From the Mundane to the … in Everyday Ramblings

I was just finishing up my post to 750 Words for the day and was thinking about how I was writing about the most mundane things like cleaning the litter box (I am using a litter made out of recycled newspaper with Carlo and Diego) and the prospects for my beloved and challenging older sister making it through this year.

She is back in the hospital in Seattle. This last chemo treatment, her third really did a number on her. Although the transfusion she had last week helped with her red blood count everything else went wonky. This time my niece was able to recognize that she was becoming incoherent and her oncologist was actually on call and they got her admitted right away on Wednesday night.

Even though she lives two blocks from the hospital, her best friend was available and able drive her to the entrance, as she was way too weak to walk.

Kes was able to talk to her doctor last night. The deal now is to get her stabilized and then she can decide about further treatment. The only options are pretty much more chemo at a lesser dose or palliative care and hospice. What matters now is quality of life, especially after this absolutely horrid last week.

We would love it if we could convince her to come down here so we could be with her now but our guess is that even though it is cold and dark in the big old apartment they live in on First Hill, it is home and that is where she will want to be.

When I was exactly Miss E.’s age (the 13 to 14 corridor) my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer, was hospitalized and within about ten months died. So of course this is bringing out this fierceness in me about wanting to protect her from this, or at least communicate with her about it. But this is her grandmother, not her mother and these are different times.

And of course there is being up on the unit with the kids with cancer. This last week I had no takers for my class, the census was down (this is a good thing!) and my coordinator threw out her back and so I ended up doing this weird thing with a mom of a two and a half year old who are in isolation both to protect her but also because the chemo she is on is toxic to the rest of us. Their room has an anteroom and we put our yoga mats in there and I took the mom through a short practice.

The child, she is adorable, sweet and hyperactive because of the treatment participated so we were doing poses while she piled stuffed animals on us and tucked them in around our heads and climbed all over her mom. It was actually all pretty silly and upbeat and quite moving but I was frustrated because the mom really needed a break. A volunteer had been in earlier to give her some private time. Also it was extremely awkward not to touch the child. We did our best.

I also visited with a mom and her daughter who is about 8, who had a brain surgery scar much like Mr. Finch’s. It is amazing what they are doing these days with surgery and treatment and most of these children will go on to lead relatively normal lives.

In the midst of all this I had a good thing happen at work. I know! Don’t faint.

We had this big quarterly meeting in an auditorium where we invited all the financial folks from all over our system, both on the University side and the Hospital side. I got there a little early because it was relatively dry and I took what we all call the goat trail short cut up the hill. Our facilitator and office manager were getting ready and realized at the last minute they didn’t have anyone to moderate questions from the audience watching the event via live stream.

They asked if I would be willing to do it and I said sure! Even though it was a little scary, it is not as scary as having a cheerful toxic two year old crawling all over you…

I enjoyed the challenge, having to figure stuff out and respond in real time. It was actually fun. They told me later I had done a wonderful job.

Imagine that! Wow.

And early yesterday morning our new interim director pinged me to say thank you and to inform me that I was required to do this task at all the future events. Sweet.

I sure am glad it is Friday. This human unit needs to recharge her batteries.

Last updated January 16, 2015