Braggadocio

I think someone stuck a quarter in Dad yesterday, because he was ON. It was great. He had so much to say!

First he told me about a procedure he had on Monday called a thoracentesis. When Dr. Jim was listening to Dad's chest, he thought it sounded a little fuzzy, and he was worried Dad might have some fluid in either his lung or his chest cavity. They took him to the hospital for a CAT scan and discovered that was indeed the case. Dad thinks it's a result of the buildup of excess white blood cells from the leukemia. The thoracentesis (thora- for thorax, from the Greek for "breastplate"; -centesis from the Greek meaning "to puncture") was performed to drain it off. It went just fine, so Dad's chest cavity is now less sloshy than it was before. This is good.

Then he told me ("I guess this is bragging," he warned) that he has decided he's going to have FUN. "Lord knows how much time I have left--well, Lord DOES know; I don't--so I decided I'm going to have a good time. I'm getting to know the staff, joking with the doctors and nurses, having fun with my visitors. I'm having FUN."

Brag away, Dad. You've earned it in spades.

Bragging ran in the family yesterday, because Teagan wanted to FaceTime with Giempa as soon as she got home so she could brag about her bravery today. She had to get her flu shot, and she was NOT looking forward to it. But she got to tell Giempa all about how Mommy got out her phone and we watched music videos while the nurse was cleaning her arm, and then there was a little prick and she gasped, and then she went right back to singing along with the music video and it was done! And the nurse said Teagan did better than the 17-year-old boy she had to give a flu shot to earlier that day! Giempa said he was really proud of how courageous she was. Teagan beamed. I never thought the Wedells would turn into a family of braggarts, but I have to say, it's not that bad.