Recovery

 My family member went home yesterday, and now the long road of recovery lies ahead of them.

I still have not spoken to them, so still do not have any idea if it's okay to share anything more about what happened.

The past week has been quite full, between that stress, and it being my week for blood draw, doctor, and treatment, as well as working full time.

The one positive after effect of my steroid got me through 2 days with almost zero symptoms in my back and leg, though, so I got a LOT done around the house yesterday!

On the flip side, though, my reaction to the benadryl "push" that I have been getting with every treatment just keeps getting worse, so I messaged my doctor, and we will not be including that anymore.

The pharmacist contacted me, and said that it's not really necessary, if we continue with the other medications that go along with the chemo.

YAY!

Just to clarify, the benadryl "push" causes me to be VERY agitated while I sit in the chemo chair.  I can't hold still, I can't focus my eyes, it's awful.  It lasts for about an hour, too, which is miserable. 

My previous doctor prescribed it as a drip, not a push, but where I go now doesn't do the drip.  The push makes it more intense, and I hate it!

So, next time, I will just get pepcid, anti-nausea, and steroid prior to the big bag o' poison.

Our respite from the heat ends today.  

It's been so nice to be able to get out and take walks on morning break this past week, but that will end now, until the next break in the weather.

It was lovely to sit out in our patio hot tub last night, but it probably won't happen again for a while....sigh.

This past week, we hired someone to do the lawn for us every 2 weeks for the rest of the summer.  It's just too hot for us to do it.

He's a guy our neighborhood association guy uses, and he doesn't charge that much, so it's do-able.

My prescription for physical therapy expired before we knew it, and as of this past week, I was not able to go, but have been doing my exercises.

My primary care provider submitted a new referral, but it was taking the insurance too long to approve it. Hopefully, I will be back to going in person this coming week.

I think I only need a few more sessions, but we shall see.

Received word that one of my long time co workers was fired on Friday.  This always makes me very nervous, as I honestly feel that they are working toward doing that with me.

My 11th work anniversary is tomorrow.

Hopefully, the coming week will go smoothly.  I will be back to working two days a week in the office.

Ugh.

Whatever.

Have a good week, and stay comfortable, no matter what your climate is like.

Breathe in, breathe out... repeat.

 I'm not sure if it's okay to post about this, so all I will say is that there was a major event in the health of one of my family members.

They are alive, but it was a close thing, and they face a long and difficult recovery.

The past few days have been very difficult for all of us, but especially for them.

I have felt very helpless, being here and them being there....but have taken up the task of notifying far flung family and friends, and keeping them up to date.

That has helped me feel like I am contributing to the cycle of care.

I am very grateful for electronic communication!

That has taken much of my focus the past week, so I don't have a whole lot to blog about today.

The soap experiment is over.... I decided that it wasn't really doing that great of a job after all, so I used it up, and am back to my store bought stuff.

The second time I washed the towels, they came out less soft.  It was quite disappointing.

I have my every 6 weeks oncologist visit this coming Thursday, and chemo after that, so I don't have to work two office days this week.

We've had another round of unusual weather.... rain and cooler temperatures in July!  It has been lovely!

We even got out to take a walk on Friday morning during my break, and are getting some things done outside this weekend.

I have another on line gathering with my spiritual community this morning, so I am off to get my day started. 

Have a great week!

Experimental soap

 Not much to report this week.  

The intense heat is back, and our back lawn is so thick and tall that we needed to hire someone to come mow again.  They're coming this afternoon.

There's supposed to be another rainy cold front later this week, though, and we will get a few days' respite again, before we are back in the sauna.

And then the grass will grow like crazy again, HA!

My two days in the office last week went okay.  I still don't know exactly why I have to do it, but whatever.

I got to attend two meetings in person, which was so much better than zoom.

Last weekend, I decided to finally try to make laundry soap out of English ivy leaves.  

We have the ivy growing all over the back of our house, and it's literally coming through the walls around the windows, so we tore a bunch of it off of the house.

I thought... "hey, here's my chance to try making that soap!"  

I'd known, for years, that you can make laundry detergent (or soap for cleaning, etc), out of ivy leaves, simply boiled in water, and steeped.

SO, I looked up the recipe on line, plucked a bunch of leaves, and made the soap!

It was so easy, and it's free!

My first load was towels, and they came out clean, and soft, so I did a bit more laundry, and was pleased with the results!

This past week, I had Dave go out and gather more leaves, and I made a bigger batch, and have done all of my usual weekend laundry with this soap.  I've added some lavender oil for a nice scent.

We shall see!!  I am not convinced 100% yet.... if it starts to build up on the towels, and make them stiff and icky, I will discontinue this experiment.  

That will take some time, though, so I'm willing to keep going until I decide that something about it isn't working.

Our 16th anniversary was Friday, so we took the day off.  

Dave had his last physical therapy appointment early in the morning, so we went out for breakfast afterward, and then did some running around. 

Got new sandals at an outlet store, stopped at a couple of little boutique type shops.

The 16th anniversary is Wax, which I find odd, but I wanted to find a single dedicated candle to burn as sort of a ceremony to mark the occasion.  I found it at the big "witchy shop" on 23rd St.

Then, we went out for a fancy dinner, and I did the candle blessing that evening.

Yesterday was a normal Saturday.... Dave got the front yard mowed early, and then did errands, and I did all of my chores.

I made sloppy joes for dinner, and we were in bed by 9:30. SO tired.

Today, I'm hoping to have some Spiritual connection time, and will do another load of towels. The summer blanket off of the bed is being washed right now, because one of the cats threw up on it.

We had hoped to get out to the woods at SOME point this three day weekend, but it's just been too hot, even in the early part of the day, for anything more than a short walk.

I've been feeling a lot better, for a lot longer, where the low back pain and leg numbness is concerned, so it would have been nice to get out, but it's not meant to be.

We DID get out and walk this past week, on morning breaks, a couple of times... when it was "only" in the 80s.  Just for a block, though.

The "sunrise steps" thing hasn't started happening yet... it's so hard to get up any earlier than we have to!

Dave has started to do his "due diligence," to start the wheels rolling for his retirement next year.

Lucky bastard.  

Have a lovely week!

Rain, glorious rain!!

 It's raining in Oklahoma in July!  Yippee!!

The rain that came on Friday brought a cold front, and dropped us out of the 100s, and yesterday it was ONLY 90 degrees.

We got stuff done outside, and I was able to take advantage of my pain free day from the steroids from Friday's chemo treatment.

Treatment went fine, and it was SO NICE to not have to work the next day!

The steroids were still with me yesterday and last night, again, so I was awake early this morning, but went back to sleep to the sound of the glorious rain.  JUST got up at 9:30, which is HIGHLY unusual for me, but SO nice.

This coming week, I start my two days in the office. Yippee.  So stupid, but whatever.  Trying to look at the bright side that it gets me out of the house another day a week.

They now pay me over $20 an hour, so I guess I better just buck up.... (that's a joke, I know).

Not too much else to report.  Still working hard at my home physical therapy exercises, and getting stronger every day, but I still have that aggravating numbness that comes and goes in my left leg, and I HATE IT.

Maybe we will try to get out and take a walk today, between the raindrops. We shall see.

I wish I could dance... I miss that most of all.

Well, I have a scheduled zoom with my Sisterhood in less than an hour, so I will bid you a good week, Gentle Reader.  Be well and happy!