Thursday 1.24.2008

Day 9, Treatment #1

I worked again today. Getting to Jackson this morning was just a little adventure--the roads had been salted, and mostly a crunchy wet from the small amount of snow we had gotten. So, as I was passing the semi trucks, there was road spray from the truck tires getting on my windshield. No problem, turn on the wipers and clear it off, with a little spray of the windshield washer stuff. Oh, the squirters aren't working. The squirters didn't work a couple of weeks ago--I thought the solution was gone. And, just by happenstance, I had picked up a gallon of Rainex Windshield Wash just a few days prior to the lack of fluid spraying. I had mentioned to Dan that the squirters weren't squirting, and he, being the wonderful partner that he is--filled the reservoir. And I had used it a few times. Cool. This stuff seems to work ok, streak-wise. But now, no fluid. You know the mess, dried white fan shaped residue on the windshield.

A vehicle passes me, and as soon as it gets by, cuts in front of me. More spray. Well, that moistens the stuff already on there, so I let it get pretty wet and back off, then turn on the windshield wipers. That's better. And so it goes for another 10 miles or so. Someone passes me, cuts in front, the car gets sprayed, I stay in the filthy water to get the windshield wet enough to use the wiper blades, then back off. Out of habit or reflex or just driving response, I pull the lever to squirt the windshield. No squirt, and you know how the wiper blades go across a couple of times and then park? The blades went across and back, and seemed to be getting to their down position a little slow. There's another pick up truck passing me. (I was going 70 this morning...) It cuts back in front of me, and the tire spray thing happens. I turn on the wipers, nothing happens. Oh great. Now I can't see through the mudyuck on the windshield. Here's my exit. I flip the lever for the turn signal. No turn signal. Good!! Dirty windshield that I can hardly see through, and no turn signals either. I'm glad I'm almost there. Of course I have to go into town, and there are often police officers watching traffic. (great, I thought, explain this one...)

By the time I get parked in the lot I have an action plan: I will first call Dan and tell him what has happened, and give him the opportunity to decline a 70 mile round trip to check this out, and second, I will call a couple of my favorite auto repair shops to see if they will come out to the parking lot and take care of it for me. I get a small break in the morning routine, and call my wonderful husband.

"I don't see a problem, honey, what is it that you're worried about?" he responds, when I tell him my travel tale. In my best voice, I remind him that I drive in the dark, with a dirty windshield, no wipers, and no turn signals. Again he queries my concern. I offer my solution of having a local shop come and take care of it for me, and he says he doesn't understand why he can't look at it tomorrow at home in the garage. I say something like "Daniel, as a single girl, this is how I would have solved this problem. But, being married, I am running it by my partner. It's not a problem for me to make a couple of phone calls and be done with it, so that when I get out of work tonight, again in the dark, and cold, it will be taken care of and I won't have to worry about driving without turn signals or windshield wipers." To which he responds with an audible exhale. I'll be down, he says, and take care of it. I thank him, tell him he's awesome, and get on with my morning.

My head isn't quite as overloaded as yesterday, but I still can't walk fast. It's like my brain doesn't process what it sees as fast as it sees it. I consciously slow my pace. I want to be a strong team player, and feel like everyone and everything is moving faster than me and my cognitive processing. They reassure me that I'm doing a great job. I have to trust them that they are ok with my "performance".

Early afternoon I receive a text message to "give me a call". Oh good, that's Dan. I call, and he's just coming to the parking lot. It happens that I am near a window and look out. Oh, there he is, he pulls into the parking lot, I tell him to look left; I had parked in the first space by the entrance for ease in locating the vehicle. He says Oh, and I see him stop his car and start to work his magic. I have other things to do, so I can't watch. I actually kind of forget that he's out there, and I get another text message a couple of hours later. I call him.

"I got the wipers and turn signals, a fuse was blown" he says. There were no extra fuses in the fuse box, and no fuse puller, either, so he had to go buy those things. "And your windshield is clean, too". He sounds most pleased with himself. "Ok, thanks, you're awesome." He said he will have to follow up on the squirter motor tomorrow at home. Ok, great. I feel much better about having turn signals, and wipers, too. My Hero.

The workday continues to be busy, with patients, staff/staffing issues, blah blah, and finally the night shift have arrived, it's time for us to leave. Report takes as long as it takes, and I finally leave the hospital close to 8 pm. I change my clothes and go to the lobby to see the shuttle bus pull away. I bundle up and walk over to my extremely dirty car.

I get over to the care home; it's smelly in there tonight. Mom is waiting for me--I like to tell her it's really cold outside, here feel my hands--and gently put my cold hand on hers. She always responds.... I take care of business there and finally leave for home about 10:00. I call Dan and talk with him most of the way home. When I get there, we visit a bit more, he goes off to bed, and I have to shower, as I got "urined on" when getting Elaine ready for bed.

I want to mention my skin today. The area on the left hand is still reddened, with some small raised bumps, with darker shadowlike areas over the knuckles, and itchy. On the right forearm the reddened area at the end of the iv catheter site is extremely itchy and has developed a couple of bumps. Also, on the way home, I noticed that my left hand is feeling lightly tingly, like it's trying to go to sleep. That's new. Also, something I haven't mentioned, is elimination. As much as I drink, I don't seem to be putting out much urine. And the stool has been really dark, almost black.

All of those things I will be taking with me tomorrow to the 11:15 blood draw. I don't know if someone will actually be checking up on me, or if it's strictly a blood draw, but I will take the opportunity while I'm there to find someone to ask questions of.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. I'm amazed that I feel so good at this point. Yes, I'm a little tired, but overall, in the big picture, I'M GOOD!!! Thank you for the prayers and positive energies. I'm sure they play a huge part, more than we know. Thank you. I've got to go to bed.