Friday 9/22 AM Update

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HEY, Nobody noticed that my daily posts had the wrong dates! They were titled Monday 9/18 Update, Tuesday 9/18 Update, Wednesday 9/19 Update, Thursday 9/20 Update and Friday 9/21 Update. Today is the 22nd. You're all fired... Had to fix it myself.
They must have bruised my Medulla Oblongata on Monday.
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Went to bed last night about 1:00AM and slept until 4:14AM. It's a relief. It may not sound like much, but I can tell I will finally be able to get some normal rest and my body needs it. My steroid dose is down until they ramp it up for the next surgery, which will probably go from 2mg twice per day to roughly 24mg in the 24 hours just prior to next Tuesday's surgery. Don't take my word for it, but that's what the dosage was last time.

I don't know exactly what the steroids do, but they definitely make you wired. I'm sure that my normal 4mg/day dose has me moderately wired, so imagine what 24mg in 24 hours does just prior to surgery. This is not to mention two types of antibiotics and some other medicines and they have to be taken on a very specific schedule to optimize their effectiveness. And the antibiotics tear up my digestive system, although my only ill effects from them have been an upset stomach. And I still have the upset stomach even though I take Zantac every time I take the steroids. Not so bad, since nausea has been a symptom since May. I actually haven't been nauseated much, the main symptom has been heartburn-like, which is annoying but tolerable. As long as it doesn't change drastically.

There are not many foods that I can eat. Well, I can eat anything I want but there's not much that appeals to me. My sense of taste is not normal and if I find something that I can stomach, I stick with it. I pretty much know everything I will eat from now until next Tuesday. This morning will be a plain bagel with peanut butter and grape jelly (homemade 'Budville' grape jelly from my dad's house) and a glass of milk. Lunch might be a 6" Subway turkey sub, which is as exotic as my meals get. Dinner 'will' be a single can of Progresso Rich & Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup with the addition of about a cup and a half of instant white rice sprinkled with Gumbo File seasoning (Gumbo does not imply spicy, 'File' is ground sassafras and somehow I mixed it into my soup to spruce it up a little). I alternate my daily breakfast between the peanut butter and jelly bagel and a cinammon raisin bagel with cream cheese on it. Interspersed throughout the day, I may have some instant pudding, Ensure, or small snacks. Seemingly not an exciting diet, but it appeals to me.

My father went fishing yesterday morning and caught some sea trout and a 23" Blue fish and he asked if we wanted to have the fresh fish. Nope, I just want my soup. Have to stay the course.

This morning's photo is the welcome brigade, Karl. He's already back asleep beside me. He must be really bored... These cats have no motivation.

Stay posted. Although I will be making an effort to get a lot more rest, I've got things to do.

Karl must have saw that I disparaged his character because he just showed up with one of his toys...