Monday

My friend Betsy wrote: "i know you are really busy keeping your nurses cap starched and ironed." I have always loved her sense of humor - I have not even combed my hair today.

7:40 Pm Are you thinking that recovery days at home are quiet, restful? Think again.

The home health care nurse and later the physical therapist have been here. The nurse declared Jim is doing well. The physical therapist told him he could walk up the stairs for eating and walk with a walker without someone by his side. But she also declared, "cool your jets" and cautioned him about moving too quickly with the stabile walker. The wheeled ones are much better - and she commended Mama's walker as being the best on hand. Thank you family for sending it home with me.

meals - good heavens I have not made three meals a day for years. you just finish with breakfast and then its time for lunch, blink and then its supper. Ordinarily Jim and I both work at home - he sees patients here - my office is upstars - we eat independently during the day. I hardly ever "do lunch" so this is a change.

Yesterday I whipped up a batch of Daddy's pimento cheese for sandwiches. Umm good. Yellow long horn cheese whirled in the food processor with a couple of little jars of sliced pimento and several tablespoons of mayonaise. Beats the plastic tasteless stuff you buy at the supermarket. Lunches ready for two days.

Our wireless went down Saturday. After all the diagnostics with the lady in Bombay it is clearly something wrong with the phone line. Can you believe this? They will come next Sunday. They will refund the cost of the days we are with out service. don't they get it. it's not the money - for a week Karen and Jim and I have to share my broadband and my machine and work one at a time on the internet. Are you kidding??????

10:00 am The sun is shining and the chimes are singing in the tree outside by the deck. That is a great way to start the day.

I am making a list of things people need to line up, set up, have on hand before going home from the hospital.

1 Be sure you have a home based land line phone plugged in near by on the level where the recovering patient is located. Most outside services will be calling your home number.
2. don't think you can casually change your shower head in an old house. The shower on this level works but it would be easier if it had one of the heads where you can lift if off and spray your body sitting down. Karen bought the new shower head. Jimmy was ready yesterday to attach it - oops, newer shower heads are not made for old fittings. This is a 50 plus year old.
house -

3. Plenty of extension cords are nice - various electrical applicances will be set up in different spots - not the usual places. Don't take that for granted.

4. Light in the room - if you hate an over-head light - as I do - think about enough table or stand-up lamps to provide adequate lighting. For computer, for reading, for checking out wounds. And don't forget to have handy flashlights.