Day Three Through Five

 Day three was uneventful. I watched DVDs and sat around. On day four, I pulled out the PIK line for the pain pump and took a shower. There is little to see. I have four insertion points, one at the armpit, two at the side of the shoulder, and one at the back.

The pain is mostly gone. I have been taking the sling off more and more. I am down to using a half-pain pill when needed. I can raise my arm to a horizontal position. I would say it is going well. I am optimistic about the speed of my recovery.

We have been under a Winter Weather Advisory for forty-eight hours. We only received an inch of snow but have been plagued with high winds and single-digit temperatures. It is an excellent time to stay indoors.

I am typing this two-handed, but still, I need to do most things with my right arm. Shaving, brushing my teeth, and anything that requires strength. 

Max came over yesterday. He brought me a new vape, had something to eat, and watched the first episode of Wednesday.

Alexis is having dinner this evening and has asked me to join them. She is having intermittent trouble with her heat. It sounds like a pilot light issue. It could be the winds. I wouldn't mind getting out of the house. It has been five days. I need to sit down and work on my Lego project. I have been too antsy to do so.

I've managed to get in an average of 8,000 steps a day for the last 4 days by pacing downstairs. I don't want the rest of my body going to seed while I recover. I plan to get back on my bike downstairs next week.

Day Two

 Day two seems like it will be the worst. I may have overdone it. I woke up early. I cannot sleep on my back, yet that is my only option. Feeling and movement came back to my arm and hand. Along with that came the pain. I started taking the hydrocodone along with the pain pump feeding directly into the area. First, one pill, then two.

I built a store-bought Lego to keep myself occupied, and I paced the first floor to get my steps in for the day. I saw the mouse at the trap. He sat there eating away while Max and I watched.

The pain continued to get worse throughout the day. I was napping upstairs when Sienna started meowing at me. I got up and checked the trap. It was still empty, but something else was going on. Does anyone remember when the carriage unit attached to mine had a leaky hot water tank? Water leaked down from their utility room into my laundry room. Well, it happened again.

This time it was water from their washing machine. I was so pissed. I threw a coat over my shoulder and knocked on their door. I looked like a deranged homeless man. This was a new renter. She was reluctant to open the door.

"Your hot water tank is leaking again," I started bluntly.

"I just moved here," she replied.

Honestly, all these overweight middle-aged women look the same to me. I apologized and explained the situation. I asked her if she knew how to shut the water off. She assured me she did. I left unsure and promptly returned. I didn't want forty gallons of water pouring down the ceiling. That is when she informed me she thought it was from the washing machine. The drain pipe was not appropriately secured.

Angry and in pain, I called Max to come help with the ceiling. I was lying in bed at the end of the day. My shoulder was throbbing, and I was feeling helpless. I was on the phone complaining to Sam about my situation when I heard the snap of the mousetrap. Things are starting to look up.

Day One Part II- Mousetrap

While pacing downstairs, waiting for my meal to cook, I spotted the mouse on Tuesday night. It scurried around the corner from the living room into the kitchen. I wasn't sure I had seen it at first. I camped out in the kitchen, and it reappeared from under the dishwasher. I called Sienna. The cat was sleeping on the couch. Sienna finally saw the mouse but failed to catch it. She had a second chance a half hour later and failed again.

I found an old trap in the garage and baited it. I used chocolate pudding left over from my first road trip with Ava. Ideally, I like using peanut butter, but I don't eat the stuff, so I don't have any around. I placed the trap in the small gap between the refrigerator and the wall, fat enough back that Sienna would not trip it.

I checked the trap later in the evening, and the bait was gone. Now I know the mousetrap is in a good spot. I rebaited it with a piece of a chocolate cookie. I smashed it into the center. The trap is old. It might have lost its sensitivity. I will need to ask Max to pick up some more and some peanut butter.