Much Napping

We haven't known what to expect in terms of how much time these IPOP visits will take since the first three days of chemo -- it always sounds like it will be a quick check of vitals and blood counts and then we will be on our way, unless something happens. But, in fact, each of these visits takes a few hours. The day Alissa was here it was about five hours. Jon ate cold cereal for lunch while he waited for the anti-coagulant to work.

So today I got smarter and just waited with him until they called him into the clinic and then I went outside into the sunshine and took a walk. I have already done a full survey of all of the blue security boxes -- it is hard to keep count because they sneak them in on the middle of the block sometimes and I can't remember if I have already counted that one. I think there are a little more than 25 blue boxes that surround and sprinkle through this campus. I walked south and east this time and saw more upscale neighborhoods (Butcher's Hill) than there are in the other directions. It was a brisk and beautiful day.

When I got back, Jon was waiting for a chest X-ray because his PICC line had not worked today. This one has been trouble from the beginning. After they brought the mobile unit in and took the picture, we went home. Whatever repairs/remediation would wait until tomorrow. 

Jon took a nap as soon as we got in the door, so I did too. Then we had a delicious lunch of soup that we canned last summer and grilled cheese sandwiches made with the excellent rye bread from Zabar's. That is a lunch you couldn't buy.

More naps. Jon says he is more tired today than he has been. That's okay. We have plenty of time for naps. I did a zoom call to relearn how to set up the CSA registration, I practiced some piano. We decided we were too lazy to go out so we went upstairs to the hotel restaurant, something we have never done in our whole lives.

I think most of the restaurant patrons were hotel/hospital patrons too. Sitting in pairs, one looking like the patient and the other looking like the caregiver. A spacious room with high ceilings and a rooftop dining area outside for warmer times. Jon decided that the business model for this place was that they take everything out of the freezer. The quality of the food was fine, it was nicely presented but it did remind me of good airplane food. Sometimes airplane food is good, on the international flights. That's what this felt like. The service was warm and friendly and we got lots of refills for iced tea and water, so it was much better than an airplane, really.

My guess is that we are both gaining weight. For one of us, that is great news. Because Jon is still feeling so fine, we are eating every meal. Our past visits to Hopkins were not like this. But the Nurse Practitioner tells us that we can expect the inflammatory response on Thurs or Fri. Or Sat or Sun. Who can say.