Tues eve

Long day at the hospital.  Redjeb was still in the Intensive Care Unit when I left this evening, as the bed he is to be moved to still has a patient in it.  That would not be good!

Redjeb was lying in bed when I arrived this morning.  I told him I thought he'd been up and about, and then came to realize that my early morning enthusiasm (as indicated in my previous blog) was a bit exaggerated.  

It was true that he had been able (with assistance) to get out of bed and sit in a chair.  And he did it again later in the day and was in the chair for an hour or more. 

 It was true that they had offered him breakfast , but he had refused it and stayed with liquids.  But he did have tea.  But I had "misheard" the nurse on the phone this morning.  I thought she said he was "reading without assistance", and so I brought him 4 books to read.  But turns out she had said he was "breathing" (not reading) without assistance.  A difference but then again breathing is a bigger thing than reading.  The confusion was either my wanting to make him back to normal, or it was the nurse's Israeli accent.  

Whatever...he is doing very well, given that he had such major surgery yesterday.  The smiling surgeon stopped by twice and seemed pleased.

R's mood is very good.  He is upbeat and talking.  

However, when I went out to get a sandwich for myself at lunch, I got a call from the ICU nurse. Uh, Oh, I thought.  The "crisis" was that Redjeb had rejected the lunch they served as inedible (It was low salt, as well as low taste, hospital food).  He had requested that she call me to bring him some soup from outside, which I did.  I'm sure what I brought was not the kind of diet that they had in mind, but at least he ate it.  

They also told him to go easy on sugar for a few weeks or more, as apparently it inhibits healing.  I've never heard that before. Interesting.  He said he didn't mind, but I think of all the chocolate that he loves and just bought before he went in.  Even wine is sugary, but I think there will be some wiggle room here.

Thanks for reading this.  It helps me as well as you.