It's all working out pretty well today--the schedule, I mean.

Saw the doctor in the morning. Told him my woes. He said, in essence, be tough. Hang in there. Refuse to be a full-time caregiver. And no chemical relief (e.g., tranquilizers or anxiety meds).

Also, I've gained a couple of pounds because of needing comfort foods.

So, armed with exactly nothing but the self-reliance I was born with, I sally forth to do unarmed combat with my own personal demons. Heigh-ho.

Next was the Sprinkler Doctor. He and his helper are here now, replacing sprinkler heads, adjusting the spray, and replacing the timer. He's going to pre-program it for me, per Los Angeles legal requirements for watering, because, he said, the user's manual needs a Ph.D. (piled higher and deeper) and an advanced degree in Engrish to understand it.

Okaay...

This afternoon I have a dental appointment for cleaning and polishing.

And if there's time afterward, on to the VA to visit. Or not. Doctor suggested that my frequent visits and caregiving help for the patient would lead VA personnel to believe that they could just dump him back off on me without any outside home health care provided. Perhaps I should not visit so much.

Phone calls, yes, for patient's moral support. But let them understand that I'm neither available nor willing to do 24/7 nursing.

He had a good point, methinks.