<p>on a different note: yet another lung cancer “survivor”</p>
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<p>[reykr:</a> Today is the 19th anniversary of my lung cancer operation.](<a href=“http://reykr.livejournal.com/823540.html]reykr:”>Today is the 19th anniversary of my lung cancer operation. - Curiosity and Serendipity — LiveJournal)</p>
<p>back from setting up my son in his new “craigslist” sublet with mystery roommate in a major city…and he seems to be OK. I am sooooo sorry to hear that the strange weather we are having in VA resulted in a flooded apartment the same week you were also adjusting to life without your DD around on a day to day basis. You were doing such a valiant job at keeping your equilibrium and regrouping and maintaining all your apointments, treatments and keeping up at the World of Work. Frankly, the very idea of you sticking out a foot at night into a foot of water sounds like some surreal and eccentric foreign experimental movie…only minus the charms!!!<br>
wondering when stepping out of bed into water after midnight is every going to be funny?? lordy lordy…your poor laptop, your poor shoes! yes, this is not an earthquake in China but still…do hope that the new updates created by this crisis somehow make up for everything. While they are replacing stuff, make sure to make a few extra requests so that the rehabed space is even more attractive for your tastes.</p>
<p>Sucks, sucks, sucks.</p>
<p>Weren’t you thinking of moving anyway? Now is the perfect excuse. You shouldn’t be sleeping in a basement anyway. It’s not optimum for your health, radon threat etc. If your landlady was an LTS doctor–she’d be dumped by now!</p>
<p>Time to move on.</p>
<p>This feels like you:</p>
<p>[2</a> Bed / 1.5 Bath Historic Condo in DUPONT](<a href=“http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/apa/677766432.html]2”>http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/apa/677766432.html)</p>
<p>I hope you are taking your doctor’s caution against mold and mildew exposure extremely seriously! You should not be spending any time in a flooded space. Even for healthy lungs, mold is an extreme danger. Send others in to collect things you may need, and get thee to a clean, dry place—even if it is a hotel room for a time. </p>
<p>F.O.LTS also brought up a good point about radon. Have any possible future dwelling tested for radon, in case you hadn’t thought of it before.</p>
<p>Sending you hugs, LTS. And as always, you are in my prayers.</p>
<p>Weighing in here: HAVING to buy new shoes to replace the perfectly good ones you loved is not my idea of fun. Not to mention the laptop, books, etc…So yes, the whole situation sucks bigtime.</p>
<p>But agree, if money (and friends) can solve the problem, it’s not on the scale of some other things going on in the world.</p>
<p>Hugs to LTS: {{{{{{{ }}}}}}}}</p>
<p>Hope you move to an even nicer, more convenient, historic, and beautiful apartment…above the flood plain. :)</p>
<p>Oh LTS…So sorry. </p>
<p>What ever you do, get out of that place NOW. It will not be good for your health. No way. Get a hotel then get moving on a new place. You were talking new location anyway. </p>
<p>How can they restore the place in an hour? Even restoration specialists can’t do it in an hour. </p>
<p>I hope that she broke her promise and it did not happen in an hour, and that you ended up in a hotel. Or anywhere else than that wet apartment. I know that the thought of even just getting a new piece of luggage and getting enough stuff to get to a hotel is overwhelming, but I think you need to get out now. And maybe take enough time in the hotel to get cracking on a new place that is closer to work, etc. </p>
<p>TIme to hire a personal assistant PRONTO to do leg work.</p>
<p>But whatever, find a new temporary home. If there was standing water, it will take some time to dry it all out, more than an hour for sure, even in the hands of restoration specialists.</p>
<p>Then its time for dark chocolate and some new shoes!!! I’ll bet the restoration specialists can help with the existing shoies as well!</p>
<p>Oh - thank you for all of your responses, I felt so horrible last night, and thankfully the rain has stopped, the sun is out, I feel better this morning. </p>
<p>My landlady did at least have part of the stuff done last night, so, I was able to sleep in a clean, dry bed. Dehumidifiers on all night, etc. Got up this morning to shower, no hot water, it turns out that the flood took out the pilot light on the hot water heater, and people have to come light it again, so, hopefully, hot water by tonight. </p>
<p>This morning I set my wig on fire; went to use my curling iron and didn’t realize it had a lot of water in it until it was too late. There are so many things that are wet and ruined I cannot get my arms around it all, and I have meetings all week, so, I don’t know what I am going to do. Wet stuff is spread all over the house trying to dry. I think I should just throw everything away. I cannot imagine, for example, using luggage that has been sitting in water (it’s black so you cannot tell just how poisonously dirty it might be). These are just “things” of course and things can be replaced…I have an appointment early Friday morning to see a new place - </p>
<p>I really, really miss my personal laptop. Landlord said she called her insurance but who knows…they’re not going to replace it at full value I’m sure. </p>
<p>Re the shoes, etc., I’m really upset. I don’t buy shoes because I like shopping, I buy shoes (and suits) because in my professional life certain things are expected of me, and I expect such expenditures to deliver ROI. This afternoon I am speaking to senior execs in an agency in the intelligence community. I cannot show up in flip flops. Hopefully the burnt smell from my wig is gone… my landlady is very nice and she means well; to her credit she did work very hard yesterday to try to resolve some of these things, but but doesn’t really get the concept, or, doesn’t want to.</p>
<p>Delicate Arch, thank you, I agree that these are just “things”…and that it is time to ask for help. I am thinking about delegating this off to my daughter; will talk to her tonight and see what she wants to do. </p>
<p>It means a lot to me to be able to come here and express grief, and frustration. Last night I felt as if my heart was simply going to break. It was just too much. One can handle losses - loss of health, control, stature, self confidence, body confidence, etc., in turn, but, too many losses and too many changes over a short period of time can feel like an overwhelming assault. I’m always the first one to say that we don’t get upset; we CHOOSE to react in negative ways, and we can also choose to react in neutral or positive ways, but, yesterday was simply too much, especially the offer to sleep in a very substandard (though temporary) arrangement.</p>
<p>Today is better though, and I am going to get through this.</p>
<p>LTS - I am off to Europe with my family, you can have my house for the time, if you can figure out how to work from the Rockies :)</p>
<p>You will get through this and you will be even stronger by doing so.
Sending lots of positive energy your way…</p>
<p>I just want to convey my support. I’m healthy but I’m pretty sure I would be in complete hysterics after the week you’ve had. It’s a complete nightmare. If you’re still getting to work and doctor appointments, you’re doing great.</p>
<p>K, lol, I have no clue how in the world I would ever work from the Rockies; thank you for the kind offer though!!!</p>
<p>M, thank you for the support, my work is what keeps me rational, balanced, and from sliding completely off the slope, and I am very grateful. I seriously don’t know what people do who have to face this, and who do not have work to keep them engaged in the world. And I never, ever miss a doctor’s appointment; I just won’t do that. </p>
<p>It was just last night, when the work was all done, and I thought of facing that wet basement, it was horrible. </p>
<p>Then I think of the people in China, and in Myanmar, and other people around the world facing challenges that are far, far worse, and I think that I should be very grateful for what I have. </p>
<p>The only way out is through.</p>
<p>LTS, think about decamping, to a luxury hotel if that is in your budget.</p>
<p>In my times of distress, and there were many over the past few years, settling myself into some fabulous sheets, having really good room services, and watching all the TV I wanted on their plasma screen would actually help. Also they usually have great wireless networking, so the work can continue apace. If you really want to splurge, get them to do some of your laundry for the wet clothing…</p>
<p>You are a good soul to think of people in China and Myanmar. But you’ve worked hard, and sometimes the slightly easier way gets you through too.</p>
<p>The only time I have seen my wife really lose it was when she saw our flood-damaged basement in Virginia for the first time. Flooding is the worst. Very sorry for your loss. It is important that they use proper cleaning techiques to prevent mold in the future. Our cleanup crew from Service Master removed the lower part of the walls and replaced all the insulation after spraying in mold killer. After all that you can refinish and paint again. Cost us over $7000 and we still have not replaced the carpet (another $2000).</p>
<p>Ugh. Mold. Ugghhh.</p>
<p>Before I designed spandrels, I used to do structural forensics and have been in a lot of burned-out and water-damaged houses. If you’re going to be staying in there for any stretch of time, do purchase a few mold-testing kits (~$10-15/kit) to use periodically, 3-months and 6-months out, let’s say, just to make sure that you don’t have mold and breathing issues to deal with as well… That mold can be nasty stuff.</p>
<p>Alumother I might do that - perhaps for the weekend. My afternoon meeting just ended and I can still smell slight traces of burned hair. Never did I imagine my career would include attending meetings where one of my primary concerns was hoping that my visitors didn’t detect that I had set fire to my wig just hours prior. How bizarre.</p>
<p>Oh well. </p>
<p>Aibarr I agree with you. I would be curious to know - can anyone here guess as to potential health hazards of wearing shoes that have been submerged in water? Do they just dry out, and then they’re fine, especially if they’re high quality? Or is it safer to toss them? I’m wondering because I seem to remember my daughter’s pediatrician always telling me to be careful about letting her go barefoot, because parasites enter the body through the soles of the feet…if true, what happens if you’re wearing shoes day after day that have been soaked in water of questionable quality?</p>
<p>I’m not a germologist, but everything I know from cooking makes me think that if you let them dry out thoroughly, whatever buggies that thrived in the water will bite it in your toasty, dry shoe. There may be some more resistant little jiggers that I’m unaware of, though. Is there a podiatrist in the house…?</p>
<p>(Alternative, comedy answer: take 'em to a bowling alley and ask the guy behind the counter if you can borrow his spray! Negative: risk of smelling like a bowling alley…)</p>
<p>I’m no expert either, but I think your shoes will be safe if you dry them thoroughly.</p>
<p>Well, a google of “wet shoes” and so forth turned up nothing useful. Perhaps the shoe department at a store like Nordstroms (or a privately owned upscale shoestore) could answer the question about whether shoes can safely dry out. I have had shoes get soaked over the years in terrible weather and I’ve dried them out without a problem.</p>
<p>Dry and spray with some germ killer. Should be fine. Most bugs like moisture. Think of all the stuff that hits the soles of your shoes. No problems yet.</p>
<p>LTS:</p>
<p>At the risk of stating the obvious, I think that whatever upset you may have experienced as a result of the flooding is more - much more - than understandable, and ought not be diminished because, as you put it, “people in China, and in Myanmar, and other people around the world [are] facing challenges that are far, far worse.” There are many different kinds of earthquakes. </p>
<p>Think of it this way. Each of us, in our daily lives, fundamentally relies - ordinarily without even having to think about it - on two basic forms of shelter. One is our body, the other our living space. Having lost the usual comfort and security of both, is it any wonder that you would feel more than a little destabilized? The wonder, if there is any, is that you still feel as stable as you do.</p>
<p>I’m with Alumother: When life just doesn’t seem to be treating you as well as it might, hey, that just means that you have to take even better care of yourself - and treating yourself to chocolates and to a fine hotel room would be a splendid start.</p>