(Nancy writing – day by day.)
Sunday was an easy going day, after we sent in the blog Saturday night late. Nothing to report there.
Monday has provided some changes to the schedule. Instead of December for a preliminary visit with the doctor of Gastroenterology in Yakima we will visit this Thursday a.m. to contemplate a photographic adventure. That being the swallowing of a camera (Canon or Nikon, maybe) that will careen through my intestinal tract and send Technicolor video to the whole world. Just kidding — it is the size of a large pill and at the moment that is all we know. The visit is scheduled for only ½ hr but there is paperwork and explanation and releases to sign for when “IT” will happen (and that has not yet been scheduled). This whole medical system is fraught with time being spent by the patient that seems unnecessary.
Nothing else on the calendar today except the penultimate infusion of Rocephin.
And, something else got on the schedule, with a call from a lady whose yard sale we were at last Saturday. She had a large lumber pine headboard for a home-made bed. This was where we got the two nice shirts (John wore his blue/yellow one yesterday and looked quite fancy). He was so happy that he only paid $1 for a “new” Wrangler shirt. She tried to give the headboard to John, even saying she would deliver it, but we left and told her if she could give it away to do so, if not give us a call. We really don’t have a place for it. However, she called midday today (we left our phone) and said it was ours if we still wanted it. We had to drive the old truck down for it because the newer one wouldn’t start. Guess John needs to fix that before Saturday and using it to carry in the cases of wine for the retirement celebration.
John had a hard time lifting the heavy piece of furniture, but he said there is probably $80 worth of wood in it, so he is happy.
Tuesday. The day was mostly spent with John retrieving cases of wine from the crawl space under the kitchen for the retirement “party” this Saturday. Many partial boxes had to be sorted and combined. I worked much of the morning on the slide show for the event. We went in for the last infusion and was that a memorable occasion. We will see them again on Thursday to change the dressing and flush the PICC line.
We dropped by the Geography Department on the way home and had a great visit with the people there. It was good to see them all and have them see me looking better than the last time I was in. We made some final plans for Saturday with the powers that be.
I dropped off a few old 35mm slides for one of my former students to scan for me for the show I’m making. That was kind of him to offer to do that.
Tomorrow we won’t know what to do with ourselves, not having to go to the hospital, so we will probably do some shopping. Mostly we need to get a new battery for the truck that has to be used to deliver the wine to the Saturday event.
Wednesday. Started early without much sleep not going to bed till 12:30. The puppy and an older dog wanted to go out at 4:30 a.m. After that episode, I didn’t sleep well– kept having dreams about arriving late to my retirement party. When I got up early this morning, there were two does and their young deer in our driveway. They looked healthy with good coats, so maybe they will be fine for our winter that is expected to be colder than usual. A robin was eating fat berries from our Mountain Ash tree out front. The sun is up, but it is cold–still 43 degrees. The heater came on in the house this morning. Puppy Rhu is back in bed after romping around both yards and checking out the deer. He gets to see coveys of quail running/flying around the yard too, but he hasn’t been allowed to venture outside the fence because we are being extra cautious about the parvo threat.
We got ourselves together to take the truck and its charged battery to town, buy puppy chow and other groceries for us, get some donuts. I drove John’s car and he took the truck, figuring we might have to leave it an hour to be fixed. However, the first stop for the battery showed the charge he had put on it was fine, and the 5-year old battery did not need replacing. It must have a slow electron leak called “parasitic draw” by the auto guys. So we drove to our mechanics to see if they could have a look-see, yet they said it should just not be left sitting for a couple weeks and to clean the connections and replace the bolts. That’s going to take John’s time, but cheaper than a new battery. We stopped at Bi-Mart after parking the truck at the grocery, and got some doggie bones and cashews on sale. Then back to grocery shopping. I walked around both places for my exercise.
Home and I was tired, so after a little to eat (apple fritter and donut) I told John I would lay down awhile to rest and get up for a late lunch. That never happened, as I guess I was really very tired from the long night, and I slept the afternoon through John’s nap, the puppy going back outside after his nap, and John picking me some wonderful tomatoes that now I will have with dinner. He also put a “roast” in and it cooked all afternoon while I slept. Now John also put in a bunch of time mowing the grass/weeds under the trees on the east side of the house. And, he fed the horses and took 2 dogs for a run. They had to dodge deer who were sharing the space–5 with a cute and pretty baby. Then for the mail and papers, and they all are back.
Good I got all rested, and hope I can sleep tonight. Tomorrow a.m. brings a trip to Yakima to visit the Gastroenterology doctor at 10:45 a.m. Thursday is also play time with the Fiddlers and Friends at the nursing home behind where I spent all my time in January and February. When I was in Rehab, John would roll me over in my wheel chair to participate with the group there.
Thursday. Well it turned into a jam-packed day. We got to the Yakima Gastroenterology office in time for a huge amount of paperwork about my health history. I filled most of it out before being called into the office to wait for the doctor. Finished the rest of it in there, and he came in after awhile. We had a very nice talk with him and he mentioned about the capsule and camera and how it would not necessarily be done if my anemia has cleared up. We will test Oct. 11th particularly the iron in my system and consider putting me on iron pills if needed. Then we will check again in 3 months, before deciding to go through with the procedure. There are potential concerns, in my case with a defibrillator. No research has been done, but there is the uninvestigated opportunity for an interaction of the ICD with the camera in the capsule. The doctor also noted there is a possibility of the camera getting stuck, which doesn’t happen often but requires abdominal surgery if it does. In my case, they would do this over an 8 hour period in the hospital telemetry unit where my vital signs could be observed the entire time it is in my system. I keep them on their toes!
We picked up a fast lunch in Yakima because we were noon getting out of the doctor’s office. Then we rushed home to pick up my fiddle so we could go back to town for me to play. There were only two fiddles, a banjo, accordion, and 3 guitars, and we had a good time. Then we went to the hospital for my dressing to be changed on my PICC line, and for it to be flushed with saline solution. That has to be done once a week till it is removed. I still have several draws necessary for upcoming appointments with my cardiologist and family physician and my normal INR check.
After that, we went by school to pick up some scanned slides for the “show” on Saturday, from a wonderful grad student who did them for me.
Friday. Not much on tap. There are only two yard sales, but we need to go to town anyway, so why not hit them? We found a nice jacket for me at one and some sweaters / vest for John and a nice cowboy hat for me, plus some great sweaters for me and some night sleeping clothes (flannel pjs and a gown). I think I need to get rid of more of the older larger clothes to make room for all this. At the sale with the hat I also got John 6 books (some hardback) for a quarter each. All the prices were less than the hat at $2. Amazing, and it’s quality stuff.
Saturday – the day of my retirement reception. I have remembered the names of 100 people. Maybe more, but have to check the memory book for additions. A couple of colleagues, now Emeriti Profs, and several students got up and gave some incredible talks about what I had meant to them. It was awesome and almost overwhelming, but I didn’t tear up. I gave lots of hugs and visited the rest of the entire time, 2:30 to 5:00, and stayed after and watched a bit of the clean-up while visiting with the last of the guests.
I received many cards, several gifts, and many well wishes. The new biogeographer took pictures. That was really nice. We carried in about 22 cases of wine but some were not standard size, some cases were not full and thus an exact count is not possible. The guests drank some, took some home, and there are about 10 cases left for the department for any upcoming events as they wish.
I was surprised at some of the students who came that I wasn’t expecting. Several went back to the “beginning”… when I started in 1988. One couple came who were in my physical geography class taught my first quarter there, and then they took other courses as well. They were not married then and their oldest daughter is 12, youngest is 3. However, 1988 was eclipsed by 1974’s “first academic acquaintances” from the University of Idaho.
Food: fruit, cheeses, sliced meats and the like, and tomatoes/with/garlic (made by one of the faculty members), strawberries and a fondue chocolate dip, other chocolates I didn’t see all of but heard there were lots that other faculty brought. There were grapes rolled in some sort of sugar. I did have some of those and some fromage. There was coffee and tea and ice water for those who don’t drink wine.
Marilyn picked a bunch of grape leaves from her yard and brought grapes she had grown, and decorated all the tables with flowers, weeds, and grasses (from her yard) in vases.
I don’t have the book of memories yet because the entries people made on paper yesterday will be added to the book, after holes are punched in them. We left some of the flowers people brought. There is a beautiful yellow flower I don’t know what is. We will have to check– it’s still at school. We brought home a little pink rose bush and a yellow potted plant something like a chrysanthemum, but no card, so don’t know who brought that.
It was really a great event. Thanks to all who came. And to all the others we’ve heard from.
Nancy