Kicking rocks. A pile outside the garage. Awaiting whenever John decides to shovel up the rest, remove the tatters of worn out black plastic barrier cloth, re-level and then put the rock back down. I am in favor of another step. But if you know me, it’s DOH, of course!

PS Drew moved from Neuro ICU to Med Surg again. Slowly better. 2 days short of 3 weeks. It’s been “challenging”.
#Rocks #RiverRock #Landscaping #Driveway
#Phoenix #Arizona

How about a rock? A rock would be good. Nothing going on but waiting to hear news about how my son is doing. So, when in doubt I meditate with a rock.

This one is fluorite from a famous US site, Cave-In-Rock, in southern Illinois. This beauty is about 8” long! Label says collected between 1900 and 1920. Collection of Eilluam B Wray, displayed at Tucson for the Red, White, and Blue theme. #Fluorite #Crystal #TucsonGemMinerals

People really flocking to buy Bluey cereal for their children? Did they not notice that the color of this in a bowl with milk has got to be visually dreadful? If there was no colorful beloved cartoon character in the packaging, I fail to believe anyone would buy it.

The ingredients alone are not enticing. The lack of other “bad” common ingredients is also not encouraging. Oh well, a $4 large box of cereal does have a good price point.
#Bluey #Cereal #CornPuffs #Food #Breakfast #AmericanFood

Yippee! Just moved to Neurology ICU as he’s a little better after the Metal AF ICU this week. This is far better because many of the nurses, staff and doctors already know Drew. Saves a lot of time from explaining things over and over every new shift/new staff. Now I’m taking photos to the north side of #Phoenix through a giant picture window 16th floor. That’s street level and parking lots you can see straight down, the reflections in the window, and you can see a large skyscraper area to the center left, and his head with his glasses on him peaks out above the horizon. Even a bit of the small mountains by Piestawa Peak show up as a faint area with towers of signal lights.

Going home now after 13 straight hours at the hospital. A Mother Bear’s work is never done, even if her cub is now 46.

Short rant and then I will find something to do with myself. We (brother and I, both guardians for Drew) have not been able to talk to a doctor in ICU at all and he’s been there 3 days. In particular, we have asked every single shift for his nurse to leave word for the Neuro Critical Team doctor/s to meet with us or call, and the GI Surgeons too. These people are determining his care and maybe have a plan. The only medical professionals we talked with outside of the nurses were the Dietician prior to IV nutrition being started and I spoke to the nurse installing his PICC line by phone so they had a witnessed approval.

I have personally spent a total of 22 hours in his room waiting for doctors to round. Nothing. John has spent 9 hours. Nothing. I am going to go in early tomorrow and sit there. If no one talks to me by 10 am I will definitely request a Social Worker On Call or go further. Btw, supposedly Drew is a little better today and is allowed a few ice chips every hour given by a nurse. But he’s sleeping most of the time. He still has NG tube but ketamine was finally stopped this afternoon.

So more tubes than usual and sure looks like ketamine works. Had to take an art photo. It’s a nice cityscape view again middle of the night. I can see both all the way through the dark to beautiful downtown and at the same time I can see foreground to street level parking and trees. And you see the reflection of my son in ICU with far more high tech devices than he’s ever had. Neurology, and neurosurgery and GI surgeon are all on the case. All of this is from bowel obstruction and then seizure that lasted at least 1/2 hour.

I’m doing ok. Just in crisis mode so it helps me focus and watchful. The medical staff glad I’m here to give history and tips from experience. When I came in I know he heard me and knows I’m here. So that is a big plus. He was able to give a thumbs up on a neuro check so this is good.

time for some entertainment! And/or education. My son John got me onto SaltShack minerals and they are a joy to watch. I remembered the musical Story of Poop! Here it is and it is pretty decent history.#Guano #BirdPoop #BatShit

https://youtu.be/jXJBYhj4G0w

Hey, it’s time for a cute dog photo! As reminded in seeing a mural photo online here this morning, I called up photos on my phone for many years. This one qualifies as cute, I think, almost exactly 6 years ago. We miss him so. #DogsOfMastodon #MonDog #RIP #Buddy

Great smokes! (An old phrase likely not used much anymore) And since this came to mind because this window has a stained glass panel of beloved Smokey the Bear, I wanted to share it for #FensterFreitag #WindowFriday. Since the present White House is trying to do away with most of the US National Forest Service, at risk of dumping up to 55,000 employees and sell off some logging and mineral rights to corporations who donate well to various funds such as the Epstein Ballroom at the White House, this image I took in Greer, Arizona 7 years ago is even more poignant.

To friends of the continuing saga of my son in hospital:

he’s turned a corner as of 1 am. I got a call from his nurse who reported that he tolerated eating clear liquids (Jello) and the surgeon directed his NG tube to be removed. Glad to know this nurse did as I asked, to call me about any status changes, day or night. And she did! Now I know hes turned a corner. He’s on day 5 of 5 days straight of migraine so that can now be addressed better. He gets to have PT and also OT come. Yay! I’m thinking he may only need a few more days there. Yippie!

Have an art photo of downtown Phoenix from the 15th floor, what we call his Penthouse suite. If you enlarge it the Arizona architecture of so much density becomes a distinct map of urban sprawl in the desert. #Phoenix #iPhone