Handwritten prescription for Amoxicillin 500mg for sinus infection with doctor and patient details

At least the ENT doc was professional…

AI image today…

Yesterday was a big day in our house. I got my new computer, and am now writing my very first blog post on it. It took hours to set everything up on it, mainly because I forgot how the VESA arm works. I was also alone, so I had to wrestle the screen on the faceplate by myself. Everything was made more difficult, because I forgot that the arm can be taken apart, and all you have to do to get the arm to function is just push hard on it.

It took several hours for my files to migrate from my old computer to my new one. As I sit here right now, I’m moving music onto the new computer and adding apps that had to be deleted from the old one for want of space. The new computer has twice the amount of space and twice the RAM, so it should be good for awhile.

Bill went to see an ear, nose, and throat doctor yesterday about his “extra juicy cough”. It was the same practice he visited last year, when his ears were bothering him. Last year, they discovered his ears were full of wax, so they cleaned them out for him, which ended with immediate relief.

This year, he saw a different doctor, who saw that he’d come in for ear cleaning last year. So the doctor cleaned the little bit of wax he saw. Then he ran a fiberoptic tube down Bill’s nose to look at his throat! 😳

Bill said the guy was actually very professional, and treated him respectfully. Originally, he tried to look at his throat via Bill’s mouth, but Bill has a strong gag reflex. So he sprayed anesthetic up the nose and Bill said he couldn’t even feel the tube until it got past the nose. The doctor showed Bill his voice box and everything… I think I would have fainted dead away!

He also got a blood test that required just one drop of blood. The blood test was slightly abnormal.

The results were that there is a slight bronchial infection, so the doctor prescribed antibiotics, which Bill doesn’t need to take until a week has passed. If he’s not better next week, he should fill the prescription and take the meds. If he improves, they aren’t going to be necessary.

The doc also prescribed a steroidal inhaler, which the local Apotheke didn’t have in stock, but will have acquired later today. And he got a scrip for more Bronchipret, which doesn’t actually require a prescription. I guess he said there’s a more powerful preparation he can get. All told, the exam cost 300 euros, which Bill paid on site. He can submit the bill to Tricare, if he wants to. I don’t know if he’ll bother.

As Bill was telling me about all of this, I couldn’t help but remember my shockingly bad experience with the German gastroenterologist two years ago. It’s good to know there are professional doctors in Germany. 😏 I know there are professional doctors here, but I seem to have a special knack for running into the jerks.

Anyway, I think the conclusion is to let Tricare help us find doctors here, and avoid going to the hospital. The Medicum next door seems to be better. In fact, they even had a nice waiting room, strictly for private insurance/private paying patients.

Bill was actually sounding somewhat better yesterday, before he saw the doctor, but he’s still got that wretched, noisy, annoying cough that doesn’t let him sleep and causes him to wake me up with his rattling lungs. All this, stemming from that TDY trip he took to Spain in late May! He’s really been sick all summer, and he got me sick, too. Fortunately, I eventually got over my sickness.

Bill still has an appointment next month with his “GP” at Landstuhl. Meanwhile, I probably should tend to my own health, but my mental state forbids it. So, I think I’ll search for a nice spa hotel to visit, next time we have some free time. Too bad we couldn’t take advantage of the July 4th long weekend.

I’m glad Bill managed to get competent, respectful, and effective help. I hope if I ever darken the door of a doctor’s office again, I might manage to score the same!

Health

Mr. Bill and his extra juicy cough…

Featured photo is of a few items Bill picked up from the Apotheke for his “juicy cough”…

It’s a hot, sunny Saturday here in Germany. Bill is struggling with a really nasty cough. Remember last month when he brought home a virus from Spain that made us both sick? Well, I eventually got over my sickness. Bill initially seemed to get over his, but was left with a lingering cough that has since gotten worse.

He has a doctor’s appointment on Monday. I told him to get one, and he was not able to get one with his regular American “GP” at Landstuhl until August. He decided to seek one with the same German ear, nose, and throat practice he visited months ago, when he had his ears cleaned out. 🤢

On Friday, he also visited the neighborhood “Apotheke”, which is Germany’s version of a pharmacy. Here, drugs are sold exclusively in apothecaries, rather than in grocery stores. The guy who runs our local drug store loaded him up with 40 euros worth of items, some of which are naturopathic. I noticed that Bill got some Bronchipret, which I took last year. One of its active ingredients is thyme, which is well-known for helping with “chesty coughs”.

I took Bronchipret when I got sick with a really nasty respiratory virus. I didn’t find it to be extremely effective, but it did help soothe me until my body was able to fight off the sickness. It also didn’t taste horrible.

Poor Bill has been waking up repeatedly at night, needing to cough a lot. The cough is very loud and productive, but he’s still not able to clear his lungs as much as he needs to, so he can’t rest well. I’m sure the ENT will tell him to “get with his GP”, but he needs help now. Maybe they will give him a prescription. Hopefully, he won’t be treated as poorly as I was, two years ago, when I saw a specialist. But then, he’s a man… so he’ll probably get better care.

Being sick sucks. It especially sucks in the summer, when you live in a house that doesn’t have central air conditioning, and it’s hot as Hell outside. It’s not actually that hot today, but it’s definitely getting warm again. That will mean my ankles are going to blow up.

I wish I could enjoy summer more. I do miss Lake Zürich now.

Monday, I expect to get a brand new desktop computer, so that may help me make content a bit more efficiently. And on Thursday, we expect our new fridge to get here, so we can stop traipsing down to the basement to get food. Things are progressing. I do need to go to AAFES and order new glasses, too. I expect to buy my first pair of bifocals. Edited to add: just after I wrote this post, we went to AAFES in Wiesbaden and I ordered my new glasses.

SIGH…

Bill did have a birthday the other day. We celebrated with a snazzy birthday song I sang for him in a YouTube video. I thought maybe we’d go do something this weekend, but I think he’s feeling too poorly. Hopefully, he’ll be feeling better next weekend.

This morning, a golden retriever, belonging to a neighbor we have not met, was running amok in our neighborhood. The dog was not wearing a collar, and according to our next door neighbor, regularly jumps over the fence surrounding its neighbor’s yard, and visits our cul-de-sac. I hope the dog stays far away from the Autobahn.

Health, laws, Military, Rheinland-Pfalz

Optimizing the Ramstein optometry option…

Featured photo is the logo for the optometry clinic at Ramstein Air Force Base.

About a month ago, Bill and I visited Ramstein Air Force Base, so I could get an eye test done for my Texas driver’s license renewal. That visit happened on a day when the only staff member working was an American woman who was an ICU nurse in a prior life. I managed to pass the eye test, but it was a struggle. She really stressed me out, and when I was done with that ordeal, I felt like I needed a drink.

One thing that happened during that visit was that the lady set me up for an over 50 eye exam. Today, that exam happened. Bill and I got up early, ate breakfast, walked the dogs, and made our way back to Ramstein, which is about a 90 minute drive from our home in Wiesbaden. As freaked out as I felt last month, I owe that lady a debt of gratitude. She really did me a favor. She gave me an appointment two days before they opened up appointments. If she hadn’t, I might have been out of luck!

I was impressed when we went through the gate. A sharp looking young man, Bill said he was a senior airman, checked our IDs and smiled as he saluted Bill. I took it as a good sign when he welcomed up to Ramstein. It was nice to see a servicemember on gate duty, instead of a security guard. He was very professional, and actually seemed to enjoy the job.

When we parked the car, I realized I needed to pee. So we headed to the restrooms, only to find them blocked off for cleaning. We knew there were bathrooms near the optometry clinic, so we headed for those. Again, blocked. I was annoyed, because people have to pee, and we had an appointment to make. Luckily, Bill found a restroom for employees that was open and unguarded. I ducked in there and whizzed, and we went to the optometry clinic.

*Oh, come on. Why clean all of the toilets at the same time? People have to PEE!*

After a welcome, I was handed paperwork to fill out, and a nice lady with turquoise colored feather earrings invited me to get some initial screening done. I was a little nervous, because healthcare folks often tend to scold me, and that gets me upset. But this lady was really cool and friendly, so I was at ease. And then I met the optometrist, who is, unfortunately retiring at the end of the month.

The optometrist was quite nice, and I enjoyed talking to him. He’s an American from Ohio, married to a German woman, has German kids, and plans to stay here after he takes one last trip home. He gave my eyes a thorough look-see, and informed me that I don’t have macular degeneration or cataracts (yet).

Then, I got my eyes dilated, and he looked closer at the dark spot in the back of my eye. I had been told by an eye doctor in Texas that it was a freckle, but the eye doctor today said it was a CHRPE— (chirpie). He tried to get a picture of it, but their camera apparently couldn’t capture it because of its location. The doctor also said the camera isn’t very good, which doesn’t surprise me, since we were at AAFES.

The doc said he likes living in Germany and plans to retire here. We were both talking about how we enjoy living in Europe. I added that I despise Trump, and he concurred. I almost wore my “Is he dead yet?” t-shirt today, but decided it might not be a good idea, given the people who frequent Ramstein. The eye doc also said that in Germany, there are opticians and medical eye doctors/surgeons. They don’t seem to use optometrists, as we do in the United States.

I got new prescriptions for contact lenses and glasses. It turns out that for all the drama the lady last month stirred up, my prescription didn’t change that much. I opted for the multifocal lenses, because they allow me to read, even though my vision isn’t as sharp as it is when I wear toric lenses. The doc also said I didn’t have to get bifocals unless I want them, since I rarely wear my glasses. I’m not sure if I’ll get them, anyway.

The visit was $288, which wasn’t bad at all, given all they did. My eyes are finally about normal again, hours later. But when we went to lunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill (an American Italian restaurant chain with a location on base), I couldn’t read the menu. Bill had to read it for me.

It was kind of weird eating at Macaroni Grill. It reminded me of being back home. But I settled on seafood ravioli, and Bill had Cacio e Pepe Pasta, which was basically Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and black pepper. My ravioli was stuffed with “seafood” and came with shrimp and tomatoes. It wasn’t the best Italian food I’ve ever had, but it tasted okay and filled us up for the drive home.

*You can see where Bill got a mark on his head this week. He had a coughing fit that caused him to collapse for a second. He hit his head on the carpet and got a rug burn.*

The waitress was okay, although I noticed she sat down with the two guys at the table ahead of ours while dealing with them. That’s behavior I’ve noticed in casual American restaurants. I enjoyed a glass of white wine and some San Pellegrino. We decided that was enough for us and came home. First, we stopped by that cool Italian store in the AAFES mall, and picked up some more Italian goodies.

*More pasta, wine, and cheese! A different lady helped us today, but she was also Italian.*

I’m really glad that’s over now, although the appointment went surprisingly well. I actually enjoyed the staff at the optometry clinic. I hope they find a new doctor, so the ladies working there won’t have to go work at the BX/PX, or wherever AAFES “needs” them. The lady I dealt with today was surprisingly knowledgeable. I heard her on the phone with someone who apparently got new contacts to correct astigmatism and needed some advice on getting used to them. She really handled that person professionally. Her talents shouldn’t be wasted straightening clothes or stocking personal hygiene items.

Aside from that, American people over here with the military need to be able to see a US licensed optometrist, so they can renew their driver’s licenses. The Trump regime has made it a lot more challenging than it once was, and now people have to go get their eyes checked, rather than just take a simple test.

It’s illegal for Americans to drive with expired US based driver’s licenses if they are here on SOFA status. A lot of people do it, but it’s technically unlawful, and can result in troubles. I remember back in 2015, German cops were busting Americans with expired licenses, and it caused a huge amount of ass pain for Americans. They eventually straightened everything out, but ever since that issue, I’ve not wanted to risk having an expired license.

My new license has since arrived, and is good until 2034. By then, who knows where we’ll be? It was actually lucky that mine needed replacement now, and I was able to get it done before the optometrist’s last day. Otherwise, we might have been shit out of luck. I’m also glad we did this today, instead of last week, when I was pretty sick with a cold.

Anyway, that’s done now. We are mostly over our colds, too, except for an annoying cough. Next week, we head off to Bern, Switzerland, for my birthday, and then onward to the Jung Institute in Küsnacht, so Bill can take his psychoanalysis classes. The travel blog will soon come to life with actual travel content, so watch this space!

German lifestyle, Health, Hessen

Sickness from Spain, and a sudden death in our kitchen…

Featured photo is a screenshot of the ad for the fridge I bought in September 2014, when we first moved back to Germany. At the time, we didn’t have much money, but we needed a fridge of our own, because our house only had a really shitty dorm sized fridge in it. Now that we live in Wiesbaden, that fridge is coming in handy, as the one that came with the kitchen has finally died on us… Meanwhile, Bill and I are both sick.

Bill got back from Spain a week ago. He brought with him a vile respiratory virus, which he has now shared with me. I’m assuming we have the same sickness, anyway, because I haven’t been around anyone else who would have been able to pass it to me.

I have noticed that Bill and I have different symptoms. His are more like a sinus infection. Mine is just annoying crud in my lungs that makes me cough and gives me a sore throat and scratchy voice. He probably picked up the virus on the plane, although he might have gotten it at the conference, which had about 300 people from different countries in attendance.

This is one of the drawbacks of Bill’s job. He travels a lot, and he goes to different countries, where he mingles with all sorts of people. Then, he brings home viruses to me, and I get sick, even though I rarely interact with people in person anymore. It’s a real drag, because I always seem to get these things on weekends and holidays.

I remember when Bill worked in Stuttgart, he often went to African countries. More than once, he brought back really nasty sicknesses that he passed on to me. This virus that I have now doesn’t seem quite as gross as some of the African ones I’ve experienced, but it’s never fun to be sick… especially in the summer!

Last night, I felt so icky that we decided to skip the wine stand. I do enjoy going to the wine stands, but I don’t want to spread this yucky illness to my neighbors– especially the elderly ones who tend to go to the wine stands.

Also, we’re not all that popular, so I didn’t want to feel physically bad, while ignoring the side eyes from the folks who are tired of Americans in Germany. 😏 I’m being slightly facetious, of course. Most people in this neighborhood are nice, and we’ve been here long enough that they know we aren’t troublemakers. But I can tell that some would like it if we left. As it is, we will also miss the next wine stand, because it’s happening while we will be traveling.

Luckily, our landlord is not among those who hope to see us go. In fact, he’s really been great.

Here is a case in point. Last night, we had a mishap with the landlord’s refrigerator. After dinner, I went to put the butter back in the fridge, and the light went out. A few seconds later, I realized that the damn thing had just died. I told Bill he needed to go tell the landlord, because we definitely need a working refrigerator!

Bill was reluctant to bother the landlord, since it was a Friday night. I insisted that he should let him know, because the sooner he knows, the sooner the problem can be fixed.

So Bill went over to tell the landlord. He spoke in broken German, and apologized profusely that he was bothering him on a Friday night. The landlord and his wife (who actually owns the house, because it was built by her brother), were very kind, understanding, and welcoming. In fact, the wife, who speaks less English than her husband does, even figured out the problem first. She said, “Der Kuhlschrank ist kaput!” (or maybe she said it was “tot”).

The fridge in our current home is definitely much nicer than the dorm style fridge our former landlady had in her house. However, the fridge in this house was old when we moved here in late November 2018. It’s also installed in a cabinet, which means that it’s not as easy to replace as a freestanding fridge is.

Anyway, the landlord said he would come over today and measure the space for a new fridge. He’s been really great about replacing appliances when they break. A couple of years ago, he got us a new dishwasher and a new garage door opener. He also put in a new shower head for us, which was really a nice upgrade.

Bill moved all of our refrigerated stuff to the fridge we own. He said the ice cream had already gone soft, so I guess the death wasn’t as sudden as it had initially seemed.

It’s actually kind of a blessing that all of this is happening this weekend. Next weekend, we have to go see the eye doctor at Ramstein, so I can update my prescriptions for glasses and contacts. I definitely don’t want to be sick for that.

The weekend after that is my birthday, and we are going to Bern, Switzerland for two nights to celebrate. Then we will move onward to Küsnacht, so Bill can attend courses during the summer session at the Jung Institute.

Also, the landlord said that he and his wife have been in Munich, not for a vacation, but because she’s having hip replacement surgery. In a couple of weeks, they will be going back to Munich for a month. So… it’s fortuitous that the fridge gave up the ghost now, so it can be replaced before they go away.

Meanwhile, I am so glad I bought that spare refrigerator back in September 2014… the one the ex landlady accused us of stealing. We bought it because the existing dorm sized fridge, which she later claimed we had “dumped” on her, wasn’t going to serve our needs adequately. Fortunately, I had a photo that I took on the day we moved in, which proved it was there when we took possession of her house. I now wish I’d bought a bigger fridge. I hesitate to replace the one I bought now, because who knows how much longer we’re going to be living here…

Sigh… one of the many challenges of contracting life in Europe, especially during the Trump era. Hopefully, I’ll feel better today, and the whole weekend won’t be ruined. I actually do feel better than I did when I woke up this morning. We’ll see if it lasts.

Antipasto board with bread drizzled in olive oil, cheese, sliced salami, olives, and a bottle of extra virgin olive oil

anecdotes, Health, Rheinland-Pfalz

You can’t beat the real thing!

Yes, the featured image is AI generated…

Happy Thursday, everybody. This morning, we got a video from Bill’s younger daughter. She started our day off on a very tasteful note.

A few weeks ago, younger daughter was telling us about how she didn’t understand why people like olive oil so much. She said it was bitter and watery, and even though it’s supposed to be “healthy”, she just didn’t think it was very good.

Having lived in the United States ourselves, and tasted what passes for “olive oil”, we had a feeling that she had never experienced the real thing. So last month, when we went to Ramstein to get my stupid eye exam done for the driver’s license renewal, we stopped by a really cool Italian shop in the Ramstein mall.

The woman who was working that day had a super thick accent, and she told us about her family and how she wound up in Germany. For years, she worked in Nuremberg, but eventually found her way to the Ramstein area. Her store was chock full of Italian goodies, straight from the source.

I think the lady in the shop got a kick out of watching us load up on stuff. She asked if we were getting ready to PCS. We said we weren’t, but we just enjoy authentic Italian products and happened to be at Ramstein. We left the store with several bags of Italian pasta, olive oil, orange liqueur, and balsamic vinegar.

*I already shared this photo on the day we bought these goodies, but here it is again. Some of it went to younger daughter, who is just now tasting real olive oil and balsamic for the first time.*

As is his habit, Bill got a few things in Greece for the kids, while he was working there. We added a bag of pasta, some olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to the box. They got it a few days ago, and opened it on camera. I got a big kick out of watching the grandkids discover things from Europe.

This morning, younger daughter said she had tried the olive oil on some homemade breadsticks she made. She was shocked by the difference in flavor and consistency. And then her husband said, “These are the best breadsticks ever. Just like Olive Garden!” 🫪 🤣

Of course, that just makes me want to take them to a real Italian restaurant. I’ll bet they would be blown away by what Italian food from Italy actually tastes like. I do like American style Italian food, too… but it’s really not the same and does not compare to food from the actual source.

On the other hand, I did find out firsthand that, in spite of contrary popular opinions, it IS possible to have a bad meal in Italy. But they are few and very far between!

Anyway, it’s a real pleasure to see Bill’s daughter experiencing new things. Her eyes are opening to new ideas and horizons far beyond what she’s experienced thus far. And her kids are getting to try things like real olive oil and balsamic vinegar at a much younger age.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Bill was able to get too many souvenirs from Spain, but maybe we’ll have the chance to go there together. I just wish we could send her some Iberico ham. That would probably really blow her tastebuds!

We will be going back to Ramstein on June 13th, because I’m going to go get a full eye exam. It will be among the last offered by the optometrist there, because he’s leaving. According to the very nervous technician who took care of me last month, they aren’t backfilling him… so I’m going to get an “over 50” eye exam and get a new prescription. I don’t look forward to it, but I am looking forward to seeing things better. Clearer vision is always a good thing– literally and figuratively.

By the way, I got my new driver’s license this week! It’s good until 2034!

Health, Hessen

Italian delicacies from Celpro Italian Supermarket…

This week, I had a very unpleasant exchange with an Amazon seller, who failed to send me Sperlari Candies I had ordered from Italy. I don’t want to get into the story of what happened in that situation on this blog, because I like to try to keep this space somewhat upbeat, when I can. If you want to read that story, click here. Suffice to say, I didn’t get my candy, and the seller was miffed that I left a low seller rating.

That situation made me remember visiting the Celpro Italian Supermarket, back during the height of the pandemic. I wondered if maybe they had some Sperlari goodies. I told Bill I wanted to visit, so off we went. We were definitely not the only ones who had the idea of shopping for Italian treats today.

It had been so long since our last visit, I had forgotten how small the market was. But for being such a small market, they offer a lot of Italian goods– everything from laundry detergent to fresh meats and cheeses. I couldn’t stand to be in there for too long, though, because it was pretty busy and crowded. We did manage to spend about 127 euros. It would have probably been more, if we could have gotten close to the meat counter!

When we got home from Celpro, I looked to see if there were any other markets nearby. I found one called Fornara, which is a small chain. Apparently, they are near the train station in Wiesbaden. They have another location in Taunnustein. I think we might have to visit there, too… although maybe not today, since it’s already getting close to 2:00 PM, and the store closes at 4:00. It looks like a much bigger market, though– at least the one in Taunnustein does. At the very least, we’d probably find more wines!

Yesterday was May Day. I completely forgot about it. I was too busy thinking about Bill coming home from his latest TDY trip. We had beautiful weather, though, and it’s pretty today, too. It’s also finally getting warm.

I got an email from the driver’s license people in Texas. Naturally, they need more stuff from me. I have to go get my eyes checked at an optometrist’s office, because they need a field of vision test (this is a new thing– never needed that in previous years). I also have to send a copy of my voter card, and complete a couple of items of the form that got overlooked.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the communication I got. The lady provided everything I needed– from the information as to what documentation is acceptable to prove Texas residency, to the spots I missed on the form. I feel pretty confident that by June 20, which is my birthday, I will have an updated license. Kudos to Mary, handling the out of state driver’s licenses. She’s a professional. I just wish they’d make it easier for people in my situation to find them. It would cut down on a lot of stress and confusion.

I need to go see the eye doctor anyway. I need a new prescription, and perhaps to get myself some bifocals. It’s a pain to have to do it, but it does need to be done. I think we’ll go to a different provider this time, though. I didn’t like the place I went in Wiesbaden, last time I had my eyes checked. I just hope the person I see doesn’t piss me off. 😏

Health, Hessen, housekeeping tips

Now I know how Bobby Brady felt when the washing machine overflowed…

Since I’ve been residing in Germany, I am continually amazed by how complicated doing laundry can be. From the front loading washers to the condenser dryers, it’s not as simple to wash clothes and towels here as it was in the United States.

Before anyone comes at me, I do realize that in the US, we have high efficiency, front loading washers. But my US washing machine is a top loader– basic as can be, and easy to turn off and on. Here, I have a front loader. I also have a condenser dryer, although I did have a vented dryer until somewhat recently. I bought new appliances in August 2023 when my first washing machine broke down. The newer machines are a lot better than the old ones were, but every once in awhile, I run into issues.

A couple of days ago, I decided I would do some non-routine laundry. It was vacuum day, so I decided to wash the washable rugs in the house. I have them in the bathrooms and by our bed, on either side. Noyzi likes to lie on the ones by the bed, so they get dirty. I also decided to wash Noyzi’s bedding, which gets full of his hair and the dirt he tracks in from the back yard. And I did a load of clothes that were in the hamper.

While I was washing everything, I noticed there was a flashing warning light on the washer’s display. The instructions for the washer are, unlike my previous, inferior machine, only in German. So I took the booklet up to my computer and used Google Translate to find out what the problem was. It turned out the machine was signaling that the drum was dirty. The machine has a special setting one can use to clean the drum. I resolved to use it once all the washing was done.

So, after hours of hauling laundry up and down two flights of stairs, I was pretty tired. It was time to try out the drum cleaning cycle. As I was preparing to turn on the machine, I couldn’t remember if I was supposed to use detergent or not. I assumed I was, and put a little in the drawer. Then I went back upstairs to my bed, because I’m still getting over this sickness that has plagued me for the past couple of weeks.

My over-foaming washer problem wasn’t quite this severe…

I went back to the laundry room to get a load that was drying. I was horrified to find suds all over the floor, freely flowing from the detergent drawer. I had heard this was something that happens a lot to Americans, unfamiliar with using high efficiency washers. They use too much detergent, and/or the wrong kind. If you use regular Tide, for instance, you will likely end up with an overflowing washer. I’ve always been careful to use German detergents, so I’ve never had the over-foamed machine issue.

I wondered what to do, and quickly consulted YouTube, where I found a very helpful video.

Turn off the machine, add some fabric softener to the main detergent slot, and run a rinse cycle. Do not open the door and let all the water drain that way.

After about a half hour, the issue was resolved, and I felt pretty accomplished. That’s one more problem I now know how to fix. How’s that for looking on the bright side of things? Now I know not to use laundry detergent when I’m cleaning the drum. I’ll use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide next time.

About this illness… I’m pretty sure I have bronchitis. I kept seeing ads on YouTube for a local herbal product called Bronchipret. I normally wouldn’t want to reward YouTube for the incessant annoying ads they constantly interrupt videos with, but this cough is really cramping my style. So Bill just went down to the local apotheke (.17 km from our house) and picked some up for me. This stuff is made with ivy and thyme. It smells heavily of thyme, and is supposed to be taken three times a day. I like how if you go to the pharmacy in Germany, even if you’re buying something over the counter, the pharmacist will consult with you about how to take medications.

I just took some of the stuff. It’s not bad. The dosage isn’t as high as NyQuil is, and doesn’t taste as horrible.

That about does it for today’s post. Bill has another business trip next week. Then, in March, we may take a trip to Italy to explore an area so that we can decide if we’d like to buy property there. We’ll see what happens…

Health, Hessen, horses

Walking off stress after German doctors send me mail…

Yesterday, we got the letter from the German doctors who recently evaluated me, due to some lingering abdominal pain I’ve been experiencing. I wrote about the contents of the letter here. This post is about the decision we made after we read it. We had sunny weather yesterday, and the temperatures were pleasant. So we decided to take Noyzi for a walk to the “nature” area near where we live.

Now, this particular area isn’t as lovely as the Naturepark near our old home in Jettingen is. That park in Jettingen is huge, with lots of trails in the forest. This area in Breckenheim is nice, but not as rural. I don’t get the sense that it’s as easy to get lost in the woods here. It also takes longer to reach it from our house.

But, anyway, we decided to walk a couple of miles. I’m glad we did. It reminded me that I need to remember how much I like walks… and we also ran into an adorable pony who seemed kind of lonely. She whinnied at us a few times and came up to the fence as if she wanted to be petted. I wasn’t going to risk it, though, because there was an electric fence. I’ve been shocked by those a time or two.

I got pictures and video, and just seeing her put a big smile on my face and helped me forget my troubles. It also made me really miss having my own horse. I’d like to have one just for the companionship and the wonderful aroma. Horses and ponies are excellent company, especially if you have a sympathetic dog with you, too. Our dogs, Zane and Arran, would not have been nearly as cooperative as Noyzi was. They would have barked their heads off at the pony. But it seemed like Noyzi might have seen her as a kindred spirit. Indeed, he has the personality of a horse, right down to spooking when something startles him. Below is a video…

She was so sweet and friendly. She made me smile, and forget about my healthcare woes.

I took some photos from our walk, and made a note to myself to go back there more often to burn calories and dissipate stress and frustration. It’s not as pretty as the park in Jettingen is, but the park in Jettingen doesn’t have ponies in paddocks I can visit. It’s also got way more ticks, and people on horseback! But the natural area near us is close to the Autobahn, and it’s very easy to hear the sounds of cars. One good thing about our place in Jettingen is that it’s not close to the Autobahn at all.

As you can see from the photos down below, there was another paddock with a couple of mares in it. One was a horse, and the other another little pony. The smell was intoxicating. I love the smell of horses so much! But I’m sure if I told most Germans that I spent much of my childhood around horses, they wouldn’t believe me.

My own neighbor has a horse, and she didn’t believe that I used to ride until I showed her a picture of me jumping at a horse show. And even then, she didn’t even believe me when I told her I owned an Appaloosa… she thought she knew better. But then I showed her another photo of us after we won reserve champion for the state of Virginia in our division. In that photo, she could plainly see Rusty’s spots, clearly identifying him as an Appaloosa. I don’t know why some Germans seem to be like this… But I also remind myself that they aren’t all quite so “all knowing”.

*This is actually kind of a heartbreaking photo… We missed out on winning champion, because I was engaged in self-destructive eating disordered behaviors that day…* We won the first class, but the judge never saw me in the second, and we didn’t place. But we were tied for reserve champion, and won the hack off. Afterwards, the judge asked me where I was in the second class!

Anyway… photos from yesterday’s walk…

*Keep your dogs out of the wild preserve!*

When we got to our main drag, I took a few more photos, noticing all of the historic buildings in our town. We don’t usually go the route we went on yesterday. Breckenheim is a nice suburb, though. We should explore it more.

I hope I can muster the desire and energy to take more walks. I think it would help me feel better. I think COVID really did a number on us. We got used to staying home and drinking wine, instead of getting out and exercising. But I think if we take more walks and change some elements of our diets, we’ll both feel better. And then I can avoid going back to the doctor for awhile. I’d like that, because I passionately HATE going to see doctors. But, even if this most recent visit didn’t go perfectly well for me, at least the German ones didn’t freak out, the way some American doctors do. That’s definitely a plus.

Health, Hessen, markets

Our humble July 4th…

We had a very low key Independence Day this year, because I had my very first colonoscopy this week. Those who are interested in knowing the story of that can click here. For the purposes of this post, I’ll just say that I’m glad it’s over, and the doctor didn’t find anything concerning. However, he has yet to address the reason I came to see him in the first place. He also started the procedure before I was unconscious. I’m a bit pissed off about that, along with some other issues going on right now.

Anyway, I started the week doing the bowel prep, then I had the procedure, and the days following were spent recovering from the shock of it. Bill had to work on Wednesday, although he took Tuesday off to make sure I went to the appointment and drive me home afterwards. Actually, I could have driven myself, because they used Propofol to knock me out, and it didn’t leave me groggy at all. It even said on the paperwork I could drive home if I wanted. I never drive, though, unless I have a specific reason.

Thursday, Bill was off work, so we went to the weekly market. We brought Noyzi with us, too, since it was early in the day and he likes to go to the market. It’s good practice for him to learn how to behave in public. There weren’t that many people at the market, nor did they have a lot on offer. The vegetable guys weren’t there, nor was the fish monger. The Metzgerei truck came, as did the ice cream, bread, and Mediterranean Feinkost guys. The wine stand was also open.

We had a couple of glasses of local wines and enjoyed the sunshine. Noyzi said hello to a couple of dogs who also came. Basically, that was it. I did hear some fireworks going off from the post. We live maybe ten minutes from there. We also heard from the lady who is having us rescue another Kosovar dog. What we know now is that it’s been delayed again. But that’s okay. We’re not in a rush.

Yesterday, it was kind of chilly and cloudy, but I decided to take some pictures of the creek in our village. I remember thinking to myself, as someone who has lived in Germany for a long time now, that a person can get used to their environs and miss the really neat stuff. We have a couple of interesting old houses in the Dorfplatz that I know I’d miss if I lived in one of the many cookie cutter neighborhoods in the United States. I think the purple flowers were what attracted me and caused me to take these photos, in spite of the clouds… I’d like to live near the creek. I enjoy the sound of rushing water… except for when I have to pee.

My German friend says the historic house in the featured photo looks like an old schoolhouse. She looked up our village and learned that it was, in fact, built by a teacher and is known as the teacher’s house called Villa Breckenheim. It’s right by the creek.

Bill has been in contact with the tour operator in Iceland. I think we’re close to booking, my health issues notwithstanding. I feel like fucking off of the doctor’s visits and just living life until I just collapse somewhere. What’s the point? I feel like it’s all just going to hell, anyway. But at least I live in a pretty German village.

Health, Hessen

A lightly populated wine stand and dinner at Fabi’s…

Even though Breckenheim had its wine fest last weekend, last night, there was a wine stand. The weather was cool, breezy, and pleasant, so we decided to attend. There weren’t many people there, probably because people are on vacation, and maybe because of the wine fest last week. It was nice to have a lightly attended wine stand. We didn’t bring Noyzi, but we probably should have. It was just the right number of people for him to enjoy interacting with people and not get overwhelmed.

I don’t know who hosted last night’s stand, but they were serving tortellini, which smelled wonderful. We didn’t partake, though, because it allegedly had mushrooms in it. As many of my regular readers know, I hate mushrooms with a flaming passion. However, I was definitely tempted by the wonderful aroma of fresh peppers, basil, and tomatoes.

I tried wine schorle for the first time last night. Basically, it’s wine mixed with sparkling mineral water. I notice a lot of older people drink it. I figure maybe it’s time I embraced schorles more. As I am reminded ahead of my first scoping, it’s time I quit pretending I’m still in college and take better care of my body. Or maybe not… as people process how disastrous the presidential debates went the other night… Anyway, I suspect the doctor will tell me to change my lifestyle, so I’m trying to take baby steps. Today, Bill got a shipment of non-alcoholic wines from a company who made a glass he tried at our last visit to Pizarro Fine Dining. If we both like the wines, maybe we’ll switch to that… give our livers a break.

Bill was going to make me a burger last night, but we decided to have pasta at the local pizza joint in our Dorfplatz. Bill has ordered pizzas from them, but I don’t really like German pizzas much. Last night was the first time we’ve ever actually eaten at Fabi’s, even though the guy who runs it is always very nice to Noyzi. He said he used to work with Romanian street dogs. Our experience at Pizzeria da Fabi’s was good… I think we’ll be back. I brought half of my tagliatelli salmone home. Bill finished his tortellini. Both dishes were very satisfying and not too expensive.

Bill is rather excited about my upcoming procedure. He’s already made plans on making sure I drink the whole bowel prep, so we only have to do this once. This morning, as we were eating breakfast, he said they forgot to put in the times for when I should take each dose of the vile liquid that will clean me out. I looked up at him and said, “Do we have to talk about that right now?” He laughed… I mean, I know he’s excited, but I’d like to eat breakfast without any talk about the massive purge I’m about to subject myself to… on purpose!

Anyway… with any luck, we can get this shit straightened out soon. I’ll feel better so we can get back to enjoying Germany and perhaps travel more. It would be nice to have something to write about besides neighborhood wine stands. But even those can be entertaining and educational… especially when the locals talk to us.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Category Archives: Health