Went to the doctor today

 My upper back has been causing me grief since March 3rd so I went to the doctor this morning to find out if I'm dying.  Always the drama queen, that's me.  I had a chest x-ray at the hospital afterwards and it reported as normal. Yay!  I was sure those years of smoking were going to get me sooner or later. And they may but not today!  I had gone to the lab first to have blood drawn. As usual, my platelet count was low I don't know what that means but nobody seems to care. When I left the lab and walked to the x-ray dept (a long walk) I was surprised to find I was walking quite easily. I notice when that happens as it's been a long time.  Anyhow, as I walked in, I felt blood rolling down my arm inside my jacket.  I hurriedly took the coat off and found blood all over my hand and arm. And I was dripping on the floor. The girl came out and exclaimed:  Oh!  Let me help you!  And she went to get alcohol pads and a better bandage.  She asked me if I was on blood thinners and I said No, I'm just old.  Thankfully, the coat came out fine in the wash.

I did a little sewing at my machine this afternoon. Not much as my back was paining me.  I was kind of surprised as I can sit at that machine for a couple of hours with no difficulty.  I finished up what I was doing and came back to the living room to work on my jigsaw a bit.  I haven't been able to find much of interest on tv lately so I decided it was time I sat down and started reading instead. I always say I'm going to and then I don't. Yet I love books. I've got four by my chair. Pieces of my mind by Andy Rooney (from the library downstairs), Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon (a paperback from downstairs) and two old ones on my shelf about PT history -- City of Dreams and Port Townsend, Years that are gone.  I'll read a little of each one as I go along.  At least I will until my eyes and body want a nap.

I was feeling kind of optimistic about how easy I walked at the hospital so I decided I'd go downstairs and walk around the outside of the building, just using my walking stick. Much to my dismay, I hadn't gone very far before I realized I really should have brought my walker. My hip and low back and upper back were screaming their bones off!  It was discouraging as I really did intend to get fresh air and exercise -- but it hurt too much!    I stopped at the pot store after the hospital trip to pick up a bag of gummys. I'll only use when I'm really hurting as they're too expensive. This bag cost $30.

And here's the three crazy quilt squares I've made so far. I had spent a few days cutting out material into four different sizes but I found that boring and opted to finish cleaning out my bin of scraps by just making large crazy squares.

I think I'll put sashing around each one and then make the quilt 16 squares total.

I was googling some subject about Port Townsend history that I wanted to read up on. I think it was the Lincoln Building. Didn't find what I was looking for but one of the hits was this Leader blog post I wrote back in 2017. Also showed the picture my dad took of me the  next day (Dec. 1st, 1964). Thought I would share it again since my swamp blogs are pretty boring most of the time.

 

53 years ago on this day, my dad drove me up to St. John’s Hospital. That was a scary drive going up 19th and across Sheridan. It was 7 a.m. and a few hours later, I think the whole hospital was aware I was in the house.  Yep!  I didn’t take to pain that well and I regretted getting myself into such a predicament. I knew, however, there was no turning back. About 11 hours later, Dr. Scheyer introduced my first daughter, Susan Diane Baldridge.  Her papa, who was in the Navy, would receive a telegram later on.

My dad blushed when the nuns asked him if he was the proud father. “No!  I’m the grandfather”, he said.  Dad was always a young looking fella, and at age 41, it would have been natural to think he was the daddy. As he was getting ready to leave, he asked if I needed anything.  Still makes me laugh when I think about what I requested.  “Yeah, could you run over to A&W and pick me up a chocolate shake?”  I tried hard to stay awake after he left but I hung on because I knew a milk shake was coming. I’ve always been a fan of milk shakes.

They tore the hospital down the following year but I’ll always remember it.  I went Christmas caroling there one season when I was a girl scout. I also remember being taken to the ER as a young teen. I dislocated my knee when I threw my leg over the bar of the English boys’ bike I had won at the Uptown Theatre. I was lying in the middle of 19th screaming bloody murder. My dad saw me from the kitchen window and yelled at my brother: “Go tell Joyce to get up off the road! What does she think she’s doing?”  I hollered and carried on all the way up 19th Street just like I’d do years later when I was 21 and in labor.  Dr. Brydges was on call that afternoon. I fell in love with him as soon as he got my knee back in joint and the pain disappeared. I still ended up with a cast and on crutches. Didn’t care for that part. I was born at that hospital and often wondered if my mother had the same room back in 1943 My siblings and almost all my cousins were born there, as well.  So were most of the kids I’d graduated from high school with.  Small town memories.

Here's two funny pictures I saved from Facebook that made me smile.....

And here's one Mary sent me yesterday of Poppy with new toy.