Hospital Notes

Hospital Notes

February 14:  still in hospital.  Most of the infection from the burst appendix has gone away, but a CT scan revealed there is still an obstruction 

Being in a hospital for over a week is like being in the economy section of a commercial airplane on  a never ending flight.  You’re confined to your bed and can’t find a comfortable position in which to repose.  Your only option is to walk the corridors.  And you’re completely confined when you got to use the toilet as well because of the tubes attached to your body.

Because I couldn’t drink, I was so desperate for moisture in my mouth that I ran the tap in the bathroom, and stuck my mouth under it like it was a public fountain on a hot summer day.  I tried to gargle and then spit the water out.

Needles don’t phase me; gas discharges through my anus turn me into a coward.

I watched the Putin Tucker interview.  Interestingly to me, my son was also interested in it.  I thought Putin came off well in the interview.  I couldn’t imagine any current western leader say: Biden, Trudeau, Boris Johnson, Gavin Newsome or Trump conducting an interview in such a thoughtful and considered way.  Be that as it may, Putin didn’t talk about the Holodomor… And maybe some of his history didn’t jive.  Putin did say he had no ambitions vis-à-vis the Baltic states.  Do I believe this?  Yes.  For years he has been harping about Ukraine.  In a book of interviews he had conducted with Oliver Stone, I did a word search and found maybe one reference to the Baltic states; word search Ukraine and you could see he was obsessed.

I’m waiting for my plumbing to go back to normal.  Progress is being made.  It’s becoming a little less painful to take a dump.

Of course, I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts.  One about AI, with Whitney Webb, was food for thought.  AI could be a tool for thought control for the powers that want to be.  Conspiratorial?  Who knows?  I don’t.  I’m a guy who listens to podcasts.

I’ve been exploring Catholic apps on my phone.  The Catholic Thing app is an absolute trove of wisdom and consolation for me.  Its daily columns are sensible.  Its collection of past Catholic poetry and thought pieces will now become a daily source of inspiration for me.  I consult the Universalis app for liturgical calendar updates.  The Hallow app, which I had downloaded a while ago and just tried, is good as well for praying the rosary and silent contemplating.

I came close to ending my Duolingo streak but didn’t give up.  Onward to 1500 days!

To battle boredom and because I need exercise, I have been walking the corridors of my hospital floor.  I would pray the rosary to pass the time because I set a goal of walking twenty minutes and even longer on my excursion.  I eventually borrowed my wife Jenny’s earbuds so I could listen to music.  The music had me walking for longer stretches.

I have had two visitors.  My colleague buddy from Kenya and a fellow Canadian expat who has married a local woman.  Now, I appreciate very much their taking the time to see me, but I really need some sort of companion in Christ and Catholicism.  If it is not physically possible to meet these kind of people, I pray that there is a rare reader out there who can help me with my quest for Christ..,