Saturday, September 29, 2012

Fall Has Arrived

Okay, how did we go from early September to the end of September??  Somewhere in there I lost a couple weeks!

Not a lot to report, but since it's been a while, I figured I'd give you some brief updates.

Ed is tolerating his current treatments (Irinotecan, Avastin, and Xeloda).  He definitely is not as fatigued as when he was on the previous regimen.  However, one side effect of this combination is high blood pressure so he's taking a 2nd medication to help manage that and needs to check his blood pressure regularly.  Dr. Bower is also keeping an eye on protein in the urine since that's a side effect as well and why Ed had to discontinue this regimen earlier this year (since protein in the urine can lead to kidney failure).  Yesterday Ed let me know that he's noticing some hair loss.  (The pile of hair in the drain after showering is getting bigger.)  He does NOT want to lose his hair again and this really pisses him off.  But I try to remind him that this is minor compared to the alternative.  Easy for me to say though, right?  As we all know, losing your hair is that outward sign that says "cancer patient".

I know folks keep asking when his next CT scan is and the truth is I don't know.  He only has treatments scheduled through this week.  So based on how the bloodwork looks this week, Dr. Bowers will either extend his current treatment plan or will order a CT scan.  So I should know more later this week.

In other news, Ed and Dan made a ramp for our new shed last week, so that's done!




Still no leads for Dan on a job.  I know it's discouraging for him.  However, both him and Ed are enjoying the fact that they can play golf together whenever they want.  In fact, they played together earlier this month in a "King of the Grove" contest.  Ed won (his third time) and Dan lost (so he got his money back).  They're playing another tournament tomorrow and are looking forward to that.

So we're doing good.  Enjoy these last few days of September.  I know I plan to!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Welcome September

Did I tell you I love September?  I mean, I love the summer but September marks the beginning of Fall which I love.  When I was younger, it was back to school.  Now it is cooler nights and days, leaves turning colors, fall fairs (Big E!), and just a wonderful time of year.  I can't believe we're already one week into the month!

Last weekend, Labor Day weekend, we spent replacing our shed.  This is the shed that was crushed in the October snow fall last year.  We looked into various options for replacing it--purchasing a pre-made one, paying someone to build one for us, or buying/installing another metal shed.  Well, we settled on buying another metal shed since this was one of the least expensive options (by a couple thousand dollars) assuming we installed it ourselves.  Our last shed Ed and I installed about 20 years ago (so it lasted a while until a tree fell on it!), so we figured with Dan helping us, we could give this a try.

So we started Labor Day weekend.  Saturday was spent tearing down the old shed and then lifting the old framing/platform to raise it further off the ground (to maybe prevent groundhogs from hiding under it?).  Sunday was reinforcing the platform and laying a new plywood floor and then we began the actual shed construction.  Monday we continued with the shed construction but we didn't finish so we covered everything up with tarps for the week.  And yesterday we finished it up!

Somehow we didn't kill each other.  Although it's a kit, anyone who has ever worked with putting together metal buildings knows that things don't align or fit the way they are "supposed" to.  And it was HOT last weekend, so there were a few times that it tested our patience.  But thankfully with three of us, at least one of us remained calm/cool at all times (usually me!)!  I was very thankful Dan was home too since he was a big help!

Nov 2011: The old shed after we removed the tree from on top of it.


Sept 2012: The old shed gone and just the floor frame remaining.


 
All done!

It was good that Ed did not have treatment before Labor Day because then he would have had no energy to help with this project.  But it's now done and we feel good about what we accomplished.  Now here's hoping it lasts us another 20 years cuz I'm not doing this again!

Ed did have his treatment on past Thursday (9/6) and he felt pretty good afterwards.  He said he rested a little after he got home, but he seemed like he had a lot more energy and was in better spirits Thursday night and Friday.  Today (Sunday) his back is bothering him, but that probably has more to do with working on the shed than the cancer and his treatment.  So hopefully this regimen will shrink the tumors (or at least keep them from growing) without totally wiping him out.

Dan continues to look for work.  He has an interview in Boston tomorrow (Monday).  As much as I would have preferred him to work in Northampton, he never heard back from that firm which is disappointing.  But Boston is not that far away and so I'm (once again) keeping my fingers crossed for him.

In sad news we heard that a dear old friend, Pete Cavanaugh, fell and died back in August.  Ed and Pete became friends when they worked together at Amherst Tire and we played softball together (some 30 years ago!), and Pete was in our wedding party.  Pete had moved to Portland, ME, many years ago and over the past couple years we have lost touch with him.  Just another reminder of how quickly life can change.  We'll miss you Pete!  May you rest in peace!  And may the rest of us be reminded how each day is a gift.

AUGUST BEACH PICTURES
(which I promised to share in my previous post)

Ed and DeeDee

Me and Mom

My sister Cathy, me, and Ed

Family Photo!

Enjoy the fall; enjoy September!

My Story

Lately I find myself moving through the days, being with others, laughing, and living life. Days pass quickly and grief, sadness, and feelin...