the mental and emotional shape many of its shoppers are in. Yay, Sparrow!

I'm at risk of starting an elephant watering can collection, for this is my second and the Google search turned up several others. Or maybe I'll fall prey to miniature musical instruments. Here's my tuba and my harp.

Or maybe, just maybe, I'll continue along my traditional path of eclectic accumulation, picking up elephants because I like them, and because they remind me of people I love and have loved. Picking up a harp in memory of Walt Willis and "The Harp That Once or Twice..." as well as in appreciation of the music of Deborah Henson-Conant and Loreena McKennitt. And the tuba? Because I'm back in the land of The Tuba Museum, of course!

Comments

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Gaaaah, on the allergic reaction. My sympathies to your sister; I live in well-founded fear of acquiring new allergies (and this reminds me to restock my pocket with benadryl; done now, thanks).

I admire your elephant excessively.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

I used to see this comedian on Ed Sullivan, and it seemed like I saw him tell this joke more than once. Seemed Jewish, spoke almost in a monotone.

He says this guy comes up to him, he's selling elephants, says I'll sell you an elephant for a hundred dollars. He says what do I want an elephant for, they're too big and I can't feed it. [some back and forth here] So the guy says I'll sell you three elephants for two hundred dollars and he says now you're talking.

I know too much about allergies

[dragonet2.livejournal.com]

and I don't want to know about collecting elephants (except that maybe you like them and if I find a really odd one in my thrifting perigrinations I'll buy them for you).

The allergy thing, GAAH. That's what I'm worrying about over Margene's impending knee surgery, she hasn't been anesthetized since she had a procedure after having Kirsten. She's become a lot more allergic to miscellaneous assorted things since then.

And all the pain killers they have given her so far (aside from the special ibuprophen we've gotten from Ireland via a really dear friend-not available in the U.S., but otc in the UK, Europe/EU...) make her too goofy to drive and work. And the surgery is not until the 29th. Dammit.

[madfilkentist]

How encouraging. Yesterday I got my blood pressure medicine renewed, and was told the drugstore had switched to a different formulation. So far, I haven't noticed any side effects, though I wish the purple flying alien monkeys wloud leev th rooom ....

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

For a while I had the urge to collect accordions... Well, I did buy two toy ones--one for use as a prop, and the other as an evil Christmas present for my youngest nephew.

(Slight side track here) So anyway, I'm up at my brother & sister-in-law's (the dairy farm in North Dakota) for Christmas, and it's gift opening time. Cole (the aforementioned nephew, and also the one in this entry's userpic) gets to my evil package, rips the paper off, looks at the toy accordion & says, "Oh, this is the most wonderful present I evergot!!"

My brother asked his what he got, and Cole joyously answered back, "I Don't Know"

I didn't get the reaction from the adults I was expecting (screams of terror). Turns out that Carrie plays the achordian, and I'd forgotten that I was in North Dakota--the land of Lawrence Welk...

But anyway, I kept running into the wonderful looking accordion in antique shops, and I gotta tell you, it was a struggle not to snap 'em up.

Note added after editing: You know, it takes a certain talent to mispell "accordion" so badly that the best match the LJ spell checker can come up with is "Sheridan"...

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

So, was the BP med lisoprinil? And if so, what generic did she change to? Kaiser changed mine a few months ago and I'm not allergic, but I'm having odd side effects.

I'm glad she's better!