Between coffee at the clubhouse, getting my hair done, visiting Mr. Grinch, and then later finding the air filtration filter on SweetPea, yesterday was a very busy day. By the time it was over, I was too tired to do a journal entry. This morning I had a little morning me time to start this day, sipping my tea as I relaxed in bed for a little bit before I got up and really started this day. My words for today stem from the fact that those of us taking the cancer journey soon realize that is the only way to live. This journey is such a desperate roller coaster ride, one cannot even really live it day by day. We just have take each day that comes, moment by moment. Making the very best of all the good moments, and doing whatever it takes to survive the bad moments.
Yesterday wasn't a bad day, just a little tiring. Mr. Grinch was actually in very good spirits, and in PT when I went to see him today. Yes, the blood clot is now under control enough the doctor said PT would be okay, just no jogging. Yeah right, like Mr. Grinch ever jogged anyway. It was good though to see them working with him and getting him back into better shape. We both understand the battle ahead of us is going to be a very tough one, and he needs to be in as good a shape as possible for it. We went outside on the back sidewalk and patio outside the dining room for a little while yesterday. After we got back in one of the nurses showed me a beautiful courtyard area that we went out on today. I got me a Coca Cola, and him Dr. Pepper from the vending machine in the employees break room, and we enjoyed those as we sat outside in the fresh air.
Speaking of fresh air, a rather musty moldy smell coming out of the a/c for a few seconds when I first fired up SweetPea is what caused me to resort to the owner's manual yesterday evening so I could find out about something called an air filtration filter. Learning to do as much as I can for myself is very important to me right now, and I wanted to get to the filter off by myself if at all possible. After reading the owners manual I discovered if SweetPea had one of those, I would have to remove the glovebox to get to it. So, with screwdriver in hand, and owners manual open, I began the task of removing the glovebox.
I got the glovebox off by myself, but still couldn't figure out quite where and what the filter was. Subaru needs to make that part of the owner's manual a little less confusing. I called my friend Brian for help, and he found it within moments after he got here. He was even dutifully impressed I had gotten the glovebox off by myself. That filter was NASTY. According to the owner's manual it is supposed to be changed once a year. From the looks of it, I don't think it had been changed since it was factory installed. He is going to contact his buddy that works as a Subaru tech, and get me a new filter. For the next couple of days I will run without any filter until I get a new one, and let all that musty odor work out of the vents. Once all that odor is gone, especially after the new filter is installed, I won't have to roll the windows down and hold my breath for the first few seconds when I fire little SweetPea up.
I had a great bit of news earlier this evening when his nurse, Maria, called to let me know they are lowering his blood pressure medication. I know he is currently on so many other medications, and fighting so hard to get better, it is great to know they think he's doing well enough to at least lower that medication. Any little bit of headway right now is a bright blessing to me.
I talked to him a little later on the phone and KNOW he is getting better since he bitched about the cucumbers they put in his salad, he feels the same way about cucumbers as he does carrots. Then he bitched he got ice cream instead of pineapple chunks. But refused my offer to bring him a couple of little cans of pineapple pieces tomorrow. The more he bitched, the more I laughed. Finally he bitched because I was laughing. To which I replied, "I'm laughing because I know you are getting better! You old grouch." Then he bitched because I called him an old grouch, and said, "Bullshit. I am not." Which just made me laugh harder. As I have said before, there is a reason his nickname is Mr. Grinch ;)
