Sunday 5/19/24

10:22a.m. I didn’t finish Gettysburg last night. I got sleepy and fell asleep. I must of been tired because I slept well. I didn’t have any nightmares or weird dreams. I was up for good at six. I laid in bed until after breakfast. I had a coffee cake and scrambled eggs . The eggs were cold so was the coffee. 

The aides came to get me out of bed at nine. I was dressed and in my wheelchair in time for the coffee social. I made my way to the Fiesta Room. I had one cup of hot coffee. I even said hil to a few people but nobody responded. I enjoyed the coffee though then made my way back to my room. 

I called Chocolatechip. She had already put in a full days work. Chocolatechip did her usual chores. . She washed a load of laundry the then cleaned her frig. She went over the vegetable bin with SOS pads. Chocolatechip said the frig and stove looks pretty good. Next she wants to go over the kitchen cupboards. She was resting when I called. But she plans on working on another project today. 

We talked about the upcoming visit on May 30. She planned to bring some homemade cookies. But all baking is put on hold until after inspection. I said I understood. Chocolatechip said she could bring a box of Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bars. I said that would be great. We talked for about a half hour on other subjects then said our goodbyes. 

I got today’s menu. For lunch they are serving roasted turkey, roasted carrots, oven browned potatoes and peanut butter pie.For dinner it’s Philly cheese steak sandwiches, French fries and ambrosia. These are two good meals. 

I’m having a good day so far. I’m not in too much pain. The aides were nice and I received good care. Chocolatechip is doing great and I had a nice cup of coffee. Life is good.

1:37p.m. I ate my lunch in the Fiesta Room. It was delicious but it made me very sick. Just as soon as I got back to my room I started to have bad stomach pain. It felt like a ten on a one to ten pain scale.  Then I started to have very painful bm. This went on for almost an hour. I’m ok now except for feeling tired and weak

I talked with Chocolatechip when I got back. Her knees was bothering her. I said you did a days work. She had been working since 3:00a.m. She did all she could today.Now she was elevating her leg and watching  Coal Miner’s Daughter We talked a few minutes. I was in too much pain to listen.

I’m feeling very miserable now. I’m soaked and sitting in a pound of poop. I just asked an aide if she could put me to bed and change me. .She said gimme a couple minutes. Translated, I’ll be sitting in my own filth for a couple of hours. Life sucks sometimes.

2:32p.m. I’ll be damned. I didn’t have to wait long after all. The aide did a great job. She put me in bed, undressed me, cleaned me up good and changed my briefs. I feel much better.

I called Chocolatechip. No answer. She probably went outside for a smoke.

I’m going to try and read now. I just have to finish that damned book.

3:42p.m. I just finished Gettysburg by Stephen W Sears. I gave it a five-star rating. Next up is another book on the Civil War To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign by the same author. I’ve read seventeen books so far . My goal for the year is thirty.

I’m feeling much better I’m  not sure if I want supper though. Getting sick killed my appetites and I don’t want to go through that again. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to eat at all.

4:38p.m. I read the Introduction To the Gates of Richmond. Stephen W Sears writes that it was the largest single campaign in the Civil War. Nearly a quarter of a million men fight in it. It witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of the war. It began in March of 1862 and effectively ended in May . This ought to be another interesting book on my favorite period in American history. 

But I’m kind of wound up and excited. I can’t concentrate and I don’t know why. I feel like I need to run around the building or something. When I was able to walk I would walk all over downtown Weirton to burn off this anxious feeling. I lost a lot of weight doing that. I wish I could still walk. 

6:23p.m. They served two Philly cheese steak sandwiches and a cup of ambrosia for supper. I ate the dessert and one sandwich. That was enough to make me very painfully bloated. I’d rate the pain a five on a one to ten pain scale. Once again I made myself a sick . 

I do not think I’m eating too much. I eat three meals a day. Sometimes I will snack on a pbj but not too often. I’m not a doctor but I think I have some serious GI problem. The nurse said I’m taking some kind of med for it but it isn’t helping. I remember at one point I was diagnosed with diverticulitis. That might be why I get bloated after  almost every meal. I dunno what the heck is wrong but something isn’t right. 

I called Chocolatechip after I ate. She was all ready for bed. She talked about her new neighbor Debbie. Debbie and this other girl Jenn hooked up already. We were surmising that there is a common bond between Debbie and Jenn. Mainly the common bond is pot, alcohol, sharing pills etc. I said to Chocolatechip you are a class act and don’t do any of that shit. She said maybe that’s why they don’t want anything to do with me because I’m straight. I said there is nothing wrong with that. I also said keep focusing on inspection that is the important thing. 

We also talked a little bit about inspection. She has the kitchen almost ready. She said she dried mop the floors this afternoon. Chocolatechip is going shopping for groceries and cleaning supplies at Walmart tomorrow morning. Then she will be busy with doctor appointments all week. Chocolatechip said she will go over the floors again with a wet mop next weekend.

We talked for about half an hour. Chocolatechip said I wasn’t saying too much. I said I was very bloated and soaked. I also said I don’t have much to talk about. Nothing ever really happens in a nursing home especially when you lay in bed half the day. Aches, pains and bladder problems are the only things that happens to me.

Well my stomach has settled. I just had some Mylanta with my evening meds. I’m going to try and read the first chapter of To the Gates of Richmond by Stephen W Sears now that I’m settled.  

8:22p.m. I just finished Chapter 1 In To the Gates of Richmond by Stephen W Sears. It begins on March 8, 1862. Thirty-five year old George Brinton McClellan helped a meeting of the twelve corps commanders of the Army of the Potomac. It was soon turned into a council of war. The purpose was to vote he’s or no on McClellan’s new campaign plan 

I have a hard time remembering what I read. But I remember some of McClellan’s plan. The Union General did not want to face Joseph E Johnston’s army at Bull Run. McClellan believed the Confederate forces to outnumber the Union Army. Instead the General waned to outflank Johnston by going to Urbanna, Virginia. He would threaten Richmond and force Johnson to attack on unfavorable grounds.  

I feel pretty relaxed now. I also got changed.  The aide wasn’t very friendly but she did a good job. I hope I can stay up and read chapter 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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