Day 534

I shouldn't have been surprised when I heard noises in the kitchen at 2 AM.

With hubby spending the last month on a calorie controlled low sodium, low protein, low potassium diet and then being on steroids for the last few weeks, he's hungry guy. I just didn't expect him to get out of bed and get to the kitchen without me waking up. But it made me realize I was going to need to start hiding food.

Now that's he's home he still has to stick with the low sodium-protein-potassium diet. Those foods he loves - tomatoes, potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, nuts, red meats - are all on his only a tiny bit list. So the cantaloupe I cut up is hiding in the back of the refrigerator where he can't see it. I won't be keeping any kale in the fridge but instead will pick it just before I put it in my juice. Nuts will be sent to the basement (a place way off limits for him right now). No red meats are in the house. I put all the tomatoes I had in the house into a salsa knowing he wouldn't just grab it and start eating it plain. (Although the tortilla chips I do have are shoved up on top of the fridge.) And I've hidden the granola bars in a bag in the den.

I've got my notebook right beside me tracking his every morsel and the corresponding potassium, sodium, and protein numbers. It's a bit tricky because if something is okay on the protein list it usually isn't okay on the potassium list and if it's okay on the potassium list it might not be on the sodium list. Lots of cross checking has to happen before he gets a meal.

For our lunch today I made homemade chicken tacos. Corn tortillas, plain chicken, finely shredded cheese, romaine lettuce, jalapeno peppers, onions, and a bit of salsa. To keep within his required numbers portions were small but sure were tasty. Maybe even better than those I had for my solo anniversary dinner at Alejandras on Day 514.

Day 533

Between me, my daughter, her boyfriend, and whoever it was that hauled off the broken exercise bike, that to-do list from Day 527 is being checked off like crazy.

I still need to go through my mail and wash and chop my vegetables. But the weeds have been pulled, the roses pruned. The irrigation pump filter cleaned, the daisies dug up and my car has been serviced. One more thing has been finished up, too.

The hospital visits.

Hubby's kidneys are getting better and his muscles are getting stronger, so after one full month of sleeping in the hospital, one full month of tests and diagnosis, of highs and lows, of more medications than anyone should have to take, hubby came home today. We'll begin a new chapter with outpatient therapy visits and 'round the clock care being provided by me. (Our insurance plan doesn't provide for daily living activities or long-term care.)

Of all days for a hospital bill to arrive. We've been receiving doctor bills and radiology bills and surgeon bills and all other kinds of ancillary bills, but the bill for the first week in the hospital arrived today.

One week, $30,620.68. Quite interesting to see the different amounts detailed. If you don't think prescription drugs drive up the cost of medical care in this country, take a look at the "pharmacy", "other pharmacy", and "drugs" lines. The medication-related costs exceeded the cost of the room itself. 

Thank goodness for insurance.

Day 532

I tried to be patient at the hospital today.

There was a great picture opportunity at eye level out the window of hubby's room. I waited and waited, trying to catch the osprey in flight. Unfortunately it had no interest in moving anywhere and continued to hide behind the power pole.

Day 531

When I got home from work a couple different words came out of my mouth.

The first one was Yay! The wildflower-turned-perennial garden looks great.

The next word was A-MAZ-ING! The straw we used to mulch the strawberries keeps springing up wheat. I hadn't been behind the shed since we came back from vacation (hmm...wonder why?) so I didn't realize it was so bad. Kiddo and kiddo's boyfriend tackled it today. A-MAZ-ING is all I have to say about the before and after pictures they took.

Day 530

Gotta love those kids. My one kid, throw in her boyfriend, and you've got a work crew tackling my to-do list.

On Day 508 my wildflower-turned-perennial garden looked like this:

Since then, all the daisies have died off leaving ugly desperately-in-need-of-deadheading plants. That, plus the realization I may not have anyone to help me in the gardens ever again led me to the decision to dig up all but my favorite flowers.

After a long day at work today I came home to find that progress had been made.

It may be empty looking but it's sure looking good to me. Can't wait to see what I find tomorrow when I get home!

Day 529

When we watched (part of) Top Gun on hubby's birthday I was reminded of some of the memorable lines.
That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous.
I feel the need...the need for speed!
Is this your idea of fun?
Crashed and burned, huh, Mav?

After leaving the hospital this afternoon, getting a hair cut and some groceries, and filling the car up with gas (check that one off my list!) I headed home and went to take a little rest. When I woke up - after 6 PM - it was apparent that crashed and burned described me.

But I wasn't the only one. Take a peek at who had herself scrunched up next to hubby's pillow.

Day 528

I knew that when his appetite started coming back it was probably the steroids. Now that he's been on them a couple weeks now I know for sure.

He's a hungry guy. Most of today's conversations seemed to revolve around food - how he's starving right after he eats, what food he'd like to have and even a specific list of foods to ask the dietician about. Then when it came time for him to go to dinner and me to leave for a bit (only patients and nurses are allowed in the dining room) I asked for his input on where I should go. He named off restaurant after restaurant. I followed one of his suggestions. The Ram.

Good choice. Not only did they have garlic fries but they had something called "ice cream cupcakes". Oh my! As tasty as everything was, I'm hoping I'm getting close to the end of the What I Ate When I Left the Hospital book.

I did put the car issue to rest. A morning spent at the dealership was time well spent. An oil change didn't find the rattling, but when they removed the tires for rotation they discovered a large rock in my brakes. Problem solved. If I hadn't solved it myself Gini had offered to pick me up - even pick up my car - to help me out. Thanks, Gini!