Day 7 & 8
Hospital Angeles
November 10 & 11, 2018
It’s the weekend here at Hospital Angeles and there is even less done on a Saturday and Sunday. No nurse came to check Glen’s pulse on Saturday. When I asked the nurse came and gave him an oxygen IV. They are so funny around here. “Oh, did you want it now?”
Uh, yeah. Now would be great! Get it over with and maybe, just maybe, Glen will have some time when his bowels leave him alone enough to go for a walk. Friday night was brutal for him. He was up and down at least 10 times if not more. Of course that meant that I didn’t sleep much either so I woke up with a nasty headache that still hasn’t disappeared today (Sunday). It was still not quite a migraine but nasty nonetheless. At least I’m not on the toilet constantly… I feel bad for Glen. Saturday all Glen got in for outside was a lap around the “long” block. It was a brutal bowel day.
I was much more antsy so tried to do more walking. Being much more adventurous with numbers of people I cautiously walked down a new street and got that “creepy” feeling. Normally the locals kind of ignored me so I was surprised when one looked up from his work and said, “Ola”. I obligingly said, “Ola” back and then walked a little quicker. I got to the end of the street and saw a pile of what I think were emergency responders standing above what they call their “river” but really it’s their large cement aqueduct. I observed them for a few seconds, pondering for a brief moment crossing the very busy road and then decided better of it. I turned around and headed back down the same litter covered street. Avoiding a very nasty uncovered manhole I kept walking and saw the man who said “Ola” to me standing on the edge of the sidewalk watching me. “Lord give me some angels please, just in case,” was my silent prayer. As I got closer I saw him stop a car from coming out of a blind driveway so that I could pass without getting hit. Relief flooded through me and I felt a little silly for being scared. “Gracios!” I smiled as I spoke one of the very few Spanish words I know. “Denaro,” he replied back which means “you’re welcome” – although I’m sure I’m spelling it wrong!
I met another man on the next sidewalk who totally took me by surprise. He was speaking rapid fire Spanish at me and I stuttered out, “No…” and then forgot all my Spanish. He tried again, probably asking directions or something, and again I shook my head helplessly and held me hands up – “No.” He smiled, either thinking I was completely stupid or clueing in that I had no idea what he was saying. “No?” I smiled back and said, “No. I don’t understand.” “Ok,” he said.
I made my way back to the hospital and figured I really should learn Spanish! This morning as Glen had his oxygen IV I walked a bit further and took a few more pictures. I then sat in the sun in the Hospital courtyard until the sun moved and shadows hit me. Reluctantly I wandered back into the room.
Yesterday (Saturday) we had to say goodbye to our new friends Maureen and Sheilagh. I was actually quite sad about that because it sure is nice to be able to wander over to another room and visit a bit. They are very interesting people and I will miss them. Hopefully they will take me seriously and come for a visit. Maureen and her husband are taking the train trip across Canada the end of May next year so we are hoping to see them for a night at our house.
As I headed out for another walk I met Mike and Sue from next door. I joined them for their walk and then continued a bit farther as my legs really needed to move! They are a nice Christian Catholic couple from Napa Valley, California. Sue is fighting breast cancer. She is a very discerning and Godly woman who also works to help set people free from the demonic so we connected easily and well. We also exchanged contact information and hope to stay connected.
Last night we ended the evening by watching a Western movie called ‘Broken Trail’ based on a true story of some cowboys in the late 1800’s who were driving wild horses to sell them across the country. They ended up saving five Chinese young girls whose poverty stricken parents had sold them into slavery in America. I sure hope their parents didn’t know they were being sold into a very short, hard life of prostitution! It was a very long and in many ways sad as well as heart warming story. The young cowboy ended up marrying one of the girls and their great grandchildren are still ranching on the land that they were able to buy from the sale of those horses. The older cowboy, the uncle, was too afraid to marry the white woman prostitute whom they also saved. It was sad and her line to him was, “Some men are afraid of failure. You are afraid of success.” So true! The movie ended with the scene of the older man reading a letter from the woman who thanked him for giving her back her life again. They were buried side by side. (Yes, insert emotion tears here for those of us filled with it!)
During the movie I tasted Glen’s protein smoothie, thinking it was coconut milk and vegan so should be fine. It was not fine. I went into an anaphylactic reaction and had to take two allergy pills to make my throat calm down. It was frustrating, as I have been doing so well all week! Our night was much less restless for both of us yet I am definitely feeling the effects of two allergy pills and the reaction today. It takes a lot out of a person!
Glen managed to come outside for a longer walk with me this afternoon, which is an incredible miracle! We almost made it to the outside type mall that Maureen and Sheilagh and I walked to the other night but Glen needed to turn around. In all honesty I was pretty tired too it’s just so nice to be outside in 20 plus degree weather in November when I know at home on this Remembrance Day it’s cold (and in some parts of the country – most – it’s snowy). I think I actually got a bit of a burn today! ☺
We came back in and crashed. I played on my phone for quite awhile messaging people and playing ‘Words with Friends’ mostly with Glen while he worked on filling out an 18-page intake form for Issels in Santa Barbara. It’s quite ironic as most of what he was filling out I would have to answer “yes” to and he doesn’t. Who’s the patient? I remember that we are both here to heal in different ways. I also need to remember that most of these days I have felt much stronger than I have in years. I am so very thankful! And by the way, I’m really bad at ‘Words with Friends’! Glen pretty much always wins unless he plays my turn for me!