Today was a good day. Ice Cube reference intended. See pics below.
I slept very well last night, after staying up late and then taking a Valium. Also the catheter thing has moved from extreme annoyance to mildly annoying routine. So I woke up at 5am, did it, and passed back out. I also can now “push” during the catheter, whatever that means. Makes it easier. Sorry if that’s disgusting information.
9:30am - Dr. Anschell visited me like he does every morning. I asked him about the incomplete vs. complete injury. He said I am listed as incomplete because of all the sensation I am experiencing in my legs. He further pointed out that every part of your body has individual nerve endings that all line up with those in your spinal cord. There are no parts of my legs where sensation is absent, so that means ALL nerves are somehow making it through the point of injury and communicating with my brain. That’s good. Hey also said that “incomplete” is really a research term and that 3/5 of people experience some return of function in 6-12 months. ”Some” is a wide-ranging word, meaning that I might have muscle tone in my legs, for instance, but not enough to walk. 6 months is the point when the doctors can really start seeing where I’ll end up. Seems very far away.
By 10:30am I was dressed and heading to the building chapel for a non-denominational service with my parents. We ended up making up half of the attendees, but the service was a short 30 minutes but powerful. The worship leader was a middle eastern woman. She mentioned the story of Joseph (son of Jacob, not husband of Mary), and how he endured suffering but that it was God’s plan and in the end he became a powerful leader and witness to both Egypt and his family. It overwhelmed me to think that God might be preparing me for something with this. I have no idea what, but I have to trust in God. She also prayed for us by name for strength and healing. Really moving.
11am - Jake and Eric showed up and were lucky enough to join in for a one hour session they call “Hot Topics” here. Today’s topic was about bowel movements, medications for them, eating right and hydrating enough, etc. They found it interesting, I guess. The more bizarre thing is that it turns out Jake and Dr. Anschell already knew each other from a mutual friend’s parties. That’s crazy enough but it’s even more nuts considering that Chewie’s wife, Keri, is friends with the assisting doctor to my surgeon from my operation. What are the chances???
Noon - The Quek Clan (Chewie, Keri, and baby Elise) joined us for lunch in the cafeteria. I managed to get down an entire Turkey burger, a couple pickles, some fruit and a vanilla soy milk. It felt good to really eat and seeing the baby was really cool. She’s so small! And she doesn’t know anything! Sponge for information. Really cool to watch.
1pm - Jake and Eric headed up to the Cubs game. The rest of us went outside and walked/wheeled around the track behind the Museum of Contemporary Art. Then Clan Quek said their goodbyes.
2pm - I found out Rebecca was stuck in Jo-burg because her flight was delayed so much she missed her connection. On top of that they didn’t put her up anywhere and also didn’t get her her bag. Jo-burg is not a safe place. After a few texts and phone calls she was lucky enough to stay with a girl she met on the plane for the night and catch a flight tomorrow to Maputo. Too bad she couldn’t have just stayed in Chicago!!! May 5…
2:30pm - Cath then workout routine. A bike makes my legs move which I’m supposed to do every day. A fellow patient, John, got onto this huge contraption to try and stand and have a forced (mechanically-assisted) walk for the first time. It was a good workout for him. Go John!
4pm - Mexican train dominos with the parents. I won the first two rounds. We are going to keep a tally.
5pm - Bed to rest, then drugs, then nap, then dinner in the cafeteria. Way better food, again, than the stuff they bring to my room. I ate the leftover pulled pork eggs benedict from my date with Rebecca yesterday. The cafeteria will be a good motivator to get my ass out of bed. I wonder if they did that on purpose.
7pm - Work on PJs stuff.
8pm - Read bible with parents a bit. Overcome with emotion again reading Acts 22. Verses 14-16, especially:
Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
8:30pm - My brother Marc called to check on me and wish me well. He is the writer of the family so he was nice enough to say he liked my writing. He also was celebrating Nick’s birthday, who is an old friend of mine from a decade ago working at Red Lobster in Lexington, KY. So that was cool to catch up with him.
Sorry for the novel. It was a good day. Writing this out helps me remember and appreciate it.
G’night!
No comments:
Post a Comment