It’s been eventful since my last blog post over the ensuing months. I’ve been meaning to write but things have been happening that have prevented me from it. There is much to catch up on, friends. So, this is a bit of a long read.
Happy 250th birthday United States of America…
Friends in Cleveland, Ohio really know how to celebrate the U.S. They held their annual 4th of July party that Chris and I made the four and a half hour drive to attend this year. We were going to stay with my mother-in-law but her 40-year-old air conditioner went out. So, we stayed at the local Marriot with an adjoining room with her and enjoyed a luscious dinner out which caused me gastric distress at 3:15 in the morning on Friday night – fun times because my meds don’t mix with rich food apparently.
On Saturday I stayed behind at the hotel while Chris and his mom went shopping at Marc’s at Great Northern mall. I thought I’d rest and enjoy the indoor pool and sauna, but the pool was like stepping into an ice bath and the sauna was out of commission. Total sad face. But I did relax and took a nap. We went to the party at about 5 p.m. and had a wonderful time. My mother-in-law has known my husband’s friends since they were children, and she really enjoyed herself.
As I was watching the massive firework displays timed by neighbors of our friends along with theirs, I was thinking about the new series Chris and I are watching, Star City, and feeling gratitude for my revolutionary ancestors. I appreciate seeing all the world cup countries reminding us how good we have it, even when we are in difficult times. We need to be reminded.
My dear husband always brings an extra cooler when we make the trip north because my mother-in-law never lets us leave without loading us up with goodies to take home –Corbo’s cookies, slips from Malley’s, and her out of this world meatballs and sauce this time. God, I love that woman and how she loves her family. I learn something from her every time I see her.
So, again, happy birthday U.S.A.
Sirens…
Mishaps worth mentioning about the hotel… First, my mother-in-law’s sink stopper was stuck, and we couldn’t get it fixed because of holiday staffing. The café in the lobby didn’t have their normal breakfast and lunch because again, there was a lack of staff. And, on Sunday morning we were awoken by the fire alarm and had to evacuate – a first for me. All was okay but the stairs for the three of us along with standing in the heat were taxing. We were still happy with the accommodation and of course Chris made some new friends in the lobby lounge watching the St. Louis Cardinals, his first favorite team after the Tribe.
Revisiting This Is Us along with That Was Us
So, Chris decided that we needed to do a re-watch of This Is Us before my birthday last month.
Backstory on the show for us… In 2023 after my breast cancer surgery and being told that chemotherapy was necessary, I was afraid and filled with anxiety because every person that I had known that went through chemo suffered greatly and died. My coping mechanism was to shut down my feelings, create a healing bubble around me, and focus on the next things in front of me – tests, procedures, a second surgery, time in the infusion chair, and dealing with side effects. That was serving me well until I became what I like to call “emotionally constipated.” Chris asked me why I hadn’t cried or melted down at all. I couldn’t. He didn’t think that was very healthy and frankly I didn’t really care because I was getting through. Since I was bed or couch bound at the time in the nadir, I quipped to him the only show that I can think of that could possibly do that is This Is Us. I had only seen a couple of episodes when it was on network television and decided it was too much in the feels at that time.
So, the tool to access my feelings became watching This Is Us. I can tell you that it worked. I could cry about the sometimes too close to home themes the Pearson’s faced without having to focus on the aggressive cancer I was battling.
I guess my husband thought I needed that emotional release again. I don’t think anybody can watch that show without crying every single episode. So over a couple of weeks we binged all six seasons. While we were watching we discovered the That Was Us podcast and decided to wait until after finishing up the second binge to watch that.
Well… guess what… the best way to watch the podcast is to watch corresponding episodes of the show first and then watch a podcast episode. So now we’re working on our third trip through the series. Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, and Chris Sullivan are fun hosts and I’ve enjoyed every episode so far. So many insights, life lessons, and humor – totally worth it.
The show got me through chemo, ongoing cancer treatment, and difficult life things going on now. I’m so grateful to Dan Fogelman and Ken Olin for this show once again.
Health Update…
After consulting with my oncologist and ophthalmologist, it has been determined that my vision issues from closed angle glaucoma are permanent. I have had surgery on both eyes and the problems persist with blurred vision, migraines, and nausea, along with not being able to see when exposed to bright fluorescent or bright natural light for too long. I’m trying to wrap my head around it.
This idea of permanent is what is sticking to me in an unsettling way. Everything I have dealt with to get through I have felt that I could overcome. When they start telling you that not just vision but other things like numbness under my arm, necrosis, and cording in my chest, and ongoing neuropathy and memory issues are as good as it gets, it’s a lot. I remind myself that I am still here.
I have continued pain and spasms in my ribs from radiation fibrosis that periodically doubles me over in pain with movement. Neuropathy and gastric issues that persist. New bone pain in my shoulder and jaw that I need to get checked out – living on the bubble that any new thing has the possibility of being metastatic disease. But gratefully so far, so good.
I am still managing the best that I can the side effects that I live daily on the cancer meds while working full-time and trying to have a quality of life. I thank God for my husband and close friends.
Over the past year I’ve been working with my oncologist and endocrinologist to mitigate recurrence risk and manage diabetes and have transitioned to a GLP-1. Ozempic didn’t work for me, but Mounjaro did. I can’t say enough good things about my onco pushing for me being off insulin. The research is there to support it and six months in my bloodwork numbers have dramatically improved. There is a lot of research on the metabolic influence on all cancers.
More on the sunny side, my second Dexa scan did show more osteopenia from continued treatment with the AI but not full-on osteoporosis yet. So, the supplements are working.
One Last Thing…
What the heck is going on with my senator, Mitch McConnell!?! An extended Weekend at Bernies? We want proof of life. Why did his wife take a sudden trip to China after he was transported to the hospital? There are too many unanswered questions.
I understand why his daughter shut down her socials and has gone radio silent – media scrutiny for a nonpublic person during a difficult time is the last thing anyone wants.
Is this just stalling to prevent my governor, Andy Bashear, from replacing him to finish his term? Inquiring minds want to know. Will Thomas Massie run for his seat and split the republican party in Kentucky?
The secrecy, extended duration, and national focus has friends and neighbors talking. McConnell is controversial even in our state but one has to ask where is the dignity for an 84-year-old man who may or may not be brain dead.
I have been privately admonished for expressing compassion for someone who is so disliked. I’d like to believe that’s not who we are as Kentuckians, but McConnell has been polarizing for decades. My state is interesting politically and misunderstood nationally with disparaging negative stereotypes that do not represent the diversity of who we collectively are.
While I generally stay away from politics publicly, it’s worth mentioning because the current events are all around me. This is one of the rare times I’m open to discussion.
~until next time friends…
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Our Humble Road 