by Judy Handley | Apr 30, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 120: Birthday Party for a Dear Friend
Date: Friday, April 30, 2021
Weather: Sunny, Super Windy; High 64, Low, 40 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Bill Frieswyk is the husband of Midge Frieswyk and both are members of my dining-in group. There are nine of us in that group that have been meeting for dinner most months since 2017—Midge and Bill, Jane and Bruce Wooden, Olivia and Terry White, Karen and Peter Baranowski, and me. We have all become very good friends and today was a special birthday party for Bill Frieswyk. I think it was his 77th, but don’t tell anyone that I wrote that! Bill has recently been diagnosed with a type of cancer that, as he says, is not curable. This diagnosis came after months of being in and out of the hospital and rehab. But despite all of this, he maintains such a wonderful attitude and he and Midge are fighting the good fight together. Midge invited our dining-in group, plus a few other good friends, for a short but delightful birthday gathering this afternoon. Since all of us have been fully vaccinated, we gathered inside without masks. I know. It felt very strange, but wonderful at the same time. And it was so special to see Bill enjoying the affair. He has such a great sense of humor and that added to our time together this afternoon. There were many gifts, but Terry and Olivia White’s framed collage of photos from our various gatherings over the years was an obvious hit. And Karen Baranowski baked his birthday cake, her special carrot cake with cream cheese icing that Bill loves. Midge and Bill’s sister made the most delicious Ina Garten cheese sticks. And we had a champagne toast. I was the ‘official’ photographer and documented the event for the pages of history. Happy Birthday, Bill.
by Judy Handley | Apr 29, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 119: Costco Trip
Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021
Weather: Overcast and Rainy; High 54, Low, 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Today was a shop ‘til you drop day at Costco with friend Jane Woodin. In the past year of Covid, I have only been to Costco a couple of times. And when I did go, it was an “in and out as quick as you can” experience. Today Jane and I took our time wandering through the store and finding the ‘treasures’ within. Jane was looking for a certain Tommy Bahama beach chair and she found it. I was looking for particular items of clothing for the Goldpebbles. It is the wrong season to find exactly what I was looking for, but I found some seasonal substitutes. Both Jane and I were happy with our finds and returned home with my little Honda Fit full of food, clothes, and plants.
I was so happy to be able to pick Ollie up after school today after a week of spring school vacation and three days of being in the hospital. It feels good to get back into our daily routines, but Ollie is going to have to get used to having the PICC line in his arm. He needs to be actice, but he has to be careful not to get that left arm hit hard by a soccer ball or another person. So play is going to have to be somewhat supervised. The visiting nurses arrived shortly after we got home and as Ollie explained to me, he will have his infusion of the new antibiotic every day when he gets home from school. He says the infusion took only 10 minutes in the hospital, but it will take more than 30 minutes at home. He is being a trooper in dealing with all of this. I was supposed to take Sam to rowing practice after delivering Ollie home, but it was raining so practice was cancelled. I headed home to spend some time with Shadow and do a little cooking. I’m hoping to get back to proof reading and writing in the morning.
by Judy Handley | Apr 28, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 118: Home – Ollie and President Biden
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 62, Low, 46 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Ollie is HOME from the hospital. Hurray! Hurray! And President Biden addressed the Congress tonight. In my opinion, he hit a HOME run.
I’ll start with Ollie. His day went as planned. By 8 am I heard from Heather that they were taking the two of them down to the OR to have Ollie’s PICC line inserted. By 8:45, Ollie was asleep and taken into the operating room. At that point, Heather went to the waiting room. Less than an hour later he was out of the operating room and not long after that Heather sent a text saying he was awake and chatty. Later in the afternoon Heather and Jed had their practice session in giving him his infusion of the antibiotic through the new PICC line. Then he was released from the hospital and they headed home. But before leaving his room, he had one more fun experience with what Heather called his robo bed. Even with Boston rush hour traffic, they were home before Jonah and I got home from his soccer practice. There were lots of hugs and kisses and then we enjoyed a homestyle Cambodian dinner that Heather and Jed picked up at Stir Crazy once they were back on the Cape. Ollie has dark circles under his beautiful eyes, but he was upbeat and okay with the new PICC line on his left arm. It was wonderful to see the Goldstones together as a family again. Welcome home, Ollie!
After dinner, I headed home to listen to President Biden’s address to the Congress. I must say that, like a majority of Americans, I find it hard to disagree with most of what he is promoting. I like having a grandpa as President right now. I think he is just what the doctor ordered.
by Judy Handley | Apr 27, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 117: It Takes a Village
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 58, Low, 45 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It is such a wonderful feeling to see friends step up to help when help is needed. Yesterday Anna, the mother of Jonah’s good friend Luke, took Jonah to soccer practice up near Hyannis. This evening the Keefe’s, Heather and Jed’s neighbors when they lived on Vidal Avenue volunteered to pick Jonah up and take him to Scouts. And tomorrow Grace, the mother of Sam’s good friend and school partner during Covid, has volunteered to pick up Sam and Jonah after their half day of school and take them home with her for the afternoon. Jed could have stayed home to do all of this, but that would have left Heather alone in Boston with Ollie. Or I could have done it all, allowing Jed the time to be with Heather and Ollie. But isn’t it wonderful the way people just pitch-in to help? Life can be done without the village, but it is so much nicer when everyone works together.
Ollie gets his PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line inserted tomorrow morning at 9 am. Once that procedure is done, Heather and Jed will get training in how to give Ollie the intravenous antibiotic infusions and how to flush the line at home. VNA (visiting nurses) will also come to their home for a couple of days making sure they have the process down. When Jed got home tonight, he said they expect Ollie to be released from the hospital late tomorrow afternoon and they hope to be home for a late dinner. Yippee!!! I know Heather and Ollie will be so glad to be home and spend tomorrow night in their own beds. And I know Jed will be glad that he doesn’t have to drive back and forth to Boston.
I spent my morning outside continuing garden clean-up and adding compost to the beds. Then from 2:45 onward, I was shuttling Sam from here to there. I have done no writing or proof-reading this week, but I plan to start my day doing that tomorrow. Mid-day I have an appointment to get the oil changed and tires rotated on my car. Then I’ll come home and do a little more gardening until it is time to pick up Sam and Jonah. Jonah has soccer practice tomorrow evening and during that time, I might co-opt Sam to help me spread compost on the raspberry plants and pound in some garden stakes to support them. Then we’ll all head to 43 Grasmere to welcome Ollie home.
by Judy Handley | Apr 26, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 116: Not the Week We Planned
Date: Monday, April 26, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warmer; High 56, Low, 39 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Yesterday was not the day we planned and today it became apparent that this is not the week we planned. But there is some good news from Children’s Hospital regarding Ollie. The specialist that reviewed the lab tests told Heather this morning that there is no evidence that there are pockets of Lyme in Ollie’s body other than in his left knee. But the infection in that area is significant is going to require another month of a different antibiotic, Ceftriaxome, that has to be administered daily via IV. In order to do this from home, they have to anesthetize Ollie to insert a PICC line. Through this PICC line, Heather and Jed will administer the antibiotic for the next month. A VNA nurse will come to their home for the first two or three days to train them. But the hang up is that the hospital cannot schedule time for Ollie in an operating room until Wednesday morning. So, he and Heather are still there. Jed came home in the wee hours of the morning as it was after 2 am before Ollie was moved from ER to an actual room. He is being a trooper. He has learned one thing, however. He really doesn’t like needles! Only parents can visit and when Jed goes back tomorrow, he has to be Covid tested on site and wait for the results before seeing Ollie and giving Heather a couple of hours of time off. Just the Covid testing process can take 45 minutes to 2 to 3 hours. That, plus the drive up and back, will make for a full day for Jed. I had Sam and Jonah all day yesterday and overnight. Jed has them tonight and I will do after school deliveries to various activities tomorrow evening from 3 pm onward until Jed gets home. There are drum lessons, rowing practice, and a Scout meeting just tomorrow afternoon and evening. Busy boys!
It was a beautiful day and as I took Shadow for his walks today, I realized that the whole neighborhood has blossomed. Azaleas, tulip trees, tulips, daffodils, Shirley’s Japanese plum tree, and even the moss in my backyard are in bloom. I spent some time today working on getting my raised beds up and going, but I have lots more work to do.
Late this afternoon Heather sent a selfie of herself and Ollie enjoying a rooftop garden at the hospital. You can’t see her chai in the photo, but you can see Ollie’s half of a big M&M chocolate chip cookie. Heather is hiding her half which Ollie insisted she have. As Heather labeled that photo, things could be a lot worse. She is trying hard to make sure Ollie’s hospital experience is as positive as possible. Go Heather and Ollie!
by Judy Handley | Apr 25, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 115: Not the Day We Planned
Date: Sunday, April 25, 2021
Weather: Overcast and Rainy; High 49, Low,41 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Yesterday was such a beautiful day, but the weather forecast for today was rain. I planned to finish proofreading the latest chapter I completed on Thursday and the Goldstones planned a laid-back day. Then we were all going to meet at my house for dinner. But we make plans and then then life happens. I got a call from Heather around noon saying she had talked to Ollie’s orthopedic specialist for his swollen knee due to Lyme Disease. He wanted Heather and Jed to take Ollie to the ER at Children’s Hospital in Boston today. The labs from tests run last week had come back looking like there might be a secondary infection in his knee. That, along with a red rash that has appeared in the area at the base of both thumbs had him concerned. I volunteered to take Sam and Jonah so that both Heather and Jed could go with Ollie. They are still there and one or both of them will spend the night with O and meet with a team of specialists tomorrow. Sam and Jonah are tucked in for the night here. I will take them to school in the morning. When we talked to H, J, and O tonight at bedtime, Ollie was just getting to eat his first food since this morning. He does not appreciate all the needles but sounded in good spirits. He was still in a room in the ER, but Heather and Jed were hoping for a ‘real’ room for the night. The good news is that the ER team does not think he has a secondary infection. I hope to have even better news by this time tomorrow. Six weeks on Doxycycline has not done the trick. We are all hoping the Infectious Disease specialists at Children’s can work some magic.
