A Busy Tuesday

There apparently was a brief shower early Tuesday morning (not only was the patio wet, but also they said that on the news, lol!) Since I did not have to leave for the doctor’s until after 9:00 AM, I was easing into the morning.

I watched the highlights of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration so far (they were showing it live on the Today show) and thought that my Brother Carl must be in his glory with all the pomp and circumstances. Jake is an Anglophile as well, but I doubt he has the time or inclination to watch the Queen.

I kept thinking I should be doing some of that tile work while I am waiting, but I wanted to be at my best for the doctor. I wanted him to say I can take off this brace and stop using the walker! Better pain pills and some PT would also be nice, but those two items are at the top of my list!

So, I shaved and took my shower in a timely fashion and left a few minutes early. I was on I-94 heading east when I saw that the west side was completely shut down due to a bad accident. The backup went on for miles! I really hope the freeway is open before I have to try and race back home.

I sat for a bit in the waiting room but finally was called and taken to an exam room. A nurse interviewed me and then sent me to X-ray. I flirted a bit with the X-ray technician, but I always do. She’s cute and I like her a lot.

Back in the exam room and sitting alone, my phone rang! It was Ed, the traveling chair-caning guy. He said he was at the store and looking at the picture I gave Jay. He said he just wanted to check if I was positive that I didn’t want to go with a cheaper, herringbone pattern. I said, “No, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I want the exact match to the original chair. It’s one of a set of four my Grandmother bought.” He said he thought he would just ask first but he would get on it right away. I wonder how long it will take?

Finally, Dr. Sidhu’s surgical nurse came in (I met her before, both in the hospital as a part of his team and in the operating room, just before they put me under). We had a long talk and, according to her, my X-rays were excellent! The Doctor looked at them and then sent her in to talk with me. He told her that nothing looks bent or broken and I seem to be healing better than expected.

Regarding my requests, the upshot was that I still couldn’t just take off the brace. I have to slowly wean myself from it (I’ll wear it at work, but not at home for a while, for example). The walker is up to me. If I feel like I need it, I’m to use it, otherwise, I can use my cane. I just can’t fall down.

She doubled the amount in each dosage of Percoset, but said its pretty obvious I have a very high tolerance for pain killers (duh!?! You think?) and if that doesn’t work, they’ll have to send me to a pain management physician.

Another downside was I can’t have any therapy for at least three to six more months. They want the bone marrow to completely harden around the screws before any BLT, including physical therapy. I guess I should have asked about self-stick tile replacement, but wisely kept my mouth shut.

Finally, no, they didn’t cut any muscles in my back that makes it so hard to lift my arms over my head (like I assumed). She said it is most likely caused by wearing the brace. She gave me a set of exercises that include walking each arm, using my fingers like a spider, up a wall, both from the front and the side daily. I’m supposed to put a pencil mark at the point I can comfortably reach and then try and exceed that every day afterward until I can reach up like I used to. Now I just have to find a wall in my house I feel comfortable about putting pencil marks on!

Speaking about not being able to reach up, I don’t think I mentioned it, but it was damn embarrassing to have to ask Melissa when she was here to get down the cottage pictures I’d tossed on the top shelf of my closet. And, it continually pisses me off that I can’t get to the pots and pans on the top shelf over the stove. Now I know how Carla feels!

We said our goodbyes and I made another appointment for September. I got back on the freeway and started trucking for home. The accident had been cleared (thank God) and I dropped off my new prescription (this time I had to give them my driver’s license for identification – Federal law, I guess, because the pharmacist knows me and calls me John whenever he sees me). I still made it home by 11:45 AM. I checked and there were no notes in the door saying, “We were here, but you weren’t” from the delivery guys (I really was worried).

The lawn service had been there, though, and the yard looks nice. I was changing clothes when I got a call from Wright Filippis, saying they were looking at between 2:30 to 4:00 PM for the delivery and I told them I would be here.

Instead of starting on the floor, I filled in the Blog post to date (I am always worried about forgetting something, I suppose). I heard the sound of something gas-powered outside the office window and looked out to see my neighbor, digging post holes. I assume he was making a more permanent method to store and dry his firewood (he heats his house with wood).

So, I went out and asked him for a favor (well, I guess I should say, yet another favor, lol!) I asked him when he cut off the tops of his fence posts to make them even (as you do), could I have the cut off four or five-inch pieces. He looked at me as if I was nuts and I said, “It’s for another project I been thinking about.” He shrugged and said, “Sure, I’ll toss them over the fence for you.”

I checked later and there they were. I took a photo for you and then took them in the house for later. Because, when I walked inside, the doorbell was ringing.

It was my delivery dudes and my chair! They carried it in, explained all the features and benefits: for example, this one plugs into a box that plugs into the chair. Why? Because in that box is two 9-volt batteries. Why? If the power goes out when you are reclined, they provide enough back-up power to get you up and out of the chair. It can only work once before you have to replace the batteries, but once is all you’d need. Nice touch.

Anyway, it’s soft, comfortable, works perfectly and, I think, fits into the style of the room as well. There is only one disadvantage I can see so far. It reclines much farther back than the old lift chair or even the old Lazy Boy. So, it has to sit further out into the room or, sooner or later, somebody will recline it through the window.

And, this time I put the touchier (the floor lamp) between it and the display case, rather than out in the walkway like I had it before. I started to tear up when I was thinking about how much Nicolette would have loved it.

Instead, I took a picture for you (well, a couple) and posted them. Then I went out and retrieved my garbage can, lid and the mail.

Next, it was time to get to the tile. Taking out two rows more will take me right up to the edge of the dishwasher opening. Since I want to finish the dishwasher area in all one night (so I don’t have it sitting there pulled out for a day) I decided two rows of tile would be the goal tonight. And, I finished that at 6:40 PM. I cut up strips of the backing I had been taking off the new tiles and laid them in the now widening crack between the old tiles and the new (remember, I lose 1/4 inch per row as the new tiles are that much smaller).

I took a photo for you. While it might look like I’m about halfway done, I’d estimate I’m only 1/3 done, as the dishwasher and stove will take a lot more tiles than stopping at the cabinets as I have been doing.

I took off my brace (I determined I would keep it on while doing the tile to prevent bending wrong) and turned the oven on. I am celebrating the day by making another pizza. This one is a thin crust DiGiorno Supreme from the freezer. I don’t have any fresh tomatoes to top it with, but I used my egg slicer and sliced up some green olives (I wish I had some yellow banana pepper rings) and added more mozzarella and, this time, some extra Parmesan cheese.

Well, the olives didn’t give the pizza much of a kick, but the extra cheese was nice. I ate more than I should (at least according to the burping) and put the rest in the fridge.

I watched TV until 11:00 PM and then turned it off along with the light. I’m not sure why, but it took me a long time to fall asleep.