Wednesday, September 28, 2022

7:30 PM

Hello, thank you for joining us today! *Happy Birthday to my Dad, who would've been 104 today!*

 RCH sure means business. They don't 'wonder' about anything, they thoroughly investigate. Again today, Larry was seen by another doctor, who checked his rash & pressure wounds. He took a couple of little chunks out of Larry's arm. Larry said it wasn't very nice, & said the Dr. sewed a stitch for each. The pharmacist again came to see him & is pleased that his rash is not causing him too much grief today. She has to be one of the kindest, most compassionate medical person I have ever encountered. When she said goodbye to me, she spoke beautiful words of hope & consolation.

 I arrived midafternoon, as brother John S. had been visiting for a while. He messaged me earlier, to tell me that Larry had moved to room #612, just down the hall. Larry's by a window this time, which he likes. He sees the tops of trees & of course the sky, in the direction of sunset. I love hearing that a couple of card games were enjoyed & played very well (sharply) by Larry, strategizing & counting. He's a lot farther along than 'Go Fish', from a couple of weeks ago, with the therapist. John filled me in on the medical team visits & procedures.  

  The physios arrived just as I did.  I was so encouraged by Larry's ability & strength. I'm going to try the leg exercises in bed, that he aced today. I know mine won't be as good as his. The treat, as always, is that Larry stood up. He told me later that the actual standing is not hard to do, it’s the getting there from a sitting position. He's pretty wiped out when he's done with physio.

  The nurses who've been assigned to Larry have been super attentive & caring, not to mention cheerful! That sure goes a long way, especially when every other staff that comes along, often wants to poke him. Thank goodness there is a PICC line so a painful poke isn't needed each time they want to give him meds or I.V. He was supposed to have an ultrasound for his liver today, I suppose that will happen tomorrow.

 When folks want to know when a 'good time' to visit would be, it's hard to say, especially since coming to RCH, as there is so much investigating going on. Although, none of the procedures have taken very long. However, if he has had physio, he conks out right after. A visit with Larry, does not necessarily mean a half hour, even 2o minutes of conversation. If he's really awake & fresh, he's good for a couple of games of some sort. Today, for instance, I spent the day, as I often do, holding his hand, stroking his head & face & just 'being' with him. It's very lovely that the natural thing for each person who visits with Larry, is to hold his hand, as he reaches out to take theirs. Even when his eyes are closed, the pulsing of his hand holding yours, is a beautiful communication/encounter.

 A nice surprise today was that I overheard one of Larry's roommates speak about his volunteer work at Luke 15 House. When I heard that, the familiarity of his voice & the quick glimpse when I came in, all came together. That was a gift, to be able to cheer each other with a few memories. He is very ill & so his wife, who is also in hospital. I don't know where! He of course, is so concerned about her. I told him I'm praying for them both & he said the same for us.

 I spent this morning attempting to organize our accounts on a spread sheet. Well, I put a dent in it. I'm happy to say that bills are getting paid (by this novice) by online banking. Not sure my accounting classes exactly prepared me for this when I was 18. This morning, I even made chicken soup. First real cooking since June. I've roasted veggies to enjoy over the next couple of days in salads with quinoa (Larry's un-favorite). Yum for me! I went to Costco to renew our membership & drop off a prescription. 'Not!' The line-up to the customer service desk was out & around the corner. Oh, & another thing: waiting till my tank was almost empty to get gas, didn't pay off, did it! I know none of this is news to most of you, but remember, Larry took care of all of that last year, not letting me go into stores & certainly not filling up the gas tank, when I was going through treatments, especially during covid. My protector! For sure!

 I did treat myself on the drive to the hospital. I ate my lunch on a bench, looking at the Fraser, from where Larry & I would often galivant. Faithfully, there are 1 or 2 herons in the view, which Larry would always comment on. So of course, I had to take a picture. Can you spot them?

   Would you please say a wee prayer for our dear friend Mary. Without knowing who you are, I know she's sending prayers up for you! One day I'll tell you our most favorite Mary story. She's crazy wonderful & always stirs up hearts. That's for sure! 

Good night! Peace be with you and your loved ones. We love you!