This one's for Joan

This is a post I meant to put up at the end of our stay in Cleveland or at least right after we got home but kept forgetting to do -- gee, imagine that, I don't know what I could've been doing instead.

Anyway, my dear friend Joan is an art historian and all-around art guru by original training and spent years working with visual resources before recently becoming the super Dr B and is teaching impressionable minds all about libraries. And every day that we were in Cleveland at the Clinic I wandered around, either on purpose for visiting M, or because I needed space from people, or just because my cell phone coverage was so damn bad -- and I looked at all the cool, original art that the Clinic has displayed everywhere. And I thought of Joan and what she would tell me about all the cool stuff and what she'd think of a hospital that had its own art program, complete with a walking Audio Art Tour, distance ed programs, handouts, signs for all the art, and even a gallery area for rotating exhibits and collections. While I didn't have time for the Audio Tour unfortunately (what, this wasn't a vacation after all?? huh), I did at least try to see a few new pieces every day and snap pics of things I found interesting.  And now they're all online for anyone to see -- just keep in mind I took these with the little camera in my Blackberry, and Ansel Adams I'm not.

 

This is "Cleveland Soul", a favorite, and near the main entrance.

I think the Picasa album may also have some shots of the hospital, the amalgam of architecture styles all thrown together in buildings next to each other, and views from M's room of snowy Clinic proper. The giant acrylic and stone cascading wall fountain in front of the main entrance to the cardiac wing was very cool and impressive, especially with the lights on from underneath at night.

So Joan, while you were thinking good and positive thoughts for us -- (even when you were driving thru Cleveland on the way to the aborted faculty meeting in Detroit) -- we were thinking of you too!  :-)

Peace

J

To worry or not to worry

Yes, mornings are definitely rougher for M than days or evenings. And he even asked me today to try and get to the hospital earlier so I an be around to help and support during those times. No love is greater than Jenn the Night Bat readjusting her schedule to be more of a Morning Lark ... or at least a Morning Owl or something. But I'll be working on it for tomorrow and going forth.  ho boy

This morning's worry, as detailed a bit more on Michael's blog, are PVCs  (premature ventricular contractions -  heart arrhythmias). Common post-surgery, and with exertion, or electrolyte imbalance, or tinkering with the heart, or adjusting meds, or just about anything and everything that Michael has had done to him or is going through. So it makes it hard to figure out what's causing and how to treat. Meanwhile his heart beat is not normal and feels "like Ringo Starr is soloing in my chest". I can even feel his pulse in his wrist and feel the beats & bumps, or hops, skips and pauses.  This from someone who can't even find her own bloody pulse in the wrist.

While it's all common, and I've talked to two people with serious medical backgrounds, it's still a concern. And I'm just not sure how much or little to be concerned. Acting cool and together with M -- and overall I pretty much am -- but still kinda worried.  It was these feelings of arrhythmias and fibrillating that M felt last night that had me reluctant to leave him and probably more contemplative and guilt-ridden or whatever it was when I posted late in the evening. But I put my trust in the staff at CC and have to go with that, ride it out. It did help though talking with my aunt who taught in Duke's med school & PA program for years and my uncle who is a PA (physicians' assistant) and who is the ultimate no bullshit, straight shooter.  Also had email conversation with a great buddy from college who is a doc, a hospitalist at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago  (the docs who specially take care of people in hospitals - they don't do other practices, they're based in the hospital).  She gave me tons of great info, things to ask and watch for.  We'll watch and see overnight and tomorrow and talk to more specialists as needed.


Gonna be a late dinner for me, as I'll leave him for the night, head to hotel, and afterward get in some quiet time (not that the hospital is a rockin', slammin' party on Sundays), my nightcap and perhaps one more last post. He wants me around as much as possible (awwwww) and nights or mornings alone are his wobbly periods.  But at same time, I gotta eat and sleep some time. I can't afford to get sick or worn out this early in the recoup and recover time.


Peace 
J