If you missed the start of this series, you can find it here. A lot of things will be the same or very similar.
Another late night. I think I actually fell asleep before midnight, but I was awake at 2:00 and again at 3:00. Insomnia sucks! The Bounce occurred around 5:00… I think. I can’t be sure of anything except Ben kicking the front door repeatedly until he was able to get the lock jiggled loose, and then opening the door. That got me out of bed and into the living room in two seconds. After the door was relocked (Daughter brought the key, I stayed with Ben) Ben wanted me to “write the words”…it was 5:52.
I went back to my room to get my stuff and the bag that has the pens, scissors and scraps of paper. Ben and I settled on the couch and I wrote the names of every cast member, and the producers, director, editor, etc. for Jumanji. He likes to hold the slips of paper in front of his face, scrunch up his eyes, tilt his head or move his arm to look at the names on the paper. Oh, but not just written. No, no, no… they must also be trimmed with scissors so they are rounded. I wrote words until 7:00, with a brief pause to uncover Sven.
At 7:00 we were finally done and HRH released me to use the bathroom. Thank goodness, because I was about to burst. Then I changed clothes, threw my basketfull into the washer and got ready to go to the doctor. Yeah, my monthly Pain Doctor appointment to get my pain pump refilled was at 8:30 and I needed to leave by 8:00. I had to stop whatever I was doing several times to write a different name or to give him tape or to trim a little bit more off one of the ones I’d already done. I didn’t have my first sip of coffee until 7:45.
I left at 8:00, excited to be getting away and anxious that there would be trouble between Ben and Daughter while I was gone. There was no traffic on the freeway, which in SoCal on a workday at 8:00am is unheard of. I got to the office in 15 minutes. They didn’t open the waiting room until 8:35.
Then it was paperwork and then a C-19 questionnaire and a temperature check. Finally I was called back for vitals and weight. I’m happy to report that my blood pressure was 133/87, which is low for me. I usually run high, around 157/93 is normal for me. Then I got on the scale… 194… WOOT WOOT! Being 6 feet tall and having a curvy build, I’m happy with my weight in the 190-200 pounds range. Off to the Pump Room.
It took the nurse a while to get all the stuff ready for the Procedure R.N. The R.N. had another Nurse with her, training or shadowing because she’s leaving to a different job. The Procedure Nurses don’t seem to stay long. I don’t know if it’s dealing with the strong opiates or with the grumpy, entitled patients (You should hear some of these pain patients talking… I’m not gonna be a Judgey McJudgeypants, but some of these folks sound like Drug Seekers. I’ve had that accusation leveled at me, so I don’t wanna be pointing fingers, but still. Just sayin…) who are just plain rude. Rude and demanding. They should realize that the nurses can’t do anything without the doctor’s okay.
At 9:15 they were filling my pump with fresh Fentanyl, Marcaine and Clonidine. I know the exact time because I got a text message from Daughter checking my progress. Apparently Ben wanted Gramma to be all done and come home. I let her know I’d be done soon.
I got home around 9:45. Zeus and Ben were so happy to see me, you’d think I was gone a lot longer, days or weeks, not less than two hours. I greeted Zeus, told him he was a good dog and went to change clothes.
I glanced at Sven and started laughing
Apparently he stepped on his food dish and flipped it. I cleaned it all up. I’m going to have to find or order a new ceramic dish, something heavier that he can’t flip. Poor Sven…
Ben followed me to my room, said “Welcome home Gramma!” then pointed at his paused tablet, said “like this” and looked at me expectedly. He wanted me to write more words. Sigh…
He was kind enough to allow me to change clothes first, but I spent the next 30-45 minutes writing and cutting out names for him, with one break at 10:45 when Daughter called him into the living room to take his meds and I got the load of clothes from the washer.
I waited until noon to make sure he was good and settled before I left again to take the clothes across the street to the dryer. We couldn’t hang the clothes out now if we wanted to because Ben has broken all the hangers we used. We don’t have a clothes line. We would put the clothes on hangers and hang them from the support structure of the pop-up awning thingy.
I went to get the clothes at 1:00. When I got back Daughter informed me that the trainee gal that’s been giving her rides to and from work is in quarantine for THE Kootie. Daughter got a bit freaked out since she was in the gal’s car on Saturday morning and the 2 or 3 days before that.
She called work to see if they wanted her to still come in. They told her to come in unless she starts showing symptoms. So now she’s freaking out about every twitch or ache she’s had in the past week. I told her there’s no sense stressing. Our county has had it pretty easy, we’re all bound to get it at some point, and that our county stats show most people aren’t even hospitalized. She said she worries for Ben. IF she has or gets THE Kootie, we’re all three gonna get it. There’s no such thing as “personal space” with Ben, forget social distancing.
Daughter went to her room to charge her phone and to worry. I went to take over living room duty. Ben and I hung out on the couch and Zeus slept on the cool tiles. It’s another hot day and the AC makes the living room more comfy than my room. It’s like I always tell Rory, I’m a delicate flower and can’t handle extreme temperatures.
Daughter came out of her room around 4:00 to cook some chicken for Ben. Then she went back to her room. Ben ate his chicken and watched my tablet (his battery died) chillin on the couch with Gramma. Only bath and bedtime to go. A day that started with banging is full of giggling at dinnertime. A few bumps, but we got through them. And Hey! The laundry finally got done, so YAY Me! Looks like it’s time for a song
Thanks for sharing our twisty turny road today. Some days nothing happens, some days laundry happens. We have as much fun as possible as often as we can. We want to share the fun, so come on back tomorrow. Hopefully the morning will start a little more gently.
HUGS!!
King Ben's Grandma 
That is a bit of worry for your daughter, her colleague getting the virus. But as you said worrying doesn’t help at all. Take care and stay safe
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We’re not sure yet if it THE Kootie or just A kootie. Working as a nurse, they have to be over cautious. I know she’s worried, she’s a worrier. I hope her coworkers test comes back negative. Honestly, all medical personnel should have already been tested! California is kinda failing in that area.☹
🤗🥰
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That’s so true. I hope so too. Take care. And sleep well.
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Around here, it seems many have decided they no longer care about the virus. Peeps are partying and doing whatever, no distancing. But I still care. So I stay away from them all. Glad your day ended up okay 😻
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Since I live by so many businesses that have stayed open, it doesn’t seem any different to me, except everyone wears masks, and the stores with their marks every 6 feet. I’m not doing anything differently, but I was a hermit before🤷🏼♀️
Before school closed we thought it would likely come from Ben. The kids at his school don’t do social distancing and many (like Ben) aren’t great on hygiene either.
I’m hoping Daughter’s coworker is just sick. She has a 4 year old daughter and they’re isolating together☹ Daughter worked with her & rode in the car with her. They didn’t share drinks or get in each other’s faces…and being nurses, they learn to never touch their faces.🤷🏼♀️
We’ll keep our fingers crossed🤞 for the coworker & her daughter. And for everyone we know and care about.😻
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Yes for sure!
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I can kind of relate to the drug seeker thing you see at your doctors office. When I was a social worker I realized a handful of my clients were hopping from doctor to doctor, pharmacy to pharmacy to get the prescriptions they wanted. Now I feel the effects of their bad choices every time I go to the pharmacy to get Bob’s Adderall (I run all the errands). I always feel like I am getting the “you are an abuser” look especially if I am picking up his pills on a weekend. It sucks! That was pretty funny about Sven’s food 🙂 he amuses me so much!
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Oh, the pharmacy! I’m so thankful I’ve been using the same pharmacy for over 20 years (yikes, makes me feel old, typing that) With Ben’s meds AND my meds… morphine and my sleeping pill is a benzodiazepine, then Ben with Adderall, Seroquel, trazodone and clonidine… yeah, just a few red flags there🙄😂
I’m just surprised how some of these people who say they are in excruciating pain, have the energy to be so loud and demanding. When my pain flares, I get super quiet, super still… I’m not pounding on a counter and yelling at people.🤷🏼♀️
Question: Does Bob have a “rebound” effect when the Adderall wears off? Does his ADHD get worse for a while?
Ben’s doctor said this might be why Ben seems to go into overdrive in the early evening.🤔
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Ummm, not really. Bob only takes his meds M-F for work. He can’t focus on his job without it. He is fine in the evening – pretty chill actually and you can talk with him. He DOES have difficulty sleeping and spends most of the time bed or couch hopping. On the weekends though it is really tough because he won’t take them. He says he wants a break. And by the early afternoon/evening he is like a shaken up can of Coke. You can’t talk with him, he can’t hear you – he’s just a spaz. The kids like his antics and think he is funny and I try to go with the flow because he has told me before he doesn’t like to think he is annoying when he is just being himself. I have told him that is fine, but when we need to go on vacations (no meds) that I would prefer if he could just take half a dose as I need help navigating some of those unknown waters traveling can have.
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Thank you, Robyn! Yeah, with vacation you need a helper, not another “kid” to look after.🙄 It’s sad that he thinks he’s not “him” while taking the medication. 💌
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I know! He feels washed out. I see that he is definitely calmer and I can talk with him.
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I sure hope her coworker’s test comes back negative. In the meantime you and Sadje are right that worrying won’t help. That video made me smile, they look like they’re having so much fun. 😊🎶 Happy your appointment and stats went so well! Yay! 🤗🌙✨💖
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Thank you!🥰 I guess you gotta get to our age to realize how much energy is wasted by worrying about things you have no control over. Or maybe we’re just all worried out🤔😂😂 Used it all up in our 30s🤣🤣
That video did look fun didn’t it? 🎶💃🏼music should be fun, or melancholy or relaxing… have feeling!🌸🦋🦄🤗🥰
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🥰! Yep and that energy could go into so many other things like watching sunsets and flowers growing. 🌷. If I used it all up back then I sure am glad 🤣🤣. Music should definitely have feeling! 🎶💃🏼
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Fingers crossed that Daughter doesn’t get sick.
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Thank you! Coworker’s results should come today🤞
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Sven is a master of disguise. He just blends into the background. A master of camouflage. That’s another worry for you. Sending you hugs. xx
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Sven is the master of making a mess. Just like the boy human and the boy dog, and the boy cat too. Hmmmm…maybe it’s Y chromosome thing??🤔😂😂💌💌
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We are failing on testing in the UK too. I hope it isn’t the virus. It’s sweet Ben missed you – good to be wanted, even if it is for writing purposes! 🙂
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I keep reminding myself that it’s all love. He wants me because he loves me. He has me do all his arts & crafts and projects because he loves me. Just gotta keep reminding myself…
Isn’t it ridiculous that our countries are putting politics ahead of the people? Selfish idjits elected by misguided fools.🙄
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Sadly, the US and UK has really failed in this – Boris and Trump, two peas in a pod. Can’t believe anyone voted for them – surely this situation will change things?! And yes,it is love. xx
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Sven’s tossed salad was the highlight of my day. It hit me just right.
Fingers crossed on the Daughter situation….
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The coworker’s test came back Negative.🎉💃🏼✨ She will be retested in one week to be sure. Daughter is still going for the Oscar though 🙄💌
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Hurray on the Neg! As for the Oscar angle, I get accused of trying to win one all the time, especially by Partner, but I do feel your pain. Because Partner wants to win one, too, and I get a little tired of all his imaginary screen tests… 😉
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