Lucy's eulogy

Thank you to everyone who made it to the funeral today. I got to see a number of people that we had not seen in a while. I'm very grateful to those who had other commitments but still found time to stop by for a few minutes. I know others could not make it today due to distance. I had promised you I would post Lucy's eulogy and tributes for you. I would also like to send a special thank you to Rev. Naumann for such a beautiful service.

It's been a long day for me and I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. Here is Lucy's eulogy. I'll post the tributes tomorrow.

“Please don’t cry one tear for me,
I’m not afraid of what I have to say,
This is my one and only voice,
So listen close, it’s only for today”

One of Lucy’s favorite songs was “Second Chance” by Shinedown. The lyric verse is quite appropriate for her eulogy because I have to be her voice for today. She requested that we celebrate her life and keep her memorial service upbeat. Lucy also was very uncomfortable being the center of attention, so I will keep my remarks brief. Those of you who know me understand that will be a feat unto itself.

Funerals tend to focus on loss and mourning. I would like us to focus on the joy Lucy gave us, the warmth of her smile, the comfort of her friendship, the loyalty to her loved ones. Even though she may not be physically with us, I can feel her among us. I am so fortunate to have an unlimited number of wonderful memories to comfort me. 

I met Lucy when we worked together at DCA. The company had just moved from downtown Minneapolis to the top of the hill overlooking Ridgedale in Minnetonka. Lucy was one of the first people hired after the move. She was very shy and quiet but had a great smile, so of course I had to make her smile every chance I could. We worked together on many projects and I began to know her better. It took ten months for me to ask her out on a date, and we dated for almost four years before getting married. The best things in life sometimes take time. Lucy did enjoy her privacy. We dated for a year before our co-workers suspected anything.

What impressed me most was how upbeat and even-keeled she was. We shared many interests including nature, the Twins, nearly every type of music, walking, hiking, and bicycling. I also found someone who was extremely loyal, determined, and willing to help polish off my many rough spots through the years. I know I am a far better person thanks to her love and patience and I am sure others feel the same way.

Another of Lucy’s passions was photography. Her specialty was close up photos of flowers, which would require immense patience during set up. She shot her photos with a manual 35 mm SLR camera until digital cameras were available. Lucy had a keen eye for detail, balance, and composition. She received those gifts from her mother. Lucy could see the beauty in an odd tree branch, the colors in a faded barn door and the mystery in a dust covered windowpane.

Lucy also had a great sense of humor, though I remember one time where she was not so amused. I was getting ready to meet her family for the first time and dressed up a bit. As a joke, I put on a T-shirt that had a screened picture of a tuxedo on it. When I arrived at the door of the apartment Lucy and Suzy were sharing, Lucy took one look at me and immediately told me to go to Target and get a different shirt. I had thought ahead and brought an extra shirt just in case.

Generosity for Lucy was a way of life. During her cancer battle, she participated in two clinical studies. One was for a new chemotherapy drug. She would have benefited from the drug, but she also participated in the study to help future cancer patients. The other study was about symptom management. This study required filling out many forms and speaking with a researcher monthly. She participated solely to help others.

Lucy was also a very empathetic person. She wanted to help calm people who were upset and soothe people who were sad. If someone were happy, she wanted to share the joy. Lucy could cry during movies. I was so lucky to have someone who had that much compassion for others.

Blessings were also a part of Lucy’s life. She always thanked her doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants during her hospital stays. Two of her cousins are nurses and Lucy knew the hard work and dedication it takes to help people try to regain their health. Lucy was appreciative of the kindness of others. One of the nicest pictures of us was taken at the Como Conservatory right after Lucy was told she might have cancer. I was going to take her picture near an orchid when an older man offered to take a picture of the two of us. I was so surprised I did not get a chance to take my coat off. It has been my Facebook profile picture for nearly two years, and it was one of Lucy’s favorites photographs. That act of kindness by a stranger will be with me forever.

We started the Journey of the Teal Owl blog and the corresponding Facebook group to keep people informed of Lucy’s cancer battle. Lucy was a very private person, but she knew people cared for her. She chose to open that part of her life to everyone who cared for her. We chose not to sugarcoat anything in the blog and everyone received the same information. It also gave us an unexpected bonus: all the touching and supportive comments left for Lucy. The comments have several recurring themes: Lucy’s courage, grace, determination, and strength

Her Finnish ancestors have a word, sisu, which would describe Lucy perfectly. There does not seem to be a simple translation for sisu, but I have taken it to mean “determined stoicism”. No matter what life threw at Lucy, she would adjust and never break.

Sisu served Lucy well during her life. Lucy rarely complained the entire time I knew her. After her cancer diagnosis, never once did I hear her say “Why me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” The cancer battle was frustrating at times for her, but she stayed determined to beat it. We kept gardening, walking, and hiking as long as she was able. She kept working as long as she was able. She kept spending time with her family as long as she was able. For as long as she was able to do the things she loved, she was beating cancer. We chose to be happy and upbeat, to be there for each other, for our friends and for our families, and to treasure our days together. She succeeded in all that.

We will all miss Lucy and we will mourn her in our own ways. We can honor Lucy’s legacy by being strong and compassionate, by being loyal friends, and by making the world a better place though acts of kindness. Our love for her will remain strong through the years and our memories of her will never fade. Lucy will always be a part of me just as she will always be a part of you. Not only has she gained eternal life in heaven, she still lives on in each of us. Lucy showed us how to live a life worth living and definitely made the world a better place during her time with us. I will love her always and I know you will, too.

Photographs and Memories

Lucy's obituary ran today in the Star Tribune and the Mesabi Daily News

The funeral home will put together a DVD that will be played during the visitation. I will be supplying 30 photographs tomorrow morning so the production is done by the service on Saturday.

Steve and Liz invited me over for dinner tonight. I really appreciated getting out and spending time with them. I brought along a CD with about 90 scanned photos of Lucy. I knew this would help me select the 30 I need. While going through the pictures, I ran across some I had forgotten about. The memories were so soothing. I'll miss Lucy for the remainder of my time here, but the wonderful memories of our time together ease most of the pain.

I was thinking about having a tribute board that would be displayed during the visitation. The funeral service will be short and simple per Lucy's request so there will not be time to have people speak during the service.By having the written tributes, people can honor Lucy. I will make the tributes available on the blog as quickly as I can afterwards since I know there are a number of people who will not be able to attend. If you would like to leave a tribute, please email it to tealowljourney@gmail.com. I'll ensure your email address is masked. Any tributes brought the day of the service will be transcribed.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Funeral arrangements

If you think planning a wedding is stressful, try planning a funeral. Thankfully the funeral home has been very compassionate and professional.

Lucy's funeral will be held Saturday, April 21 at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapel, 2300 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN 55431. It is on the corner of Old Shakopee Road and Penn Avenue South.

Lucy absolutely did NOT like being the center of attention so per her wishes, there will not be a viewing. Her inurnment will be at a later date. Visitation is from 2:30 - 3:30. The service will be from 3:30 - 4:00 and we will be having light refreshments afterwards.

Lucy's obituary did not make the Sunday Star Tribune or Mesabi Daily News because I could not get to meet with a funeral director until after publication deadlines (1:00 pm Saturday for Sunday's paper). I'll let you know when the obituary is published. The funeral home web site will also publish her obituary. If anything changes, I will post another update on the blog.

Thank you for your patience.

Lucy's battle has ended

Lucy passed away at 10:45 PM CDT tonight (Friday). Her passing was peaceful. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Please keep Lucy in your thoughts and prayers.

Two weeks at home

Lucy is still with us. She has been home now for two weeks. I can honestly say that she is comfortable and relaxed. She does have some period of tension, but I am learning how to better manage those.

The hospice volunteers have been so amazing so far. I have been administering Lucy's comfort meds round the clock for the past four days with some dosage and timing adjustments to help keep Lucy as comfortable as possible. Having the volunteers here help relax Lucy, and I can get some power naps or complete some errands. Checking items off a to do list is very satisfying. Something as simple as having lunch with my parents away from the house helps keep me refreshed.

Two Janes have been here today. Volunteer Jane did a phenomenal job at getting Lucy to relax. Her background included being a psychotherapist for a number of years plus time spent working within the healthcare profession. Lucy really enjoyed the hand massages and the soothing voice. Nurse Jane checked on Lucy's condition, reviewed the meds log and observed how peaceful Lucy was. The meds do not need adjusting which is a relief.

I haven't been doing daily updates because Lucy's condition has not changed much. Our gardens, on the other hand, are surprising me with how early some of her flowers are blooming. Our miniature irises

are already blooming about three weeks early. The daffodils are already done for the season, and the early tulips and lilac bushes will bloom in the next couple days.

We are so thankful for all the love and support everyone so generously gives us. It helps gives us comfort and strength and we are so grateful to you all!

It takes a village

Lucy is still with us. However, she was extremely tired all day. At this point, I do not think she will be able to wake up enough when she has company anymore.

The amount of resources available for hospice is amazing. Lucy's aide came by to wash her hair and freshen her up a bit. Lucy's hospice nurse, a nursing student, and the social worker came by to see Lucy. A volunteer came by to sit with Lucy for a couple hours. The volunteer is a nursing student at Normandale College and wants to specialize in hospice care. I used the time to get my hair cut and my parents got our lawn mowed.

All the people involved with hospice are helping make our burden lighter. We are so fortunate that some people choose to help families facing loss of a loved one. The level of compassion and professionalism is so high. They have been so patient and supportive when I have called.

We wish all of you the best and thank you for caring!

Monday, Monday

Lucy is still hanging tough though her body is slowing down even more. She is managing to wake up for short periods of time. Both of her sisters were over today and Lucy managed to smile at them. Even something as simple as smiling or speaking a few words saps her energy. She is resting comfortably and seems very peaceful.

She had an aide over to clean her and the hospice chaplin stopped by for a few minutes. For her, that was a very busy day.

My parents came back today. They left early yesterday afternoon because bad weather that was rolling into their area. Steve and Liz had dropped off a nice Easter dinner on Saturday, so we enjoyed that tonight.

Tomorrow her nurse will be by to check on her. A hospice volunteer is coming over to give me a chance to run errands for a couple hours. I may elect to nap instead.

Thank you for your caring! Lucy and I deeply appreciate that!

Two year anniversary

Two years today Lucy had her surgery and found out she had out she had ovarian cancer. Today is Easter Sunday for the majority of Christians. One of the messages of the season is that love transcends life and we take comfort in that.

Lucy is still with us. She has been home for nine days. She is resting a lot and occasionally tries to fully awake. Her hospice nurse stopped by today and told me to stay the course on her comfort medications. Her body is slowing down.

My parents are on their way home. They will be back tomorrow afternoon. Lucy will have a bath aide here tomorrow and may have a nurse stop by. Her case manager nurse will be here on Tuesday. I can manage the remainder of her care tonight and tomorrow.

Enjoy your Easter! Lucy and I will enjoy each others company. That is the best Easter present I can receive. Give your loved ones an extra hug from us today!

The goodbye begins

Lucy slipped into a coma while the hospice nurse was here. While her battle will be ending soon, her journey will continue on through all of us. She is part of each of us.

Your love and support will help with the sadness of her impending loss.

She has requested that we celebrate her life. We will mourn her passing, but we should take comfort in knowing our lives were bettered by her friendship and love.

One week at home

Lucy has been in home hospice care for a week now. I have had to call their hot line several times. The call backs are prompt and the person on the other end is calming and supportive.

Today has been a quiet day for Lucy and she badly needed the downtime. We have had a number of visitors Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Tuesday we had the hospice social worker and charge nurse by for almost two hours. After that, Lucy had an aide come out to help her clean up, and then she had an equipment delivery for her new mattress.

Lucy is very nervous about getting out of bed because her blood pressure is low and she gets vertigo. Once the spinning subsides she is fine. She got to sit in her wheelchair and enjoy her sun porch for almost 45 minutes yesterday.

Lucy will have an aide come tomorrow to help her get cleaned up. Her nurse will be by Friday to check on her and she will be seeing a hospice doctor in the next few days. Starting Monday, she will have an aide assigned instead of having different aides. That will help her anxiety a bit.

Lucy is really tired right now. She has been waking up about every 90 minutes asking for water. Even though there is a "bubbler" on her oxygen talk, she still gets a dry throat. Lucy doesn't need oxygen during the much of the day so her throat gets a chance to get re-hydrated. The other thing is when Lucy gets really tired now, she can get a little confused. Many of us have experienced brain fog when we have had to pull an all-nighter to two.

Lucy still needs your thoughts and prayers. Her battle is still underway.

Home is where the heart is

Lucy had some more visitors today. Our friend Danette, my cousin Julie and and her husband Dave were also here. We haven't seen them for a couple years because of job commitments, and Lucy received a pansy bowl and some oriental lily bulbs for her gardens. Lucy's cousin Annette and her husband Al were here and dropped off a stunning bouquet. Julie came by to see how Lucy was doing. Steve dropped off a small wheeled organizer which Lucy used to put her items in. Suzy came by to give Lucy a leg message which was greatly appreciated.

She has been attempting solid food yesterday and today. Steve and Liz brought some beef stew yesterday and Lucy had a little of it. Today she wanted a hamburger and fries from Culver's and ate a little of them. While she isn't eating much, it was nice that she seems to have an appetite. She is also using her spirometer today to help keep her lungs clear. At one point she wanted to sit up on the edge of her bed for a few minutes. She is sleeping better and her abdominal pain has been manageable without pain meds.

She does have periods of extreme fatigue. Her throat is still sore despite popsicles and throat drops. The soreness was because of the oxygen she was on at the hospital. She hardly needs oxygen here at home. Her bouts of hiccups still occur and require Thorazine, which makes her really foggy for a couple hours.

Lucy's hospice case manager will be here tomorrow. We're looking forward to that meeting. I'm hoping we can set a schedule for the week.

Thank you, everyone, for all your love and support!

Home sweet home

Lucy was nervous about coming home. In the hospital you can press a button and have someone there to help. At home, she has me close by. The people in the hospital obviously have had many hundred hours more training in patient care than I. However, her hospice care case manager met with us on Friday before she was discharged and covered everything very thoroughly. One of the hospice nurses met us at the house with her medications and gave me some charting forms and walked me though each of the drugs.

Diane and my parents were with us at the hospital on Friday. Once we had a firm time set up for the equipment delivery, my parents went to our house to let the delivery people in. Lucy's siblings came over to visit after she got home.

Today was a very busy day for Lucy. A hospice nurse, Ann, came by to check on Lucy. Ann's father is in hospice battling gastroblastoma so she is aware of the hiccup problem Lucy is having. She also had some suggestions for Lucy and had a couple more prescriptions sent via courier to our house.

Lucy is getting a bathing and massage service twice per week. After Lindsay came by today, Lucy wants to increase it to three times per week. It was so nice for her to get pampered for 45 minutes and she was beaming afterwards.

Lucy's siblings and her dad visited her this afternoon. We had a very nice dinner together. Lucy had some spaghetti and some chocolate cake. We celebrated Steve's birthday a couple days early. Diane stopped by earlier in the afternoon for a bit. It was nice to help Diane celebrate her birthday today.

Lucy has not needed oxygen today. She wanted it on a very low setting tonight. She is still having issues with hiccups, so her Thorazine dose was adjusted upwards slightly. That seems to be working. She has not had much abdominal pain today except for the hiccups.

Lucy is still really tired. Her throat is a little sore from being on oxygen in the hospital. She has been using Halls Breezers to help with that. She also has some Popsicles and Jello to help soothe her throat.

Thank you so much for caring for us! I hope these blog posts have help show everyone what an amazing woman I married. She is the true embodiment of  life worth living. Her strength, courage and dignity are an inspiration. My hope is when it is my time to transcend this existence that I will follow Lucy's example.

Lucy heading home today

Her home hospice care is getting set up today. She will be going home at 3:00 this afternoon. Lucy is tolerating her oral medications well. She slept about six hours last night. Her hospice nurse will meet us at home at 3:30.

Thank you for your caring during this difficult time.

Palliative care, the battle is ending

Right now she has some guests here at the hospital. Her brother and sister-in-law (Steve and Liz), her sisters (Julie and Suzy), my parents, Lucy's friend Diane and a friend of Lucy's family, Barb, are here. I'll be here for the duration.

The morphine is making her a bit groggy, but she is able to talk to people. She is alert and fully cognizant. Lucy knows that there is nothing more that can be done for her.

Lucy is suffering from septic shock. There are indications her bowel perforated. She is too weak for surgery and her chest X-ray showed significant damage to her organs. At this point, she will be receiving pain medication and the hospital staff will make her as comfortable as possible while she transitions from this existence. The infection is too far advanced to be contained by antibiotics. She is weak enough that we may be unable to move her into a hospice or get her back home for her final days. Her vital signs did improve after receiving two units of blood, but she will be anemic again quickly.

None of know how much longer Lucy will be with us. However, the end will probably come rather quickly, probably within a couple days. While we will not get the long slow goodbye, she is getting a chance to be with her family. I know I wanted her journey to end with a happily ever after, but I am thankful for every day I had with her.

Please pray for Lucy. She has been incredibly brave through this ordeal. Thank you so much for all the love and support you have given us. I know that has been a recurring theme in my posts, but it helped us more than you can imagine.

Pray for Lucy

Lucy was taken to Fairview Southdale by ambulance at 3:30 pm CDT. She is suffering from septic shock and the prognosis is not good. The next 24 hours will be touch and go.

Please keep her in your prayers. Her battle may be ending.

Small victories

If you were to talk to anyone enduring a chronic disease, or to their caregiver, you will hear how valuable the small victories are. There are no Pyrrhic victories because winning means they are still here to fight.

Saturday was the toughest day Lucy has had since her surgery almost two years ago. She started having really painful stomach issues before going to bed Friday night. Several rounds of nausea later she started feeling less miserable. It's a tough victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Lucy's had two nights in a row that she has not had to get up. The Ativan seems to have helped her stomach a bit. One thing that has also helped is staggering her Pradaxa and Hexalen in the morning and evenings. Both drugs use quick dissolving capsules. Quick dissolving capsules tend to be acidic and can cause stomach irritation.We'll take this victory, too.

Her menu has expanded a bit. That's a victory because Ensure and Activia get boring after a couple weeks. We're being careful with introducing foods that are more solid.  She is finally able to take her SlowFe which should help her anemia problem. To help with her stomach gurgling, we found that simethicone gel caps helped more than the Zantac.

Lucy still has very little energy. Her transfusion didn't seem to help much with her energy level. This might be a cumulative effect of the Hexalen. She is as wiped out now as she was a a couple days after her Taxol round.

Lucy's coworker Cathy stopped by tonight and dropped off a fun gift basket. Her coworkers have been so supportive and generous. Julie called tonight and helped cheer Lucy up some more.

It's been a long month with the setbacks and slow recovery. She hasn't been able to get out much. During our warm spell, she managed to get into the sunporch a couple times. Today was actually below normal for temperature, with some light rain this morning and several hours of strong wind this afternoon. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm, sunny and windy. That might help with her energy level.

Your love and support help Lucy immensely! Thank you so much!

Another setback

Lucy's stomach issues are a result of one of the cancer growths pressing against her small intestine. She has had a stubborn growth in her lower left abdomen since her debulking surgery. That growth has gotten a bit larger. So while she does not have a full mechanical ileus (intestinal blockage due to an object), she does have a partial ileus. The course of action is to keep on the Hexalen and see if it starts shrinking the tumor.

This setback is still not a reason to hit the panic button. It's still too early to tell how this will resolve. We all need to stay positive for Lucy. She's got the heart of a warrior and a lot of untapped sisu yet. Her clotting problem seems to be resolved which is a huge step in the right direction.

Tomorrow she goes in for a two bag transfusion because her hemoglobin was 6.4. She has to be at Fairview Southdale at 8:00 am. She did not have to get one tonight because her hemoglobin was over 6.0. It's nicer driving her home at 1:30 pm than 2:30 am.

Lab work shows no gastrointestinal infection, which is a good sign. She is still taking Pradaxa and Hexalen. After two rounds of nausea late last night and early this morning, her oncologist had her taking Compazine every four hours to see if that helped. It didn't help much. She will be switching to Ativan which should provide better relief for the stomach issues. Ativan was originally developed to alleviate nausea and has a bonus of being an anti-anxiety drug.

We tried a couple simple home remedies that would not impact her medications. I found some ginger ale that has about 1 oz. of ginger per 12 oz. bottle called Reed's Extra Ginger Brew at Byerly's in Edina. Most ginger ales use a tiny fraction of that for flavoring. Ginger is supposed to have properties that soothe stomach problems. It seemed to make her even more queasy. I like it so at least it won't go to waste.

She tried applesauce for lunch yesterday and wound up with a very rude and quick upset. Apple pectin is another food stuff that is supposed to help with stomach upset. Ensure and Activia seem to be the only things right now that don't cause issues. She tried a couple unsalted top saltines (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it) and they do not seem to help though she tolerated them well. She is drinking about a pint of Gatorade or Powerade a day to keep her electrolytes up.

Yesterday and today were  more typical gray and slightly drizzly March days, albeit about 20°F warmer than average. Tonight is supposed to bring more rain. We are in a moderate drought right now, so the rain is welcomed. The frost is out of the ground and the rain can actually soak in. Most of the lakes in the Twin Cities metro are reporting "ice out" which is almost a month early. At least the flowering shrubs like the weather:

The warm weather and rain kicked our forsythia bush into gear.

"Thunder and Lightning"

Chi Coltrane could have been singing about tonight. The Twin Cities set another record high today, the eighth in the past ten days. Late this afternoon a band of thunderstorms whipped through and we received some much needed rain.

Lucy seems to have made a little progress today. She is still having stomach problems and is gamely drinking Ensure to keep from losing any more weight. Her stomach problems seem to be worse for a few hours after going to bed. She will have some tests performed tomorrow to see what might be the cause. We know it's not a mechanical ileus (bowel obstruction). She's had two so far, and they're extremely unpleasant.

She has completed day three of her Hexalen treatment. Eleven more days, then she gets a fourteen day break before the next cycle. Rinse, lather and repeat.

Tomorrow will also be a bit challenging for me. I have a 2½ presentation tomorrow afternoon. Lucy can move around the house OK, but if Minnesota Oncology wants her in for more testing or they need to send her to Fairview for some reason, she'll need me to drive.

 Thank you for your time, and keep Lucy in your thoughts. For everyone in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy the first day of spring (fall in the Southern Hemisphere) tomorrow!

"Summer in the City"

The old Lovin' Spoonful's song from the mid-1960's is very appropriate for the weather we have been experiencing the past ten days. Temperatures have been running 25°F - 35°F above our average of 42°F. Yesterday was the earliest 80°F reading the Twin Cities has had since official records started in 1871 (but only by six days) and we were flirting with 80°F again today.

Our forsythia bush has started to bloom even before the squills, snowdrops and crocuses have poked up. The maple trees are quite messy now that they are shedding their red fuzzy flowers because the leaf buds are opening. We have already had a bluebird in the birdbath, the grass is getting green and the lilacs have leaves forming. Our gentle March breeze isn't gentle because we were dealing with 20 - 30 mph wind gusts today.

Lucy is still having stomach issues. She is managing with Ensure, Activia yogurt and an occasional Immodium. The stomach noises are quieting down gradually but the noise keeps her awake at night. She still has some stomach cramping, but they seem to be lessening.

Her legs are back to normal size and she shows no sign of clot formation. She has tolerated the Pradaxa well. Once her stomach problems abate and she starts walking more, her ankle stiffness will subside. Lucy also started her Hexalen oral chemotherapy yesterday. We're a bit worried about the Hexalen since stomach problems are a common side effect. It's only the second day, so it is too early to tell how well she is tolerating it.

Diane called yesterday and helped Lucy's mood improve. She heard from Steve and Julie this morning.

For my Northern California cousins, stay warm and enjoy your snow. For our Upper Midwest readers, enjoy summer in March. And for all of you, remember Lucy and I are blessed to have you supporting her!

"How low can you go?"

That's a great question to ask someone doing the limbo dance, but not for Lucy's hemoglobin level. She had a port draw today and came in at 5.3. We knew she was getting low because her energy level was low and her color was getting pale. That necessitated an immediate transfusion at Fairview Southdale. We arrived at 6:00 pm. It sounds like she will receive two units, and if all goes well, she'll go home around 1:00 am. Her first unit started at 9:00 and each unit takes between 1½ - 2 hours.

Her stomach and intestinal problems greatly improved after the Augmentin completed. Her oncologist suggested she eat yogurt twice a day to help with the noisiness and slight queasiness. Antibiotics knock the helpful bacteria in the gut for an unfortunate loop. It will take a couple days for her system to re-balance itself.

Lucy's leg is almost normal sized again. We will have to lotion her leg a couple times per day to help soften the skin. That will help with the tightness she feels. Both ankles seem to be much less swollen and are loosening up. Her walking speed is increasing though she still needs the walker.

At this point she has not started her Hexalen yet (the oral chemotherapy). I think she wants to start it tomorrow depending on how her digestive issues are doing.

The extremely warm weather we are experiencing has been very beneficial to Lucy's gardens. The east side gardens have irises, tulips and daffodils about 3" tall. Her blue flax is back and some if it is 6" tall already! No signs of the sqills, snowdrops or crocuses yet, but they were buried under several inches of leaves. The lilacs and maple trees have leaf buds on them. She also has sedum popping up. A few of the forecasts are hinting at 80°F a couple times in the five day forecast. That will drive the frost completely out of the soil.

We hope you are enjoying decent weather where you are at. Thank you for making the time to support Lucy!