But now, I feel exhausted.
I took the metro to Eastern Market in DC - I'm not sure if this is the name of a town in the DC area or if it's named that because of the Market we went to. Either way, it's the name of a stop on the metro, and that's where we went. We being myself, Beth and Nicole. They have a big flea/farmers market every Sunday. It was hot, but refreshing. Got some fresh peaches and pears to eat with Jason. I also got him some kettle corn, but I never made it back to his room before the night was over :/ We'll share it tomorrow. We found a cute little consignment shop on the way back to the metro and I bought a few more clothes for baby boy. I was also *almost* convinced to do cloth diapering now instead. Now that I'm not going to be working, I'm seriously considering it, I just don't know if I'd be able to do strictly cloth in order to make it financially worth it. Either way, it's always environmentally worth it...still not sure.
I wasn't planning on staying out too late, but with those girls, you just can't predict anything. So, while Nicole was rushing me to make a decision before we missed the next metro train, I decided to go back to their apartment since I had never seen it. Oh, and I got a Smart Trip card - which means I look like I know what I'm doing when I go to the metro but I really don't still...so we hang out there and cool off. And finally mosey on to dinner - sushi - yum. Meet up with more old college friends, and play beer pong like old times, and then Cranium not like old times. No, I didn't drink, I just played. And not too bad either! Robert and I were "Team Baby Bump" I don't know that anyone else had a team name...Robert's goal was to "drink JMU style". This was funny. We, or I should say they, didn't quite live up to that - although they could still be drinking - but it's hard work to drink JMU style, I do know that.
It was a nice change of pace kind of day. I got another Frappucino which also made me happy. This base needs a Starbucks and a Chik-Fil-A. I am so fortunate to have friends in the area (part of the reason we came here instead of San Antonio) to be able to have these days and nights out, or even just go to over to their places for a getaway. So, so fortunate to have friends who care, who will take the time out of their day to drive me back and forth and just spend time with me.
When I got to Jason's room this morning, he was asleep, and his room was hot again. They can't seem to keep the temperature at a normal level in that place. So I don't think he slept well since it turned in to a sauna in there overnight. He woke up a little on the down side, and was almost excited to see me go! I was starting to feel some tension between us anyway, so I figured it was time for me to get out before we both started getting at each others throats. He's over it. Over the hospital, over the surgeries, the q4h vitals, phantom pains, skin graft pains, everything. He was excited for me to get out. But of course I felt terrible. I hate that I can go out and have some kind of fun and explore DC, and he can't right now. I know he will be able to eventually, but I still feel terrible that he's cooped up there in that bed, refusing to ask for help.
Tonight, I should have called him sooner, but I didn't. Around 730pm I asked if he ate dinner. "No. I was knocked out, I think I missed it." I asked why they didn't come around and ask if you were going to order - they have the past couple of days. "I don't know, I was asleep." I reminded him that another friend of mine, Jenna, brought us some food just yesterday that they put in the fridge. I told him to get his nurse to warm it up for him. "Ok" he says - yeah right, I know what this means. He thought he had something else left over that wasn't actually in there, so I think after that he gave up. So at 9pm when I asked if he ate "No, it wasn't in the fridge, but I'm fine." I knew he only had fruit for lunch, and maybe some chicken noodle soup because I ordered it for him. Which is not enough food for his 200lb frame. So thank God for smart phones - I googled the hospital number and got the secretary on his floor. I told her where the food was in the fridge, and asked her to warm it up for him because he never ate dinner. (Plus he has about a 10 pill cocktail around 930-10pm which upsets his stomach if he doesn't eat) She says "Ok, I'll check with him." I was like "No! Just go give it to him, he'll tell you no if you go in there first!" haha, so about 20 minutes later I get this text "You're so sly hahaha" Thank goodness they actually relayed the message to the nurse and he got some dinner.
But I was irritated that I even had to do that. I mean if patients don't call down, they should send up a generic tray, or at least have bag lunches or something available. Especially patients like him, who need to eat to promote healing and recovery, and just because he gets really hungry! So if I go home for a couple of days I'm going to have to call and make sure he remembers to order - or Beth suggested setting the alarm on his phone for meal times so he remembers to call in time. Not to mention the phone is on the other side of the room, and he can never reach it on his own. And, it's just an extension number so he can't call it from his cell phone.
The people who plan, design, and build these hospitals are pure genius.
I still wonder what everyone else thinks. Like, do they think "Oh I feel so bad for you because your husband has one leg. I wonder what that's like." I wonder if people will realize that he hasn't always had one leg, he was born with two, and functioned just like everyone else before August 13th. I wonder if all our friends will still treat him the same, or if it will be awkward when we all hang out again. I wonder if he'll be really self conscious about it. I wonder if he'll be able to find a good, genuine group of guy friends out here. I wonder if when we do go out with a group of friends if they'll all feel awkward because he only has one leg. The whole elephant in the room kind of thing. I wonder how he feels about all this since it is his leg. Or was.
Even though we've already reenacted the scene from Forrest Gump where LT Dan comes to his wedding with legs made out of space ship...
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