bits and pieces

Over the past few days Liam's condition is, hmmm, so-so.  During the day, when she's awake, she is more present.  She talks more; asks questions; even asks about food again (she's not ready to eat, BTW).  At night, however, things are not so great.  She often doesn't sleep, complains about pain, shows discomfort.  Her belly is really distended.  Before the belly thingy happened, they tried to feed her - minor, minor amounts.  But due to the belly, they stopped it.  Today, despite the distention, feeding resumed.  She's a little nauseous occasionally.

Mission Impossible
For the past weekend my goals were:
* Sleep two nights in the hospital to give Rachel a break (last week, due to "stuff", I, the one who needs rest the least, got the most of it).
* Go for a long bike ride - cold weather and all.
* For Arsenal to beat Chelsea 5-0.
* Don't let New Orleans win the Super Bowl.

As far as I know all missions completed successfully.


The Vent (stop here if you aren't interested in my whining)
On the one hand, to be in the hospital all the time like Rachel is, takes a heavy toll on you.  The sleep at night - in the good case if Liam is sleeping - keeps being interrupted because, well, it's a hospital.  All kind of people coming in and out of the room.  This traffic is intensified during the day.  She needs to talk business with Drs and nurses all day long.  Plus you have to keep an eye on Liam all this time.  Sometimes to attend to her, sometimes to read her a book, sometimes to comfort her.  I'm only experiencing it on the weekend; Rachel is at the hospital nearly 24 hours a day.  I can't fathom how she does it. 
On the other hand, it's sort of, hmm, how shall I put it?  Comforting?  Not sure.  My point is that you're isolated from the outside.  You can't go anywhere.  You can't make your own schedule.  You just have to go with the flow.

Sometimes I imagine the hospital to be sort of like a prison cell.  You spend all your time in a room.  You live from one meal to another.  Well, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea.  The meals are the main thing that breaks all the hospital hoo-ha.  No wonder we're getting fat.

Meanwhile, outside the prison I find that my life is pretty crazy.  Between helping Meitav before and after school, my long drives to the office, coming back directly to the hospital, and arriving at home late - it's hectic.  And of course then there's the usual things that we all do at home:  small shopping, cleaning, folding laundry, fixing the printer, etc. etc.   But worst of all is when I have to stuff the fridge and make breakfast for Meitav and myself.  Sounds trivial, but I'm really challenged in this area.  I always had Rachel feed me.  While we have the generous community help, I still find it extremely challenging to run a household.

When I finally make it to the hospital, it's either after work or the nights on the weekends.  In both cases I get to see Liam at her tired and not-feeling-well times.  I'm missing all the good periods during the day.

Every 4 weeks it is my turn at work to be on call for a week.  I can get alerts at any time of the day - around the clock.  Naturally, if they call, I have to turn all my attention to work.  That means that I can't help Rachel.  But, just coming out of a long period of unemployment, the whining stops here.


If I was Bill Gates
(Well, first of all I would free the world of Windows...then..) I would surely quit work so I can relieve Rachel.  On the other hand, maybe I wouldn't - just to keep the health insurance.  In other words, it's sort of a catch-22.  Back to prison.  (I can't imagine how less fortunate families with seriously sick people, manage it.)  Luckily, I'm not rich so I don't have this terrible dilemma.


The blog and I
Despite the light style of writing, don't believe everything you  read.  (The blog and I  have daily arguments.  I'm writing what's happening, but the blog publishes what HE wants.)  It's a very stressful time for all of us (don't change this line, blog-ojevich).  Naturally, the three of us argue and make up and then fight again and then hug.  But at the end, the common goal and most of all, the LOVE, keep us tight together.
Finally, some news from the medical field
Have you heard that they found out that beer is good for your bones?  For real!!!  It's encouraging to learn that they finally found some symptoms that match the remedy I was using all along.