February is our shortest month and this year one day longer than usual because of leap year. Still it has seemed very long this year for some unknown reason. Even longer perhaps because I had it stuck in my head that this was the last week and then discovered there was one more week to go. There were a number of things occurring on the last Saturday which was expected to be today. Thus today seemed like one of those snow days which is totally free because nothing else could happen in the midst of the storm!
No storm today and the temperature reached 45. Very pleasant day after frigid temps in the middle of the week. The fitness center did receive a visit today and Thursday and Friday. I still feel creaky when getting up but have been doing it when my watch orders me to do so, although reluctantly. My recollection upon each rising up is the ease with which I accomplished that in my earlier days.
In my music teaching days I preferred to teach in a room with no furniture so that the children could move easily when we needed to. For seated activities we sat cross-legged on the floor (teacher included). In those days I could rise from that position without any assistance from my hands or a nearby stable object. The struggle to come to a standing position reminds me that I’m no longer a “spring chicken,” as it were, but not quite ready for the stew-pot.
There was not a lot going on this week which probably made the month seem longer. It’s always good to be with my Benedictine group on Tuesday. Our crowd at Dow Rummel Village for the monthly Eucharist there seems to be growing with a few more people from the churches in town attending. It is so nice for the residents to see those familiar faces they were used to encountering every Sunday and are no longer able to experience that.
Tuesday was my day for blood work and infusion of immunotherapy. All went very smoothly and the nurse was able access my port this time. The redness seems to be some skin irritation. It feels very rough. The nurse said it looked like her daughter’s eczema. The efficient robot delivered my medication in good time and I was finished by noon, having been there about 2.5 hours.
Upon examining the report on the blood work, I saw that my sodium had dropped to the low range. It had been steadily remaining in the normal range for several months. Since I didn’t see the oncologist this time I pointed this reading out to his receptionist. His nurse called a bit later and told me to heavily salt my food and drink very little, only enough to keep my mouth moist. The reason for concern is the sodium level indicates whether the medicine is at work fighting the cancer. It had dropped a little when checked at the last appointment and then more this time. Also, as was mentioned when the scan results came through at my previous appointment, they showed one of the lesions in my lung had returned the the size shown on my very first scan before this whole pilgrimage began.
Needless to say I am concerned and some of my friends as well who have encouraged me to the call the doctor and visit with him. So I promised to do that on Monday.
I continue to feel fine except for the aforementioned creaks and groans. Thanks for reading, praying for and thinking about me.
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