Recovery, training

From Thursday last week until yesterday I was hurting too badly to get anything done. I do not want to take too much time on that subject but it did occupy a great deal of my focus throughout those long days. A visit to the doctor’s office on Sunday resulted in the prescribing of some strong antibiotics but the pain just would not go away. After almost collapsing in the kitchen Monday morning, I went back to the doctor. This time I was sent to the hospital for a CT scan. It is a diagnostic test that requires the ingesting of a very distasteful liquid as well as the injection via IV of a contrast agent. Getting the IV going proved to be a problem. I was stuck seven or eight times before it was decided to put in a PIC line – a catheter like IV the is inserted in the vein just below the arm pit. Having done that, I was walked across the hall for the CT scan but when they tried to flush the PIC line, it was plugged. Apparently, I have very good clotting times. Once the tech reamed out the opening, the contrast fluid was injected and the test was begun. The final diagnosis is that I have severe diverticulosis tending to diverticulitis. Painful conditions that are a lifelong struggle. There is no known treatment. Much like the back issue I am dealing with, the prognosis is long-term pain management.

I will only be in the office for a short while this morning, for the remainder of the today I will be at the Civic Center here in Decatur observing a colleague teach the class I normally teach. Since he is normally my backup, I have not gotten the chance to observe him present the class. It will probably be the best opportunity to do so. Besides, I do not feel good enough to do too awfully much and sitting at the desk is uncomfortable. In the back of the room I can order my day as needed. Following that, I have to present the training for another class on Thursday and sit through an additional class on Friday. Next week will be occupied with nothing but catching up to the last two weeks of not being in the office.

The temperatures are continuing to gradually fall – at least the nights are getting progressively cooler. With that comes the falling of the leaves. It is one of the two times of the year that having all these trees presents a challenge. Keeping the leaves out of the garage is an ongoing issue. Not one anyone but me seems to have a problem with since the garage door is often left open to the blowing wind. The leaves pile up in drifts along the fence in the back yard and smother some of my plants if I do not keep them under control. It is a small thing that we normally use Mama’s mower to help with. I rake the leaves into rows and she mows over them to turn them into mulch. It is a dusty, dirty process, but it has worked well in the past. This Fall however, her mower is not working properly. The other day she slammed her hand down on the blade engagement control and from that point on, the blades will not engage. We have yet to take it in for repairs – or to enlist Grandpa’s help.

James Dobson’s principle of “two sets forward, one step back” is definitely at work in our everyday lives.