Thursday NIght

I was able to work a full day today -- I was going to leave at 4 pm, but when that time came I was knocking out work and felt ok. Finally at 5:45 I was feeling pooped and I said enough. But I feel good that I was able to function somewhat normally.

I had a concern about getting my luggage to the car so I called the front desk and asked if there would be anyone available to help me. I told her I'm the one who had injured myself and she really responded and said, "We'll get a housekeeper or a maintenance man or someone to help you. Don't worry, just call the front desk." I asked her if she was the one who called the ambulance for me and she was and I thanked her and she asked how it turned out, etc.

So I stopped for food on the way home and was able to have the evening I had planned -- relaxing, watching TV and eating dinner.

Now the next big agenda item is I'm going to change the bandage and then put on my nightgown, dim the lights and fall asleep.

I also decided as of right now I'm only going to work half a day tomorrow. That will get me driving before it's dark -- and when I still have full energy.

In short, I had a modified normal day... people would come up to me during the day and ask about me and I would repeat the same story and this one man who sits next to me was forced to hear me telling the same story and it reminded me of an I Love Lucy episode where Lucy has this big story and at first Ethel urges her to keep telling the story, then Ethel gets so sick of hearing the story that she starts mouthing the words as Lucy speaks and mimic how Lucy was telling the story. I was aware of that with Mark and sometimes glanced over to see if his lips were moving in sync with mine.

I have often thought about when Stephanie went through chemo with the same two women who were both wealthy, and when Stephanie was still working and standing on her feet all day doing hair, these two other women were getting massages and their husbands were buying them diamond bracelets. But Stephanie still had to work chemo or no chemo with no massages and diamond bracelets.

As I hobbled to the car, I was thinking of the effort to earn money by our own hands and thought of the lyric "She works hard for the money" as I was gingerly getting myself in the car. Here's to all of us who work hard for the money.

As a PS, I had told my guys today the question about --- wait, did I tell this story? -- one of the health history questions was "Do you feel safe in your own home?" and I had no idea what she was asking -- didn't know if she were asking about living in NYC... so I didn't say anything and she said "Do you live with someone who hurts you or abuses you?" and I said no.

Meanwhile, one of the guys said he was watering the lawn while his wife was walking the dog and somehow the dog took off and his wife ran after the dog, tripping on the hose and hurting herself to the point where he called an ambulance. The EMT woman was questioning his wife about whether my guy was resonsible for her getting hurt -- he said, right as he was standing there and wanted to say "Ask me, I'm right here" but he didn't. Obviously. Then another guy said someone else who works there was seriously questioned about a burn on their baby -- as if having a baby with a burn isn't traumatic enough. I suppose it's good that health care people are so vigilant about it -- so it must take place a whole lot.