That’s an odd way to start a story.  Diverticulitis is very painful and if untreated may cause the infection that can become quite aggressive and can end in death. Wow. Let me start at the beginning.

As you all may know, almost every morning I go to the gym to take a spin class or a Body Pump class.  When that alarm goes off, I do not hesitate, I hop up, get dressed, grab my bag and my clementine and I go.  Last week and maybe one or twice the week before, I decided to turn off that alarm and have some cuddle time with my husband.  Good old fashioned spooning. (Get your minds out of the gutter.) Sometimes that is the only time of day when we can chat and just ‘be’ without interruption or distraction. It is the calm before the chaos.

This past Friday, Chip was suffering with this latest round of diverticulitis and we ended up in the ER and subsequently admitting him to the hospital.  The CT Scan showed no immediate need for surgery but did require some high doses of antibiotics.  Chip has been there ever since in that oh so handsome hospital gown and socks with the anti-suicidal slip grippers on the bottom. Note to self:  other patients do not all together get the idea of one gown facing front and one gown facing back so your backside is not exposed.  Let’s just say I am not sure which was worse, the old bowl-legged man in the ER with the fire engine red boxers or Chip’s commando roommate.  Neither was Tom Cruise or Tom Selleck.

Without him here, it’s off.  It’s off because he is not just at work or the gym or away on business.  I am worried and I miss him. I always miss him when he’s not here but this time I was more acutely aware of it.

I missed him at dinner Saturday night when I butchered an attempt to make pizza. Jack had the foresight to ask for Sushi instead.

I missed him when we did not take our weekend drive to Saratoga for breakfast in that great little bakery. I ate Cheerios instead.

I missed watching ‘Cuse play and handling the loss is not the same texting your husband from your easy chair to his hospital bed!

I missed him at Amelia’s basketball tournament when her team won and she herself had a great weekend of basketball. I particularly missed him correcting me when I shout, “c’mon ref, that’s not a foul” and he says, ” I know, your kids never foul.” Exactly!

And I missed spooning him.

So the story is an Ode to Diverticulitis because at poor Chip’s expense, I have realized that it was good to skip those few mornings of spin class for a cuddle and I noticed how much he was absent this weekend.

Spend the time when you get that urge to sit together on the couch and hold hands or cuddle in the morning while the house is quiet and all you hear is your dog snoring.

I hope the docs and hospital will release Chip tomorrow morning.  If so, Teri, you may not see me one or two mornings this week.

Wink-wink.