Ditto

The report today is ditto of yesterday. Tomorrow brings blood labs and doctor visit. I hope they figure something about his excessive diarrhea. It is a constant. He cannot eat a meal without a rush to bathroom within the hour, or perhaps much less; he never knows until 30 seconds before it happens. He eats to live now a days, and sometimes not even that.  If we need to be someplace, Dale will not eat prior, lest he....and that is not a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, it happens. Unscheduled small laundry loads continue.

Oh-yeah-cancer

Dale spent the day resting and thinking. It would be nice if he felt well enough overall to do things he likes to do and find his joy once again. It has been almost ten months of living with the diagnosis of cancer. We are further down the line than we were told in the beginning by at least three months. Sometimes we think it is all done and then there is a bump along the way bringing us back to oh-yeah-cancer mode. He is in the seventies this week in the bone marrow transplant countdown number and that means, still be diligent in care. Soon scheduling will be made for all those medical tests ensuring progress.

Dripping sweat

Our out of town time was productive and good treatment for cabin fever. The first day, Dale had more energy than we thought possible, however, the next days, he had to rest the majority of the time. Fortunately, he had a good book, which he finished. While it was warm the first day, we noticed that Dale actually had beads of sweat dripping off his baldness.

It may seem crazy, but we got excited since he had not done so since August of last year. Hair and sweat must be nonessentials for body existence. My explanation of such loss of body functions during chemotherapy: the body gets rid of as many nonessential functions it can to sustain life in order to deal with the killing effects chemo has on it. The body goes into survival mode. Since the last chemo was the last week of December, the hair and sweat are returning.

Strength by both

I came home today finding Dale anxious. Then as I helped him to process his day, I found out why. His blog talks of my strength versus his strength. He does not like to admit, but I have always been the stronger one between us. He was stronger physically one day, but I have always been stronger, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Woot! Woot! He is taller, so I capitalize on that, but I am stronger! He does, though, rule on the spiritual, social, creative, shopping, and chemotherapy endurance strength.

Eyebrows

Infection, depression, and boredom, makes for sad days. Good that Dale is treated for the infection and his body is facing it alright, bad that he is still getting the same intestinal infection so frequently. Good that Dale's mind is clear enough to have the feelings of depression, bad that he is in such a state so frequently. Good that Dale is bored because that means he wants to be productive, bad that his body is not quite ready for the production Dale would like to do. Answers: stay out of hospitals where the infection jumps into Dale's system. Accept visits, calls, or notes from people. Dale is a people person and needs us around him. I believe the respect for his fragile immune system condition is high and appreciated, although, Dale needs people. Feel free to call or visit him, however I say this today and then I am taking him out of town for the next few days. He is healthy enough to road travel, (airplanes do not have infection clean air) we have business to complete, and the trip together will be good for us both.

Eyebrows

Progress: eyebrows are visible now, his mustache is darker than before, and gray rules the beard, but the loneliness and depression remains in his eyes.  We had a little family visit last night that brought joy and colored pictures to display on the fridge. That helps.

Rest is best

Today went well most of the day until late afternoon when Dale began feeling ailments of a headache, stomach ache, and almost a fever. I say almost, because it isn't there yet but he feels that it could come. He is pretty good at knowing when his health is on the edge. Rest, rest, rest, is best bet. Perhaps, we again, try to do more than he is ready for. His intestinal infection is still there, but in better control. He is discouraged, although hanging in as best he knows how to.

Cancer remission heroes

I live with a good man who cooks too. Dale wants to help as much as possible making his day productive and contributing to our domestic and academic chores. His energy increases each day and his domestic skills are in working order. We took a walk grocery shopping, returned home, Dale rested, I studied. Dale cooked dinner, I studied. We ate, Dale rested, I cleaned the kitchen. We walked around the block outside, Dale rested, I blogged. Dale is progressing well, still needs a bathroom within sight, however, better than earlier this week. He can handle more activity than a week ago. He has visible beard growth and fuzz on his head, which makes him happy. The toxic chemo must finally be gone from his body.

I believe the blog topics may become mundane, monotonous, repetitive, and redundant (see?). We are slowly returning to somewhat of a normal life, albeit, Dale is not working yet, he can't be in public without his surgical mask, and his immune system still needs healing.  Our daily happenings are like others out there with no reports of particular interests in the remission side of cancer.

Did you read that? No reports of particular interests in the remission side of cancer, that statement itself is reportable! Amazing, but here we are! Remission. Anyone in the remission side of cancer is a hero to me. It is a tough battle. Dale even told me that kidney stones were nothing, really, compared to his cancer treatments.

Writing this blog helps both of us not only to process the journey's experiences, but to share our story. As it dwindles to regular life, I will miss doing so and just may need to begin a new blog about the happenings at high school through my eyes as an assistant principal. I will need to create total anonymity, pseudo names for all parties, places, leaders, students, and faculty, to protect us all. Could be a good read, never boring or dull, and comments of "you can't make up this kind of stuff."