Pat has improved. Remember, that's a relative term; it doesn't mean he's okay or even back to the not-so-okay that's usual for him, but he's better than he had been. Also, he ate his regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus our usual popcorn at night, so his appetite is still there.
The doctor finally called back in the afternoon. She prescribed an antibiotic and a steroid, plus told me to to increase the diuretic (based on his slight ankle swelling). We decided together to skip the last, as he already had the diuretic increased to three, and his ankles are only slightly swollen. I was aghast at the price of the antibiotic: $99 for ten pills! Even I can figure out that's $10 a pill, but I know from last time it's a new med and it worked before. Luckily, he already had a fair amount of the steroid, Prednisone, so I didn't get that. That has to be taken in diminishing doses, as I knew. (Yes, we've gone through this identical situation before; it's the nature of the beast called emphysema.)
Pat was unable to dress himself yesterday very easily, so I did. I'm going to draw a veil (as the old novelists used to write) over the more earthy aspects of his illness, but I did a lot of cleaning up. No biggie, it just goes with the territory. (I can't seem to resist quoting published works! The last, which should be in quotes, comes from Death of a Salesman.)
Alison called for updates three times from work and after I heard from the doctor, I called her. She's in a supervisory training program, mandatory because she now supervises six people. A. just forwarded me a letter from the New York Marathon officials; unfortunately, she wasn't chosen in the lottery y0u have to enter for a chance to run. Not sure if Mike got in or not. (Geez, after the Boston, you'd think they'd just rest on their laurels, but no-o-0, not these crazies.)
Aside from picking up the meds, stayed in most of the day, of course. However, because Pat had improved, I went over to a (nearby) funeral home in the early evening to pay my respects at a wake for the husband of an acquaintance. Met Dennis and Leslie going in; the guy was in the Sunrise Bay Fishing Club with him.
Because I wasn't out running errands, I had time to print out my cousin, Marifran's, entire book Up From Chaos, an account of her life starting with her childhood with a deranged and abusive mother. She had shared most of it with me some time ago. It's a harrowing, but absolutely enthralling story.
I skipped our walk yesterday and today, and think I should wait 'til tomorrow to resume. Friend and walking partner Susan was very concerned and asked how she could help.
Betty called twice to see how Pat's doing. I talked to brother Larry, too, who's visiting her. It's wonderful to have such caring sibs even in addition to the children. Of course, friends are great, too--thanks to everybody who checked in.
Betty and I both said we'd like to do what Larry's doing: travel the country wherever our interest takes us. B. said Larry had contracted to deliver a car from Florida, where he lives, to Arizona. He's heading to Vegas today, then to the last leg of his journey, then will fly home to Miami.
June is a crowded month for all of us, I guess. Larry and Helen's anniversary was on the 9th, ours the 21st (49 years!), Jay's birthday was yesterday, and Patrick and Joely's birthdays are the 28th. Father's Day is tucked in there, too--Alison and Mike will come here, and naturally, we'll invite J., J., J., and Baby Boop, too.