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| Tamarck color at the big spring |
Margo had her 9th chemotherapy treatment today. She is doing well overall, and did find out some good news today. There are 3 more of the current chemo sessions, and that will be followed by only 4 treatments in round 2—so there are only 7 more sessions! We had originally been told that there were 12 round one and the same for round 2—however today Margo found out round 2 is much shorter and these treatments are every 2 weeks instead of every week. Her last chemo is the day after Christmas with surgery likely in January and radiation probably in February. She has to be ready to carry those heavy 5 gallon maple sap pails by March.
Margo is shedding her hair somewhat, so is getting it cut a
little shorter this week. I went to the
Mayo Cancer store and picked out a Marilyn Monroe wig for her – provided free
from funds raised in the cancer fund raisers!
She isn’t sure if she will use it, and so far hasn’t needed it. Although I rather think having a blonde as a
wife might be an interesting change, I worry a little that it might lower her
IQ.
She continues to have some adventures that are not directly
related to the cancer. She is still
wearing an elastic glove that goes past the elbow to squeeze some fluid out of
her arm—accidentally got injected into the arm instead of the blood vessel when
she had a scan. The hand and arm are
mostly back to normal, but she still has to wear it for a while longer.
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| Bittersweet |
The chemo raises her blood pressure and lowers her sodium
and potassium so she has been taking a blood pressure medicine. The doctors
decided to try a different one, but that made her quite sick and retained fluid—so
that messed up several days before she went back on the old medicine. Right now
she plans to be up to the cabin for the weekend. Last week her father came to visit from West
Bend, WI. He is 88 and doing pretty
good. He drove up and back.
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| Huge maple has a Halloween look |
I have been withdrawing prednisone to a lower level trying
to balance the myasthenia gravis symptoms with those from prednisone. I think I am probably too low right now, as I
am back to breathing hard just walking around.
The doctor says I have to work on the right amount and will be doing it
the rest of my life. I am much better
than I was in June and July, but not as good as I was in September, so more
adjusting ahead. Mostly I am fine—just not
much stamina to do anything vigorous.
That is OK as I really don’t have to do anything vigorous if I don’t
want to.  |
| Hepatica leaves are prepared for early spring blooming |
I didn’t do very well at the family 22 rifle target shoot on
Saturday. I had a shot in the center and
then a series that kept going up the target until the last one was out from the
center. I figured it must be something
to do with the barrel being held to the stock with a rubber band that is
getting weak, but maybe my excuse is Myasthenia Gravis! Anyway, I think it is time to do a little
work on the 53 year old Western Field single shot 22 I bought from Wards at age
12. Maybe spend another $14 on it (that
is what it cost).
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| The maidenhair fern is gradually freezing brown |
As I was not up to cutting wood today, I took a long stroll
around the woods by the cabin and took some photos that remind me fall colors
are going fast.
