Update on My Life and Doings
Today is the two month anniversary of my panniculectomy surgery and I’m still carrying a JP tube in my abdomen. Hmmm…
I have an email in MyChart to the nurse up north to see if I can take it out now.
I’m still draining from 35 to 37 mls of fluid from it every 24 hours. That’s very close to the 30 ml that allows me to take the tube out and get my life back to basics (bike riding!!!!), so I’m hoping the powers that be up north will figure “close enough for government work” and let me take it out now. (Another serious heat wave is coming, accompanied by smoke from eastern WA, Canada and ORE/CA fires, so we won’t be riding this week anyway, even if I’m turned loose to do so.. See more on the weather forecast below.)
I’m also wondering if the tube can begin to adhere to my innards if it’s been left in this long, or if it has to stay in a while longer. We’ll see! I asked that question, too…
While I await the answers, I’ll just jot down a few miscellaneous things for your edification and enjoyment.
Update: Heard back fast. The person who read my message assures me the tube wont adhere to my innards (She added a smiley face. I probably gave her a good laugh for asking.) She is checking with Dr. Goldsberry-Long and/or the nurse to see if they still want me to keep the tube in longer.
Further Update August 11, 2021: As soon as the output is around 35 ml per day for two days in a row, I can take the tube out. Because I did some heavy lifting yesterday, my output has gone up again to 40 ml, so I have to wait now for it to return to the mid 30’s before I can do that. But it won’t be long now! Just another couple days, I think. WHHEEE!
RAT UPDATE
The rats are doing fine. I have ordered them a small wading pool since rats can swim and I’ve heard that some of them really love it. I don’t want to deprive them of the joys of life (except reproduction!) since they only live two to three years. Of course, I’ll have to monitor them closely whenever they go in. I’ll have some islands for them to climb onto and some floating things for them to play with (little plastic balls, etc.) If they end up loving it, I’ll take some video of them playing.
They now have a tri-level apartment complex made out of long boxes I’ve placed strategically and cut holes into to give them lots of options for exercise and fun. This is in addition to their ferret habitat turned rat habitat. They chewed through the screening I wrapped it in in several places but they haven’t posed any problem (they haven’t gotten down onto the floor or left their apartment complex at all, probably because of the cats who share my world with me) so I just leave them out all the time now. (The cats couldn’t care less about my pet rats. They were intrigued for a few days, but now they don’t react to them at all.)
As long as the rats behave and stay put, I won’t have to buy a large rat cage for them — and truly, after seeing how happy they are right now, I’d hate to have to confine them in any smaller space, so here’s hoping they stay good! (They’ve been free, day and night, for almost two weeks now without incident.) (They use a small rat-size corner potty box, too!)
GOATS
My four goats are about to get a visit from their Summer Apple Fairy. Sue Rebar, bless her heart, is going to be bringing several bucket loads of apples from the tree in her back yard. WOO HOO!
WEATHER FORECAST
It’s supposed to be a scorcher again later this week here in Summit WA: 89 to 105 degrees. So I have to put ice in the goat water, turn on the outdoor fan and misting system, put on the goats’ cooling blankets and hope for the best between Thursday and Saturday this week. GRRR. I guess they can wear the cooling blankets three days straight. It’s going to be quite the chore to put them in them. I will ask Lisa to help me get ‘er done on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning…
COVID-POSITIVE RELATIVE
My COVID-afflicted relative is holding steady. If they get through the next several days without a cyclo storm throwing a monkey wrench into their immune response, we can all start breathing a little easier. They are in contact with their doctor and monitoring their oxygen levels religiously.
I guess that’s about all the news that’s fit to print. I’ll update this post if I find out the tube can come out. Otherwise, I won’t.
Stay safe. Limit travel. Wear an N95 mask when out and about or with a group of people from different households: a cloth mask won’t protect anyone else (or YOU!) from the Delta strain of COVID. Wash your hands often.
