Volume I * Aug 22 - Aug 25 (Days 6-9)

Prologue   I     II    III    IV    V    VI   VII   VIII   IX    X   XI    XII 

I'm turning this more into a record and diary for me, so less polished and less to really care about. 
Recommend scroll for photos!

Day 6 Thursday 8/22
Chris made breakfast of 1/2 bagel, lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, mixed greens and a scrambled egg to boot. Plus coffee.

All cut up for bite-sized pieces. Some I pick up, some spooned.

I can hold spoon somehow with 3 middle fingers of right hand.

Made appointment for seeing face surgeon tomorrow, but failed confirming with orthopedic, and home care. 

Created 1st post of blog.

Took care of personal bills and some IRS stuff that's hung over me.
1-hour hold time to talk to someone. Odd that if disconnected they had no ability to call back. Many waits for Mr. Tse to confirm info but 2012 tax year is finally straight.

Chris and Paige went to condo gym, then to their first Thursday night classes at  PBSC. Afterwards, did "pin care" for 6 pins on left wrist: Remove dressings; clean with soapy water or saline. Bacitrain. Re-dress.

Shrimp scampi for dinner.

Day 7 - Friday 8/23
2nd full day at condo busy.
  Same breakfast minus egg.
10:30 Navarro plastic surgeon. He used needle/syringe to pull some fluid from swolen jaw, but little effect and he surmised a  long wait for body to absorb.
Removed plastic protector covering repaired nose.
Stitches fine, but stay in for a week.
He recommends rotary electric shaver. Facial wounds can be kept more sanitary without my new, creeping 7-day old beard. Regular razor too dangerous.

While there in Palm Springs office, orthopedics calls and say come now. 
We get to North Palm Beach office. Saslow not in but PA Kyle unwrapped right wrist, checked stitches. Also did pin care on left wrist and we see some differences from hospital nurse's instructions.
Stitches in palms and wrists will also come out next Friday.
  
Since we're already in NPB, go up to PGA campus of PBSC to register Paige's car for parking on campus.
Finally,,,,something human: lunch at  Waterway Cafe on PGA:

 Yes, I had a beer. Also sesame-crusted tuna rare with Asian salad. Chris had lobster roll and Paige had jambalaya. All good.

Ran into some of Chris' friends there. 

Peed in a public restroom all by myself!  Used a stall; have to sit when wearing pants. Pants!  I've been wearing-elastic banded loose cotton exercise pants. Wonderful.

Next, on way home, Costco. Chris and Paige use Keurig. I bought box of coffee and can make my own. Also bought Cosco-brand sleeping pills. Hoping for elusive longhours of sleep. Frankly, I never escape that droopy-eyelids / wanna-sleep feeling.

Home and tired. All happy with light dinner later. I complained of itchy chest. A good washing and some aloe-based lotions cured it.



Day 8 - Saturday Aug 24
I've got Chris and Paige eating lox. I had bought a bunch on sale just before "the fall" and want to use it up.
My monthly haircut that I cancelled from the hospital was rescheduled for this day at 11:15. More shlepping for Chris and Paige.

Nora Ugalde - chem teacher now at Jupiter High School - INSISTED on previous day that she see me and bring Cuban food. She lives north of me and would have to pass my haircut place, so I relieved Chris and Paige of having to wait for me or to return to fetch me.

How long can a haircut take, you wonder?  
Okay people. It's no secret that the top of my head is home to someone else's hair. This appointment was another quarterly changing of the "unit" - meaning a new, highly-hirsute thing gets glued to a shaved portion of my noggin and is then rendered by the hair dresser into something human-looking.
Here's a photo from June 2011 I took in the mirror after SOME of the new "unit" was cut. 

        One of these days I'm gonna tell 'em..."What the hell. Gimme a pony-tail!"

So - between attendance at a ??christening and a reception - Nora picked me up, drove me to The Prado, and carried up the large dish of Pollo con Arroz y Platanos, plus a side salad of tomato, mozzarella, olives, and more.
Enough to feed six to 8 people.

Nora needs to enter some contests with this dish. Chicken moist, not too salty, not bland, not overly spiced, no overpowering ingredient - just a wonderful blend. We all took seconds ... and had some the next day.

Happy faces

Since enjoying Nora's food, I've reconsidered offers from many others. My sister-in-law, Linda, is already setting up a calendar.

By the way, Paige is wearing a sling because a window slammed down on her elbow 4 days ago. Nothing broken, but bruised and tender. 

The dinner pictured above was later in the day. As soon as Nora left, Chris and I went to pick up my friend Jamie, who flew in for a week from job in North Carolina.
Then we shopped at Fedco in Palm Beach for some surgical supplies.

Chris and Paige actually took in some City Place night life.

Evening ends with dressing change.


Day 9 - Sunday 8/25
Chris keeps up the lox bagel, egg etc breakfast. 

I put on my sneakers and tied laces!!
Can't do socks.

We hit Bed Bath Beyond for odd items:

•  A 2-cup measuring cup big enough to hold one coffee brew ... but POURABLE into smaller cup that I can handle.  
• Wine corkscrew ... for red wine I bought 2 days ago at Cosco. Writing this Monday...still haven't opened wine. I just BELIEVE in the stuff.  
• Rotary-head electric shaver, as ordered by the plastic surgeon, Navarro. 
• Bath brush so Chris won't have to do my privates. (But he does dry them!)
• Body wash

K-mart for a man-purse. I really can't carry much unless supported by shoulder strap. And can barely get anything into or out of a pocket. Paige frequently holds my wallet and phone. Most goes in the bag ... actually a sports bag.

Good leftovers at dinner.

BATHTIME!
Who takes baths anymore?
Chris removed wrappings and I sat in  tub.
I can't bear weight on hands or wrists, but given a place to secure elbows and secure footing, I can raise and lower myself.
(I guess going to gym has paid off: I sit and stand from low toilet seat without any arm support. Just balance and leg muscles)

Bless the purple brush! Goes where mere mortals tremble.

I sort of shaved for 1st time. Good "3D" Norelco 3 spinning heads did not tug nor cut. Face looking a little better.

Jaw still swollen badly.

Hope to finally make arrangements with Home Healthcare tomorrow.

Prologue   I     II    III    IV    V    VI   VII   VIII   IX    X   XI    XII