Back From 46 Days in Hospital

At 10:40 am on 28 December last, I slipped on ice on my driveway on the way to the mailbox across the street. Broke both arms and hit my forehead on the driveway curb.

A ten-year-old named Andrew heard the ruckus and came over; I told him to call 911, and he ran to get his sister.

Making the long story short-ish, ambulance took me 40 miles to the E.R. at the V.A. in Albuquerque (Valencia County has NO hospital for its 75,000 residents). Transferred to V.A. third floor for 3 days for observation, then on New Years Eve to the OnPointe Medical Resort for rehab. 42 days there on morphine (mostly) ended yesterday at Noon. Medicare pays for 20 days in total, the other 22 days are costing me co-pay of $161 per day. (Well, at least it is not the retail price, and I am told that Medicaid may reimburse.)

So I am now home and dealing with withdrawal from pain pills, remaining pain, inability to reach above my head, lousy balance, and changes to my domicile by a former friend.

I estimated that I would find 2,000 new emails upon my return and I was damn close: 1962, plus a couple dozen since.

I expect to retrieve 10 to 25 pounds of paper mail from the local P.O. tomorrow, which will include bills that I need to catch up on. (I managed some simple BillPay online banking while at rehab.) ADDED 2/13: Actual weight of snail mail was 12.2 pounds.

Car battery was completely dead, AAA started it, then I drove on the freeway for two hours to recharge it. So I expect that I will be able to drive myself to MRI and other appointments at the V.A., to the dentist, and to start working out on the old people machines at the local senior center gym.

Because the narcotics did not really reduce the pain, I lost all appetite, and some days ate almost nothing; the result is that I now weigh 26 pounds less than when I fell. (What's that saying? "Thorns have roses.") And I am clearer about not needing to eat on any special schedule to prevent diabetes. If I allow myself to Count Carbohydrates, I can reduce my weight even more. (Eating only 50 carbs per day is guaranteed to reduce weight by 10 pounds per month; I did this in the Summer of '76 and dropped 50 pounds, becoming a long-haired hunk for a short time.)

I plan to be in action again soon, this could be America's last federal election (if the idiot voters elect more Republicans), so there is much work ahead.

"The battle against ignorance and apathy and magical thinking is a full time job."

~~ G.E. Nordell