My Heart Goes Out to Robin

Robin is someone on the FDMB. She is a brilliant woman, and I didn't know her before her breast cancer. She is now in considerable trouble. See this link. A few weeks ago she had a seizure while driving her elderly cat Marie Pearl to the vet. The ambulance got her; the vet's husband got MP, and the result was a finding of a tumor in her brain. The night she came home from surgery she had to put MP down. It does get worse; she says the tumor in her brain was not benign.

There has been so much sorrow in my life lately. Jim and me. Robin. Julie losing Smokey (one month today). This is December; my favorite time of the year because I am a huge Christmas fan. My apologies to my Jewish friends. I am not religious; it's just that I was raised this way and I love the lights and the decorations and the smells.

No tree this year. No decorations. We didn't have much last year either because I had found the lump and things drug on before I could see the breast surgeon.

Max was diabetic this time last year, although on his way to remission. Ennis is diabetic now and not responding to the insulin. Max is CRF and doing really lousy. He's lost so much weight.

I washed Jim today and noticed his right foot was swollen. Edema. Later in the day, I noticed his belly was bigger. Ascites. These are signs of him retaining fluid. I called his GP, who wanted to know Jim's weight. We haven't been weighing Jim. DR held on the phone while I weighed Jim. He's lost 10 lbs since he left the hospital. DR asked how big Jim's belly is. I responded that it is a cantaloupe bigger than it was yesterday. DR said to give him an extra aldactone.

Jim was angry I called the DR. Screw Jim. If he wants to stay out of the hospital, I have to be proactive.

We both got our hair cut today. I didn't have much to cut, but I got trimmed around my ears and neck. Christine, a friend's daughter, is a professional stylist, and she was kind enough to come to the house to do it. She also put neon red "hair glue" on me. What a mess! It is glue! How spikey youngsters put up with this in their hair is beyond me.

Julie S came over today and Jim-sat while I went to Trader Joe's. TJ's has lots of marvelous food, including for "special needs" diets. I found zero sodium whole wheat bread and two types of cookies within his dietary requirements. Low sodium maranara sauce, which he had for dinner and scarfed up. I told Jim he had to stay healthy and not go back into the hospital because of the $150 of food I bought at TJ's today!

Jim was so pleased that he had a PB&J sandwich for lunch. I was so pleased it had no sodium in the bread, the PB, or the jelly.

Hey, Steve, I heard Jonathan Coulton's "Code Monkey" on National Public Radio today. I'm sure you know all about it. (Others: Click on the red "Listen" near the top of the page.) What a hoot! I thought of you the whole time it was on--once I figured out what a code monkey was. You never know what an accountant can learn when she really listens to NPR. Coulton has a great voice, and a great sense of humor. He kept me entertained all the way from the pharmacy to TJs.

On that point, the cream the oncologist ordered for my radiation burns was not a prescription. So why did this take 5 days? Jim and I looked at my burns today. In my armpit, I have burned through what appears to be 2 layers of skin. One more, and I think I'm in deep shit. The pharmacist warned me against an infection in the burned skin. CRAP! I don't need another infection. I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow; we were going to plan the final surgery. (Yep, I wanted to see the implants he is going to install.) I'm sure he will be very concerned and put me on ABs. If he doesn't, I still have a refill of the Amoxicillin he had me on before.

Patrick comes tonight. Jim (who is napping) keeps looking for him. Bless you Patrick!