Improving

Although I'm still very weak, today has been so much better than yesterday. We stayed up pretty late last night, lying in bed, watching TV, and talking. It was one of those nights when I just didn't want to go to sleep, even though I was exhausted--it's a particular kind of bad mood where I feel agitated and anxious--so we didn't turn out the light till about 1 AM. But I did sleep soundly, although not that long, till about seven (although of course I'd slept a lot during the day). When I woke up I was very hungry, and didn't want to wake Marty, and I decided if I very consciously moved very, very slowly I should be able to do things myself without getting short of breath. It must have looked really funny, but in super Slo-Mo I was able to go to the bathroom, and then into the kitchen where I made tea and started boiling some pasta. While it was cooking I remembered my cinnamon raisin bread, so I made toast and put the pasta in the refrigerator for later. (While pasta for breakfast might sound peculiar, it's really no different from cereal, essentially.)

I didn't have the energy to go pick up the newspapers, but I had a New Yorker for reading material. After I ate, still moving slowly, I made jello and a pitcher of green tea, which I drink cold, a habit I acquired in Japan (where cold, unsweetened green tea in a can is a common vending machine item). By the time I'd finished all that, Marty was awake, and we worked on the Friday crossword puzzle for awhile (which we'll try to finish tonight).

Although I'm still weak, I feel much, much better than yesterday. I haven't napped at all, but I've been resting and doing anything that needed to be done in ways that were adapted to my lack of energy. Ann arrived a little after ten, and she got the bed made with fresh sheets (very much needed after yesterday's "accident") and did several loads of laundry. We also cooked pea soup, which Marty and I had been talking about making for days. I like cooking with Ann--I can sit at the table and cut up things, while she does the stuff that involves standing and carrying. I told her that maybe we'd make another potato casserole next week.

I also asked her to help me sort through several piles of things that had accumulated on the bedside table and in the box that I'd been using to keep stuff that I need to have handy during the day. The box had gotten so filled with junk that it wasn't useful any more, but we got everything either thrown away or put somewhere else, so now I hope I once again have a system where everything on the bed will go into the box so the bed can get cleared every night. Recently it's been an obsticle course that gets in the way of cuddling with Marty--not a good thing!

Marty has been gone all afternoon (he took his friend Donna to the doctor), but I expect him home soon. He said he'd call on the way so we can decide what he should pick up for dinner. I've been very hungry all day after hardly eating at all yesterday. I ate the pasta for an early lunch, and had some more cinnamon raisin toast for a snack, and another snack of pea soup. I still find that only a limited number of foods appeal to me.

Kathy called mid-morning, and was glad to hear that I was feeling better. She asked if I wanted one of the nurses to call tomorrow to check on me, which I think is a good idea, and she reminded me that I could always call any time if I think I need to.

Oliver is sleeping on my bed with a paw over his eyes, which I always find amusing.