Hello family, friends, and fellow travellers,
Just a brief note this month to let you know we're hanging in there here in Roslindale. As I type this we're getting a lovely rainstorm (it's been an unusually wet July so far). Life continues to be dominated by my two-week chemotherapy cycles. I just finished my seventh cycle but won't have any update on progress made until following the eighth cycle (when we do the next set of scans). For now, we are assuming progress continues and the side effects continue to be manageable if wearing. I'm trying to be okay with the need for frequent afternoon naps and early bedtimes.
Image: Teazle asleep atop the patterned comforter on the bed.
On June 29th we celebrated our twelfth couple-versery and on July 9th we celebrated Hanna's birthday. We've been enjoying her birthday "advent calendar" of thirty-one mini skeins of yarn all dyed and named after My Little Pony ponies.
Image: Eight mini skeins of yarn arranged into a rainbow from orange/pink to blue/white.
My parents have paid for us to have a couple come in and clean for us on a weekly basis while I am doing chemotherapy which has been a huge help in keeping up with basic housekeeping. It was so nice at the end of my last infusion day to get home and find a freshly-made bed in a tidied bedroom to fall into.
Image: Freshly made bed with arranged pillows and a patterned bedspread.
We've been enjoying the Fear Street movies and watching lots of terrible horror movies to beat the summer heat. I also had the lovely surprise of a paperback copy of Emily Garside's new book about Schitt's Creek in the mail! I had backed the crowd-based fundraiser but thought I would only get the e-book version. It was a delightful read (spoilers, obviously).
Image: Emily Garside's book Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek (404Ink, 2021)
Our Christopher buddy continues to heal from his dental procedure but is not gaining weight as quickly as we would like -- please think good thoughts for him! We have an appointment scheduled toward the end of the month to consult with the vet about nutrition and do blood work to ensure there are no (new) underlying issues. He has his ups and downs with the seizures and FIV+ status that leaves him vulnerable to little downturns ... but as I write this he is trying to crawl into a paper bag on the living room floor, so.
Image: Christopher begging for sushi at a recent human dinner time.
I can sympathize with Christopher's picky appetite these days since chemo makes food taste weird. I've thankfully had very little nausea but my taste for specific foods has been yo-yoing wildly such that it's difficult to plan meals. I've been doing a lot of cheesy toast lately.
Image: Ciabatta with sliced tomato and cheddar, toasted.
I'll be back in your inbox in mid-August with a medical update and a few work-related updates too -- and maybe a few new romance recommendations (I've been doing a lot of reading lately ...).
In gratitude and hope,
Anna
Image: Blue-purple hydrangeas sighted in our neighborhood.
Just a brief note this month to let you know we're hanging in there here in Roslindale. As I type this we're getting a lovely rainstorm (it's been an unusually wet July so far). Life continues to be dominated by my two-week chemotherapy cycles. I just finished my seventh cycle but won't have any update on progress made until following the eighth cycle (when we do the next set of scans). For now, we are assuming progress continues and the side effects continue to be manageable if wearing. I'm trying to be okay with the need for frequent afternoon naps and early bedtimes.
Image: Teazle asleep atop the patterned comforter on the bed.
On June 29th we celebrated our twelfth couple-versery and on July 9th we celebrated Hanna's birthday. We've been enjoying her birthday "advent calendar" of thirty-one mini skeins of yarn all dyed and named after My Little Pony ponies.
Image: Eight mini skeins of yarn arranged into a rainbow from orange/pink to blue/white.
My parents have paid for us to have a couple come in and clean for us on a weekly basis while I am doing chemotherapy which has been a huge help in keeping up with basic housekeeping. It was so nice at the end of my last infusion day to get home and find a freshly-made bed in a tidied bedroom to fall into.
Image: Freshly made bed with arranged pillows and a patterned bedspread.
We've been enjoying the Fear Street movies and watching lots of terrible horror movies to beat the summer heat. I also had the lovely surprise of a paperback copy of Emily Garside's new book about Schitt's Creek in the mail! I had backed the crowd-based fundraiser but thought I would only get the e-book version. It was a delightful read (spoilers, obviously).
Image: Emily Garside's book Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek (404Ink, 2021)
Our Christopher buddy continues to heal from his dental procedure but is not gaining weight as quickly as we would like -- please think good thoughts for him! We have an appointment scheduled toward the end of the month to consult with the vet about nutrition and do blood work to ensure there are no (new) underlying issues. He has his ups and downs with the seizures and FIV+ status that leaves him vulnerable to little downturns ... but as I write this he is trying to crawl into a paper bag on the living room floor, so.
Image: Christopher begging for sushi at a recent human dinner time.
I can sympathize with Christopher's picky appetite these days since chemo makes food taste weird. I've thankfully had very little nausea but my taste for specific foods has been yo-yoing wildly such that it's difficult to plan meals. I've been doing a lot of cheesy toast lately.
Image: Ciabatta with sliced tomato and cheddar, toasted.
I'll be back in your inbox in mid-August with a medical update and a few work-related updates too -- and maybe a few new romance recommendations (I've been doing a lot of reading lately ...).
In gratitude and hope,
Anna
Image: Blue-purple hydrangeas sighted in our neighborhood.