Friday, December 08, 2006

So it’s much better being at home, but it’s still really tedious. I’m happy to be in my own bed and using my own bathroom. And to be eating Beau’s cooking - he’s so much better than the cooks at the hospital. Although as hospital food goes, most of it was pretty good.

We brought the home computer up from the basement yesterday. Not knowing how much longer I’ll have to wait for the laptop from work, I reached the point where it was worth it to me to bring it up for this short time. So Beau unplugged the cable from the wall to add the splitter and when he replugged it we had no signal to the cable box or the modem. A quick call to the cable company confirmed that there was no signal at all and we were assured that a cable guy would come to the house between 3-5pm.

I have to admit to a mini-meltdown at that point. I was frustrated and feeling so useless and all I wanted was access to the internet so that I could the simplest things like manage my bank account, online Christmas shopping, and email. I snapped at Beau, who went downstairs in retreat and then I took a shower where I cried out my frustration. Beau came back up when I got out of the shower, I apologized and explained why I was crying. He just hugged me, which was the perfect response.

Anyway, I felt better for the cry and whiled away the next couple of hours playing a CD in the computer and finishing up our Christmas letter. I was looking at the pictures stored on the computer when the cable guy arrived at 3:30. He checked the signal to the house, which was fine and then went into the attic to discover that the wiring up there was sketchy. He fixed that and then the cable outlet in the bedroom and we have a better signal than we had before. He was amazed we had a signal for as long as we did. And now I’m connected and happy as a clam.

I get out of the house every other day for an outpatient iron treatment at the hospital for the next couple of weeks. Turns out I’m so anemic that this is the required treatment. I’m being given Venofer, which I got as a diluted IV drip when I was in the hospital, but as a syringe push as outpatient. I had the first treatment on Wednesday and it took a little longer than it should because I had a serious hot flash. The tech stopped pushing the drug and paused for several minutes to let me cool down with a cold cloth and a cup of ice water. I’m hoping today’s treatment goes better now that I know what to expect. Oh, and take a look at the vial on the website linked - that stuff is coal black in the syringe.

Baby is doing well - he’s still really active and busy in there. Beau is a prince among men. And we have gotten so much support and volunteer assistance from the folks in our small group. I talked to our next door neighbor for a while yesterday - she’s going to come sit with me while Beau is at the small group shower on Sunday. We’re being well taken care of and are so grateful for how God has provided peace and comfort as well as great friends and family.

Thanks to you all who have been and continue to pray and for your encouraging comments on the earlier posts. Beau printed them and brought them to me in the hospital - it was an encouragement to see how many people were praying. Thanks to Jaynee, too, for posting my ramblings left on her office voice mail in the middle of the night.