After the Storm (actually, 2 weeks after)

Okay, so I wasn't very punctual about posting after the "Blizzard of 2013", or what is being called Storm Nemo.

Needless to say, we fared just fine.  Ended up with about 18-20" here.  Thankfully we never lost power--that is just terribly inconvenient!  Here are some pictures from that day.

View of the back deck through the slider.

View out the front window.

View of the front deck out the front door.

Me shoveling the back deck.

I'm enjoying this too much

Not sure Ed is enjoying this...

Out in Waltham, Dan got about 26" and didn't get plowed out until Sunday afternoon.  He did a time lapse video which you can view here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9831yMvRcrU

His car is the one on the left so if you watch closely, you'll see Dan cleaning it off.  Pretty cool!

Last weekend (Feb 17th), my mother and I drove out to see Dan to deliver some stuff and for Grandma to see the apartment.  Grandma loved seeing the place and the two of them always seem to have things to talk about.  It is a special relationship!  Plus my mother and I got to spend 3 hrs together on the drive out and back so that was nice.

Grandma and Dan having lunch together in his living room.

Ed was planning to go but was not feeling well and did not feel he could make the drive out.  He has been experiencing stomach cramps,  (which we think is due to irregularity) and pain in his shoulder (due to arthritis), pain in his butt and legs, and problems sleeping.  We're trying to manage all of this but we haven't found the magic combination.  He's got a combination of medications--Ducolax and Miralax (to treat constipation), Clyindamycin (to treat diarrhea), Nucynta (for pain), Lidoderm (Lidocaine patch for shoulder pain), and Tylenol PM (to help with sleep).  He is also trying to stay off his feet for long periods of time.  All of this is very draining on him and so he also lacks energy.  And we have not found the right combination to get in front of all of this.  So this has been very draining on him.

He did have an MRI on his shoulder and Dr. McBride (orthopedic specialist) gave him another shot to relief the pain.  But that really hasn't helped and so they will need to discuss what, if any, next steps they will take.  Ed has his next CT scan on March 10 so we'll see how things are going.  But his biweekly appointments with Dr. Bowers shows really no significant changes--blood work and size of his liver continues to look stable.

It's just been tough on Ed lately being in constant pain and having no energy.  And I'm trying to be helpful and patient, but there's not really anything I can do to help.  We are three years into this journey so we do know we've been blessed to date.  It would just be nice if we could figure this thing out.  As Ed says, "it not bad enough I've got cancer, I've got to deal with all this as well?"

So we continue on.  We find joy and are thankful that Dan is settling in to the next chapter of his life and we are looking forward to the spring.  I love how the days are getting longer and Ed is making plans to regrip his golf clubs.  So onward towards Spring!

Before the Storm

Yes, it's Friday morning and the big Nor'easter is scheduled to arrive within the hour.  I thought I'd do a quick up on the blog before the storm arrives since I'm sure my next post will be of piles of snow!

This week is what I would call trying to get back to "normal" now that Dan is settled into his new apartment.  Now I HAVE to thank God that things worked out such that he moved in LAST weekend and that we had good weather for it.  Could you imagine if we had planned to move this THIS weekend--would not have happened and really would have thrown a wrench into things.  What I'm even more grateful for is that Dan only has a 4 mile drive home from work so I'm not worrying about him having to drive a distance in this storm.

Earlier this week Ed did go see his orthopedist again about his shoulder (since the shot he got last time didn't really help).  They have scheduled an MRI for next Monday and then a follow-up appointment next Friday.  So more to come on that (hopefully).  He had his last chemo treatment yesterday.  The tests show no change--which is good.  He has another regular appointment in 2 weeks and then they'll do his next CT scan.

In terms of the body aches, queasiness, etc., it's all about trying to manage this.  In terms of the leg pain Ed experiences it's when he's on his feet too long and so needs to learn how to manage this.  Now that we've got Dan settled, maybe we can spend more time focusing on this.

Well, I hope you're all getting ready for the storm.  I'll be sure to post afterwards. In the meantime, be safe!

Move In Day

Today we moved Dan into his new apartment in Waltham.  Dan was home two weeks ago to get things packed up (over MLK weekend).  Thankfully our brother-in-law Tim helped load the truck Friday night (since Dan was still in Beverly).  This morning Ed and I drove out and met Dan at his new apartment.  After unloading the truck and my car, I focused on cleaning and unpacking the kitchen and the bathroom and then made the bed.  In the meantime, the guys (Dan, Ed, and Dan's friend Nate--whose family he has been staying with for the past 6 weeks) put together furniture and got the living room setup.  Dan and I then headed to the grocery store.  After that we returned the rental truck and then picked up pizza for dinner.  Ed and I then drove back home getting home around 11 PM.  A long day but Dan is fairly well settled in.  There's still some unpacking he needs to do, but stuff he can do as he has time.  And now that he only has a 15 min commute to/from work, he'll have plenty of time!  We are so happy for him and thankful that he found a nice place to live close to work and not so far from home either.



Tim helping us load the truck Friday night.

Bedroom - before

Kitchen - before

Living Room - before

Bathroom - before

Nate came to help!

The boys working hard (got the TV setup and so "checking" the cable)

Me enjoying a drink prepared by Dan.

Living room - after (semi done)

Bedroom -after

Bathroom - after

Kitchen - after

Mid January Already?

Where does the time go?  Can't believe it's mid-January already!

Dan spent the last three weeks in Beverly.  He went back out at New Year's and just came back this weekend (Martin Luther King weekend).  Our exciting news here is that he finally found a place to live!  It's a one bedroom apartment in Waltham about 3.5 miles from work and, better yet, no highway driving for his commute.  The 1.5 hr commute to/from Beverly every day is getting old.  He can't move in until Feb 1st but that's less than 2 weeks away.  So Dan came home this weekend so we could figure out what he had and needed for the apartment and also plan how we'll get him moved in.  Dan and I went shopping yesterday for a few essentials from glasses to dishes to simple things like a trashcan!  Needless to say, I'm having a lot of fun and can't wait to get him settled into his own place.  I know he can't wait either.  Nate and his family have been very generous allowing him to stay with them this past month and we can't thank them enough.  It is like his second family.

Ed continues with his biweekly chemo treatments and has some good days and some not-so-good days.  There are some days when he is tired and his stomach is queasy.  He also saw an orthopedist because of his shoulder pain and this was confirmed as being arthritis.  The pain in his shoulder can be pretty bad and he can't lie down to sleep because that makes it worse so sleeping has also been more difficult.  Anyhow, he did get a cortisone shot a couple days ago and we're hoping that helps.  If not, I'm not sure what our next options are.

Nothing new to report with me.  Work continues to be very busy so that leaves little time for anything else.  Me, Ed, and Dan did go to a UMass basketball game on Saturday which was a fun day just to get out and do something.  They retired Marcus Camby's number so that was neat to see as well.  I remember going to UMass games when Camby was playing--was it really almost 20 years ago?!?!

So I hope 2013 is starting off good for you.  Stay warm!!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013!  I have to say I love how these holidays fell this year--two 4-day weekends in a row!

Christmas was a great time with family.  Christmas Eve was spent with Ed's side of the family.  After Christmas Eve Mass, we headed to Hardwick to celebrate with a potluck and Yankee Swap with our niece and nephew Missy & Dennis and various extended family (some people I don't even know!).  It was a nice evening and it was great to see my great nieces and nephews--William, Grace, and Bryce.  Christmas morning Ed, Dan, and I exchanged gifts and we could have just stayed home in our jammies but we were off to my Mother's to celebrate with my side of the family.  Another fun-filled day exchanging gifts, eating way too much food, and just enjoying each other's company. My only complaint is that the day was over too quickly.

Dan was back to work Wed morning.  He came back home Friday nite and was off again Monday morning (New Year's Eve day) since he had to work that day.  Him and Nate then went into Boston to celebrate New Year's Eve and Ed and I did our usual stay home and watch the ball drop on TV.

Happy 2013!

Santa has arrived!
 

Nieces Lexi and Ali at Grandma's Christmas Day

 

Nephews Nick and Matt

 

Me and my sisters (L-R Theresa, Marion, Cathy, me)

 

Me and Ed

 

Dan and Grandma

Merry Christmas Weekend

I am so excited--it is Christmas weekend!  I really like the fact that we've got an entire weekend plus Monday before Christmas.  I have most everything done in preparation for Christmas except for those few things that you can't do until just before (like preparing some foods).  So it will (hopefully) be a relaxing, enjoyable weekend with Ed and Dan.  Last night I baked up some Cranberry Nut Bread and it filled the house with the wonderful smells of Christmas.

The best gift is that Dan came home last nite after work. He surprised me by getting home earlier than I thought (he got out of work early).  I know...he's only been gone 4 days...but I love having my family together.  It sounds like his new job is going really well and he enjoys the people and the work.  It also sounds like a very nice place to work.  Now if we can just find him a place to live.  Although Nate and his family have been very welcoming of Dan and making him feel at home which I soooo appreciate.  They better be careful, though--he may not want to leave!

Well, I'm off to be productive but before I do, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and hope you have the opportunity to spend the holiday with family and friends!

Everyone seems to be posting on FB what their "Elf on a Shelf" brought their child.
So Ed took this picture of what our "Elves on a Shelf" brought us!!

An Exciting Week

Wow--what a week it has been!

I am thrilled to share that Dan got a full-time job in his field of study (architecture).  He interviewed on Friday, December 7th, was offered a job and accepted it by the 11th, and starts on Tuesday, 12/18.  He'll be working at Donald Lang Architects in Waban (Newton), MA, as an Architectural Designer.  Waban is about 1.5 hrs from here so he will be staying with his friend Nate and his family in Beverly until he can find a place of his own.

So this past week, Dan has been working full-time at ES (he usually only works 18-20 hrs) since he was only able to give a 1-week notice.  On top of that we've been trying to find a place for him to live and he has also been trying to get ready for Christmas since he now has less time for that than originally planned.  It is all good though.

I am sorry to report that Dan and Cassie have broken up.  They have been together for about 3.5 (almost 4) years.  The past 1.5 yrs have been tough on them as they have been apart (Cassie in NY and Dan in RI then at home).  I wish them both the best--they are both sweet people and I hope they still remain friends since they so enjoyed each other's company and doing things together.  But both their lives have changed since graduating college and that just makes it tough.

And in more bad news, Wednesday night Ed called me at work to let me know Dan needed to go to the ER.  He dropped a sheet of glass on his foot and it landed on the top of his left foot giving him a good gash (yes, he was barefoot).  Our neighbor Kay (retired ER nurse) came over and confirmed it needed stitches and she wrapped it up and called her friends at the Mary Lane ER to let them know we were on our way.  It required 5 stitches and thankfully Dan is getting around fine with it--just needs to change the bandage daily and then get stitches out in 7-10 days (which we're trying to figure out since he'll be in Newton/Beverly and then it's Christmas).



Dan at Mary Lane ER waiting for the doctor.

Ed had another treatment this past week and continues to experience stomach pain but he's trying to cope although it is slowing him down and he's tired and having some level of pain most days.  I'm trying to be patient, but anyone who knows me, knows I'm not the most patient person in the world (poor Ed).

Of course, as much as I was beginning to think I needed less drama in my life, the events in Newtown, CT unfolded Friday and put my life in perspective.  As with many of you, we are deeply saddened by this tragic event and we are reminded to hold our loved ones closer and cherish each day.  May God bless the victims of that tradegy and may their families be comforted by our prayers.

Today we put up our tree so it's beginning to feel a bit more like Christmas around here.  It will be so odd not having Dan with us this week, but he'll be home next weekend and thankfully has both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off so he'll be home from Friday night and go back Wednesday early morning (he'll drive right to work).  We have loved having him home with us this past year and I keep reminding myself that we're lucky he's "only" 1.5 hrs away.

If I don't get a chance to write again in the next week, may you have a Merry Christmas!

Time to Get Ready for Christmas

I just returned from a business trip in Tallahassee.  It was a good meeting and the weather was beautiful (in the upper 70s).  But I was away three days and at this time of year that is so hard.  It took me a bit to get back in the groove on Saturday, but as of today I am back into being productive.  It's a good thing too since Christmas is just 2 weeks away!  Gasp!  How did that happen?!

Thankfully I've got most of my shopping and baking done.  Ed and Dan put some outside decorations up a couple weeks ago and today Ed did more decorating inside while I worked on Christmas cards.

Ed has not been feeling well the last several days and spent all day Saturday in bed.  He's tired and his stomach is bothering him and he's achy.  He's up today though doing some decorating so that's a good sign.  Here's hoping things improve, but he does have another treatment this week so who knows what that will bring.  Well, need to go turn on the Christmas lights.  I love this time of year.  I just wish it lasted longer.

An Elf on a Shelf arrived on December 1st thanks to my sister Theresa

Stayed at the Doubletree while in Tallahassee.  They take good care of the Hilton HHonors members!

The view from my room.  Capital building directly in the middle.  Turlington Buiding to the right where our client is located (the Dept of Ed).

Celebrating Three Years

Here we are....three years after Ed's original diagnosis.  Hard to believe it's been 3 years, but we are very grateful.  We never thought of or imagined three years.  At the time of the diagnosis, we were hoping for 6 months, then another 6 months, and then another.  Milestones are harder to set at this time since we never thought beyond those first few milestones.  And with every CT scan or any random day of the week, I keep waiting for the gauntlet to fall.  I know it's looming over our heads ready to strike at any moment, but it hasn't and so we continue to press on and live life to the fullest.  We realize that, although Ed is living with cancer, the key is that he is "living".  There are so many people who have passed in the past three years either due to this terrible disease or for some other unforeseen tragedy and we realize how lucky we are and are continually reminded how every day is and remains a gift.

And although there are days like today where Ed is in pain and he doesn't feel well and goes back to bed, the good days outnumber the bad and there are so many who are so much worse off, dealing with terrible health issues or have sudden tragedies and lose loved ones.  So instead of focusing on our negatives, we continually remind ourselves of the positive and that's a much healthier perspective to have in life.

Ed did have a CT scan last week and the good news is that there are no new growths.  His shoulder pain looks like arthritis and Dr. B will be referring him to the orthopedist.  He also gave him some stronger pain medication and a prescription for a Lidoderm patch which should help with the pain in the meantime.  This is the biggest issue Ed is having right now and the pain keeps him awake at night.  The pain meds and patch seem to help and it will be good when he can see an orthopedist.  I am glad that we asked them to look at this area more closely during the CT scan.  At least now we can rule out cancer in that area as the cause of the pain.

In terms of the cancer, the lungs are stable; lymph nodes in the neck are down.  Tumors in the chest have shrunk and no changes in the liver.  This is all good news since it means the current treatment regimen is effective at knocking down the tumors and/or keeping them at bay.

There was some evidence of additional fluid in the abdomen and the mesentery (described as the "saran wrap" holding intestines) is more prominent and could be causing some weeping of fluid into the abdomen.  Difficult to tell though and something to watch in the future.

Ed's white and red blood counts are okay; liver function test is slightly elevated but same as September and there is no protein in the urine.

So, in other words...no significant changes and the current regimen is keeping the tumors from growing.  So we'll continue with the current treatment pattern for now.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving Day at my mothers with the entire family.  I love Thanksgiving because it's just a nice day to spend together, over dinner, and to acknowledge all the things we have to be thankful for.

This year, instead of trying to get a family photo around the dining room table, we actually posed for one so that we could actually see everyone.  I hope this is a start of a new tradition since I think this photo is great!



Hoping you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and now onto the crazy pre-Christmas rush!

Cruisin'

On Nov 14th we flew to Miami to catch our cruise--a 3-day Carnival Glory cruise to the Bahamas.  This was Dan's first cruise and mine and Ed's second cruise (having done a 3-day cruise last year with my sister Cathy and her family).

The ship departed from the Port of Miami on Thursday evening.  The ship was scheduled to leave at 4 PM but we were delayed a couple hours.  So instead of seeing Miami Beach as we departed, we instead saw city lights at night.

Friday morning we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas.  We didn't arrive until around 10 AM so Dan and I tried out the exercise bikes in the gym beforehand and could see Nassau in the distance as we working out.  Nice view that I wish I could see every day!  We decided on an excursion to see Atlantis which was a good way to see that property.  Before we left on that we walked over to the Marketplace and picked up a couple souvenirs.  The Atlantis excursion was informative and we saw a lot of the properly.  Even put some $$ in a machine at the Atlantis casino (so we could say we did)!

Friday night was "elegant" night for dinner and so we dressed up (yes, can you believe it?) and the guys were also good about posing for pictures for me (hoping I could get at least one good family picture out of this trip!).  Dinner was very good and we also agreed beforehand that we would try the "didja ever..." appetizer where they put something unique on the menu for you to try.  The first night was cured salmon (which I didn't care for).  Night 2 was alligator fritters (which were good).  Night 3 were frog legs (looked like frog legs which was not appetizing, but they tasted like chicken pretty much).

Saturday morning we woke up as we were arriving in Freeport, Bahamas.  Now the port at Freeport is in an industrial area and I didn't take this into consideration when I woke Dan up at 6:15 am to see the sunrise.  Not only were there some clouds, but there was no horizon at sea.  Rather it was a horizon of barges, container ships, and huge oil tanks.  Oh well, sleep is overrated, right?

While in Freeport, we took a shuttle to Port Lucaya where there is a Marketplace and you can also walk down to the beach.  We did walk down to the beach, put our toes in the sand and water, but didnt spend too much time there.  It was windy and cool.  We then headed over to the Marketplace which wasn't much different than Nassau but the vendors seemed more pushy.  So after a couple hours in Port Lucaya, we went back to the ship to grab some lunch and play some mini golf.  It did rain a bit while we were in Freeport, but thankfully we were back on the ship before it rained hard.

Monday morning we were up early again since we needed to disembark (sad face).  We had a nice breakfast in the main dining room before leaving though.  Overall, the cruise was great!  We got a balcony suite so that there was plenty of room for the three of us and there was.  Our cabin steward was very attentive and took good care of us.  Our wait staff on night 2 and 3 was great.  We all agreed that next time we need to do more then 3 days--just not enough time to try everything on the ship.  So I guess that's always a good sign whether your vacation is good--you can't wait to go back!

Monday we spent the day in Miami and did the Grayline HopOn/HopOff tour.  This included both a city loop through Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and Little Havana and a beach loop that brought us to Miami Beach.  We got off in Miami beach to checkout the Art Deco and to walk on South Beach and check that out.  A couple showers that day that caused some flooding in Miami Beach but we avoided them since we were sitting at a bayside restaurant having lunch when they came through.  Good timing again on our part (okay, it was pure luck!).  For us, the weather was sunny and 80 degrees--loved it!

Ed faired pretty well on the cruise except he continued to experience significant shoulder pain that kept him awake at night (which in turn meant he was waking me up too!).  Also, on the day before we left, Dan helped Ed shave his head since he had bald spots where his hair was falling out.  The hair loss was slower than last year, but still unfortunately a side effect of his current chemo treatment.  I know Ed hates losing his hair (it's such a reminder every time he looks in the mirror) but I keep reminding him that it's a small thing compared to the alternative.  Ed goes for his next CT scan on 11/28 and then we meet with Dr. B on the 29th.  Hoping we can get some more info about the shoulder pain which is really becoming difficult to manage.  I'll continue to keep you posted on that front.  In the meantime, enjoy the pics below from our cruise.

On the ship, Port of Miami  - Before we got our drink!

Dan and Ed, Port of Miami - We've now got our 'Drink of the Day'

Lido Deck, Carnival Glory

Atrium, Carnival Glory

Our Ocean Suite with Ed stepping out onto the balcony

 

Nassau, Bahamas

Atlantis, Nassau, Bahamas

 

Dan and Ed

Ed and Jeanne



Arriving in Freeport, Bahamas

Dan getting his feet wet.  Freeport, Bahamas

Ed, Freeport, Bahamas

 

I was there too!  Freeport, Bahamas

Nice picture of us taken by our terrific waiter, Gusti!

 

Frog legs!

 

South Beach, Miami Beach, Miami

 

Jeanne and Ed, Freeport, Bahamas

 

 

Welcome Bryce!

On November 2nd at 3:20 PM Bryce Harper Pariseau was born to our niece Missy and her husband Dennis.  He weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 21" long.  Congratulations to all!!