Skipping Holidays<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is the Monday before Thanksgiving. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Yesterday I made the mistake of entering a grocery store. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I had lost track of the date.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The entire city of Fremont was shopping at once.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The overflow is from the Safeway since they are under siege - someone is on strike. Again.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I will not be cooking a turkey this year. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I got chicken breasts, a box of Stovetop, jellied cranberry sauce and mandarin oranges. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Good enough. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Give the holiday a nod.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My son will probably not be eating anything like pumpkin pie by Thursday so I won't make it.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He weighs 80 kilos - should be at 88 kilos (195 lbs). He was at 109 kilos. (245 lbs.)<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I have gained the weight he lost. Sitting and fretting will do that.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He has started drinking 7Up and apple juice.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He is talking.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He is lucid - more than the other days.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; But he is also depressed - because he is integrating the data.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Questions like, "What the hell happened?"<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He tried to sit up, he tried to move his leg, and he tried to raise his hands and scratch his nose.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His sleep is troubled by murmuring.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He wants to be back where he was - walking with a walker, stumbling down the hall at home. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It will take weeks.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I introduce him to the vibrator in the bed, explain the rotation mode.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I may be the only one here who can program the thing.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He likes the vibrator. Made his back feel good.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He twitches in his sleep - he is still on methadone to come down from 9 days of heavy drugs - morphine is addictive.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His vision is double - part of the drugs.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He sees things that are not there. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Detects motion when there is none.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His MRI shows a few indications of swelling sites - dead bacteria but the swelling still has to go down. <BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The cultures are now negative.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They call this encephalitis. Part of the meningitis.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They are upping the TPN - IV feeding.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He cannot lose any more weight.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I will bake pumpkin pie (his favorite) when he can have it.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I will make the turkey (any turkey) when he can eat it.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I will make homemade bread (not with the machine) when he wants it.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Christmas is also in doubt.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They say it will be 6-8 weeks of drugs to be sure we have this licked.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The juice-smoothie maker and probable source of the bacteria that caused all this, who shall be nameless, is being checked out by the health departments of both Alameda and Santa Clara.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I have HagenDaas in the freezer.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I can make my own.<BR>