It’s time for an update! It doesn’t feel like much has changed since I last wrote, but there have been a few significant revisions in body and home.
First, the fun stuff.
It’s been two years since we got our wonderful wheelchair van - it has made travel so much easier and safer and better for us. It’s a 2014 Toyota Sienna with a ramp that deploys, and it even kneels like a bus when I’m on a flat surface, so the ramp isn’t at such a sharp angle. It was a steep learning curve - so many whistles and bells on these new vehicles! There are still a lot of things it will do that I haven’t learned yet, but I have the basics down. The reality is, I don’t drive a lot; my scooter gets me around to most places I need to go (grateful for small carbon footprint), but when I need it, it feels like such a blessing. 
Another wonderful change is my remodeled accessible kitchen in the cottage. It makes cooking so much easier and fun, with lowered counter, roll-in niches, and pull-out shelves. It has created a ton more space in the cottage, so moving around isn’t so challenging. Sometimes I just wheel round and round because I can!!
I was also gifted with a much smaller wheelchair for use indoors - so much easier to maneuver than the big red beast! Laurie chose yellow for this one and calls it Bumblebee. I don’t run into door frames and cupboards or unintentionally tow things behind me nearly as much now. Again, much gratitude for our friends who are so so generous.
We had a rubberized surface put down on the pathway between the front porch ramp and the cottage gate. It’s been wonderful for the rainy season - I’m not tracking in 20 pounds of mud and gravel when I come in the house. It's not the most glamorous aesthetically, but we chose function over form for this one.
Health news
I’ve now heard several doctors refer to radiation as “the gift that keeps on giving,” and not in a good way. My mobility continues to deteriorate; I’m not able to take more than a step or two without assistance. I can still stand but have to hold on to something (hence lots of grab bars in the house), and the pain continues. Someone asked me the other day what my feet feel like when I stand. “Like boat anchors,” I said. They feel heavy and almost unmovable and pretty much useless. There are other things in the nether regions that are affected more and more as well - my bladder for one. Just yesterday my urologist attached a mesh sling to my bladder to - hopefully - keep the urine from sneaking out before I’m ready for it. Fingers crossed this will work because I’m really sick of the whole business.
I’m so curious about the radiation question, as it took my neurologist a long time to come up with a diagnosis after a lengthy process of elimination. Now it seems that doctors are more aware of it, so it must be more common. The length of time between radiation and symptoms is long (5-10 years!), so diagnosis is tricky. My guess is that the percentage of long-term survivors has increased in the last decade or so; therefore, more later term effects of treatments are showing up.
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| I've had a lot of fun drawing this year. |
In September I had a nasty bout of cellulitis (infection under the skin) in one of my legs. With an excruciating headache, I was concerned about a blood clot, but I was probably on the verge of a systemic sepsis, so a midnight ambulance run was the excitement du jour. I was in the hospital for three days with IV antibiotics and some really awesome nursing care. It was a wake-up call for me to do better self-care - diet, movement, attention to wounds - and I’ve made some progress along those lines. I’m determined to continue on the path to self-care. Stay tuned!
