Thursday, August 27, 2015

An airing of a grievance.

I know I touched on the rice issue the other day but it was late and I gave it short shrift.  I am nothing if not a rice savant. I never questioned my ability to get by living a solely rice diet.  Where has ennui come from?
The rice itself.  I can proclaim with 100% certainly that the hospital is not using Uncle Ben's whole grain converted rice.  When Uncle Ben's is done right, it is a bit puffy with a moist feeling about it. The rice here is shrivelled and dried up.
Now, I do not want you to think I am a rice snob. I enjoy Jasmine Rice, Basmati Rice, Short, Medium and long grain rice.  I have also sampled all kinds of brands of rice from Dainty to No Name. Nothing rivals this rice.  I think they might be using actual sawdust.
Another problem might be my mildly restrictive food fetishes. I am not sure how well known VH Sauce is known outside Montreal,  but I have probably consumed a thousand bottles of it. My mother introduced me to the rice sauce stuff in the mid 70s and I have been consuming the sweet swill ever since. It goes without saying that such a fine product is unavailable here. Not to mention how much it would clash with the house brown sauce.

In short,  you cannot hide from life's piccadillos.


Monday, August 24, 2015

Rice

Rice


Hello,
I am continuing my semi sporadic coverage of my second lung procedure. If and when I check out of here I will have to come for a weekly blood test.  Some might say that is crazy. I will probably be a hypochondriac and worry that it is insufficient. I get at least 1 blood test daily.  They have discovered my potassium level is high. No grapes,  no bananas no oranges. Naturally, potatoes are forbidden as well. Here is an original writing about too much rice.

Wouldn't it be nice to have no rice,  and have a potato tomorrow?


Sunday, August 16, 2015

What is the food like?

Hello from Notre Dame,
Food continues to take up much of my life. The hospital continues to take this 1.5 portion diet seriously. Let me tell you, there is nothing more mouthwatering than finishing an already dry burger and there is another half to go. The only upside of this diet is when I get (excuse the language) a shitload of Shepard's Pie. That will marinate my innards for quite some number of hours.

It took some time but even my nightly bowl of cereal is back on track. This is the pinnacle of any day here. I must thank the entire staff here who help me out each night making this masterpiece.

That is it for now. Please sign up for organ donation and help people out.


Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Adventures in Breathing


Good morning,
Nothing like mastering new technology first thing in the morning. I hope you are all well. I find myself back at Notre Dame waiting for my second double lung transplant. I am nowhere near as healthy as I was for transplant #1. In fact, that brings up this past weekend's events perfectly.
The aggravation began Friday afternoon. I simply could not catch my breath. My O2 fell to 50%. This is uncomfortable. I rather have a heavy door pinch my finger repeatedly.

The signs indicated that I was having an embolism which I predicted if I sold and bought a house in a single day. We did. I was sent to the ICU ASAP. After careful monitoring, it was determined that I merely suffered from a serious desaturation.

Basically, the littlest exertion causes your breathing to collapse. I have not been able to walk in 3 weeks. It is also hard (impossible) to go to the bathroom by yourself.
Luckily, I have returned from the ICU. But it is not all luck. I could not have made it out of the weekend without Francois. He is a classic, chiselled, salt and peppered mid 50s orderly. I think he also lives in the cracks at Notre Dame. Every time I needed to be moved whether it was 2am or 2pm, Francois would materialize from nowhere to help me out. How is this possible? Just another super employee who is helping me out.


Adventures in Breathing

Check out this blog "Adventures in Breathing" http://jaysnewlungs.blogspot.com/