What's keeping you Busy lately???????

Taking care of my uncle. Had a full day planned - drop some stuff off at a charity on the way to his doctor's appt, pick some wine up for him to drink, stop at the Food Emporium near the return bus stop for groceries, stop at the bank to get cash for Xmas gifts for the staff at our apartment (we were away), stop at Duane Reade for milk, stop at the corner for bananas & other fruit, vegetables. And somewhere in the middle get lunch since we were fasting for the doctor's visit.
Plan didn't work out. The charity had moved. The first downtown bus wouldn't let me on with the stuff I hadn't been able to donate. Getting off the next bus (I'd rearranged the stuff so I could close the cart), while running, trying to make up time, I managed to trip over the cart, went sprawling -- scraping shins, bruising backs (Don't ask me how I managed to bruise the backs) of my hands, and smacking my cheek into the sidewalk. (Luckily - no scrape. Doc says I'll have black eye.) I also bruised my shoulder but didn't realize that until this evening. Someone who worked at the building was quite solicitous & wanted to call for help, was convinced I was badly hurt & didn't realize it - but we were late for the doctor - just across the street.

So we ended up with two appointments (one for me and one for my uncle). My uncle, as I suspected, was not well. We were sent immediately to get a chest x-ray. I had asked and there weren't any places nearby to donate the stuff I had brought, so, charity went out the window and I put cart and contents next to a trash bin on the street. We took a cab to get the xrays. The cab left us off at the wrong street - but we wandered around inside the hospital until we found the right department. After the first xray, they decided they needed another more sophisticated one. They needed me to help my uncle into position. (He's had several strokes & isn't always able to follow directions well.)

We waited for our doctor to talk to the xray doctor. Then they decided a cat scan was needed. We sat for awhile again. But my uncle was just about faint from hunger - it was now about 3:30pm and he hadn't had anything to eat since the night before. We were told there was enough time for us to go up to the cafeteria to get something to eat. So we did. After the cat scan, I thought we were supposed to find out whether he would have to be admitted to the hospital or not. The technician knew nothing about it - said I should call my doctor from the courtesy phone back in the waiting room. Someone else was on the phone - forever. Finally got to use the phone - took 3 or 4 tries to figure out that I didn't need to use the area code - weird. Turns out that it takes awhile to get the results of cat scans so we could go home - but my uncle (86) needed to use the bathroom first. While waiting, the doctor who reads the cat scans came by looking for us!! (nice hospital - Mt. Sinai, nice people!) Said he thought it likely the fluid in my uncle's lungs was related to his heart and not likely to be cancer. I breathed a sigh of relief. With the heart, there's more time for us to be together, more things that can be done to improve his health.
We got a couple of buses home. The elevator was broken. AGAIN. We had to take the front elevator, walk up a flight of stairs, walk across the roof and down a flight of stairs. This took awhile. This broken elevator routine is getting old - even if my uncle weren't sick.

Removed the pill from the pill box that the doctor decided my uncle shouldn't take any more, gave the rest with a glass of water to my uncle for him to take. Fixed the top sheet on his bed - it keeps coming out because the mattress is too deep. Put my uncle to bed as he was exhausted from the long day. Called my mother (uncle's sister) to see if what she had before we left could be related to or provide some clue as to what he has now.

She denied having been sick (she doesn't believe in sickness which makes it hard on us who feel our aches and pains, lol) - just postnasal drip, she claimed. (I assure you, when she let's ME drive, she's sick and she had let me drive her to the doctor.)

Looked to see if I had any of the heart medicine around we'd stopped a couple of months ago - because we were going to start it up again. None. Must have left the leftovers in VA. Had to look up the pharmacy number in the yellow pages. Had to find the book. Called the pharmacy to see if they'd deliver. Called the doctor, gave him the pharmacy's number so he could send them the prescription. Waited a few minutes. Called the pharmacy again to make sure they got the Rx from the doctor, gave them my uncle's insurance info, waited for them to calculate the cost, paid, gave them the address.

Set up the VCR to tape my uncle's favorite show. Opened some of the mail. Took some ibuprofen because I was stiffening up from my fall earlier in the day. Sorted through the box of OTC medicines. Threw out some of the ancient stuff.

Got back to work on the stacks of paper/mail leftover from while we were gone. Found a friend's number whose call around Xmas I hadn't had time to return before we left VA. Called her. Chatted until I heard my uncle rouse. Made dinner. Replayed his show. Cleared dinner. Checked elevator status - working again. Realized the Rx hadn't arrived. Called the doorman - no meds. 9:06pm. Pharmacy closed 9 pm. Unhappy I hadn't checked on the meds 15 minutes earlier.

Not long afterward, meds arrived. Hurray. Read the bottle to see if any special instructions. Got water. Gave pill to uncle. Explain what pill is for. Answered why he should take it now.

Went through two weeks worth of meds (set out ahead of time in one of those pill boxes) - took out the pill he's not taking anymore, substituted in the pill he will be taking.

Turned on computer. I've forgotten why. (Now I remember. I wanted to enter my friend's email address before it got lost. Got sidetracked to this site and the rest is history. It's 2:20 am.

Didn't get the wine - but that's on hold till we find out what's causing the fluid in my uncle's lungs. Didn't buy any groceries - but my father taught me to fill up the larder with backups: My uncle may not be thrilled with canned chili, salmon, etc., but he won't starve - even if the predicted 4-7 inches of snow arrive tomorrow. We didn't get to the bank. The doormen, etc. will have to wait awhile longer for their Xmas tips. No bananas for breakfast tomorrow - but there's applesauce or dried apricots that have been cooked or I can cook some dried plums. We still have some regular milk left & after that it's the milk in cartons with a long shelf life.

Tomorrow is another day. Oh, it's arrived already. Tomorrow must be today. I think I'll skip planning. Friday we're back at the doctor's. Afterwards, will I be calling his friend to say we won't be making it to his birthday party this weekend because my uncle is back in the hospital or will I be trying to figure out when and where I was going to get the friend a birthday gift.

Originally I had concluded that I couldn't fit in shopping for it today - but then I thought - we're stopping for wine, why not champagne? - the friend is turning 65. So, I'm not sure if getting the gift should go into the the planned but not accomplished column.. ;-)

Goodnight. Good morning. I wish you all well.