Learning and understanding

It’s cooler, especially at night, and I’m loving it for sleep.  No need for a fan, just a light blanket and I’m perfectly happy with that.  During the day, though, I’m usually wrapped in an oversized sweater (all my sweaters are oversized) because it’s so cool.  Not quite chilly, but still not warm!  Jerry is very happy at the moment because his  worker came over for a bit, but he’s being defiant and won’t stop barking from excitement.  We finally locked him on the balcony with Don in a vain effort to keep him quiet, thinking that if he can’t see her, he won’t bark… silly me.  Don seems to be moving fairly easily, which is good, and his appetite is healthy.  He’s also glued to US election news, which bores me stiff when I’m not enraged, so I have been finding cozy murder mysteries, animated shows and other light entertainment to change from the insanity. My transfusion is set for tomorrow, which will be a long day as I need to do a blood match 4 h...

It persists in being cooler; autumn is definitely here.  The trees are starting to change colours, too which I’d overlooked until it sank in that we’re almost in October so it makes sense that they’re gold instead of green.  It’s about 13 overnight, which makes it comfortable to sleep.  Jerry has suddenly become subject to separation anxiety.  I have no idea what’s triggered it, but any phone call makes him start barking and he runs to the door to growl.  I’m running out of ideas as to why he’s doing this and how to correct it.  Don is continuing well; he doesn’t seem to have any additional pain, which is very comforting.  He still is limited in how far he can walk, but he seems to be reasonably ok.  I’m happy about that, as you can imagine. I’m still feeling weak and shaky, which is unsurprising given my iron levels.  I’ve been sleeping quite a bit, although I passed a nuit blanche  (I liked the definition of nuit blanche  and nuit...

Ah, Google… I’ve lost access to my photos again, no idea why it does this.  Temperature has dropped so it’s almost chilly and I have to break out my sweater again.  I’m lost in one of them, it’s so large on me!  Jerry is busy being snuggly and affectionate, and spent a good hour snoring on my lap while I was trying to watch a show.  Don seems to be reasonably ok, not in extreme pain, so that’s good. My cough stopped for a couple of days, which was great, then last night I couldn’t stop coughing until almost 4am!  Then, of course, I couldn’t wake up this morning… I’ll try an earlier night tonight and see if that helps.  My CT scan was on Monday, and I saw my oncologist yesterday.  The preliminary report shows that things are fairly stable (DG) with a little shrinkage. We’re waiting for the formal report, but the first look is optimistic.  Many thanks for all the prayers as ever!  They continue to work.  On the less good side, my hemoglobi...

So it’s been slightly cloudy and warm today, slightly humid, which makes it hard to breathe easily. Jerry is standing in the kitchen staring at me waiting for any indication that he can jump into my lap.  Don has been feeling a little better, thankfully, and made me some tea and a snack, which was super helpful. I’ve still got a persistent cough, and if I talk I start hacking over and over.  I took some OTC cold meds, which helps a bit, but still I’m struggling.  I sleep very well, thankfully, and I have to make myself get up in the morning, or I’d sleep until nighttime.  I woke up craving a certain meal today, but I don’t have the energy to cook it so unfortunately I didn’t get to eat it.  I’m hoping that I can ask my worker to do some light cooking for me so I’ll have something more substantial to eat.  Don is annoyed that I’m not eating enough, and I realize that I haven’t had anywhere near enough calories.  Once again the pharmacy is back ordered o...

This is going to be short.  I have been struggling to breathe easily and I’ve been coughing almost nonstop.  It’s extremely frustrating and exhausting, as I have to stop to catch my breath after taking a few steps.  It’s also quite painful as I feel weak and like I’m about to faint from a lack of air.  The cough is really draining, I’m sorry to say.  I didn’t eat much for the last couple of days as I felt so weak.  I’m not enthusiastic about upcoming appointments, but I’m resting as much as I can and regaining some energy.  Jerry is being very attentive and not letting me out of his sight for any length of time, and right now is on my toes.  Don is OK; he is also having breathing problems as it’s getting hot and humid again, so I hope things improve soon. I’ll just end now; I am feeling wiped out, so I’m going to take some rest.  Good night

The weather is beautiful for the last few days; sunny and warm, which is just lovely and a bit of a breeze.  I’m pleased that it’s warm and comfortable and no real need for for sweaters or shawls or anything of the sort.  Jerry has not let me out of his sight at all since last night; he’s been on my lap, wagging his tiny stump and wriggling to sprawl across my belly.  He’s been trying to type while I’m typing, so that makes for some interesting edits!  Don is doing well, not complaining about any pain, which is fabulous because I was a little worried about him while I was away.  They seem to have taken reasonable care of themselves, although there’s a lot of stuff to do still, but I’m taking a break and it will get done over time.  I have no idea what sports he’s been watching, but I just left it for a while; it will be sorted out eventually. I have to apologize for a week’s silence.  That cold and cough just knocked me out completely.  I fell asl...

The weather has improved over the last couple of days, and it’s warm enough that I don’t need the sweaters any more, which is nice.  I was also able to ditch the cozy socks, so my toes are happy to be free again.  Silly things that make me happy, I know.  My sister’s dog has a strong attraction for my toes, and he jumps on me as soon as I move… he’s got this habit of running up to me when I’m walking downstairs, which is unsafe for everyone.  Jerry is at least wagging his tail when he hears my voice, so there’s some progress in that area, at least!  Don has been on his own for 3 weeks now and I’m absolutely certain that he’s been glued to US politics and sports, and that he’s probably been ordering every possible cake/pie/sweet thing that he can possibly find!  It will stop when I get back home, sadly, and he’ll have to eat “real” food again… don’t tell him, ok? So yesterday I dragged myself out of bed, only because my room is also my sister’s home office a...

It rained quite a bit yesterday and last night; I woke up to hear rain pattering on the roof and the wind in the trees.  Today was sunny and cool, which was quite nice although it was too chilly to be outdoors for me unless I was wrapped up and blanketed.  The boys continue to do well, I’m happy to report.  We talk a lot, and text even more, so I’m relieved that he’s doing well, although I’m not certain that he’s eating properly because he dodges my questions when I ask what he’s been eating.  The tiny dictator has not destroyed my cushions so I know he’s not totally furious at me and I’ll be forgiven for running off and leaving him.  I’m not deprived of puppy companionship as my sister has a small dog which is determined to make me trip… he attacks my toes as soon as he sees me. I’m sorry to report that I’ve been sick since yesterday.  I started off sneezing, sniffling, with a thickly throat, and I could not get warm at all.  I had to get an extra bla...

It’s starting to get cooler, and the autumn seems to be ready to move in!  Mornings are almost chilly, late evenings also, but daytime is usually lovely, moderately warm with some sunshine.  It’s the light-sweater stage of coolness, where sandals and shorts are still options, but a light sweater or shawl makes a difference.  Although Don told me that it was 6C and raining in Ottawa (it was easily three times that here!) he said that he was really cold from the wind, although he’d apparently closed the window already… Jerry likes this weather, and would be perfectly happy if it stayed like this indefinitely.  He gets perkier when it’s cooler and enjoys running around and would roll in the grass to his little heart’s content.  He’s still pretending that I don’t exist, and will for the next week! I’m getting very frustrated with my energy levels, or rather, the lack thereof.  If I do stuff for a couple of hours, I need almost double that time to rest so that I...

Photos seem to be working again, so here’s a view of Niagara from a couple of days ago!  Today we woke up to pouring rain with lightning and thunder, and it rained off and on all day long.  Spoke with my boys this morning, and Jerry continues to pretend that I don’t exist, while Don seems to be in a good mood and it appears that his pain is fairly well managed at this point.  It is Friday, so he’s going to be glued to the football game, which is liable to be rained out, and I’ll hear about it either way… I really needed rest yesterday.  I slept for several hours during the day from noon to about 4 and I felt weak and dizzy.  That cleared up after I had a couple of glasses of water, so note to self:  drink lots of fluid!!  Today I got the PICC line dressing changed, but it refused to give any blood return.  We flushed it with about 6 syringes of saline, but not so much as a hint of red in the return… that’s annoying, to say the least, and might mea...

You’ll have to do without pictures again; I don’t know what is going on, and frankly I don’t have the time to deal with it now.  It was a beautiful day, lots of sun and a light breeze; it was distinctly cooler by the lake.  My boys are doing well, although the tiny dictator continues to pretend that I don’t exist!  I got a call today that I’ve been waiting for, although I’d given up hope.  The agency called to say that they had reevaluated Don’s referral and now he’s eligible for 2 hours of a personal support worker per week!  I’m very relieved. I had a good, late sleep last night, and did not come down for breakfast before school.  This was met with stern disapproval, and a complaint called upstairs before they left… I also had a good bowl of corn soup made by my friend; I could definitely eat more of that!  There’s food in the fridge for me, so I don’t have to worry for a while! I got a haircut done last night; my friend’s mom gets a hairdresser to c...

The little photo app gremlins are back at work, and I can’t access my pictures.  So, sadly, no images of lush gardens to share!  It was a beautiful day today, slight autumnal coolness in the air this morning, but it was pleasantly warm.  Definite shorts-and-tshirt weather and a lovely day to return to school.  I spoke with my boys this morning, and the tiny dictator acknowledged my presence by wagging his little nub of a tail, but he still refused to look at the camera, just rolled on his back and tried to knock the phone out of Don’s hand!  Don looks like his normal self, and seems to have a bit more energy, which I always like, so that was a good start to the day! I was awake at 7am because it’s the first day of school and the morning volume was unusually high 😝 I did sleep quite well, although that is far too early for me to be out of bed… I don’t remember how I used to manage to be awake, functioning and in the office by 7:30 regularly!  Honestly! ...

Lovely sunny weekend, with a bit of a breeze outdoors.  We found it was getting chilly last night and had to move from the back patio indoors, and same this afternoon.  Bit of clouds in the morning, and it’s distinctly cool overnight, which is lovely for sleep!  My boys continue to enjoy their grass widowerhood, and are apparently having considerable fun without me.  Jerry has now reached the stage of knocking the phone out of Don’s hand when he’s texting as well as when we’re on a call; so that conveys his opinions.  Don says that he’s eating — and today sent me a copy of a receipt from delivery — so I’ll have to believe him.  I’ve also asked someone to pop in and just check in on him, and all reports suggest that he’s behaving.  Either he’s turned over a new leaf or he’s getting better at being sneaky about stuff! In case you were wondering, I’m fine and having a great, if tiring time, with the family.  I slept late for the last couple of days, ...