#26 Round one...done...on to the next

What a difference a few weeks makes.  LJ completed his chemo last week and his radiation yesterday.  Watching the deterioration is mind boggling.  Just seven weeks ago he was his usual strong self, a very young 70 year old.  Now at times it's like watching an old old man.  He shuffles around; sleeps 20 hours a day, waking to eat and use the bathroom.  Because of his extreme dry mouth (side effect of radiation) he can't talk well.  Plus his sore throat makes it hard to talk, so sadly we can't have conversations about anything.  He is a bit "foggy" at times.  Just a couple days ago he asked me what time it was.  I told him 10 am.  He was certain I was wrong and it was the following day at 10pm.  I told him to look out the window. It's daylight.  Took a minute for him to be convinced of the time. Not sure I ever convinced him what day it was.  That is chemo brain.  Per the doc all of these issues will lesson over the next few weeks.  But he also said his radiation burns and fatigue, along with the chemo brain will get worse over the next week as those leave his body, so be prepared.   But the good news is he is DONE with this first treatment.  Now we wait while he returns to his old self.  On the upside, his radiation doctor looks at the scans of the treatment every day.  He told us he thinks, based on what he sees, that this was successful.  Won't know for certain until the PET three months from now, but at least he is relatively comfortable telling us that.  Happy dance in my head.  I'll save the actual dancing for the PET results.

In the meantime, he still has to use the feeding tube because he still can't swallow anything but small amounts of water.  That, too, will get better over time.  Starting next week he will gradually increase what he takes in by mouth until he eventually eats normally.  Until then, the feeding tube stays.  He actually has maintained his weight since getting the tube.  The docs say that's a good thing and will speed up his healing.  We had a speech therapist come out to help with the swallowing issue.  He explained how the esophagus is flexible and with the swelling caused by the treatment, the opening is closed up.  As the swelling goes down, the tube opens up allowing more food/drink in.  It just simply takes time and only LJ will know what he can do.  He's determined to drink a big glass of tea and go have Chinese food with Bruce, so he's on a mission.  It will definitely be awhile but, as he mentally comes back, he will accomplish his goals.

Lots of Doctor appointments still in our future.  Round 2, the removal of the right kidney, is still scheduled for May.  We see the surgeon next week to confirm.  As bad as things are, they are good.  He, in many ways, is doing well.

Now on to funny stuff.  So this morning I get up at 6am, which if you know me is not normal.  I needed to get LJ fed and head to the dealer with my car.  I had an 8am appointment to get a rubber piece on the roof replaced.  Now LJ usually sleeps till seven, so this will be timed perfectly.  As I'm getting ready to go to the shower I see he is getting undressed.  "Watcha doin?" I ask.  "Taking a shower."  "NOW?  You can't wait till I get home?"  Nope.. gotta be now.  Ok.. he's going through a lot so I'll accommodate him.  30 Minutes later, with my help,  he is done...30 minutes...fiiiiiiine.  Not a problem.  I can still make it.  Gonna have to skip breakfast and combing my hair, but it's all good.

our teeny tiny 2nd bathroom 

Now he has to go to the bathroom.  Ok... you can do that on your own.  Go to the other bathroom cuz I really need to get in the shower.  As I'm exiting the shower I hear groaning.  He's sitting on the couch complaining the skin on his neck is hurting so I need to put the cream on it.  Can I dry off first????? geesh... Nope.  Hurry cuz it really hurts.  The cream does take away the pain and he does take priority, so cream applied.  I can air dry.

I hurry and get ready because I need to feed him before I go and now I am pushing it on time.  As I'm getting the food and syringes ready I hear..."oh...by the way...somehow the water got turned on in the shower (2nd bath) and it won't drain."  "How did that happen?" "I dunno, but you're gonna have to dump the black tank #2." R U Kidding Me!!  (If you don't RV,  Dumping a black (waste) tank requires pulling the dump handle, letting it run out,  turning on the super wash, filling it up, draining it again then adding water so you can add packets to help break down the waste.).  But ya gotta do what ya gotta do...so off I go outside.  I finish dumping the tank and come back in.  Shower isn't drained.  WTH...wait, awwww dang it.......because it drains into the GALLEY tank, which makes total sense, but, since we have never used that shower, who knew?  So, back outside I go to dump THAT tank.  This only takes a couple minutes.  BUT now I am 15 minutes from my appointment time.  Go back in and shower is drained.  Problem solved.  Clean up the mess later.  Now I feed him which fortunately only takes about five minutes,  so he will be good for about three hours.  Head out to the car...oh yea... Scooter would probably like to pee since it's been several hours and LJ won't be able to let him out.  So back to the trailer.

Finally on my way.  With all that, I got there only five minutes late (it's not that far).. no biggie.. and Five hours later I am done.  Five hours.  That meant LJ had to try to feed himself, through the tube because he can't go longer than four hours.  He said he managed but it wasn't easy.  That's an LJ story to tell.  You can imagine trying to put stuff in the syringe, open the cap on the feeding tube, pinch off the feeding tube until you can get the syringe in and pushing the plunger, pinching the tube, removing the syringe, putting on the cap...repeat..5 times.  It's a two person job, I admit, so I cleaned up the minor mess when I got home if that's a hint, lol.  The good thing that came out of this fun morning is we now know the small secondary shower goes into the galley tank AND most importantly we know he won't starve to death if something happens to me, lol.

A day in the life of a caregiver, lol.  I have a newfound respect for those folks.

A bright spot in our week was the gift of flowers from Mary Pat and Don Jones.  It was a lovely thing to do.  Brightened up the trailer, that's for sure.  Made LJ tear up a little.  He's been more emotional and appreciative of the texts and phone calls he has received.  It's nice to know people care.  Another bright spot for me was a lunch outing with the Clark's.  Only took us an hour to go to Spaghetti Factory 20 minutes away...on a Saturday...welcome to the Phoenix area, the land of constant road construction.  You'd think we lived in Montana or something, HA!  But a fun thing on that trip was seeing the old trailer park Bruce and Kath lived in many many many moons ago, back when he was stationed at Luke AFB.  Always a silver lining, lol.


I take back roads driving LJ to the doctor.  I pretty much stay off the I-10.  Surface streets are easy to get around on if you stay off the main one (McDowell).  I have noticed on our drive, up on a hill, what looks like an old resort.  No names, no signs, no idea what it is.  Bruce has researched it and can't find who owns the property or what it might be.  I happened to notice, between the buildings and Luke AFB, an entrance sign like you see on ranches.  Says Wigwam Resort and Golf Club...the current wigwam golf course is down the road quite a ways.  But..it gives us something to research.  I'd love to explore up there.  Looks like its been there a long time.  It's on my list of things to discover about our new home.


They finally sold out (save one) the development we are moving to.  Still won't be in the house till July.  Will take awhile to convert the office back to a garage and get the place ready for us.  We are okay with that.  Gives him more time to heal.  I still take Scooter over once a week or more to play.  He is obsessed with chasing the ball and looking for lizards.  Little munchkin has figured out how to catch the ball, then toss it toward the pool.  And of course he makes sure the ball goes into the pool.  He doesn't go after it though.  He lays down and looks at me with a "well...go get it" look.  Crazy damn dog.  Cracks me up.

Scooter, after five years, has discovered he likes to stick his head out of the window when the car is moving.  He likes the wind in his face, I guess.  Don't know why that is suddenly his "thing".  He barks for me to roll down the window, lol.  He is buckled in so he can't jump out.  He can only get his paws on the door and barely get his head out, so no need to worry.  He especially likes it when we see the cows down the road, hahaha.  Makes his barking more effective I guess.

I don't see any way for us to make the work reunion we have in June, but LJ says wait till the last minute because, like Thomas the Train, he thinks he can... he's a trooper, that one.  So, fingers crossed.

So, that's kinda where we are right now.  Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  Means a lot to both of us.  I'll update again when we know what's next.