good days

Martin came home this past Weds May 18th from Vancouver, where he received 5 radiation treatments to his head and eyes over the previous week. He appears to have tolerated these treatments well so far. The trip home went fine and he was free of pain during the car ride.

The next day (Thursday) was a beautiful, sunny day. His parents suggested he rest from the journey but Marty was keen to get in the garden and feeling good after getting over some pain in the morning. We went to his community garden plot in the afternoon and did several hours of work there. We planted pretty much the whole thing so now it's just watering and waiting for the magic to happen. It was a great day for Marty in terms of energy and mobility. He felt comfortable later that night so he didn't seem to have overdone it.

The day after that, we took a trip to his friends Rob and Erin's place which is about a half-hour drive away. It was another hot sunny day. Rob was in his bee suit as they just got bees. We had a walking tour of their property, on trails they had made, and Marty was able to do the whole thing, which was about a half hour of gentle walking with lots of stops to look at things and rest. He had some pain in the night and next morning so may have overdone it a bit, but felt it was worth it as well. Right now it is about finding a balance between rest and activities, enjoying what he is able to do, and having some fun.

Certain things have improved from the last radiation treatment to his shoulder, in that he is breathing more comfortably now, coughing a lot less, and having no pain in that area. He has gotten used to his pain medications so they no longer sedate him so much. He is still having frequent pain in his hips/legs/lower back, which often disrupts his sleep. His vision in his left eye is still compromised by dark areas in his field of vision and some distortion. But on the whole he has reached a plateau at the moment it seems where he's doing and feeling relatively well. Because this could change at any time, we appreciate it all the more and focus on the beauty of the present moment.

Carolyn