Marty is enjoying a lovely visit with his dear mother in Chicago, and is feeling pretty well! He needs a hot water bottle on his tummy at night to diminish cramping, but this is easily accomplished. Hoping for easy travel home for him with no delays and also minimal discomforts for Marty.
Carmella and I will be eagerly awaiting his return, of course, and have home and food prepared to welcome him.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Rough week, then travel
Marty had a challenging week with return of intense intestinal cramping and nausea. This meant missing work and remaining in bed for several days. He looked and felt washed out and weary. There is very little that I or anyone can do for him when his condition deteriorates in this way. All that helps is sleep, preferably with a hot water bottle on his abdomen. Carmella the cat keeps him company in her fat feline fashion.
This morning, Marty got up at 4am to make his flight to Chicago, where he will visit with his mother. (Since my mother here in Seattle is very ill, I could not go along with him.) In any case, Marty got to the airport and found that his flight was cancelled, which meant he had to wait hours at the airport. This was very hard for him as he was not feeling in any way back to full steam. He is really frustrated with his physical limitations for any travel ease, and of course, even in good health, air travel is difficult currently.
Once he gets to Chicago, I am hoping he can rest a bit and enjoy precious time with his 94 year old dear mother. I will report as things go along!
This morning, Marty got up at 4am to make his flight to Chicago, where he will visit with his mother. (Since my mother here in Seattle is very ill, I could not go along with him.) In any case, Marty got to the airport and found that his flight was cancelled, which meant he had to wait hours at the airport. This was very hard for him as he was not feeling in any way back to full steam. He is really frustrated with his physical limitations for any travel ease, and of course, even in good health, air travel is difficult currently.
Once he gets to Chicago, I am hoping he can rest a bit and enjoy precious time with his 94 year old dear mother. I will report as things go along!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Report on Marty's Birthday
Thank you to everyone who called and/or emailed birthday wishes to Marty!
He had a not so great day in terms of physical comfort, but he did enjoy birthday cupcakes, baked by his kind co-worker Serena, and worked the day without too much distress.
After work, I met Marty at our local favorite restaurant, Stumbling Goat, where the owners had his seasonal blood orange drink awaiting his arrival. We both enjoyed a very delicious meal, and walked home with the crescent moon watching us from the western skies.
Unfortunately, he paid for our meal by being ill much of the night. This is how life goes for us lately. Enjoyment of food is followed by cramping, nausea and vomiting. Still, he has been sick much less often since we have had the cannabis option.
Marty slept in a bit this morning, and seems weary but better today.
He had a not so great day in terms of physical comfort, but he did enjoy birthday cupcakes, baked by his kind co-worker Serena, and worked the day without too much distress.
After work, I met Marty at our local favorite restaurant, Stumbling Goat, where the owners had his seasonal blood orange drink awaiting his arrival. We both enjoyed a very delicious meal, and walked home with the crescent moon watching us from the western skies.
Unfortunately, he paid for our meal by being ill much of the night. This is how life goes for us lately. Enjoyment of food is followed by cramping, nausea and vomiting. Still, he has been sick much less often since we have had the cannabis option.
Marty slept in a bit this morning, and seems weary but better today.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Marty's birthday
Marty has a birthday tomorrow, March 6. Please send him emails and voice mails and many happy wishes.
I will be taking him out for dinner at our local favorite place, Stumbling Goat, for a meal that he can hopefully enjoy to some degree.
Marty has had a run of pretty good days. We have been able to sleep at night and he has been able to work by day without excessive discomfort. As always, we hope for the best and adjust to the worst.
I will be taking him out for dinner at our local favorite place, Stumbling Goat, for a meal that he can hopefully enjoy to some degree.
Marty has had a run of pretty good days. We have been able to sleep at night and he has been able to work by day without excessive discomfort. As always, we hope for the best and adjust to the worst.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Limits of Herbal Help
Lest people think that the medically prescribed cannabis is solving all of Marty's problems, I am sorry to inform you that it is not the case. The baked goods and tincture help his nausea and cramping on "good"days. Once he is having a not so good to terrible day, the cannabis products have no positive impact.
If we had any notion of what sets off his episodes, or what sort of pattern of timing was involved, we could at least take some preventative measures. The frustration of all this is that we have no clue about cause, timing, or patterns. Planning for life is rather impossible. Marty might feel relatively well for days then suddenly be too sick to get out of bed.
We had a run of functional days in the past weeks, then the hammer of nausea, vomiting, cramping hit again. Every episode of this sort depletes him further, and costs him calories, hydration, sleep and stamina. Astonishingly, he continues with some small measure of optimism.
We go day by day, hoping to sleep, trusting he can work, finding serenity in the most surprisingly small details.
If we had any notion of what sets off his episodes, or what sort of pattern of timing was involved, we could at least take some preventative measures. The frustration of all this is that we have no clue about cause, timing, or patterns. Planning for life is rather impossible. Marty might feel relatively well for days then suddenly be too sick to get out of bed.
We had a run of functional days in the past weeks, then the hammer of nausea, vomiting, cramping hit again. Every episode of this sort depletes him further, and costs him calories, hydration, sleep and stamina. Astonishingly, he continues with some small measure of optimism.
We go day by day, hoping to sleep, trusting he can work, finding serenity in the most surprisingly small details.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Evidence of Progress
Although the medically prescribed marijuana is not making everything OK for Marty, it is making some difference in the quality of life he can enjoy.
This past week, Marty and I went out for dinner together for the first time in many months. Typically, Marty comes home from work with nausea and intestinal cramping, so we skip dinner and go to bed early. He rarely feels well enough to go out for a meal. But this past week, due to cannabis tincture and baked goods, his nausea and cramping calmed enough for us to dare a meal at our favorite local restaurant, Stumbling Goat. Although I accomplished the far greater percentage of the eating, Marty did enjoy some of the meal, and only suffered slightly with cramping afterward. Plus, of course, he was great company.
Progress toward fuller energy and health is incremental and slow, but seems to be going more in the positive direction now. Osteopathy is also assisting Marty's health. The subtle adjustments and comprehensive rebalancing that Osteopathy offers is gently urging Marty's system toward a healthier response.
As always, we hope for the best with cautious optimism, welcome the good days with appreciation, and look forward to any indications of improvement.
This past week, Marty and I went out for dinner together for the first time in many months. Typically, Marty comes home from work with nausea and intestinal cramping, so we skip dinner and go to bed early. He rarely feels well enough to go out for a meal. But this past week, due to cannabis tincture and baked goods, his nausea and cramping calmed enough for us to dare a meal at our favorite local restaurant, Stumbling Goat. Although I accomplished the far greater percentage of the eating, Marty did enjoy some of the meal, and only suffered slightly with cramping afterward. Plus, of course, he was great company.
Progress toward fuller energy and health is incremental and slow, but seems to be going more in the positive direction now. Osteopathy is also assisting Marty's health. The subtle adjustments and comprehensive rebalancing that Osteopathy offers is gently urging Marty's system toward a healthier response.
As always, we hope for the best with cautious optimism, welcome the good days with appreciation, and look forward to any indications of improvement.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Dispensary Experience
Never a dull moment around here! My mother is in the hospital with complications due to congestive heart disease, thus necessitating a shift in priorities for time, attention and energy.
Marty has been on the fair to good part of the wellness spectrum during the past week. He rarely has much appetite and deals with cramping and nausea, but not to a debilitating degree. Thus, a small but welcome reprieve!
The two of us went to the dispensary for medically prescribed marijuana today. To say that the dispensary is well hidden in a very non-descript location puts it mildly. Anyway, we found our way there, pretty much by happy accident, and we were buzzed in after displaying ID cards at the door camera.
Once inside, we found ourselves in a friendly, light-filled cheery environment. The staff were wonderfully helpful in making suggestions for products that would potentially address Marty's nausea and lack of appetite. Marty expressed a strong preference not to inhale smoke. We were then urged to consider a vaporizer (not available at this location, though they did have some huge bongs) for future consideration. Apparently, this is the most effective means for marijuana to be useful for someone in Marty's condition. Since we don't have a vaporizer (yet), we were sent home with: 2 baked confections (to be split into quarters), two lollipops, and a honey based tincture. Since Marty had some intestinal discomfort while we were in the dispensary, he tried a dose of the tincture right there and then. Within several minutes, his intestinal rumbles calmed a bit. Hurray!
Of course, we will keep close track of what works and what doesn't and how much and when etc. The tincture doesn't make him stoned, by the way, so he can still work, drive, converse and make decisions. The baked goods are recommended for evening use to encourage sleep without nausea or cramping.
And so with cautiously hopeful attitudes, we carry on!
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