Progress continues

Dear family and friends,

Above is a photo of Jesús and me before he returned to Spain on Monday afternoon. I am wearing a U of Valencia shirt he gave me some years ago: ser o no ser: To be or not to be, a challenge to students to make of themselves what they want to become. How sweet it is to be with dear friends and to have a photo memory. We should have a camera so we could take photos of all kinds of things and people. Merwin snapped this photo in my study, which has become our bedroom since my fall 22 days ago.

Yesterday I had an outing to Annie Nails to get a much-needed manicure, due two weeks ago. We decided not to use the wheelie for the few steps from the car to the little shop, but I have to say it was hard to accomplish. I cannot walk well enough with just a hand on Merwin's arm. But once I was in the shop everything was fine. Someone on each side would still be needed now, though I expect to do better in a few days. Every day there seems to be progress in strength, but the pain remains without much change at all; I am still taking a lot of pain meds, but not as much as at the beginning: I am trying to bear with it. While I was at the shop, Merwin went off for his brisk walk at the beach. The photo on the upper right shows Jesús and Merwin sitting on a bench at the end of the beach.

After Merwin picked me up at the shop we took a little ride down to the beach, where we noticed with great interest that the sidewalk that had caused my fall had been repaired beautifully. Below is the "before" picture. Hey! I am getting pretty good at this photo-attachment stuff! Amazing.

Did I mention that a lawyer from the building landlord phoned me last week and wanted to interview me and see my medical records? That's when I asked Dave to take the photos: and we asked Rabbi Lee about a lawyer for our interests.


So I guess we are starting this process of figuring out what to do, an exploration. We are not litigious sorts usually.

Yesterday afternoon, the lawyer we contacted came to see us. He's another man named "Bill." We seem to have many of them these days. My main gripe is that the fall kept me from the Shakespeare conference where we were to settle so many things about our website. There is really no way to replace the time we would have had together in private face-to-face meetings. Phone and email are just not enough. I feel I should be compensated for that loss of time on the Hamlet work, especially since time is so iffy for me.

Speaking of which, I began the prednisone taper, which I may have mentioned yesterday. I felt the difference immediately: more fatigue. The prednisone gives me an upper. Going without it is perhaps not a downer, but puts me into my usual myelo proliferative state. Joanna, the PT from my hem's office, called to check that I had continued with the taper. I will call her if the fatigue gets to be too much. What's too much? Wanting always to lie down, not being able to work. You must know that not being able to work is just not acceptable.

Big change today. I have not needed Merwin's help during the night for several days now, so I suggested that he return to his bed upstairs. I have a whistle I can blow if I need him. He did that, so (1) I can turn on the light in the middle of the night when I am awake, and (2) we can each sleep without disturbing each other. That worked, so today the sleep-couch will be closed up and become a couch again. I will remain on the La-Z-Boy recliner in the study until I get Bill, the Visiting Nurse who will be here this afternoon, to show me how to get into my bed. Can't turn yet, or twist. Because Merwin and I both sleep so erratically, we have used separate bedrooms for the last few years.

And of course the work continues, slowly, slowly. But I'll write about that another time.

Love to all,
Bernice