Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Three Beautiful Things 06-25-2024: Covid Precautions, A Ground Beef Potpourri, Spending the Night with Copper

1. My first bit of business today: hear back from the transplant team. I sent them a message last night reporting that Debbie had been staying in a house in Juneau where two other people staying there tested positive for Covid. Debbie tested negative, but had been exposed, and I sought advice about whether there were precautions we could take that would allow me to pick up Debbie at the airport and I asked if Debbie and I could be in the same house upon her return. 

Nurse Angela responded after she consulted with Dr. Murad. 

First of all, he advised that we not be in the same car together. 

Thank goodness, Christy stepped up and was free to drive to Spokane and pick up Debbie.

Secondly, Dr. Murad asserted that Debbie and I could be in our house together. We just need to spend much of our time in separate rooms and, when in a common room, wear masks and maintain distance from each other. 

No problem. 

If, when it's been seven days since exposure, Debbie continues to test negative and is not experiencing symptoms, we can lift these mild restrictions. 

We aren't sure just what seven days since exposure means -- the first day of exposure? The last? 

Wednesday, June 26th, marks the seventh day since Debbie's first exposure. 

She'll test on Wednesday and if it's negative, we might still take precautions, but we'll feel closer to being in the clear. 

We will need to discuss it. 

By the way, Debbie protected herself with a mask on both her flights yesterday and by cleaning her tray and other surfaces near her, as Nurse Jenn had advised her to do when we talked with her about travel a couple of weeks ago. 

2. Debbie told me about her time in Juneau -- it was a superb weekend -- and I updated her about what happened when I saw the transplant team on Monday.

While Debbie relaxed with Gibbs on the patio, I fixed one of my favorite dinners all in one pan. I chopped an onion, peppered it, cooked it for a while, and then added ground beef, enhanced with Montreal seasoning. As the beef browned, I added sliced mushrooms and zucchini to the pan and after everything had cooked for a short while, I added frozen green beans and frozen corn kernels. I added Italian seasoning to a can of diced tomatoes, put the tomatoes in the pan, and then I mixed in a container of left over brown rice. As everything continued to cook and heat up, I sprinkled grated sharp cheddar cheese over the top of this mixture and that was our dinner tonight. 

I enjoyed it a lot and there's plenty left over to snack on whenever we want to.

3. Having learned Monday that being with Copper at night does not put my compromised immune system at risk, Copper spent Tuesday night with me. Copper has never been a one to seek out much physical contact with me, but, when we are in the same vicinity, it relaxes him and he was content, even purring, much of the night. He was restless a couple of times, but for most of the night he was still and happy. 

With Gibbs being upstairs with Debbie, I could leave the bedroom door open and the Vizio room's door open. Copper's litter box is in the Vizio room so he had easy access to it all night long, if he needed it. 

I know I'm happy to have learned that Copper and I can be in each other's company with very little risk and Copper gave me every indication that he likes this development, too. 

 

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