August 20, 2006 - Day 5 - Week 20 - Good Health Through Bridge

Yesterday was not better than the day before so I napped twice.  A nap used to be a luxury, yesterday it was a necessity.  The reason I required a second nap is that Katy and I were scheduled to play bridge Saturday night; and everyone knows how strenuous lifting and holding cards can be, so I wanted to be well rested.

Off to bridge with high expectations of poor cards, poor performance and needing to go home early.  At least I can use my ‘feeling bad’ excuse now and no one questions my integrity.  I guess this is one positive aspect of putting out one’s medical report card on a daily basis.  The veracity of the story is easily checked by the wary bridge opponent who seems me escaping a bad card night.

Well as luck would have it, the good cards became great, and the evening’s highlights were not centered on the bridge table, but the dining and doctors table.  Sure it is fun to get good cards and play them well, but the humor of the evening was wrapped around the impromptu medical evaluation of everyone present.  Two of the 4 women are top flight medical nurses and they had their bags with them.  Of course, that became cause for my getting the vital signs checked.  We all were cuffed to see our blood pressure, and the majority of the eight were still living.  The fun came with a little meter that you attach to your finger to measure the oxygen flow.  You’ve got me as to how this thing works but the nail of the finger is able to register oxygen flow and it measures up to a perfect score of 100.

Guess who had the highest score:  The avid and daily tennis player, the exercise maven who lives with me, the two nurses, or the two retired gentlemen who work hard around the house on a daily basis, or the painter, or…the sick guy.   You guessed it…I registered, and I did it twice at 99 out of 100.  The next closest was 97.

Shortness of breath notwithstanding, my oxygen level enabled me to get through with the bridge unscathed.  However, I did poop out around 9 pm and abruptly bid my adieus.  Oh yes, the dining table was resplendent in 3 types of home made pizza that reminded us of Italy.  Nothing better than pizza and bridge to make for a humorous and fun evening.

The moral is simple.  Never deny oneself the chance to be buoyed up by others who care about you.  Too often when we are sick we have a tendency to withdraw.   Last night was an antidote I needed, and my engagement with 3 surrogate mothers and their spouses in a common, and not very strenuous ritual, is a good reminder of the healing power of friendship.  Goodnight!

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