Hospitals are like ships in the middle of the ocean turning in circles, unable to choose a direction. This way, doctor. No that way, doctor. Read the map, doctor. I did, doctor. You read it incorrectly, doctor. Can we get a consensus here? Who is Captain today?

Port, starboard, all engines stop. We are dead in the water.

The decision was made to start IV heparin. And when did they start it? 11:30 at night. Brilliant. That is the best hour because there are so many doctors around to help should something go wrong. And thanks to the spirit of the hospital, nothing did. She showed me some mercy.

I did my night of heparin and woke to discover we had changed course. No to heparin. Yes, to letting the clots go away on their own, which means no Lovenox shots. Another win.

I feel like I am improving but I have had a small relapse tonight. A slight back slide. I hope tomorrow is better.

Work is tough. I went on short-term disability today. But I have so much work, I am working in the background. This flu hit at the end of a major project and I made some mistakes. It was hard to get stuff done last week face down. Any time at work now is bonus time. I am going to go as long as I can, but I know everything comes to an end. It is more difficult by the day to keep it up.

My wife and daughter surprised me with a visit this afternoon. My wife must have been worried about me and the beating I took this weekend. Usually, they stay home during the week. It was nice and I got outside the prison walls for 30 minutes. The building watched me.

Oh, the title of the post. I almost forgot. I have IVs in each hand now. I am tethered to the machine much of the day and feel like a puppet. I reach for objects and whoa, stop. I cannot reach them with my puppet hands. If only they could add them to my feet. Then they could really make me dance.

Puppet One out.