Friday Challenges

Friday was a day of challenges. The steroids were done, and all the side effects of suddenly stopping them happened. Headache, leg cramps, and just plain grumpiness were the highlights of Friday. I rose at 7ish, ready to face the side effects, try to work on my Howard stories, and maybe head into Portland just to walk. But first, I will write a blog and get something for breakfast. Today, it was liberal coffee made in my French press, a banana, and yogurt.

The morning was disappearing fast as I wrote, and I felt uneven, but not the blood-burning feeling of yesterday. A headache did appear on the right side, and my blood pressure was fine. I kept writing and finished the blog.

I went to the bathroom to dress and clean up, and I noticed something odd about the incision in my belly and then blood as it broke open a bit. It was not a happy moment. I had tape and gaze pads, and soon, I stopped the light bleeding and covered everything. F**k! I finished up my shaving and dressed. No leakage.

I was off to Urgent Care, about five minutes away in Air Volvo. It appeared to me that the area had some friction, and that was the cause. It was not an infection. The nurse and doctor at Urgent Care agreed, and since they are in the same system as my surgery, they had access to all the records, so they were OK with me just monitoring. No ER, no need for more treatment. The doctor also checked my breathing and agreed it was not serious and that I should use my existing inhalers. All good.

There was a change in plans. I stayed home, didn’t do much, and let things heal. It was another dull day. I also decided to stop writing for that day, as I can become too focused and miss things. So, I’m back to Dark Sails on Netflix and reading today.

I reheated chili for lunch and snacked because I was still hungry from the steroids. I will try to stop snacking on Saturday. Dark Sails is going in new directions and has become unpredictable again. I am unsure about the changes, but the naval battles and images are excellent.

I cut up three pork loin chops into strips and covered them with teriyaki sauce. I cut up Brussels sprouts and cooked them until they started to brown in butter. I removed them from the pan and then cooked a whole chopped onion, garlic, and ginger cut into small thin strips until browning and the onions looked transparent. I then poured in the pork and sauce. I used a hot pan, and the pork cooked fast and was not tough this time. I put it all together to get it good and hot. While not perfect, it was good, and I felt like I had at least done something today of worth. Corwin liked it. I am trying to eat fresh veggies to improve my potassium levels.

I watched some more Dark Sails and read and went to bed early. No shower, as I wanted the healing to go for the night without disturbing the wound. There is no bleeding, and I just need to keep the area protected.

Sleep was difficult again, more of a fade-to-black. My dreams were intense and about finding my way while traveling. This is a usual theme for me when dreaming. I woke with my arms and legs twisted and my bed a mess.

No more bleeding. No more high blood pressure. My heart rate is back to normal. Sleeping usual dreams. Better, I think.

Thanks for reading.