Feisty Is Back

I settled into my room nicely. My nurse was impressed at how well I passed the night. I'm walking to the bath with assistance throughout the day, but I'm no longer getting short of breath when I do. I hate to stay down for long. That feisty spirit has been keeping me going for nearly 98 years. Plus everybody loves me, because I'm so nice with everyone, and just so grateful for all the lovely care that I am getting.

It's been an eventful day. Being Monday, there was much more activity throughout the hospital.

For the third straight day, my IV pulled out accidentally. Together with the blocked IV in the Emergency Department on Friday, that makes it 4 for 4, or maybe 5 for 4, (I don't remember for sure, but I think 2 pulled out Sunday) or even 6 if you count the very first IV that was put in when I first arrived on Friday in the Emergency Department. A new IV every day. I've got great veins, but with all the new IVs that I've needed and the multiple second attempts, I'm nearly tapped out of good veins. I've only got two arms after all. Even so, my nurse got the new IV in on the first try this evening. Yeah!! I just wish the nurses would wrap the IV site more thoroughly. I don't mean to pull out the IVs. I often even forget that they are there; they don't seem to bother me too much. But the clear band-aid holding the IVs in place rub off as I roll around in bed. The nurses are so nice to me, and I know that IVs are good for me, so I never give them a hard time when they come to put them back in. Those IV antibiotics are literally saving my life.

Christian and his fiance Karen stopped by to see me, and brought some flowers, and added them to the pinks roses that Veronica and Alejandro brought yesterday. Karen is so big. They're expecting a new baby girl in just over 1 month, just before Christmas. It's so exciting to see the cycle of life. That's another great granddaughter for my brother Patricio.

A couple of nice young women who are nutritionists stopped by to try to fix the problems Food Services has been having in trying to get appropriate meals for over the last couple of days. With my loose dentures, and my medically necessary low-sodium diet, my food options have been limited. With a speech therapist at Palisades Medical Center further restricting me from all thin liquids for fear of aspirating these fluids into my lungs, makes getting my nutrition right even more difficult. These nice girls are working to fix some systematic issues in Food Services that was not working well.

The nice young girls also got me some honey-thick drinks for me. I got thick apple juice, which I enjoyed, and some honey-thick milk, that I saved for tomorrow. And they put me in for Ensure pudding with each meal. I've enjoyed my nutritionally enhanced drinks for several years now. This thin fluid restriction is cramping my style. I really like to drink "my milk" - nutritionally enhanced drinks, plus fruit juices; and I love soup, and milk with oatmeal. So, I'll have to make some adjustments.

Also, a speech therapist stopped by to screen me for a swallowing evaluation, which I guess may happen tomorrow. My nurse says that I'm in the computer for a physical therapy evaluation. Mondays are really busy. They didn't stop in today, maybe tomorrow.

Plus, most folks are back from the wedding in Miami. So I'll probably get many visitors tomorrow. So much for crazy Mondays. I'm going to sleep. Let's see what Tuesday brings.