Craig asked earlier if Erin and I were blogging a lot. I answered yes, and asked if that was okay. After responding enthusiastically in the affirmative, Erin asked if there was anything he wanted us to convey. So, in parting from the exacting nature of symptom reportage, I write tonight about Craig’s highs and lows, as provided by Craig himself.
But first, a note from Craig on how he’s fairing. When asked if there was anything he wanted to share, Craig said this: “Please let people know how hard it’s become for me, and how hard it will become. It’s now difficult for me to move from one room to another. I have to prop my ass up on pillows, and spend my day moving from grabbing water to grabbing oxygen to grabbing conversation to grabbing hands, only to repeat the cycle again. It seems so painfully the same. My eyesight is no good (said with a giggle). Actually, my eyesight sucks.”
Noticing that Craig was harping on the negatives, Erin asked Craig for his highs and lows, which is something Erin and I would do when we’d go camping to reflect on the day's events.
The Highs:
a) Watching the Veterans against War protest from his 31st floor window.
As if planned by the gods themselves, and after lamenting how he’s missed out on all the DNC drama, the DNC actually came to Craig. Perhaps the largest protest we’ve seen thus far passed just outside Craig’s building earlier this evening, with well over 500 protesters in the group, including several servicemen, as well as a blue elephant balloon which was sporting the slogan “porn is bi-partisan” (??? a little obscure, me thinks). Craig WALKED the ten feet to his window to join Erin, Dad, and me in watching the protesters snake down Arapahoe Street. He hasn’t walked that far in days. Erin noted how beautiful it was watching his hand slowly creep into her periphery, and then find a place on the windowsill so that he could peer through the window at the protestors below. That he was able to muster the energy to see the hub-bub was impressive. But, seeing it was a goal, and he’s not one to back down.
Apparently, the protesters later divided (whatever happened to the people being united???) into two groups: 1) the arrestables; and 2) the ‘don’t put me in the slammer’ types. Reminds me of a time back in Seattle when Erin and I protested the WTO. Anticipating situations like this, protesters are typically instructed to trade IDs in order to complicate arrests. Anyhow, Erin and I somehow got mixed in with the arrestables when we were protesting, despite our efforts to avoid them. We were unfortunately tear gassed a good number of times as we attempted to ‘stand our ground’ against Seattle police. Fast forward to now, and again, an arrestable situation, but thankfully, we were safely above the fray, as we looked on from our perch on the 31st floor.
As a side note, Erin and I got tangled in the protest en route to pick up take out from Dixons. One section of the protest – bikes not oil – convened right in front of the restaurant. One of the bikers actually fell on Erin’s car as she waited for her chance to move past the protesters. On any other day, we may be out there with them, but not now. With things as they are, I simply can’t be bothered.
b) Listening to harp music.
Earlier this afternoon, a harpist from Denver Hospice stopped by for some music therapy. For about an hour, she played various lullabies to help Craig relax. Craig said he found her music soothing and her melodies moving. He said the harpist had an interesting message though he didn’t quite understand her "airy fairy" language. (Erin said she sounded like she was speaking Elvin from the Lord of the Rings.) Although he couldn’t understand her on that level, he still appreciated where she was coming from.
I’ll never forget looking over at Dad to find his face drenched with tears. Diane was also crying, and so too, was I. Listening to her music reminded me of our last days with mom when we played Hillary Stagg to help calm the mood. Today’s music created a relaxing environment in much the same way. The music sounded so familiar that it could have easily been mom on the bed today. But it wasn’t. To look over and see Craig peacefully sleeping to her playing just two months after mom’s death was surreal.
c) Ticking off another goal: getting out of his bedroom.
Like yesterday, we wheeled Craig into the living room for a change of scenery. After spending an hour watching his favorite Daily Show and Colbert report, we wheeled him back to bed. He asked that we make a date to watch the Daily Show tomorrow. Consider it done.
d) Receiving Emily’s long anticipated gift.
(Yeah!)
The Lows:
a) Watching the movie the Descent (we disagree, but whatever…can’t win ‘em all).
Craig asked us to turn it off because “his eyes suck” and he was having a hard time following the plot. Granted, there’s not much of one, but still, how can you turn off what’s probably the most kickass feminist horror film to date?
b) Having to put water in his bamboo vase.
Erin made the mistake of mentioning that the water for his beloved bamboo tree was a bit low (a BIT low, mind you). Though Craig had been sleeping peacefully before, he promptly opened his eyes and spastically said, “If you need to put water in the bamboo, please do so now”. Ay, ay, ayyy. Emily added that Steve would be very happy to know how concerned Craig was about his precious bamboo.
c) Lowest point of the day: thrush.
Despite popping two anti-thrush pills a day, the yeasty stuff still persists, and vomiting only makes it worse. Sadly, the only remedy is the same anti-thrush med he’s been on for the past month. The thrush seems to be hunkered down, and taking its merry time leaving. I hope, for Craig’s sake, the thrush will soon be on its way out.
After going through his highs and lows, Erin pointed out that the highs overwhelmed the lows. Craig mentioned that it was helpful revisiting the day’s events in such a way, and that it helped to remind him that good things do occur during the day. Perhaps we’ll continue asking Craig to describe his highs and lows to help him see that the days are not all so monotonous. -- J
Add another high please let him know how we all love him out this way. Ashleigh told me when I returned from OK how she and Craig were really close pals , a special bond there that I was not aware of. Tell him Ashleigh starts her final step in teaching by interning at our local elementary school. She had her first preparation day and couldn't stop talking about it. She graduates in December.
ReplyDeleteLove Uncle Bruce and family