“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(This is Day 9 of Jane’s new regime.

(Jane’s temperature went back up last night: 101 around 10:30 p.m., and the same at about 3:00 a.m. She had blood taken before breakfast — we have no results. A sample of urine was also collected. While Jane was eating a light lunch Lynn came in to start procedures for collecting another urine sample. It would be cultured — for what, we don’t know.

(Then, while she was still eating, two lab technicians came in to take more blood from Jane — this was for a culture that would be grown for a week, they said. They said the doctor had ordered the tests — we thought they meant Jeff Karder.

(Jane was actually a little chilly at times, and asked me to turn up the heat, which was working fine. Her blotchy feet looked much improved, I saw as soon as I got there. She said Jeff had been in that morning, and saw that her feet were better, “Your temperature is up,” he told her. “We’ll have to watch that.”

(Jane said she’d “slept terrifically last night.” She wasn’t worried about her temperature, especially after yesterday’s session. She did her own thing about creating her own reality. She got down to hydro at a decent time this morning, and was back by 11:00. Georgia Cecce visited briefly this morning, looking good. No work for at least a couple of months. A nurse came in to tell us the staff is having its Valentine’s Day party next Tuesday noon, and for me not to eat lunch at the house.

(3:09. Jane began reading yesterday’s session. She had a lot of trouble — perhaps caused by the increase in temperature affecting the sinuses, which in turn affected the eyes again? She did so poorly that she quit reading at 3:13, as I worked on mail. When Judy brought ginger ale Jane decided to quit drinking carbonated liquids. She has taken in considerably more liquid, yesterday and today, and the urine looked much better as a result, staff said.

(Then came the blows. At 3:20 a nurse came in to put a heparin lock in Jane’s right forearm. The lock is a stable opening in a vein for medication: Jane was to go on antibiotics. No sooner did we find that out than one of the two aides returned to take more blood — they “want all they can get,” Jane swore. The aide apologized. “I’d refuse to take the antibiotic,” Jane said, “if it wouldn’t raise such a fuss.” I didn’t know how to respond. It seemed that once again the body’s natural defense mechanisms were being interfered with, according to Seth — but then, why were we here to begin with? I didn’t want to think about it. “I trust my body a hell of a lot more than I do that antibiotic,” Jane said. Judy came in and told us Jeff hadn’t ordered the antibiotic — his wife, Olivia, who is also a doctor, had.

(3:36. After the nurse had inserted the heparin lock, Jane went back to reading the session. She did considerably better as we waited for the antibiotic. I felt discouraged. Her head was stuffy again.

(3:50. Judy came in to take the urine sample. It’s to be cultured like the last blood sample. Jane finished the session at 3:55. She had a smoke. “Then if nobody comes in, I’ll start the session anyway. I suppose they’ll want to take my temperature and blood pressure all over again, too.”)

(4:12. No sooner had Jane spoken Seth’s greeting than a student nurse came in to take her temperature, at 101.2. “Shit,” Jane said. Dorothy came in to take her blood pressure and pulse. We might as well start over,” Jane said after they’d left by 4:18.)

(4:38. Jane was ready for me to turn her on her side by then. By 4:53 I’d just finished massaging her with Oil of Olay when Linda, the RN, came in with the antibiotic. She said it was “a broad spectrum drug” that could kill many germs. Gentamicin 60 mg. in 50 ml NS. She said it would take Jane perhaps half an hour to take it all in, and that afterward Jane would be given a small amount of heparin, which would keep the lock open for future doses. Jane is to get the drug every eight hours. She swore again. “But you’ve got a fever,” Linda said gently. She agreed that some people are allergic to the medication — “there are always side effects.”

(5:05. The tray for supper came as I started my nap. When I got up at 5:40 Jane had absorbed all the antibiotic. Linda came in just as I was on my feet, and helped me haul Jane toward the head of the bed after I’d turned her on her back. Jane showed no reactions to the drug.

(Jane called at about 9:20, with Carla’s help. Her temperature had been taken again after I left — 100.1, or something like that — she said it was down “a few points” from earlier in the day. She sounded good.)