Sharon's health (Stan's Facebook updates)

[Steve Hubbell]

7 hours ago
Major set-back for Sharon today. Her brain tumor had taken away her hearing from her left ear in 2004. That is how we discovered the tumor in the first place. When she went deaf in her right ear a few days ago, we were hoping it was because of a plug or a puncture. We were at the Ear/Nose/Throat specialist today, and it looks like that is also tumor related. She will be on a steroid to, hopefully, regain some hearing, but, right now, she is completely deaf. Also, her white blood count is up, indicating a possible infection, so she was exhausted by the time the ambulance service returned her to convalescence.

She is such a testimony. Even with everything that is happening to her, her spirits and attitude are so positive.

Whatever spare time I have had since April have gone to getting drawing done, so the yard work has been completely neglected. Two friends from church have been coming by this week, and have been doing a great job mowing and cleaning the front and back. Thanks, Steve and Mike!


Before


After


Before


After

[Steve Hubbell]

20 hours ago
Sharon had a good day today. Her spirits were high, and she was in relatively good health. She walked her now usual three circuits around convalescence, but we did not get to sit in the courtyard as we normally do because the nurse had to return the wheelchair. Hers had disappeared yesterday.

We have been communicating through writing on paper on a clipboard. Today we also used my iPad (below).

20 hours ago
" Dreamed picked a giant load of corn. They grew on Times (supermarket) fence for free. We had carnival corn. Butter and salt" I really used to like corn at the carnival. They would sit in boiling water until they were overdone and completely soggy, then would be dipped in a big vat of butter, with salt sprinkled on for taste. That's carnival corn.

20 hours ago
My drawing to her dream.

20 hours ago
Sharon drew these flowers.

My pulled calf muscle had been healing nicely, and I was looking forward to resume hiking on Monday. However, I pulled it again when walking down the stairs yesterday. Pain, agony and woe.

[Steve Hubbell]

19 hours ago
Michael Takahara sent Sharon a deck of Totoro playing cards which we love. Totoro is both of our favorite Miyazaki movie. Thank you.



Sharon is having a good day. She did her usual three laps around convalescence. The first lap took her 10 minutes, but that included the time for weighing her (and me). The other two laps took her just over 6 minutes each. At about 300 feet per lap, that is a pretty good speed. She is 78 pounds, which means she gained a bit of weight since the last time she was weighed (unfortunately, so did I).

Her white blood count is back to normal, indicating that whatever infection she had is gone. Now she is back on the steroids to, hopefully, improve her hearing.

[Steve Hubbell]

August 21
I finished my first Nilson Groundthumper and Hermy story in more than 20 years. I think the last time they appeared was in 1992's UY Color Special from Fantagraphics.

August 21
Pan fried catfish, with rice and string beans with almonds (did not fit on the plate). I did not have pickles or relish, so could not make tartar sauce.

August 21
I had to use capers and mayo to make a sauce.

Yesterday
Yesterday, I posted a Nilson Groundthumper and Hermy page that I had just finished. Here's a Nilson acrylic painting that I had done more than 30 years ago, in 1982. It is on an 8x10 inch canvas board. This is before I thought of his friend and sidekick, Hermy. The perspectives are a bit awkward, but I like how I handled the light.

13 hours ago
Sharon will be coming home from convalescence in mid-September, so we've got to get the house ready for her. She will still have her tracheotomy-tube and feeding tube, so it will be a challenge. After about 4 months, she is anxious to return.



Made ginger chicken on ginger rice for dinner.

10 hours ago

12 hours ago
What is the light green veggies? The dark green is dried seaweed, but I can't figure out what the topping is, but it's wonderfiul color makes it so pretty.

11 hours ago
do you cut the skin off the ginger?

Rob--I use a serrated grapefruit spoon to scrape the skin off the ginger. I find that if I cut it off, I cut away a lot of ginger. Cindy--that is minced ginger and green onions mixed with a bit of oil and salt on the chicken.

[Steve Hubbell]

6 hours ago
It was Luau Day at the convalescent facility, and they had some great food, including a whole roast pig, and hula dancers. Sharon could not eat the food, or hear the music, but she did enjoy watching the beautiful dancers (as did I).



I was in an Aloha mood, so made a Hawaiian plate lunch dinner of chicken cutlet with gravy, rice, mac salad with cucumbers, and green beans. I've been looking for one of those ice cream/rice scoopers with the crank on the handle that makes those nice mounds of rice on the plate lunches, but have been unable to find them. Is this just a Hawaii thing? Maybe I should try Little Tokyo.

[Steve Hubbell]

21 minutes ago
Daughter Hannah is using my car today, so I'm staying home to get some housework and drawing done. At the drawing board and watching Charade. There are a few movies I watch at least once a year. Charade is one of them. Others include And Then There Were None, Casino, Ivanhoe, and, during the Holidays, A Christmas Story.

[Steve Hubbell]

12 hours ago
I went hiking this morning, for the first time since I pulled my left calf muscle two Fridays ago. My leg is fine now, but I could still feel a twinge with each uphill step. I took it easy, and just did 3 miles.


I was hoping I would at least come across a garter snake or something so I would have a neat photo to post, but it was a pretty uneventful hike.

2 hours ago
I don't usually work through the mails, but a few months ago I accepted 6 commissions as a benefit for Radio Comix. I just finished them, and will be sending them to Radio for distribution.

The deal was for a single figure with no background, but I got carried away with a couple of them.

2 hours ago
"Usagi in armor, or with sakura"

2 hours ago
"I like Jotaro, but how about Usagi hiking (like I do)"

2 hours ago
"Usagi in armor"

2 hours ago
"Kitsune"

2 hours ago
"I want one like this (supplies reference)"

2 hours ago
"I collect The Spirit"

[Steve Hubbell]

5 hours ago
One thing I like about living alone is that no one complains about my cooking. I did not know what to make for dinner, so took out various ingredients a la Chopped. Who knew that garlic and apples went together? They do, if you sauté them in olive oil with rosemary and herb de Provence. I had it with pork medallions. Pretty good, actually.



Sharon is doing well. I've started training in how to care for her, such as cleaning her trach tube, suctioning her throat, giving medications, etc. She did her usually three laps around the convalescence facility today. Next on her to-do list is to start walking around the neighborhood, and getting in and out of our car.

[Steve Hubbell]

3 hours ago
I've been easing myself getting back into hiking after my leg injury. I had just been doing 3 miles, but upped it to 4 today. It was really hot, and the sun was barely up.



Hiking with my David Petersen Mouse Guard T-shirt.

3 hours ago
This is one of my favorite spots on the trail. I call it the Fern Wall. It's completely dry now, but in the late winter/spring it is green with ferns.

[Steve Hubbell]

3 hours ago
Today, I suctioned out Sharon's trach tube for the first time. I had watched the Respiratory Technicians do it dozens of times. Basically, you insert a suction tube into the tracheotomy tube in her neck, and vacuum out the fluids that has collected. Sharon always clenches her fists and legs, so I asked the RT if it is painful. He said not so much, but it literally sucks the breath out of her. I also changed the strap and gauze around the trach.

There are lots to learn, but daughter Hannah and her family will be moving in with us to help care for Sharon.



I had tilapia for dinner. Growing up in Hawaii, I never ate tilapia and neither did anyone else I knew. It was considered a rubbish fish that you caught in the Ala Wai Canal and threw back. They can thrive almost anywhere, soon crowding out the native fish species. I pan fried it so its natural flavor would come through. It wasn't very tasty, but it was moist. I had it with sautéed beet tops.



Fruits are on sale almost everywhere in LA. I made a sorbet with banana, strawberries, blueberries, mango, some lemon juice and a chunk of ginger. It was pretty good,especially on such a hot day.

2 hours ago
You're a braver man than me, Stan. So glad you have each other!

2 hours ago
Brave because I ate a tilapia?

2 hours ago
I can do stuff to myself, but I guess I'd have to suck it up to do for Margaret what you do for Sharon. I am humbled.

2 hours ago
Somehow I don't like tilapia much, either.

2 hours ago
Thank you, Chuck, but bravery or anything like it does not factor into this at all. This is just something we have to go through. We don't like it, but we have to make the best of it to make it better.

2 hours ago
I'll remember that. Thanks!

2 hours ago
Thank you, Chuck.

2 hours ago
And a nectarine! I forgot I aso added a nectarine. They are 50 cents a pound a Sprouts!

[Mayhem]

Evidently "suck" is in the word filter as well, so I've removed it

[Steve Hubbell]

Thanks....

[Steve Hubbell]

about an hour ago
Today was the hottest morning in a week of hot mornings on the Mt Wilson Trail. It hit 102 F yesterday, and it looks like it will at least hit that again.

Snake of the day! I came upon this little guy on the trail, just before the 2 mile point. I had come upon another baby rattler a couple of months ago and nudged him off the trail with my walking stick. However, this one was sleeping and I did not want to wake him, so I scratched a warning on the trail with an arrow pointing to him. I also alerted a couple hikers walking downhill. When I came back about a half hour later, the rattler was gone, so erased the warning.

35 minutes ago
I encountered a rattler about a month ago who did rattle at me. It was the first time I had one do that. Of course, he was eating a mouse in the middle of the trail and I just watched, took pictures, and would not leave. I think he just wanted me to leave him alone. You know how it is when you're eating breakfast and the paparazzi keep taking photos of you.

[Steve Hubbell]

August 30
Buddy Chris Schweizer just sent this Usagi cosplayer from Dragon Con.

18 hours ago
Sharon continues to lose weight. She is down to 75 pounds. She has been tolerating the newer high calorie formula, so the rate of flow was increased a little. In the past, she would vomit whenever the flow rate was increased. There is just so much that her body can absorb. Hopefully, she will be able to adjust to this and gain some of her weight back.

She walked her usual 3 laps around the convalescence center, but stumbled a few times. She said she was just tired, but she had walked it fine before when she was tired. Yesterday, however, she had walked her first lap without stopping once.

2 hours ago
Daughter Hannah and her family have moved in, so now I will be cooking for 4. I was going to bake banana muffins, but could not resist the siren lure of blueberries (on sale at Smart & Final for 2.99 for an 18 ounce basket). I made a couple in those heart-shaped muffin forms.



I wonder how many times Robert De Nero has had breakfast at a restaurant only to have the waiter deliberately serve him a muffin without any blueberries. That is called "getting De Nero-Ed".

2 hours ago
If you don't get the reference, you've never seen Casino.

2 hours ago
Doh! Spelled his name wrong--De Niro.

[Steve Hubbell]

Yesterday
Sharon's blood pressure is a bit low, so they have her head lowered and legs elevated in the hopes of raising it.

Yesterday at 5:06pm
It was good this morning, and she is not experiencing any headaches or discomfort. It is sometimes difficult to get an accurate BP number for her. Maybe her arms are too thin.

Yesterday at 6:06pm
BP is up to 116/73. Thank you for your prayers.

22 hours ago
Tonight's dinner was lobster with ginger and green onions, tonkatsu, and fried rice. I'm not used to cooking for three adults, and there is a lot of leftovers.

7 hours ago
Sharon walked only two of her usual three laps around the convalescence facility, and even that was an effort. She stumbled, kept veering to the right, and had to sit for awhile. Her blood sugar was very high--270--and oxygenation was low--83, and heart rate was 123. They gave her some insulin and put her on the oxygen tank, and she is doing better, though very tired. Her breathing is still a bit labored.

6 hours ago
Sharon is much better now. Her numbers are good, and her skin, which had been mottled with red blotches, is back to normal. Thank you for your good thoughts and prayers, everyone!

6 hours ago
Stan, I started following you on facebook a few months ago, because I found some illustrations of yours that were wonderful. Little did I know that you would let me peek at your life at a time of great personal crisis. I don't think you realize what a great piece of "life literature" you have shared with your facebook followers, and how much we have learned about love and courage in the face of adversity because of your generosity. You are two truly remarkable people. Keep strong, and thank you.

6 hours ago
Thank you, Faye. As I have said before, I don't post personal information on FB, but made an exception regarding Sharon's health, and I am glad I did. The support and encouragement and advice I have received is greatly appreciated.