My friends, Val’s breathing is shallow and labored these days, and we can see it worsening weekly. To sleep, she props herself with pillows into a half-sitting position, but violent coughing episodes jerk her awake for an hour or two most nights, leaving her even more exhausted. Two and three and Continue Reading
lung
somewhere new
We met Thursday with our new oncology team at OHSU and came away feeling like we will be in good hands. Everyone — oncologist, oncology nurse, research/trial nurse, social worker, customer support on the phone, strangers in the elevators — seemed smart, informed, kind and helpful. The new plan begins Continue Reading
just brains
One week of radiation and antibiotics down. So far Val isn’t feeling any of the predicted adverse effects of radiation, but those are likely to show up toward the end of the week. On the up side, Val’s cough, while still a misery and a menace, still causing her to Continue Reading
qualifying
I received a notice yesterday that I no longer qualify for protected family leave. Of course I never did qualify for FMLA, on account of being a woman in relationship with a woman, fourteen years of rich and complicated interaction the feds don’t deign to recognize or assist. But Oregon, Continue Reading
First day of radiation
The first radiation appointment went fine. On Friday they tattooed Val with a few scattered dots, the size of a pencil lead, based on info gleaned from her CT scans. (Did you know they actually tattoo you for this? I didn’t.) This afternoon they connected the dots with permanent marker Continue Reading
groggy
It was a miserable night. Intermittently miserable, anyway, interspersed with chunks of sleep. Val coughed and coughed, coughed and puked. Remember that time you had the really croupy flu? And you coughed so hard it felt like you’d crack your ribs, and then your abdominal muscles were sore (not to mention your Continue Reading
staying up late
Val had a rotten day yesterday, the worst she’s had so far. Unremitting coughing that led to puking twice; lots of pain and some nausea; and finally a fever. The advice nurse and on-call oncologist were consulted around 10:00 pm, but I knew enough from experience to call in sick for Sunday Continue Reading
next up: radiation
Spent the entire day, a hard day, meeting with pulmonologist and radiation oncologist at Kaiser. Good guys both. The upshot: Val begins an intensive two weeks of palliative radiation on Monday to try to help with the coughing. More info will be added to this post soon. D More detailed Continue Reading
coughing
Dear hearts, Val is coughing. Lately she coughs in fits and starts throughout the day, although mostly she sleeps well. Some days she coughs with every sentence she utters, her breath hitching on words as she tries to squelch the impulse. There is a faint, asthmatic wheeze behind her words. Continue Reading
honeycrisp
Dears, Today we went in for Val’s treatment and to meet with the oncologist. I’ve been worried because it seems to me that Val’s condition — especially her breathing and energy — has worsened rapidly in the last month. She’s been wheezing audibly; taking shallow breaths to avoid coughing;and her Continue Reading