Archive for September 8th, 2010

Today’s Business: 2010-09-08

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Today’s Activities

  • Shower.  DONE.
  • Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

09:15 AM: I’m up.   

10:00 AM: Applied all operating system and application software updates (8) to this computer.  I always get excited while updating, because I’m eager to see if the computer performs any better after installation.  Usually, it doesn’t.  But sometimes, it indeed does.  So far though, I’ve seen no speed increase.  Ah well, often the improvements don’t show up as speed enhancements, but rather as reliability increases.  Those are nice too; particularly since I experienced numerous “blue screens” a month or so ago that have, miraculously disappeared.  I like when the problems go away on their own. But it unnerves me when I do not know the cause of them in the first place.  If I knew the cause, then I’d probably have a better feel for whether or not that cause has been eliminated as a potential source of problems.  But sometimes, you just can’t look a gift horse in the mouth I guess, because to know the sorts of complex causes that trigger crashes in today’s software, I’d have to become a seasoned Windows expert, and that’s not my forte’ anymore.  So, though I indeed identify myself as someone who has much knowledge and experience with computers and software, in order to focus on my true dream (of being a successful writer), I must tolerate some of the more pesky computer bugs, and have faith that those more in the know than me are working the issues and that they’ll be resolved in subsequent updates. I’m not superman, and I’m more okay with that limitation today than ever before. 

10:37 AM: [Emmy] is taking a shower, and I think I’ll record an episode in my audio journal.  Be back later. 

11:05 AM: Recorded audio journal episode   AJE-2010-09-08-10-45,   on doubting the dream. 

12:15 PM: Sister Diane brought some fresh corn on the cob from her garden for us.  Oh boy.  This is going to be great.  The ears are bigger than what we bought at Walmart last week, and I’ll let you know if the flavor differs as well.  We’ll have some tonight for supper, along with a hunk of cat fish. 

12:35 PM: Well, we couldn’t wait for supper to try the corn.  So for lunch, we heated up the leftover pork from last night, and four ears of that delicious homegrown corn.  Eating and enjoying it made me wish I’d been a farmer. 

04:50 PM: [Emmy] and I watched yesterday’s and today’s episodes of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR.

05:30 PM: Heading out   shopping with sister Jojo.  We decided to complete this trip tonight instead of on Friday morning, as Jojo would like the whole day on Friday to clean house and other family-oriented activities. 

08:40 PM: We’re back home. 

09:00 PM: Groceries are all put away and I have lots of meat in the freezer now.  Time for some controversial television. 

11:00 PM: Watched CNN’s   Larry King Live   television talk show as well as it’s   AC 360   news show.  Tonight’s topic is one that I’ve followed intently.  That is the building of the mosque at ground zero.  Tonight the visionary for that project spoke finally, after the debate has been rolling along for months.  I believe he added substance to the subject and made some effective arguments about why the mosque should be built where they currently intend.  However, he left the door open for compromise.  That is: his group may be willing to change the proposed site of the mosque; but only if national security is not jeopardized as a result. 

12:15 PM: After reviewing daily stats for the sites, iPodding a bit, and making a batch of lime-flavored cream cheese Jello, I’m heading for bed.  Good night, and I’ll have more tomorrow. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

  • Weekly coupon mailer.
  • Life insurance offer.  Not at this time, thanks. 

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Mom’s Status: 2010-09-08

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Summary

Mom continued her two-times-per-day physical therapy today in the gym but without standing exercises until she gets her fitted shoes.  Wt took those to her tonight.  Her voice sounds more energetic today and there’s more focus in her eyes while we talk to her.  She’s listening better.   She still has moderate anxiety, but more  get-well and birthday cards arrived today along with friendly phone calls, and all this made her happier.  Because the weather was chillier tonight, we decided not to take her outside this visit.  But we enjoyed reminiscing just the same, in her room.  She continues her stead climb back to health. 

Pending Objectives

  • Order podiatrist for regular checkups on Mom’s feet.
  • Track Mom’s extreme weakness and loss of feeling in legs. IN PROGRESS.  This has improved markedly over the past several days.  So we believe that the nerve damage is reversible, and she seems to be doing a great job in PT doing just that.  She’ll resume full workouts tomorrow, now that she has her fitted shoes. 
  • Monitor Mom’s overall pain status.  We’re looking to get her pain stopped.  IN PROGRESS.  Her pain continues to decrease so that now, she doesn’t seem to have much in her legs when she’s laying still.  So the static pain seems all but gone.     
  • Track the dissipation of Mom’s pelvic hematoma.  IN PROGRESS.   Can’t measure further progress on this one until Mom has another EMG test next week. 
  • Locate Mom’s living will.  IN PROGRESS.  Her attorneys called a couple days ago, and want me to visit their office.  I’ll try them again next week, and hopefully, they can come to the hospital for Mom’s signature on these papers if needed.  Or at least, they’ll be able to FAX me the living will.        

Completed Objectives

 

Log

05:45 PM: Sister Jojo and I are heading out shopping but will stop on the way home to visit Mom for an hour or so.  The details of thsi visit follow.

  • 07:00 PM: We arrived, and brought Mom’s specially-fitted shoes to her.  With all the exercising she’s been performing lately, the PT folks are worried that Mom will worsen the sore on the bottom of her foot.  She shoes should lessen the pressure on the sore itself, ad they’re custom-made to account for the different shape of Mom’s foot from the charcot problem she got over last fall. In fact, they suspended all standing-style exercises for the past couple days until she could wear her shoes.  Well, now that she has them, full physical therapy can resume.
  • Her foot ulcer does not hurt however and does not appear to be getting bigger.  However, it’s not healing either.  So we’re attempting to get Mom’s podiatrist to visit her to treat the wound. 
  • They gave Mom anti-itch meds.
  • Mom’s primary care physician visited today.  He didn’t say much except that she is improving and that we must wait and see just how quickly and how far she’ll further improve. 
  • Apparently, Mom is gaining weight.  So she’s probably eating enough now.  In fact, she wants to restrict her food intake to avoid gaining any more pounds.  However, we advised her not to diet in her weakened state.  We want her to eat as much as she desires, in order to best enable her body to heal itself. 
  • Though Mom can’t have a room to herself officially, her roommate was hospitalized five or six days ago, and they’ve moved no one else into her bed.  So unofficially, Mom got to have her own room for a time anyhow.
  • Mom informed us that the nursing staff would like to have a meeting with her family representatives to discuss her progress.  I’ll call the lady tomorrow to set that up.
  • They clean Mom up twice per day.  Nice. 
  • Mom would like a medium-sized bottle of Keri hand lotion, as well as her favorite spoon to scratch her back with.  She’s also requesting the orange manicure sticks (emery boards I think?).
  • Mom’s notably happier tonight than last night, and is experiencing less itching today; perhaps due to the meds she’s now receiving.  But she still itches some.
  • Her PCP is arranging counseling for Mom to help her cope with the elevated uncertainties of her future given her current situation.
  • 08:20 PM: The nurse came to help clean Mom up.  So we’re leaving now. 

Tom Hesley

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Shopping Trip: 2010-09-08

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

05:30 PM: Tonight, we decided to perform the Friday morning shopping trip a day and a half early to free up a large block of time for sister Jojo on Friday to deal with other concerns. 

So, first, we visited Sam’s Club, where I bought the following items:

  • Peaches
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Blueberries
  • Red grapes
  • Red hot sauce
  • Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese (8 pounds)
  • Fructis hair conditioner
  • Pork roasts (10)
  • Turkey tenders (4)
  • Beef roasts (2)

Total cost: $223.90

06:45 PM: Next, we traveled across the parking lot to Walmart, where I purchased the following items:

  • Catfish fillets (2)
  • Stonyfield organic skim milk (2 gallons)
  • Diet caffeine-free Pepsi (4 liters)
  • Ginger ale

Total cost: $28.00

06:50 PM: Next, we hit Dunkin’ Donuts for the usual shopping trip coffee.  But I got this one for free since I had one of thos cards that they punch every time you buy a coffee, until it’s full.  Then you get your next one for no charge. 

Total cost: $0.00

Grand total: $251.90

Tom Hesley

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Today’s Diet: 2010-09-08

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

I keep this food diary to stay aware of just how many calories I’m eating daily, with the hope that it decreases the likelihood that I’ll overeat.    It seems to work, so here we go with another day…

Today, I consumed the following items:

  • Herbal tea and diet pop throughout the day. 0 calories.
  • 10:30 AM: 1 banana.  125 calories.
  • 12:25 PM: 2 cups of milk.  160 calories.
  • 12:30 PM: 1 bowl of cherry-flavored cream cheese Jello.  300 calories.
  • 12:30 PM: 2 ears of corn with margarine.  200 calories. 
  • 03:00 PM: 6 Oz. blueberries.  90 calories.
  • 03:00 PM: 1/2 cup of raisins.  260 calories.
  • 06:50 PM: 1 extra large Dunkin’ Donuts decaffeinated coffee with hazelnut flavoring and cream.  100 calories.
  • 09:30 PM: 5 slices of muenster cheese.  400 calories.

Total calories: 1635.

Tom Hesley

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