Quite a wonderful week.

After our Easter Sunday blizzard/snowstorm (whatever you want to call it) the rest of the week showed marked improvement weatherize, at least. Believe it or not I’m sitting on the deck writing this on Saturday afternoon. It is lovely and warm (67º at the airport) and feels just delicious to be outside.

Due to one of the medications I’m taking I can’t sit in the sun but even the shady part of the deck is pleasant with only a zephyr of a breeze. I’m tempted to spend the rest of the afternoon out here since I’ve completed my tasks for the day and there is not a lot of zip left in me.  So far six bags of soup fixings have been cleaned, chopped and fitted in little bags and are in the freezer! It’s wonderful to have carrots, celery, and onion all ready to go anytime I feel the need to make a pot of soup.

Then ensued the cleaning out of half of the freezer to make room for this lot. Unrecognizable chunks of who-knows-what are now peacefully resting in the trash can awaiting their ultimate fate in the city sanitary waste facility. I’m sure whatever they are were wonderful at a point, but no longer appealing in their shriveled, desiccated and frost covered form.

The dumb waiter has been on the fritz for a few days. I called for repair but have yet to hear from the one who has promised to return my calls. As much as I harassed the architect when he planned a fireplace for my bedroom and a dumb waiter to haul wood. I certainly am happy at this state in my life to have the thing for transporting valuables from one level to the next when I’d like to have one hand on the stair rail. Then, one day it continued to the top of the shaft and remained there instead of descending to level where it was desired. As I pondered the situation, mostly while try to fall asleep an idea came which proved to be salutary and I completed the repairs myself this afternoon. It works beautifully and in complete compliance once again. 

Another home improvement has taken place just yesterday.  Three weeks ago when I was falling all over the place I determined I needed stair lifts if I were to continue living in this three level home. Stair lifts for those not familiar are those little chair things that run up and down the steps.  I contacted a company found courtesy of the internet who came at once measured the necessaries and provided a bid. Another company did likewise. I took the first and slightly cheaper bid and the installation was accomplished yesterday by the nicest, cleanest, and tidiest young man. Mission accomplished ready and waiting for the time I really need them. Sophia assisted in the installation by running and hiding. That young man had a really noisy drill!

New Speciality Hospital

Thursday was the day appointed for labs and a virtual appointment with the oncologist. Instead of the few blocks to the Prairie Center to take care of both tasks, one now goes to the brand new Specialty Hospital to  whence the whole cancer treatment center has been moved. The plan is to use the Prairie Center for COVID 19 patients (of which we have a few cases lest you haven’t noticed Sioux Falls notoriety). I’m pleased they have moved even if it’s a much longer trip for me. Not only is the hospital brand new, clean, and beautiful, but no COVID patients have been or will be treated there which will keep us away from the virus. 

I could tell things would be positive on the lab reports concerning my sodium level, and sure enough my reading is at the top of the normal scale. White count and platelets are low due to the chemotherapy and that is to be expected. The doctor has me going back to the hospital for three days for injections to improve my white count. There is nothing medicinal that can help the platelets. So my next round of chemo won’t be happening until the week of the 27th. I can deal with that option.

Why the sodium is such a big deal.  The oncologist determines whether the chemo is working or not by the sodium in my blood. This cancer feeds on it particularly. So the good sodium reading means the A) the cancer is being affected by the chemo and is being worked against, or B) the medication I’ve been taking to help my sodium level has worked very well, or C) both are taking place which is the ideal.  We won’t know for sure until the next round of scans. But take from me as the gospel truth, operating under very low sodium is not living, it’s just existing and waiting for the next undesirable thing to happen.

The new whirligig

What I can’t seem to deal with at the current moment is my hair falling out all over the house. The shower is a real horror story but there is continual shedding all day long. Sophia is shedding and I am shedding and currently creating a bigger mess than Sophia. Roomba eats up the leavings quite handily.  Most of the curls are gone. They will return, I’m sure.

The whole community is up in arms about the Smithfield situation. It is just awful and something should have been done about it much earlier. The workers have been complaining for some time about the lack of protection afforded them by the company.

In the meantime things are good here at home.  A few friends have stopped by for distance appropriate visits. Now it will be much easier to visit safely on the deck if the weather remains lovely.

Thanks for taking the time to read the blog.  Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Last weekend and this week were very different for me. As our Presiding Bishop said in last Sunday’s homily, it is very different but it’s still Easter! Alleluia!