A Slight Slide....

"Is it really 7 o'clock?"

Not writing so much lately, but there has been a tiny set-back. Wednesday's appointment with Dr. Martin included a blood draw - Tashie has become anaemic yet again, and the question is, why? and the course of action is, transfusions. So today, Thursday, we got up at 6:30 this morning to get to Bend for an 8:30 appointment for her to get transfused with lots of healthy red blood cells. You all know that Tash' 6:30 AM is, to most of us, comparable to our 1:00 AM. But she was a cheerful trooper, as you can see in this photo. We were at the hospital until after four. She had been given Benadryl to reduce the chance of an allergic reaction, and it made her groggy and really really sleepy.
We are home now, and she is dozing on the sofa after having watched Nature's "India's Wandering Lions"with the kitties. The boys were glued to the screen as they watched their ancestral tribes in action.
So we're glad to be snug at home, and tomorrow, once the Benadryl wears off, Tashie will be feeling lots more energetic.

Many Departures

Portrait by Karen

The labs results came in, and the news was good - and consistent with those labs, Tashie is seeming stronger and more energetic today. Karen was with us for the morning, and took this lovely photo of Tashie after I left.
We tried out the football-field-sized TV with the news, which was all about today's primaries, especially New York. Nicholas hooked up the DVD, so hopefully it will be easy to move from movies to TV and back again.
Bob-O was extremely busy with emails and phone calls regarding his projects, and after a morning bike ride, took off for Santa Monica...or as he says, Saint Harmonica. It felt suddenly very quiet without his energies vibrating through the ethers. I left shortly after his departure, and fortunately Nicholas stayed until early evening for his drive to Seattle. Sudden quiet for Tashie!
Laurie was with Tashie for the afternoon, and Sister Bear with her for the evening. They managed to get the DVD to work, and watched The Mouse That Roared with Peter Sellers (1959). Fun flick.

Another Fine Day

Our morning started with an appointment in Sisters with Dr. Bachtold...except he was sick, so Tashie had the blood draw, and then a little visit with Gwen, who will report to Dr. J. The swelling on her arm is reduced, and the angry redness is entirely resolved. Progress! After the jaunt into Sisters, Tashie was ready to sit in front of the fire, and just relax. She ( and we) listened to American Bohemia on CDs, which talks about many of the families she knew (or knew of) in Concord. And those stories dovetail with The Peabody Sisters, which we are reading when we have a quiet moment.
(Actually, my morning started with a 5:45 am trip to Bend, to see if perchance Clarke could get a last minute ticket on the Breeze. Online tickets were sold out, but it turned out that there was plenty of room.)
Bob-O is now on his afternoon bike ride, Terry has left, to return on Thursday, and Nicholas is gassing up his car for his trip home to Seattle tomorrow. He is also exchanging a too-big TV for a smaller one. Bob-O suggested a larger screen so that Tashie could better see it - a no-brainer! She was a bit resistant to the idea, but was reassured by his descriptions of artistic coverings that might camouflage it when not in use. Except that the first one we picked up was a bit of a muchness.
I'll add some photos later...

Rest & Relaxation

Captions please!

Readings from The Book of English Poets

It has become routine now that Tashie has a "social hour" with Terry at 4am - hot milk and crumpets, a little visit, and then back to bed for more sleep. Something in Tashie's circadian clock gets her wide awake before dawn.
Today was a quiet day - Tashie has a lot of rest to catch up on, and she made major strides today with long naps and doze times. Later in the afternoon, Terry read some of The English Poets to her, interwoven with Tashie's recitation of Yeats and some of The Poet in the Desert..
We had another splendid dinner cooked by Jessie and Rachel, and Tashie had a good appetite.

Head & Neck Massage

And then came the massage time: Terry took care of the scalp and neck, followed by Bob-O who massaged the feet and ankles. She was blissed out!

 A good day...

Feet by Bob-O

PS:

A few words of contentment after a call from Bruce, What's App'ing us from Tblisi. We all complain a lot about the technology that seems sometimes to ruin our lives, but this capability is a gift from the world of technology. They chatted as if they were next door to each other, and then Tashie passed the phone to Terry and me - for a message from Bruce. He chastised & admonished us for not insisting that Tashie lifts her weights and walks her loops and do her squats on a daily basis. I promise we'll do better tomorrow. I have added it to the daily alerts as well. Sleep tight!

Joys of Village Practice

Country Dr B with the healing touch

Mid-morning snack of buttered crumpet

Tash's wonderful Dr Bachtold made a home visit this morning so that she wouldn't have the hassle of coming in to Sisters. She is cheered just by seeing him, and is reassured by feeling his caring competence. He checked her forearm, and agreed that it was very much improved, but recommended continuing the warm packs to reduce the inflammation. Checked the ankle, and applied a new lidocaine patch. 

Tashie is definitely getting better bit by bit - stronger and more steady.

We spent some time trying different furniture placements in the living room, with consideration given to the easiest manipulation of the walker around obstacles like chairs, tables, etc. A good project to mull.


I've been reading The Peabody Sisters to Tashie, and she is enjoying hearing the familiar names of her Concord history, starting with Emerson & Thoreau. 

Bob-O & Jessie

We had another delicious dinner prepared by Terry & Rachel amazing butternut squash soup, asparagus, and cucumber brown rice salad, followed by bumbleberry rhubarb pie à la mode. And now we are watching Sordid Lives....

Better & Better

Jessie & Bob-O chatting after dinner over Rachel's amazing Pot de Crème

I was in Portland for 24 hours, and by the time I returned, there was a marked improvement in several realms. Less pain in her forearm, and the ankle is essentially pain free thanks to the lidocaine patch. It is quite miraculous. When I arrived, Tashie was sitting in her new favourite chair looking lovely and chatting with Jessie.

Terry's yummy green Thai curry

We moved right to an amazing dinner, as it was after 7:30 by the time we get here. Dinner table conversations lasted until close to midnight, so no entertainment tonight.

Note: Bruce has safely arrived in Tblisi, and is coaching the first PlayWrite Georgia workshop. www.playwriteinc.com

Catching Up

As busy and energetic as Our Ladyship was yesterday, it seemed to catch up with her today. She spent some time on the deck, lulled by the music of the wind in the pines and and burbling waters of the creek. She seemed to be more interested in dozing than engaging in scintillating conversation - not too surprising - she has lots of catching up to do. Her ankle continues to be without pain (!) which is cause for great rejoicing. Her forearm still is tender to the touch, but less so than yesterday. The redness seems to be no larger, and may even be a bit smaller. Yay Augmentin!
I have no photographs yet of the days events, but will surely find a proxy photo-op before the day's over.

Lull After a Stormy (as in tiring) Day

Morning cuddle time with Micah & Siddhartha

Tashie was up at 4 am, and Bob-O joined her. I could hear through the intercom that they were chatting and laughing as if it were midday. They eventually went back to bed for snoozes, and both were back up and awake at about 9:00. And what a fabulous way to wake up, home at last: mountain, creek, kitties, a not-hospital bed - eureka! The first hours of the day were the best - cuddling with kitties, visiting with Philip - and it was downhill from there. Tashie and Philip had a visit on the porch, while dining on lattes, soft scrambled eggs and crumpets.

We left (late, after 11:00) for the hematology appointment with a Dr. McKenzie. Bob came as well, and I was very glad he did, especially as the day unfolded. Tashie is moving with great difficulty, and she is very unsteady on her feet. She is very bothered by the ankle, and also by her arm when it is touched. Then Terry joined us at St Charles – wow! Loving all that help. The hematologist delivered the good news that the labs that were drawn earlier are stable; an Hgb of 10 is an improvement. So we're glad about that. 
From St Charles, we went to Dr. Bachtold; she is always happy to see him, but today she was almost too tired to want anything but go home. He diagnosed the arm issue as phlebitis, and prescribed Augmentin morning and evening. Then he drew a big circle outlining the redness, so that we can keep track of it as it diminishes...or not.

He does not think the ankle is infected, but if it is, the Augmentin should take care of it. We talked about addressing the persistent pain in that ankle, and landed on lidocaine patches. Gwen applied one, and Tashie flinched as she did so. Then she said that it hurt, like pins and needles. She would have liked it to be removed, but we encouraged her to leave it if she could stand it. About an hour later, when I had medications in hand, I gave her a pain pill. She declined, as the lidocaine patch had eliminated the pain entirely. This is the first time in several days that she has been entirely pain free.

Our morning of medical health appointments and missions started at 11:00, and we got home at about 7 in the evening. We were bushed. But we still managed to watch Quartet, Tashie in the chair that harks back to the Los Gatos years, kitties nestled beside her.
Tashie is a living testimonial to the fact that a sufficient number of red blood cells has an amazing effect...especially when one has been dragging about with barely adequate. She has been energetic, engaged, and active in discussions of movies, books, politics, etc. She is following the campaigns closely and, from her vantage point of a century, is beyond flummoxed at how this country has fallen into such a mess.

A Great Day...

Tashie lifting weights to restore lost muscle

Tashie's first day at home was outstanding. She spent time outside, exercised, enjoyed custard made by Terry, etc. We all had a late lunch/early dinner on the deck before Bruce and Bethany took off. Terry made a yummy succotash. You can see by these photos that she is returning to her old self.

Lunch on the deck

It was really a balmy day, kitties outside for the first time this spring, al fresco dining initiated for the season, and all amidst celebrating Tashie's good health.

Al fresco dining

Home at Last!

Home at last! We passed the departing Mahloudji/Goldbach family on the Camp Sherman road as they sped to the airport. They made a quick U-turn for last good-byes - it was hard on Tashie to not be home for their visit. Once home, Tashie went right to her comfy chair, from which she could watch the clouds skimming past Mt Jefferson. She is indeed relieved to be back in her nest. Bethany made her some Persian tea (she had asked the nurses for Persian tea, and was met with blank stares!) and a bowl of fresh strawberries and cream. Bruce and Bethany made a delicious dinner, and for dessert we had chocolate cake made by Mani and Salma. Tashie is thrilled to be back at home, sitting at her table, river burbling outside the window, and kitties staying as close to her as they possibly could.
We watched A Man for All Seasons, at least part of it. She has had a good night, and seems energetic and ready to start the day. I'll get some pix later - just wanted to let you know that all is going well.

Napping under the ponderosas

Now it's later, and here's a photo....is someone enjoying the Spring Creek air?

Homeward Bound

Terry putting the magnifying necklace in place while Tashie gets her IV iron

Both Dr. Halmos and Dr. Martin were in this morning, and gave her the exciting news that she was being discharged home today...after taking a long walk, looping around the halls.
Before she would take that walk, she dressed in street clothes, which in itself cheered her. She really was not at all fond of the hospital gowns, neither the style nor the rough texture.
She did very well on her walk, returning with an oxygen sat of 9.0 on room air. All this confirmed that she's "good to go."
Bruce and Bethany are organizing dinner tonight, Terry is organizing everything else, and I'm packing up Tashie's hospital chattels while the iron goes through. Then in about an hour, she'll be on her way to her mountain, her river, and her well-loved kitties. We'll just be like ships passing in the night as we leave Bend for Camp Sherman, as the Mahloudjis/Goldbachs leave Camp Sherman for the airport. She is troubled that she missed almost their entire visit, but at least she had brief hospital visits with them every day.
Thank you for cards, comments, emails, texts, prayers, and cheer -

Good news!

Yummy canolli from La Magie

Tashie was without her oxygen for about 45 minutes during shower and toilette, and after 45" to an hour on room air, her O2 sats were 91-92. So she remains on room air, and quite perky...which might be due to having just eaten a fabulous cannolli from La Magie.
Earlier she wanted to hear some Glen Miller music, so I put on the playlist I had recorded for her centennial birthday. Before I knew it, she and Terry were swing dancing to Glen Miller's Tuxedo Junction. I got so intrigued watching them that I forgot about the photo op I was missing.
So she is resting from the labours of finishing off the cannolli, and listening to the Beatles track from the birthday gala.

And after quite a night....

Last night was a rough go, as some glitch in the system put Tashie back on an NPO status. So when she asked for water at 4:00 am after being awakened for a blood draw, she was told "No, you are going for a repeat endoscopy this morning." Not true, but it was not until 9ish that Dr Weed came in and re-ordered a regular diet. He was, at the time, non-committal about a discharge today.

Alan settling Tashie in chair while Terry gives head massage

Of course Tashie had been on the edge of her bed waiting for discharge, but foiled again. She saw the hematologist and hospitalist as well, and both were puzzled by her dependence upon oxygen for the last few days...so the question is why? A chest X-ray this morning showed fluid in her lungs, and an echocardiogram has been ordered for more information. She has been given an IV diuretic, and will also get a slug of IV iron.
She is of course disappointed not to be coming home today, but being an awfully good sport nonetheless. And Terry is spoiling her with head massages, a warm shower, hair stylin' and more.

Then Terry got some New Age music on the TV, and as the music plays, we can see frolicking fawns, paddling ducklings, ocean shots, rivers, stars, etc. Very relaxing.

Tashie wrapped in the scarlet throw from Nicholas

Right now we are waiting for the echo team to come do their stuff. Tashie feels way better after her shower, her head massages, clean linens. She is chatting with her nurse, who is very pregnant...comparing notes.

Terry's famous head massage

Bed Time

Tashie is really feeling more perky. She ordered a chocolate eclair, and downed it with great gusto. Yum! Then along came Terry with fresh squeezed mango juice, and Tashie was absolutely too full to even taste it. So Terry got some ice and a bucket and packed it safely for Tashie to enjoy tomorrow.
Her back was bothering her, so she asked for a tylenol. When the nurse came in with it, she declined the cup of water, and requested that she take it with mango juice. And now...most of it has been tucked away. Tonight she seemed to really truly enjoy eating. I took photos of her with the eclair, but she wouldn't appreciate my opening them up to her tribe - she looks like a kid - big smile, and fingers plastered with chunks of chocolate. Now she is tucked in, and dreaming no doubt, of going home tomorrow.

First Nourishment in 24 Hours!

Provolone grilled cheese on rye

Whew! Finally some good nosh...while continuing to watch debate. Tashie was really running out of patience in the hunger department, so this grilled cheese came just in time. Terry is on her way with fresh hand-squeezed mango juice, a Tashie favourite. Oh, and there is a chocolate éclair waiting for Her Ladyship - she has been thinking about these food items since early this morning!
Since the last post, the hematology consult came in for a visit, and was followed shortly afterwards by Dr. Weed, who did the procedures of yesterday and today. He found no active bleeding today. The grand conclusion is that the genesis/cause of this anaemia is not entirely clear. Dr. Martin, the hematologist, plans to run more blood studies tonight, to get more information on the specifics of RBC production.
Tashie is so so eager to get home to her river, her mountain, her bed, the felines, her tribe. Hopefully it will happen tomorrow. She is especially frustrated to have had so much of her visit with the Mahoudjis trumped by this health irritant. Thanks for all your calls, emails, texts, etc. Sending love to all...

Waiting to go into the procedure room

Tashie is back from endoscopy land! And now she is back in her 4th floor room, watching the debate on CNN.
Back-tracking a bit...
It has been a very long day, waiting and waiting to be called. The not knowing was hard on her. But she finally was fetched by the transport team, taken to MDU, where we cooled our heels for another half hour. Meeting the anaesthesiologist, the nurses, etc. The hospitalist came by as well.
She is now back in her room, alert and waiting for her latté (decaf) while she watches Bernie and Hilary sparring. I need to sign off to watch this debate,  but just wanted to let you know that she's back in her room - and glad of it.

St. Charles ... and the story continues...

Hello All -

Most of you know the background here, but for those who do not....

On Tuesday, Tashie had a transfusion for anemia - escorted by Bruce & Jaleh (Jaleh visiting from Teheran). 

Internal bleeding was identified, but an endoscopy on Wednesday could not locate it

Her hemogram fell again today (to 6.7), so she finished another transfusion about an hour ago. She is waiting now to have another endoscopy, hopefully in the next hour. Meanwhile, most recent labs came back with good results - Hgb now 8+. 

The waiting game is hard for her - Tashie snoozing, Jaleh and I doing crosswords. Before going back to bed, Tashie meditated in her chair while Terry gave her a luscious head massage. 

She really wants to eat something, or at least drink, but no luck. (Her latté arrived on her breakfast tray this morning, but just as she was lifting the cup to her mouth, the RN came in and announced she was 😜 NPO.)

Terry promised her some fresh mango juice after the procedure. 🍑🍐🍏🍎

A volunteer just came by with her "therapy dog" on her rounds visiting patients. I think Tashie would have preferred visitations from her cherished cats! 🐱

I'll keep you posted. Please share with anyone I have neglected 😟