Snakes on a lawn!

Oh the joys of living in the country! In our yard alone, I’ve seen a bunny, a skunk, ducklings, my neighbors horses and donkey and oh yea, I found my first snake today. Fortunately it was dead, not sure if I have the lawn mower or the neighborhood cat to thank. Even the word snake makes me uncomfortable. And no I won’t be going to see any movies that involve snakes or planes, especially if I ever want to fly again.

As things settle down, we are realizing that this is our home and we are enjoying making it ours. The first few weeks were like a whirlwind trying to get stuff done, getting ready for the PMC, finding a new routine, etc. Now we’ve got the weeds somewhat under control, poison ivy has been identified and mostly removed, the living room and dining rooms have been painted, and all the boxes from the 1st and 2nd floor were emptied and the remains recycled. We would not have made it this far if not for some really great friends and family who pitched in and helped us out. Thanks to everyone who cracked the whip, wielded the paintbrush, folded reams upon reams of paper, and showed me how to use loping shears.

Curtains and window treatments were this week’s issue. In 8 years of apartment life, we never could agree on window treatments, we are hoping we can find something a little quicker this time. One aspect of the house that we immediately fell in love with was the oversized windows that let in so much sunlight and gave the house its bright cheery feel. The downside of this we are quickly realizing is that they let in a LOT of sun, which means furniture will fade and forget sleeping past 6:30, at least until we agree on some curtains.

I could go on for pages about home decorating because it’s all so new and exciting. We’ve wanted this for so long and now we have it – and we are going to have some fun with it! However, reality is always lingering in the background and I’ve been dealing with some minor health issues. The leg is still not back, but it’s definitely making progress and I’m able to get up and down the stairs as I need to. More physical therapy is needed which means I have to find a new place to go, maybe in Holliston, maybe in Boston. That’s on my to do list for this week. I also determined that I can’t go near poison ivy. I’ve got it for the 3rd time since moving into the house, yet haven’t learned my lesson. I’m looking into buying a Hazmat suit to wear whenever I want to garden. The problem is that it is everywhere – which is apparently common out here. I’m working on killing it and making the yard safe for me to go in, but I think I’ll be dealing with a few more bouts of it before that happens.

I tried to take a few weeks off from doctors, hospitals, but didn’t really succeed. My diarrhea was worse than usual in July and while I knew the stress and heat were probably contributing to it, I still didn’t feel right. Called my doctor who ordered some tests, and lo and behold, discovered I had c dif (clostridium difficile) which is basically a bacterial infection in the intestines that you get from hospitals or antibiotics. The treatment – antibiotics of course! It’s not uncommon in situations like mine, it’s treatable, and it certainly explains a lot. I did a 2 week course of antibiotics in July but they didn’t seem to work, so I’m on another 2 week course of a stronger antibiotic right now. I’m hoping that this will work and perhaps I will begin to gain some weight. This is an issue I’m struggling with as I don’t want to actual “take” or “do” anything to help it, but as I dip below 100 pounds for the first time since I was in junior high I realize perhaps it is a problem. I’ve got lots of suggestions, supplements, etc sitting around the house, so it’s just a matter of me using some of them. And I will, when I’m ready. My excuse this week is that the antibiotic I am on leaves a foul taste in my mouth (just like I had with the Erbitux and chemo before that). So it’ll be a struggle just to stay hydrated over the next 2 weeks, but I’ll do it because I really don’t feel like going into the hospital this month.

And finally – I have my quarterly CT scan and blood work on Wednesday. I see Dr. Lange next week to discuss the results. Since this is my first follow up scan since the surgery (not including the baseline scan from May), I’m not concerned. We don’t really have much to discuss – I’m very happy not to be on any medications, there is nothing new in the pipeline, and for the most part I feel good. He will have some comments about the weight loss and make some suggestions, but it should be a stress free appointment. The CT scan is a different story – I can’t honestly say I’m looking forward to the tasty barium but its one day every 4 months so I think I can get through it.

I realized this week that I am finally starting to feel like myself again – it’s been almost 2 years since I felt “good” and I think I’m going to like it when it all comes back. Especially since I now can sit on my deck, watch the birds and horses, take in the view of all the green surroundings and enjoy life again. Oh and maybe make some time every week to update this blog.

Posted by jean at August 21, 2006 10:13 AM