A long day for both

Hello All!

For a mix of reasons I finally arose at about 5:30 this morning. Our apartment overlooking Bryant Park has been a godsend (who knows?) but there can be noisy nights from street noise. It was unusually warm so I had our little AC on but there was a great machine pulled into a drive at the park, almost beneath my window, performing some unknown task and accompanied by an inexcusable roar lasting hours in what civilized folk call the dead of night. I looked at my email and checked on the most current info on new friend Earl who had weakened a bit. I was out of cereal so I joined the early morning crowds, got my NY Times, and picked up an egg sandwich and some orange juice.

Bernice was surprised and pleased to see me arrive at about 9:00. Her surgeon, Dr Moyle, had already visited and checked out under her head bandage (looks fine) and asked how she felt. As she replied to that question most of the day she said, Lousy. No back or head pain but nausea continues. I was disappointed that she did not say anything about her fervent desire to have window. A view of Central Park would be an added and super feature. I called her favorite Dr Mascarenhas, hematologist/oncologist, on his cell phone and told him of her bitter disappointment to be in the A bed at the door and not the B bed at a window. I am afraid that I laid it on a bit thick by telling him there were tears in her eyes when she was wheeled in the A position. He agreed that the proper disposition is an important part of a cure and he would see us later. The neurosurgery/neuroscience unit is not his home turf but he would see what can be done. He did stop with two coworkers we know well. He is still adjusting her bloods and mentioned that he is talking to the drug trial people to see if she can resume the trial drug which was stopped when she fell.

A parade of other doctors came to visit. Bernice was given a refreshing sponge bath. The big event was that (to put it delicately) an important bodily function finally resumed after a five day hiatus. This seemed to diminish her nausea and she managed to eat a little.

I left her with her cell phone, her reading glasses, and some sections of the NY Times. This was the first time since the operations that she had any interest in these things. As I sat writing this blog, listening to the master lute music of John Dowland (thanks again, Raymond) my phone rang. Bernice told me she is moving back up to the Hem/Onc unit tonight. She may get her B bed tonight. The populations of patients in each unit is distinctive. The neuro unit has those who just had strokes, head injuries, or brain surgery whereas the hem/onc unit has patients with various cancers or blood disorders. After all, a hospital is rough place — it caters to sick people. We both prefer the nurses and staff in the hem/onc unit and it is the domain of our Dr M who probably arranged this. She will be seen by the neuro people also, of course. Mt Sinai does an excellent job of coordinating all its medical disciplines.

I am sure you will all join me in looking forward to a better day tomorrow.

love, Merwin