Zero Drama

In the end, the PICC line worked today. The first person to see Jon, the technician, didn't even try to use it, choosing to poke him several times, with no confidence and a lack of expertise because that's not what they do up here in the hallowed halls of IPOP. They have tubing, not real veins. But she jiggled out enough blood for the lab.  Then the next person, the oncology nurse, found that the PICC was working fine. All of these interactions have long pauses in between because there is no rush. Where is anyone going? Nowhere. The nurse changed his dressing, very nicely. Then Jon went back to sleep for about the third time while we waited for the doctor (who warned him yesterday that when the shit hit the fan -- and it will -- we will want that line to work). The doctor let us wait for over an hour, but Jon didn't care. He was dreaming.  I kept knitting. Then when he came to say hello, the visit was quick and professional and we were sent on our way.

Alissa reminded us that all attendings are human, the job on the weekend is to keep the patients alive but not make any new decisions, and this particular doctor didn't have the patience to explain anything to a confrontational patient. 

Anyway, we had the rest of the day to continue our Baltimore indoor vacation. I had a Zoom call at noon and we ate leftovers for lunch and the day just went on by. Football, phone calls, knitting, emails, a little lowkey laptop yoga (I have found a simple routine that lets me stay down on the floor). Then Alissa arrived from home and we went out to dinner at a soup restaurant that was straight out of 1980s Cambridge, MA.  Handpainted signs, homemade soups, plastic on the insides of the windows to keep the wind out. It was just right. Dropped Alissa off at the train station and she headed back to NY.

Day 3 is pretty much done. Only 11 to go.

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