October 13, 2026 Breakfast - Pain au Chocolate. Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwich. Dinner - Two Garden Gate Bistro Dishes; Mustard ChickenB served over a green chili risotto and La Cope Stella (sautéed Pork chop with a Stella rose black wine reduction with a holy basil gastrique served with buttery mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini, yellow squash and green beans)
I am getting over another rough spot in the road of life. On the flight back from NYC on October 1 I must have contracted both Covid and the flu and by Saturday, October 3, 2026, my carnatine parmytil condition triggered and I was having trouble breathing. So, we called for an ambulance that took me to Presbyterian Hospital. The Emergency Room confirmed that I had both Covid and the flu and started treating those ailments and put me on a glucose and saline drip to treat the outflow of myoglobin as my muscles decomposed.
I spent the day in a room in the Emergency Room. There were 35 people ahead of me waiting for a room in the hospital.
Finally, at 11:00 I was moved to a sunny room on the fifth floor of the new west wing, with a view of the West Mesa and the volcanos.
I spent five days in the hospital this time and was discharged on Thursday, October 8.
I attribute the shorter stay to two factors; the pumping my full of a 10% glucose saline solution that helped my muscles recover more quickly and the aggressive treatment of the Covid and flu symptoms. My kidney function remained pretty stable so I did not need dialysis.
I am still a shell of my original pre-illness self with lungs still congested with the dead bacteria from Covid and the flu, but that is clearing steadily daily.
I have not slept so well in years. I go to bed around 9:30 and sleep 8 hours and still take an afternoon nap.
I am beginning to think that when I contract my carnatine condition and my muscles decompose that my body goes into a quasi-hibernation stasis where my body functions slow. Some evidence was when the night nurse came into my hospital room and awakened and told me that my heart rate had dropped to 29 from its normal 70.
I now have a cardiologist, so that will continued to be monitored.
There is not much to say about the hospital food. I was on a diabetic diet plan so could not eat a chocolate brownie. Food was cooked too well. For example, I asked That the salmon filet be seared, hoping it would be more tender and they seared an already fully cooked filet, which gave it little more crunchy texture but also made it tougher. The good thing was there was no salt added to anything.
I have been eating just to try to kick the recovery of my muscles into gear.
On Monday, October 12, I went Tricore for labs at 8:00 and we met Luke and Ari for lunch at Padilla’s. I ate a beef enchilada with sour cream, rice and beans and a sopapillas that were delicious, so that was the first food I have enjoyed since NYC.
Monday evening Luke, Willy, and Ari cooked dinner for us and Billy Joe that was also delicious, seared Aji tuna steak, Cesar Salad, and roasted potatoes, carrots, and perhaps a parsnip. I served the Les Adrets Bandol Rose that we bought at the winery that won the silver medal at the Brussels world wine competition, which makes it was the second best rose in the world that year.
Tuesday I ate my usual breakfast of a latte machiatta and a regular dough Pain au Chocolate.
Willy brought me chicken salad sandwich from Tiny Grocer in Old Town
I filed my Motion to extend in the Court of Appeals and then meditated and then at 4:30 finally was able to lie down for an hour nap.
Suzette exercised at 9:30 and then worked until 4:30. She arrived with two dishes made by the new chef, Mustard Chicken served over a green chili risotto and La Cope Stella (sautéed Pork chop with a Stella rose black wine reduction with a holy basil gastrique served with buttery mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini, yellow squash and green beans). I liked the chicken in its creamy mustard sauce but did not discern the holy basil flavor and found the green chili risotto too picante for my liking. I really liked the pork chop in its wine sauce with buttery creamy potatoes and the grilled green beans, zuchini, and yellow squash. Perhaps the most interesting dish for me is the chef’s grilling of vegetables.
We drank glasses of the recently arrived Red Newt 2016 Pinot Gris from its Cherry creek vineyard. The wine was a lovely light pink in color and I could taste the minerality of the cobble soil it was grown in. It was a real treat.
We both went to sleep during Finding Your Roots. Suzette went to bed before 8:00. I received calls from Susan and later, Diane and Jim, and then went to bed around 9:20.
I learned today that doctors are suggesting a Covid and flu booster every six months. We intend to do that and hopefully will be better protected.
Bon Appetit
