November and going strong

I am pleased to let everyone know that Joshua has continued to do remarkedly well since I last wrote. Those of you who have seen him lately will agree that he is looking great and for the most part, his energy is fairly strong. He has recovered from his September bout of food poisoning and resulting pain crisis. (will try to write more about that later.) My efforts to fatten him up after he lost weight from that have worked a little too well as he has surpassed his pre-September weight.

Overall, his energy is quite good. He is out walking the dog at least once a day and we've been enjoying little trips here and there, either within the Bay Area or a little farther afield. With the guidance of hospice and continual pain medications, we have continued to keep the pain under control. While his tastes have changed a bit, his appetite is good. Believe it or not, he is eating meat with a vengence - testing my mettle as a vegetarian cook - and not enjoying coffee nearly as much. He does tire easily and generally rests for 2-3 hours a day.

Hospice care has been wonderful and I am especially thankful for their support. We meet with our nurse every other week and check in by phone during the off-weeks. I meet with a social worker every 2-3 weeks to talk about living through this process. She helps me to stay focused on the present moment and reminds me to be so grateful that I am able to be home full time. We meet occassionally with a spiritual care counselor, a wonderful woman who has such a peaceful energy. We talk about dying and thoughts on god or a higher being, or just talk about books and travel. Joshua has also been able to get massages from a volunteer massage therapist. All of this happens here at home, so we don't have to go running here and there.
We save the running for getting away.

Our latest adventure was a week-long trip to Death Valley. The area has always been one of Joshua's favorite places and since we moved west he has looked forward to sharing it with me. I was blown away by how special it is. Of course, one has to appreciate the desert to understand this. I was also amazed by J's energy levels. We were on the go constantly, either driving or hiking, and he only napped about 20 minutes a day. Makes me wonder if we should either move to the desert or just live on the road. I'm sure both are tempting thoughts to him...

But, I think we'll stay put for now, preparing for the holidays and various visitors. We'll spend Thanksgiving in Placerville with friends Dean and Jennifer and will see Sacramento-area family that weekend as well. We're hoping to have Mabel come for a visit in early December. My sister and brother-in-law will be with us for Christmas and my dad and stepmom may come in January. Whew! It might be more relaxing to take another trip!