The Scuttle Before the Swim
This week started miserably and ended on a high note. Almost the entire week passed in a blur as I tossed and turned in bed rest, getting less than 2 hours of sleep each day, throwing off my sleeping schedule and really messing with my mind. The only strength in me was the strength of my fever and the severity of my pain. Sitting down, standing up, even laying down was all a chore and put me in extreme discomfort. Two nights I slept for less than one hour.
Before this bed rest, I had hunkered down into full hibernation mode. I filled my 80 oz of water bottles, placed my urinal and pain relievers at my bedside, had my crutches handy, and from the week previous I already had my shower chair and shower handle set up in the bathtub. I had done all I could to make my trial as bearable as possible.
Rhea was there with me the whole way to nurture and support. We'd gone through many gout flares together and we were as ready as ever for this one. She was remarkably patient and caring during the time when I needed her the most.
I was scheduled to work Wednesday and Thursday and called in sick Wednesday, by Thursday I wasn't feeling any better. After calling in sick those two shifts, I had only one overtime shift scheduled for 6 hours before I would be on my 12 day holiday. Since I wasn't strong enough to even work my normal shift, I messaged my shift mates to see if anyone could take that overtime spot, and luckily it was filled. My one week sick leave and two weeks holiday will give me a wonderful opportunity to heal from this from the comfort of my home. I won't be able to travel or do much else, but at least I won't have to be at work in pain.
All I could do at home during my time off, was struggle to find the least uncomfortable sitting/laying position, and catch up on tv shows on Hulu. This week I finally watched the movie Arrival. I've heard both good and bad reviews, but I found it very insightful. They illustrated how our different languages give us different perspectives on life and time. It showed a universal language that was not bound by time, which when learned, gave the learner the opportunity to see the future as clearly as she sees the present. It was very deep.
Rhea and I have been getting into Survivor, and we watch Season 3, we had skipped Season 2 since we found out they were missing a few episodes. Watching so many seasons of this show back to back, really helps us to embrace the game, the inner working of the game from the perspective of the game makers and the contestants. Strength is important in the beginning part of the 39 day challenge, as all the challenges are strength or speed based.
During the beginning weeks, the tribe members weed out the weakest of the tribes or the most bossy at the camp sites to get the strongest and most cohesive group. After the first cuts are out and they merge usually at the final 10, the game play shifts majorly. The challenges become more about things like balance, being light on your feet, having good aim, precision, strategy skills, puzzle making skills, and rounds of trivia.
What's really important at the end is thinking about the final 4. When it gets down to the final two or three, who do you as a contestant have a better chance at getting favor against when in front of the jury? You want to come out at the end as the one disliked the least... to win the one million. But in between, alliances will try to turn alliances. Some people will vote others off still based on strength. Many of the weaker ones will slide past the voting as they were the ones who held the least threatening demeanor throughout the game.
In the end, it seems like a lot of the jury vote based on trust and who seems the most honest in front of them about their game play. Those caught in lies or deceptions during the final jury easily lose the majority vote. This all is what makes Survivor so intriguing.
As the week went on, I tried to stretch my knee and gain some flexibility back. Rhea, Josiah, and I went to the Lagacs to dog sit Kenshin while the Lagacs went to Orlando. We did basically the same as at our own house. I watched Hulu with my leg elevated. Josiah threw his toys all around. Rhea made sure Josiah didn't break anything or touch anything he wasn't supposed to, fed Josiah, Kenshin, and myself, and let Kenshin out every three hours or so to use the backyard.
Auntie made one of the best dishes of all time, Dinuguan. Delicious. So we ate a lot of that. Bernie had made some homemade mango ice cream, so I had a couple cups of that.
Probably one of the hardest parts of the week: Josiah loves playing with my crutches. So I asked Rhea to hide my crutches so Josiah wouldn't hurt anyone or anydog with them. Then as soon as Josiah fell asleep, Rhea ran upstairs to also take a nap with Josiah. I had no idea where the crutches were and there was nothing else that I could do. I called out to Rhea but she couldn't hear me. I tried to call her on the phone but no reception in the house. I tried messenger, but no data or wifi.
I sat for a while thinking they'd return soon. Eventually I got sleepy, and had to use the bathroom, but I couldn't use my knee at all. I tried to hop, but the bounce of the hop caused too much pain on my right flared out knee. I tried to crawl, but I couldn't put any weight on my right knee or even have it lifted as I tried to crawl on threes. So I went all the way to the ground and scuttled my way across the whole house. Though I tried to keep my knee as isolated as I could, it still shifted up and down, side to side every once in a while.
This caused a lot of pain. So I took it as slow and as low to the ground as I could. I was sweating by the time I got to the bathroom. Already completely sore, I used the low bathtub and the edge of the sink to try to pull my exhausted self up to use the bathroom. Then after hopping to wash my hands, I got back to the floor and scuttled to the air mattress in the corner room. Between the soreness, the rug burn, the cramps, the arthritis pain, and the adrenaline, much of the sleepiness went away. I lay there for a while until I passed out.
Rhea woke me up so we could go swimming. This would be our only chance while there. I got dressed, she showed me where my crutches were, and we went.
Josiah loved the water, as always. But since the pool was still very cold, Josiah didn't want to fully submerge, so he mostly played and splashed on the surface. The pool felt like ice water when first getting in, but after about three minutes you become so numb that the cold didn't bother you anymore. I found that getting chest to neck deep, the water took enough weight off of my knee that I was able to walk while under water, and even swim sort of.
Rhea and I took turns watching Josiah splash in the kiddie section of the pool. I enjoyed very much my time flexing and bending and exercising my knee after two weeks of dormancy. After I got out, I felt that a lot of strength was returning to my knee and was very grateful for the swim. Rhea is a mermaid, so she came to life getting back into the water after so long. Since it was so cold in the pool, we had it to ourselves.
Though this week was one of my most painful weeks so far this year, we really enjoyed our "Weekend at Bernie's".
Before this bed rest, I had hunkered down into full hibernation mode. I filled my 80 oz of water bottles, placed my urinal and pain relievers at my bedside, had my crutches handy, and from the week previous I already had my shower chair and shower handle set up in the bathtub. I had done all I could to make my trial as bearable as possible.
Rhea was there with me the whole way to nurture and support. We'd gone through many gout flares together and we were as ready as ever for this one. She was remarkably patient and caring during the time when I needed her the most.
I was scheduled to work Wednesday and Thursday and called in sick Wednesday, by Thursday I wasn't feeling any better. After calling in sick those two shifts, I had only one overtime shift scheduled for 6 hours before I would be on my 12 day holiday. Since I wasn't strong enough to even work my normal shift, I messaged my shift mates to see if anyone could take that overtime spot, and luckily it was filled. My one week sick leave and two weeks holiday will give me a wonderful opportunity to heal from this from the comfort of my home. I won't be able to travel or do much else, but at least I won't have to be at work in pain.
All I could do at home during my time off, was struggle to find the least uncomfortable sitting/laying position, and catch up on tv shows on Hulu. This week I finally watched the movie Arrival. I've heard both good and bad reviews, but I found it very insightful. They illustrated how our different languages give us different perspectives on life and time. It showed a universal language that was not bound by time, which when learned, gave the learner the opportunity to see the future as clearly as she sees the present. It was very deep.
Rhea and I have been getting into Survivor, and we watch Season 3, we had skipped Season 2 since we found out they were missing a few episodes. Watching so many seasons of this show back to back, really helps us to embrace the game, the inner working of the game from the perspective of the game makers and the contestants. Strength is important in the beginning part of the 39 day challenge, as all the challenges are strength or speed based.
During the beginning weeks, the tribe members weed out the weakest of the tribes or the most bossy at the camp sites to get the strongest and most cohesive group. After the first cuts are out and they merge usually at the final 10, the game play shifts majorly. The challenges become more about things like balance, being light on your feet, having good aim, precision, strategy skills, puzzle making skills, and rounds of trivia.
What's really important at the end is thinking about the final 4. When it gets down to the final two or three, who do you as a contestant have a better chance at getting favor against when in front of the jury? You want to come out at the end as the one disliked the least... to win the one million. But in between, alliances will try to turn alliances. Some people will vote others off still based on strength. Many of the weaker ones will slide past the voting as they were the ones who held the least threatening demeanor throughout the game.
In the end, it seems like a lot of the jury vote based on trust and who seems the most honest in front of them about their game play. Those caught in lies or deceptions during the final jury easily lose the majority vote. This all is what makes Survivor so intriguing.
As the week went on, I tried to stretch my knee and gain some flexibility back. Rhea, Josiah, and I went to the Lagacs to dog sit Kenshin while the Lagacs went to Orlando. We did basically the same as at our own house. I watched Hulu with my leg elevated. Josiah threw his toys all around. Rhea made sure Josiah didn't break anything or touch anything he wasn't supposed to, fed Josiah, Kenshin, and myself, and let Kenshin out every three hours or so to use the backyard.
Auntie made one of the best dishes of all time, Dinuguan. Delicious. So we ate a lot of that. Bernie had made some homemade mango ice cream, so I had a couple cups of that.
Probably one of the hardest parts of the week: Josiah loves playing with my crutches. So I asked Rhea to hide my crutches so Josiah wouldn't hurt anyone or anydog with them. Then as soon as Josiah fell asleep, Rhea ran upstairs to also take a nap with Josiah. I had no idea where the crutches were and there was nothing else that I could do. I called out to Rhea but she couldn't hear me. I tried to call her on the phone but no reception in the house. I tried messenger, but no data or wifi.
I sat for a while thinking they'd return soon. Eventually I got sleepy, and had to use the bathroom, but I couldn't use my knee at all. I tried to hop, but the bounce of the hop caused too much pain on my right flared out knee. I tried to crawl, but I couldn't put any weight on my right knee or even have it lifted as I tried to crawl on threes. So I went all the way to the ground and scuttled my way across the whole house. Though I tried to keep my knee as isolated as I could, it still shifted up and down, side to side every once in a while.
This caused a lot of pain. So I took it as slow and as low to the ground as I could. I was sweating by the time I got to the bathroom. Already completely sore, I used the low bathtub and the edge of the sink to try to pull my exhausted self up to use the bathroom. Then after hopping to wash my hands, I got back to the floor and scuttled to the air mattress in the corner room. Between the soreness, the rug burn, the cramps, the arthritis pain, and the adrenaline, much of the sleepiness went away. I lay there for a while until I passed out.
Rhea woke me up so we could go swimming. This would be our only chance while there. I got dressed, she showed me where my crutches were, and we went.
Josiah loved the water, as always. But since the pool was still very cold, Josiah didn't want to fully submerge, so he mostly played and splashed on the surface. The pool felt like ice water when first getting in, but after about three minutes you become so numb that the cold didn't bother you anymore. I found that getting chest to neck deep, the water took enough weight off of my knee that I was able to walk while under water, and even swim sort of.
Rhea and I took turns watching Josiah splash in the kiddie section of the pool. I enjoyed very much my time flexing and bending and exercising my knee after two weeks of dormancy. After I got out, I felt that a lot of strength was returning to my knee and was very grateful for the swim. Rhea is a mermaid, so she came to life getting back into the water after so long. Since it was so cold in the pool, we had it to ourselves.
Though this week was one of my most painful weeks so far this year, we really enjoyed our "Weekend at Bernie's".
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