Let’s get to the critical information first. Susie is much improved and is talking, speech is slurred and halting, and the docs are more optimistic that Susie will recover. So much of the stroke prevention items are lifted. We are now talking about getting her stable and safe.
The morning rushed by as I tried to do a hundred things all before I had to leave. Some are not done. The house still looks like a bookstore and gaming store exploded next to a clothing store. I also have a cough now and a headache that shocks me when I cough.
A pile of board games that are just not getting played is now sitting on recently cleared shelves in the garage. I will try to find a few minutes to put the more played games on shelves. This is my slow restoration of the house from Covid-19 bunker to a busy but happy home.
One of the problems is that I have been on a 24/7 program at the shoe company for most of 2021 (including weekends), and many things just get stacked.
I managed to get to Portland on Saturday morning without incident flying Air Volvo. The contrast to New York City on a Saturday morning was unexpected. Portland is asleep, and traffic is gone. In NYC, in contrast, it had more folks on the subway on the weekend than a weekday (folks are still working from home), and the streets were packed on the weekend in NYC.
I was given the orange bracelet that gave me access to Susie in room 361, and I carried the Smiths+Jason orchid and balloon for Susie. The nurses and folks were happy to see me, and Susie loved the Birthday gifts, and I could see she was awake and with us.
Spoke to the docs and learned that Susie was put on oxygen last night and was doing better now. The docs had lots of ultrasound done, with even the docs doing some of it themselves with the cutest little portable ultrasound machine that looked like an iPad.
The tests showed that Susie is doing better than hoped and that there are no new problems. More antibiotics and rest. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy have started again. Actual signs that the risk for new strokes had diminished in the eyes of the docs.
Zophia and Dondrea stopped by with more balloons and tiramisu cake for Susie. I met them outside the hospital as no visitors were allowed. It was so lovely to see them, and Susie loved the handmade card colored by Zophia.
Susie got a few bites in after the nursing staff sang Susie happy birthday.
Today, Susie was able to mainly feed herself. It has to be small bites of pureed food. I just watched and helped when needed. I had my same turkey (no cranberry sauce this time!) for $10 from the hospital. I did finish my lunch in the waiting area as there were many tests to run and therapies to experience.
Susie was allowed to sit in a chair for a few hours.
I also had various bills and money things to handle on Saturday (and Sunday); I still found things I missed while in NYC. I also sold some stock for the house repairs/upgrades and to cover expenses in NYC. All take some focus.
My headache did not improve with coffee and water, the usual cures. So I left a bit early; Susie slept the whole afternoon away once they stopped testing, sampling, and therapy-ing her.
I had taken little extra papers for parking and put them in the car. This time I needed to present the barcode to not pay for parking. Luckily the nurse had suggested that.
Once home-ish without events in Air Volvo, I stopped by the Olive Garden and used their app to order angel hair pasta, sausage, and salad. I just then waited for it to be made and delivered, sitting in the to-go parking space.
When I got home, Corwin was cleaning the house, and I did get in his way a few times. I ate and then took my headache with me to the bedroom and read and slept. I managed to dream a bit, but reading horror and waking dreams is an unfortunate mix. I should have read Narnia and not Stross!
I had some of my own health issues that are returning with the stress. So I am trying to be careful with taking my meds and trying to eat and sleep. It ain’t easy! I did sleep.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 