MR. BOB

THE ECHOCARDIOGRAM yesterday morning showed Mr. Bob's heart to be working as efficiently as it did 18 months ago, which was a good sign. Back down the hill we came, feeling much relieved. Lunch on a tray didn't hold any appeal and when I took his temperature, the thermometer registered 102 which was higher than it's been during this illness.

Shortly thereafter, the nurse happened in and taught me that blue lips means to call for help immediately and it was determined that Mr. Bob should be sent to the hospital, an idea that only increased his angst. His oxygen count caused the paramedic to question if he'd understood correctly, it was that low.

When I arrived home last evening I found these pictures on his iPhone. Hard to believe that in the midst of respiratory distress, he took this picture in the ambulance and this self por-
trait in the Emergency Room, before I got there.

Tim joined us after he was through with his temporary stint at UCLA, getting to us through holiday getaway traffic.

At 9:30 before I turned in for the night, I wrote this email to family and a few friends. Surely in my state of mind I left a few people out, so here's the note:

I'm back at the Manor (no matter what they want us to call it),

I left him in charge of the night nurse whose name is Mercy which seems like a good sign. He was in good spirits and not at all blue around the gills. Tim and I went out for Mexican food and I've had a margarita AND Mexican coffee, so I'm feeling no pain.

He seemed more comfortable than he was at home and admitted that it was a better place to be, although at home he tried to get out of going. A lung specialist is being called in to determine whether what shows as a spot on the x-ray is a tumor or an infection. Since fever is involved, I'm voting for an infection.

The more people extend sympathy and caring to me, the more I'm in danger of "losing it", so treat me brusquely when next you see me.

Tim's a Godsend, making me laugh when I want to cry. 

I'm so glad I'm safely on the 4th floor here at Windsor Manor rather than in our house which would be so scary that I wouldn't even sleep with the window open.

I'll send another report tomorrow.

Jane

I just this minute talked to him and he sounds relatively chipper, but sleepy.......you know how it is during the night in a hospital. It's not exactly restful.

I asked if it'd be okay to blog this experience, not wanting to intrude on his privacy at this point. "Go ahead", was his answer.