Online Again

Answering E-Mails

Today Rene decided that she needed to read and respond to all the e-mail messages that have been piling up in her inbox. This double as great exercising for her hand coordination to increase her flexibility and overall mobility.

Additionally, she can now catch up with all postings prior to this one that I have authored; I don't think I will have to post any corrections online and I think I will not have to worry about getting both the "look" and a "talk". I cling to the free speech banter and attempts to censor information unless she threaten to curtail my relationship with my "mistresses"!

She is getting great messages with pictures from friends and the best have been from her cousins in Germany. We went to Germany on our honeymoon and the seeing her family and the landscape brought a smile to both of us. We have to go back and see everyone again, of course the great food and beer is a great reason also!

Cheeky Bugger

Keeping true to her stubborn nature, she is requesting that I don't assist overnight when needs to get up. This request was modifed to limit my assistance to turning on a light for her. I believe she will require me to install a night light and let her try this "dancing" with her walker with my help. Yes, she planning to "kick me to curb" in this area once she is in control!

Light Bulb Moment!

Took You Long Enough!

Today Rene realized how long she maybe out of the hospital before her next tour of chemo! I told her when her next Rituxan treatment was and after awhile she became excitable that she has a long recovery time. We all know that her oncologist has a sense of humor and could change the dates on her. He will do this from the safety of his office and I get to deal with the associated rage from her.

Today she got her usual blood booster shot in her stomach to get the red counts in high gear. She has eleven days before she needs her outpatient chemo (Rituxan). This allows her to build her strength from more walking and other associated physical therapy exercises. With the pending arrival of one of her high school girlfriends, I get to have dual women folk discussions! Lord help me, this is where they compare notes and we men get skinned on general principle!

She still has most of her hair and I think after this next tour, she will have the Sinead O'Connor look. One less thing to fret about in the morning. I think she is consider the rabbit ears once the hair is gone! I told her it will be easier to maintain than me; I still have to shave my head!

Enjoying Home

Glad To Be Back

Rene could not stop smiling when she walked through door and our dog Bara was excited to see and greet her with a chew toy. When she came back after her third stay, Bara shunned her and was afraid to come near her; I felt Bara knew she was very sick and stayed away from her.

She is must stronger after this round of chemo than her previous first three visits. She had no problem with her appetite, mouth sores, headaches, or feeling nauseous. She gets the remainder of this week and the next weeks off at this point. So if that doesn't change, she goes back to the hospital for her fifth round the week of July 16th.

She still has limited mobility but she is gaining more strength back, she can lift her legs into any assistance from me. Depending on the type of chair she is in, she is able to get out of it to her walker with little or no assistance either. She is being a little "speed demon" walking around with her walker and having both the dog and cat play with her.

Getting Sprung Today

Going Home Today

Rene is very excited because getting out of the hospital today. This round of chemo did not impact negatively has her previous ones. She did not suffer any bouts of nausea this time and her mouth sores were very limited so her appetite did not suffer. She is looking forward to not having someone come into the room at all hours of the night to check on her, take vitals, blood or change IV fluids for a couple weeks. Time for the dog and cats to gather around her and she will very happy with that.

Regaining Control

Who's Driving Here?

Yesterday Rene was a bit out of it due to her blood levels being too low. Her oncologist ordered her to get a boost of both red and white blood transfusions. She knew that she needed this because her legs felt heavy and needed help getting out of bed and chair again. She still did her exercises even though they made her very tired (she beginning to love the burn!).

She has just been told that she will leave the hospital sometime tomorrow and come home. She and the animals will be very happy about that one! I have only one more day of delivering unique food to her. Her gourmet burrito served her well yesterday. I think she wants Chinese tonight and then who knows what she will want went she gets back home.

Unseen Forces....

"No Leaving For You..."

It seems that Rene's immune system is still playing a game of tag at the moment. She is getting white blood today and she doesn't need any platelets. She is not getting out of the hospital anytime soon it seems. Maybe this weekend and it is based on her counts being stable and at the proper levels.

She is ok with this, she knows the impact of getting out before she is stable. All she wants to do is relax at home without any issues. I will play the role of "cabana boy" for her dinner orders this week; I know she is planning to make requests for exotic stuff this week.

Steady State Still

No Change Still

Not much to report on today, she is still doing well even with her immune system in a weaken state. She is waiting for her blood counts to increase so she can leave the hospital. She has been able to get out a chair without any assistance. This means that she is beginning to obtain a bit more strength and therefore increase her overall mobility.

Yesterday I was given the day off from delivery service, it proved not to be a good idea for her. She order grilled salmon from the kitchen and she quickly discovered that salmon in a hospital is not the same when ordered in a restaurant. So today she really enjoyed her Fuddrucker's cheese burger with a baked potato and I dealt with her wrath because they could unable to make a chocolate malt shake to go with it. I quickly recovered by getting her chocolate ice cream from the hospital cafeteria.

Keep your fingers crossed that she will be able get out by this coming weekend and that she is has uneventful time at home. She will probably get two weeks to relax before her fifth tour of chemo treatment begins. Either way, she will be ready for it. Since we know the current status of her tumor and the success of treatment, there is less mystery in all of this.

Hollywood? I'm Ready!

In Good Hands

This week a local independent newspaper published an article about Phoenix Valley hospitals and somehow Rene was selected for the picture with two of her nurses! Personally, I think this was an inside job by her nurses since they love caring for her. I am not complaining, their care of her is the reason she is doing so well in my opinion.

She is still doing very well even with her immune system beginning to finally begin its nadir. Between her oncologist and her nurses today she accepted that her nadir is truly a good thing. A key indicator that chemo is working is that her immune has "tanked". This way, medically they know that the chemo is working.

Additionally with her nadir, is the re-emergence of her mouth sores. Right now they are not impacting her ability to eat or have cravings for certain types of food. Yesterday she recommended that I should get a blanco pizza with chicken, artichokes, and garlic for her dinner.

This order was fulfilled with me going downstairs to obtain chocolate ice cream to top it off! I have created a food delivery monster here; I only hope she remembers this when college football begins this fall and I am in another world enjoying SEC battles along with Norte Dame football ( I'm Catholic and this year we have the Vatican Bowl; ND vs. Boston College; i.e. good Catholics vs. bad Catholics!).

Not Forgotten

For some reason, Rene feels that our pets and people will forget about her?! This is known in husband speak as the "tripwire"! I remind her that the dog and cats have not forgotten her and people have not either. I think I was successful in convincing her today; I still think is was toying with me so she can use it against me!

I'm In Trouble Now....

Bottoming Out

Well Rene has finally begun her journey into her nadir period, she was informed yesterday that her absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were at the high infection levels. Her oncologist was relieved to see this because he was beginning to wonder if she actually received any chemo based on how well she was doing. She did not share his joy when informed!

So she is back to requiring everyone to use hand sanitizer before touch her, no raw foods, avoid anyone with a cold, and mouth sores. Her immune system is tanking again and I hope it will be a short trip compared to previous ones.

Either way I expect her to be bit cranky (this is a good thing) until this clears up. She wanted coconut shrimp and a baked potato with the works from Outback last night; she is probably "hedging her bets" before she sucking down blended foods for awhile!

She was keeping busy with her exercising yesterday and her therapist is VERY pregnant! Since I don't know what it means to be a father, I was surprised that she was aiding Rene with her walking! If Rene were to slip, how she going to get her up? Yes, my "Southern" is coming out!!

Green Eyed Monster

Wrong Answer!

Rene has been very stable since the completion of her medicines this round. She asked her oncologist if this is how her results should be. True to form, he was a "doctor" with his response, "no, you should have issues". Internally she was screaming to herself saying, "can't you just sugar coat your reply?" and the answer is no! Since she is being treated for cancer, there is no sugar coating allowed!

Since she was on the warpath, I threw gas on the fire by saying, "enjoy this time before you bottom out". At this point, she was annoyed, I am a man and her husband, and I was going to feel her pain. I should have brought another chocolate drumstick and offered it as a deterrent. This is not a coward's way out or being jejune; this is called surviving your spouse's mood when it cannot be calmed! Yesterday all she wanted for dinner was a roast beef submarine sandwich; red meat to fit her mood!

Jealousy

For the past 6 years Rene has dealt with mistresses in my life and I began a new relationship with another woman. I really enjoy the various tones this bass makes and I will need about six weeks with "her" to determine if this will become my primary bass. If not, it is either my Stingray or Precision basses for gigs. You didn't think I was talking about a person? Between a wife and mother, why add additional stress in my life! At least these are "women" that Rene knows and she can always "speak" to them about their control over me...

"You Wascally Wabbit!!"

Nadir Avoidance

I have to admit that I am surprised how well Rene has been with this round of chemo. She has not had any problems so far with nausea, mouth sores, appetite, or being anemic. If her immune system continues to be this strong, she may final have a good stay at a hospital. The cynic in me says, "watch out" because the human body is very fickle!

She is taking longer walks around the floor and is not "winded" by this at all. For the past two nights she has done something she hasn't been able to for nearly four weeks. She is able to lift her legs by herself to get into bed, I think the exercising is paying off. Last night her cravings for dinner were coconut shrimp and a baked potato with the works from Outback; it works for her!

I'm Exercising Still!

I Have A Goal...

Well it seems that the strategy that her oncologist is taking it keep her white blood cells and platelets at required levels may be working. She is getting shots to keep these her bone marrow working to produce these cells even thought the levels have not dipped. If this works, her immune system will not be weaken and her nadir could be thwarted! After receiving her transfusion of red blood on Sunday evening, her counts returned to their normal levels.

Her physical therapist took her for a long walk yesterday on the floor and didn't impact her. If any of you have seen the remake of Mel Brooke's "Producers", one of the best scenes is Nathan Lane getting checks from widows! I told Rene that when she can do the dance routine that those widows did with their walkers, she can declare herself healed! I don't understand why she gave me the "husband" look?

Right now I believe the dietary staff is feeling left out at dinner time! She has only eats breakfast and lunch from their kitchen. Her dinner theme last night was Italian and it was pasta bolognese from Pasta Pomodoro, one of her favorites. She chased her meal with that chocolate drumstick that her brought with her Klondike bar on Sunday. As long as she is doing this type of eating, she is well!

Milestone

Yesterday made 90 days that Rene has been going through her treatment for lymphoma. Her condition on March 18th vs. June 18th shows how much she has gone through. I am glad to say that she is still on the strong side! Because she is just a stubborn German to begin with, I should not be surprised that she is doing so well! I have yet to meet a Haertel that doesn't fight back when confronted with any issues!

Its A Waiting Game

Patience Required

Today Rene learned from her oncologist that she is doing well and that her white blood counts and platelets are still strong. She will receive shots to keep them that way and if her immune system doesn't tank, she may not need to stay in the hospital as long. Because this has been communicated to her, she will be a "nudge" everyday about her counts! Worst, if her immune system decides it wants to bottom out, she will be very unhappy and I get to deal with it! Time to polish up my body armor just in case!!

Her right big toe nail continues to dangle and she will have to let nature take its course. I am not allowed near it to just remove it so this will occupy her also. What I mean, is that she will be very annoyed and will make life difficult for anyone that tries to touch it or talk her into just removing it! So I can only hope she just bandages it up and nothing happens...it something does happen, it will be my fault because I am a MAN and her HUSBAND.

Its Draining...

Chemo Always Wins

Since today is Rene's seventh day in the hospital, her body is beginning to show signs of her latest chemo treatment. She is reluctantly acknowledging that she is feeling very weak today and wished that it would not occur. Her oncologist stated that she will receive a red blood transfusion tomorrow and we all know what that means!

Even though the signs are there, she has been handling this round much better than any previous time. Today she requested that I bring her a Klondike Heath Bar to go with her lunch. To protect myself, I also brought a chocolate drum stick also so she could have that later. Her nurses are enjoying this very much and I should be getting their orders before Rene gets out!

Overall I feel she will weather this round better than the others, however since I am just her husband my opinion doesn't matter. She isn't surprised by her condition, she is just bored and would rather be at home than at the hospital. It is great that she is so bored because it show a different point in her treatment that she normally doesn't exhibit. She will be emotional at times and this should not be a surprise to her or anyone else.

What Can I Do?

I Am Bored!

Rene finished her chemo medicines last night and is awaiting test results to see if additional medicines are needed. She is still feeling fine from all of this and will probably need a red blood transfusion by Monday. Her white blood cell and platelets are fine at the moment so that means her nadir should not begin as of this afternoon.

Unlike her past two cycles, she is very alert, eating, exercising, and not suffering any complications. Because of this, she is looking for things to keep herself occupied. I foresee a Scrabble battle forthcoming in all of this. Additionally, her right foot is about a lose a toe nail! She stubbed it two months about and drew blood; today a girlfriend stopped by to remove her toenail polish and discovered that the nail had separated from the skin. More to come on this one, her nurses stated, "you never have boring issues to deal with!".

Food, Food, & Food

She is eating and not feeling any nausea as of today and I think she may have a short period during her nadir where she won't eat. For those keeping count of her dinner requests, it was filet mignon (medium rare) with a baked potato yesterday. I surprised her with Spanish food today and brought her paella from Pepin around the corner from her hospital. Her nurses are encouraging this because she is much stronger and they enjoy seeing what her daily menu for dinner will be. Lately she likes "chasing" dinner with a dessert of some kind; I don't ask, I just bring!

Forecast

We both think she should begin her downturn the middle of next week. She has already requested her medicated mouth wash for her upcoming mouth sores. Since she has not had her usual fatigue and lost appetite by this time, this may not be a critical nadir because she is stronger this time.

Look Behind You

Chemo's Impacts Are Creeping Up....

So far she is moving right along with her standard reaction to her treatment. On day four of her treatment she is beginning to feel weak and her red blood counts are beginning to diminish. Today is the last day of receiving her medicines and she will be glad, her nurses have a lot of IV bags they have to give her throughout the night. I anticipate that she will need to get a blood transfusion before the weekend is over as well as a Procrit shot to boot.

A Different Approach

Rene is spending less time in bed and sitting up to aid her recovery. She is able to read and exercise still so this is a huge improvement. She still has a great appetite and "Eugene's Delivery" provided Pei Wei for her dinner. At this point, we are preparing for her nadir to begin next week and it should not be as intense as her last one. I am still waiting for her to have a few "Purple Haze" conversations with me, I have to embarrass her with something out of this cycle!

Smooth Sailing So Far

No Out-Of-Body Yet!

Yesterday was an uneventful day for Rene with no issues associated with her treatment. The cycle of chemo is a repeat of her 2nd round. That round is when I discovered that she hates not being in control and she was "floating" above her body! I want to see if she figures out why Demi Moore is not pregnant yet from her 2nd cycle.

Attitude

She is really doing well right now going into today and the great feedback about her scan is large reason for this. She enjoyed spending the day with a couple friends that came to the hospital to visit her also. The only reason she was happy to see me was because I came with her dinner; a white pizza with chicken and artichokes! She is getting into using her DVD player for movies along with her Zune for music; I will be kicked to the curb soon...

Finally!!

Great Results

Today was the first time Rene truly received great news about her treatment. Her PET Scan from Friday revealed that she is responding to her chemo treatment positively. When compared to her CT Scan from March, her lymph nodes and nodules in her breasts are no longer enlarged, are diminished in size, and they could not detect any malignant hyper metabolism!

Her pelvic region had the largest tumor (12 centimeters) and it is now 6 centimeters in size. The shrinking of this tumor is significant because it showed very little metabolic activity and therefore it could be just inflamed or still has some malignancy left in it. Basically, it seems that this tumor is “dead”!

All the hell that Rene has endured with her first three cycles of chemo is paying off in spades at the moment. We know that this battle is far from being over, and it provides a major breakthrough for her! Yep, things are defiantly turning around for her.

Day Two

Rene was “pumped” by this news, even her oncologist was “dancing” when he gave her the news this morning. She spent the rest of the day enjoying DVD movies, doing her physical therapy and trying music therapy. Music therapy uses various instruments and the patients are encouraged to “play” the instruments with assistance. This will benefit Rene with regaining her motor skills in her hands.

Appetite

She is very motivated to continue eating to keep her strength up based on her PET Scan results. Today she enjoyed fresh food from Pei Wei and she chased it with a slice of apple pie. She hasn’t eaten deserts in nearly five years, this was a breakthrough. I guess I will either serve her a pizza or steak from Outback tomorrow. I really don’t care what she eats, as long as she continues to eat before “chemo mouth” gets her!

Many Thanks

I want to take this time to thank everyone again for your support, prayers, cards and recent group picture from Cave Creek Wines. She has the smaller version of the picture in her hospital room and it is being guarded by Chemo! The nurses still want to take Chemo home with them!

True Sports Fan

One of my co-workers just returned home from surgery to address prostate cancer. He is a rabid hockey fan and completely hates anything Detroit Red Wings! During his recovery period right after surgery, the doctor informed his wife that he could hear her but he would not be able to respond because he was sedated.

She then asked her him the following question in front of the surgeon, “how about those Red Wings?”. He surprised the doctor that he responded to his wife by saying immediately, “#@*! the Red Wings!!!”. Yes, he is a true sports fan…

Hit The Ground Running....

Day One Fun!

The tranquil time of being at home changed quickly once Rene got back to the hospital yesterday. First her port was not allowing for easy access of any IVs. Therefore the needles cause great discomfort to Rene and this could not be avoided! Afterwards, she received her intrathecal chemo yesterday, this usually occurs on the 3rd day...not this time!

This type of chemo usually takes a lot out of her but this time it was just one medicine instead of three. Additionally she is use to this and therefore it did not present many problems except for one. She had just completed a milkshake a friend brought her and she was laying on her stomach; yep the pressure on her stomach caused her to throw-up; damm, she didn't get to enjoy the taste of that shake too long!

Chipotle To The Rescue

To aid with quicker recovery this time she is eating different types of food that are NOT from the hospital. Last night she enjoyed a gourmet burrito for dinner and she had no problem eating when she got it! So I will tempt her with various outside goodies for dinner until she gets her usual "chemo mouth". She plans to keep her Rum Raisin with chocolate going even when she is in the hospital.

Exercising

Her nurse was able to find a nice comfy chair for her room so this should aid with keeping her track with her physical therapy. This is really the first time since Rene started her hospital treatments that she has been able to rest without any problems and come in strong. This should aid her with a faster recovery period.

"Welcome Back Mrs. Haertel-Eva!"

Back To The Hospital

Well Rene is back in for cycle #4 as of this morning. It is ironic that today the Phoenix Valley was not bright and sunny, instead if gray and overcast. You think Mother Nature is not happy either about this! Her nurses have begun stopping by to see her and welcome her back to their care. It seems that the 5th floor where Rene usual stays is being renovated and she is now on the 4th floor.

The nurses are hunting for a big comfy chair for her to sit in because she doesn't want to spend the entire time in bed this cycle. I will work with her in the evening on her exercises and hopefully this afternoon, she will get a walk in before the IVs are hooked up to her. Let's see what the next 3 weeks bring for our little girl!

Nadal Defeats Federer, Again

French Open

Rene started her day watching the men's final in Paris. For the third year in a row, Nadal has denied Roger Federer the only Gram Slam title missing from his impressive trophy case. She was amazed how Nadal played great tennis and kept Federer from gaining any upper hand. It was clear just how hard it is for someone to win every title on every surface. In the past it was only played on clay and grass, now there are four different surfaces!

New Toy

Yesterday I purchased Rene her own portable DVD player to take into the hospital. This little unit plays DVD, CD, and MP3 discs. I will pull out all the DVD discs today so she can pick which ones to watch. This with her Zune should keep her entertainment needs well addressed. Now if I can just get her to see the brilliance in Monty Python and Mel Brooke movies, I have provided the world with another advocate!

Taking It Easy...

Saturday Means Lazy!!!

Not much going on today for her other than enjoying television, the company of good friends, and watching me do housework! Yes I am capable of cooking, cleaning, and balancing a checkbook! Looking for clothes for her is not easy and I am sure that the sales people didn't know what to think when I came in their store. I did enjoy watching the women get puzzled looks when I request specific styles and sizes! As I said before, the things I do for love!

Another First

Rene Can Read!

Today is the first time about over two months that Rene has been able to grab a book and read it. Prior to today, she would get a headache trying to read. This is a breakthrough for her, she has been sitting for over two hours reading medical information about cancer.

The insurance plan I have offers many additional benefits for cancer treatment. Last week we had a conference call with a research doctor about her medical condition. The doctor used this call with us to gather specific research information for us to review and use on her oncologist.

I am impressed with the books sent to us and the fact that Rene is reading them. She stated that she wished she could have spoken with them earlier so she would have been better prepared. I have "dips" on the medical dictionary, I can use this for Scrabble at a later time!

Tumor Updates

Today Rene got to have her first PET Scan and we will get the result on either Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Her oncologist stated that he cannot feel any lumps in her breasts and I cannot either. The results of the scan will let us know the status of the tumors in her stomach, back, and lower abdomen next week.

If the treatment has been successful, they will be either gone or greatly reduced. More importantly, the scan could show if the tumors are dead which means, you can see them but they are not active. Keep your fingers crossed and keep praying.

As I stated yesterday, even if the scan reveals great news about the lymphoma, she still have to finish her 7 cycles. Additionally, the medicines will not be weaken either so she will get the full effect of them as she experienced in her 2nd and 3rd cycles.

To lessen her load for this upcoming cycle, she is only going to receive one medicine instead of three for her spine chemo. This is a small victory I guess, she seems pleased and her doctor got out with the same blood count he had when he came in with!

Gearing Up For Monday

She received confirmation that the hospital expects her after 8AM on Monday today. She was so happy with that call...NOT!!! She is feeling overall much better with this one than she did with 3rd cycle. She wishes she was strong enough not to require me lifting her but I informed her not to worry about it.

She wants to be pushed while she is in the hospital to keep her doing her exercises and I plan to be the "skunk at the picnic" to make this happen. How often can a husband be a complete pain and be allowed by his wife. I am taking advantage of this because it benefits her in the long run! "That is my story and I am sticking to it!".

Bullocks!

Good News...

No surprises with her blood work today, tests showed that everything was at the levels they needed to be. This is a first and her oncologist was impressed. She walked for her doctor and it was positive feedback on how well she did that even though she needed assistance to get out of her transport chair.

Bad News...

I mentioned before that her oncologist can be fearless with her and today was another example. He asked her when did want to be admitted back into the hospital today. Brave soul, she is enjoying her time off and he had to be the "skunk at the picnic" with this one! After a bit of bantering, she agreed to Monday; in his defense, he offered her Sunday if she wanted, such a giver!

Since he was already providing such news, he informed her that no more new chemo drugs would introduced with this cycle. He reminded her that this round would be similar to her 2nd cycle which cause out of body experiences. She should not have the severe mouth sores this time but she will get them still; boy she loved hearing that one!

Weird News...

Tomorrow she has a PET scan and if the result show no tumors...she still has to complete her seven cycles of chemo. This drew puzzled looks and the famous "husband look" of acceptance! It is logical to complete the treatment so the cancer cannot bounce back, however he is dealing with my wife!

Outpatient Fun

To top off her day, she getting her Rituxan fix and that should make the remainder of day be just a kettle of fish! I will place Rum Raisin or Butter Pecan ice cream and chocolate syrup in front of her...you know, calm the raging beast!!!!

Stable

No Changes Still

Another day without any issues or changes to her condition. She still doing her exercises and eating well. Her goal is to go into the hospital next week stronger and not be weaker when she leaves. Great goal and objective to have, she will need this strength as her cycles progress either way. Her latest craving is Rum Raisin ice cream covered with chocolate syrup; I don't ask, I just provide!

Quiet Day

Time Goes By....

Nothing new to report today and Rene is still regaining her strength back. She is doing her exercises and eating well. Hopefully she will surprise me by the weekend and be able to stand up on her own without any assistance. She has outpatient chemo on Thursday which is the good stuff (only goes after the bad cells).

Still Working Out

Feeling The Burn

So far her response to exercise is very positive and she handling the sets and repetitions very well. It is still hard for her to accept that muscle strength can declined so rapidly and it will take awhile for her to regain it. The goal that she has is to get as strong as she can before she returns to the hospital for her next cycle. The stronger she is, the faster she can recover from this next cycle of treatments.

Food, Food, Food

Her appetite continues to improve and she is now able to consume close to 3/4 of a full meal every time. Since she needs to increase her calorie intake right now, root beer floats and rum raisin ice cream is high on the list. I glad that she is willing to eat various type of food and is beginning to be more spontaneous about what she will eat.

"This Tired From A Shower?"

Managing Expectations

"The mind is willing but the body isn't!" This is the best way I can summarize Rene's condition and recovery situation. We are playing an interesting game of chess strategy with HOW we time her PT (physical therapy), walking, and showering. Either one can tire her and all three have to be juggled properly in order not to fatigue her for the entire day.

Household Modifications

I am surprised how quickly one must make adjustments to accommodate for limited mobility. Equally amazing is the abundant amount of cool gadgets available for individuals such as;

• A walker with or without wheels
  
• Shower transfer seat
• Toilet rack seat
• Lift belts

This is a short-term condition for her and therefore we don't have to consider any renovations. It does make you realize how the average home is not functional for individuals with mobility issues. I am glad we don't the pitter patter of little feet; this home is not prepare for that!

Full Metal Jacket

Are You Ready Maggot?

Physical therapy is crucial for Rene right now and she knows that she must be regimented about doing it. I find myself being able to mimic the drill sergeant from from the book Maggot which was very popular my senior year of high school. Basically, Rene didn't realize what she requested when she said make sure she is pushed! I am sure my brother-in-law is chuckling about the impact of PT and newbies going through boot camp right now!

Building her strength back before she goes in for her 4th cycle of chemo will not be easy. I have stressed to her that she is about to adopt a new habit that is part of her life. She wants to be pushed by me when she in the hospital even when she is whiny about it. I will get her to sign a sheet of paper and record her on a tape recorder before she goes in. This way I have back up when she pushes back and threatens to remove parts of my anatomy for being a drill sergeant!

Good First Day

Today I pushed her and she responded well to it; let's see how well she does come Wednesday! We discovered that our furniture is not what she needs at this point. So I willingly went to a store and purchased a new sitting chair for her. Believe it or not, I got the right type of chair that fit the decor! I must be careful with this, she will expect me to always get it right!

They Say It's Your Birthday

My Day, My Decision!

Today our girl gets to determine how she will spend her day; I get veto power for anything that could slow down her recovery. I know I am dancing on the ragged edge of disaster but I feel that I can save myself from any permanent scars she may inflict! This birthday will be very different because of her treatments and she is in a good place still.

Jekyll & Hyde

Health-wise, there is a duality between an individual's perception of their recovery depending on a given situation. Jekyll best describes her ability to eat and rest; Hyde covers her mobility. Like clockwork, everything can either be "Jekyll" and/or "Hyde" at any one time. Men when faced with such circumstances don't run, simply sidestep until she figures it out; then run!