February 7th weekly update

Radiation and chemotherapy treatments continue, and we are using this Andrew-made chart to count off the days till the 30th (and final) radiation treatment: radiation is Monday to Friday, with the last one on Nick's birthday, February 17th.

As a result, Meg continues to get balder (mainly on the right side, but now some thinning on top and the other side), her head is swollen and somewhat painful, and she's starting to have some radiation burns on her face. Her energy level varies, and she's often rather tired in the evenings. Nonetheless she's finding the energy to enjoy assorted recreational activities, and to get some crystallographic work done.

She's got out her recorders and is busy relearning the fingerings, so that she can make music again. The clarinet, her usual instrument, would probably be too hard to blow at this point. Assorted other instruments, including Elspeth's harp, are lurking around the house, should she want a change.

Saturday was a lovely sunny dry day, so we drove out to Snohomish county and went for a 25 mile bike ride on the Centennial Trail, a paved trail that used to be a railroad. The neurosurgeon had OK'd this activity, provided Meg wore a helmet and didn't go too fast. We had a great time and enjoyed lovely distant views, thanks to the leaf-free trees. On the way back Meg was noticably faster than me, as I am still fighting the cold that's been dogging me for weeks.

On Sunday afternoon we went out to a concert by Philharmonia Northwest, another local community orchestra (not the one Meg plays in). We enjoyed Vaughan Williams' English Folk Song Suite, a Danish trombone concerto and Dvořák's New World Symphony. Pleasant "comfort food" sort of music, a change from the rather obscure stuff that Meg's orchestra's conductor often chooses.

The evenings found us watching the first DVD of Ken Burns' "National Parks" TV series. This opening episode was about the founding of the US National Park system, and concentrated on Yosemite and Yellowstone. Meg greatly enjoyed identifying the locations shown, familiar to her from her many childhood trips to Yellowstone, and backpacking trips to Yosemite (and some trips with our family).

We again thank you for the gifts of food (see right side of blog page to see what's in stock) which we have dipped into several times, and I note that Monday will be my 61st birthday.