When Will It End?

Do I look a tad overwhelmed and resigned? I tried not to for Sue's obligatory breakfast photo, but if I do look a tad flummoxed, there's a reason.

That was this morning, and we had just driven the half hour to Perth and back. The wee trip was to get a requisition for a urinalysis, and that itself is a story.

You see, yesterday evening I realized that I had all of the symptoms of yet another UTI — my third since my prostate surgery in early June.

So far, everything in this ongoing story has seemed to happen just before the weekend when doctors are unreachable, bless their hearts. (No, seriously, do bless their hearts.) Thank goodness, Tuesday is well removed from the weekend, eh? But the heckuvit is that my doctor is on holiday this week. What should I do now, eh?

I didn't fancy another trip to the ER if I could possibly work around it. I could call the surgeon in our family doctor's absence, but I was afraid that my request would sit for too long since his days are pretty busy with ... um ... surgery. Besides, he's not the best at calling back anyway. I poured out my woes to Sha who was able to get the doctor and nurse at her seniors' residence to fill out a requisition for lab work.

So that is why I drove to Perth. While I could have waited for her to bring the requisition home after work, it would mean that nothing would get started until tomorrow, and I know from experience that culturing the specimen takes a few days/

I went straight home and prepared my sample. I put the vial in a bag but the vial leaked and I ended up with more urine in the bag than the vial. I took bag and vial to the lab anyway, and they seemed to accept my offering although I don't think they were terribly impressed with me.

With that done, we went out for breakfast. It was a good initial outing for Sue after her ordeal, and it just felt plain good be out and about like real people and to pamper ourselves just a little bit. 

Neither of us could finish our platters, but we were happy to be out and acting like regular folks. There followed another little treat after breakfast, but I have to save some fodder for the morrow.

Meanwhile, I don't know what to make of my predicament. I'd never had a UTI before, and now I have had three of them within two months. Actually, I believe it is just the one infection that has never cleared up completely. I think it was the two weeks with the catheter before surgery that did me in. That's when the night sweats started, and while they have lessened in intensity, they have never ceased.

Fortunately, I do not feel sick, but I do feel discomfort. Mostly it is a mild burning sensation; sometimes feeling more sorey than burny. And I am urinating more frequently and with somewhat more urgency.

I now wait for the lab results which should take two days. Will they even get it done and get back to me before the weekend? 

When of when this never ending story end?

I couldn't seem to fit this next bit in the narrative, above, but I also made a trip to the pharmacy last evening. You see, pharmacists in this province have been given the authority to prescribe for UTIs. I waited while he talked at length to the lady in front of me. I could just make out that they seemed to be talking about dealing with a UTI situation. This gave me hope, but when it got to be my turn, he said that they could only deal with women because men, at least those in a situation like mine, were too complicated.

Just imagine: me complicated. Whodathunkit?

Morning Musing

Sue walked in just a few minutes ago. It was 4:35AM. She asked what I was doing and if I was okay. I was just finishing catching up with your posts, and yes I was and am okay. In addition to blogs, I've also been through Twitter and Flickr already. And I have had my initial coffee — long ago actually. I should make a second cup.

I had been up for more than an hour already after my five hours of sleep. I think that is correct, but I'll get my watch app to confirm later. But it's not always right either.

BTW, Sue is coming along although yesterday was a bit of a relapse from the previous day. No, relapse is much too strong, but I can't think of an alternative right now.

I will do a little grocery shopping later. There's not much on the list, but I'll get what there is.

The boy came over yesterday to help out with weeding and garden cleanup. He cut down the spent daylily stalks and even ones that were not quite spent. We just had him do it whilst he was here.

He borrowed some of Sue's paints for a decoration for his new room. His mom sent a photo. 

Now that his hair is shorter, I am stunned, once again, by how much he resembles me at that age. Honestly, that face could be mine — not the hair though, even when I had hair.

He's been fixing up a lair in the basement after having a squidgy little bedroom upstairs. I think it will be grand down there. In the background hangs one of Sue's paintings. If memory serves, there is a cardinal in the winter scene.

It's almost 5 o'clock: time for a second cuppa and sudoku, wordle, and a few other puzzles. Then, there must be a shower. I never used to be a morning-showerer but ever since the catheter, I continue to sweat every night. When I was teaching, I would always clean up at night to try to squeeze in every bit of sleep that I could before heading out for the day. Yes, once upon a time, I could sleep.

Getting There

I don't really have anything to post, but I do know that some of you wonder when I miss days, especially considering our recent health issues. Since I already missed yesterday, I thought I should check-in today.

The best news is that when Sue got up yesterday, she reported that she felt "almost human." Her migraine was gone and her body was, and is, beginning to heal. It may be that the migraine was caused by the antibiotics because they stopped once she was off them for a day.

We managed to to deal with the weekly laundry, under the direction of the lady. I think if push came to shove, I could probably handle it on my own for the most part, but she is very particular about what gets laundered with what and also with the how of it all.

We also concocted some sort of almost-soup with cauliflower and mashed potatoes. Sue dreamed up the mélange as a way of dealing with one of the two cauliflowers that we, somehow, had in the house before it went bad (the cauliflower, I mean, not the house). I had thought to make my cauliflower soup recipe, but it is rather involved and calls for Swiss cheese and leeks, and I couldn't work up the effort which would have required a special trip to yon grocery store never you mind the actual processing and cooking. So Sue invented this gruel concept, and it actually tasted okay. I need to follow a recipe when I cook, but Sue comes up with ideas. These are are exotic ideas; we call her Queen of the Leftovers.

This morning, Sue is rejoicing because she even managed to roll onto her bad, appendix, side. It was brief and knot exactly comfy womfy, but it was another step in her recovery. Yay team!

Silly me, however, was up very early after the call of nature at 3:30. That's a problematic time, for by then I have almost slept for five hours, and I cannot usually get back to sleep. I tried, but it was all for naught, especially with the added bonus of a visit from the furry wonder.

Meanwhile, I saw this notice →
on fb. I was only dimly aware that there have been concerts in the park this summer, but suddenly I see a notice for the final one. Summer is indeed fleeting.

Caturday 51: Hang Your Leg Over

It has been more than a month since our last Caturday, and that Caturday was about Sabine. Consequently, Lacey is offended, so here she is in what I call her podium, but pedestal would work.

It is plain for all to see that she is a pretty big girl who barely fits the podium, but she does spend a lot of time in/on there early morning and late evening. Those are the hours that find her waiting for me. In the morning, she waits for me to go downstairs for breakfast. In the evening, she hangs about waiting for me to break down and give her the odd cat treat.

I took this picture yesterday because I liked the way that her leg was hanging over, and with the window open, so she could hear the wind blow.

Yes, you may sing the tune now with the slight modification of substituting leg for head: Hang your leg over, hear the wind blow.

Lacey is pretty content overall. In addition to her kibble bowl and occasional treats, she gets her three daily helpings of wet food that amount to one small can. It is always pate and always seafood-based because that is what she likes. No chicken for this turkey.

P R O G R E S S

We're making progress although it is more like p r o g r e s s — a bit on the slow side.

Sue did have a better night, but when you can't move around much, repose will still not be great. She did have a migraine this morning, but not like yesterday's. Yes, that it what we suppose it was although we don't know for certain. Sue does get migraines upon waking once or twice a month. Thankfully, they don't last more than a few hours. Yesterday's experience was something else entirely, and coming off surgery, we feared that something might have been going terribly amiss. Under the circumstances, I think it was the right thing to go to ER.

On the home front, I am keeping up with things more or less, but, believe it or not, the weekend is almost here, which is when we do laundry, electricity rates being cheapest then.

We seem to be getting bad weather warnings on almost a daily basis lately. Thankfully, most of the very worst stuff has been bypassing us.

Last night, after the deluge ceased, I peered out the bedroom window and saw an impressive cloud. I grabbed my little camera and leaned out to take a picture.

Too bad I didn't catch any of the occasional lightning bursts that fired from time to time.

Wild Night

I am quite hearing impaired at this stage of life. I am probably at 50%, and adaptations are necessary.

In Sue's present condition, one nighttime adaptation is to make sure that she can reach me if necessary. Last night, it was necessary.

Since the surgery, I have made sure that my watch is charged when I go to bed. If I can't hear her from wherever she might be, she can call me through her watch, and mine will vibrate.

I don't know what woke me last night, whether the watch vibrating on my wrist or the phone ringing beside the bed. But I both felt and heard at 3:30. She had called out first from the bathroom, but her calls fell on deaf ears — quite literally.

The poor dear had be up since 1:30 with a splitting headache, diarrhea and vomitting. She was in quite a state.

We were at ER by 4, and, after triage, we were beginning to be seen to by 4:30.

An IV was administered, including anti-nausea medication and pain reliever.

Things calmed down, but we had to wait until after 7 for a total blood workup. It's a smaller, community hospital that is not fully staffed at all hours, and that is how it is.

The results were all negative, and there was no real explanation of the emergency. We were home by 8.

So, here we be. I will soon go out and get Gravol to have on hand, but right now, Sue is just whacked.

Me too, kinda.

Razzmatazz

It’s Sue’s third morning home, so I’ll post a wee update.

She was given stool-softener tablets, and I think they have wreaked more havoc than anything. Aside from that, or along with that, she feels very bloated. The pain, however, is more under control — not gone, but lessened in intensity.

After the first night in the chair, she tried the bed for the past two nights. Finding a stool to help her climb in and then arranging the pillows better, led to a better sleep last night. And she wanted a full mug of coffee this morning. Progress.

Somewhat miraculously, she has managed to keep up with her daily photos. Yesterday, her prompt was something to do with unique perspectives. When Sha and JJ dropped by with milkshakes in an attempt to get something more into her, she set up a photo with JJ.

She had him hug her while I snapped a picture of his hands. Then, I took a picture of her hands holding him. She superimposed them in one of her programs and then added some magic razzmatazz.

Meanwhile, I’ve managed the laundry. I am struck that with all of the knobs and dials on the machines that she only adjusts one or two. I think that I more or less have it down, but I will likely require more repetition, especially with the sorting, to get it firmly implanted in my wee, male brain. I learn slowly, but I learn.

Also, after washing many dishes by hand, I relented and used the dishwasher last night. I’ll have to empty it in a bit. Then, I will pick up this week’s grocery order. I ordered online because I didn’t want to leave Sue alone for too log whilst I wandered abut the store. Oh, and I put the garbage out this morning, which is a first since Sue had been attending too due to my convalescence. 

We're not doing too well with food, but we have bananas, cereal and toast, so we are surviving. Really, neither of us have had much of an appetite.

So, there we be.