continuing on my recent health issues

 My previous blog posts on this 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-experience-with-jaundice-and.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/coming-home-from-hospital-and-road-to.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/more-health-drama-in-late-october.html 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/nausea-drama-for-early-november.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/wish-me-luck-this-black-friday.html

and the most recent one  (published December 10, 2024) 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/12/black-friday-in-hospital-and-early.html

In that one, I mentioned about increased vomiting and decreased appetite 

Well on the following day (that would be December 11, 2024),  my dad paid a brief visit to my apartment. He later told my mom he noted significant weight loss.  My mom called me urgently and told me to call my GI doctors and let them know what's going on. 

First, I called the Kaiser GI  team and left them a message. 

I also called Dr Small (who did the 10/24/2024 and 11/29/2024 at Pali Momi) and left a voicemail. 

The Kaiser's GI team called back and asked for information about my current medical condition.

Around the same time, Dr Small called and say "hey, come to the hospital tomorrow morning for another procedure"

So on the following day (12/13/2024), my dad drove me to Pali Momi Medical Center.  At first, it was vitals and IV's from the nurses. Then Dr Small told me he'll be checking the pseudocyst near the pancreas and the stents that were previously placed from the pseudocyst to my stomach.  For that procedure, i was put to sleep.

After I woke up from the procedure, I was notified that the pseudocyst near my pancreas was still draining into my stomach, and the stuff being drained out was contributing to my vomiting. 

I originally assumed I would remain at the hospital overnight, but the doctors felt it was safe enough for me to go home the same day. 

Dr Small  encouraged me to continue with the liquid diet and to also add protein drinks to the liquid diet.  So my parents bought me the Ensure drinks and the Glucerna (this one turned out to be no bueno), plus the Pedialyte (for electrolytes, better than Gatorade and their imitators).

In the following days, there was less vomiting. The problem is ....... there's still vomiting.  Just less intense (except for the day I tired the Glucerna drinks  ......... never again).

I still eat my liquid diet in the morning (some days, soups & broths, other days, protein drinks) but I can only consume a limited amount, and even then, some of the contents get vomited out in the afternoon and evening.  So I can't even eat a 2nd liquid meal when I'm vomiting. 

And already, the damage has already been done. I've experienced significant weight loss (from 224 to 178 pounds) and I've become a shell of my former self.

 I take a longer time to do simple tasks. I take longer breaks between tasks.

Now, I already have another procedure scheduled for 12/27/2024 and I'm supposed to get another CT scan (to get an updated view of my pseudocyst and the rest of my GI system) sometime between now and then. 

But when I look at the mirror, it feels like I'm coming face-to-face with mortality.  With my significant weight loss and the look on my eyes, it feels like life could be coming to an end soon.  It feels a mix of sadness and peace when I think about it. 

Now, some of you are reacting "don't talk like that, you got some more living to do".  

Don't get me wrong, I would like to do some more of that living. Going back to work and interacting with the students! Ride bikes! Take walks around the community. Help the Friends of the Library of Hawaii!  Organize more of my stuff at home! Release new music for Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior! 

But at the same time, we are not eternal beings. We have a life that begins and ends. (I'll leave the debate on reincarnation to the spiritual experts) 

And with my declining health condition, I got to be realistic and

•  acknowledge that I can't live forever. 
•  acknowledge that death could possibly be near and it's better to be at peace with it than to pretend life is an eternal party that never ends

Hopefully, medical professionals will do what they can to end my constant nausea nightmare and help me to the road to recovery

The Jam for the Virtual Slow Ride (instrumental track)

It is time for "The Jam for the Virtual Slow Ride".

The perfect instrumental track if you're playing a virtual game where you're slowly riding & cruising down on your motorbike (or any other vehicle). 

Relaxing and adventurous at the same time.

=====

Some of my long-time fans might be somewhat familiar with the track. 

This track was originally released in 2016 under a different name ("Jam with the Apr Stab") as the debut instrumental track from digital musician Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior!

It is now retitled and re-released to more accurately match the mood of the track.

---------

[note: Back in the old days, my track titles usually included the Magix Music Maker sound settings used in the track (ie "jam guitar", "arp stab") and I was too lazy to make changes before releasing them to the public! But as time went, I made for damn sure the track has a great title before releasing them] 

=========

Now you may be asking, how can I experience  "The Jam for the Virtual Slow Ride"?

Well, we can start with the video right here

view it onYouTube at  https://youtu.be/OuyZ8Fa6_aI

And you can download the track via Bandcamp for $1  at

https://pablothemadtigerwarrior.bandcamp.com/track/the-jam-for-the-virtual-slow-ride

You can also  download the track via iTunes at

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-jam-for-the-virtual-slow-ride-single/1782261450

You can also listen to it on Spotify at

https://open.spotify.com/album/2XrTqGdGQHIM4HccIuhBcO?si=FkbSmCVSQVWsvGZQthkyxg

The song will soon be on other platforms as well!

Spread the word, share the track however you can, so the world can experience "The Jam for the Virtual Slow Ride" 

Black Friday in the hospital (and early December with nausea)

  This past Black Friday (11/29/2024), there were no shopping adventures for me.

It was all about the hospital that day. 

It was a continuation of all the health issues I've been dealing with the past few months.

My previous blog posts on this 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-experience-with-jaundice-and.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/coming-home-from-hospital-and-road-to.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/more-health-drama-in-late-october.html 

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/nausea-drama-for-early-november.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/wish-me-luck-this-black-friday.html

For Black Friday, the procedure was to be done at Pali Momi, the same facility as the 10/24/2024 procedure. 

The doctor's original plan was to do another ERCP procedure where they'll do yet another biopsy of  what's left the blockage that was cleared on my pancreas. Plus, check on the stent that was placed between my liver & pancreas.

But that was changed.  I mentioned to that doctor  (Dr Small) that on 11/04/2024 (at a different hospital - Kaiser Moanalua Hospital), they did a CT scan where they found a fluid mass (a pseduocyst) near my pancreas. At that point, the Kaiser doctor's decided to hold off on draining the pseudocyst. 

The Kaiser doctors were supposedly in communication with Dr Small about my G.I.  (gastrointestinal) issues, but apparently something got lost in the communication.  They work for different organizations. 

Well anyways, when I mentioned that issue on  the Black Friday appointment, I thought Dr Small knew. Well, he didn't. He said he had he known about it earlier, he would've intervened earlier. 

So it was a change of plans for Black Friday. It was now to focus on the draining the pseudoscyst via a stent to my stomach.

The original plan to do a biopsy would have to wait.

The pseudocyst wasn't going to be drained overnight. It is to be a slow process where the liquid was drained by stent to my stomach. 

======

Here's what I posted hours after the procedure on social media

Pablo Wegesend

November 29 at 4:39 PM  · Aiea  · 

My Black Friday was at the hospital going through yet another procedure, this time attempting getting a fluid mass (near my pancreas) drained via a stent to my stomach. This fluid mass contributed to my nausea this whole month. Depending on how well the results go, things could improve or I could be back here again. wish me luck!

— at Pali Momi Medical Center.

After the procedure, I was feeling some side pain, but it was nowhere the level of pain my pancreas felt after the 10/24/2024 procedure. 

I did stay overnight so the medical professionals can check on my status. 

While I was feeling some level of nausea, no vomit came during my time in the hospital. Just some continuous burping.

=================

However, after coming home from the hospital, it was a different story.

Starting in December 1st, it became daily bouts of constant nausea.  Days of heavy vomiting.   Some days it was mini-vomits, but then there were heavy vomits that came out. 

It was just like early November, as I noted on https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/nausea-drama-for-early-november.html

However on Nov 25-30, I still felt nauseated but never actually vomited on those days. Just lots of burping.

But starting December 1st, whatever felt held in finally came out.

And it's now daily.  Usually not so bad in the morning, but the volume goes up in the afternoon and evening.

On December 3rd, I called the doctor's office. The receptionist, then the nurse asked some questions. By the afternoon, the nurse called back and noted the doctor suggested going to the emergency room. My dad drove me to the hospital, where I got IV treatments and a CT scan. The CT scan noted the pseudocyst is draining as scheduled. 

But where is all that liquid that was in my pseudocyst go? Apparently not into my intestine, because I'm not experiencing diarrhea and I'm not urinating more than usual (despite having to take meds for bladder control).  If it's not going down, then it's going up.  Up my esophagus and vomiting out. 

Meanwhile, my appetite has decreased and I'm on a liquid diet.  Since I don't vomit much in the morning, that's I when I eat, and even then my body can only take in a limited amount. 

But having a 2nd meal? When my vomiting gets more intense in the afternoon and night? Forget about it! 

I lost lot of weight, and also a lot of energy.  I've become a shell of my former self.  I take a longer time to do simple tasks. I take longer breaks between tasks.

But however, whenever I go to the hospital, it's always "your heart rate is good, your blood pressure is good, you seem very alert".  OK!

At that point, I'll be back to the hospital soon to figure out my next step. 

=========

PS: Someone wrote this to me on Facebook 

I’d be very careful sharing any sort of medical stuff online. You never know what might happen.

I responded with this: 

I have a different perspective. If people only share the good times on Facebook, it gives others the impression that their problems are unique to them because "everyone else on Facebook is having a good time". People have been sharing their medical issues in news stories long before social media existed. I rather be honest about what's going on with me, than hiding out of fear of what others think

Wish me luck this Black Friday

 No, I'm NOT going on a massive shopping spree.

I'll be at a hospital going through yet another medical procedure. 

An ERCP procedure where they'll do yet another biopsy of  what's left the blockage that was cleared on my pancreas. Plus, check on the stent that was placed between my liver & pancreas.

And what I really hope will be solved : the fluid mass that's pushing against my stomach and contributing to this month-long nausea!

Wish me luck

2024 general election

Usually, I'm quicker to blog about my analysis of the latest elections, but I've been dealing with an illness this whole month (documented in previous blog posts) so I haven't had the energy or the time to do so, until now!

Obviously, finding out that the racist, rapist, con artist, fascist maniac Donald Trump won again doesn't do much to benefit my health at this time. 

But as usual, the Democrats fumbled the ball by just expecting people to vote for them because "the other guy bad"

To win elections, you must CONVINCE the people you are worth voting FOR.  It's never enough to just convince the people that "the other guy bad".  

Because even if the people know "the other guy bad" but still aren't convinced that you are worth voting FOR, the people can decide not to vote.

The reality is that it's not just you vs the main opponent, it's actually .........

 you vs the main opponent vs third parties vs not voting 

There's been much talk about Trump gaining among non-white voters (especially among Latines), but I think the much bigger story is people in those communities who didn't vote because they weren't impressed with either side.  They didn't want Trump but they felt the Democrats weren't much help either.

----------

 Joe Biden was obviously past his prime, but the Democrats weren't honest with the public about his condition until his disastrous debate with Donald Trump.

You can't win being senile. Even if the other guy is a maniac. As Bill Clinton said "people prefer strong & wrong over weak & right"

As for Kamala Harris,  being that she was Biden's VP, people took their frustrations with the Biden administration out on her.

When people aren't feeling the economy, they usually vote out the incumbent. That happened to Carter in 1980 and Bush Sr in 1992. In 2008, Bush Jr was done with his term, so people took their economic frustrations on fellow Republican John McCain. 

Even though inflation peaked in 2022, people were still feeling the effects of it two years later.  People wanted change.

---------------

Also, Kamala Harris could've been a better communicator.  She doesn't always come up with clear answers when questioned by journalists.

She could've just come up with a few bullet points to repeat throughout the campaign.

----------

And of course, Trump was quick to remind people that Harris pandered to the far-left in her failed 2020 primary campaign.

I think from this point forward, the Democrats need to stop focusing their rhetoric on the college faculty lounge and the "woke" college activists.  

Instead, they should focus their rhetoric on the general population which includes the blue-collar folks who aren't familiar with the latest far-left campus jargon. 

Democrats should continue to advocate for a stronger safety net & stronger workplace protections (I wish Harris spent more time on these issues) but also take a much stronger stance on crime.

When people hear news about increased shoplifting in California due to lenient penalties for theft, people associate that with Democrats (some of whom advocated for those lenient laws) and therefore not want to vote for Democrats.

(and for the record, the people of California just voted for increased penalties for theft this election).

Kamala Harris should've ran ads emphasizing her time as a prosecutor and mentioning horrible criminals she convicted!  People aren't going to know about it unless they hear about this repeatedly.

It's this lack of focus that disappointed me the most about Harris's campaign. 

======

As for the border, I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion.

Border crossings peaked in 2022.  I think much of the increase of people at the borders are due to rumors spread worldwide that "Biden will be more lenient on immigration than Trump" without those people realizing that Biden would need the approval of Congress to enact any policy.

I think the images of non-European people crossing the border was enough to scare the racists around the country into a massive panic.

Also, even though the overwhelming majority of all crime involves the victim and violator being the same race,  Trump kept emphasizing isolated cases of Latino immigrants killing & raping Anglo women. 

Nevermind that Anglo women are WAY MORE LIKELY to be drugged & gang-rapped by Anglo frat-boys!   But the Anglo frat-boys are part of the MAGA base, so Trump (who himself have MULTIPLE sexual abuse allegations) isn't bothered!  

=======

Trump ads kept blowing the issue of transgender in sports out of proportion.  Those who are non-binary are only about 1% of the population. It's extremely unlikely that your daughter will even encounter even 1 in their youth sports career, much less be injured by one. 

Trump ads kept saying that Harris is for "they/them".

Harris should've responded by saying that "Trump is all about he, himself & him"

And that's we got right now! A presidency that will be all about the "he, himself & him"

A maniac who now feels empowered to do whatevers! 

It's time for the Democrats to be disciplined because they have to win over Congress in 2026! 

=======

SUGGESTED READING

(note: this listing isn't an endorsement of everything written in those articles)

article basically saying Trump's victory was by a small margin

 Perry Bacon Jr. . “The Election Was a Trump Splash — but Not a Red Wave.” Washington Post. November 11, 2024. 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/11/11/trump-victory-red-wave/.

article on why neither Trump nor Harris impressed

Nick Gillespie. “Don’t Blame Me for Not Voting for Your Unbelievably Rotten Candidate.” Reason.com. November 4, 2024.                                                             https://reason.com/2024/11/04/dont-blame-me-for-not-voting-for-your-unbelievably-rotten-candidate/.

articles on why Democrats lost (even against a maniac like Trump)

George F. Will, “Republican Self-Degradation Continues. Democratic Self-Sabotage Helped.,” Washington Post,   November 6, 2024     https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/11/06/trump-reelection-democrats-help/.

Ramesh Ponnuru. “The Democrats Weren’t Stupid or Crazy — Just Wrong! The Party’s Debacle of 2024 Shows How Easy It Is for Partisans to Misunderstand Their Own Victories.” Washington Post. November 17, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/11/17/democratic-party-election-loss-wrong/. 

Jeremy W. Peters “In Shift from 2020, Identity Politics Loses Its Grip on the Country.” The New York Times. The New York Times, November 2, 2024.  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/02/us/politics/election-2024-harris-progressives.html.

Juliann Ventura. “Bill Clinton: Democrats Need to ‘Talk to People in Ways That They Can Relate To.’” Yahoo! News.  November 21, 2024.                  https://www.yahoo.com/news/bill-clinton-democrats-talk-people-162449061.html.

Adam Jentleson. “When Will Democrats Learn to Say No?” The New York Times.  November 16, 2024.                          https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/16/opinion/democrats-interest-groups-majority.html.

David Brooks, “Why We Got It So Wrong,” The New York Times, November 15, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/14/opinion/identity-groups-politics.html. 

Washington Post Editorial Board. “Trying to Protect Biden, Democrats Sacrificed Their Credibility.” Washington Post.  November 8, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/11/08/democrats-lost-credibility-harris-biden/.


Matt Bai. “What Biden’s Aides Did That Infuriated People.” Washington Post.  November 8, 2024.    

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/11/08/biden-failure-lost-voters-trust/.

 Abha Bhattarai and Jeff Stein. “Americans Deliver Message to Democratic Party: The Economy Isn’t Working.” Washington Post. November 9, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/09/democrats-election-economy-inflation-harris-biden/.


Maureen Dowd. “Democrats and the Case of Mistaken Identity Politics.” The New York Times. November 9, 2024. 

 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/09/opinion/democrats-identity-politics.html.

Matthew Petti. “Democratic Hubris Blows up in Michigan.” Reason.com. November 6, 2024.    

https://reason.com/2024/11/06/democratic-hubris-blows-up-in-michigan/.

=======

Articles critical of Donald Trump (and MAGA in general) 

Nathaniel Manderson. “The Last Temptation of Donald Trump: How He Lured Evangelicals to Follow Satan.” Salon. November 3, 2024.                              https://www.salon.com/2024/11/03/the-last-temptation-of-donald-trump-how-he-lured-evangelicals-to-follow-satan/.

Amanda Marcotte. “Elon Musk’s ‘Illegal’ Past Doesn’t Feel like Hypocrisy to MAGA — Trump’s Hate Rally in NYC Shows Why.” Salon. October 29, 2024. https://www.salon.com/2024/10/29/elon-musks-illegal-past-doesnt-feel-like-hypocrisy-to-maga--hate-rally-in-nyc-shows-why/.

Paul Krugman. “Trump Has Become Unmoored in Time.” The New York Times. October 14, 2024.                                                                              https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/opinion/trump-detroit-economic-club.html.

David French. “The Greatest Cancel Culture Warrior in America Is Donald Trump.” The New York Times. November 21, 2024. 

 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/opinion/trump-cancel-culture-maga.html.

David French. “Four Lessons From Nine Years of Being ‘Never Trump." The New York Times. October 27, 2024.   

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/27/opinion/never-trump-maga-evangelicals.html.

Walter Rhein. “America Doesn’t Have an Immigrant Problem, It Has a White Supremacy Problem.” Medium. October 30, 2024.

https://readcultured.com/america-doesnt-have-an-immigrant-problem-it-has-a-white-supremacy-problem-45e97b976f54.

========

Miscellaneous

 R.H. “How Not to Persuade People to Your Cause.”  Medium, November 14, 2024. https://medium.com/@russellhowell86/how-not-to-persuade-people-to-your-cause-33ff82f1a209. 

Nausea drama for early November.

 Check my previous blog posts on my recent health at

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-experience-with-jaundice-and.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/coming-home-from-hospital-and-road-to.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/more-health-drama-in-late-october.html 

In late October, I was experiencing pancreatic pain due to the ECRP procedure earlier that month.

Good news, that pain subsided!

Bad news, it's now 2 weeks of daily nausea.

When I was experiencing pancreatic pain, I did feel nauseous but nothing could come out.

But since November 2, all the vomit that wanted to come out did. And even more that didn't exist that day come out on later did.

As noted in previous blog posts, my appetites was already declining.

Now, I didn't even want to eat anything, noting that it was all going to come out.

For example on 11/02/2024, I decided to have a few crackers. Not even a half-hour later, the contents were vomitted out.

On 11/04/2024, I called the doctor who suggested I go to the emergency room for IV treatments.  Not only did I get the IV treatments, I also got a CT scan. According to the scan, I now had a 14cm fluid mass that was bumping up against my pancreas and stomach. This was contributing to my nausea.

The doctors considered draining that fluid mass. The problem was that it's a high-risk procedure, and my other vitals (ie heart beat, blood pressure, etc) "seems fine enough" that they feel it wasn't bad enough to do a high-risk procedure. 

I did return to the ER the next day (11/05/2024) for IV treatment. They also did a CT scan, which showed the same thing as the day before.   During the IV treatment, the doctor offered a cup of water and crackers.  About a half-hour later, those contents got vomitted out, filling up to 12 fluid ounces in the green barf bag. 

Yeah, it's going to be a while before I tried solid foods again. 

But even then, I still needed nutrients. 

Some days, it was a sugar-salt-baking soda water mix.  It still provoked some reaction.

On 11/08/2024, I decided to try the chicken broth. It was liquid & nutrients.  But it definitely provoked an all-day nausea binge.

The next day (11/09/2024) , dad bought some Powerade. Powerade is known for electrolytes and it seems every article regarding vomiting says it's good to replace electrolytes.  Well, the Powerade tasted good, but provoked another vomit-binge. 

By Sunday (11/10/2024), I went to the ER again for IV treatments. Plus more nausea meds. The doctor suggested I contact my primary care doctor to get a referral to an IV infusion center closer to where I live.

2 days later (11/12/2024), I did speak with a primary care doctor (though not my usual one due to scheduling issues) and she noted the because I don't show the signs of dehydration, to hold off on IV treatments for now, and to take small sips of liquids to keep me hydrated. She also prescribed Pepcid AC for the very annoying acid reflux (which is now the #1 culprit keeping me awake when the rest of the body wants to sleep). 

Later that day, I ordered Walmart delivery for fluids (capri sun juices, Berry Gatorlyte, POG, etc).

Berry Gatorlyte tasted good, but I drank it too fast and caused a reaction. 

Today, I mostly drank water. I also had a canned soup, and some capri sun juices.  I seemed to have less negative reactions today. Not zero, but less than other days. Too early to declare victory. 

=========

As for what's keeping me financially afloat, I'll just say my employer offers Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) which helps, even though it doesn't pay as much as if you worked those days. 

If you're in my situation, definitely speak with your employer about TDI. 

 

More health drama in late October

 Last month, I wrote 2 blog posts about my health journeys

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-experience-with-jaundice-and.html

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/coming-home-from-hospital-and-road-to.html

When I published the 2nd post, things were eventually looking up for me.

By October 21-23, I was able to return to work as normal as possible.

However, 10/24/2024 happened. It was the day of my 2nd ERCP. This time, it was in a different hospital (Pali Momi) with a different doctor.

Here's what I posted on Facebook that day.

Pablo Wegesend

orstoSpden8552ue 24191:cc MO8bP2t30640o8m65ta82h farl030a9l   · Aiea  · 

Back in the hospital for a follow-up procedure. a biopsy of my pancreas, plus replacing a stent that goes from liver to pancreas. Also, one of the health professionals there was someone I knew from the school days (I'll keep the identity private, unless that person says OK with it public)

— at Pali Momi Medical Center.

It was originally planned to be a  "you can go home after the procedure", but then it was decided to keep me overnight.
Which was the best decision because early in the following morning (10/25/2024), I experienced the worst pain in my life. 
I was vomiting, then my pancreas was feeling it was being squeezed really hard from the inside.  
I was really feeling like "come on God, am I that bad?"
I was worried about bleeding occurring inside, but the nurses noted that my vomit was yellow & green, and if it was really bleeding, my vomit would've been red or brown.
While the worst would eventually be over, it would be a long time before the pancreatic pain or nausea to be gone.
I had to stay another day in the hospital.
Meanwhile. my appetite was basically gone. I could only eat a liquid diet, and even that was much less than normal. 
The few things that did comfort me in the hospital was

• Relaxation TV station
• the hot compresses to put over my upper abdomen when I rested

 Late afternoon of 10/26/2024, I was discharged from the hospital. 
But the side effects of the procedure didn't go away.
For days, I was experiencing pancreatic pain.  It was the #1 thing that kept me from falling asleep when the rest of the body was too tired to do anything.
It was so bad that only a few days later (10/29/2024), I had to go to the emergency room.  I had IV treatments, pain meds and  4 additional hot compresses for my abdomen. 
As for Halloween, it was stay home all day & rest. Though I did get a present from my dad, a new kitchen chair to replace that old one that was I was already planning to replace. 
As for what happened in early November ........ well, that's the subject of the next blog post.