Before reading your posts @Cheery Gardener I had never realised that childhood cancer could leave ongoing effects such as your son is experiencing. It seems so unfair. I hope the news from the current round is all good.
I will be glad when this winter is over. It started mildly. so much so that a tree near the supermarket came into blossom early, but now the flowers have been burnt by frosts. Today's frost has been heavy and the part of the back lawn that isn't covered by a tree the neighbour felled testing a chainsaw, is totally white. I wanted the tree down, I just hoped the clean up would be more timely.
I had been wondering about the type of blossom burning that you mentioned @Huia. It makes me anxious if I ponder it for too long. The trees just off our main road are beginning to come into blossom and I remember they were in bloom around this time of year, when we first viewed our current house, so maybe it is now the unfortunate new normal.
Thanks for your kind words about the late effects of treatment. I think Cheery son is at the more extreme end as he falls into the "over treated" category. I remember the Oncologist telling us he would always be tied to the hospital, but at the time I could not absorb the full impact of what we were being told. I've never asked Cheery husband whether he completely grasped it at last relapse when there were hard decisions to be made.
Just for interest I did a quick search on the Children's Oncology Group Long Term Follow up guidelines, which many hospitals follow or refer to once kids are 5 years off treatment and labelled as survivors. The pdf of the 2023 guidelines is almost 400 pages long as it covers all the body systems and is for all cancers, so it's a comprehensive guide. I try not to look at it too often! Though saying that I have just looked at something that has been niggling me, so I am grateful that the internet gives us access to that information so quickly and easily. I can't imagine how the families of kids managed things before internet access was widely available.
Winter has struck! I thought it had snowed here overnight, but it was a heavy hail storm. The Port Hills are covered, whether with snow or hail I don't know and I'm not venturing up there to find out.
Unfortunately I had to pick up my medication, but I made the trip bearable by having lunch at my favourite cafe. It's run by the son of the Chemist at the adjoining pharmacy and is called Dispense.
That sounds really chilly @Huia! Like you, I would be staying inside and cozy!
I love the sound if Dispense cafe - what dd you decide to have for lunch?
Today I've managed a big clean up of snipped off leaves and a walk with Cheery son. It's been a bit chilly here, but convinced him that we needed to get out and blow some cobwebs away,
Very sadly, I've just seen in the news the death of a friend from schooldays. He played the organ at our wedding and was one of the kindest people I've known, Thinking so much of his daughter, still young to experience the loss of her Dad and an only child, Prayers for them both ....
It's so cold I'm done with winter, but apparently it's not done with me. Aroha, my cat was gone outside, but instead of sitting on the white frosty lawn, she jumped up on the black bin which had fallen bin which was laying on its side. in the sun. I touched and being black it was warm, When I looked out she was sleeping peacefully.
Dispense does a nice eggy dish. They don't serve a wide variety of food, but its my favourite place to eat when I'm in the area.
I hadn't really noticed the winter until today @Huia. I went out to have lunch with a friend and before she arrived it was just lovely. I sat in the sun, drank coffee and read my book as did a lady sitting not far from me. Just as my friend arrived, it began too get a little cloudy and shade from the building came my way along with a chilly breeze. Lunch was coolish but we managed and had a really lovely catch up.
When I walked out short hair cat before going out she wanted to lie on the dark grey pavers near Cheery husband's garden shed. I suspect the effect was much the same as the black bin you described. She got quite huffy when I urged her to get up and go back into the house.
I loved the sound of the eggy dish, I had a quiche and salad for lunch and my friend had samosas. We then ordered a brownie and a piece of lemon/lime cheesecake, which we shared. We really enjoyed them with a cup of coffee each, the brownie was particularly good!
I spent the rest of the afternoon under a throw watching cozy crime TV, then Cheery daughter called in for a visit. We spent a pleasant few hours together and I am looking forward to an early night!!
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I will be glad when this winter is over. It started mildly. so much so that a tree near the supermarket came into blossom early, but now the flowers have been burnt by frosts. Today's frost has been heavy and the part of the back lawn that isn't covered by a tree the neighbour felled testing a chainsaw, is totally white. I wanted the tree down, I just hoped the clean up would be more timely.
Thanks for your kind words about the late effects of treatment. I think Cheery son is at the more extreme end as he falls into the "over treated" category. I remember the Oncologist telling us he would always be tied to the hospital, but at the time I could not absorb the full impact of what we were being told. I've never asked Cheery husband whether he completely grasped it at last relapse when there were hard decisions to be made.
Just for interest I did a quick search on the Children's Oncology Group Long Term Follow up guidelines, which many hospitals follow or refer to once kids are 5 years off treatment and labelled as survivors. The pdf of the 2023 guidelines is almost 400 pages long as it covers all the body systems and is for all cancers, so it's a comprehensive guide. I try not to look at it too often! Though saying that I have just looked at something that has been niggling me, so I am grateful that the internet gives us access to that information so quickly and easily. I can't imagine how the families of kids managed things before internet access was widely available.
Unfortunately I had to pick up my medication, but I made the trip bearable by having lunch at my favourite cafe. It's run by the son of the Chemist at the adjoining pharmacy and is called Dispense.
I love the sound if Dispense cafe - what dd you decide to have for lunch?
Today I've managed a big clean up of snipped off leaves and a walk with Cheery son. It's been a bit chilly here, but convinced him that we needed to get out and blow some cobwebs away,
Very sadly, I've just seen in the news the death of a friend from schooldays. He played the organ at our wedding and was one of the kindest people I've known, Thinking so much of his daughter, still young to experience the loss of her Dad and an only child, Prayers for them both ....
Dispense does a nice eggy dish. They don't serve a wide variety of food, but its my favourite place to eat when I'm in the area.
When I walked out short hair cat before going out she wanted to lie on the dark grey pavers near Cheery husband's garden shed. I suspect the effect was much the same as the black bin you described. She got quite huffy when I urged her to get up and go back into the house.
I loved the sound of the eggy dish, I had a quiche and salad for lunch and my friend had samosas. We then ordered a brownie and a piece of lemon/lime cheesecake, which we shared. We really enjoyed them with a cup of coffee each, the brownie was particularly good!
I spent the rest of the afternoon under a throw watching cozy crime TV, then Cheery daughter called in for a visit. We spent a pleasant few hours together and I am looking forward to an early night!!