I woke up around 5 am on Saturday and took one of my general medications. I went back to bed and did not wake up until 10:30 … that was great! I had one waffle, 2 ½ Chobani yogurts, my protein shakes, and a new medication (Sertraline Hydrochloride – hopefully, this will help with the laughing, but there is no guarantee). Amy had some things to do, so my mother came over (brought her Scrabble and a deck of cards). We played Scrabble (I won) and then Gin (I won again). When we check the mail my handicap parking pass arrived – oh boy! After that, we watched some TV until Amy came home.

During the day, I received an under-desk elliptical electric seated foot and leg pedal exerciser and, later, a variety of items to use with my feeding tube, including 180 Nestle drinks. Around 6, Neil and Jill came over for dinner … but first, they wanted to play Scrabble (Neil won). The crew had Indian food, and I had my typical food.

One Sunday, I woke up at 8, took one medication, and went back to sleep. I woke up after 10, and Amy had to do things. I ate breakfast, and then I walked into the living room and fell … messed up my glasses. Luckily, I just hit the floor, none of the furniture. Amy came back around 1:30, and I let her know. Then we went for a haircut … figured I better do that before the feeding tube procedure. Guys at the barber shop were very helpful. Then we went to a place where Amy goes for her nails and other services. I was having a very difficult time cutting the toenails and wanted to get things done. Well, that place was amazing. People came out to help me. Then they gave me the end chair so I could get into it, and the fun began. I cannot tell you all the things the woman did (because I have never done it before), but in the end, she massaged my lower legs and feet. I must add that I am very ticklish, so I was laughing a lot. Thankfully, we were the only ones in the shop. The massage seemed to help a little, so I told Amy I wanted to try it again on Monday. We had dinner, and I relaxed.

On Monday, I started late, and Amy arranged for us to go back to the nail place at 1:30. When we arrived, the woman came out to help me. Got in the chair and had a 30-minute leg massage and a 10-minute back massage. It was very nice. A short while later, two of our very close friends (Mark & Robin Horowitz) came by to spend some time with us. They left around 5 pm, and then we had dinner around 6. Then, it was time to pack for our stay at a hotel near Columbia on Tuesday night. Well, I didn’t pack; Amy did.

On Tuesday, I got up at six and took the Radicava. I sat in bed till a little after seven and then went to eat my yogurt and protein shake and take all the medications. We were out of the house by 9:15 and arrived at the gallery by 10:30. I worked on the computer, conducted a reveal with a painting by Utrillo, and sold four paintings. We decided to have dinner at the gallery and then head to the hotel. We parked at Columbia Hospital, and then Amy pushed me in a wheelchair to the hotel. The hotel was not good for people like me. The room was tiny, the floors were uneven, the bed was soft, and the bathroom was extremely small. People with issues like mine should not stay at the Edge Hotel.

Wednesday was an early one. We both woke up at five and were out of the hotel by 6. Amy pushed me to the hospital, and we checked in. Then we went to the proper floor and started the experience. I went to a small room to change into a hospital gown. They then put me on a bed and took some blood tests. They were a little nervous about my breathing and swallowing, so they did not put me out during the procedure, which took about 45 minutes. Thankfully, they numbed the area, so I did not feel anything. Once they were done, I went back to the main room and stayed there for about an hour. Then they let us leave. Trying to lift up from the bed was a little painful. We headed home, and then I needed to wait a total of 6 hours before eating anything. Once the time was up, we tried using the feeding tube with some things (gotta screw in a large syringe). Seemed ok, but the temperature of the things you put in the tube can be felt in your body. You have to make sure what you put in is not too hot or too cold. I had yogurt so that I could take some of the medications. I also had a lot of trouble walking, and trying to get into bed was difficult since our mattress was too soft. I finally got in and went to sleep.

On Thursday, the radio alarm woke us up at 7, and I decided to start my Radicava, which we had inserted into the feeding tube. In case you are wondering how to use a feeding tube, the first thing you need to do is screw in a large syringe, then add 60 ml of water, followed by the liquid medication, and then flush it with another 60 ml of water. So much fun! After 1 hour, we took another medication through the feeding tube and waited another hour. Then I had some yogurt and the rest of the medicine. A visiting nurse was coming by between 11 and 1, so I decided to take a shower to clean the area around the feeding tube (gauze pads covered it and were then taped). It took me a good hour to get ready.

When the nurse arrived, she spent a considerable amount of time reviewing all of my medical issues. Then, she took one of the many protein shakes that had been delivered and showed us how to use it. Again, she poured 60 ml of water and then added the shake (actually, it took four times to get it all into the syringe). And finally, put in another 60 ml of water. Once it all went through, I unscrewed the syringe and closed the tube. I was told that another nurse is coming back tomorrow, and over the next week, three other specialists would be stopping by — and I thought I would be back in the gallery next week! I guess I will be working from home. That evening, I had real food – grilled cheese and soup – LOL! Took the medications (including a liquid PainQuil) and went to sleep.

Here is an interesting fact. The large syringes can only be used for 24 hours before they need to be discarded. This means that 365 of them are used each year – seems crazy. The visiting nurse service will be sending a new box each month. And as for the protein shakes they delivered (180 of them), when I get back to normal, I will use 5 or 6 each day.

On Friday morning, I woke up at 6:30; I slept through the night with that PainQuil – excellent! Think I will continue to take it. I took my Radicava through the tube, and one hour later, I took the Doxy and then returned to bed for about an hour. I got up, showered (cleaned the area around the feeding tube, and one of the little pieces fell out – not sure what they are called, but it is a good thing), ate some yogurt, took the medications, and used the feeding tube for the protocol. I will say that it was so much easier than trying to drink it mixed in a protein shake. That afternoon another nurse stopped by to check my vitals. Everything was good!

Now for some really sad news. As I can no longer drive, I am selling my 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Since I was a kid, I always wanted one. I got the car from Woodhouse (in Omaha) – over the last 10 years, we have gotten almost all our vehicles from them. Today, Amy went out to test drive several different cars to find one that she is most comfortable driving.