The Day After Thanksgiving

Update on Camryn from Her Dad

Tuesday afternoon (11.25.08)  As of three p.m. eastern time we are checked in at Frazier Rehab Center.  She will be evaluated by the staff tomorrow and then begin the therapy that they prescribe.  At this time we are looking at this situation a week at a time.  So hopefully by Monday of next week we will know how much progress has been made, and what needs to happen to facilitate going home.  Yesterday, the Neurologist made an interesting comment.  He said that if anyone had shown him Camryn's CT-Scan from last Monday, and said, this young lady is going to rehab, he would have laughed at them and said impossible.  The CT-Scan showed that 1/3 of her brain was saturated in blood.  Most people who suffer significant events like that are weeks in ICU and multiple months in therapy.  Well, we had less than a week in ICU, now lets work on therapy.

Mumbai

Mumbai is, to me, the latest example of how terrorism affects us beyond its violence. It makes no sense; it destroys with indifference; and it gets us literally right where we live: “if it can happen there then it could happen here.”  Thirty-something years ago I shot at by “urban terrorists” who also threatened to kill my wife and infant son. It took years and an excellent therapist to free me from the nightmares that launched. Terrorism angers me and I also have the urge to vomit whenever I hear of another incident.

The Day Before Thanksgiving

Wednesday I went grocery shopping. Tasha accompanied me. Although I have no expectations of anyone dropping by to see me during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I wanted to be prepared with all of those items that my sense of hospitality informs me I need to have on hand.

These days even a simple trip to the supermarket requires me to outfit myself as if I am going on a trek over a mountain range: three types of emergency medications to keep myself breathing (just in case); the cell phone (just in case); the portable oxygen tank, full; and my cane.

As I was leaving the house, I realized that Alex was still outside. I called the furball, had Tasha check the deck to see if he was sunning himself there, and look under the car—just in case. Knowing that Alex can (usually) take care of himself, I left with him still outside catting around.

Tasha took my camera with us and documented the safari to the supermarket:

Of course, the first item I purchased was Alex’s favorite cat food!

The trip, dur to traffic and the number of people in the supermarket, took much longer than I expected. I used up an entire precious bottle of oxygen and was feeling exhausted as I drove home. When we reached my home, Alex was on the front porch demanding to be let inside. Of course, when we entered the house the furball ran straight to the kitchen and demanded a (second) lunch. It was a tiring day for both Alex and I, so I retired for an early afternoon nap. Alex joined me as soon as he had eaten his fill. Tasha took these photographs before she left work:

Thanksgiving Day

Some time ago I made arrangements to eat Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant with my friend and former colleague, Ann. Ann arrived to pick me up at my house about 11:00 a.m. and even brought me a Thanksgiving gift:

The meal was excellent and the conversation enchanting. I truly miss dining with two legged creatures. I have no photographs of the Thanksgiving meal. I had meant to take my camera with all of the other shit stuff I had to take with me—portable oxygen, meds, cane—I forgot the camera.

After Ann left, I noticed that she had given me another gift:

I offered Alex some turkey, but he just licked at its gravy and demanded instead ocean white fish and tuna.