My friend who has been building my deck is going back into hospital tomorrow. He left early yesterday for a scan at the Hotel Dieu hospital and was told he had to go immediately from there to the Emergency Department at Kingston General Hospital where he was seen by a neuro-surgeon. He has an infection (perhaps a result of radiation, they aren't sure) that is causing his brain to swell. We have noticed lately his struggle to find the correct words while he is speaking, but I know that I have been attributing that to fatique, even though he swore he wasn't feeling too tired. I spoke at length this morning to his wife who is beside herself with worry (understandably so). He is presently on oral antibiotics but she told me that he would be admitted tomorrow for intravenous antibiotics and a MRI to get a better idea of what is causing the swelling. We are praying that it is only the infection and hoping that the surgeon will be able to take care of things.
By noon I knew I would not be working outdoors today, I decided that I had better go into town to do my grocery shopping for the week. The forecast is calling for heavy rain and thunder storms.
I spent $17.04 on 4 lbs. of ground chicken and 14 Italian sausages. I saved $7.30 off the regular price.
Dairy cost $18.94
Produce cost $29.22 (Frozen butternut squash, California mix, and blueberries), 2 sweet potatoes, 2 eggplant, mushrooms, cabbage and 8 avocados.
Pantry items cost $20.91 (MORE ground coffee, extra virgin Olive oil, Stevia and canned salmon)
I bought some non food items (toilet paper, 2 deodorants, and 2 gallons of white vinegar) for $13.95, which brought my total expenditure to $101.36, including taxes. According to my receipt, I saved $27.99 in discounts.
When I arrived back home, who did I find working in my front yard? I couldn't believe he had come to work. I gave him a piece of my mind, but to no avail. He said he felt fine and that sitting at home doing nothing was boring. He not only finished the stoop, but he also re hung the gate on my fence. He says he is going to ask his son to build the front step on to the deck while he is in hospital. He is not going to worry until he has something to worry about. I think it must have been that fortitude and strength that got him through his cancer treatment and he is determined to keep on going.
Susan, I am sorry to hear about your friend's health; I hope the doctors can figure out what is going on and treat him. I am amazed that he was able to finish building your stoop! But I suppose it helped him to keep busy. Therapeutic, too, in a way.
ReplyDeleteYou did well with your grocery shopping! You remind me I have a cabbage in the fridge that I need to cook! I'm intrigued - what is in the "California mix"?
California mix has always been a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots....no matter what company makes it. Beyond that, I don't know how or why "California mix" is applied to that combination of veggies.
DeleteYes this setback is quite unsettling, but he considers it a "hiccup" in his recuperation....an inconvenience at best. He still has lots of things he wants to get done ON MY HOUSE to get it sold. Maybe it is therapeutic, but I am afraid he may be over reaching.
Maybe he won't be able to get it all done, but it gives him a sense of purpose. I am thinking back to when I was having my treatments - I had sick leave I could have taken (at 75% rate of compensation), but, I chose not to and chose to work from home, except on the days when I slept all day due to extreme fatigue. It took my mind away from dwelling on what I was going through. Gave me a distraction. I had no time to brood because I had work to do. It was especially helpful because I was home, alone, between treatments (my daughter was at university and came down only on the weekends to take me to my treatments).
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