It’s been a while since we checked in …

Short story #1:

Prednisone reduction continues. Taste buds making a recovery! Energy levels continue to rise, but I’m still not always aware that I’ve crossed the energy line until it’s too late.

Short story #2:

Last week Kathy had a needle biopsy that’s been determined to be malignant.

Long story #1:

I started the prednisone taper at the end of March. It has remained uneventful (no relapse). There’s about five weeks “to go” and it’s the next time I’ll see Dr. O. Then we continue to wait, to see how long the Rituxan keeps the pemphigus at bay.

I’ve continued working with Jay on the townhouse, getting it ready for the market. We’ve done a LOT of work — from replacing windows (including sliders) and the back deck, to rewiring, to completely renovating all bathrooms. Paint, paint, paint. Replace all doors (and door handles).

We’re not quite at the carpet (upstairs) and flooring (downstairs) stages. Of course more painting in addition to kitchen elements remain (stove, hood, and some cabinet{s}), in the main.

On the socializing front, we regularly attend the ballet. I’m playing pool again on Thursday nights. This past weekend we saw An American in Paris at the Paramount and Seattle Rock Orchestra does the Beatles at the Moore. We also went to a birthday celebration this weekend and movie night in March. We’re looking forward to dinner with Judy (one of Kathy’s best friends from college) and husband Brant at the end of the month; they’ll be in Seattle in preparation for a cruise to Alaska.

Long story #2:

Kathy had the pneumonia-like bronchitis bug; it wiped her out for the month of April. She was informed late Monday that her follow-up needle biopsy taken last Friday as part of her every-six-months breast exam (which started six years ago) was malignant. She has an MRI scheduled on the 22nd and sees her surgeon from her prior lumpectomies on the 31st. Given her regular check-ups, we are hopeful that it’s small and has been caught very early. She’s talked to Kendra’s husband Jesse to get questions lined up and to prepare for a second opinion with UW for treatment should the cancer prove to be complex. Jesse has been a wonderful “crutch” this year for which we are grateful.

***
Tija (brother Jay’s youngest daughter) was here for two weeks (with her son Isaac). We took Jay out for a birthday dinner. Then the following weekend took Jay, Tija and Isaac on a ferry ride to Bainbridge. Hiked down to Deception Pass beaches. Had ice cream at Snow Goose. It was a lovely, sunny, Saturday.

 

 

The rain still hasn’t let up. We’ve now set records for the rain year (Oct 1 – Sep 30) and the calendar year. The first week in May, we had total rainfall equivalent to the average at Halloween. And the first six months of the rain year was the second wettest on record.

So flowers have been late. But everything is really green now, which means the lawn mower is getting a workout, too.

Thanks for listening!

Kathy, Katie & Michael