Story 16Dec2021: Tired Day

I will write this in reverse order, starting with falling asleep about 11:30 last night. I was reading the Brothers Cabal fantasy-horror story until I started nodding. We have Alexa and Philips’s lights combined, so you can just ask Alexa to turn off the lights in the bedroom and living room. This prevents anyone from walking in the dark, especially Susie. She used to use a flashlight!

I watched another episode of The Wheel of Time on Prime. Unfortunately, the show is quickly losing my interest. The progress in the storyline is plodding.

I ordered for pick up from Nonna Emelia’s down the street a few miles near TV highway. They now have a pickup order-only door and a restaurant door. I ordered Chicken Marsala with pasta with meat sauce, a loaf of garlic bread, and a small salad for me to start. Corwin woke up and, with Nonna Emelia’s huge portions, just split my dinner.

The requirement to pound the chicken, so it is tender enough to cut with a fork was lost on the chef. I prefer veal, but at $30 a plate, that was not happening tonight, and if they are not going to pound it tender, it is sort of a waste. The meal was just average, but at least the garlic bread was good. Having spent a month in New York City in October has changed my perspective on food. It can be better, and the prices in NYC are not far from the greater-Portland area prices. I shall keep searching for good Italian.

Before ordering dinner, I returned home in Air Volvo before dark at 3:40ish. I got the mail and put everything down, and went to read and rest a bit. I was also going to try to take a walk as the doc wanted me to eat protein and exercise before the surgery. I woke up after dark. I guess just getting through a day with anemia is exercise enough. My labs show that my anemia is not much improved, and I tire in the afternoon. Today I was staggering a bit, and I had to be careful getting up from a prone position. Hate to get up from reading and fall into the closet!

I received an email from the processors of my leave request. It just was a repeat of all the blank forms already filled out. They have not communicated what they want me or anyone to do. I have to 27Dec2021 to comply with some unknowable requirements (I have sent an email asking for some help at Nike). I was too fatigued to deal with it that evening.

I left Susie about 3:15ish with a kiss goodbye. She is frightened when I go as she cannot remember when my surgery is and asks me if I will be back. I tried to reassure her that I would be back for the next few days. It is hard not to cry at these moments, but I need to get home before the fatigue takes hold.

Susie was napping before I left. She could not remember getting physical therapy that day, and I checked and was told she was scheduled for it. The Forest Grove Rehab Care Center said that the meeting yesterday counts at Occupational Therapy, and because it was a meeting day, there was no PT. I was not happy with any of that and told them that. Yes, it was a moment of “Falling on Deaf ears.”

Susie was tired, so I believe she did have PT that day, but I never got validation. Growl.

We finished watching Rudolf the Red-nosed Raindeer and started The Year Almost Without Santa. These are both stop-action animation and The Year Almost Without Santa being newer and released in the 1970s and contains memorable songs with the Snow Miser song even appearing in a forgettable Batman movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger trying to get his gang to sing it. We did not get far as Susie started to get sleepy.

We managed to call Leta and Dr. Peter Koper to chat a bit. Susie was happy to hear Pete’s voice. Over the years, we have kept in contact with Dr. Koper, our English professor from Central Michigan University.

I reached Forest Grove in the afternoon after stopping by the house to take my meds. Again, I was rushing to get to Portland Thursday morning, so I waited for food before taking my pills. When I got to room 44A, Susie was just dismissing her lunch with a CNA feeding her and ensuring she did not aspirate. We cannot afford Susie to again shut down a lung from aspirated water and food.

Susie was able to speak a bit better than yesterday. She can start and complete short statements. But, she gets lost when she tries to follow up with more. But, it is a bit better. She still has trouble explaining anything she wants or needs.

Susie got a stocking stuffer today and put it on. A Harry Potter World model of a time turner–I found them in Powell’s. She was still wearing it when I left!

Before delivering the time turner, I drove from Portland to home. I had another pre-surgery appointment with more docs, oncologists. This was more of an introduction and to get, as usual, more blood work. I had them use the left arm as the day before the blood draw was painful, and there was still a mark. I refer to that as the harpoon mark. This time a butterfly was used with a small tubing to prevent the pushing of the extra tubes into the needle in my arm. Much better.

On my way back home, I stopped by Elephant’s Delli. I got a fondue thinking cheese was protean, and bread, sausage, and pickles were better than a sandwich. But, again, the place was busy, and the tables filled and too close together for me to feel comfortable in a Covid-19 world (with Omnicron and Delta lurking).

The morning started, as usual, with me finding 6:30 is damn early. I wrote the blog and rushed off, not forgetting anything, and avoided any incidents in Air Volvo as I drove to Portland. Unfortunately, there were wrecks, construction, and I had to take the Providence Park exit.

I slept again in the master bedroom.

I hope all of this is interesting. I try to keep to just the truth as I understand it.