Today was the kind of day my grandmother would have called a “Farplontern” Day.

I loved hearing the Yiddish she spoke, but I only remember a few words. ‘Farplontern’ was one of my favorites; it means having a wild, up-and-down, chaotic day.  Sometimes it means being unfaithful to a spouse.

First, we went to Albany to have my foot brace adjusted. The brace sometimes gets tired of hauling my very flat foot around. (Above, David Missener)

We met with David, the orthotic genius who co-owns CPO (Clinical Prosthetics and Orthotics), who built the brace and made some adjustments today. He was a miracle for me in a human body, a kind, fun, and loving human who cares about his patients. He and Doctor Daly worked together for years to get me to the point where a brace made a massive difference in my life.

David is a friend and a trusted one. We see him several times a year, either in Albany or Saratoga Springs.

I’m trimming my brace. It’s heavy, and I have to learn how to walk differently when it’s on my food, which is always.

The visit with David went well, as it always does.

We stopped home for a turkey burger and some ice cream.

When I got home, I told Maria there was something wrong with the bites on both sides of my troublesome left leg. We both took a look and were pretty sure we were headed to the hospital. I got bitten by something yesterday when I went outside in my bathrobe to get some photos. I was also bitten by the Pole Barn.

I thought it was a mosquito bite, but I was wrong.

I was up all night trying to deal with the itching, the expanding color migration down my feet, the swelling, and itching.

I called my primary care doctor and told her what was going on. Get into the office right now, she said, so I did. I don’t have to go to the hospital, but I do have to go on antibiotics in case the wounds are infected, which looks possible, and take some special prescription lotion to fight the itches and their heat. I’ve also got to wrap my leg in ice for most of tomorrow and stop going outside to take pictures for a few days.

It is uncomfortable. Anytime a diabetic has foot or leg trouble, the alarms ring out.

We had to pick up Maria’s car, which has an undercoat treatment (rusting cars are a big problem up here), and then get to the pharmacy to get my two new prescriptions. Their computers are down, so I can’t get the meds tonight. My leg doesn’t look happy and seems to be swelling. At least Maria’s car was ready.

In between, I stopped at my local co-op insurance company and bought insurance for my cameras, which has been bothering me for a long time. If those cameras get lost or broken, I doubt I can replace them—a big load off.

We got the antibiotics, but the cream must wait until tomorrow. I’ve adjusted well to my first month on Ozempic, and I’m going to a higher dose in two weeks. Now it’s time to write, blog, and take some photos. Oops, not outside.

More later. I’m tired of driving around.

It’s a Farplontern day, Grandma. In two weeks, we head to Central Vermont and a company called Mac Nurse, which will replace the hard drive in my computer and keep it humming for a decade or more. We’re turning this into a three-day vacation, wandering Vermont while  Andrew and Perry switch to the new hard drive. Yes, it makes me nervous.

That computer and I have been through quite a lot.