Good and bad

[vilakins]

I just had my hair cut and it's all glossy and bobbed and shiny. In fact I am nowhere near cute enough for my hair.

In other news it's 30C and stinking hot at 7pm, I'm wilting in front of the fan, and I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow because my left ankle and foot are strangely swollen. It may well be due to the massive bruise I had from bashing that same leg excruciatingly hard about 10 days ago, plus the heat (it did actually look briefly better after two hours in the air-conditioned salon getting hair, hands, and feet done), but I am afraid all the same. What if it's something horrible and serious? There are chronic conditions I already have that might be causing it, who knows, and even worse ones I hope I don't have. :-(

[Edit:] Since two of you asked, here's a photo, taken by standing in front of the blinds in the lounge and holding the camera up and snapping till I got one centred. It's out of focus but it's the best I could do, sorry. Actually I think my hair looks better in RL, esp since I seem to have mussed the fringe up in the process.

Comments

[vandonovan.livejournal.com]

Get some AC in your house! What is wrong with you?

The hair sounds nice. I want a picture! :D

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

We're not rich Americans here, and we earn nothing like US or UK salaries. I don't know anyone with aircon, just offices (but not mine). However I do want what we call a heatpump (goes both ways) installed which amounts to the same thing; we should be able to afford one downstairs. Sadly it's not quick or easy; they have to come round and look at the house first.

Lake Taupo's at a high altitude; I'm so looking forward to lower temperatures and humidity when we go on holiday at the end of next week.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Of course you are cute enough for your hair. It's your hair! :-)

And I do hope the leg is not something awful. I'm finding this news perhaps scarier than is warranted, because that's how my leg problems started, so please keep us posted.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I wish I hadn't posted about it now.

[ultrapsychobrat.livejournal.com]

So sorry about your leg and the heat. Hopefully, both will improve. Have fun on your vacation.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's more than a week away but I can't wait.

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

I am nowhere near cute enough for my hair.
Sure you are...

Ack! 30 degrees at 7pm? ick...how about air conditioning? Dip in a nice cool pool?

Hope your ankle and foot prove to be ok.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Both of those are for rich people here, but I've had it--we're buying a heatpump, sod fixing up the kitchen.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

good luck at the doctors, it sounds like it is bruise and heat related to me.
You can buy small aircon units here for a couple of hundred, but I don't know anyone who has one

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I hope so. Um, that's about $700 for us; I'd rather pay the $2000-odd and get a proper big heatpump. Preferably two so we can do upstairs too. Sigh.

[florencisalesas.livejournal.com]

All these are not happy news precisely :( It is a pain in the ass to had such a feet with that heat you comment. Here Summer have similar temperatures as such you have now and I know what it is to have pain in the foot or whichever part of the body. Here we never could buy an AC either because our economy is quite bad as well. As you can imagine I sympathize with you absolutely.
I would send you a virtual hug but I can understand that in your situation what you need the least is a sweaty hug!
*My best wishes of recovery*

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Gracias! (Sorry I don't know it in Catalan.) Yes, a virtual hug is the best at this time of year. Even the cats are too hot to allow on my lap.

Ha! Buster in colour!

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. I hope the ankle turns out to be nothing serious. If it were a chronic condition causing it, wouldn't it be more likely to affect both your feet, or is that wishful-thinking logic?

NZ seems like such a bemusingly odd place, from my US perspective. Half the stuff you describe there -- hair salons with espresso bars, the movie theater where they wait on you, etc. -- sound incredibly posh by my standards. (Not that Americans generally use the word "posh," but it's too descriptive not to borrow. :)) And yet things like air conditioning, which we regard as sort of basic (at least in the parts of the country that get as hot as where you are) seem to be thought of as extravagant luxury there. (Not everyone can afford aircon here, most certainly, but you do have to be noticeably poor not to manage at least a single-room window unit, whether you can afford to run it all summer or not. And every public building, restaurant, etc. is air-conditioned almost without exception.)

Here in New Mexico, we mostly use evaporative coolers, which are cheap, inexpensive, and very simple to operate and maintain... and which don't work at all when it's humid.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

If it were a chronic condition causing it, wouldn't it be more likely to affect both your feet

That's my thought too. I'm hoping.

Most restaurants here are not air-conditioned--I can't think of one that is--and neither are houses. Large offices are though and till now I was lucky. The accountant's going to push for a heatpump at work, but I won't hold me breath. Yeah, sadly those evaporation cooler things just wouldn't work here.

Of course this summer is much hotter than usual, being a rare and record-breaking La Nina one.

As for espresso coffee at the salon, I didn't order any today; I want for a refreshing black tea instead.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Yay for your haircut. You'll have cute holiday hair!

It sounds like the holiday will be a relief in all kinds of ways. That weather sounds dreadful, I'm sorry. :-(

I hope the doctor has useful things to say about your ankle and foot.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

My haircut is so good, I was still getting compliments this week when it was due for a trim. It looks even better now though, and all smooth and glossy too. :-)

The weather's great; just about 5 degrees too hot. This summer is a record-breaking one in all sorts of ways.

I hope so. Greg thinks it's due to the huge bruise I had--there's still a great lump where I bashed it--but it's right up near my knee.

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

Yes, that does sound like a combination of bruise and heat. My ankles routinely start to swell once the temperature gets above about 25 C (given my low blood pressure, you wouldn't think they would, but they do), and if I were living in the conditions you are, I'd very probably be swollen from knee to foot. :-( The bruising will make you more prone to that, even if you aren't normally.

Keep it elevated as much as you can, and put an ice pack on it (wrapped up in a towel, because it shouldn't directly touch the skin). If you can bear to use a compression bandage in that sort of heat, that will help too. I used to be in the St John Ambulance, so I know all this.

Hope it goes down soon, and you have my great sympathy!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the reassurance! It did go down last night when I had it up on pillows in bed, but it was swollen again by morning tea. I was afraid to use a compression bandage in case I just force the swelling up the leg, but I'll see what my doctor says. Greg was in St Johns too and thinks it's the bruise and clotted blood that my body's trying to get rid of. I might try to cool the ankle tonight in bed; I have gel packs in the freezer but they don't last that long.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

*peers around for pic of shiny hair* It's been very warm, hasn't it. I'm still fairly comfortable with it, but every week it seems to be a bit hotter...

Hope it goes well at the appointment *crosses fingers*.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll take a picture of myself. Not an easy task.

Ah, but you have aircon at work. I have to say, today was cooler inside for once, I felt I was burning up when I went outside at lunch time. :-P

Thanks! Grr, I hate going to the doctor. I have to wait so long (coz he's kind and friendly and talks to everyone he sees), the pharmacy will be closed by the time I'm out so any prescription will have to wait till Friday.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

In fact I am nowhere near cute enough for my hair.

Untrue. The photo reveals that you and your hair are of equal cuteness. :)

About a year ago I had bad swelling in my foot and ankle, and it was painful to put my weight on it. I think I must have somehow sprained my ankle. After a few days the swelling started to go down, and it was fine within a week or so. It's long odds on that your problem will be similarly temporary, but it might be a wise precaution to see a doctor. (This is a case of "do what I say, not what I do". :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Awww, not true!

I'm seeing the doctor tomorrow. I usually ignore things and put off going but I'm too nervous not to this time.

[satan-pingu.livejournal.com]

Very stylish!
Wish I could send you some of our not-so-barmy 4.9 degrees C for a bit (with sunshine, though!)
I hope things become more comfortable for you soon.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Eep! That's cold and we don't have proper heating either!

How about compromising and going for a nice cool 18C?

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Wow, the hair's brill! Makes you look younger and sassier! Feet and ankles seem to be hell for bruising/swelling etc. I had that two years back after falling on a wonky pavement and the colours you wouldn't believe... it wasn't serious though.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's the straightening irons that make it so shiny; I'm not as good with them as the pros are.

I had a huge bruise on my leg, but why that would cause my ankle and foot to swell is beyond me. Greg says it makes sense to him, but I'm too worried not to get it looked at.

I once fell down some marble steps in Portugal, landing hard on my bum, and we charted the progress of the bruise through many lurid colours over the next couple of weeks. :-P

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

Hair is very nice . The foot and ankle is probably due to thw bang you had .When I triped and gashed my shin back in 2006 I got very little bruising and no swelling where the injury actually was but my ankle and foot wre black and blue and swollen. The Doctor explained that the long bones of the leg transfered the force of the blow to the foot. It took a while to come out2-3 days and weeks to go away so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that is all it is.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh, really? That's very encouraging because I caught my leg a hell of a whack, and the ankle's been in two pieces since a motorbike accident when I was at uni so it's probably more sensitive. I hope that's what it is.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

Although I would dispute the "too cute" characterization, very cute hair indeed! And, in a pleasing example of symmetry, it looks kind of like Vila's haircut in vandonovan's icon in the first post of the thread, before you posted the pic.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Ha! So it does!

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Oh! It is terribly cute! It frames your face really well, it looks really nice. I'm sure your foot's okay, it's probably just a strain or something, but fingers crossed.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I'm hoping it's connected to the leg injury 10 days ago. Other possibilities are too scary.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

Nice cut, good hairdresser. You have to be good not to spoil a simple straight cut.

I could do with a trim now, but I'm leaving it for a couple of weeks till our half term break.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

She's a very good cutter. I went to her after I called into the salon to see a friend who was a beautician there and saw her cutting a beautiful short style. I'm very pleased with this one: chin length in the front and short at the back.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I had a lot of foot-swelling this year (and a lot of the time it was one foot). I could show pics I took, but they were icky.

I started wearing firm compression socks all the time and that helped quite a bit- then when I felt up to it I started working really hard on the house and my ankles are more like proper ankles than they've been in years.

I'm hoping your foot just needs some firm support for a while- it might have got better in the salon not because of the temperature, but because you were sitting with it elevated?

(and your haircut looks really good on you-- I wouldn't dare try that style, instead of cute, I'd look like a hairy bowling ball.)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

My other ankle's fine! (So far; eep!) But I'm glad the exercise is helping yours.

Mine's gone down overnight but it will swell up again in a few hours. It's not bad enough for people in the street to notice, but to me it's scary enough. I didn't want to try a compression bandage till I know it's advised: they can push the swelling up the leg. Eh, I'll find out today.

Thanks! [and laughs at the image] Hey, your hair suits your face! FWIW I covet your eyebrows.

[the-summoning-d.livejournal.com]

Ooooooooo, it's pretty!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :-)

[kernezelda]

It's a very cute cut on you! :)

I hope along with others that the foot issue is only bruise and heat. *fingers crossed*

I remember AC at home... Gosh, it's been more than twenty years. ;)You've got my sympathy for working in an office without it, though. Gee!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Yeah, I'm really hoping it's that simple. :-)

The only person I know who has aircon here is the acctountant who lives ina new apartment block (which is rare here; most people live in houses). Most large or new offices do but this one is neither. I've been lucky up till now. :-P The accountant has been feeling ill with the heat so he's going to agitate for a heatpump, though I can't see it happening this summer.

[jacteest.livejournal.com]

Something to cheer you up.
http://jacteest.livejournal.com/17024.html

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Thanks! :-D

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Hope the foot problem isn't serious and is just due to the injury and the heat.
Wiki How has a lot of advice on how to stay cool on a hot night.
http://www.wikihow.com/Sleep-Comfortably-on-a-Hot-Night

It's odd up to 2 years ago British store didn't sell portable air con units and now they do.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I wipe myself down with a wet facecloth and sit in front of a fan. :-) I might try putting a bottle of ice in front of it; I don't want to add to the humidity.

I wish they sold them here. I've never seen them.

[nautile26.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that's a great hair style!

Commiserations with the heat you're suffering and your swollen foot. Hope both improve for you quickly.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks x 2! :-)

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Cute hair indeed.

Hope the leg gets sortedoon.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks to both!