Sleep was interrupted by proof of hydration and the need for more painkillers. I rose about 7 and soon was writing the blog. I planned to see Z in her new musical, Mean Girls, at her middle school but waited until Dondrea rose and replied to my text. I was feeling better, except for the headache that starts every day (and requires some Tylenol to reduce or remove) and the profound loss of hearing on the left. The healing is starting to arrange itself in the left ear as I get moments of throbbing pain there. My jaw is starting to open more than 1/4 of an inch (making eating sometimes a challenge). While my weight is now dancing between 230 and 235 pounds, I am still losing inches. I drilled another two holes in my belt to stop my pants from falling off. I have smaller-sized replacement pants, but I would hate to shorten them if my waistline finally moves away from a hang-over belt to a more traditional across-the-belly use, as this would mean replacing everything again. We will see where all this is next week when I will shorten some pants.
I cleaned up and dressed. I wore my usual pants with the belt pulled stupidly tight, but at least they did not fall off. I wore a French blue button dress shirt with my blue sweater vest, and I could see more inches were gone, but the scale said, like before, ten pounds ago, that the pounds were changing their meaning. I am becoming stronger and building muscle, and that weighs more than the fat I am shedding. Frustratingly, the numbers are the same on the scale. The new goal, more moderate than before (and the possibility of death or more surgery due to increased pressure on my brain by the extra weight helped in directing my energies to lose weight), is 220.
Dondrea and I arranged for me to meet her at the musical. Linda and I then headed to Whole Foods for some items and flowers for Z. There, we got a few items and then waited at the sandwich counter, where we got some excellent sandwiches made. Linda, wanting food, decided we could eat there, and we used the tables provided.
Time was flying, and soon we were rushing in Air Volvo; Linda unloaded the cargo bay, put away the same, and then popped back into the pilot seat. We reached the school just before they let the folks in. Dondrea was at the head of the line. Dondrea and I had not seen each other in a week. Dondrea thought I looked remarkable for someone not yet two weeks out of brain surgery.
The musical had reached the point where it was working for the cast (though Z clued me in later; they had somehow skipped three minor scenes), but still, I enjoyed Mean Girls and, even with my revised hearing, could hear most of the lines. Some of the singers were amazing and could even act. A few were faltering, and a few excellent singers were supposed to be more mean but could not pull that off. Overall, the cast almost had it down, and with a few more shows (it is done on Saturday), it would have been fantastic. Excellent!
Once the cast party was over, Dondrea, Z, and I met Linda at the old-school Italian-style restaurant Nonna Emilia. This is a local favorite. The recipes are still the same, and the portion sizes are not just large, but they are designed to fill anyone up. We all took 1/2 (or more) of our dinners home! This was my thank you dinner to Dondrea and Linda for making all this possible, and we enjoyed all hanging out again, but this time at Nonna Emilia and not my hospital room!
With as much dinner as we could fit inside us, the rest in boxes and cartons, we said goodbye, and Linda took me back in an Air Volvo to the Volvo Cave. I watched a few more Black Sails episodes. Soon, I took my meds and headed to a shower and bed. I read some more and then fell asleep. I fell into a more peaceful and normal sleep and did not wake again until 6. The stygian black I would shut down into, and the rebooting cycle has faded away. The pain, while still quite pronounced without Tylenol, is starting to fade.
Thanks for reading.
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