30 March 2009

No blog updates for some time because there has been no definite new health news & my sister Willa has been with us for just over 6 weeks, during which she & I have been incredibly busy clearing out vast quantities of stuff accumulated over 30 years around the house, garden &. barn. She also accompanied Roy & me on numerous trips to the doctor & hospital; acted as a superior housekeeper & cook, daily cleaner, nannie, cheerer-upper -- I could go on & on. She & I also had a few jolly excursions here & there, & she, Roy & I spent a week in Manchester visiting Harry & family in their new house in the neighbourhood where we plan to move whenever we eventually sell the house in Needham (no offers yet, but that's not surprising in the cuirrent economic situation). Willa returns to South Carolina tomorrow, but she'll be back later in the year!

I am feeling fine except for needing a long nap at least once daily. I finish my current course of chemo for the lungs next week & continue with daily oestrogen for the breast cancer & see my lung specialist on 3 April & the breast specialist on 27 April. Roy, however, has had a bad spell, starting with a fall outside the bathroom in early February, when I had to call a paramedic to get him up & check him out. Since then his knees have gotten much more painful & weak (they need replacement but he can't tolerate the surgery), he walks terribly slowly, his balance is poor & his speech is somewhat slurred. Our local GP has requested an investigative scan for these symptoms but we don't have a date yet. Meanwhile, Roy went swimming in Stowmarket on Sunday with Harry, Kate & Chris & spends several hours a day at the computer on his mail-order book business, so he's still bouncing about.

Kate & Chris & Harry & Helen continue to visit every weekend or so, & lots of local friends come up for a night or so. We also welcome any other visitors who pop in briefly & are happy to accept any sort of help. It's gotten very cold again but at least there are daffodils in abundance & the days are getting longer. Thanks to all of you who read this, write, ring or call. It makes all the difference!!

2 March 2009

I am in the middle of my second lung chemo session & feeling very well, & the oestrogen pills (yes, just estrogen) for the breast cancer are causing no problems. I see consultants for both problems on 3 & 6 April.

Willa has been here for 2 weeks & has made a major difference to Roy's & my daily lives, doing everything from laundry & cooking to cracking jokes & buoying us up -- & there are four more weeks to go before her return to the US!!

Roy has unfortunately not felt very well since his fall some weeks ago, but we hope he'll soon be up to travel to Manchester for a visit with Harry & family in about a week. So we're not doing too badly, if not as well as might have been hoped.