January 26, 2022

This day was one of those “everything I wrote was the same to family and Facebook”… but first, the skeleton I saw every morning on the corner of University and 13th Street. Sometimes it would be moved, sitting in another position, wearing a hat, anything. I think this day it was wearing a scarf. I love people who commit to the bit like that.

When you’re weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all, all
I’m on your side, oh, when times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

So today we have a nurse (who’s name might be Shumina but I’m not 100% sure) and a Nurse-in-Training (NIT?). His name is David and he’s not new to the medical field but he is new to nursing. He’s like five years old and is adorable (but boy am I glad Shumina is here, and looks to be in her sixties — keep that boy on his toes!). Hahahaha, she just introduced herself as I was writing this, and I allowed as how David had already told me he was new, but also that I was glad when I saw her because she looks both comforting and bossy, which I absolutely admire, and she started laughing when he started vigorously nodding his head. Hahahah.

Anyway!

OverNurse Kim was in Tim’s room when I got here, doing a neuro exam, and he responded to wiggling toes and fingers on the right side, but not the left (the left is the side that’s been giving him problems since those last strokes). He also fell asleep, though, between the commands for the right and left sides, so there’s that, too. Poor boy can only keep his eyes open for about thirty seconds at a time.

Kim said that the plan for the day is
– a brain scan to make sure there haven’t been any new strokes, since he’s been sedated for a while and unable to follow commands (this is more of a “making sure there’s not” than “we’re worried there has been”)
– taking out the central line in his neck and moving to peripherals
– weaning him off the vent attached to his trach, so that he’ll be breathing on his own (once they do that, they can go down a size in his trach since it won’t be hooked up to the vent; maybe not immediately/today, but they can start. The goal is to make each new trach smaller and smaller, and eventually he will be able to talk even with one, and eat/drink/swallow).

Other than that, she just really wants him to rest today, and keep healing. So hopefully I won’t be back in a couple hours with any exciting news!

I genuinely do not remember them getting him out of bed that day, but clearly they did because these pictures are from that day. I wonder why I don’t remember it, though? You’d think after two weeks of being in a medically induced coma, TIM IS UP AND OUT OF BED would have been, like, the first thing I said?!

When you’re down and out
When you’re on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I’ll take your part, oh, when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Let’s see… in other new, I have a completely bonkers story about a woman who left a handwritten note and pictures of her missing cats in my mailbox, whom I texted, and she came over last night IN THE COLD AND RAIN to look for her cats, and brought me some catnip to thank me for being so nice, and … I mean, she was nice, she clearly cares about her cats, but y’all, she had SO MUCH ENERGY and I was exhausted by just spending about 15 minutes with her. I’d come home early to get some packages out, and I was already kind of tired from that … and from the day before, to be honest … and I feel so lame saying this but what the heck, y’all, I can pretty much do one thing other than sit with Tim – I can get a package out OR I can do some laundry OR I can deep clean the tortoise water bowls but I can not do two of those three things or I’m in bed by 8PM, just tired AF. I feel really bad that Jenny sent me some things to bring to the nurses, but part of them needs to be put together, and every day I look at the things and I’m “I really want to bring these in” but also “I’m too tired to put these together” (so, I’m so sorry, Jen, but I promise I will get them all onto the floor at some point!).

Anyway. Not many pictures from yesterday, I’ll add them in a second. Today? Today is paying some more bills, I have one more Patreon thing to get out, and I have some laundry to fold that I did maybe three days ago. Will I get all of those things done today? Stay tuned tomorrow for another episode of “probably not, I mean, didn’t she JUST say she could do one thing, and here are three?!”! 😉

For having been asleep for the last two weeks, and being hooked up to almost every machine they had at the hospital, Tim really doesn’t look that bad here. Oh! And I just looked at tomorrow’s notes, and apparently I talked about him getting out of bed in that post. I have absolutely no idea why I didn’t bring it up that day, though. What the heck, brain!

Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Lyrics by Paul Simon
Bridge over Troubled Water