We've discovered an organic family farm on the Kingston Peninsula that is doing Community Supported Agriculture, so we've purchased a share. Beginning in mid-June, weekly for 20 weeks, we'll get a box of fresh vegetables delivered to us (or we can go to the farm to pick them up). There will be a variety of greens, root crops and other vegetables depending on what's in season. (I'm hoping not too heavy on the green beans!) They are growing a variety of lettuces and different types of tomatoes.
Harvey may have some new cooking adventures to report, depending on what appears.
And the gooseberry and currant bushes I planted very late last fall have survived, so I may eventually be able to pick fruit without leaving our yard.
Wendy
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Treatment Continues
I was scheduled to start my fifth (of six) round of chemotherapy today, but my white blood count was still too low, even after the week's delay. My doctor prescribed something that stimulates white blood cell production, which I'll give myself by injection for the next five days, after a practice session with the nurse today on how to do that. The things I'm learning through this process!
I've decided to take time off from work until my treatments are completed sometime this fall. As you can imagine, this was a difficult decision to make, and certainly something I was not ready to do in January when treatments started. But I think focusing on dealing with this is the best thing to do now.
So that starts today too - Harvey is a little worried about having me around the house more, so he may have a future report about that.
Wendy
I've decided to take time off from work until my treatments are completed sometime this fall. As you can imagine, this was a difficult decision to make, and certainly something I was not ready to do in January when treatments started. But I think focusing on dealing with this is the best thing to do now.
So that starts today too - Harvey is a little worried about having me around the house more, so he may have a future report about that.
Wendy
Thursday, May 8, 2008
A Slight Delay
My blood counts this week were "borderline" so my next chemotherapy treatment has been delayed until next week.
Am feeling ok and have been able to get out and do a bit of cleaning up in the garden. Its raining today so that should really make things grow. The rhodedendron outside our kitchen window is in blooming - last year it attracted hummingbirds regularly but haven't seen any of them yet. Harvey fears that he will soon need to cut the lawn!
Wendy
Am feeling ok and have been able to get out and do a bit of cleaning up in the garden. Its raining today so that should really make things grow. The rhodedendron outside our kitchen window is in blooming - last year it attracted hummingbirds regularly but haven't seen any of them yet. Harvey fears that he will soon need to cut the lawn!
Wendy
Sunday, May 4, 2008
High Water
The Saint John River is forecast to reach its peak here tonight or tomorrow. A few roads closed and houses evacuated in the City, but quite minor compared to upstream.
We checked out Reversing Falls at high tide on Friday and there was so much water coming down the river that it wasn't reversing. It was pretty impressive at low tide too.
Today we went out for a meal at a restaurant for the first time in several months. Borscht at the Polish restaurant at Hammond River was calling me. The restaurant is on a hill overlooking the river, and we could see the water creeping over the road on the other side. It's cut off access to Darlings Island, so people are getting in and out by boat.
My throat is still a bit sore, but no longer keeping me from eating. I get my blood checked tomorrow and if it's ok, chemotherapy on Wednesday.
Wendy
We checked out Reversing Falls at high tide on Friday and there was so much water coming down the river that it wasn't reversing. It was pretty impressive at low tide too.
Today we went out for a meal at a restaurant for the first time in several months. Borscht at the Polish restaurant at Hammond River was calling me. The restaurant is on a hill overlooking the river, and we could see the water creeping over the road on the other side. It's cut off access to Darlings Island, so people are getting in and out by boat.
My throat is still a bit sore, but no longer keeping me from eating. I get my blood checked tomorrow and if it's ok, chemotherapy on Wednesday.
Wendy
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Home again
Wendy was kicked out of her room thim morning. White blood cell count was good enough.
Hurray!!
Hurray!!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Waiting for the White Blood Cells
I've gone from zero to having some white blood cells since the weekend. I'm nowhere near the normal level yet, but slowly getting there. The doctors say if my white blood cound keeps going up, they'll let me out here in the next few days.
In the meantime, I've had lots of reading time sitting in my sunny south-facing window, Bothe oncology out patient waiting room and the lounge on 5 South have small collections of donated paperbacks, mostly the typical Danielle Steele/James Patterson type. However, I've read two really interesting books serendipitously found there: The Fox Boy, in which the author investigates and recounts the life of a Maori boy aducted by white European New Zealanders in the 1860s. With the focus, the book becomes a much larger story of the relatiohship between whites and Maoris so you learn quite a bit of New Zealand history.
My other find was Rudy Wiebe's "The Blue Mountains of China" - one of his early novels. It looks at the Russion Mennonite experience from 1929 whentheir farms and property were taken to become collectives, to the late 1960s. The interesing part is the structure - with different chapters from the perspective of different charaters, some related and some nterconnected as time goes on.
Now I'm reading Michael Ondaatje's "Divisadero", and dipping into Garrison Keillor's "Good Poesm" collection.
I'm getting Harvey to tpye and post this for me.
Wendy
In the meantime, I've had lots of reading time sitting in my sunny south-facing window, Bothe oncology out patient waiting room and the lounge on 5 South have small collections of donated paperbacks, mostly the typical Danielle Steele/James Patterson type. However, I've read two really interesting books serendipitously found there: The Fox Boy, in which the author investigates and recounts the life of a Maori boy aducted by white European New Zealanders in the 1860s. With the focus, the book becomes a much larger story of the relatiohship between whites and Maoris so you learn quite a bit of New Zealand history.
My other find was Rudy Wiebe's "The Blue Mountains of China" - one of his early novels. It looks at the Russion Mennonite experience from 1929 whentheir farms and property were taken to become collectives, to the late 1960s. The interesing part is the structure - with different chapters from the perspective of different charaters, some related and some nterconnected as time goes on.
Now I'm reading Michael Ondaatje's "Divisadero", and dipping into Garrison Keillor's "Good Poesm" collection.
I'm getting Harvey to tpye and post this for me.
Wendy
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wendy's white blood count remains low, at the last report, so Wendy remains in the hospital. She has books and her notebook and I'm sure she's keeping a Journal. Ocassionally I'm sent home with something to type into this blog or send emails.
During my visits we've been playing Quiddler, a word game in which each person is dealt letters and must make up words and use up all the cards dealt. I've only won once out of the six games we've played. I may have to switch to cribbage to extract my revenge on her.
Our friend Jack visited on Friday evening and Lynn visited on Sunday evening. Nice breaks in our routine.
Wendy remains cheerful and positive. She's eating as well as their purtrid diet allows and drinking lots of fluid.
Harvey
During my visits we've been playing Quiddler, a word game in which each person is dealt letters and must make up words and use up all the cards dealt. I've only won once out of the six games we've played. I may have to switch to cribbage to extract my revenge on her.
Our friend Jack visited on Friday evening and Lynn visited on Sunday evening. Nice breaks in our routine.
Wendy remains cheerful and positive. She's eating as well as their purtrid diet allows and drinking lots of fluid.
Harvey
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