8 Weeks gone by...

For whatever reason, Ralph’s stomach and legs became very swollen last Sunday through Tuesday. It appeared to be water retention. The heart doctor gave him a water pill and changed his heart medication. An EKG revealed nothing was wrong with his heart, thankfully, but his heart was beating too fast. The only change he had made, other than chemo, was that he had started taking Flexoral, again, for back pain, so he stopped taking that. It appears that his stomach has gone down, but his ankles are still a little swollen. On Thursday, he enjoyed Megan and Nathan coming for dinner and celebrating Nathan’s birthday. He was able to sit at the table without discomfort, and his appetite was good. Friday evening, after friends left, he wanted take-out from Angelo's and enjoyed the ride across town. He went out each day but admitted that being away from home for too long makes him anxious and sick. He slept a lot on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but he appears to be walking better, and it does not seem as difficult, for him, to stand up from sitting on the couch. He complains of being stiff more than pain. He sat on the garage steps to watch Albeno, his friend and plumber, fix a leak. He could not have done that a week ago. Megan visited on Sunday and they ventured to the store. He is able to talk to Mallory, face-to-face on Skype which always brings him joy. It has been 8 weeks since the original diagnosis. Ralph had never been sick or missed work for illness. This is taking a toll on his emotions. Visitors seem to distract him and make him feel more normal. Hopefully, spring weather will be here soon, and he will enjoy sitting outdoors. He is very cold and needs layers of clothing or a blanket. Round # 2 starts tomorrow! Please pray that it goes as well as Round #1!