Dear Family, Friends, and Diary,
The last diary started by saying it was "a finish to a rocky February", and so it was. We got back clean PET-CT results, pushing the room elephant back behind the curtains. We visited neighbor Vern at Community Hospital and could help cheer him up, although there was nothing to be done about his broken arm and weak legs. On Friday, we had our regular game night with the Trotter boys. We all played poorly, but there were plenty of laughs. March was starting OK.
Until it wasn't. Marianne started vomiting and bouts of diarrhea in the wee hours of Saturday. By three in the afternoon, as much as she hated going into the ER, we had no choice but to call 911. Over the next hours, she was hooked up to fluids, scanned again in a CT machine, and had bodily fluids tested. The doctor reported that things were generally good, with no "scary signs" (of returned cancer?).
In the process for admitting her to a hospital room, the staff did a thorough nasal swab for signs of Covid - and found some. At least we had an explanation.
Upstairs in Room 428, she received fluids, Remdesivir, rest, and extraordinary care for her symptoms. Slowly, she got feeling good enough to come home, where there was more rest. Through all this, I have avoided Covid. So did Vern, a serious concern since we had visited our 95-year-old friend in the hospital near the peak of Marianne's contagious period. As Jean-Loup said: "It could be worse."
By Thursday, it was time to take the patient out for a car ride. Ten days earlier, we had thought about the local Spring favorite, a Blossom Trail ride, but we seemed to have missed it. And wildflowers were out, but not spectacular. Oh well, it was the best we could manage.
For the rest of the month, we hope things settle out. We'll see.
Stay tuned.
John and Marianne