Time Flies When....

Hi, Wonderful People!

We can't believe a week has already gone by since our last post.  It is even harder to believe that I have already started my forth week of radiation.  By mid-day Friday, I will be half way through!!  One of our little chores this week is to trek to the other side of the city to return our rental car to PDX airport.  They don't seem to like renting for more than a month at a time.  A month!!!  Sometimes it seems like we've been here only a few days, and sometimes we can't remember when we weren't here.  Humans are very adaptable creatures.  Luckily, we were able to snag the next month's rental from the Hillsboro airport, which is only five minutes away.

With hospital appointments, building a paper trail with our realtor, and visiting Grandson Rowan and his family, we've been on the go, and truly appreciate periodic quiet moments in our darling temporary neighborhood.  At the same time, we greatly miss the peaceful view of Frederick Sound from the windows of our Petersburg home and all of our wonderful friends there.

There's a good reason that the radiation department is closed on weekends--the body(s) needs some "down" time to heal as much as possible before the next "RADS" (how Kathy refers to radiation).   Past weekends began with a general "puny" feeling, but improved by later on Saturday.  This weekend some of the side effects really knocked me for a loop.  Sunday morning was particularly rough, but by Sunday afternoon I felt much better.  Perhaps it was the healing power of the snuggle time with Rowan, but I even got in a couple of 15 to 20 minute power walks during the afternoon and evening.  I feel much better all around today even after another round of treatment.  We have appointments with the oncologist tomorrow and the naturopath on Thursday.

The visit with the naturopath (shaman) last week resulted in a request for a complete blood workup to check for suspected anemia, a recommendation for adding chicken liver to the diet (to improve the red blood cell count, if necessary), increased yogurt intake (Kathy's been pushing it already), recommendation for "slippery elm" lozenges which should coat the digestive system from top to bottom, "throat coat" tea and turmeric/curcumin capsules to reduce inflammation, and black cohosh to relieve hot flashes from the hormone-blocking therapy.    All of a sudden, I feel like I'm using remedies to counteract the meds/remedies that I'm using to counteract the side effects.  We're trying to stay on top of the side effects as much as possible by utilizing natural remedies and altering diet. 

"Inflammation?" you ask.  It's not the external "sun"burn on the skin, often referred to as radiation burn.  (No way to sugar-coat this.)  My self-diagnosis is radiation proctitis, an internal wound/inflammation of the rectal area behind the prostate caused by radiation, and it's mighty uncomfortable for a lot of reasons.   To say the least, it is a real pain in the rear.  Hence, the slippery elm to coat my system from stem to stern.  Acetaminophen helps pain, and the turmeric capsules we got from the shaman help reduce inflammation.  Apparently, turmeric is the best natural anti-inflammatory available, and it does seem to help.  It was not accidental that both chicken liver recipes we have tried so far contain turmeric.  Mine was an Indian Suka.  Kathy's was a more classic pate'.  While they were edible, in the end, they still tasted very much like chicken liver.    

 I'm Hooked for life

Truly, though, I am learning that one of the very best therapies around is the relaxation and contentment that comes with cuddling and interacting with my favorite newborn, Rowan.  We recently read a quote: "When your newly born grandchild holds your finger in their little fist, you're hooked for life".  So true!  Therefore, we try to get over to visit him and help Erika and Brad whenever and however we can.   Their neighborhood is also a great place for daily walks.  

It seems that my walks there have been gravitating more and more toward the townhouse.  We haven't signed final papers and don't have access to the inside, but I keep looking around the outside for anything that might need to be done if/when we close on it.  Tomorrow afternoon (Tues.) is the inspection.  If that goes well, we can begin working toward making it move-in ready before we return to Alaska. 

Caden and Mickey

While we've been wishing for a return of the spring-like weather of last week, we had a phone call from our almost-six-year-old grandson, Caden, today.  It was wonderful to hear his voice!  He is vacationing with his parents, our son, Matt and daughter-in-law Cascade, in warm California.  He was very excited to tell us all about his day in the Magic Kingdom.  His favorite ride was "It's a Small World"--one of our favorites, too.  We won't get to see them on this trip to the west coast, because they head back home to Massachusetts later in the week.  Thank goodness for video chats!

The past week has been much colder and wetter than the previous week.  The walks we have taken have been more an attempt to maintain a level of exercise than to enjoy the outing.  Regardless of the cooler weather, we are seeing more spring flowers and even an occasional rhododendron in full bloom.   We constantly strive to find ways to keep side effects to a minimum and energy levels at a maximum so that we can enjoy our spring in Oregon.   

We're so glad to hear that longer daylight hours are creeping into the lands up North.   Your little notes and tales bring us laughter and a feeling of support. 

Celebrate Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday or whatever makes you happy!

Take care, live strong, count blessings! 

Shalom,

Barry and Kathy