He only ate about half, and I took the rest home after I settled him into his classroom. He wanted the rest for lunch. What he really ate was the syrup, and DD ate the actual french toast sticks.
Great lunch, huh? I was kind of oblivious, since I was whipping up my own lunchy thing and listening to my girlfriend's obsessive chatter about her life. Hey, she doesn't have cancer, so it's a diversion, right? (Looking on the bright side there.)
Bring DS1 home from school and assemble various snacks. DS2 has a pb&j, followed by 2 small Hershey's bars from his Halloween candy bucket, followed by a really nasty "accident."
He just stands and screams, repeatedly, "WAAAAHHHHHH!" Since this happened outside, it took me a minute to realize something was wrong, and from the way he was standing stock still, I had a good idea what it was.
Time to invoke the new rule of the house:
I told him it was bad enough I had to clean him up, I wasn't going to let him scream in my ears throughout the process. It took a while but as I told him: It's just a mess, we'll clean it up. No one's hurt. I understand you're upset, but you really can stop crying now. You're OK now.
And he really was OK -- too much sugar, went right through him. I should've realized what-all he had eaten earlier and not allowed the candy, but I wasn't really thinking about it. I wasn't really thinking much at all, kind of just moving to accomplish certain tasks. Everything got done. No one was hurt. Successful day.
When you're on the Descent, you have to manage expectations carefully.
I had a meeting with the kids wherein I laid out, in very simple terms, how I was going to be tired and grumpy and most likely, stupid, until I get home from the hospital again, but the message they took away (somehow) was that I need another surgery, so I'll have to revisit that, many times, I'm sure. My main goal was to convey that I wasn't going to have much patience so we all have to be extra kind to each other, but that got lost in the shuffle somewhere. This is typical for a first time presenting new information at these young ages. Stuff tends to get mixed up or misfiled, and repetition is the key. So repeated this will be, until they understand it.
Today's eating:
Breakfast: ginger peach tea, handful of pecans, 2 muffins
Lunch: about 3 roma tomatoes, some zucchini, good amount of chicken sauteed with garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasonings
snack: Fuji apple
Dinner: pork roast, roasted baby carrots, fresh hot applesauce with cinnamon, salad of lettuce/tomato/cucumber with v&o&s&p
I feel the "big lunch" is working out pretty well.
Hands were around a 3-4 on waking but settled down. Everything else seems OK, even the piriformis has been good the past few days.
Swollen glands still, and talked to my surgeon about it; he said it is unlikely that it is related to the surgery. Made an appointment to see my PCP on Friday morning to check it out. I also feel, oddly for me, a little wheezy, so I may have a chest cold -- I've never had one before! How strange this feels. I'll be talking and suddenly run out of breath, or have to cough. DS1 noticed and remarked on it, asking, "What is that? Why do you keep coughing like that?" I had to tell him, "I don't know. It's weird, isn't it?" Maybe it's a delayed post-op thing. Dr T will take a listen on Friday and let me know if there's anything odd going on.
Still haven't heard back from the endo, even though I called to 1) nag and 2) tell them it was OK to leave info on the answering machine here. Sheesh. I'm very annoyed by the lack of communication with these folks: Not. Good.
Great talk this evening with thyroidless friend R, although I was abashed that I had forgotten a lengthy discussion we had just after my surgery. She's a great friend, though, and forgives me for having a hypo moment on her. Also talked briefly to both sisters, and to Mom, who made it home safely thanks to my bro picking her up and delivering her. I really appreciate that a lot.
I had a few bad (near tears) moments today, but managed fine in spite of it. I keep reminding myself of the short time and how much better I will feel when I'm back on the meds. Even though it will probably be at least 3 weeks, that is a very short time in the grand scheme of things, right? Heck, I'm already almost 3 weeks post-op, and that doesn't seem possible.
Kids are off tomorrow, and the plan is to see "The Incredibles" after lunch. We may go to Borders, too, if they can get their work done in the morning. It would be nice to have an easy day with them and feel kind of normal before I get much further on the Descent. I might not be able to manage it for too much longer.
Apologies for the melodrama, but I'm definitely having more "hypo moments", and my real fear is that the periods of lucidity will become smaller and smaller, until all that's left is the brain-fogged hypo woman. Can't let that fear get the better of me, though!
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