Somewhat Routine Is Good

With the French tourists out of town in Vegas, and with Johnnie back under my roof, I could finally start to feel normal again, if just for today. There was only one problem. Johnnie is still coughing really bad, to the point where he sounds really sick when he is forcing stuff to come out with the cough. Of course that would be my thing a year before the pandemic, when I would develop this cough after the holidays that would linger for a couple of months. I sure as shit hope this isn't the case for Johnnie. He was really run down yesterday and he still went to school. So he's better today and I was not going to hold him out. I went home hoping he would feel better when he's running around playing. Although, he has a pretty full afternoon with basketball and Spanish. I'm hoping he hangs on for the day so he could get even more rest tonight. In the meantime, I am due for a physical. Not for the regularly scheduled deal with my doctor. This one is required by THe Life Insurance Company I"m signed up for in Employee benefits. And so I had to fast for 10 hours. Since the physical wasn't scheduled until 11:30 AM, that meant I wasn't going to be having breakfast at all today. All I could do was drink water until the exam. I did have a demo with one of the Voice Vendors this morning so that kept my mind off of how hungry I was getting. I was actually concerned that my PSA level would come up abnormal. Or anything else that would turn up abnormal, like my blood pressure. I remember the last time I did this we were still in Lindbrook and I failed the physical because my triglycerides were so high it looked like I had a fattly liver. Or I was an alcoholic. It turned out to be nothing of course, just another number that improved over time as I changed my diet. Isn't that the case with almost all test results?! As it were, my BP came in at 138/88 which was elevated but not abnormally so. I did show her that I took a reading this morning at 127/80. My weight was fine (155) and we'll see what happens in the blood test. But the whole thing was done by 12;15 and as soon as she got done, I had rice ready already cooked, and shrimp and bok choy and chick pea masala ready to go. And that was what I had for lunch. And a fine lunch it was at that. 

Next up was picking up Johnnie. He asked to be picked up right after basketball. And I wanted to make sure he got enough rest today just like yesterday. So I picked him up at 4 PM. He was looking and sounding much better than this morning. And he seemed to have made it through the day just fine. I remember being a little harsh with him when he kept coughing as we were walking in to school. Shot him an angry look as if it were his fault that he was coughing.  Why would I do that? Because my ego had taken over and I had lost patience that's why. And THAT is not good. I sorted it out with myself and resolved tonight that I was going to do everything with a gentler, more loving touch with Johnnie. We went to Panda Express Westwood for dinner and did the Tuesday night routine. That included bringing dinner home and then making him cookies that he liked so much. And then at his request we went to the hot tub and I let him play with his toys in the warm water. If anything, it WAS warm water so I didn't think it would be bad for him. Also the fact that he was playing in the water meant that he was feeling just fine. Look at that smile in the picture I took. Can't tell I almost held him out for being too sick. In fact, when we got home, we watched a video on YouTube about how to handle a persistent cough with some breathing exercises. That would be to bring out the phlegm from the deepest part of the lungs. Only by getting rid of that stuff completely will he heal completely too. I tried to do some binaural beats for him while he slept since it works on me really well. I tried those that alleviated the discomfort for coughing. But I should realize sometimes it may take a couple of nights. And even when I knocked off early, I got up at 11 PM with the sound of Johnnie coughing and then urgently getting up and I could hear him trying to throw up. And he eventually did. In the toilet. But not before he did so in the trash box next to the sofa. And also he ejected in the toilet. Fortunately it was mostly in the toilet and some on the seat and not on the toilet floor like he did earlier in the year. I cleaned him up and then stroked his head and got him to sleep. Well this certainly blows off routine doesn't it? But at least most of the day was. That will have to do.