Category: Personal news

More Doctoring (*Sigh*)

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

63,100 Lizard Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures, and Images ...

I had one of these when I was a boy: Grandma bought him for me. A nice, tame collared swift. Oh, the memories…

We’re both too sick to keep our current doctors’ appointments (today and Monday)–although Patty is much better than she was last night–so they have to be rescheduled. They want to push Monday’s appointment out to August (!), which would mean another six weeks (!!!) on this loopy  “no fresh fruit or vegetables” diet. I don’t think I can stand any more of it. Who do I have to clobber with my cane to get some fresh raspberries?

This is all because they installed a very sick man into my room at what they laughingly call a rest home, and I got his illness and Patty got it from me. Gee thanks, fellas! What are they trying to do to me? I want some orange slices! Please!

Thank you for your prayers so far–and keep ’em coming, we are much in need of them.

Is It Safe to Come Out Now?

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Bear runs into Gatlinburg restaurant then meanders along the ...

Are bears being crowded out of their natural habitat and forced to move into our suburbs? The one in the photo looks like he’s about to enter a Christian bookstore. Or is it a tattoo parlor?

I refuse to stay indoors today, despite the fact that we had a bear on our sidewalk yesterday afternoon. Although it has left me wondering what’s in store for us next. A hippo? How about a herd of wildebeests? (“No one would’ve come if I’d yelled ‘Chocolate!'”) Or a leopard.

I was content with our chipmunks.

O Holy Cow! Now It’s a Bear!

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

287+ Thousand Black Bear Royalty-Free Images, Stock Photos & Pictures | Shutterstock

I was sitting outside in the shade, reading, when I chanced to look up from my book to see a big black bear come ambling straight for me.

What could I do? It was only a few yards away from me and my broken hip barred any attempt to get away. I was a sitting duck. But he only spared me a glance or two and then wandered off into the parking lot. Two police officers were trailing him.I took their advice to go back indoors.

Patty and I are both still sick. But the bear looked plenty healthy.

We’re Both Sick Now

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Two Sad Dogs Stand Hallway Look Stock Photo 2292102481 ...

They look better than we feel.

We were supposed to do some doctoring tomorrow, but that’s been postponed because we’re both sick now–and I don’t mean maybe. I’m only typing this brief message to let you know we’re still here.

I blame the No Rest “rest home” for this. The guy they roomed me with coughed and coughed and coughed every night–why in the world didn’t they give him some cough medicine?–so I never got any sleep. Whatever he had, I picked it up from him and now Patty has picked it up from me. And we are both wrecked.

Let me see if it helps to sit outside for a bit.

Please pray for us. We need it.

Now It’s Both Of Us

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I'm really sick, can you send pictures of your cats? : r/cats

Yup, we’re both sick now, Patty and me. I can’t help thinking it’s the hospital’s fault–saddling me with a room-mate who coughed and coughed all night, every night… which of course made it impossible for me to get any sleep. We’ve both got it.

Maybe if I sit outside for a while, I’ll feel better.

No, I haven’t forgotten that I’m trying to write a book. But holy cow, the obstacles!

Objection: ‘Rest, You Idiot!’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Lizard sleeping hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy

Is this how to rest?

So much for my plan to dive head-first back into my work as soon as I came home from the hospital.

Everybody’s telling me to rest. God knows I need it.

Going down the home stretch in the hospital, they gave me a new room-mate who snored and coughed explosively all night long. It sounded like a school for safe-crackers. So there was a whole week with no sleep at all. And I brought my room-mate’s cough home with me.

Next doctor appointment: Friday. There’s always one just around the corner. And now I’m afraid they’ll find something new and thrust me back into the hospital. Where it’s always noisy.

Rest, rest, rest, you patzer!

All right, let me try.

I’m Back (He Said)

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

1+ Thousand Castaways Drawing Royalty-Free Images, Stock Photos & Pictures | Shutterstock

Well, here I am at home, at my computer. It’s good to be back.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you who phoned me at the hospital. It meant a great deal to me.

Bob Knight asked me what I’d had done so far, so I told him: chemotherapy, rectal cancer, colon cancer, shaving the prostate gland–

At which point he said, “And you’re still here? Wow.”

And I still have hip replacement surgery to go.

Side effect: I’ve forgotten some of how to use the computer, and I’m in no state to start another novel. I’ll have to come back slowly, bit by bit. I do feel like a castaway washed up on a desert island. But I think I’ll be able to write a “Joe Collidge” tomorrow. [“What? You went through all the pain and agita for that???”]

Let’s see if I can post a hymn.

More News

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Just got back from visiting Lee.  We played more chess and he said that he may be discharged to the nursing home (for rehab) tomorrow.  All the IVs are out.  He looks and sounds so much more like his old self.  We worked together on his new book idea, which was great fun.  I had never worked with him on a book before, but he wants my input on this one.

I can’t thank you all enough for your prayers.

I will keep you posted.

God bless everybody.

Patty