Siri, Tell Me How Is Chris
<Lisa here. I’ve gotten an email from my brother Chris, which he dictated to Siri a little bit at a time. I’ve only slightly applied the sister filter, which I’m sure makes Siri quite happy.>
I’m realigning the pain measurement scale, and have a new way to describe what I am feeling.
After waking up in the middle of the night with a monster headache, and taking pain meds and an ice break and a little doze, I finally looked at Lisa’s post for yesterday, but just the picture. Wow. I’ve been using the wrong numbers ever since I got home, and probably even while I was in the hospital.
Reading the lego descriptions I think my headaches have actually been much higher than I’d been using, and because of the lego heads I now realize that my headaches are starting at 4 1/2 and going to 6 1/2 or 7 1/2 when they get really bad. I think the worst one was just after the operation, when they took me in the wee hours to get another MRI. I think it must’ve been at least a 9 ( I remember that – ouch!)
So now I’m judging my new normal at about 3. Once it hits 4 I start icing and I’m ready to take pain meds. I call these headaches zoomers, because they go from 4 to 6 in just a minute or two. The ice really helps keep them from progressing until the pain meds kick in.
So the Lego heads are working better to keep me (I mean Nicole) controlling the pain. Big sistah Laura says these headaches are normal and will start to go away hopefully very soon.
Also, I’ve been describing my dizziness as a drunken sailor but I want to change it a little. I’ll use the tile-lined swimming pool metaphor. I think the pool is not quite full and as I move my head it sloshes water from side to side. Like the pool on an ocean liner (think Disney cruise, which Zack and CJ may remember) and some stormy weather. Water sloshes over the railing and the crew has to swab the deck or we slip and slide everywhere. The headaches make very dizzy and kind of seasick. So I am keeping my walker mostly to maintain my balance, particularly when I’m not in reach of a countertop or a strong arm to grab onto.
Today is Tuesday – memory intact: check. Had a lousy headache last night at 1 AM but am feeling really good this morning. Emile gave me a great shower and head shampoo -thank you! And I am in luck, I have OT Patty coming for occupational therapy at 3 PM. Until then, I’m eating Anita and Chuck’s fantastic pot pie for lunch (leftovers from yesterday’s dinner).
Last night I asked Nicole to sleep in the same bed with me, and I actually got a little more sleep. I’m not sure if she did. She went to a work meeting today but should be home before Patty arrives. So far, no visitors today, just Emile helping me and Sue here taking care of all of us. Sue is so fantastic!
Someone is bringing us dinner tonight, thank you! We’ll have an easy evening. Then tomorrow Dr. Eddie takes my staples out. Hurray! Joy!
Oh, I’m trying to work on some tax stuff and Emile is limiting me to 15 minutes with big big breaks in between, but I want to help Nicole so we don’t blow our extension deadline. And she is so stressed and no sleep so I don’t want her to collapse on me. That would be bad. But otherwise just resting a lot. I am a lazy dog, just like Astro!
Must finish pot pie now, it tastes like heaven.
Took me all morning to dictate this to Siri. Now send to sister Lisa so she can clean it up and make it funny. And filter it for me. My brain filter is on the fritz. And I’m not so funny today, drat! Someone take this iPhone away from me please. Bye!