JE Day 6: Slow & Starting Goodbyes
Ah the weekend--thank God.
We got up at 7:30 or something. Chester had another good night's sleep on the new body pillows. Breakfast, dress. I now have the knack for putting on the compression socks. This morning I put a piece of gauze behind his left knee. It worked very well - no soreness tonight.
Chester did a walking lap around the apartment. He felt pretty strong.
We went to Alta Bates to get the Lovenox shot. It was nice to not have to wait - simply walk into the treatment center, blood pressure/temperature, shot and go. However, the shot hurt today. The woman did something no one had done before: she squeezed a portion of the skin before putting the needle in. Chester and I compared notes later and decided it was the WRONG thing to do - just put the damn needle in. ;-)
On the way back we went to Johnston Medical Supplies to look at commodes - the one he has isn't comfortable - it's not deep enough front to back. Inconclusive research, and the folks there are so friendly and helpful.
We got back and June came for the OT appointment. I saw immediately why Chester likes her so much--she walked in, grabbed his hand and held it while saying hello. It was pleasantly surprising to see such caring. They caught up a bit on the medical situation, then did some walking. June also talked about strategies for getting Chester back on the horse in terms of walking to the bathroom, etc. We disccussed commodes and a new grab bar for the bathroom. June is very knowledgeable.
Gil and JD arrived with more PB&PJJ (peanut butter and plum jerry jam - long story) sandwiches and stayed to visit. Gil graciously offered to drive me to the airport tomorrow morning (tomorrow morning? Where the hell did this week go?). I asked whether he had kleenex in the car--the weepy old woman is gonna do her thing, I just know it.
Jaime was going to come over, but he had a bad sinus headache, so was staying in bed for a while. Chester and I had lunch then took a nice nap together. It was a wonderful time to just be together. Marilyn called after an hour or two, and I must have been deeply asleep, as it took three rings for me to figure out what the hell that sound was, then dug for the phone and answered it. I won't be seeing her again before I leave - rats.
Chester and I got up from the nap, and walked out to get the mail. He asked me to bring the chair along, and he did indeed need it by the time we got to the mailboxes. However, after the long week and being near the end of the day, his progress was pretty good.
We talked for a while, then ordered dinner from Kasuga (if you live in the bay area, like sushi and haven't eaten there, you are totally missing out). I left to go pick it up and cried about the first half of the way there. Oh man am I going to be a blithering, sloppy mess on the way home tomorrow. I had a nice conversation with the owner of Kasuga, then returned here. We ate and talked some more, then had a good cry together. A hard one, actually. Jaime came by with a new bar for the bathroom - it's a bit different than June suggested, so they'll have to figure it out. We spent some time looking at toilets online (boy, you get the nitty gritter from Healthy Chester Central, doncha?), then Jaime left - he still wasn't at 100%.
Chester and I had some pecan pie with Vanilla Häagen-Dazs ice cream, then had a silent toast with Frangelico on the rocks. We were both ready for bed. Mountain suitably arranged on the bed. Chester was so tired he wasn't sure he'd transfer ok (he did). Another brief and important conversation, a few more tears, then a kiss goodnight.
I'm so tired I don't even know what to say about the poor wood in the other room - they just don't know when to give up. Apparently there will be no end of it. What's the legend about the sun and moon forever chasing each other through the sky? Kinda like that.
Right now I'm feeling a whole lotta tired, a settled sort of sadness, and most of all greatly enriched. This week has been even more rewarding then I imagined it could be - how that's possible I'm not quite sure. I get one more morning ritual with Chester in the morning, then there's nothing left but packing, a goodbye and returning home. Normally I can look ahead to the next thing - especially returning home - and right now I can only be here, now.
We got up at 7:30 or something. Chester had another good night's sleep on the new body pillows. Breakfast, dress. I now have the knack for putting on the compression socks. This morning I put a piece of gauze behind his left knee. It worked very well - no soreness tonight.
Chester did a walking lap around the apartment. He felt pretty strong.
We went to Alta Bates to get the Lovenox shot. It was nice to not have to wait - simply walk into the treatment center, blood pressure/temperature, shot and go. However, the shot hurt today. The woman did something no one had done before: she squeezed a portion of the skin before putting the needle in. Chester and I compared notes later and decided it was the WRONG thing to do - just put the damn needle in. ;-)
On the way back we went to Johnston Medical Supplies to look at commodes - the one he has isn't comfortable - it's not deep enough front to back. Inconclusive research, and the folks there are so friendly and helpful.
We got back and June came for the OT appointment. I saw immediately why Chester likes her so much--she walked in, grabbed his hand and held it while saying hello. It was pleasantly surprising to see such caring. They caught up a bit on the medical situation, then did some walking. June also talked about strategies for getting Chester back on the horse in terms of walking to the bathroom, etc. We disccussed commodes and a new grab bar for the bathroom. June is very knowledgeable.
Gil and JD arrived with more PB&PJJ (peanut butter and plum jerry jam - long story) sandwiches and stayed to visit. Gil graciously offered to drive me to the airport tomorrow morning (tomorrow morning? Where the hell did this week go?). I asked whether he had kleenex in the car--the weepy old woman is gonna do her thing, I just know it.
Jaime was going to come over, but he had a bad sinus headache, so was staying in bed for a while. Chester and I had lunch then took a nice nap together. It was a wonderful time to just be together. Marilyn called after an hour or two, and I must have been deeply asleep, as it took three rings for me to figure out what the hell that sound was, then dug for the phone and answered it. I won't be seeing her again before I leave - rats.
Chester and I got up from the nap, and walked out to get the mail. He asked me to bring the chair along, and he did indeed need it by the time we got to the mailboxes. However, after the long week and being near the end of the day, his progress was pretty good.
We talked for a while, then ordered dinner from Kasuga (if you live in the bay area, like sushi and haven't eaten there, you are totally missing out). I left to go pick it up and cried about the first half of the way there. Oh man am I going to be a blithering, sloppy mess on the way home tomorrow. I had a nice conversation with the owner of Kasuga, then returned here. We ate and talked some more, then had a good cry together. A hard one, actually. Jaime came by with a new bar for the bathroom - it's a bit different than June suggested, so they'll have to figure it out. We spent some time looking at toilets online (boy, you get the nitty gritter from Healthy Chester Central, doncha?), then Jaime left - he still wasn't at 100%.
Chester and I had some pecan pie with Vanilla Häagen-Dazs ice cream, then had a silent toast with Frangelico on the rocks. We were both ready for bed. Mountain suitably arranged on the bed. Chester was so tired he wasn't sure he'd transfer ok (he did). Another brief and important conversation, a few more tears, then a kiss goodnight.
I'm so tired I don't even know what to say about the poor wood in the other room - they just don't know when to give up. Apparently there will be no end of it. What's the legend about the sun and moon forever chasing each other through the sky? Kinda like that.
Right now I'm feeling a whole lotta tired, a settled sort of sadness, and most of all greatly enriched. This week has been even more rewarding then I imagined it could be - how that's possible I'm not quite sure. I get one more morning ritual with Chester in the morning, then there's nothing left but packing, a goodbye and returning home. Normally I can look ahead to the next thing - especially returning home - and right now I can only be here, now.
posted by Jay Edgar at 11:37 PM
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