This morning, Dwight dropped me off at the beautiful old Franklin Library so I could summon the energy for one final session with a Somali American ELL learner. I hugely admire the way she’s shown up for our 90-minute sessions every week for over a year despite working multiple jobs and raising a family. I’m grateful for Somali Americans: as with previous waves of immigrants, they are an essential part of the Minneapolis community.
Category: Living
A quiet morning in our building’s library
I spent a couple of hours in our building’s library this morning while some work was being done on our apartment. A committee of residents has done a fine job with the space, outfitting it with two comfy armchairs and plenty of natural light. The books are donated, though curated and refreshed by the committee. In front of me is the fiction collection, much of it recent, while behind me are a children’s section and a fairly liberal non-fiction section.
Silent gratitude
For the sake of patients nearby, I didn’t ring the bell, though I was deeply grateful that today was my final radiation dose and that it seems to have done its job in relieving the pain. It made me think back to 2016, when I went through 39 doses. Hearing that bell ring early in my treatment back then would have only reminded me how far I still had to go.
Built for this day
When we bought our apartment nine years ago, the building didn’t exist yet. Working with a designer, we laid out the floor plan with an eye toward aging in place. We knew we would eventually need grab bars in the primary bathroom; today was the day we had them installed. Dark interior spaces aren’t considered prime real estate in a condo footprint. Tucked deep into the building core, the walk-in shower includes this secondary sit-down shower that has kept me safe in recent weeks.
Health food
Today’s mail brought a package of experimental holiday treats from a friend for our review, including marshmallow fluff brownies, black-bottom brandy bites, and maple pecan fudge. The tin looked like it had been run over by a truck en route, but the contents were in surprisingly good shape. Perfect timing as I lie low for this week’s daily radiation treatments.
Mapping a smaller horizon
I find lists calming. An item written down no longer demands constant recall; it sits waiting to be grouped, sequenced, or prioritized. This morning, I started two to-do lists: Medical and Everyday Living. At the top of Everyday Living is to progressively build up my walking. Today, arm-in-arm and steady with a hiking pole, we walked from home to a bench in Gold Medal Park, about 700 steps each way, where we took in this view. By Thursday, my goal is to walk to a medical appointment opposite the far end of the park.
The Cutting of the Hospital Wristbands
Saturday afternoon, home at last from Thursday morning. So many tests and scans, day and night. So many kind people at this University of Minnesota teaching hospital: it keeps me optimistic about the next generation. No more appointments until Monday.
Me and a Medical Linear Accelerator
This afternoon, I got a carefully delivered dose of radiation from this magnificent machine that rotated around me, targeting the tumor on my spinal cord. Another dose tomorrow (Saturday), and then hopefully I’ll be discharged from the hospital. I’ll have a few more doses next week.
Sleepover at the U
This morning my care team had been looking at my records and decided an ER visit was in order. From there I was admitted to a hospital room for the next couple nights or so for another MRI then spine surgery (maybe) and radiation (probably). Photography by Dwight, chocolate chip cookies by a friend.
Good food, a good friend, and kind strangers
An authentic British lunch with a friend at Anchor Fish & Chips in Nordeast Minneapolis. I could’ve had mushy peas, but this was plenty. Life is good: time with a great friend, and kind strangers lifting me up.