A funny question to ask during this lockdown, isn’t it? Where are we going besides our homes, and for some, work.
Allow me to answer.
I’ve been at work. A never-ending saga of paperwork and faxing and mailing. Quite honestly, I never thought work would have me so spent at the end of the day. Thoughts of jobs past come to mind and I was always very energetic upon leaving and returning home. Up for shopping. Up for a movie. Up for anything.
Must. Get. The. Job. Done! Goals!
All I want to do at the end of the day is just come home and stress-eat and go to bed.
Disguised as beauty sleep. But it isn’t! It’s SLEEP!!
Being in front of a computer for eight hours with very little to no human contact, only getting up from my cubicle to go to the bathroom and make a run for the scanner, copier or trash is wearing on me. But it is a double-edged sword because I’m extremely lucky to even be working during this time. And the tasks themselves are not difficult—especially when there is nobody around to distract. And my work-ethic keeps pushing me. Yeah. I have personal goals and they always come to fruition at the end of the day. Therefore, it’s all good!
Actually, I have a GREAT boss so it IS all good!
But I want to tell you about something that happened earlier this week.
Like Miss Clavel turning on the light in the middle of the night and knowing something was not right, Bonaparte turned on the light in the middle of the night because he knew something was not right.
Like Miss Clavel, Bonaparte knew something was not right!
He woke me from a sound sleep Tuesday evening. He told me to get dressed because he had to go to the hospital. Ever the pragmatic man, he managed to pay a plethora of bills before waking me from my slumber, showed me where they were and told me when to mail them.
Still in a daze, I woke, put on clothing while forgetting to put panties on under my jeans, threw on a wig and got into the car.
He was having chest pains. And for my husband to wake me up and go to the hospital, those pains must have been pretty bad because his tolerance for pain is incredibly high.
So off we went. In the middle of the night. To Paoli Medical Center.
We parked in the emergency lot and all was quiet. As we entered the hospital, we were both met with thermometers at the forehead to take our temperatures. Now—under normal circumstances, I would have asked “Am I alright”? “Is my temperature OK”? This time I kept my mouth shut and concentrated on Bonaparte.
Bonaparte’s “Waiting” room. I’ll tell you this much-he was well-taken care of by the nicest and caring staff! They were great!!!!
As he was the soon-to-be patient, the hospital had him take the mask he was wearing off and replace it with a hospital mask. I was able to keep my mask on.
I was able to keep my lovely mask on!
At the reception desk, he was asked how long the pain persisted. I stood there shocked as he stated since the previous weekend. When the receptionist gave me the side-eye, I explained that he never said anything to me.
I’ll spare you the deets of the remainder of the ER visit but my Frenchman had a minor heart attack that could have turned into a major one.
He was admitted for surgery the next day and at close to four in the morning, I drove home in darkness and quiet. Empty roads with the occasional set of headlights approaching me. I was tired but not tired. And when I arrived home, I arrived to a chewed plastic bag on the kitchen floor. Chippy got into the garbage. And while I should have been making an attempt to get back to sleep, I was cleaning up not the garbage in the kitchen, but that of the bathroom in our master bathroom. Our rascal managed to carry the trash down a flight of stairs.
Chippy knew something was not right as well!
I finally got back to sleep near daybreak. And stayed home from work.
Now—here’s where my complete failure to comprehend comes in. Since I was home, I decided to get all dressed up nicely. I put on a bright pink, Lilly Pulitzer shift because it’s a happy color. I put on a dark wig because Bonaparte loves me in dark hair. I put makeup on.
All dressed up and ready to visit Bonaparte!
And I called the hospital to find out when visiting hours were.
The operator on the phone must have thought I was a moron. She explained that due to the Covid virus there were no visiting hours. At all. For anyone. After I sheepishly relayed to her that I thought the rule was only for Covid patients, she validated the rule was for everyone.
Oops!
I even kept my Main Line Health lime green bracelet from the ER on! Lime green is such a Mainline color! It went quite well with my Lilly Pulitzer frock!
Needless to say, Bonaparte’s surgery was a success. He had two stints placed into his body to open arteries. And on Thursday morning, I went to work and let my boss know that I would be leaving to either, take the dog out and then pick up the husband if he was discharged or pick up the husband if he was discharged, drive him home, return to work and finish my day.
His battle scars of black and blue from where the stints were placed and traveled!
Luckily, I received a call at morning’s end to come pick him up –he was being discharged.
So off I went to pick him up and drive him home. And upon arriving home, the poor man almost had another heart attack. I almost hit his car. Yeah. His car was parked in front of the house. Very close to our driveway. And as I turned into the driveway he screamed. I never made the full turn but reminded him that there is no sight in my right eye and I have no depth-perception. (which makes wearing a mask very challenging).
Anyway, as I drove off back to the office, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I was happy and thanked God and all the Saints and Mary that my man was home and resting!
Yes. He was told to rest. But you know, Bonaparte is quite the man. That afternoon he was with clients over the Zoom conference video on the computer. And as I write this now, he’s upstairs on this rainy Memorial Day Saturday watching soccer. I love the sound of the TV in the background as I write this. Chippy is happy and content. Prep for dinner had begun and this evening we are not having a heavy sauce or tons of butter-laden baguette.
We’re having a healthier dinner this evening!
We are having a chicken, artichoke and grape tagine. The Mise-en-place is set up. The chicken is marinating and I’m blissfully grateful to have my husband home with me.
Harissa and tomato paste. One can never have enough Harissa!
Caramelized onion, artichokes and grapes at the ready!
And chicken is marinating in the fridge!
Enjoy this Memorial Day Weekend. Whether the weather is damp or cold or rainy or warm—remember, it’s only weather. Your loved ones are more important.
Memorial Day 2019 at the Shore. This year it’s a different story but who cares??!!
Oh—BTW, Bonaparte was tested for Covid. It came back negative!
Some flowers I arranged just for you!
I’ll be back tomorrow with a review on eyeglasses for you!
Hi Catherine — So happy to hear that your husband is home and doing well. What a scare! I hope you both manage to get some R&R during the holiday weekend. Stay safe and be well.
Hi CG! Thank you! It’s been a trip but thank God the husband is well. We definitely ARE getting some well-needed R & R during this weekend for sure! XOXOXOXO
So glad all is well-enjoy a restful weekend.
Thanks Kathryn! We are having a most restful, albeit rainy weekend! XOXOXOXO
You stopped my heart with this story. We are all at that age. Enjoy the weekend! And your lovely life.
Oh God, Cyndy. It is so scary that we are at that age. I still want to believe that we are in at least our Sr. year at BSHS rather than actual Senior Citizens! XOXOXOXO
I am glad all is well and you are enjoying the holiday! Cheers
Thank you Jane! And a Tchin-Tchin to you!!! XOXOXOXO
Happy to hear all is well.
Congrats. 👍🐶🐕🌻
Oh Dear, Mme. Bonaparte, You are one heck of a STRONG and BRAVE Woman! THANK GOD Your husband is home and recovering! How did your husband know that THAT was the day to go to the hospital since he’d been feeling unwell since the previous week?! He is a VERY SMART man! GOD BLESS!
Thank goodness all is okay. I can relate, as this happened to us a couple of months before COVID, went to ER and it was a false alarm. As I followed the ambulance, OMG, the thoughts – because he had a quadruple bypass many years ago and is 15 years older than me, so very scary, and thank goodness he was fine, and YES, we need to really just appreciate that we have these wonderful guys and continue taking great care of them, as they do us. I’m so glad your Bonaparte is doing well and I hope you two have a lovely Memorial Day weekend together.
Hi Ilyse. Wow! I’m so glad that your husband had a false alarm!!! We need to be extra cautious these days and preserve our health! XOXOXOXO
Glad all is back to “normal”. xo
Thank you Anne! XOXOXOXO
What a gal!
Take care both x
So happy for the outcome but why are some men so stupid- foolish is too kind a word! If he had been feeling ill for days he should have had it checked out sooner. Just dumb, dumb, dumb! And this is coming from the wife of a triple bypass, valve replacement patient. Ten years ago he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Neither of these gave him any symptoms so we are just fortunate that good doctoring caught them in time. Now don’t forget to take some time for yourself!
HI Denise! So true. I do believe he’s learned a valuable lesson. As for me, I’m at a desk job all day. And sitting is apparently the new smoking. That said, I’m taking time to walk around the building twice a day! XOXOXOXO
I have followed you for some time but don’t think I have commented before.
Just wanted to say that I admire you very much — your courage and humour are inspirational. We are very different characters but I love your approach to life. I am so happy that Bonaparte is doing well and I wish you both the very best for your recovery from the shock.
Hi Ceri! Thank you so much for your support and kind words.Humor is always key! And I’m giddy and in very good humor now that my husband is back home and doing so well. Thank you again! XOXOXOXOX
Catherine, it’s wonderful that Bonaparte is doing well. Wow. Stressful for both of you. Hope this weekend is relaxing for you!
Thanks Molly. I’m treating him like the precious gem his is! XOXOXOXO
Hi Catherine, what a worrying week you’ve had. I’m delighted that everything went well for Bonaparte and that he’s happily home again. Poor Chippy must have felt the tension and tried to comfort eat from the garbage!!
Take care and stay safe ❤️
Thanks Mary! Yes. It has been a most emotional week and my man is home again! In fact, he’s even beginning to get grouchy. And I have never been so happy! XOXOXOXO
Thank heaven your husband is home and doing better! I had a similar experience last June.I ended up with an 85-90% blockage in my left main artery. I also,received a stent. The very best thing that I did for myself was going through Cardio Rehab for twelve weeks once I was healed enough to do so. I hope your husband gets into the program. It made ALL the difference in my recovery.
Enjoy your week-end. Being together is really all that matters after all.😊❤️
Hi Catherine Very happy to hear Bonaparte is home again and doing well! Look after each other and enjoy you Memorial Day weekend. 🥰🥰
So glad to hear that your husband finally realised he needed to get to the hospital. Glad the operation went well and he can now recover at home. There is no place like home.
So happy to hear that your Frenchman is home and recuperating. I can’t tell from the photo but were the stents placed in his arm? I always assumed they were placed in the chest, but what do I know? Enjoy a very peaceful and restful long weekend!
By hokey that’s quite a shocker – I am so glad Hubster is better and recovering – I hope you are too hon, as the shock/effects on you may take a while to really surface, remember that as youve been through a bit of a cracker as well – so keep well and remember to look after yourself as well as him. Hope your weekend/week is pleasant and uneventful and that Chippy stops giving his mum work she just doesn’t need right now. xxx
So glad to hear all is well—–have a wonderful, restful weekend and stay healthy!!!!!
That must have been a very scary experience for both of you. Glad to hear he is recovering and had excellent care.
Catherine, you are such a trooper – you face everything with strength and humor and I admire you so much. Thank God, your hubbie is home with you now. Take care of yourself. I have enjoyed your blog so much, I have laughed so hard I have almost peed and I have shed a tear or too reading your blog and I think you are a pip! I love how you put so much into everything you do!
Thanks Joan. I try to be good under circumstances like that. It pleases me to no end that you “get” me! My goal is to make you laugh and perhaps shed a bit of a tear or get a bit misty-eyed! Thank you again. Ya made me feel good! XOXOXOXO
Glad to hear that all went well. Rest, both of you. Stay safe.
So very glad Bonaparte is doing well now. We need our guys. How could you sound so calm writing about his trip to the hospital? I would have been worried sick.
Please take some breaks at work. Going nonstop with all that computer work is stressful on not going not your your eyes, but your body as well. You both need to take care!
Glad all is well now.
Annej
Wishing Bonaparte a speedy and full recovery. Sending best wishes to both of you.
Hi Cathe, glad to hear Bonaparte is doing well. Good vibes to the two of you from the Black Sea.
Scary!!!! Glad the outcome was good. Yes, humans are known for their strong denial of things being amiss. Glad Bonaparte woke you up in time and you got him in there quickly!!! Hugs to both of you!
OMG that is a scary event. My brush with the same came 11 years ago, when I got the call at work. I also drove home alone in the middle of the night after spending hours in the hospital as stent was put in my husband. He’s still around, thank god!!! We are lucky that we still have our precious men with us. May you and Bonaparte continue to have many more years of health and happiness. I’m sure Chippy will be a good companion at those moments when the recuperating patient does take some rest.
xoxoxo
Thanks so uch Christine. You know how other-worldy it is to drive home alone in the wee hours after an emergency like that. It’s just so weird. Thank you so much and Chippy has been a great assistant! XOOXOXOXO
So scary, Cathe! Glad you got your husband to the hospital in time, and that he is home and doing okay! This is truly a year of trials for everyone. My own mother passed of a major heart attack at 53, so not something to mess around with- – -good for you for recognizing ways to lower your own risks. Heart health in women is not as well studied. Wishing you both a relaxing and healing week!
Thanks Kimberly. And my condolences, although late, to you for your moom! XOXOXOXOXO
Wow – what a relief to learn that your Frenchman is recovering and that you too survived this ordeal! In a terrifying time, additional terror is definitely not needed, and I greatly admire your rising to the occasion and sustaining both yourself and your beloved!
Thanks Marsha! Yeah. This year is going to go down as the year we all want to forget!! Thank you–my kids were shocked at my composure over this! XOXOXOXO
Thanks for sharing. So happy he is ok. You are a terrific lady ! 💕
Thank you so uch Michele! He’s a teriffic man! XOXOXOX
Cathe, sorry to hear about your husband’s emergency. My husband had a stent put in last fall. He is well now, with no restrictions. But all his new prescriptions make him tired. That’s ok, the sleep is letting his heart mend. Just wanted to let you not be alarmed if this happens, if it’s the same cause. We also went on a modified Mediterranean diet. No meats but chicken and fish (protein is good to let his heart muscle repair), no butter, no cheese, no sour cream. Lots of olive oil. I had to learn a lot. I have a pie crust recipe that uses oil, not butter. Good news that my cholesterol went down 20% from this diet. I’m sure you both will come out on top.
I so look forward to your postings and had this niggling fear that something was wrong and am so sorry to hear about Bonaparte but so relieved that all is now well, apart from lifestyle changes which will be necessary. It’s amazing how in control we can be at times like this when we would expect ourselves to just go to pieces. Well done to you and a huge well done for continuing to work in these difficult times, and alone – that’s not easy.
Wishing you both well.
Susan D
Just read this – best wishes to Bonaparte for continued speedy recovery!
what a scary turn of events but so glad he listened and went in to get things checked out – so many just go back to sleep!
That drive home alone is something you’ll remember forever.
Wishing you both all the best! MJ
How frightening for both of you. Wonderful news he’s ok and Covid negative. My Son in Law has Covid and he’s 34yrs young, in great physical health but this virus is kicking his butt. I’m sending prayers to you both of you. God Bless!