Dears, my sister Abby has been visiting and making life good, so I haven’t updated you in a while. This is just a quick note to say we are all still here. Val is very tired and weak these days, often not leaving her bedroom, but now and then she Continue Reading
radiation
ways to be home
Dear ones, How shall we talk about this? What do I say? Everything changes so quickly and at once so slowly, dreamlike. We are still here, but we are inexorably changing. For so long I have known none of us would get out of this alive. And I knew in Continue Reading
in the blender
Dear friends, here are a few updates: Radiation: The radiation oncology team was able to map out a radiation plan for Val. The trick was to avoid major risk of damage to her trachea, esophagus and heart, yet still target the tumors constricting her breathing. Val has now done eight Continue Reading
maybe radiation
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
year end/year beginning
Yesterday, the last day of 2012, Val had her last radiation treatment. The staff signed a certificate for her and did a little clapping song like they do at certain restaurants on your birthday. Yesterday, Val had her last appointment with Dr. T, her Kaiser oncologist. Except that the substitute Continue Reading
breathing better
Improvements continue. Today Val is more alert, in a lot less pain, needing fewer drugs, and breathing so much better than last week it is truly amazing. Tonight she was quietly talking and laughing and even singing a little, with only the occasional dry catch or cough. She went up Continue Reading
Tabor top
Radiation side effects are beginning to make themselves felt: the sensation of something lodged in her throat cost Val some breakfast today and caused discomfort all day, and she is beginning to feel the predicted fatigue (on top of her current fatigue levels). But she was able to numb her 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
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