Sunday, March 29, 2026

     Saturday is a day off, no major tasks to complete and no medical appointments. I am done for awhile, just eating my meals, visiting with family, sitting in the front yard and doing my daily chair yoga exercises, and reading Lily King HEART THE LOVER.  My next medical appointment is a phone check in next week and then an oncology appointment in May. 

     We watch the stand-up comedian JENNY SLADE on Prime tv. She tells good stories and is funny. Later I watch another episode of THE CLOSER.

     In the evening after we turn off the TV, we hear two owls hooting to each other. Owls in our neighborhood.  I saw a neighborhood picture of an owl this week, a dark picture with the silhouette of the owl on a pine tree branch.

     Now that the rest of my body has settled down, I am aware of the occasional discomfort and sometimes pain in my knee. Nothing is ever perfect. Before going to bed I start the next library book, FIRESTORM, The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster by Jacob. Soboroff, one of my favorite MS NOW reporters.

 

Saturday, March 28, 2026

     In the early afternoon, I meet with the young friendly GI doctor in an eerie, modern building.  Long hallways, empty clinic rooms. Few cars parked in the large parking lot. I am told most of the doctors are on vacation. I am an emergency patient. I am grateful to be here.

     We have a short visit to talk about my fickle esophagus. The emergency ended last week when I start taking an Omeprazole pill in the morning. Just like that eating is easy. He offers to do a scope to look for cancer, and we talk about it. Nope I say, my body is still healing from all the bladder scopes. He says I can contact him if anything changes.

     Friends from Oregon arrive in the morning for a lively visit.  I love these folks and look forward to their visits. The meals on Wheels volunteer brings the weekend meals, and then the friendly baker brings fresh loaf of bread at noon.

     At the end of the day, I am exhausted. And satisfied.  We watch another dramatic chaotic episode of THE PITT. And then an episode of DEADLOCH, an Australian parody of a silly murder investigation. I am liking Lily King’s new book HEART THE LOVER. Today I will watch THE NO KING, NO WAR PROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

 

Friday, March 27, 2026    

     So the appointment with the Oncologist goes well.  He does the cystoscopy procedure and says my bladder looks health, no tumors found. Now I wait for the wash water pathology report for possible cancer cells. He tells me I am doing well and I don’t have to come back for 6 months for the next testing.  Unless of course I develop some symptoms or cancer cells are found in the pathology report.

     I am relieved and exhausted. But it is not really over. Bladder cancer is notoriously fickle and reoccurring. But still good news. I feel like I am on parole, that I am out of danger on good behavior. Maybe I am reluctant to hear good news. I have been having difficult treatments and surgeries for 5 years and now maybe I don’t need any more. I am left with lots of treatment caused body damage and I am still alive. So good news and I am tired.

     I am reading my friend, Naomi Estolas, just published book, I LAUGH AT MY MOM WHO HAS PARKINSON’S DISEASE. It is helping me not be afraid of friends’ Parkinson’s disease. Short thoughtful funny essays.  She is wonderful.

     Last night I am alone and watch two episodes of THE CLOSER. Today I am preparing to meet a new doctor, a GI doc to help with my swallowing problems. I am unable to complete their online paperwork. I hope they will help me in their office. I will remind them that I am 85 and filling out forms on line is impossible for me.