April 24, 2006 (11:58am)
Someone suggested we do a blog, so you can post your comments and Gary can read them when he gets the internet. I was told about blogspot.com and am trying that out. Will let you know if it seems successful (note – I think it works. Check out http://drpeg2003.blogspot.com/ ). I am well aware that some of you may want to send me emails responding to what I have been writing, as has been happening, but would not want your comments available for public consumption. If that is the case, please don’t let the fact that I am putting this on a blog stop you from sending me the private emails – I won’t post them. I read them, but be aware you may not always get a timely response (ironic grin).
This next paragraph you may want to skip because I am going to vent. I had a rotten night. My leg hurt and I was upset from my visit with Gary, although writing about it actually made me feel better. Then my typical bad karma with hotel neighbors returned with a vengeance – what is it about people who go to hotels and act like they’re the only ones there? First I had the people to one side and across from me going in and out, talking in the hallway, and worst of all, visitors banging LOUDLY and frequently on their doors until after midnite. Perhaps that went on even later, but my exhaustion took over about then. My critique group friend Eve has told me, in a different context, that the penance for murder in the Catholic church is only 10 Hail Marys. I got to the point where I was willing to say a novena. Then at 4 am somebody decides to check into the room next to me on the other side . And can they do it quietly? Of course not. They had to talk to each other in the hall and bang their door for thirty minutes. I was ripped out of a sound sleep, shaking, and my heart going a mile a minute. Just when I had started to calm, someone started knocking on their door. I lost it. I went out there in my jammies and asked if the person was the same one who had been knocking on the door before, intending to request that they find a different mode of communication. The woman looked at me, said she just got there, for me to go back to sleep, and that sometimes we don’t get what we want. At which point I burst into tears and said, “I am well aware of that. My husband is lying paralyzed in the hospital.” Obviously not the response she expected. She walked away, then came back and said, “I’m sorry, I’ll pray for you.” I felt like telling her that was all well and good, but I’d appreciate it more if they would just be more considerate and not make so much noise. Oh, well. At least I think I guilted them into being more quiet. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back to sleep. So I meditated. I have been putting a lot of extra mileage on my mantra this week. I had intended to get up at 9, on the theory that it would be better to get up and going and hope I would be tired enough tonight to get a good night’s sleep, but at 8:30 I finally fell asleep until about 9:45. I pulled myself out of bed at 10 and got ready for the 10:30 visit.
I felt anxious going over there, worried how Gary would be feeling this morning, but the difference was like the difference between, well, night and day. Things seemed back to “normal.” He had two questions for me to ask a doctor – when he would get off the breathing tube, and about the deep breathing exercises. Good timing. A respiratory doctor came in and I asked the questions, and the doctor told Gary weaning him off the trache tube was a trial and error thing. That they just had to see how he was responding to the weaning process and go by that. This was not any new news, but I think Gary likes to have the reassurance of a doctor. I asked the doctor how much Gary should practice deep breathing. At first he said like the nurse had, “when he thinks of it.” I don’t know about y’all, but I’m standing there thinking, wouldn’t that be all the time? I mean, it’s not that he has a lot of other stuff on his mind right now. Fortunately the doctor then gave a specific, that a good routine would be 1-2 min. every hour. Now that’s something I can wrap my mind around. Tell me how often to do something and I’ll do it. Give me a vague “whenever you think of it” and I’m bewildered by how much I should be doing it. Anyway, just having the doctor say this to him helped ease Gary’s mind, I think.
Another good piece of news, when he yawned this morning his ears popped and he got part of his hearing back, so it’s a relief to know that is just is a matter of his ears being stuffed up from drainage.
A bunch more cards came – from his brother Donne and family – Phyllis, Carissa and Justin; Jack and Janet Rogers; Judy Roitman and her husband Stan whose last name I regret to tell you I can’t remember and I can’t make out the writing; the KU group; Sheldon and Brenda (? again, forgive my memory and the fact that I can’t make out the name for sure) Davis; and Gary’s sister Norma, who wrote that Gary could give anyone there a hard time except me – Gary pointed that out to me and nodded emphatically.
I think that’s all for now . . . Oh. Someone (since this is going up on the web, I’m not naming names for the most part, except to let those people who sent cards know that they arrived) wondered whether my leg problem might be “ restless leg syndrome.” I haven’t heard it called that, and from what I’ve read on it in the past, I don’t think that’s it. I HAVE had what I thought was that in the past, the need to move the leg to get some kind of relief. But I haven’t read that a symptom of that is the “shaking” sensation. This shaking is something that can actually be felt – when the massage therapist works on me, she can feel the internal shaking. And sometimes the shaking can be felt in the small of my back. Someone else thought an acupuncturist might help. I did actually go to one – she is a Chinese medical doctor who does acupuncture in Auburn – but I got scared after the first treatment. Not the acupuncture part, tho I was uncomfortable lying on the table that long, but when she finished up, it was with some kind of massage. I don’t know what the official term for it was, but for us Americans she termed if “Kung fu massage.” (Her English is pretty bad – I understood about one word in ten – like maybe the pronouns.) Anyway, the name fit. She was slapping me all along the back of my body with her palms, and I mean hard. I was really afraid she was going to hurt me, make my symptoms worse. But I couldn’t get off the table. I told her to stop, that I was afraid this was too much. She said, “No, no, good for you, wake up chi.” I said, “No, no, not good for me, beat the chi out of me.” She didn’t understand. Or chose not to. But I had been thinking of giving it a try again, so when I get the chance I’ll see if I can locate a traditional Chinese acupuncturist around here. Let’s see. I’ve gone thru an M.D., two physical therapists, three massage therapists, and a chiropractor so far. Everyone helps a little but no big breakthroughs. Actually, I think the latest thing the chiropractor was doing – stretching me on the rack (all right, decompression table), was definitely helping. Another thing to look into, to find someone up here who does that.
Okay, time for next visit.
All for now,
Peg
Someone suggested we do a blog, so you can post your comments and Gary can read them when he gets the internet. I was told about blogspot.com and am trying that out. Will let you know if it seems successful (note – I think it works. Check out http://drpeg2003.blogspot.com/ ). I am well aware that some of you may want to send me emails responding to what I have been writing, as has been happening, but would not want your comments available for public consumption. If that is the case, please don’t let the fact that I am putting this on a blog stop you from sending me the private emails – I won’t post them. I read them, but be aware you may not always get a timely response (ironic grin).
This next paragraph you may want to skip because I am going to vent. I had a rotten night. My leg hurt and I was upset from my visit with Gary, although writing about it actually made me feel better. Then my typical bad karma with hotel neighbors returned with a vengeance – what is it about people who go to hotels and act like they’re the only ones there? First I had the people to one side and across from me going in and out, talking in the hallway, and worst of all, visitors banging LOUDLY and frequently on their doors until after midnite. Perhaps that went on even later, but my exhaustion took over about then. My critique group friend Eve has told me, in a different context, that the penance for murder in the Catholic church is only 10 Hail Marys. I got to the point where I was willing to say a novena. Then at 4 am somebody decides to check into the room next to me on the other side . And can they do it quietly? Of course not. They had to talk to each other in the hall and bang their door for thirty minutes. I was ripped out of a sound sleep, shaking, and my heart going a mile a minute. Just when I had started to calm, someone started knocking on their door. I lost it. I went out there in my jammies and asked if the person was the same one who had been knocking on the door before, intending to request that they find a different mode of communication. The woman looked at me, said she just got there, for me to go back to sleep, and that sometimes we don’t get what we want. At which point I burst into tears and said, “I am well aware of that. My husband is lying paralyzed in the hospital.” Obviously not the response she expected. She walked away, then came back and said, “I’m sorry, I’ll pray for you.” I felt like telling her that was all well and good, but I’d appreciate it more if they would just be more considerate and not make so much noise. Oh, well. At least I think I guilted them into being more quiet. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back to sleep. So I meditated. I have been putting a lot of extra mileage on my mantra this week. I had intended to get up at 9, on the theory that it would be better to get up and going and hope I would be tired enough tonight to get a good night’s sleep, but at 8:30 I finally fell asleep until about 9:45. I pulled myself out of bed at 10 and got ready for the 10:30 visit.
I felt anxious going over there, worried how Gary would be feeling this morning, but the difference was like the difference between, well, night and day. Things seemed back to “normal.” He had two questions for me to ask a doctor – when he would get off the breathing tube, and about the deep breathing exercises. Good timing. A respiratory doctor came in and I asked the questions, and the doctor told Gary weaning him off the trache tube was a trial and error thing. That they just had to see how he was responding to the weaning process and go by that. This was not any new news, but I think Gary likes to have the reassurance of a doctor. I asked the doctor how much Gary should practice deep breathing. At first he said like the nurse had, “when he thinks of it.” I don’t know about y’all, but I’m standing there thinking, wouldn’t that be all the time? I mean, it’s not that he has a lot of other stuff on his mind right now. Fortunately the doctor then gave a specific, that a good routine would be 1-2 min. every hour. Now that’s something I can wrap my mind around. Tell me how often to do something and I’ll do it. Give me a vague “whenever you think of it” and I’m bewildered by how much I should be doing it. Anyway, just having the doctor say this to him helped ease Gary’s mind, I think.
Another good piece of news, when he yawned this morning his ears popped and he got part of his hearing back, so it’s a relief to know that is just is a matter of his ears being stuffed up from drainage.
A bunch more cards came – from his brother Donne and family – Phyllis, Carissa and Justin; Jack and Janet Rogers; Judy Roitman and her husband Stan whose last name I regret to tell you I can’t remember and I can’t make out the writing; the KU group; Sheldon and Brenda (? again, forgive my memory and the fact that I can’t make out the name for sure) Davis; and Gary’s sister Norma, who wrote that Gary could give anyone there a hard time except me – Gary pointed that out to me and nodded emphatically.
I think that’s all for now . . . Oh. Someone (since this is going up on the web, I’m not naming names for the most part, except to let those people who sent cards know that they arrived) wondered whether my leg problem might be “ restless leg syndrome.” I haven’t heard it called that, and from what I’ve read on it in the past, I don’t think that’s it. I HAVE had what I thought was that in the past, the need to move the leg to get some kind of relief. But I haven’t read that a symptom of that is the “shaking” sensation. This shaking is something that can actually be felt – when the massage therapist works on me, she can feel the internal shaking. And sometimes the shaking can be felt in the small of my back. Someone else thought an acupuncturist might help. I did actually go to one – she is a Chinese medical doctor who does acupuncture in Auburn – but I got scared after the first treatment. Not the acupuncture part, tho I was uncomfortable lying on the table that long, but when she finished up, it was with some kind of massage. I don’t know what the official term for it was, but for us Americans she termed if “Kung fu massage.” (Her English is pretty bad – I understood about one word in ten – like maybe the pronouns.) Anyway, the name fit. She was slapping me all along the back of my body with her palms, and I mean hard. I was really afraid she was going to hurt me, make my symptoms worse. But I couldn’t get off the table. I told her to stop, that I was afraid this was too much. She said, “No, no, good for you, wake up chi.” I said, “No, no, not good for me, beat the chi out of me.” She didn’t understand. Or chose not to. But I had been thinking of giving it a try again, so when I get the chance I’ll see if I can locate a traditional Chinese acupuncturist around here. Let’s see. I’ve gone thru an M.D., two physical therapists, three massage therapists, and a chiropractor so far. Everyone helps a little but no big breakthroughs. Actually, I think the latest thing the chiropractor was doing – stretching me on the rack (all right, decompression table), was definitely helping. Another thing to look into, to find someone up here who does that.
Okay, time for next visit.
All for now,
Peg
posted by Peg Daniels at 12:17 PM
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