Pecking order

Fri., November 22, 2002 - A home nurse came again.  I had Meals on Wheels today.  I called Jean.  Mary & kids came this evening -- they brought soup.
Sat., November 23, 2002 - Tom & Merilyn left Sunday a.m. for Laughlin.  A home nurse came again.  I called Ray.  Mary brought noon meal - a beef & vegetable mixture -- very good.
Sun., November 24, 2002 - I baked a pumpkin pie.  Nancy came & ironed for me.  Tom called from Laughlin to find out how I was.  Bill, Jenny & Patty came in p.m.  We had pie for lunch.

I wonder how it is Jean got called before Uncle Ray.  Maybe she had tried to reach Grandma or something.  Her birthday was in May, so it wasn't that.

I wish I could remember more of the fun sayings Jean tossed around often.  The only one I recall is "for crying out the window."

Here's the Christensen family.  I think Uncle Pete looks rather handsome here.  Jean looks waaay to serious for how I remember her.

Done and done

Tues., November 19, 2002 - Nancy here at 7:30.  We thought the surgery was to be in the morning but it was changed to afternoon.  Mary came & we told her to come back after lunch.  The nurses took me to the "room" about 12:30.  Mary came back a little after 11:00 and Dale also came.  Back in my room about 3:00.  All went well.  Tom came in the evening.
Wed., November 20, 2002 - Bill's birthday.  Nancy stopped in the morning before work.  Lora took me home from the hospital.
Thurs., November 21, 2002 - A home nurse came in a.m.  Zoya brought telephones so I could pick one out I wanted to use.  Lora brought a scale.  I was told to weigh myself every day-- since I had no scale she brought one -- my Xmas present from the Wahoo Iversens.  Nancy came in evening -- brought potato soup -- did the laundry.

It still amazes me that one can be opened up for a fairly involved surgery in the afternoon and then go home the next day.  It's good in most cases I'm sure, but still impressive and slightly unnerving in my opinion.

How nice that even with everything going on, the first thing Grandma mentioned on the 20th was that it was Bill's birthday.  Seems fitting to find a photo of the three kids that were mentioned in these entries.  (And look, Tom's smiling!)  Surely Mom called at some point there to find out things were going?  Maybe she talked to someone other than Grandma.

Poor parenting?

Sat., November 16, 2002 - Dale came to see me at 8:00 a.m.  Mitch & Anna came in the morning also.  Tom & Mary came in early afternoon and Nancy came after the football game was over.  She stopped at my place & picked up some things I needed.  Tom, Anna, Mitch & Nancy ate at the cafeteria.  Everybody left by 7:30.
Sunday, November 17, 2002 - Mary & the kids came after early church.  Greta came about 10:00.  Dale here too in the morning.  Tom was here from about 10:30 to 12:45.  Greta, Mary, Mitch, Anna & Nancy ate in the cafeteria.  Bill, Jenny & Patty came in mid-afternoon.  Nancy left about 8:00.  Every day blood was taken for testing.  I evidently had a heart attack several weeks ago.  I'm also hooked up to a heart monitor.  Had an IV one day.
Monday, November 18, 2002 - Nancy came at 6:30 & Dale at about 8:00.  Talked to all 3 doctors & will get a pacemaker on Tuesday.  Nancy called Greta, Tom, Bill, Mary and Ray.  More x-rays were taken.  Mary here at noon.  Dale, Dane & Kyleah here about 5:00 p.m.  Mary & kids here at 6:00 & Tom here at 7:00.

Good heavens.  Did I just drop my kids off on a Saturday morning and go on my way?  Mitch would have been 11 and able to locate a hospital room on his own with Anna in tow, but still.  Hopefully at the very least I had something important to do and came up to say hi and then left.  Egads.

For no particular reason, here is a fun photo of Grandpa and Tom.  I sure miss that place.

To the hospital we go

Wed., November 13, 2002 - Bill took me for dental appointment at 8:00!!  Then to Wahoo - permanent in the afternoon.  Bill & Jenny brought me back to Lincoln after a supper with the whole family.
Thurs., November 14, 2002 - Sick all day.  Nancy came in evening-- called "Ask A Nurse".  She stayed all night.  Myrtle called.
Fri., November 15, 2002 - Nancy called Dr. Semin's office.  He said to go to the emergency room at Bryan East.  Were at the ER at about 10:00 a.m.  Dale came in the p.m.  In my room between 5:30 & 6:00.  Mary & the kids came to see me just as they were taking me to my room.  In ER they took x-rays & echogram.  Kids ate the extra supper they brought me.  Tom stopped by before he had to bowl.

Plenty more on this saga in upcoming posts.