The first day we were out Shannon drove me to run a couple of errands. Since my menu plan was shot for the week, I needed to get new buns, and I got to pick up the things I had ordered from Blue Gate. We went to pick up from Blue Gate at Peace Tree Des Moines Branch first. I was able to do do that one fine. But when we went to the Beaverdale Fareway, not a large grocery store, We got to the check out, and I started to feel faint, so I walked out to the car to go sit down.
Shannon went to the grocery store for me the next day. I did however start cooking. The first meal I made for myself was some properly seasoned fried eggs, and an english muffin.
As the days past, I was able to making further and further through he day without taking a nap. I did some email triage to make sure time sensitive items got addressed, and I pass them off to one of my co-workers that ran with it, and I truly appreciate that. On Thursday 6/15, and Friday 6/16 I did some half days, after 6/14 I got through the entire day without taking a nap. I did end up taking a nap after the half days, because working is mentally harder than playing Civilization 6, apparently, or at least the lazy way that I play it, most of the time.
As a note, my manager, director and VP were fully supportive of me playing it by ear so if I needed to call a day or just take a break, this is fully allowed, I pressed myself to go back to work, cause I was getting bored.
The week of 6/18, we drove to Cedar Rapids to go to Isaac & Ashley’s baby shower. This worked out well. I learned that if ate to much, I would get really tired, as I suspect my GI tract needed the blood above the rest of my body, and as I don’t have a lot to spare. I worked a full week, which was mostly follow up from things I had missed. Maybe not a full week, I had a hospital follow up appointment with my doctor on 6/19, a meeting with my therapist on 6/20 and a dentist appointment on 6/22, but pretty close to a full week. I made it through the week ok. Saturday, I made the Blue gate pickup myself, ran to get coffee, and because I thought I was feeling up to it, we made an overdue Costco run. I was not prepared to do a Costco run. about 2/3rd through the run my face was getting cold, so as we started the middle isle I let Shannon finish while I caught my breath on a barcalounger they had on display. Afterwards, I was able to help check out, load the car, and partially help with the unloading into the house. I got tired again and had to sit down. Eventually, I got the kitchen related things put away, played some video games, and then took a nap.
We went out with Dave and Jo to Gursha (Ethiopian, quite good), then Black Cat Ice Cream (always good), then saw Asteroid City at the Varsity. As Dave said, Asteroid city was the most Wes Anderson movie of Wes Anderson Movies, and he’s not wrong. I do need to see it again, at least.
Today I’ll go to the grocery store by myself.
I went to see my doctor 10 days after I left the hospital. My hemoglobin went from 8.3 g/dL to 9.1 g/dL. Based on that estimate, I am gaining about 0.08 g/dL per day. This means I have about 61 days from that doctor appointment (~8/19/23) until my hemoglobin is in the normal range, assuming a constant rate. Looking at the recovery rate for donating blood and etc, it does seem like this is about right.
So for now, I need to make sure I don’t eat too much, or I’ll get too tired, watch the intake of caffeine, and I have been completely sober for just over 3 weeks. Tuesday, I’m free to do what I want, but I am uncertain how with my reduced blood effectiveness it’ll impact me, so I’ll I’m not quite sure how I’m going to move forward, as far as that goes.
I am gradually returning to normal, and for now, that’s what I can count on.