Dr. Chen Day!!!!!!!

Sunday was terrific! Sheba was walking well enough for me to take her to the grounds of our medical clinic where there is a large field of grass surrounding the helipad. It’s well-draining soil, plus there’s been no rain for three days so the ground was lovely, soft and dry. Her bandages did not get wet. I was so, so happy! What a treat on My Day.

But the day began rough. I was up at 5:15 to feed the brood and then to light the fire. I went out to the shed for wood, loaded up a light load and headed back to the house, but coming up the two stairs to the deck, I fell, and I thought I heard voices as I was picking up some of my dropped wood.

When I came inside with the half-load of wood, I heard a recorded voice I recognized as I lay the wood down on the hearth; “You call has been connected; someone will be right with you.”

That’s my Lifeline alarm in action. My fall feature had been triggered when I fell, and soon the Lifeline operator was speaking to me through a speaker attached to my phone line but separate from the Telus system. She asked if I needed an ambulance or help from my friends, and I assured her that I didn’t. Then we bid each other adieu. 

I fetched the remainder of the wood and lay the fire. No sooner had I lit it, than Sheba started barking like she does when someone comes onto our property. I told her to shut up, but it didn’t work and soon I heard someone knocking on my front door. It was 5:40 am.

Lifeline had called Pete and Ali (three doors over and on my list of people to call at Lifeline), and they had come to check on me. It seems that although I said I was fine, she heard my poor speech and my heavy breathing and worried that I needed help. And then, when Ali left, Dwight called. Lifeline had called him as well, but he looked at his phone, saw an 800 number and blew off the call, just as I would have done. But when he got up and listened to his messages, he heard Lifeline’s message that I may have been in trouble, and he was freaking out when he called. 

What a way to start the day! But my misadventure was eclipsed by the joy of seeing Sheba so much better after my thorough treatment of her foot: cleaning, re-bandaging, waterproofing the temporary carapace.

In the evening, I watched the Oscars, regardless of my non-interest in America and its movies. I wanted to hear and see what political things were said by the host, presenters and winners. I thought Conan O’Brien was great; I thought Adrian Brody was a painful narcissist. I guess I’ll try to see Anora.

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And now, finally, I am off to meet with Dr. Chen where I hope to hear that there is a treatment plan for my heart problems. I’m dreading another long wait for an angiogram and/or treatment. The big question, however, is whether or not he plans to do something about the ventricular aneurism. 

Bunk beds!