Another Adventure

Dear All,

Sorry for my absence of a few days but i will try to to give an efficient summary. We were occupied with another not-needed distraction which (I will say at the start) I believe has been favorably resolved. If you are tired of hearing more medical stories, skip this paragraph. A couple of days ago Bernice complained of pain in her left thigh and when we looked there was huge black and blue area extending the full length of the thigh and half its width. With Bernice's condition we and the doctor's must be alert to changes of condition, especially to something which pains. We called DR. m and described the situation on the phone. Difficult to make a judgment by phone. Any chance of a picture? he quarried. He knows I am technologically prepared but it was son Dave who took three pictures and i emailed these in. Minutes later Dr. M, along with his team, viewed the pictures and asked more questions. Bernice bruises very easily and always sports a set black and blue marks and this appeared to be a spread of blood under the skin surface. He wanted her to see a doctor locally since the trip into NYC did not seem feasible. We were able to get squeezed into an appointment in the office of our primary care giver and Dr. C recommended that Bernice get MRIs of the pelvic and lower abdomen areas to rule out the possibility that there is a leaking blood source above the crotch. In order to transport Bernice, who has been confined to her bedroom area for the week since her release from the hospital, we had to hire a special ambulate company. They got her into a wheel chair and into their van which has a lift gadget at its rear. We were picked up yesterday morning at 6:45 and Bernice was the first patient. In spite of this there was no diagnosis — the doctors left early for the Jewish holiday - and we must await Monday. This morning Bernice complained of pain in her other thigh and when we looked, there was the telltale black and blue discoloration. Bernice now had an idea as to cause. She is sleeping and resting in a hospital bed and there are metal side rails. The back rail is raised but she does not use that side. The other rail is lowered to its full extent but the top bar is just about (or a bit higher) than the level of the mattress. When she leaves and enters the bed and she is in a sitting position, this top bar presses firmly into her upper thigh. Since the left leg has been stiff and hurt, she has favored the right leg and she speculates that this is why this thigh may have succumbed to the same injury. Bernice bruises easily due to her blood condition and the bruises are long-lasting. I have now removed that side bar from the bed. I expect a negative diagnosis from the MRI readings (I hope so) and feel a good level of confidence that Bernice is right.

On other fronts. A home health aide from the Visiting Nurse Service started yesterday. Her name is Yolanda and we hope she will work out. She travels by bus and i pick her up about a half mile away. She helped Bernice shower and wash her hair, changed all the linen and put in a wash. Yolanda is rather slow and not overly bright and actually got lost in finding Bernice's room after going to the laundry room. We shall see. The visiting nurse also came to pay a visit.

Our nearby neighbor, Vivian, sent over a lovely dinner for me — not vegetarian! Lincoln came by for a visit. We did little to observe Yom Kippur and did not even consider a fast.

love to all, Merwin