ProfessorTomoe

We know the joke. There's a Pittsburg in Texas, too.

Mrs. Prof is off spending around $139 on a new battery for our Honda Ridgeline. I'd prefer that she get a Honda battery, but there's no way the current one would last until Monday and she's got driving errands to do. She'd also probably have to spend considerably more than she is for the Autozone Duralast Gold she's getting anyway. Battery failures always happen at the most inconvenient times.

5:30 a.m. CDT 20170820. Warning: do NOT cough within three days after having a lumbar caudal epidural steroid injection with catheters done. Just DON"T do it. DON"T.

* raises hand for most of the manga *

4:48 p.m. CDT 20170820. Had a rather painful experience a couple of hours ago, as the pre-race show for the IndyCar race from Pocono was coming on. I was trying to swap sides on the sectional so that I wouldn't be lying on my right ear. I got everything ready and laid down on my left side. As I did, I heard and felt a huge cracking along my spine. I couldn't take it for very long. I had to get up and swap back so that I was lying on my right side. It took me a while to recover from that little event. I'm still a bit stiff along the left side, and, of course, sore on my right ear. Sigh.

Wrap-up of the IndyCar race from Pocono. Will Power won. Josef Newgarden came in second.

Sorry—I left the above in the post buffer for several hours.

6:23 a.m. CDT 20170820. The last time I had this "procedure" done, I experienced the majesty of levels 9/10 and 10/10 when it comes to pain levels. Not. Even. Close. This time, I had hydrocodone still active in my system, at doctor's orders. This time, I had a doctor who used a targeting system and a catheter to put the medicine where it needed to go along my spine. This time, I had heavy metal music playing in the background and a doctor who wore something that looked straight out of Heavy Metal magazine as his scrubs, complete with goggles. I'd say that's a troika lined up for success. I think I'm already feeling some relief for the stone bruise pain on my foot. However, I'm still sore everywhere else. I think it's going to take the full five days for the steroids to kick in. Outside of that, I've got that painful spot on the cartilage of my ear which has not healed, despite my doctor's treatment. Makes it painful to lie on my pillow with my right side, and I'm still spotting blood. The basal cell carcinoma, if that is what it is, is still in full swing. Yep, I'm properly back from the hospital, me and all of my secondary ailments.

One last Close-Up Foundation item: In 1981, another schoolmate and I were scheduled to represent the Soviet Union on the International Court of Justice, regarding a case between Chile and Argentina. Now, for one day of the 1980 Close-Up tour, our group was scheduled to be split, with my half going somewhere and the other half going to meet the head of the Organization of the American States! I finagled my way onto that half so I could ask the head what the group's standing was on the dispute, which was over who should own the Beagle Islands at the tip of South America in Cape Horn. The answer I got wasn't very helpful (he wasn't too prepared for something like it from a group of high schoolers), but still, I got to talk to the man at the head of the Organization of American States!

Crystal Light lemon tea mixed with orange juice. It's 2/3rds of my standard post-op/procedure/whatever recuperation drink. I'd include cranberry juice, but I've already gone through it.

Even if it's "chase on sight?" Baker still won't let Loudmouth into the living quarters of the house. There's no hissing, but there's no passing, either. EDIT: I saw Loudmouth come out of the hallway and go to get some water from the big water fountain. He then went back down the hall, past Baker. Baker started to chase, but Loudmouth stood his ground and hissed him away. Baker looked seriously surprised. They've kept this up for several minutes now—long enough to get Mrs. Prof out of bed and have her give them a talking to. I guess the hissing isn't over with after all. Sigh.

Much appreciated. It's getting a little easier to concentrate now. Just had some cottage cheese to boost the metabolism and brain function. Haven't been able to keep up with my pills today, hydrocodone excluded.

Yeah, and you've got to put up with all of those obnoxious Steeler fans in your new place ...

Mrs. Prof managed to get a pill down Loudmouth's gullet tonight without my help (of which I wouldn't have been any). I think she scruffed him, but I'm not sure. I think this is either pre-scruff or post-scruff tonight. Not sure which.

Quick pic: Loudmouth's roommate Baker, apparently melted from the Texas heat: I had to do some white balance adjustment and gamma correction to get the mud out of this picture. Irfanview 64 is such a wonderful program.

5:38 p.m. CDT 20170818. Still recovering. I had a moment where I almost fell due to trouble walking this morning. Right now, I'm on my second ice pack of the day on my back. The doctor says I can have up to three today, and I'm gonna need 'em. Still having trouble concentrating on things. Breathing is hard enough to concentrate on.

Question: how can you tell when bullying behavior has transformed into play behavior? Baker is still chasing loudmouth down the hall when he sees him, but there is no "hissss" at the end of the chase. Mrs. Prof says that, instead, they both wind up on top of the mattress. Is Baker still bullying Loudmouth, or are they playing now?

8:00 a.m. CDT 20170819. I hate waking up from procedures. Thank you for your good wishes on making this one a good wake-up. I'm still woozy and still surprised that this was the only wheelchair-optional hospital I've ever been to. It was quite a walk to the car, and getting in wasn't easy at all. Can't sit up long on this one. Will stay in touch. Thanks for all you've done.

9:09 p.m. CDT 20170818. I am home, and I seem to be okay. I'm a bit sore, and I will be for 3-5 days until the cortisone kicks in on the proper nerve endings. Thanks for the good wishes. I'm going back to sleep for now.

10:15 a.m. CDT 20170818. Just took my last hydrocodone before the procedure. Waiting for it to kick in a little before I take a shower. That's as difficult as driving. Got a bit of a chill. That's one thing I hate about hospitals, operations, and "procedures"—they're always so cold. 10:21 a.m. CDT. Mrs.Prof is taking her shower first, leaving me to sit here, shiver, and think about the next part of the procedure that I can't stand—the I.V. Lord, I absolutely hate them, and my veins do, to. They seem to know when a needle is coming. They'll trick the nurse into thinking they've found one, then run and hide. I can't count the number of times they've had to re-start an I.V. on me. A couple of times, they've gone in one side of the vein, out the other, and started it anyway. I get horrible, painful bruises when they do that. 10:35 a.m. CDT. The hydrocodone is finally starting to kick in. Mrs. Prof is finishing up her shower, so it's my turn now. See you after the procedure!

4:52 a.m. CDT 20170818. My appointment is less than eight hours away, with the actual procedure scheduled for 1:00 p.m. or so. I can have liquids until 5am, and then I can take my 10am hydrocodone dose with a small swallow of water. I can hydrate for just a few more minutes. Mrs. Prof actually found Beef Consommé at the store and complained about the price when she got home. She wouldn't if she tasted it. It's high up on the umami scale, with soy sauce, carrots, celery, and onion, all cooked in and reduced then strained. I don't remember the exact recipe, but I think I saw Julia Child make it once. Very good stuff. Nom. My last meal before the procedure. 5:08 a.m. CDT. I've hydrated as much as I can. All that's left is my shower, brushing my teeth, and the 10am hydrocodone dose. No other liquids. I'm going to try and stay asleep as much as I can, and that won't be difficult—the hydrocodone is already making it hard for me to see. Thank God I already have all of my paperwork filled out. The nerves are kicking in, so I'm going to take advantage of the "small sip of water" rule to take an extra lorazepam, since I won't be able to take it at my normal time today. I'll chronicle any other thoughts that come to mind. Hopefully there won't be that many. Please wish me luck.

I've talked to Mrs. Prof, and her Bucket-list item was fulfilled when the WWII monument went up in DC. Her father didn't talk much about what he saw at Normandy, probably because of all of the carnage he witnessed. I'm not sure she'd want to go by herself, especially since she didn't make LHB during auditions.

Mrs. Prof checked the rain gauge a little while ago. We've received SEVEN INCHES recently—enough to bring our dying basil herbs back to life!