Three Weeks Later

    All of a sudden, three weeks have passed, here at MENTIS. I've seen people come, go, graduate, and meet their goals. We rise early, but dine early too. I must be the only patient that stays up late, either that, or a tad on the cool side; just something so that I can jolt the staff awake.

   Christmas lights have made their way to my room this week, and the whole place is decked out in red and green banners and other apparel. 

    I hosted dinner at my table: a doctor, and a 50-ish gentleman and their shadows (they were hardly!) The supposed "Shadows" talk themselves silly and behave like children. Sometimes, I wonder who's driving this bus? The inmates, or the real personnel. Or maybe I haven't grown a thicker skin to deflect the crud this nursing staff tries to pull on the patients sometimes.

    Yep, 8a-5p is a grueling schedule. I know some of you are laughing at me. Well, this is what I like to call a floating schedule here at MENTIS. You never know what class you'll have next, and sitting down is very frowned upon unless requested. There's a lot of physicality going on down here. And if you make it to five o' clock. You can either go to your room, or to the dining room and receive some much needed calories. You really go through them here. 

The MENTIS Circle

    I was released from TIRR central hospital, bound for the MENTIS clinic directly behind NRG Stadium a.k.a home to the Houston Texans. If these people hold something close to their hearts, it's their Texans.

    It's not very different around here, living in the clinic. They raise you before dawn, so they can start you on a full day's journey fully packed with a lot of exercises, mental workout, and yes, complete exhaustion. The inhabitants say a circle exists, and I found it, it's that I walk so fast that my 1:1 can't keep up. Yeah, you get quite the shadow around here. Walking like I've been taught? Check. 2. Feet over the red line (Helps me know where to step?) Check. Going at my own pace 3.2 mph? Not a chance.

   My first weekend I took it easy and watched the Sooners steal the pistols from Pete and take the Big 12 Championship trophy.  

   This Saturday, I went home for first time in five weeks, and had Angel (My dog) all over me. We had Matt, my youngest brother drop by to see me and grab some Thanksgiving leftovers. 

   By then, it was time to leave and see "The Martian." It was a good movie, one I would like to view again.  

   I was loathe to leave my parents, but their was a curfew in effect. Besides, I could always go out on the 'morrow.

 

Nov 19th

    Oklahoma day. For those of you that live in Rio Linda, that's the pot-looking state on top of Texas. It's 108 yrs. old today. Why should I care? I would care because I was born there, and without me, you wouldn't have these, "fantastic," notes to nibble on!

   Okay, enough with the history lesson. Current Events started 10a and it was on our agenda to determine our favorite previously picked-out four You Tube videos. The first was about this homeless man and son handing out food to the homeless, the second, about high school kids starting a lunch pantry for those that couldn't afford lunch, I can't remember the third, and peace de la resistance: a dog that dominated a wedding video. Guess which one I voted for?

   By the time 11 a.m. rolled around we were dismissed. We were told before to cancel our lunches, but the official word on that is that the kitchen was having phone trouble the latter half of the week. So I got served my chicken tenders, salad, baked chips, diet root beer, and two cookies. Seeing as it was protein and I was in a hurry, I finished off the tenders, ignored the salad, moved the chip bag under the table, and gobbled (seasonably appropriate) down the cookies. That left me the diet root beer which I took down to the cafeteria to see the gang.

   There were us four in number and I believe three in charge over us.  We were going to the Houston aquarium. 

   When we got there, we were dazzled by all sorts of fish in the tanks and reptiles plus amphibians! I linked the red, and black poison dart frog. The main attraction were three Siberian tigers in the back. A male and female made their appearance. Brother and sister.

   We left the aquarium much like we did that early afternoon, except we didn't have eight school busses waiting for kids to board. On the way back, Lorna? The driver turned on the radio, "Sun, here it comes," as it was a classic oldie, but then, when we went back to country music, the disc jockey decided to play, "Big Black Horse and the Cherry Tree."  - I had seen Robin Williams in "Man of the Year." I sung all the way back.

   I had an easy day of it, of course, SP had to come to me, PT was all I had to worry about, but that was okay by me; I turned out bushed.

Nov 16th-18th

    I finally found an old acquaintance of mine: PT Christine C. It was little more than a glance, but due to her petite features, I knew her instantly. She tried to show me her card with her picture on it, but I waved it away. I wonder how she recognized me by  name?  She usually hung around the main gym, or so I thought. That made me feel like a dope, forgetting the hospital had a gym or two on every floor. She was in 3A or 3B while I was in 3C

   Enough of this crud. You wanna hear about the good stuff, not about Boy Wonder and the Mushy Side of Life. I'm not paid for that. 

   I can't even get off of the hospital floor no matter how..., hold that thought and think windows, and glass cutters! 

   This TIRR stuff is getting old pretty fast even conscious and the second time 'round. Although their method is sound, they sure have a reveille dedicated to couple of chickens. They squawk and hop about to raise the roof, or was this just in my dreams? Once I'm down (sleep-wise) the Onfi (med that helps me sleep and controls my seizures for me) it has some nasty side-effects, including the one that helps me sleep in, i.e: not good for 0800 wake-up call; not even the chickens. A rooster would be fine, thank-you.

  Hey, now; I'm finally in some groups. The R.E.A.C.H group and Currant Events,  not necessarily in that order. In the latter, the teacher picks out four or five events and asks us our opinions on them. In the former, we plan trips, times, places within a 10mi radius and on a Thursday, we implement our plan. I've done this before, and got egg in my face (that's pretty close to the truth.) Not so again, thanks much!

   Oh, today, the 18th, the OT split her time with me and Matt, the "Music Man." We worked on guitar technique, and mostly how to get my thumb out of the way on the chord hand or so I call it. I felt like a beginner next to him. 

   Ah, well, you can't have your cake and eat it too, I hear.

   Ben J

11/15

   My day started off totally quiet, but I was needing to get up when my nurse walked with my meds. I had Chaquita as a nurse again. I can almost swear that she has no shame. She walked in on me using the restroom, only to find out That she demanded that I change clothes, and changed hazard bags for the whites. She called it normal, but I know better. She sounded like a songbird stuck in the LaBrea Tar Pits. Do I want to play in her sandbox? Oh, yeah. Do I want to do something sneaky and lowdown? Of course. Would I honor God through that? That would be a no.

   Unbenounced to me, a fall festival was taking place in the first floor gym. Activities included bowling, photo shoots, football throwing, pets, and karaoke. What did I sing? Silly readers, opera is for officianados, of which I am one. "Largo Al Factotum." Word for word in, get this, Italian. I've been practicing since '13. Then it was on to John Denver and "Rocky Mountain High." 

   Most people detest karaoke, but I don't see why. Maybe it's the sound of the sound their voices? But seeing as my enemy had a look a good look at undercarriage, I figured I had nothing left to lose. Viva Jones!!!

 

Chiquita

  Chiquita. There's my quip with this place. She's driving Chiquita, crackers, and nuts. Naturally named after a banana company, my personal nurse is driving me up a wall, ex. Her loud mono-tone voice, boorish behavior, and acting like she hates her job. Being one of the blessed few to hang on to her job aka: me having her this time instead of some unblessed soul who had her in '12, when I had my stroke, she ought to feel more grateful and feeling towards patients who can't even get off of this floor without a nurse. To tell the truth, she'd make make a charging bull look good, or bring him to his knees with a glance. But she's messing with fire. There's only a certain I can get pushed, and it's a generous bit at that. There's a reason she's named after a fruit company: she's bananas!!!

   

A/O 11/12

    All therapies are over, at least for the first week of this temporary nut farm. At 2:30pm I'm setting pretty looking forward to a visit with my parents.

Update 2

Update 2
 
 I feel that the 8a-11p passes so quickly around here. Sometimes I don't even make to 11p. Moving day, I fell asleep at 6-ish-pm. It seems that this is just a stopping ground for interns. 85% of the people I knew are gone.
  The little nurse with blonde hair that works PT is still here, I think. I don't know about Cheryl the "Poop Queen." The "Singing Nurse," took off with her husband back East.
  The programs are still the same. ST, OT, PT, monthly pet visits, music class, etc... Just the staff is different. Way different. I just realized that most of them were interns and can go anywhere under the care of a doctor?.
  I was attacked by a drive-by seizure. (The usual ones I have at home) and you should have seen seen them! I was sure I was Caesar caught in my own status epilepticus. Half the staff showed up at the intersection, or at least more than I could count. I was shaking hands doctors and nurses whom I've never been acquainted.
                       From Texas International Rest and Relaxation Center,

                                                     Ben Jones

Here We Go Again

Update- They're sending me in again. I may be 4F in the army, but I'm a real pest in the medical division. That's right, I'm going down to TIRR central for a couple of weeks for a tune-up. I leave tomorrow and all guests would be welcomed. Ah, well, all in the line of duty, I guess. I look forward to getting a lot of work done on my book. Chapter seven couldn't be more aptly timed!

Chihuahua Pt 2

The Jones Rescue Ranger Dog Service has done it once again, folks! We found the owners off of the mailbox ad he put up, and delivery was quick. If you ever need with your stray, the Jones family attracts them like a magnet, and ads are answered without thought of recompense, you've found the JR2DS

Chihuahua Pt 1

I didn't know that we're in the dog catch and release program. There was that retriever last summer and the Scottie before him. But this beats all! An actual albino Chihuahua shows up at dad's feet in the garage.
   Angel is not pleased about this. There can be only one "Prima Dogma," and that is she. She will not give our aged guest a chance, and does the Wildcat over her.
   Our guest does not come without weapons of her own: Claws, and teeth.
   The difference between them is half breed and age plus time on the streets. She's not even wearing a collar.
   Cody (Young German Shepard) will be thrilled with a new friend to chomp on.r

TIRR Strength Unlimited

   The TIRR Strength Unlimited starts for me today. I'm used to the facilities and staff and they're used to me. It's an extension of physical therapy, and it's scheduled for after hours.

   I've been saving up for a special bike, as well. Two in the front and one in the rear. Honestly, I've got to learn how to ride a bike again!

TIRR Sugar Land

   Therapy is over! Well, mostly. OT, and PT are over. Now just getting past ST. Now for those who haven't spent close to half their lifetime with seizures, and other injuries, OT means Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy makes up PT. Beena, and Bianca were in charge of those, respectively. ST (Speech Therapy) my job is never done. Meredith, my therapist won't let me go without finishing my goal sheet. Of course today, July 31, is her BD. I won't mention how young she is, but she isn't much older than I.

   I started, what was it, in June. Let me recommend TIRR Sugar Land for complete therapy. They're a new group, made up of former TIRR Hospital, and Kirby Glen employees in Houston who lived in Sugar Land, and Rosenburg etc...and wanted to live closer to home.

   Thank you whoever made that decision! It was such a long drive down to Kirby Glen for us on the West side of town. We wanted what KG had, only in SL. Once I needed it, TSL really made a difference. Thanks.  

                                                              A Repeat Customer,

                                                                     Ben Jones

Radiation Is The Culprit

    Finally! Finally! Yes! Yes!  It's the radiation after all!! After 13 1/2 years, 20,600 seizures, and one stroke later, I finally find out what causes my problems.
    See, the radiation presses down on the optic nerve, so much so that over the years I've eventually lost my balance. Sure, I have a cane and a walker, but the damage is irreversible.
   There is some high-filutan term that I will pass on to you later once I get a hold of it!
   Though, who knew that six weeks of radiation would have come back to bite me in the derrière.
   The blood vessels are narrowing, and every-time I have a seizure, another part of brain goes dark.