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The night was difficult for me as my asthma was out of control. I was wheezing; I could hear the banshees screaming in my chest. Around 4ish, the Benadryl and inhalers finally worked to stop the post navel drip and the unlocked lungs. I slept into 9:30ish, and that helped with the Benadryl hangover. Likely this mess was caused by exhaustion brought on by the booster shot and stress. “What does not kill you makes you stronger” should be the motto for the Moderna Booster.

I managed to pick up my Rx at RiteAid after all the excitement of being filled in New York City and rejected to refill it here in Oregon. I did not manage the laundry as I was slow this Saturday morning.

I spent a bit of time in Air Volvo going across Beaverton and exited 26 at Providence Park instead of using the tunnel as the traffic was too messy. I was surprised that the noon traffic was heavy, but it was Thanksgiving weekend.

I relieved Barb and Leta (the new nurse, Jenn, put up with two people not quite following the rules), who went off to find lunch again in Beaverton and pack. They leave on Sunday morning, and I will not see them on Sunday.

Susie was more animated and alert on Saturday. She seems very relieved to see me. I have been doing this daily visit for more than a month now. Some days are short visits, but I am there every day.

We spoke to the doc, the doc asked to have a meeting and reviewed the future care options for Susie. The doc said we have to ensure that care has a goal, and we agreed to have Susie thoroughly cared for, but resuscitation was no longer a good option due to the multiple strokes. Resuscitation will just cause more strokes or worse. It was a sobering discussion but a good one. Our current goal is to get Susie back to her near pre-stroke self.

Barb was feeding Susie when I came in, and I continued until Susie was a bit worn-out and had finished half of her lunch. We do not want a feeding tube for Susie, and so she must eat. So Susie slept for a few hours finding a few hours without pills, blood draws, tray delivery for dinner, and all the things that happen at hospitals that prevent you from getting any rest.

Barb and Leta returned to the room after 5ish. Jenn was polite but pointed out that three were too many people in the room. I always hate leaving, but you need to get rest and a break.

This is my last dinner with Barb and Leta for this visit, and we decided to try out a place in Portland. Barb picked Elephant’s Deli on 22nd. They were open for another hour, and there was parking! I had a pop pie. Barb a grilled cheese. Leta tried the soup. It was a bit of a sad dinner, although the busy place as this was our last dinner today, and we all missed having Susie with us. We said our goodbyes.

I returned home enjoying the extra dark and wet that is driving in the Pacific Northwest in winter.

I have arranged that Ann Weld-Martin will visit Susie in my place on Thursday, and Wayne Weld-Martin will drive me to and fro for my colonoscopy on Friday. So I have to do the prep (yuck) on Thursday for a morning peek-a-boo on Friday. So Thursday will be the first day I will miss seeing Susie since all this started in New York City.

It was quiet at the Volvo Cave, and I decided not to read and rest but went to the new Ghostbusters movie. Yes, they made another. This one harkens back to the original two films and manages a successful tap-dance of mixing horror and comedy. It also respects the material and manages to tie the movies past movies to this movie well. It is primarily a high school and younger flick, but I laughed and was startled a few times. So cool! I even liked how it dragged a bit like the first film. And a 12-year old kid using a proton pack and a 15-year-old illegally driving the Ecto-1 was just fun. So not terrible, not great, but fun–precisely like the first movie.

I managed to sleep without issue after finally falling asleep near 1ish.

My sleep was difficult, and I was up getting some Tylenol to stop the pain from the booster shot in my right arm. Thus, morning came sooner than wished, and I was moving about around 7:30.

I had breakfast, including some turkey, and did my usual email reading and updating myself on the news. Omincron, the new variant of Covid-19, has been announced. The markets around the world fell. We may be facing an escape from the vaccine and something even more contagious than Delta. It upset everyone.

I did the morning shift and headed out a bit late but made it to Portland just after 10AM. Susie was awake and feeling better. She cannot find the words she wants to use, but her speech is improved, much more animated.

I cleaned and repainted Susie’s fingernails, bright pink. I had brought my nail kit with me, and with Susie feeling better, I thought it an excellent time to use it. Everyone was happy to see her new paint.

I spoke to the doctors, and they explained that Susie would have good and bad days from the severe illness (lung collapse on the left side). She did not have another stroke, and that they needed her to eat better. The nurse is suggesting a feeding tube as Susie is still having trouble with choking. Susie did not like that idea and was more motivated to eat with care.

The nurse allowed Susie to have to support people at a time, Barb and Leta. They had lunch and then got there about 1ish. I headed out for a late lunch.

I circle Air Volvo in the Pearl District; it being Black Friday, I ended up having to use a parking garage instead of a straightforward parking space on the street. Next, I headed to Deschutes Brewery. There was seating in the bar, but all of those seats were too close for my tastes, and I found a seat in a corner by myself.

A gal in a Christmas sweater got me a porter and a tray of finger foods. I then went online and launched fruitcakes and fudge from Gethsemani Farms. Every Black Friday, I re-order last year’s gifts of fruitcakes and fudge for the holidays. It is my first purchase of gifts in the holiday season and is how I started the holidays. “The Fudge and Fruitcakes must flow!” I

I had coffee and a dessert as the porter hit me pretty hard. It was nice to hang out in the bar again.

I went home and took a nap. Barb and Leta then met me at the Beergarden in Beaverton for dinner. I had nodded off and missed Barb’s text, so I arrived after them y a few minutes. It was agreed that I would sleep in, and Barb and Leta would take the morning shift at the hospital.

We all agreed that Susie was better.

Please note that Apple is having trouble this Black Friday with sending photos. I will update this when the photos finally transfer from my iPhone.

Thanksgiving started with me getting up at 730ish. I woke at 6ish but rolled over. I found in the sink cut-up potatoes and carrots, and onions. Corwin wanted to help and prepped a pile of veggies for us for Thanksgiving.

I read my emails, made coffee, and wrote the blog. This is my usual start for a day.

As I was finishing dressing, Barb and Leta showed up. Leta wanted an early start, and soon I had the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade playing in the living room. Barb and I planned the day a bit, and then I headed into Portland.

No traffic, of course, and I was quickly in Susie’s room 361. Susie was less responsive and had more trouble talking. She was sleepy and was left to sleep in a bit. Her breakfast tray was outside still.

Lorene is the nurse today, and she was our first nurse out of ER at Legacy Good Samaritan. She explained that Susie had trouble speaking today, and there is hope that this is the impact of the pain killers on Susie for the chest tube. I raised the concern that we made the same mistake last week, and there was a possibility Susie has had another stroke.

The docs came in and said that Susie was on new drugs to stop a new stroke, if possible. They were reducing the painkillers as Susie was sleepy. Susie is too weak for rehab at this point, they told me.

The lung doctor came in a bit later, and I helped remove the chest tube, which was quite a painful process. Blood draws had been done, and more were scheduled. The tests to know if there is a deeper infection in the left lung are still pending, but the doctor was optimistic that the lungs were better.

The nurse had me feed Susie for a bit. I brought a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving for Susie. She was able to eat a bit, but then the electrolyte drink seemed to cause her to spit up, and that was that. I cleaned up Susie and then put her head back down to let her rest. We put on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade that quickly ended and was replaced by a dog show rerun.

The nurse came back in with drugs and more food for Susie. A new bag of saline and antibiotics was emptied into Susie via the IV. Every time she bent her arm, the IV stalled. A new IV line was ordered. Also, instead of drinking the electrolyte–yuck, it will be added to the next bag of saline. Susie was looking better with the fluids.

All morning Susie’s heart was racing. The nurse, docs, and even I agree that dehydration was an issue. Also, they had stopped Susie’s heart med when her blood pressure dropped. This was continued now that Susie’s blood pressure was stable. So all PT was put off for a day until all these changes worked.

Susie’s heart stabilized over the next two hours.

I gave Susie a goodbye kiss or two and then took Air Volvo home. Barb had cleaned the kitchen and forgoed the lecture about the dirt. Dinner was about an hour out.

I helped a bit; it is a tiny galley kitchen and only works with one person working in it.

We had a quiet dinner as we all missed Susie.

Barb started washing up a bit. We then had some of the worst store-bought pecan pie ever made. I helped bag most of the food or put it in smaller bowls. We had enough left over to have Thanksgiving a couple more times!

Micro-turkey (8.5 lbs) and was likely beat-up by chickens. It was quiet good.

Barb and Leta left after to see Susie. We had made a special arrangement with the nurse to let them both in at the same time. They stayed a few hours, and Susie seemed to wake up for them while still unable to speak clearly. A new IV was put in. They watch some Harry Potter.

Barb and Leta left Susie watching TV.

I read and tried to sleep. I finished up the dishes and pans. I had a bit of turkey with my evening meds. I finally fell asleep.

The night was hard to sleep as I was listening for the phone to ring. But, no emergencies call, and I started at 8ish. I made new coffee with the slight guilt of throwing away coffee from the day before. I was not on the morning shift with Susie. Leta and Bard headed to Portland and to see Susie at the hospital.

I had my third shot of Moderna and felt like I had joined a fight club and drank too much. It was a hard start.

To make things complex, my blood pressure med was refilled in New York City. So the doc office and I spent the whole day going back and forth trying to get the Rx filled here.

I tried to rest and reduce the discomfort of the booster.

I got to the hospital and replaced Leta. Barb and Leta headed for lunch in Beaverton, searching for Tyme Soup Company (the joint went under from the pandemic, but the Internet shows it is still there and highly rated). Finally, they settled for a noodle place and chicken noodle soup.

Susie is still sleepy (pain killers) but sounds better, and PT said she did better once they put her shoes on. The hospital floor, linoleum, is slippery, and the right foot keeps slipping when Susie tries to stand or move. MJ from OT reported that Susie is weaker than before, and Acute Rehab is not a good choice.

I spoke to the Case Manager, Michelle, and I was not very happy. Instead of the RIO program in the hospital, they want to move Susie to a nursing home once she is stable. I let them know that I did not think that was in Susie’s best interest. Nonetheless, we picked a set of possible nursing homes in our local area. This includes one Susie stayed before. I also called the Case Manager later and shocked her by asking that she also acquire any additional rules for the nursing home. The last one Susie stayed at for a month had very annoying laundry rules, and I would prefer to be better prepared this time.

Susie heard this discussion and is now very motivated to eat and drink and get better faster. She would prefer, I am sure, the RIO program. We still have time to change to the RIO if Susie gets stronger.

Aside: The chest tube and the painkillers set Susie back. So it is double frustrating as the treatment to restore her left lung is making her weaker.

Barb left Leta in the hotel room and replaced me. I had chills and felt like I must have slept rough (outside) after the party that my body was having with Moderna. So I drove Air Volvo home with the seat warmer on and the heat blowing max.

I laid down and read and finally slept just long enough to be unsteady when I got going again.

Back into Air Volvo, we (Leta, Barb, and I) met Wayne and Ann for dinner at Sharri, and most of us had breakfast for dinner. I went with steak and eggs, and I felt like I had a hangover. But, it was a cheerful ending to our day.

I slept poorly as Moderna wanted to party some more, and I had too many iced teas with dinner.

Sorry, this is a bit later; I slept in on Wednesday.

I started with the knowledge that Susie had an invasive procedure today, and the traffic in Beaverton on a Tuesday was more than I planned for. I was at the hospital to find Susie, barely able to speak, in pain, and exhausted.

A chest tube trained her lungs area was put in.

I helped get more pain management and helped Susie’s hand for most of the morning. After that, the nurse helped get more pain management.

Susie was able to come off of oxygen, and thus the drain worked. A chest X-ray confirmed that Susie’s lungs were clearing. More tests and more labs will be required before they can determine the next step.

Barb and Leta came, and Barb, Susie’s sister, took my place with her own orange bracelet and stayed with Susie the whole day.

Barb was there when more pain killers were given and Susie was much more comfortable.

I found lunch while Leta read a new book; Barb and Leta had been to Powell’s Cedar Mills and picked up a newly published book while I ate some food. Panda Express was a confused and somewhat insane place. I am not sure what was wrong, but it took me twenty minutes to get lunch to-go. There appeared to be many people who had never ordered from there before (you pick a main and a side or two mains).

Next, Nike’s Beaverton Employee Store (BES) was on our list. Leta picked out some nice running shoes (mainly for the look and feel), and I found some new Airforce Ones. It was busy with many unmasked kids and folks who refused to wear makes over their noses. Not likely, I will be back. I have avoided BES throughout the pandemic, and I was right to believe that its leadership would not ensure my safety.

Back to work on 10Jan2022 is causing a lot of concern for Nike employees. If we can’t keep the BES safe, I am not sure what to expect in January.

After that, I drove the short distance to Techtronix’s old building 58 (and former IT building used by Nike). I had my booster shot for Moderna, thinking I would stick to familiar side-effects and explore a mix-and-match process. A friendly group of EMTs provided for me, and in less than 30 minutes, I was done.

I headed home and took a nap while Leta stayed at the house and read.

Dinner was about 7ish, after waiting for a table, at the Lake Owego Grill at Cedar Mills. Mariah joined us, and we had some excellent food (slightly higher priced for Beaverton). The place is owned by the same person how runs Stanford’s, and the menu is a close match.

I was drained after that. I did still stop by Powell’s to look for a book. I quickly found one and drove Air Volvo back home. I fell asleep while trying to read.