I just spoke to W. J now has a smaller walking frame, not the larger elbow one. She's doing without oxygen for a lot longer, often only using it when she comes back from a walk. She's getting her husband to carry the oxygen bottle when she walks, and without the weight, she can walk further. W said they put J in a wheelchair and took her outside the hospital briefly yesterday, she loved it.
J is determined to get home. The hospital discharge person came to talk to her about rehab and J just about threw her out of the room; "rehab" is a dirty word, apparently. So she's well enough now to begin getting stroppy, which is also a good sign. She's doing without oxygen at night now too and her sats are still good. Blood sugar levels still spike during the day because she's still on high levels of prednisone, but they're hoping to begin scaling that down as well.
Her chest X-rays have shown conclusively that her lungs are definitely recovering, which is absolutely amazing. The lower lung lobes which W previously described as "complete white-out" are now working again, J is getting air right down into her lungs.
The X-rays also show a small air space outside her lung where the drain didn't get all the air out, but that should also resolve with time. ANd it is not increasing in size, so her lung is now staying inflated. (that drain was from the open lung biopsy they did about three weeks ago).
As for me - my radiotherapy doesn't start for another few weeks, not until the end of May. Stress-wise things could be better - I've been involved in a stage production, got hooked into it by a former client who dangled the possibility of repeat work (publishing) and then sidetracked me into taking a role in her play. Since then she hasn't mentioned the book, not once, even though I had begun to work on it. Then about three weeks ago, my former client sacked the director (who I felt was doing a brilliant job) and told me a pack of utterly ridiculous lies about her ("she drinks!" said in shocked tones, and "She wanted to meet with me at the bank to do something with the accounts - I don't want to talk about it,") and then promised me she had sent the director a very polite but also very firm dismissal email. Then the director copied it to me (and the rest of the cast) and I found there was no dismissal letter at all, just a note saying the production had been postponed. Turned out, it was postponed because the director had booked the theatre in the name of her own theatre group, using her own insurance, I suspect because the producer, true to form, had not organised anything workable. So of course the producer had to postpone, if she wanted to go ahead without this director.
Now the director wants to go ahead, wants as many of the previous cast on board but the producer is bullying people by saying "It's unethical," casting aspersions on the director and telling people that if any of us have anything to do with this director, she (producer) will blacken our names and have nothing to do with us.
I'm a little concerned because others involved with producer do have the capacity to do me some harm in my capacity as a writer and editor. Possibly as an actor as well. Saying stuff to my face is OK, it's the character-smearing behind the scenes that is so hard to fight, you don't know what to fight.
I should walk away entirely. But easy child 2/difficult child 2 is involved, she has two major roles. Also, if I walk away, then the bully wins. Even though I've told the producer I'm not in her production ("I will be too busy to fit in to your planned schedule") she has warned me to stay away from the other production, which I think is unethical, unfair, inappropriate and a lot of other "in"s. I had been looking forward to this acting job as therapy. I'm still on board (with the director - my former client can go get whatever'd) but I will need to work hard to keep stress to a minimum.
Health-wise, I'm OK, but currently in limbo as far as the cancer goes. The boob is healing (and smaller than I thought it would be) and still a bit sore. I bought a new bra a few days ago (I mentioned it on Witz's bra thread) but I will need to do more. I saw the GP yesterday, she said the scar is looking good, considering it's only 6 weeks. Other pains are a problem - that's all related to my long-term muscle weakness problems. I got handed the reins of a horse to hold this morning, it nearly pulled my arm out of its socket, it felt like. I'm using my mobility scooter a lot at the moment, often too sore to walk far. So really, when the pain and weakness starts up with the treatment, I probably won't notice much change!
Thanks for asking, Chris.
Marg