A Letter to Our Friends...

06.28

Thai Town, Los Angeles, California

Dear Friends—

I hope this finds you all well and happy.

A week ago we went on a grand adventure and four of us traveled to Claremont and had a long afternoon lunch with Eva. Henry was in great form and managed to walk up to Eva’s door using his walking frame and walk through the house and sit in the parlor. Eva made us deviled eggs and had a wonderful Hungarian cheese made from sheep milk. LC brought two bottles of good Champagne. Dinner was a corned brisket of beef and cabbage and a hazel nut cake for dessert. It was a good beginning to a good week.

Henry had several long therapy sessions with physical and occupational therapists and spent long times using his prosthetic and walking frame. His mobility is improving and he spent some time at the Observatory and Elysian Park during the week. He really wants to drive again but we could not get an appointment at the DMV so that will have to wait. The line was around the block and one of the staff told him even disabled people had to arrive at 6AM to get in line.

I’ve been spending the week dealing with my anxiety and depression by meditating daily. I’m trying to take care of myself by eating healthy and practicing the mindfulness meditations I’ve learned at least twice a day. Henry and I both have some sleep deprivation: neither of us sleep well these days. The prospect of a longer lockdown here in Los Angeles is very real and this has us both concerned and a bit depressed. I wear a mask and carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere and I stay as far away from strangers as possible. Neither Henry nor I can afford to catch this virus. 

Henry is working on colouring in a colour therapy book one of the therapists sent him. It helps him relax and keep his mind active and he loves it. I spend my time with Henry and reading and writing when I can. I’ve decided to return to my long essay project “Forbidden Knowledge”; the writing keeps my mind relaxed and is good for my mental health as well. I’m also reading “Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas: A Novel” by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis in a new translation; It’s very entertaining and gives me great joy to read. I have a large line up of books to read this summer and I am looking forward to the time to read a lot of books, mostly French and classic works that have gathered on my list. I also have time for a new Daniel Silva thriller—a guilty pleasure and a book that gives me strong dreams!

We would normally be preparing to go away this week and next to celebrate my birthday and relax over the Fourth of July holiday, but not this year. Instead it looks like we will be in quarantine like everybody else these days. I hope you are well and being safe. As I said earlier, it’s very depressing and alienating to spend so much time without being able to interact freely, but it’s better than becoming ill. Henry and I make sure to have an end-of-the-week special dinner and have a glass of wine or Champagne to celebrate the accomplishments of the week and feel like we are going out, though I can’t make liver and onions as good as Musso and Frank’s does.

Both Henry and I wish you all the best of health and happiness. Please let us know how you are doing. We are well but miss all our friends.

Remember, be fierce and thrive!

—Ph/HOPBELL

01.16 Day 75

I carry two cameras with me all the time. My mobile phone, of course, and my trusty Ricoh GRII that I carry every where in my pocket. It’s a great camera and out of the three cameras I own this is my personal favorite; I’ve made over ten thousand photographs with this camera. While I don’t publish photographs of Henry here in the hospital while he’s recovering, I do make a lot of images here and at Cedars that I use for documenting his care. The photographs you see on this site are for illustration.

To you who have written me about a book: yes I am writing a book about our journey. I started that journal on the day of the accident; I started updating my weblog with his status on 2 November. These are two different points of view and compliment each other each adding context to the other. As you can imagine both the weblog and the book are far from complete.

Today the therapists showed up early and had him dress in pajama pants and a sweat shirt (from The Beverly Hills Hotel). Then they showed him how to slide himself into the wheelchair. He then wheeled himself into the gym again where his PT helped him stand using the parallel bars. He was able to lift himself but needed help standing. He was able to stand for about three minutes before having to sit again in the chair. Once he gathered himself again he was able to stand twice more with help from the PTs. After this exercise Henry sat for about 30 minutes in the wheelchair while we visited with the staff. I was so proud of him. 

He’s beginning to become more independent and do things for  himself again. This is very rewarding for both of us as I become more of an onlooker and his cheerleader. 

Be fierce and thrive!

—Philip HOPBELL

01.01.2020 A Good Day ...

Today is the first writing day of the new year! The posts on this weblog are just a small part of the writing I do everyday following Henry’s life in the hospital. Since the day of his accident I’ve kept a detailed journal of not only his recovery but of my own journey through this experience. I hope to be done with this journal sometime this summer and be able to report to you all with pictures and text Henry’s recovery. It will take years for him to fully recover but I hope he will be able to return to some sense of normal in the not too distant future. Until then I continue to write for hours everyday and evening.

Today he met with three doctors one of whom is his pain specialist who seems to have conquered, with Methadone, the persistent pain Henry has felt. The he had a 30 minute session with Scot his Physical Therapist who exercised his legs and arms. I was surprised at how pain free the right leg seems now and really surprised to see him lift his left leg so far in the air without much strain. This is a big improvement as it was the left leg that was amputated below the knee.

He then met with the speech pathologist who went through a series of breathing exercises that were akin to a Mindful Meditation practice that we both perform. She indicated that she often teaches mindful breathing and meditation to people in the hospital and I mentioned the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn She knew his work. I’m happy she is a practitioner of his work. This will be an important part of both Henry’s and my recovery.

Friends also visited today as well as our nephew Quinton. So far it’s been a good start to the new year.

Please call us before you visit as Henry may be tired.

In 2020 be fierce and thrive...

—Philip HOPBELL