Sorry for the wait ...

Bonnie has officially 'graduated' from in-home therapy. Both her regular nurse and physical therapy nurse have decided Bonnie has progressed so much, she no longer needs them to visit. She always has the option of getting new appointments if something changes, though. Her crazy schedule of doctor visits, in-home appointments, radiation, etc... has mellowed out quite a bit. But, this does leave Mom with a bit of extra time, and not much to do.

She is halfway through radiation and chemo pills. The doctors said hair loss and burns usually start at week 3 (which is now) and there is a bit of shedding going on at home. The radiation lasers are aimed around the temples on each side. This is where the hair loss is mainly happening. It started this weekend with a few hairs but during her shower on Monday, there was small handfuls. She doesn't really care much, just doesn't appreciate hair falling into her dinner. As of last night, her new hair growth (over the brain surgery flap) has started coming out too. That's a bit of a bummer, only because she was almost out of her mullet phase... Burns haven't started yet, but she's expecting them soon.

Thanks to a handful of friends who enjoy daytrips to Group Health, the radiation staff has been impressed by the new people taking Bonnie to her appointments. Mom is growing quite fond of the staff; she's even making them presents for the holidays.

I can't say this enough: thanks for the food deliveries. The quality of the meals has greatly exceeded our expectations. Bonnie enjoys the visits as well - she quite likes social hour. With not much to do at home (the DVD player is getting a workout) Mom enjoys the visits and the stories that come from them. We are all lucky to have such a wonderful support system!