Since I have had to carry around a tissue virtually 24 hours a day to tend to my nose (part of the fluid drainage process, and we’ll leave it at that), my thoughts have often turned to Luciano Pavarotti.
Now Luciano was not just another Italian opera singer. He was from the Cocco and Pasetto part of Italy. This guy grew up on the same kind of polenta, baccala (if you have to ask, you don’t need to know), gnocchi, grappa and other peasant delicacies of our youth that were transported to America along with the family after WWII. Now they are expensive delicacies, which is pretty funny since we ate this stuff to save money. All that aside, my tissues are much smaller than Luciano’s handerchief. Yet their purpose is, for me, as honorable. The fact that my tissues can be considered biohazard waste had nothing to do with the matter at hand – yet that will explain why I am using the disposable kind, and not a linen. Those of you who know me well also know that this is against my grain. After all, a well tended young lady from the east coast of Italian heritage should always have a clean hanky in her purse. I have plenty of them. And it will stay that way!
Ok, progress for the day. Got up at 8AM and by 11AM was fed and showered and knitting on the couch. There is most definitely reduced swelling – I can actually see my lips now, although being able to feel them is another story. Also, as promised by my prominent physician/surgeon, the bruising has surfaced and is dissipating in the most intriguing shades of yellow and green. I keep telling Denny that it is not painful, it just looks bad. And it’s mostly confined to the neck/chest area.
One tradition that Denny and I have developed over the years is that we make a point to eat together. This fits in well with one of my instructions for home, which was to sit at the dinner table to eat. That is one really good instruction. This way, Denny prepares his meal and I prepare mine, and we eat together. Smelling his food cooking actually makes my appetite better. Though for now it really is hard to beat a pear/coffee ice cream/banana shake (leave in the pear juice). And I have not lost a whole bunch of weight. I am only 7 pounds down, and that includes my waist measurement and fat ratio remaining at the same level. Although I would not recommend tea through a syringe as a regular phenomena.
We did one walk this afternoon, but I am beginning to think that the afternoon walk in the heat is way too much and really knocks me out for the repeat performance in the evening. Lessons learned for tomorrow.
The one disappointing thing is that I can really feel when the pain medication wears off. Now, I totally realized that this would be a big deal on the pain scale. Right off I figured I might as well deal with it instead of letting it take over my existence. Morphine is overrated. And there is no painkiller that is going to be 100% effective.
As a fitting closing, here is a song of peace. Pavarotti singing Schubert’s Ave Maria (this version being a Cocco favorite, all around). Buona Notte, buon reposo.
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