Wednesday, January 21, 2026 – Day 526

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Good morning, everyone.

Yesterday was a hard day…even though all I really did was sit and get pushed around. It still amazes me how exhausting it can be to do almost nothing physically.

We left the house at 7:00 a.m. for my 8:45 CT scan of my chest at Evanston hospital. It was Cindy, her sister Barb, and me. Bitter cold, quick transfers, careful steps on icy ground. At least I finally upgraded from ankle socks to warm trekking socks…about four months late, but better late than frozen.

Waze predicted an 8:35 arrival, leaving ten minutes of wiggle room. Not enough for my liking, but that ship had sailed. I’m still learning how to be a better passenger and let go of my need to control the drive. I rate myself as a D- on the letting go part.

At the first stoplight, my head bobbed forward…not from hard braking, but from weak neck muscles. It was going to be a long ride. Then Cindy remembered she packed my neck brace. I’d avoided it before, but I gave it a try. Barb put it on, and within minutes the relief was real. The bobble-head stopped, the discomfort eased. Any drive over 30 minutes is tough now, and Barb’s gentle shoulder massage for the last stretch helped settle both my body and my nerves.

We arrived just in time…I already felt beat up. Then valet parking, wheelchair, radiology. An IV for contrast, then a careful transfer onto the CT table by two strong guys who did all the heavy lifting.

The scan itself took about five minutes. I’ve had contrast before, but this time it hit hard…a sudden, full-body heat wave, like I was cooking from the inside out. It passed quickly, but it was intense. My body seems to feel everything more sharply these days.

Back to the waiting room. Within minutes, the results came back: no pneumonia, no infection. Clear lungs. Huge relief. I’d been quietly worried all morning about being admitted.

While Cindy stepped away, my pulmonologist, Dr. Shah, called. He cleared me as well and suggested a few ventilator adjustments to help with my shortness of breath…the reason for the scan in the first place.

We headed home with me riding in the back seat this time. Much better. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and let the drive happen.

We were home by noon. Barb and Cindy got me inside and upstairs, where I landed in bed with a book. I stayed there the rest of the day, venturing downstairs only once for a feeding.

Some days don’t look like much from the outside. No milestones. No heroics. Just showing up, getting through, and coming home. Yesterday was one of those days…and that was enough. More than enough.

Thanks Barb for tagging along and helping us get through the morning. Your help truly eases the burden. I can’t thank you enough.

Have a great Wednesday.

Love you guys!❤️

Since we didn’t capture any moments on our hospital day trip, a random photo of Coco at her dance class will brighten the day.