Did you ever have the feeling that things are going too good? Well, it’s been that way around here. Suzanne eating every meal with me at the counter; spending hours quilting for friends and customers; reading and keeping up with Facebook friends. Sometime mid last week the walls crashed in around her. Reactions to the radiation treatments began to get the best of her as the mucus in her throat worsened, the pain in her throat intensified, and her desire…
Thanksgiving is a day of reflection, the day that we are supposed to stop and think about all that our journey here on earth has given us. Family, a home, and friendship are the first that come to mind. This morning, after I had finished my morning routine, I asked Google to ” Play me some Thanksgiving Music”. An eclectic round of music ensued; some funny, some sad, and some calming. Most were thoughtful about being grateful for all that…
We all have had teachers in our lives that have impacted us in some way. Someone who encouraged us to go to college, some to make us strive for our goals, and others who pushed us to be the best that we can be. School teachers that made sure our education was put to good use. We also have teachers that were put in our lives to teach us how to be better human beings. Some of those individuals we…
Yesterday, another test and follow up visit at Rush Medical was our outing for the week. With Covid finding new and unusual suspects lately, we have been pretty much hermits trying to keep Suzanne safe. First up, a video fluoroscopic swallowing exam. The goal was to see what damage the radiation did to Suzanne’s ability to swallow. It uses a special real-time form of x-ray called fluoroscopy that records what she swallows. I was able to watch as Suzanne swallowed…
Sunday morning is a marvelous time of the week! The sun is shining, the birds are singing and it’s a great day to be alive. For me, Sunday mornings are a day of lazy awakenings as the world seems to move a little slower, an extra cup of coffee, sometimes a special breakfast, and then Church. Church is different for everyone; a calling, an obligation, a sense of community, a mental alliance with a higher power, a time of meditation,…
Today Suzanne had her two-week checkup at Rush Medical Center. After a blood draw, she met with a variety of Doctors First up was a new one, an Occupational Therapist who is concerned with swelling in her neck and it’s relationship with her lymph node system. Not finding much so far, she provided Suzanne with massage techniques to encourage the body to keep the swelling down. Second up, her Chemo Therapy doctor. He reviewed her current blood work which showed…
It’s been one week since Suzanne finished her radiation treatments and this was her toughest yet. Her throat pain, mouth sores, and dry mouth issues continued to increase in severity for most of the week making it more difficult to eat & drink. Trying all the tricks including increasing her pain medication along with mouth rinses and topical meds have helped some but not enough. At this time, calories are king, and trying to get her to eat is of…
For the past seven weeks, we had planned that today was supposed to be Suzanne’s last radiation treatment. Since her doctors were able to double up on one last week, we get today off. In fact, we get the rest of the week off, and even more. From here on, our schedule is dictated by time. First checkup in 2 weeks. Second checkup, 2 weeks later. Third checkup, a month after that. And then the day of reckoning, a month…
In my mind, ‘Faith’ is another one of those words that can lend itself to be troublesome for a Christian. As I wrote earlier, the word believe recognizes that there is some doubt as to whether something is real. But faith, for some reason, seems to has a little stronger connotation of reality. Faith, besides having a generic definition of “belief that is not based on proof”; as in ‘I have faith in your decision’. Faith also has an accepted…
We are home!!! Back in our own bed last night; No Ambulance sirens; No elevator bells; No Hallway doors baning. Just the peace and quiet of the country life we so much love (and the occasional howl of a coyote at the train whistle in the distance). This morning was coffee in bed together as usual and as it should be; A leisurely breakfast with no place to be; Enjoying the birds on the feeder, and the cats at the…