Blog

Going backward, I was in bed and not able to sleep most of the night. I read Maise Dobbs until late and still could not sleep. I had taken my chemo and 10PM pills as usual, but sleep would not come this time. Instead, I dreamed, more like awakening dreams, and then would wake up and roll over again. So Monday is a late and challenging start.

Returning to Sunday’s story, I had a beer with Corwin at the Beergarden in Beaverton. Corwin asked to drive to Susie’s facility, and then he drove us back to Beaverton using 26 to get some highspeed practice. I shared a fondue with Corwin at the German-style place with sausage and bread. I had a small salad after that. Corwin put away about 1.5 liters of beer with a sausage plate. We celebrated Corwin’s 20 miles of driving without too many scary moments.

The place was busy but not packed, and after we got dinner going, I got a text from Mariah asking about dinner. But, we had already started, so we will have to connect next time. The place has a high ceiling and good ventilation, but there are no masks. But food delivery is masked and gloved, which is a change I approve of.

Before that, I set the navigation in Air Volvo to take us to Portland, but that was not quite working, so we took Cornell out of Hillsboro, heading sort of North, and then took Brookwood to connect to 26. He drove by the Nike Jet in its hanger. The walls are glass towards the road, so we can see Phil’s plane.

Corwin still has some mad-capped lane changes. He wants the aggressive and race car experience, which is hard to get with me wanting a polite Oregon lane change. Air Volvo is very responsive and accelerates fast, but it is a bit sluggish and then goes fast. This newer XC60 corners better than the previous model I owned, and it is impossible to lose control of the new Air Volvo. Corwin is still not using the mirrors’ lights that will let you know there is a car in the blind back quarter panel–we will work on that. However, he did enjoy the ease of driving and acceleration.

Before, we were with Susie and got her some frozen yogurt from the Pink Spoon a long block from the Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center at 3900 Pacific Highway, Room 44A. Corwin and I had walked to the Pink Spoon on Sunday, after checking they were open on the Internet, and had some yogurt and then got a mix of cheesecake and raspberry flavors for Susie. Susie ate about 1/4 of the dessert when we returned. The rest will be saved for dinner, and the nurse aids put the frozen treat in the frig. I grew a bit fatigued and got a kiss before I left.

Before this, we arrived with Corwin driving Air Volvo. The only close call was the turn into the Hillsboro area, almost 90 degrees. It will surprise you the first time. Corwin just did not pull the wheel over, and we nearly ended up on the right sidewalk–there was no car in front of him to follow. I actually pulled the wheel for him a bit. Lucky there were no cars in the three lanes we crossed and no cars behind us. Corwin was ready for the tricky turns on the trip back and managed the other difficult turn as he was behind another car and followed its lead.

Returning to the story with Susie and still going backward, we then passed the Covid-19 checks and found Susie sitting by the tables by the nursing station. She had just finished lunch. I was running a bit late as I had gone to church Sunday morning. She was happy to see Corwin and me. We took her for a spin through the facility with Corwin pushing her. Next, we went outside to see the flowers in the courtyard. We then called Leta, Susie’s mother, and they chatted for about ten minutes. After that, we promised to return with yogurt.

Before having Corwin take over Air Volvo, I arrived at the house in Air Volvo. Today church had an after-church bible study led by Dr.Rev. Wayne Weld-Martin. We had lunch served with turkey or ham rolled-up sandwiches. With this were chips, brownies, and grapes to fill it out. Wayne had us share some experiences and then asked us to tell our favorite bible story. Of course, and anyone at Nike would expect nothing else, I went first and described the water-to-wine story; I always pick a party. Soon Wayne then read part of the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas. Wayne’s point was that there are lots of stories about Jesus, and we need to understand that what happened in Jesus’s passion was a world-changing event.

Before this was church, Wayne was preaching, and communion was actually served; it was not in the plan, but Wayne called us up, so we just marched as usual for communion. Everyone was masked. The sermon was about saving the children, and Wayne asked everyone to write their congressperson to help more children.

Before all of this, I had to get going and start about 7:30 when I remembered it was Sunday, and I planned to be at church and follow that with bible study. So I was a bit rushed. I had managed to sleep the night before without even waking until 7ish.

 

 

I started a bit later and spent the morning going slow as I had no appointments planned. I took the RiteAid version of Zurtac as I could not stop sneezing. It is a gloriously sunny day in Oregon. But, we did not get them in March until the past four years. Before that, La Nina would pour on us for six months without a single sunny day. We have a more Northern California weather system than the usual Pacific Northwest (PNW) endless rain.

I have a banana and toast with peanut butter for breakfast. I take all my pills and can soon feel the impact of the chemotherapy. Sort of a nervous you get just before the flu hits you hard and you throw up. I managed to not get ill today.

Next, I make my lunch, another ham sandwich, and then off in Air Volvo. I reach 3900 Pacific Highway, where you will find Susie at the Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center in Room 44A. I pass the Covid-19 checks and see Susie finishing her lunch. She cannot hold the spoon and feed herself, so the nurse aide cares for her. It is funny; the nurse aid is also eating as she got a free lunch as there was a spare lunch tray. So the nurse pops in some pureed porkchop for Susie and then cuts a bit for herself and has her own. Susie ate about 2/3 of her food.

When she is done, I take Susie for a tour of the facilities. Then, we head out to the courtyard where two folks are smoking, and we enjoy the flower. Even with the sun, there is a cold wind that smells like the sea. The waters off Oregon are very cold and cause a frigid breeze. It may also be that I imagined the sea smell and it is the winds from the mountains. In the winter, it might be 40F, but the wind may be from the mountains and be 30F or lower. This makes growing plants that are exposed to the wind difficult.

Susie is tired, and I am feeling fatigued from pushing the wheelchair. So I have the aid help Susie get to bed; I get a kiss goodbye. We did FaceTime with Leta for a bit, and Zeriada also got a call.

I reach home without events in Air Volvo. I decided to watch more Clone Wars and am surprised by how dark the animated series gets. I then make a simple pasta dinner, browned and crumbled fennel sausage, with red sauce from a jar. I am a bit exhausted after that and rest a bit. Dinner is good.

Before it gets dark, I sprinkle more plant food on the roses in the backyard. Some of the roses are looking stressed. I hope a bit of plant food will help. I use Osmocote as it can’t burn the plants and works for veggies. I might add some manure later, but I think it best to stay away from gardening while I am doing chemo.

I spent the rest of the evening doing little more than watching Clone Wars and headed to bed after taking my pills at 10PM. I was surprised to sleep by midnight.

The night lasted until 2AM, so I was finally up at 8:45, having proved hydration a few times and going back into an exhausted sleep. There are forgotten dreams that are not nightmares. I slowly get started knowing that I have the whole morning to prepare for the day.

I write a blog and manage a banana and a nearly stale donut for breakfast. Then, I take two hours to write the blog, throw on clothing, drive Corwin to work, and return to writing. Time is flying for me.

I decided soup and a sandwich with a bit of potato salad will be lunch. I warm up Lobster Bisque from Whole Food, a bit decedent, use up the shaved ham and add a bit of salami for the sandwich. I microwave the meat for 45 seconds, so it is warm. Mustard and bread finish the sandwich. The soup was just OK. The scoop of potato, cold, is welcome as eating cold foods now is a treat.

I shower and dress and contact Dan. He will pick me up to see Susie. Unfortunately, his wife, Janice, is ill and can not join us. I cut some rosemary in bloom for Dan and Janice to enjoy. I collected the flowers, also from Whole Food, that I bought a few days ago to take to Susie when I could. Dan is a few minutes late, but soon we are headed to Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center, found at 3900 Pacific Highway, Room 44A.

We arrive in Dan’s plug-in hybrid Subaru without incident and soon pass the Covid-19 checks.

Susie is in bed, looks comfortable, and is happy to see us. We chat for a bit, and we manage a FaceTime call to Leta, Susie’s mother. I changed the flowers. I also checked with the nurse, Sarah, and there are no issues with Susie.

Dan and I then head off for a New York City-sized block walk to the Pink Spoon for frozen yogurt. I managed the walk, but it was more challenging than I had hoped. I am much weaker for this last chemotherapy cycle–but it is the last!.

Dan and I enjoyed some perfect mix–I went with cheesecake and strawberry mixture. However, we did look askance at the avocado flavor. Dan suggested it needed chips to go with it.

The place was busy and had tables and high ceilings. I decided to sit inside, believing that sitting near the door and the high ceilings should provide some protection from Convid-19. Social distancing must be a habit now as everyone, even the folks not masked, kept to about 6 feet distances.

There was a non-dairy mango flavor that Dan added to a cone cup to take back to Janice. I poured the cheesecake and strawberry for Susie into a cup with just a touch of chopped strawberries. So we walked back, and I felt better now fortified with yogurt, and the walk was more manageable.

Susie had some yogurt, and the rest was put in the frig until dinner. We then headed out as Susie was yawning, and It was nearing 4PM.

Dan dropped me off at the house. I decided to rest a bit and awoke at about 5:30. Corwin had already ordered Mexican food. I was hoping to cook some of the food I bought, but that was now moved to Saturday afternoon.

I read and watched some excellent videos on YouTube on naval history. I also looked for some new music. I try to find something special for every day now. I post that on FaceBook.

My Kickstarter for the next add-on for the board game Architect of the West Kingdom arrived yesterday. I managed to get all the content of three boxes into the new super box yesterday. While it is strange to buy a box, having a board game scattered in three different boxes makes playing the game harder. Also, forgetting one of the boxes might mean you can not play the game. Then there is the problem of leaving a box behind when you pack up. Thus, the big box is an improvement.

Tonight I unboxed it all again and then took all the extras cards and meeples and distributed them into the decks and bags of player meeples. This means the additions will have to be played, and like many of Garphill’s games, the additions smooth out the mechanics and makes it a better game. Too often, board game add-ons are expensive and just bring more rules and mechanics that make a simple good game a mess. I did watch some videos about the newest add-on that brings in monument building, and the reviewers increased the rating of the game from silver to gold by including all the add-ons into the game.

Architects of the West Kingdom is one of the newer games that bring in better ideas into gaming. Just place a worker, meeple, and do something. But the more meeples in the location give more and more resources. But you need to get them back, and your fellow players can arrest your meeples, which makes them even more challenging to get back. You need the meeples to raise resources and build the cool buildings you have plans for to gain points with the ruler. Also, your virtue is important so maybe work on the cathedral to score points. But, the black market is an excellent shortcut, but damages your virtue. It is easy to play a board game, but it is hard to win and grasp all the mechanics. My fav type of game.

Turning to Spring, The China Rose, ‘Old Blush,’ already shows tiny buds–it usually blooms first and last. I have sprinkled plant food on the roses in the front to help them get started. The sunny weather is driving them to burst out any moment, and the food should help. Old Blush is one of my oldest roses used by growers to create new roses. It is a very basic rose and usually can only be purchased from old rose growers.

Two rose bushes in the back are showing stress. I will see if I can get some food for them too. The CARDINAL DE RICHELIEU shows a lot of stress and is an old rose and nearly impossible to find. So I need to take some action to make it happy again, and it blooms once, so it is vital to make it happy now!

I went to bed early and read and did not really sleep, as is usual, until 2AM. I took my pills at 10PM, and the side effects woke me up for a while.

No April fools this year. Just a nice day. Excellent!

 

I was up at 5AM as I could not sleep, and my asthma kicked in. So I had the blog written, and breakfast was done before 8:30ish. Then, I took my first dose of oral chemotherapy. After that, I got showered and dressed, and Evan was soon up, and we waited until 9ish to head to Portland for my infusion.

Evan was driving Air Volvo, and we headed up 185th to catch 26 to Portland. But the Max train was blocking 185th! So we had to turn around and take the TV highway to 216 to 26 instead. Not a good start, but we had 30 minutes extra, and the traffic was low for a Thursday.

Evan took the exit into Goose Hollow instead of the more heavy traffic. We then had to cut through back streets to reach 22nd and then take it, through many stop signs, to reach the Legacy Campus where the OHSU Cancer Institute is contained. Evan managed it.

He just dropped me off. I went through the process at the Cancer Center and had an IV for my last infusion installed in my left arm this time. My doctor met me and did not know about my ER trip and my reaction to the last infusion–I thought they had contacted him and it was all in my chart-but no. We are done; his reaction was no reason to risk that again. Skipping the last infusion, the doctor said, would not meaningfully change my chances of reoccurrence of colon cancer, so I was done with this. Just take the oral chemo. My IV was removed, and I contacted Evan to come and get me.

Evan was just reaching home; he put some gas in Air Volvo and then reached the Volvo Cave when he saw he was needed back in Portland. He was there in 30 minutes or less. The traffic was even less now.

As I was not suffering the side effects of the infusion, I took over driving. We headed across the bridges to the more industrial part of Portland. I like it better there. We found Grassa, a pasta place off of Hawthorn. I had never been there before, but Evan loved the place. I had a glass of wine, a local vintage called Coopers Hall–a Malbec, and ordered Carbonara for only $14. That price was stunningly low for freshly made pasta and a nearly perfect dish. We parked on the street without issue.

We watched as the burned-out shell of a building, an old Lebanese restaurant, and a furniture store that caught on fire from the improperly stored chemicals started to be demolished in small clouds of dust while we ate. The manager said we got a show too. He was also interviewing people for a job at Grassa or their sister place Lardo. So it was a pleasant lunch.

We went to get the car, and while trying to cross Hawthorn, a busy four-lane street with a turning lane too, a car did a U-turn and barely was missed by the horn-blowing surprised drivers. Yes, the driver looked very relaxed and was pleased with the parking spot acquired with some risk. So we carefully crossed the street and got in Air Volvo.

It is well known that a Portland driver will risk much for a good parking spot.

I next drove a short distance to Guardian Games. I wanted to see what they are doing now that the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, not that I am ready to take those risks. They are providing gaming tables now. The tables are not spaced out much. On the tables is a rules list. It includes the first rule that describes how one needs to understand how personal hygiene impacts other gamers. The following rule is about Covid-19 and that if they are required to wear a mask to play with the other gamers at the table, then do it.

There I found a special on terrain features for table figure gaming. They had a rock for 1/2 off that would take me more time and money to make than the new $16 price. So I bought the rock outcropping for maybe the game Frostgave or other tabletop miniature games.

Evan and I then headed to see Susie. It is a bit of a drive from Portland to Forest Grove. On Evan’s suggestion, we took a backroad from 26 to get to Forest Grove. It was a pretty drive I have done a few times before. We found Susie at Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center, Room 44A, having lunch. She was surprised to see me as I had told her yesterday that I would not make it to Forest Grove. But without the infusion, I could manage a short visit and surprise her.

We stayed about 45 minutes as I found the fatigue growing. I got Air Volvo back home and then took a long three-hour nap. After that, nausea and exhaustion were back. I managed to get going about 6ish, and Evan left a bit after that.

I had a roast beef and cheddar cheese cold sandwich. I am reveling in my ability to eat cold things! I watched the BBC news on PBS to get updated on the war in Ukraine and then went back to bed; I still froze and read more Maisie Dobbs, book 17 in the series.

I was back up, ate some more food, took my 10PM pills, and tried to sleep after, including the other dose of chemotherapy for today. The chemo makes sleeping difficult, but I finally sleep at 2AM.

 

I managed to sleep until 8ish on Wednesday. I only awoke one time to prove I was hydrated. My allergies and asthma did not wake me this day (I am awake at 5ish today because of allergies). I got the text that Barb and Leta, Susie’s sister and mother, had made their flight to Michigan by way of Minneapolis. They will make all their flights and be in Detroit as planned.

Today, the last day of my break between the cycle of chemotherapy, I am feeling more like myself. The anemia is getting better. The dizziness is mainly gone. I still get suddenly tired and need to stop doing things, but that is much less. A good day, sad there is only one of them.

Evan plans to spend the night and then drive me to the appointment on Thursdays morning, wait four hours in Portland while the infusion and related processes are done, and be ready to help me get home safely (without a stop in the ER). The wait time is unpredictable as it relies on lab work and getting the results with some speed. Also, if someone else has an issue, it can delay my start time. All this requires, on my part and Evans’s, flexibility and compliance to process.

Breakfast is a banana and donut with coffee. I also can take my pills early as I need not keep the timing. The careful timing is only for the chemotherapy. So I take them in the late morning.

I am still having some trouble with words as I try to tell some stories and chat with Corwin and Evan. I am having trouble finding the words, and I forgot what I would say a few times. Not sure this is chemo-head or just the Covid-19 isolation issues that everyone is having. I will keep monitoring this.

I still have some numbness in my fingertips, and my toes are a bit numb too. The cold sensitivity is mainly gone, but I still freeze in a 70F house. I decide not to work on my model of a ballon for Dungeons and Dragons this break as I seem brittle and don’t want to damage my hands with any work stress.

I had another ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. So good and so simple once the extreme cold sensitivity recedes.

I do grab the Gay Pride flag I have in the garage and a replacement pole. The previous wooden flag pole, two-back, was broken, we think, by folks trying to do pull up on the wooden pole. We replaced the gay pride flag with an LGBTQIA2S+ flag, also known as the Progress Flag. This flag required a different styled pole. That flag and part of the pole have disappeared. I have ordered new Progress Flags with special rings to mount the wooden poles I usually buy.

I take Air Volvo to Beaverton and see Dan there, and he comes over to help me replace the pole. He used plyers to force the holding screw into the wood to ensure that the weather did not pull the flag out of the holder (we had a thunderstorm take one flag, which we later recovered). So only the bottom pole, which was snug in the holder, remained. I put up the Gay Pride flag we retrieved previously–I mailed my new Gay Pride flag to a Methodist Church in New Jersey that was reported to have had one burned.

I buy flags that are sewed and made out of non-flammable plastic. Therefore, they are impossible to burn. The Progress Flag I was able to buy is still a fabric flag with two rings requiring two clips and will burn and tear. It is easy to fly; one just clips the flag to a pole. I think I can get better ones next time; I saw that sewed ones are coming available. I ordered some extra rings so we can clip the flags to our existing poles.

After seeing Dan for a bit and getting the flag mounted, I took Air Volvo to Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center at 3900 Pacific Highway, Room 44A, to see Susie. I passed the Covid-19 check and was soon in Susie’s room.

Susie was tried-out. The four-day visit of her family and all the trips she took outside left her happy and tired. Susie, even without her family here, still looked more awake and comfortable than I had seen her in many weeks.

Susie is wearing a rainbow Seattle t-shirt.

I spent an hour or so with Susie. We did some music videos and just sat together. Leta called on FaceTime, surprising me, and is home and safe. She and Susie chatted for a while. Susie was falling asleep and yawning, so we said our goodbyes and let her sleep for the afternoon.

I then took Air Volvo to Whole Foods. I needed to do any grocery shopping before the chemotherapy started again. I found some wine and port I liked, which knocked my bill to unexpectedly high numbers; oops. It is easy to overspend in Whole Foods. I bought the makings for Beef Stroganoff and called Corwin, and he agreed to make it.

I brought my bags home and put away the perishable items. Corwin would put the others away. He wants me to limit my energies to those things I must do–he is trying to help as he is the one person that sees my everyday struggle. I can fake it for most folks, but he sees the thirty-pound weight loss, the effort to start my day, and the side effects and now tries to make things easier for me at the house.

I have some port, Susie’s fav style, and oddly the cheapest of the quality versions, and watch Clone Wars animated Star Wars (I really like this show and recommend it–I am on season 2 now). I stop after two episodes as it is starting to get late to make dinner, and I begin to put the dishes away, making sure I knock a few together, making some noise, and soon Corwin rushes out to do the dishes and make dinner. He had fallen asleep in his room. He had promised to do the dishes and make dinner and will not let me down.

Dinner is excellent, if not a bit late, and I continue with port and watching Clone Wars on Disney+. Evan shows. I was doing laundry, with Corwin helping me move the stuff to the dryer so that Evan had a fresh blanket and sheets. I also put my wash in later, as I will need clean clothing soon, and the first days of chemotherapy are tough. I don’t want to do laundry in the first days!

I download the newest Maisie Dobbs book, number 17, into my kindle for tomorrow and find a few snacks from last time to use on Thursday’s infusion. It just was published, and I recommend the books, but there are a few dark and lesser books in the series.

I manage to fall asleep early, but asthma and nerves have me up at 5AM. My inhaler helps, but I start my day anyway at 5AM.