This also starts the ninth week of my
incarceration.
Barb is my day nurse again today. While checking
my vitals she mumbled something to the effect of “This has been the weirdest
Christmas ever”. Uhh...you’re telling me this. I have also pretty much given up
on convincing her to call me Dennis.
This was one of these days where the boredom
really sets in. I find that I can find myself even too bored to read, write or
even watch a video. This happens even sometimes at home but I least I can
change my scenery. Weekends and holidays suck especially when you have a
tediously slow nurse. You are constantly waiting for even the smallest things.
A good example today was getting into my
wheelchair today. Barb came in at 11:50 and asked me if I wanted to get up in
my chair. At that time, Ruby was there to assist. Because I hadn’t been in the
chair since the brace order had been changed so I asked if they needed to be
put back. They both went off to re-read the order and to get the chair. They
were gone for at least five minutes meanwhile I got organized to move. Then
Barb came back and got the bed moved over and the sling put underneath me. She
then went off to find Ruby. The problem is that every time a nurse leaves a
room she gets distracted by another nurse or patient and delays the process. By
the time, both of them were back for the lift it was 12:20.
While the transfer was going on the food service
dude arrived with my lunch tray. He had no access to my overbed table which was
stuck in the corner of the room and my laptop and other stuff were piled up on
it. Barb told him to hold on a few minutes. When he asked where should he put
it my patience was already at the breaking point and I just snapped “Figure it
out”. Barb smiled and looked at me and said “I’m glad you finally said it. I
have been wanting to say that to those guys for a long time.” The simple
solution was just go do the other rooms in the row first and bring the wagon
back thirty feet and do our room.
I had Ruby do one more favour and that was to
fetch the sushi Ed and Lois had brought me from the patient fridge and to check
the medication fridge because Denise had told me last night she was going to
leave me some more munchies . I was able to supplement my chicken salad
sandwich and Italian vegetable soup with cocktail shrimp, Rosita’s spring rolls
and California rolls. Thanks Ed, Lois, Denise and Rosita!
It was much more pleasant being in the chair
without the braces. I was able to bend them quite a bit more than even in the
bed and it also relieved the pressure on my coccyx. I was also able to cross my
feet and even get a glimpse of the bottom of them. This is when I discovered
that they were in even worse shape than the tops. The calluses were breaking up
and peeling around the edges. The aesthetician who gives me my next pedicure is
going to get a big tip and she is going to earn it.
The little Iranian cleaning lady is driving me
nuts. Rather doing everything at once she is in and out of the room constantly
and of course like everyone else here she will move curtains to do something
and leave them where there are. Do they leave their front door open at home?
Well, the physios didn’t show up again today.
Realistically, the biggest problem about being here over Christmas and New
Year’s is that this is my most crucial time for therapy. I walked on Friday,
nothing Saturday, stood a bit and walked a tiny bit on Sunday, walked on
Monday, nothing for two days and supposedly will get therapy on Thursday and
Friday then were back to the weekend and another day off on Tuesday. With a
good run of consecutive days of therapy I could at least be able to walk a
little with a walker on my own and then I could be well on my way.
Without the braces the flexibility in my knees is
improving but I’m just shy of being able to apply the cream on my snakeskin.
Edna’s
daughter, Carol and her husband, Terry came in to check on her and Terry
stopped at my bed and pulled a Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale out his
pocket and handed it to me. I originally turned it down but he told me to keep
it for the future if I didn’t want it now. I was in the middle of my arm
workout so I put it on the bed beside me. As I was doing my exercises, I could
feel the cold can on my hip through the bedsheet. I finally gave in and when Terry
heard that distinctive sound of the pop top, he came over and pulled my curtain
across so I was out of view of the nurse’s station. I normally don’t drink beer
but I do enjoy one occasionally. This one tasted so good! And it hardly
affected my pre-dinner glucose count at 6.3.
Demetrios was my night nurse. Although it was the
first time I’ve been one of his patients, I’ve worked with several times as
part of the team and he is quite good at his job.
As per my usual routine, the night was completed
with an orange, a chocolate goodie and a blue pill.
To be continued...
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