Tuesday, February 22, 2022

I Was Chauffeur Nurse Today


Today was another not-quite-usual day in that Mr. Moon had to get a follow-up endoscopy. Three months ago when he got his endoscopy and colonoscopy they noted that he had some esophageal stuff going on due to his chronic heartburn so the doctor prescribed an acid blocker and told him to come back in three months and so he did. He's had chronic heartburn his whole life. But the medication has helped tremendously and today's scope showed "great improvement" according to the doctor and he just needs to continue the medication and be aware. 
Now all of that was quick and certainly good news but as we all know (or should know) the drugs they give you before the procedure can knock you for a loop as they did Mr. Moon three months ago and then again today. When I was allowed to join him in the recovery area, he actually said, "This is pleasant." 
And then he went back to sleep with a smile on his face. 

Eventually, he roused enough to get up, get dressed, and get in the car and he tried to convince me that we should make a picnic and go out on the boat or maybe go to Chow Time, which we had discussed before the procedure but I sternly told him that no, we were not doing either of those things. 
So we went to the Wharf where I got us take-out and we ate in the car in the shade and he came back to full awareness pretty quickly but he's been asleep most of the afternoon. 

Thus I have done very little today in the way of getting things done but I have taken care of my sweetie and watched over him carefully. He is drinking a cup of hot cocoa now that I made him. Sleeping made him cold. 

The temperature got up to eighty today but because I haven't done anything very physical, it has felt pleasant. Another perfectly blue-sky day and there is much glory going on, as I so thoroughly discussed yesterday. As I may have also said, the azaleas in the front yard may not bloom at all this year due to Mr. Moon's late trimming and the freeze we got a few weeks ago. But the picture up top is of some of the azaleas that he did NOT trim and they are lovely. They are growing right beside the heat pump by the back porch.
Here are some more pictures. 


A very small and coral-colored variety of azalea. I have only one little bush but it is blooming nicely. 


These are probably the most "traditional" azaleas you see around here. They are like the ones in the front yard but were not trimmed and grow untended and neglected between our house and the church, half smothered by pyracantha, nandina, and beauty berry. Still, they thrive.


Some of the camellias which are giving it their best effort right now, determined to let all of the other flowers know who's boss. 



A tiny pea shoot in the garden.


The sturdy, dusty, gray-green leaves of a potato plant. 

And the rest are pictures of the flowers I brought in to put into vases. 
Of course. 




There are more. I will spare you. 

There is some bird which I cannot see but which is loudly proclaiming, "Speak, speak, speak, speak!" I wish I knew my birds but I do not. 

One more thing- I just finished reading a book I mentioned the other day entitled The Five Wounds, by Kirstin Valdez Quade. I read this one with my ears and I enjoyed it tremendously. Lily recommended it to me and if I had to describe it, I think I would say that it's a book about mistakes, suffering, atonement, growth, courage, second, third, fourth, and so on chances, family, and love. Many types of love.
Also, babies. 
And a teen-aged mother named Angel whom I will not soon forget. 

All right! 

I hope all of you are well and that wherever you live, wherever you are, the signs of spring, whether gaudy or almost invisibly subtle, make themselves apparent to you, if not now then very soon. 

Love...Ms. Moon

37 comments:

  1. Your flower photos are such a treat. The camellia photos look like gorgeous studio portraits. My mother grew beautiful azaleas and rhododendrons; seeing yours brought me sweet memories of her tending her flower garden.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those camellias are extremely photogenic, aren't they?
      Where did your mama live?

      Delete
    2. She lived in northeast Georgia in a little called town Elberton, not too far from Athens. That's where I grew up.

      Delete
  2. We are all lucky that amid all the mess in this world flowers continue to bloom and share bursts of beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  3. No flowers here ... however... Yours are magnificent! So beautiful!
    Nope ... Today I have had snow, a bit of sunshine and then ... more snow! And, tomorrow is looking to be a lot of the same!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't even imagine snow. It is full-on warm here now.

      Delete
  4. Long time to flowers here, even daffodils aren't putting up noses yet. So it's good to see yours.

    Mr moon really is affected by those meds. I've had them for colon and endo, and I could have driven myself home, but they wouldn't let me. From out to perfectly awake and steady in seconds. Different strokes, different folks. I'm glad he has you to take care of him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do hit him very, very hard. And yes, we all react so differently to these things, don't we? I wonder if they over medicate him due to his size.

      Delete
  5. I had my first colonoscopy a couple of months ago and the drugs were definitely pleasant. I thanked them for the chance to legally get high. Thanks for all of the flower pics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, if there's one real upside to colonoscopies (besides the early detection of cancer, of course) it's the drugs. They are sweet.

      Delete
  6. I love the colors of your azaleas and camellias. I have one azalea planted recently, which will have yellow flowers. I look forward to seeing the flowers. You did good work being a nurse chauffeur.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A yellow azalea is rare around here. I hope it blooms like crazy for you!

      Delete
  7. All those flowers can make anyone smile. I hope to do some good outside this summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too, Joanne. I know you really do love to have your blooming flowers.

      Delete
  8. Oh the pinkness!

    Glad the news on Mr. Moon's endoscopy is 'great improvement"! And thank you for another book recommendation - off to the library websit post-haste.

    Chris from Boise

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you like it, Chris. I'm always a little shy about recommending books because I know we all have such varying tastes in our reading.

      Delete
  9. Those sweet gentle colors *sigh*. Pinkables.
    Good to know about the feel good drug and the pleasantness of it. I might be seeking that. Wonder if I can score some at the middle school up the street, they seem to have everything there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The pinks are newborn baby pink, aren't they? Well, newborn WHITE baby pink. To be specific.
      I'm sure you could get some propofol at the middle school. However, I would not recommend that.

      Delete
  10. I am happy Mr. Moon is doing well and getting some delicious sleep as well. The pinks in this post are almost unreal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't they? They remind me of Shelby's colors in Steel Magnolia- blush and bashful.

      Delete
  11. I'm obsessed with the color pink these days, and your flowers are perfection! I'm glad that Mr. Moon's endoscopy went well, too, and that the medicine has helped him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Elizabeth. I'm glad it's helped him too.

      Delete
  12. I heard a chickadee calling out his mating call this morning.

    I'm glad that Mr. Moon's endo went well. My brother has that as well, Barretts esophagus. That med, the one that reduced acid in the stomach, is the one that sends me off the edge into deep, dark depression.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep. Barretts esophagus. It seems to run in his family.
      Does any other acid-reducer work for you that maybe won't make you depressed? That's just a horrible side-effect.

      Delete
  13. The flowers are so beautiful, even more so in the vases. I'm sorry to hear about the chronic heartburn. I'd never had any in my life until I had to take blood pressure medication, when that caused heartburn I didn't know what it was and took myself to hospital. Now I take a tablet for it right after I eat breakfast which is when I take the blood pressure one and have no more trouble.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Glad you figured it out. That must have been so scary.

      Delete
  14. I'm glad Mr. Moon is doing better now. My sister used to suffer from terrible heartburn and a few years ago they had to remove part of her oesophagus (?) because of it. She lost over 100 lbs in weight (the op worked on her like bariatric surgery) and while she did indeed have quite a bit of weight to lose she didn't need to lose 100 lbs! Still her life is much improved because of it. Here's hoping Mr. Moon's medication continues to do its healing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoa! That's a lot of weight to lose! I'm glad that her life is improved because of the surgery, though. And that's what we're trying to avoid with Glen's medication.

      Delete
  15. I love that there are almost always flowers when I come here. So beautiful!

    Glad Mr. Moon enjoyed his little trip to the land of nod...and that his 'scope' gave up such good results.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, this is definitely the time of year to find flowers here, both in reality and virtually.
      I think he did enjoy his little legal high. He certainly was peaceful.

      Delete
  16. NOTHING is happening here as far as spring in concerned. I can't even tell if my azaleas have buds. Well, some do but they aren't close to flowering. I don't get it. Things should be busting out. And now it's gotten cold again but at least it will only be 40s. Except the birds. They definitely think it's spring.

    Glad to hear Mr. Moon is improving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it was that last time you got a freeze and it lasted for days. That could well have knocked everything back. Hard to fool the birds, though.

      Delete
  17. Glad to hear good news for Mr. Moon!
    How nice to see such lovely flowers! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I wonder what Mr Moon was dreaming about in that recovery room when he smiled and then went back to sleep again. Probably cheerleaders in short white skirts.

    ReplyDelete
  19. As we've discussed, I can totally identify with Mr. Moon's blissed out state! Glad the procedure went well and he's showing some improvement.

    We have azaleas here but they won't bloom for a few more months.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.