Catching up
Good morning, all.
My apologies for leaving everyone in suspense about Starr. I’ve pretty much had no Internet access since my last post. (It wasn’t down, I have just had higher-priority matters to handle. Given how high-priority I usually make the Internet, that’s saying something. But anyway.)
Starr is back from the hospital and is doing quite well – well enough to wear me out this weekend staying up late and getting up early. She’ll probably be back at work tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest – I think she’s pretty excited about it. Her doctors say that her condition has probably been present since she was little and masked by other issues, so her treatment might actually leave her healthier than ever. Part of the priority issues from the last week was me being a bit of a jerk – I’ve not been handling events too well the last fortnight, and I needed a bit of a talking-to – but I think I have it under control now. Saturday night we were having a good time together, and she looked happier than she has in a long time. (The hew haircut’s darn nice too!)
I’m preparing for Technicon – as I’ve said, I refuse to do seat-of-the-pants this year – but just last night got a new schedule change, and am trying to adjust for that. (I actually agree with the reasoning behind it – I’m just laughing at Murphy.) There will be a post with further discussion of the TCon panels under my Lifestyle filter. I’m kinda hoping to get a little gaming in this year with jsciv – last year I was so busy, I barely laid eyes on the man. It’ll be awesome getting to see everyone who can attend.
Preparing for Return
Starr should be coming home tomorrow, or Saturday at the latest.
Her various chemical levels are stabilizing, and the new meds are doing the trick with her digestion. She’s itching to come home!
She’ll probably still be kept off work for another week or so, but that’s cool. I am so pleased that she’s getting well and will be back where she belongs!
Midori will be THRILLED!
Bugs in the System
First, the very good news. Starr called this morning to tell me that the doctors have figured out exactly what she is suffering from: Microscopic Colitis. The short version is that it’s definitely intestinal and quite treatable; Starr will have to go on a 6-12 month course of medication, after which the problem will probably go away completely.
Suddenly, my own breathing and heart rate are much improved.
I ordered a pizza last night because I needed comfort food. Usually, I eat half of a large for dinner. Last night, I had to stop myself at three-quarters. Starving much? I tried to game a little to relax and get some endorphin production going, but my brain wasn’t functioning enough for anything more ambitious than the WoW fishing mini-game. Jumped from skill level 155 to 190 yup yup.
I am not a fan of this early Daylight Savings thing. I hate getting up before the sun; just when I was getting used to seeing daylight out of my bedroom window, boom I’m back to darkness. Now I have to wait for the season to catch up again.
Starr should be in for a few more days of observation. Thank you very much to everyone who has already, or is planning to call or visit. It’s been gold to us.
Brief updates
- 10:48 Reading BadAstronomer’s live tweets of the launch of the space shuttle this morning. I love this Internets thing. #
- 10:50 Hating the fact that, due to the early EDT changeover, I’m getting up in the dark again 🙁 #
Sent subspace radio by LoudTwitter
Tail-chasing whee!
Starr had a rough night: discomfort, poor sleep, and more back-and-forth from her doctors on the probable cause. We had hopes that she’d be home by now, but that’s clearly not working out. Continued good thoughts, and maybe a phone call or three would help a whole lot right now.
Midori is still freaking, and I’ve been feeling a bit unwell the last few days myself (due to stress, no doubt). Last night I was supposed to send out some e-mail and phone calls to concerned family and friends, but I lost consciousness before I could wake the laptop.
In happy news, Collegiate BattleBots events will be airing on ESPN2 and ESPNU (http://www.battlebots.com/news_home.asp) this summer. This is great news, but the sad thing is that I don’t think I have either of those on my channel lineup. I may have to get someone to do some ‘time-shifting’ for me.
Also, I have confirmation of my TCon timeslots, and I have the theme for my panels ready. I kinda like this one, and I hope some people show up!
Brief updates
- 11:46 I bought shoes this weekend. They are comfy and easier to talk in. $50 just seems like a lot of money to me. #
- 11:47 Easier to WALK in. I can talk just fine either way, thanks. #
Sent subspace radio by LoudTwitter
Nerf the Knight of Pentacles!
Imagine you have a poker deck. But this one only has four suits numbered 2-9. That’s okay, because all the poker decks are like that. However, after you’ve played with this deck for six months, and started getting good, the poker deck manufacturers announce sealed packs of 10 cards each, with new graphic designs for the four suits. Get this – every 20th pack will have the new “10” card in it!
If you play poker seriously, you’ll be buying at least 20 packs. Probably a lot more if you’re determined to get a “10” in each of the four suits. Hey, they’re having a special tournament in California where the winner gets a “Joker”! And there are rumors on the Web of a “Jack” coming out in six months…
This is how the Collectible Game folks make their money. (Actually, it’s how almost all modern game companies do.) And I’ve always been amused by the people who crow, “I’ve got a complete set of Kings! I am the best player!” when a) it just means you have more resources to put towards the game, and b) it’s obvious to anyone with a brain that you’ll be chasing the “Emperor” soon, and the “DemiLord” after that, etc., etc.
I’m also repeatedly annoyed by these gamers. The worst part is their screams of outraged entitlement when, after the fact, the game companies announce that having four Jokers turned out to be too many, and the official rules will now limit you to two; or, conversely, having a single Ace in the game wasn’t working right, and there will now be four Aces, one of each suit, making it slightly easier for players to get one. They’ll scream that the game company is spitting on all the hard work they put out to get that Ace, and that they deserve the “honor” and “prestige” of their Ace of Spades.
Thankfully, the rest of us can just get on with our games – and since we’re not on eBay all night trying to buy an Ace for $1000, we can get out of the house more often to boot.
Another Bug Hunt
Starr is still in the hospital, being pumped full of fluids. Her color’s improved greatly, though she’s still tired most of the time. They have ruled out a long list of possible issues, and are now fairly confident of the earlier guess that it was a bug. Now her doctors are running tests to see which antibiotic’s the best shot.
Meanwhile, she’s keeping herself busy with crocheting when she’s awake. This hospital has some decent TV channels and limited wireless access. (No WoW, she tried. If I knew Windows software better, I’d try to work around that for her, but she’s content with her hook-work.) If anyone wants to give her a call or swing by, drop me a note and I’ll pass along the room number. I’ve been by every day and twice yesterday, but more company is excellent medicine.
Her hospital is something else. Curving, gently lit, modern-decorated corridors; a huge atrium with a fountain wall; display cases of expensive art donated by the founder. I’ve taken to calling the place “Federation General Hospital.”
Thanks for everyone’s support. It’s been helping a great deal. You guys rock.
Stellar Hospital
After two weeks of “we can’t really find anything wrong,” Starr’s cardiologist read her 130 bpm pulse, her 90/60 blood pressure, and her severe anemia, and said, “Okay, we’re admitting you.” This is actually something of a relief, as both of us want this fixed, whatever it is. The leading theory is still that it’s a bug which has dehydrated her to this point – the nurses last night had a heck of a time getting an IV needle into any of her veins. I went to see her last night, and will go again today. Right now, we’re hoping that she might get out by Monday, though I rather suspect that her hopes for getting back to work on Monday are a bit optimistic.
More rain this morning, including some of that weird rolling rumbling thunder we get so close to the water. On the other hand, it’s 70 degrees again.
Time to pull myself together and start the errands of the day.
