Friday, April 20, 2007

Of Water Coolers and Umbrella Drinks

When Kay and I got to Wolf’s apartment last night, she was very tired. So tired, in fact that she turned on the TV and promptly fell to sleep, gripping the remote. It was fine for the first hour. I enjoy the TV show “Frasier” and even though I’d seen the episodes before, I didn’t mind watching them again. However, when “The Golden Girls” came on, it was time to change the channel. Kay was still asleep so I tried to slide the remote out of her hand. Not happening. I tried again, a little more forcefully. She had the remote in a grip of steel. So not happening. She finally woke up a couple of hours later and turned the TV off and we both went to sleep.


Kay and I spent most of today with Dale. He wasn’t as uncomfortable as he has been, mainly because of the Versaid they gave him while they did the bone marrow biopsy, but I can honestly tell you he’s seen better days. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

This has been a difficult week for Dale. On Monday he had a colonoscopy, on Wednesday he had a spinal tap and then today he had the biopsy. When I suggested he take the weekend off, he agreed and said he was going to tell the doctors that his dance card was full.

Kay and I did our best to entertain Dale, and for the most part we succeeded. We talked about growing up and all of the fun we had when they would come to Absarokee on the weekends and in the summer. We talked about catching (and releasing) water skippers, and tubing the rapids of Sheep Creek (if you can call 4 inches of quickly moving water rapids, that is).

Even though he is not allowed to have food or water right now, he talked about my mom’s cooking for hours. He went on and on about her homemade milkshakes, the juiciest cheeseburgers in the universe and platters of tater tots. He kept making a fizzing sound, telling us he was craving a Coke, with LARGE ice cubes. But eventually he came back to the one thing that he truly wanted; an ice cold glass of water.

Over and over he said that he was going to buy a water cooler, the kind that you put a 5 gallon jug on top of. He was going to set it up right next to his lounge chair at home and have ice cold water within reach day and night. It was good to hear him focusing on the future.

The drugs were making him kind of “la-la” and he napped in between discussions, but it was a good day all-in-all.


I gave platelets this morning and it might have made me a bit loopy. I looked over at Cousin Kay and she was fiddling with her shoelaces. They were strange looking, to be sure and I couldn’t stop staring. She told me that they were special laces that didn’t have to be tied. For some reason the sight of them and the thought of them cracked me up and I started to giggle hysterically. I couldn’t stop. I laughed until I snorted (yeah, I know…what an attractive visual) several times, and by the end of it all the cousins were ready to schedule a psych evaluation for me.

I talked them out of sending me to a nut house and into going to the Islands. We made a pact. Once this is all over, when he is healthy and well again, we are going to take a cruise to Mexico. When we get there, we are going to sit by the beach, Dale and Kay on chairs in the shade, and me on a towel in the sun.

We’ll be sipping umbrella drinks.





13 comments:

Anonymous said...

My television is almost twenty years old, so maybe new models are different, but don't televisions still have controls on the console?

It sounds like everybody is keeping their spirits up. I'm glad to hear it!

KC said...

He's going through so much- I rotated for a month on the Bone Marrow Transplant unit during residency and it was rough.

But I'm glad you laughed until you snorted. I wish I could say this hardly ever happens to me...

Anvilcloud said...

Poor Dale. Sometimes you are at your worst before you get better, however. And like Thomas said, you can walk to the TV,eh? :)

Girlplustwo said...

a cruise to mexico is exactly what you all deserve.

that picture saddened me, it's obvious it's such a struggle right now...i am thinking of you all. and how you find ways to find joy in the midst is what makes you the incredible woman you are. truly.

dmmgmfm said...

Thomas, sure they do, but then what would I have had to tease her about? ;-)

KC, he is having a rough time of it, however I honestly think he will make it. I'm glad I'm not the only one that laughs like that.

AC, I hope you are right. And as I told Thomas...it's all about the tease factor.

Jen, thank you, but there's really nothing incredible about me.

Cathy said...

Laurie - Ha! The 'death-grip' on the remote business. When I can't extract it from my husband's sleeping hands - I crawl out of bed and manually turn off the TV.

I keep telling my husband about your extraordinary posts. He's listened as you've been lost, worried, robbed, amused, tired, generous, funny, loving, exhausted, elated, stalked and today - tip-toeing around hysteria.

God bless you. Hang in there and keep thinking paper umbrellas. I'm so glad they gave Dale some Versid - it's a fine drug and he deserves a repsite.

KGMom said...

Remote death grip--oh yeah. But, seriously, Thomas is right--the control buttons work, but we have forgotten how to use them! Sort of like analog clocks--can't tell time unless we see the numbers written out.
I do feel for Dale--he looks like he has been through a storm. And you giving platelets and being loopy--take care of yourself too.
Umbrella drinks sound like just the ticket--beach chairs facing the Pacific, sun setting, umbrella drinks with just enough rum (or whatever) to make things all gauzy.

Mary said...

Laurie, it's always good to look ahead. Dale is tired, no doubt, but not too tired to make plans.

I enjoyed your post tonight and I'm glad you snorted a little today. A snort a day keeps the blues away.

WithinWithout said...

All I can say is, poor Kay.

And poor Dale. That snorting must have been hard for him to take...(*runs away, snorting*)

I didn't tell you I have a part-time job as a cabana boy down in Mexico, did I?

Cathy said...

Just wanted to send a Sunday morning hug - an arm around your shoulder. If you're packing your car for the trip home - your heart has to be hurting. I'm wishing you your heart's safe journey through some tough goodbyes.

dmmgmfm said...

Cathy, I could have done that, I suppose, but I was emailing with a friend and it seemed to much of an effort. And then what would I have had to tease her about (aside from the shoe laces, of course)?

KG, Very true. I had almost forgot there was another way to control the TV.

Mary, I need to snort today, I guess. Because I am definitely blue.

WW, Cabana boy, huh? If one of your job duties is to apply suntan lotion, then you're hired. Did I mention that I tip well?

Cathy, Kay had a family emergency and we drove most of the night to get back. I am just now processing everything and having a hard time of it.

Thank you for the hug.

Mary said...

Major hugs. Take care of yourself.

LittlePea said...

oooh! Sounds fun. Is there room for an extra little person? I don't take up that much space, or eat much and I don't drink so that would leave extra fruity drinks for you...no? Ok

Snort laughing are the best kind!