"Only one life, 'twill soon be past
Only what's done for Christ will last."

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Quiet

There is a hush in the chemotherapy progress right now.

Ed went to the hospital on Friday morning to have his second dose of Erwinia in the second series of six doses (3 shots each dose) but before the shots were given the ammonia levels came back at 295. It was the number 320 that landed him in the hospital ICU two weeks ago, and we were devastated!

Because he was not as nauseous as before, and because we are close to the hospital, they allowed us to go home for the weekend on the oral med to reduce the ammonia levels.

No meat for the week for Ed.

That was a small price to pay for being able to stay at home and recover.

On Monday morning the levels were down to 70, and no shots were given.

Now comes the waiting, the quiet. The oncologists debate and decide what to do now.

Once again Ed finds himself on the small side of the percentage figures. It's getting to be a trend.

Thankfully, he is in good spirits, he feels less nauseated by the day, and he's happy to be home or doing the "normal" stuff we usually do.

He's even happy to be taking the California Achievement Test today, fulfilling that state requirement for home-schooled students.

He and Cherie have been plugging away at it all day. They should wrap it up here before long. It's tiring for them, since they aren't used to sitting at a table all day.

Off to the Y we plan to head afterwards, so I can treat my four-day-long headache.

Yes, one of those. I get them on occasion, and I can do little but swim it off.

The February blahs have set in, and I'm looking for pictures of turquoise beaches to stare at. I hear that helps. I'll let you know.

Today Ed filled out an application for "Wishes and More," a wish-fulfillment organization that grants wishes to seriously ill children. He has been approved by the organization for a wish fulfillment. We'll see what comes of that.

Being a pipe organ playing, Hebrew learning, Trail Life scouting, home-schooler kind of young guy he's pretty open to anything fun!

He did mention on the application that he'd like to get tickets to the Minnesota Twins games, and I'm sure his dad will totally concur on that score! My husband starts salivating this time of year when training camp opens. Baseball is one of those things he truly enjoys watching.

Last Friday evening my husband came home from work with two tickets reserved for a choral experience with René Clausen. This composer/choral director was conducting five of his own works at a sing-along event with "The Singers" (formerly known as the "Dale Warland Singers").

What a beautiful way to spend the evening! I sang with the first sopranos, which I have become over the years. He sang with the tenors. What wonderful music. The vignettes that Mr. Clausen told about the music and how he wrote it were moving, even tear evoking! Music can do that to you.

(Ed wrote that his favorite movie is "The Amazing Spider Man," not for the movie, but for the "epic" sound track. Music is powerful.)

Other news: My eldest is on the cusp of a career with the Washington State Patrol. We are all waiting to hear the final call and offer. He has passed all the levels, tests, and "hoops" up until now. The next course is scheduled to start one month from now, and he hopes to be included in it. Eight months of training! It will go well with his Military Police Army Reserve duty, which he does once a month.

I'll let you know the good news as soon as I know! It has been an arduous wait over several months of different steps toward this career. I am so excited for him and his wife!

She, too, has been finding a good position to work. I am so thankful! We miss them, way out there on the west coast, but it sounds like they do not miss the sub-zero cold here in Minnesota lately!

Our son Jim is busy with his military course down in Oklahoma. He and his wife should find out their new assignment in early March.

We had so wanted to visit them in April, there in Oklahoma, but with the changes in Ed's chemotherapy I have no idea what the schedule will look like ultimately. It's a waiting game.

And I welcome the quiet. I've been rather quiet, resting, napping, reading some and working on a yarn project. I needed to hibernate these past few days.

So, if you have called me, written, texted, emailed, or messaged me, please understand that I will get to you SOON! I love your concern, your prayers, your wonderful friendship. I'm just hiding for awhile. Fortressing, as I call it.

Blessings----Love, Costanza

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