the continuing story for Marty

Marty has been overall doing better with fewer terrible days and less horrible discomfort. That being said, he continues to often feel quite poorly, although with less frequency of extremes. He has maintained the weight gain of several months ago, which is really great news, but still cannot plan on feeling well for more than a day or two at a time. His spirits are relatively good, which is amazing, and speaks to his resilience and strength as a person with many daily challenges.

His appetite, digestive comfort and energy vary daily. Thankfully, vomiting and severe cramping has been only occasional.

Our social life is obviously limited as we can never tell when his condition will suddenly and inexplicably decline. Going out for dinner with friends is very difficult to plan. Even going out to the movies is often thwarted if Marty feels unwell. The most frustrating aspect for both of us is not only the unpredictable nature of his health, but the lack of any specific cause for his discomforts. If there was a food group to clearly avoid or a means to help him feel better, of course, we would do it! At present, his only option is a hot water bottle on his abdomen when he is feeling poorly, rest and quiet.

Marty has good support from his osteopathic doctor and his medical doctors.

We continue to enjoy our life together and our dear feline family member, Carmella, as well as time with local family members.

We hope for the best and deal as gracefully as possible with the crummy.

Good wishes to all!

Chicago trip

Marty and I flew to Chicago this past week to assist his elderly and much loved mother in various ways. We worked hard, accomplished our intentions, and had some time together to enjoy the neighborhood, as well as precious time with his mother.

The dehydrating conditions of air travel impact Marty quite dramatically. There was also a fair degree of added stress in that the place we stayed afforded very little privacy and many sleep interruptions. Food choices that are most ideal for Marty were also slim.

Marty did quite well, given the above described limitations, while we were in Chicago. Once we returned home, intestinal distress and overall exhaustion hit Marty hard. He is not as diminished in comfort as he has been previously, but still in need of naps, a hot water bottle on his abdomen to sleep, and a generally reduced activity schedule.

At this point, we manage the effects of travel and stress on Marty's condition reasonably well, which is not to suggest that travel is a breeze for him. We learn, constantly, from experience. Our next trip to Chicago will hopefully include more privacy and ease in where we stay so that the stress of travel for him can be minimized.

Marty doing well!

Apologies for long sequence between posts on Marty's behalf! And many thanks to all who have inquired about Marty's health and well-being.

Marty has been doing well for some months now, thank goodness. Although he has some not so great days, he hasn't had any really awful sequences of vomiting and intestinal discomfort. He still needs to have a hot water bottle on his abdomen at night to relieve cramping, and has lots of gurgling and sound effects from his gut during the day that indicate less than ideal digestion. On our days off, he does need a very comprehensive nap. His energy is not at all what it was once was in days before surgery and radiation treatment. But, he has not lost any weight and can eat in a reasonably normal fashion. This is very good news!

We attribute his improved condition to the excellent work of our Osteopathic doctor, and to the good effects of medical marijuana. In addition, his medical team has said that, with time, the digestive system does heal to some extent.

Whatever the helpful ingredients may be, both Marty and I are grateful for being able to live a bit more normally. We still can't plan with confidence given Marty's condition, as his comfort level shifts constantly, but we are both getting more rest, can enjoy daily life together, and are both pleased to be sharing our life without as much distress as in previous months.

Marty continues to be cheerful, optimistic, patient and sweet-natured, as is usual for him. We live a life together of much love and joy, despite all the challenges. We both are grateful for all the interest and concern expressed by family and friends. Thank you!

The ongoing up and down

Although Marty has been experiencing less frequent distressing symptoms, for which we are thankful, he continues to have some really bad days, for which we have no explanation. In other words, the predictability of his difficult times remains mysterious and challenging to fathom. His energy for daily life is somewhat improved, and his color is better, excepting the days when he looks like death warmed over and has to just go to bed with a hot water bottle. On the bad days, he can't work or really function much at all. On relatively good days, he can almost seem like his old energetic self.

This past Wednesday (our day off together every week), he was feeling a bit poorly, but since it was a glorious Spring day, I insisted we go to a local beach to soak up the light and warmth and scents from Puget Sound. We enjoyed a lovely walk on the beach there, and also visited our community P Patch to attend to our garden. These outdoor adventures, as well as an evening walk to a local park, seemed to renew him. Of course, he needed a nap mid-day to be able to manage all this "activity"!

Tomorrow, we celebrate 16 happy years of being married, with a plan for dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Stumbling Goat. Fingers crossed that Marty will feel up to a meal out, to eating good food, and to celebrating our marriage!

Oncology Radiation visit

Today, Marty and I met with his Oncology Radiation team so they could view his progress and assess his current condition. They were thrilled that he has gained 8 pounds since they saw him three months ago!! The hope when he last saw the team was that he gain a single pound. Obviously, he has far exceeded expectations.

The Oncology Radiation team was also happy to see Marty's color much improved, and his stamina a bit more steady. There was obvious relief on all sides.

His doctor recommended no further tests, scopes or scans, as these would likely be invasive, and would add nothing further in terms of understanding his condition. This was also a relief for us, as the scans and tests have been intrusive, expensive and quite time consuming.

And, after our meeting with the medical team, we actually saw a film together, a rare occurrence these days, as all plans frequently go awry with Marty's unpredictable discomfort levels.

Fingers and toes crossed for continued improvement!

Spoke too soon, darn it!

Just when we thought all was improving, Marty feels very poorly again, with several very difficult days and nights. His energy and comfort are at the low end of the spectrum all over again.
Damn! Just when it seemed we had a reprieve!

Tomorrow, we see his Radiation Oncology team. Will report!

More good news!

Marty's bouts of nausea, intestinal cramping and dreary days have decreased in frequency and intensity. He has more stamina for activity, sleeps more soundly, and is generally in better condition all around in the past few weeks. Although we are uncertain what has made the difference in an exact way, we credit both medical marijuana and also his work with our Osteopathic doctor. Whatever is working to improve his health, we are grateful.
He continues to gain some weight also!

He still has difficult days, but improvement is obvious and welcome. He is now riding his bike to and from work daily, an activity that he enjoys and relishes.

We are both cheered with his progress!