Author: alohawild

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.

 

I started Friday around 6ish, skipping the status Zoom meetings as I had to write the blog, and there were some medical items to read and understand. I did log on to work and read the emails, and planned my day. I put in Friday as a vacation day but did start my workday as usual.

I had a 1-on-1 with my boss Brad and did a Zoom with him. He told me to handle Susie first and for me to put in for family leave. He also asked if I could read some vendor patches if I needed a break. Vendor patches are like crossword puzzles for computers, and he knows I like doing them.

Jeff, who I hired to clean the sidewalk and decks with a powerwasher, was late, so I sent him a message we would have to meet up later. Jeff would clean the cement of moss, clean the deck of slippery stuff, and even cut the deck he built to let the tree that grows through it have more room. Jeff will powerwash and treat the roof for moss and clear the gutter for me on Monday. The Monday after that, he will start rebuilding the bathroom off of the master bedroom. This all started before Susie’s ER and hospitalization and I want to keep it going.

My drive and parking of Air Volvo were uneventful to Portland. I used the number 2 parking garage and the skywalk to the hospital. I was stopped by a gal who then called the nurse station, and I was officially approved as a support person and given the hard-to-get orange wrist band that gave me unlimited access to Susie. There are no visitors allowed, but a disabled person can have one support person.

Susie was in her room, 361, and had just been approved for pureed food and thick liquids. The stroke has impacted her ability to safely swallow, and her speech is difficult.

I read all the test results and knew the MRI results, but the docs showed and explained that Susie had another stroke and needed to keep her calm and lying flat to prevent another one. Susie, keeping up her record, has some unique challenges for the docs, and they will need to carefully review her chart, her past battles with cancer and figure out a safe treatment plan.

According to the docs, Susie can have another stroke anytime. So I contacted Susie’s mother and sister. They have changed their flights to Sunday. After a bit of wink-wink, I did have Susie’s mother and sister, Leta and Barb, officially added as support people and as my back-ups.

I helped Susie with her lunch which she ate just a bit. It was her first meal of blender-ed food.  I also am allowed to buy a lunch for $10, so I sat with Susie for lunch and had roast turkey with mashed for lunch.

Susie rested while I read labs and read stuff on the Internet to fill the time.

I did play, not too loud, Moulon Rouge soundtrack from the newish broadway play. We saw it in New York City for our first night in NYC. Susie finally fell asleep to the music. It is hard to sleep as there are so many hospital sounds of carts and other equipment banging. The soundtrack covered that, and Susie was asleep.

As usual, just as Susie looked very comfortable, the nurse showed with meds. Susie cannot swallow pills anymore, and so the tablets are crushed and put in apple sauce. They also check Susie that she is not showing any signs of a new stroke.

I chatted with the RN, and I headed out for dinner at the Red Onion again. They would help feed Susie. I have been given lessons that the bed must be flat except for food or water. For eating, Susie needs the bed raised (30%) and to keep her chin down and a pillow behind her to help her sit more straight. After that, she is to be put back to flatbed.

Susie can talk more in the later afternoon, and I could understand her better. When I returned from dinner, and she was tired, she was hard to understand.

I left after 7PM and returned home without issue via Air Volvo. David Smith dropped off flowers and a ballon for Susie. I will bring it in on Saturday, Susie’s 59th birthday. I chatted with David for a bit like a distraction, and he was polite and stood in the cold chatting. I managed to read and finally sleep before midnight.

I received a kind gift from the Most Rev and Lord of Sealand (and offical Time Lord) Steve Wolff. He sent me a non-stick pan to make more scrambled eggs for Susie. Excellent! It made me laugh!

I skipped over the hard emotions of the moment and some medical details. Forgive me for leaving a few moments out.

This story will better work going from the end to the start.

I got to sleep about 10ish. Susie was being carefully monitored in Good Samaritan Hospital room 361 (phone number is 503 413-881, but Susie can’t reach the phone). I had taken my meds and rewatched the last episode of Doctor Who (I never saw the ending) while having some mint chocolate chip ice cream with tea. I would have terrible dreams all night and awaken every hour or so thinking Susie was missing or needed help.

Before, I drove home from Portland in the usual pouring rain this winter and the surprised flooded street here and there. The new brakes and tires on Air Volvo made it a safe and effortless drive. No problem, except that McDonald’s shake machine was again broken when I stopped by. My navigation thinks that McDonald’s is part of the drive home from Portland and now directs me to turn into their entrance!

To drive home, I had to find Air Volvo and finding the car was complex. I had left later than I wanted as I had to meet the night nurses, so I was out much after 7:15ish. The sky bridges to get to the buildings that adjoined the parking garages led to locked doors. After all. I had to walk in the rain and found the car after three sky bridges, two locked exits, and two elevator rides.

I was worried that the car was in a nearly empty car garage. When I saw it first, I noticed that the window was gone, and at first, I thought I had been broken into. But, no, I had lowered the back window unknowingly when I got the parking ticket from the machine and left the window open all night and day. The car was not that wet inside (the winds must have blown the other direction). Everything was left alone in the car. I had a roll of paper towels and quickly wiped away some wet from the leather. The SUV is a Volvo, and it is used to wet.

Before this, I was ready to say goodbye to Susie last night when more nurses and meds descended on her. I just left as it was late, and she was in good hands. I was tired and needed to get home.

Susie was moved from the ER in the evening to stay at least overnight at Good Sam. She had endured MRI, CT scans, endless blood draws, and two IVs (the second one working). Doc said they would monitor her closely.

This morning, we were walked from Physical Therapy to the ER by our new PT person. Susie’s right side was weaker than the stroke-damaged left side. Susie’s condition was deteriorating, and she was not able to walk, and her ability to speak was impacted. She is both slurring and can’t find the words to say. The PT person did not want to proceed until Susie was checked out in ER and likely imaged.

The ER took Susie before many of the other folks and quickly had her on telemetry and began the usual endless tests. Susie was not happy to have blood draws, but the techs did well. The IV for the CT scan did fail, but the Doc Neurologist said there was no need to repeat the CT scan and got a whole more set of blood draws and an MRI done.

Oddly, I am getting the message when the test results are done on my phone and have read them before the Docs. I read and did not understand the MRI results as it does not cover new versus existing strokes. I will wait for the Doc Neurologist to cover this.

Returning to the early morning, we had a tough start as Susie again could not walk, and she was mainly like carrying a bag of 120 pounds of cooked noodles. I managed to get her safe and cleaned up, and dressed in the travel wheelchair. I grabbed a spare table box in the garage so Susie could have coffee and water by her. I got her toast with peanut butter with milk (this is her last meal today as she cannot eat or drink now).

Susie did manage after that to stand up and step out of the house using the walker outside until I carried the wheelchair over our heads and landed it behind her so she could sit down. Lucky it weighs less than 20 pounds, and the foot things are detachable.

Susie could get into the car with some help, and I carried her out of the car and put her in the walker in Portland as the curb makes it a leap.

I started at 6ish, and Susie wanted up at 7:00ish but waited for me to get dressed. My sleep was broken as the lights were on at 10%, and the radio was on to help Susie sleep. The light control and the radio are all Alexa controlled. Voice control makes this so much better.

I managed to do a few work items before having to get Susie going.

This morning was not an improvement. Susie could not walk, and she has really failed to wake up to this day. She is half-asleep much of the day.

She could not walk this morning, so I had to carry Susie to a rollator and roll her to get some food and water. I then helped her dress, and Susie finally managed to walk with her rollator from the bathroom to the chair in the living room.

I had to do more laundry. I will remake the bed tonight. I may have Susie sleep on the other side of the bed to get to a wheelchair. We have some other options too that might work.

Work was a mix of Zoom meetings and me rushing to check on Susie. I managed to use GrubHub to order lunch. I had a gyro from Gyro House. Susie had her fav of a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal with apples.

While all of this was going on, I also scheduled Susie’s upcoming appointments. Susie has Physical Therapy at 10AM in Portland on Thursday (tomorrow). The Occupational Therapy is scheduled for January (!) with Susie on a waitlist for a sooner date. There is a dentist appointment next week too.

Jeff showed up at 1ish. He did all the work on the last bathroom, and we decided to remodel or refresh (as we are leaving the floor plan alone) the master bathroom. We are following the same plan as the last remodel. Jeff picks what he likes in gray colors as if it was his bathroom. He sent me pics of tile samples, and I agreed to them. Work will begin the Monday after Thanksgiving. Note, there will be more handles on the bathroom after he is done and a taller toilet.

Also, Jeff will make a few minor fixes to the main bathroom and power wash the deck (slippery with moss). We talked about some electrical updates as a follow-up job. Susie and I will have to move out of the master bedroom while the work is done. It will take a week (or more). It should be done way before Christmas.

Next, 1-800-Got-Junk trucks showed up. We cleared out part of the garage and some broken items that have accumulated at the house. The old day bed is gone, as is the junk on the deck and other aging items that have been slowly ruining in the garage. This is one of the things I wanted to do on my sabbatical.

Corwin is starting to clear out some of his stuff. But, again, we have been on Covid-19 bunker mode, a 1400 sqft house with people who buy too many things. It looks like Sears, a bookstore, and gaming store exploded. So tomorrow, I will move some board games to the cleared shelves in the garage. I also plan to take a lot of books to Good Will and other local booksellers. Sowly getting to our post Covid-19 house.

Dinner for Susie was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk. I had a cheeseburger I ordered from McDonald’s at lunchtime (Corwin split it with me) and some clam chowder soup.

Susie is ending the evening watching an old western, For A Few Dollars More, while I am still doing a bit of housework.

I am hoping for a better day for Susie on Thursday.

The morning started after a night of broken sleep. The pain in my leg woke me up a few times. I was able to manage it with Tylenol. It made the 6ish start hard.

I managed to start all the meetings and get dressed and all shiny for my first video status meeting. Which was at 7:35. It is a meeting between the USA and India-based development for data conversion software.

After that, I had a few more status meetings. I checked with Susie, and she was not ready to get going. I did get her the meds for the morning, and she took them.

Susie was stiff and half asleep still but finally started to move around 10:30ish, and we had a plodding walk to the bathroom. Susie was able to dress and started to wake up.

Susie could sit down more safely (not just dropping into the chair) in the living room after getting dressed. I then got her a breakfast of apple sauce, toast with jam, coffee, and milk.

The shoe company was quiet for me, and soon I had Susie up again and then dressed for outdoors. We used the wheelchair outdoors and got into Air Volvo.

We managed to get to the doc without incident. We spoke to the doctor for an hour, and he had to do the paperwork. We also did a blood draw for Susie that the lab managed on one tiny vein in Susie’s hand with one try. Various therapies and processes have now started–it all starts with your doc referring you.

It was past 4PM now. No lunch so far, and dinner time is just a bit away, and thus I decided to take Susie out. McMinneman’s Cedar Hills Pub is right there.

Susie had 1/2 a beer and me a full one. Evan called and was just around the corner, so he joined us. Susie had more than just me to talk to!

Susie ordered a burger with cheese and bacon that she ate just most of the burger and some of the bun and fries. I had a pasta item as it was Vodka sauce to see how their’s taste. Evan had a white pizza.

We had a nice break from the house. We returned home without issue. Again we switched between the wheelchair and then to the walker (rollator) in the house.

Susie was falling asleep in the chair at 9:30, so I got her in bed. I had done a load of laundry of soiled items so that I could have things ready. I am doing a load of laundry every day now. I managed to get to bed at 10ish, which is early for me, but I was tired.

My sleep was interrupted again by pain. I managed to use aspirin to stop the pain and then later Tylenol.