My Fathers' Day, 2019
In My Bloodstream: Lisinopril, Amlodopine, Omeprazole, Tamsulosin
On The Stereo: The Last Word, Mary Chapin Carpenter
Update
We had a fabulous week with the Tysons. For Fathers' Day, Kristin had arranged a kayaking trip for all of us on the Weeki Wachee River. All went well for about three hours, paddling with the current and taking in spectacular views. We saw one deer and an alligator, on the shore, along with myriad birds and fish. At one point, the boys jumped into the river to swim and cool down. Idyllic.
Then we were hit by a fast moving storm. Big, scary lightning and sharp cracks of thunder. And torrential rain. We might have been dryer in the river. Kath and I were in one boat, well behind the lighter, younger and stronger kids. We got caught up in boat traffic as we neared the gulf, but finally, soaked and exhausted, we reached the kayak drop-off point. Kath had a tough time getting out. The ramp tilts upward, requiring a good deal of balance and muscle to extract yourself. The staff and the ever-faithful, Doug, helped her ascend the incline.
I was beat. Kath is petrified of lightning and we had to dig hard against the wind for the last mile. By the time we arrived, my heart was pounding. I mean, pounding. As I have previously mentioned, my blood pressure has recently been beyond control, with up to 100 point swings. This trip had me in a precarious situation. I could hardly move, to get out. My head was thumping and my balance was gone. Completely. With the help of Doug and the staff, I was pried out of the kayak and walked to the bus, for the trip back to our car.
We dried out, changed into some drier clothes and headed to lunch, for wings and beer. Some two hours later, I started to regain some normalcy.
The week was filled with games, pool time, beach time, and doctor visits.
I am still struggling to find a satisfactory range for my blood pressure. After venturing into some more medically acceptable drugs, my GP has reinstated my original prescriptions - lisinopril and amlodopine. I have been a week since the change, and thankfully there is some improvement. There still occur some unwelcome swings, but not nearly as wild as the previous two weeks. We will see.
On Monday, Kath and I drove to Moffitt to meet with Dr. Harrington. I had believed that he was scheduled to operate, but a consult was the order of the day. This was a bit disappointing, as I had presumed that Kath and I would be on similar treatment and recovery paths. For us, that meant we would be able to have some healthy time together, play some golf, see friends, and tour the area a little. A visit to Raleigh for Avet's birthday, and to the Matson's in The Highlands, is now suspect. We have not yet trashed our plans, but they do not hold the promise they did, only a week ago. Now, we are at odds with our medical timetables, whereby one of us will continually be out of action until Kath heads back to teaching in August. The best laid plans, as I have said before, sometimes end in failure. This is not the worst part of having cancer, but the effect on our personal relationships, is not inconsequential.
On Tuesday morning, very early, Kath had her Mohs procedure with Dr. Cherpelis. She had the squamous removed from the fold in her nose, and a graft to seal the area. She also had a cancer removed from her chest. There was no cosmetic work done. Or needed. The surgery was finally completed at 4pm. I was there, in the waiting room, all day. I had a consult scheduled with the same doctor, at 3:30, to set a date for my Mohs. One behind my left ear and another on my cheek, just above my left lip. We finally met after he completed his work with Kath. She was worried about her facial appearance, post surgery. I had a good look at the wounds and stitches prior to bandaging, and I believe the doctor did a terrific job, in keeping her little nose intact. My guess is, that in a month or two, the scars will not be visible. And as y'all know, I am seldom wrong about anything. (wink, wink).
The agreed plan will put me with him on July 28th, at zero dark thirty, for his part of the job. The wounds will be left open until the next day, when Dr. Harrington will excise the two remaining cancers and then close all the wounds. It will be a fun two days, if you want to join us.
On Wednesday I drove Kat Lady to see Dr. Zaidi, her new rheumatologist, in Port Richey. We have finally cut the ties with her doctor in Naples. That drive was too regular and too far. All of our docs are now nearby - Tampa being the furthest.
Kristin, Doug, and their kids, were left to fend for themselves while we completed our medical missions. As the appointments had been made months in advance, and were, without a doubt, necessary, we had little choice. Our clan were absolute troopers. We cannot thank them enough for their commitment to our happiness and for their love. Eli, the six year old, who is still into ranking everything, calls Grammy, his number one relative. Of course, that is not quite the truth, but the fact that he keeps saying it, keeps Kath smiling.
Now we are getting back to reality. The house took a little work to clean up, but truth be told, I would love to have had them stay longer. Dog and kids make my favorite messes.
To put an end to this past Fathers' Day, I sincerely hope all of my father friends had a week as uplifting as was mine. It was a proper doozy. Thanks to my "Little Girl", a name I have called her forever. And "The Boy", my term for Kristin's Doug, has my vote for best father ever. He was over the top good. In every way.
I have included a must-read article from The Wall Street Journal. I tried to give you an electronic link, but I was not allowed. This might be difficult to read, and for that I apologize. Try a magnifying glass, or find somebody young. If that doesn't work, call me and I will read it aloud to you.
Next week, we will go back in time and catch up on our story.
As always, comments are welcome.
jrobinmullen@gmail.com
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