Dianeham - keeping more normal hours - but far from normal!

Here’s my 2nd 75 topic. I no longer stay up all night. My life is radically different. I am much more active physically than I have been in years. I encounter other people almost daily. I go out - mostly to appointments. I have a new/old friend who I talk to almost every day. All of these changes seem to be good for me.

The reason for all of these changes is not good. My husband has cancer and it fell out of the sky and hit us on the head on March 20th. He was (as we refer to it) medically incarcerated for a month. He went into a hospital on his birthday and a month later was discharged from a nursing home on my birthday. He had surgery to repair a lesion in his right tibia and he is still learning to walk again. He has a walker and a physical therapist comes twice a week. A nurse comes once a week. He starts radiation treatment on his leg on Monday - every day for 2 weeks.

He also has a "mass" in his lung. He is seeing an oncologist. He has his 2nd appointment with her on Monday also. She ordered a pet scan and an mri of his head. They were just approved by the insurance company so we still have to make those appointments. I don’t drive anymore and Michael can’t drive yet. There are 2 friends who have been driving us everywhere.

I didn’t read for a month but I’ve read a little recently. I read an early reviewer scifi All of us Alone, The Best of Archy and Mehitabel and I am currently reading Followed By the Lark.

Loads of strength as you go through this with your husband. It's a scary thing but you have support.
And happy new thread.

>1 dianeham: It almost sounds banal and trite to say happy new thread, Diane, but a new thread might help. xx

You and Michael are in my thoughts and prayers on a daily basis.

It's a very good thing that you are physically active and socially engaged, under these tough circumstances. Help comes from unexpected directions, sometimes.

>4 laytonwoman3rd: I so agree with this. You're shouldering a huge load Diane, and I'm glad to see you have support.

New threads can be invigorating, can't they? My ears pricked at your mention of the Helen Humphreys book. I'll look forward to your comments when you finish it.

Diane it is good of you to share here on LT so we can be all be thinking of you and also Michael too. It sure sounds like you have been amazing in your adjusting to some huge changes. PLease take care of yourself and so pleased that your friends are helping you.

>1 dianeham: I’m glad that you are managing these changes, the good and the no to good, though I do miss your “Up Late Reading” as I used to check for it every night after my midnight Wordle. Now my image of you is changing and you are turning into a brisk sort of woman.

I guess I’ll become used to it Diane, but I’ll never forget that late-night friend.

Good luck with all the future medical stuff, Diane. Thanks for keeping us updated.

>8 kjuliff: Ahh, I don’t know if I want to be brisk.

>10 dianeham: I need a better word, I know. But I can’t think of one right now. I think I mean capable, but that implies you weren’t capable before. I should not have said anything. 🙃

>11 kjuliff: that’s okay. I kinda went from laid back up all night hippie type to high functioning something or other. This is more how I was when I worked. Meanwhile my house is being transformed into a neat and tidy, high functioning home. It was borderline hoarder house.

I always use a stylus because touchscreens leech all the moisture out of my pointer finger and then all the skin peels off my fingers - layers of it. I got a new very fine pointed stylus and when i use it to type I keep missing letters. Then i have to go back and fill them in. But this is easier on the screen then the rubbery styluses.

Followed by the Lark by Helen Humphreys was wonderful. It’s about Henry David Thoreau but more about his everyday inner life then any accomplishments. IT’s a very quiet book. Henry is an observer of nature and nothing gives him more joy. Every change of season seems new to him and throughout his life he sees things he hadn’t observed before despite being in the same spot over and over - like the details of a blueberry bush. I don’t think I would enjoy any other book about Thoreau as much as this one. This book was so tied to nature and a love of nature. The ending was so perfect that I gave it 5 stars. Sometimes a last sentence can push a book from 4.5 to 5 for me and this one did just that.

>13 dianeham: Sometimes a last sentence can push a book from 4.5 to 5 for me

So true Diane. Just as a first sentence is so important that it can be a deciding factor as to whether to continue.

>13 dianeham: Your review reminds me that I live fairly close to Walden Pond. I should make a point of visiting this summer.

>13 dianeham: I recently finished it too Diane and it did not disappoint. I think HH is a treasure!

>13 dianeham: That sounds wonderful, and hits a lot of good notes for me. Onto the wishlist it goes.

I thought her name sounded familiar, and taking a look at her author page I see she's the author of The Frozen Thames, which is in my shopping cart of potential birthday-presents-to-self (I always have a few in reserve in case no one gets me anything).

I love Helen Humphreys' writing. The Frozen Thames, Coventry, and The Lost Garden were all 4.5-star reads for me. Looks like I need to add Followed by the Lark to my library wish list.

>17 lisapeet: :)

>18 lauralkeet: I was wondering what other books of hers to read. I read and liked Rabbit Foot Bill.

Happy new thread Diane!

>20 Owltherian: Lily, welcome to my thread! And thank you.

>21 dianeham: You're welcome, and this thread im starring so i don't forget it exists haha

I just checked out A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark. Haven’t started it yet.

We had a frustrating medical day. More medical stuff tomorrow.

Sorry about the frustrating medical day,Diane. I hope tomorrow is a better day , and that A Far Cry From Kensington catches your interest.

>24 vancouverdeb: thanks Deb

I posted the pictures in my gallery, the red-winged blackbird is kinda hidden in the tree but there

Hope things are going okay for you, Diane.

>27 labfs39: thanks Lisa. Doing pretty good.

I hope things are going well, Diane. Take care of yourself. Followed by the Lark sounds good. I was a fan of The Frozen Thames and Coventry.

>29 BLBera: We should have some news today.

Yesterday we saw the oncologist. They gave michael an infusion of zometa for his bones. The radiation ends next Monday and on Tuesday they will start chemotherapy. The chemo sounds very unpleasant. Michael woke up this morning at 5am with a 101 fever - a side effect of yesterday’s meds. He’s taking tylenol and that is working. The chemo is once every three weeks, I think. I have a whole list of things to get for side effects from the chemo - plus 2 prescriptions for anti-nausea meds. Instructions for beverages - very little caffeine and lots of water. Michael drinks cola all the time. It’s all he ever drinks. So we’ll try caffeine-free Pepsi but he needs better hydration than just that. The infusion will take 4 hours. We canceled his PT § OT today. Saturday he wants to go to an all day open house at the Coast Guard base. I hope he is up to it.

Our organizer/cleaner has finished the kitchen and that is very pleasant. Of course everything is in a different place than it used to be. And we are being invaded by ants. I’m pretty happy with the kitchen just slightly disoriented. Plus I need some things that she got rid of. We needed baking soda to clean with, some how the sink drain stopper has disappeared and I take a supplement for my peripheral neuropathy that she threw away because of the expiration date. The supplement was just one day via amazon so that’s good.

I was exhausted yesterday after the visit to the oncologist. The chemo room really upset me - i found it very depressing and wanted to get out of there. Michael seemed to accept it all better than I did until he woke up freezing at 5am.

I'm sorry that Michael is dealing with the side effects of his treatment. Hopefully it will be super effective and be over soon. I hope that you enjoy your newly organized kitchen once you get used to the new setup.

>31 dianeham: Oh Diane, you and Michael really have your work cut out for you. I wish I could help but obviously I can’t. All I can do is tell you that my thoughts are with you and I hope you and Michael are getting all the help you need during this very difficult time.

>33 kjuliff: we are good for getting rides places. I use Instacart for food deliveries. There was one week when people were bringing food. I liked that. My nephew and his wife took us out for the birthday dinner that we missed because hubby went in the hospital. That was last week and Michael was feeling great. Michael wasn’t prepared for the possibility of chemo and things being really hard again for a while. He’s been sleeping all day.

I'm thinking of you and Micheal often, Diane. Sorry that the chemo is so hard. Hopefully it will be very effective and over soon. My thoughts and prayers are with both of you. And an ant invasion! Oh dear! I'm glad your kitchen is organized, even if it does take a while to get used to it.

Ah Diane, thinking of you and Michael. There's no way other than through all this, but it's hard.

Post-surgery and during chemo/radiation, Jeff went through a lot of Ensure—they make it in different flavors, kind of like a shake with melted ice cream. May not be Michael's thing if he's a soda guy, but they're good protein/hydration sources.

I’ve been reading L. Frank Baum books. And today is his birthday. I read The Enchanted Island of Yew and am now reading Queen Zixi of Ix. Both books are about fairies and mortals. This article got me interested https://www.publicbooks.org/b-sides-l-frank-baums-the-enchanted-island-of-yew/

>31 dianeham: Stark and very sobering, Diane. I can almost imagine being inside the consulting room.
I'm sure that I speak for so many of your friends here in continuing to keep you both in our prayers. xx

Hi Diane - just caught up on your threads and my heart goes out to you and Michael. I really hope things hang in there for you and your support network continues to work out.

Thank you all.

Today has been exhausting. I did laundry and tidied up a little. Made michael lunch. Then the PT person came. Followed by the exterminator who is also a great friend. And then a nurse. Michael got dizzy during pt. His bp is low and his o2 was barely up to normal. He’s sleeping again now. After the nurse left, groceries were delivered. I didn’t even think to order something for dinner. So now I don’t know what we’re having for dinner. I must have made 7 trips to bring all the groceries in.

We’re having family company on Sunday - Michael’s niece and her 4 children as well as Michael’s sister. And they are bringing pizza from the Wildwood boardwalk. We’re excited about that.

It sounds like everything is hard right now, Diane. You can only do the best you can. Take care of yourself as well. Fingers crossed that things get easier. Good luck with the chemo.

Hi Diane, you sure have a lot to deal with right now. I'm glad you have family close enough to visit, and if they're bringing pizza so much the better. I hope it gives you and Michael a much-needed emotional boost.

Michael had his first chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday. So far no side effects. They say that comes after 3 days. Michael went to a retirement ceremony of one of his friends at the Coast Guard base today. He enjoyed that very much and people were really glad to see him.

I just started a book called Martyr!.

>44 dianeham: I hope Michael tolerates the chemo well Diane. Sending good thoughts to you both.

>45 kjuliff: thank you.

I live on the coast in NJ. We have lots of dolphins here in the ocean. Earlier this week a bottlenose dolphin swam up the Delaware Bay and ended up in a local creek. They were unsuccessful at coaxing the dolphin back out of the creek so they tried catching it in a net. The dolphin panicked and within a few minutes it died. Maybe they shouldn’t have interfered.

>47 dianeham: That's sad. It's hard to know whether to try to help or let nature deal with it. I believe bottlenose dolphins do occasionally visit freshwater creeks and estuaries.

Fingers crossed that Michael will continue to tolerate the chemotherapy.

>48 laytonwoman3rd: They said there was enough salt in the creek. And it was eating.

>49 BLBera: He’s really tired now.

Hello Diane, thinking of you both today!

It's sad to think of such a beautiful creature dying in panic. A good reminder that good intentions don't always bode well with wild animals.

I'm glad Michael's first chemo is done. One down!

He’s been sleeping most of the day. I got him up for dinner and now he’s sleeping again.

Still sleeping…

He’s sleeping again all day today but he wants to go to the Coast Guard base tomorrow and on Wednesday we have to go to see his surgeon and that’s 2 hours away.

Hope all is going as well as it can be, Diane.

>57 AlisonY: Thanks Alison.

Hopefully he can sleep through some of the nausea and gain some strength through rest. How are you holding up?