Wednesday, February 13

Natasha with her Dad in ICU

Day 31

On the elevator just now, I heard two hospital workers say, "Time sure flies!  And, eaves-dropper that I am, I said, " Except when you are in the hospital, when 4 weeks feels like four months!  Cause that is the way it has felt to us....time just drags along.  And yet, it is hard to believe that we are already on day 31.  Thankfully, the gradual trend is upward and we are grateful!

We are once again in dialysis.  Because breakfast never comes till  nearly 8:30, I fed John an orange, an apple, and a banana, which we said were just delectable.  Then for breakfast John ate oatmeal, canned pears, applesauce, and raisin bran, with his almond milk on it. He was so hungry, he ate another bowl of raisin bran.  I've ordered his lunch and so hoping he can eat well again.

I have a BIG plan for me for today....I'm going to walk to the Subway Shop and get me a sandwich.  It is just north of here, maybe a block past the Siteman Cancer Center, right next to my favorite Hon's Wok!  It just sounds good and the outdoor exercise will be welcome.

My footlong veggie delight was a treat, along with chips, and Sierra Mist from John's tray.  John could not eat well since he always feels lethargic after dialysis.

Just now he said to me, "I forgot to pay our January 15 Quarterly Taxes."  So I handed him the checkbook so he could tell me how much.  He found the amounts from last quarter.  Now he will have to tell me where to find all the stuff I need to send them off.  Several weeks ago, I gathered all the bills, figured out which were automatic withdrawal, paid those that weren't, and I also took care of the credit card payments.  That was a big load off my mind.

Pam is our nurse today.  She said that if she were to have her picture on my blog then she would have to see it first.  So I will show her one of my posts with pictures....!  She liked it...so here are several with her in it!

Here's John sitting up in his chair, draped with lots of blankets to keep warm.  He has his glasses on in order to see the amounts that we  need to send in for quarterly taxes.

You can see not one but two plants from Salem Church....hmmmm....that must be a duplication.  Shall I return one?

Pam was very gentle as she removed the wound vac from his chest wound.  It is closing up nicely.  Dr. Maniar wants to see it and decide the next step.

The staples in the abdominal incision will be taken out soon.  The drain from that area is still in place but is putting out less and less.

John still cannot get out of a chair alone.   He is finally able to minimally change his position.  When Physical Therapy walks him, they assist him the whole way.  Though it is slow, he is getting stronger.

He walked all the way to the waiting room, rested a while, then all the way back...woohoo!

No more wound vac....that's good.  The wound will be cleansed and dressed daily but no more tubes!