17 November 2023
Around 1:30 this morning I waked by some sound in the house. I got up to investigate and as I passed my “computer room” I noticed the printer screen lit up. I then realized it was either updating software or there had been a power surge. I started back to bed and decided to get a drink of water from the glass at my bedside. It was getting close to empty so I headed to the refrigerator to top it off.
As I passed the air filter/dehumidifier in the living room, I noticed only one of the four lights were lit and the machine was not running. I stooped down and powered on the other three lights, got my water topped off and stopped by the utility room to reset the air filter/dehumidifier in there. I also noticed the oven clock flashing, so that solved the mystery – power surge.
Returning to the bedroom, I set the water glass down by my bedside. I have a pair of Ratan dressers that I also use as a nightstand on either side of the bed. That’s were the glass went – on the right side of the bed, on the dresser.
I have an air filter/dehumidifier in the bedroom and knew I would not be able to see the buttons to reset it without a light so I used my trusty iPhone flashlight feature to reset it. Then I turned off the flashlight and as I reached to put the iPhone back on the charger, I knocked a full 16 oz glass of water all over the top of the dresser. I also managed to wet my iPad, all my medicines on top of the dresser and anything within range. Fortunately, my iPad survived the deluge as did my medicines. I spent the next little while soaking up the water. The weave is so tight on the Ratan, plus it is well sealed, plus I wax it once a month that no water penetrated to the drawers in the dresser.
Of course, it took a while to get back to sleep after that. You kinda have to laugh at that. My dressers are taller than my bed. If they were lower, I would have spilled water more frequently, I think.
Dr. Jellinger made contact with Dr. Velez who was flying into Houston. They conferred on my condition. Dr. Jellinger upped me to 15 mg of prednisone yesterday and had me take 10 mg today. He wants me to keep checking my blood pressure. When I go in for the hydration infusion today, he wants the nurse clinician to monitor my CBC results and pay particular attention to my high white blood cell count. I’ve been cleared by both Jellinger and Velez to receive cortisone IV if the clinician deems it necessary from the blood work.
I still feel lethargic, weak, and fatigued. Dr. Jellinger is surprised at that and wants me to take my blood pressure a couple of more times after resting 5 minutes. He also wants me to check my urine with ketostix to make sure I’m not going into ketoacidosis.
Joel will take me to the cancer center this morning (Jellinger doesn’t want me driving) and Keith will bring me home around 5. He’ll also take me to Walgreens to pick up a new prescription of 5 mg prednisone since those 2.5 mg tablets are going fast when I have to take 4 to equal 10 mg.
This crap is getting old. I’m glad the two doctors are talking and are on the same page for treatment. Maybe between the two they can come up with some “cure” for what ails me.
I do feel some of the effects of the Taxol treatments are wearing off. I no longer have to blow my nose for a couple of hours to release blood clots. I’ve noticed that my hairless less are beginning to get coarse hairs reappearing. I’ve also noticed I need to shave more frequently (and the hairs are coarser) and I have to shave my head more often. Now if only that damned neuropathy would mitigate!
In trying to drift off after the water fiasco, my mind started to wander and I was taken back to my days in the Boy Scouts and Camp Kickapoo and some of the antics that occurred. I’ll try to write more about that later. I’m tired of writing about medical mumbo jumbo.
Kudos to Jim and Holley who provided me with dinner from Tom Jenkins BBQ. When I first moved down here in 1985, Tom Jenkins only had a smoker at a service station on Federal Highway. He since has moved into a building. You had better get there around 11 am or you’ll be swamped and be hard pressed to find a seat at family seating. Holley ordered a half BBQ chicken and she always gets two sides of collards. She texted me to see if I wanted the quarter chicken she didn’t eat and one of the collards. I said yes and they dropped it off. Later, I get a phone call that they had accidentally dropped off Jim’s take home. I would have been satisfied with that but she insisted Jim drop off the chicken and collards.
Tom Jenkins BBQ is pretty damned good but the collards are the best. He adds a little sugar to them and they are delicious. I ate them first.
With all the flooding, Broward College is closed today. Holley was also scheduled to have a departmental party and she bought a whole tray of Cuban sandwiches for the faculty and staff in her department. Since that went out the window, she wants to share them with me. I’ll get a platter of Cuban sandwiches sometime today. If you don’t know, there’s a huge argument in the Cuban community as to the origin of the Cuban sandwich. Miami makes a claim but so does Tampa and Ybor City. It’s an ongoing feud.
Judith and Chis will also deliver some Jewish penicillin today. Chris made a huge batch of chicken soup once before for me and he and Judith will deliver another batch today. Dr. Jellinger suggested soup so it’s like they read his mind.
I may update this update later today after my infusion.
Stay tuned!
