WTF 52+2

 Monday March 22

last day at the hospital

Tuesday March 23

did the infusion and it went okay - scary. Jim exhausted.

Wednesday March 24

I worked and did the infusion and when I was almost done Natasha Jones came from the home health people. Moved forward a bit. taped a bit for the poster session competition. Nils says he wants me to do some different things - alumni relations etc. I have to make sure he understands that we are overloaded.

Thursday March 25

Something or other, including a staff meeting where we talked about returning to campus and it was nice to see everyone. Then stuff and things and the admin meeting where things got a bit tense talking about the speaker budget.

Friday March 26

We went to the park for lunch I think, and then to In 'n Out burgers for dinner. Ben called an checked in and Jim was so happy. 

Thankfully, Jim is strong and they were good and late Monday night he was finally released and now I am giving IV antibiotics once a day and next Friday he will have another surgery that fixes the first surgery and on April 5 he has his post-surgery visit and we hope this is all over. He is so much better already, sitting at his desk and sorting through the avalanche of papers that have arrived while he was out. I am slowly catching up on the accumulated stuff on my desk and turning myself right side up.

 

Apart from the worry and details and stuff the whole hospital experience is so weird (as you know from experience). It is a bit like an airport; a liminal space where a lot of what you do is wait and hope that someone is in charge with a plan. Every day you try to understand what is going on and what is important and what is random and what needs attention and what does not matter. Every day there are new people you are dependent on and you just have to hope that they are mostly competent and remember all the details of what is going on with this particular patient. We had a few who were less than, but many good people and a few who were excellent. Among them were two nurses who were proactive about our needs and willing to explain the next step and made sure we asked for the right things.

 

Whoever was working and whatever else happened it was still all at a few steps remove from regular reality. The isolation of the hospital after the isolation of the freeze after the isolation of the pandemic each added a few more steps, each served to demonstrate the fragility even of the mundane. Oh, and my friend Annika’s partner Tony, whose cancer is now beyond treatment, shared with me the playlist for his memorial service. His range of musical interests are as broad as yours – from the Theme from Rocky to Por Una Cabeza and Rameau’s Les Sauvages (so strange that you had just lent me that). I feel honored that he sent it to me now, and talked about it, but also heartbroken.

 

Other than that the sun is actually shining and the leaves on the trees hold the promise of life and spring and joy. The cats are pleased we are home, but irritated that they don’t get to chew on the medical supplies.

 

Saturday March 27

Made sure the dissertation proposal workshop started well and then signed off. Short calls with Annika and mom and went to the post office and had lunch with Lauri at Pandera Bread in Arlington. Small menu and confused staff but very nice to sit outdoors. Now lounging and Jim is talking with Kim.

Sunday, I don't know about Sunday ... Oh yeah, our washing machine broke. Pffft.