Quite A Year

This time last year, I was living in a nursing home, not knowing whether I would be there for the rest of my life.  It wasn't a bad place,  but it's not a place you want to live if you have a choice.  I was also still undergoing cancer treatments, which were painful, messy, and frustrating.

Today, all that has changed.  I'm done with the cancer treatments if things continue to go well, and thanks to
a lot of good work by some good people, I'm now living in my own apartment.  My future now has options and opportunities.  I'm still trying to work out how to take advantage of those, but I will get there.

Yodit's Baby

So, my aide Yodit had her baby within the past few hours-- a beautiful baby girl.  Yodit herself is an attractive young woman physically, as well as being a kind and gentle person and an extremely competent, devoted aide, so if the girl grows up to be like her mother, the world will be that much of a better place.

Of course, this means I'll be without Yodit for a few weeks.  She promised me she'll come back, though, and she said she'll come visit even before she comes back to work.  I will miss her in the meantime, but I have other aides I can count on.

Good News

I went to my urologist for a scope of my bladder today.  He said everything looked fine.  My bladder is still cancer free.  They're also going to analyze the urine he removed to make sure there are no malignant cells floating around in it, but he didn't seem concerned about that.

Statistically, he said, I'm right where I should be.  I don't go back for another scope until June 27.  I'll have those for years, I guess, but as long as everything stays good, the interval between them will lengthen.

This is a huge relief for me.  Now, I can really begin to focus on other things.

Christmas Taxi

I took my first taxi rides yesterday.  They were to my brother Jon's house and back, and everything went smoothly.  I was hoping to get home before the snow started falling, and we did that, too.

Now, I can begin to think about going places in the city using a taxi. It's a liberating prospect.

Peapod Success

I successfully placed my first order on Peapod yesterday.  I wasn't sure Christmas Eve would be the best time to get a delivery like that, but the guy was here within the time window I specified.

There's a trick to using Peapod.  The minimum purchase is $60, so you can't go there just to get a couple small items.  I'll have to work on making sure to get everything I need when I place an order, but it will be an excellent service for me.

First Snow

The first day of winter has brought the first snow of the season to Indianapolis.  Hopefully, it won't be a daily event right through to spring.

I wouldn't mind having a white Christmas as long as it's not going crazy when I'm trying to get to Jon's house and back.  Beyond that, though, I'm hoping for a mild winter, just cold enough to kill off all the bugs-- insect, bacterial, and viral.

Tough Morning

This morning, early on, I couldn't use the restroom at all-- neither number.  It was frustrating and painful.  Of course, I have to discipline myself to go when somebody is here to help, which can be difficult.  Add extra stress, like my urologist appointment coming up, then being delayed a week, and the lack of fruit in my diet for a few days, and I guess it's not good.

I was finally able to get things worked out, however, which is good.  The bathroom stuff is really the only big issue I have living on my own.

Power Chair Practice

Early this morning, while Janeeka was here, I took my power chair out for some practice.  I went up and down the halls on this floor, used an arrangement of chairs to practice some tighter mameuvering, and did pretty well.  I didn't keep quite as straight a course as I wanted, but Janeeka didn't have to help me at all, either.

I didn't have her put the cuffs on my ankles.  I thought I could control my legs well enough to not need that, and it worked just fine.  I'd rather not be so strapped down that I can't move at all.

My Power Chair

Laura was right.  My new power chair is indeed badass.  Jeff Freehill brought it to my apartment yesterday afternoon and got it set up for my body and abilities, and I took it for a test drive.  That went pretty well.  I didn't destroy anything.

Finding time to practice in it is a little challenge.  When my aides are here, we have other things to do those two hours, like my meals, and going to the restroom.  Afternoons, I have to write my blogs, my column, and other things, pay my bills online, etc.  But I will figure something out.

Big Day

I get my power chair later this afternoon.   Laura has already seen it, and she assures me it's "badass."

This is probably a good time to get it.  I generally don't go outside much in the winter, so I'll have time to get used to it in my apartment and in this building before springtime.  Maybe I can even get to a basketball game or two before then.

Good Lunch Today

My overnight aide Tammy has taken to bringing me some of the food she makes for her own family.  It's good stuff.  Today for lunch, for example, I had chicken and noodles and biscuits that she made, plus Boost to drink that she brought.  I topped that off with a banana in Neapolitan ice cream.  That was Jordan's idea.

In the nursing home, my aide Charlene would bring me food she'd prepared at her home sometimes, and my family gave me food on occasion, but mostly I ate institutional fare.  It's great to be eating regular food again.

By the way, I owe Charlene a lot.  I got down to 90 pounds, and it was her dedication to seeing to it that I ate better that got me back well over 100.

Flu Shot

Nurse Danielle came by this morning and gave me my flu shot, so I should be safe for another flu season.  Many of the aides at the nursing home, I know, weren't fans of the flu shots because they said you can actually get flu that way.

Also, brother Jeff tells me my next appointment with the urologist has been delayed a week.  So, I won't have good news for Christmas.  Hopefully afterwards.

Christmas Tree

Jon, Angela, Mom, and Callie were over yesterday, and Angela found and set up a little fiber optics Christmas tree I didn't know I had.  They also brought a photo of Callie on Santa's lap.

So, now I have the little tree, the picture of Callie and Santa under it, and my holly plant, all in my living room.  It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas in there.

Tough Afternoon

Yesterday, I couldn't urinate while my aide was here from 2 to 4.  So, I didn't go from just after noon until just before six.  The last two or three hours of that were no fun.

Usually, I try to wait until after 3 o'clock to go, so the afternoon aide only has to take me once, and I'm good until the dinner shift aide gets here about 6.  I did that yesterday, but then I couldn't go.  So, I'll probably change strategy.  I'll go when the aide gets here at 2, and again before they leave at 4.  More work for both of us, but hopefully that will keep me out of tough situations.

I admit lots of this is mental on my part.  Not going for 6 hours, after all, is not disastrous.  Since I had the bladder cancer, though, I get concerned when I have the urge but can't go.  Not only is it physically painful, but I think of catheters and other stuff.  They say cancer changes you.  They're right.

Desma

Desma was my morning and evening aide this weekend, which was nice.  Well, nice for me-- she said she doesn't like getting up that early on the weekend.  Nicer yet, it seems she'll be my aide quite often from now on-- in the afternnoon and evening shifts.

In fact, we seem to be getting down to only a few aides with me on a regular basis, which is what I wanted.  There'll be a hiccup when Yodit leaves to have her baby, but she promises me she'll come back.  At that point, things could get into a nice, smooth groove for me, at least for a while.

Food Delivery

I got my first delivery from Peapod last evening.  It went very well.  The guy got here within the time window specified, which meant an aide was here to let him in, and the whole process with smoothly.  Now, my kitchen is well stocked.

Janeeka made the order to make sure the system was working properly.  Next time, I'll see if I can do it myself.

Christmas Decorations

My aide Jordan has asked me a couple times if I'm going to decorate my apartment for Christmas.  As I have no such decorations, I've told her no, but she says I should at least get a small tree for my living room.

In fact, I have a holly plant in there, given to me by my clever friend, Holli.  That's Christmassy, sort of, even though it lacks the little red berries.  Looking out across the courtyard at night, I see some people have decorated their balconies with Christmas lights.  Down the hall, there's a Christmas tree that has doubled as a Halloween tree and tripled as a Thanksgiving tree since I've been here-- God knows what it will be on Valentine's Day-- so I'm not without reminders of the season.

Good Food

My aide Tammy made chicken alfredo for her family yesterday, and she brought me some last night.  I had it for lunch today, and it was good stuff.  Yodit says she would cook for me, but somebody has to teach her how to cook "American" first.  She made me spaghetti once, and it was good.  Laura says she can't cook, but she brought me some chili she'd made one time, and it was perfectly fine.

On the other hand, I brought some turkey and dumplings home from Thanksgiving, and the aide that weekend, who certainly seems American, didn't know what the dumplings were.  She heated them and gave them to me anyway, though.

Desma told me she wants to come at least a time or two a week so she can cook for me, and Laura is trying to schedule a longer dinner shift to allow for cooking.  I hope both those ladies succeed.

Peapod Progress

Janeeka successfully used Peapod to buy groceries for me today, linking Peapod directly to my checking account.  So, that problem seems to be solved.

Now, we'll see about paying other bills online.

Setting Up My Finances

We have almost completed setting up my finances so I can pay my own bills and make purchases online.  I think we need to complete one last check to have my new PayPal account ready to go, and once that's up, I can use it to buy groceries through Peapod, pay bills, etc.

Getting this done has been harder than it should be because we've had to worry about handling my money in such a way as to stay within the rules laid out by the government, else I could lose part or all of the money.  I realize they are trying to protect against fraud, theft, and willful mismanagement of the funds, but there must be a better way to do that than making serious, well-intentioned people jump through silly legalistic hoops.