157/365 Thoughts and Prayers

I'm Lowell aka LJ for those viewing this on Facebook. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one (Lowell)in her friend list. She truly appreciates all of the well wishers and gestures in this difficult time.

I'll do my best to keep this brief. I was apologizing to a colleague Tuesday afternoon becuase I missed a Monday conference call. I was at Shands. I explained everything that was going on for some reason and as we were getting off the phone she said, "I'll definitely keep your friend in my thoughts and prayers." She always says this whenever something bad happens to anyone at my company. It annoys me. It's lazy and cliche and forced. That's why I'm always stuck for something to say when I'm the outsider. I won't give in to the cliche, but "That sucks", which is what's honest, is inappropriate coming from a 3rd, 4th or 5th party. Strangely enough, the T 'n P comment didn't annoy me, even though she said it at least three times. I appreciated the effort, and it made me understand that the cliche is okay. It's a cliche for a reason. As a true master of all 36 chambers of cynicism, that's hard for me to get my head around. There's no such thing as too much or too little goodwill.

156/365 Sweet, Sweet Nectar

GET OFF MY BACK! I DON’T HAVE A STARBUCKS PROBLEM! I CAN QUIT ANYTIME I WANT!

LJ is your substitute substitute today.

EJG Status Update: 30 staples, 3 sets of stitches, and an upright posture. We’ll call that progress. Unfortunately, the rest is a waiting game.

Bad Teacher Joke: There are easier ways to get out of post planning.

Bad Liberal Joke: I told you not to listen to the whole Rush Limbaugh show. He doesn’t give pain medication advice on the radio.

155/365 A Good Sport

More from MJ: EJG is doing well. He's a good sport, too, allowing a picture for the blog so everyone can see that he's himself and looking pretty good, even with less hair on his head. When I asked what he wanted me to share in his update, he said "I'm still here." True enough. Patience is still the word of the day while everyone tries to adjust to hospital times and medical schedules--a different timeline than the outside world. So, nothing new medically speaking, other than staying still. The doctors don't want him to sneeze...literally. After he's healed from surgery, there will be more investigations and plans for fixing what ails him.

He's still got lots of visitors and his new room was packed with friends while I was there. It seems to help the time pass (see patience reference above). He did mention a way he's been able to hear from well-wishers first hand: caremail. The hospital hand-delivers e-mail messages to the patients with their regular mail. You can send him a message through this link: https://jax.shands.org/message. Maybe we can keep him busy with a little fan mail.

In other news, yesterday brought Jello, today brought potato soup--with real potato chunks. Tonight for dinner, he'll get his first solid food since last weekend. When they asked if he wanted to know what was on the menu, he said "No, surprise me." He must be hungry if he wants to be surprised with hospital food. He's been craving blueberry cheesecake but loving Jello more than he thought possible.

154.5/365 A different promise...

...to keep you in the loop. Another quick update from MJ. EJG was moved out of ICU tonight but cannot incline more than 15 degrees. Fifteen degrees meant the freedom to have jello, juice, and ginger ale. But JSG reminds herself (and us) that the recovery will be slow and she is preparing herself for a kind of patience she's never known. She and Dr. H. have been talking with dominos metaphors. They want to get back to the original domino that caused this but first he has to heal from the surgery (which was only to heal a symptom--the bleeding).
Right now for JSG, the update has to include the steady stream of support and love from friends and family. Two visits already from a new friend from the Into the Woods cast. The principal visited today. But EJG's best visitor is his best friend and now that he's in a normal room, she can be there all night. In fact, she's there now. Good night, JSG and EJG. We're all thinking about you.

154/365 Promises kept

MJ has been guest posting, but I think I can cover this one. I had a few hours at home and I read LJ's blog.

EG and I decided a long time ago that we'd have to die together. But then IMG came along and we thought it would be too much to lose both of us, so EG promised I could go first. He's much stronger than I am. Looks like he's keeping his promise to outlive me.

Moral I'm learning? Life does suck. It ends bad and ugly, and the end can come at any time. Think you're living high? Running in paradise, singing and laughing? It can all be taken away without notice. So the only sane thing to do is to act like it doesn't suck. Slap on a shit-eating grin and live. Live the hell out of every day and eliminate the woulda-coulda-shouldas.

Off to the hospital now... updates to follow.

153/365 Vital Signs

Another MJ update: EJG is stable. He's still flat on his back to avoid any pressure on his brain. He's progressing better and more quickly than the doctors were expecting. There's talk of moving him out of the ICU tomorrow. He's asked for a Starbuck's; how's that for normal?

JSG is still trying to balance everything: IMG's next audition (for musical theater) tomorrow, her own Into the Woods rehearsal, and least of all, sleep. She spent last night on a folding chair somewhere under the monitor pictured above. Friends and family are still helping her hold it all together as they take each day, hour, minute as it comes.

152/365 Waiting and Worrying

MJ here. Does it still count in project 365 if someone guest-posts for you? If your husband had brain surgery it does.

EJG had emergency surgery last night to relieve bleeding on both sides of his brain. After he made it through the surgery, the biggest fears were wondering if he would be himself when he woke up. He is himself—albeit a flat on his back in ICU kind of self. But he’s doing well so far (less than 24 hours after surgery). He’s talking, smiling, moving arms and legs. He even said it would be embarrassing if he couldn’t remember his lines for the play. (Opening night on June 12th though won't be possible.)

The picture is of family and friends…sometimes too many to get in the door, enough to fill a room, but probably still not enough to keep JSG and IMG from worries. Everyone wants to do what they can and right now it starts with being there.