April 28, 2003
I don’t feel pain! It’s a major cliche, but like they say, you can have all the success and money in the world, but if you don’t have your health it ain’t worth diddly. I actually ate a solid lunch yesterday: bread, chicken, cheese, watermelon. Incredible! One of the most amazing meals I have ever eaten.

My daily diet in the hospital was what they refer to as “the bland packet.” And when you combine that with the term “hospital food” I think you get the picture,

Read, went for a walk, took a nap, talked to our daughter about her goals in life. Went well..

Of course I had to drive back down to the hospital at 7:30 last night to get my stomach shot. The service in the hospital was quite amazing when I was in there (nurses coming in every ten minutes and taking vitals, tucking my pillow, gushing over my forearms—"Great veins!"— the usual). But now that I’m an “outpatient” I immediately encountered the disappearing paper trail syndrome. I showed up at 3C nurse station at 7:40 and the nurse asks me if I’m a doctor (it was the cell phone on my daytimer). When I tell her I’m not a doctor, but I sometimes play one with my wife, she gives me that blank look that says, “We know nothing about you and we will do everything in our power to erase your existence from the face of the earth.” I explain how I was up in 4C this very morning and they told me to come back in the evening and get my shot. The nurse isn’t convinced and looks at me like I might be Al Quaida and asks me for some “blue plate” ID clearance, and I say, “Hey, I don’t know, they just told me to come up here.” So then they go through the computer deal, “What’s your social?” “How do you spell your last name?” “You know, Taco, Mountain, Tinker, Alexander Graham, how hard is it to spell Bell?” After about five minutes they decide I don’t exist. At least in their system. Finally, after twenty minutes, they determine I’m a WD-40 and why didn’t I tell them to begin with (I still have no idea what I am) But then they tell me they need to order the damn drug from the pharmacy and I should wait in the lounge room.

Finally got two stomach shots at about 8:40 (bedside manner is everything, the first nurse gave me the shot in the center of my stomach and I was looking at it and never even felt it. This nurse tossed the damn syringe like a dart and it hurt like hell (about a three, but still!). Got home at 9:20.

Got up this morning and took off around 7:15, waded down Scottsdale Road and got on the 101. Horrendous traffic. Just jammed and people passing crazy-like, what a madhouse. I’m so grateful I don’t have to go south of Carefree Highway except for stuff like this.

Need to appreciate my life more. I take so much for granted. Right now I’m feeling no pain. Thankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou.

“Funny how blessings brighten as they take their flight.”
—Old Vaquero Saying