Monday, August 12, 2013

Summer's closing

Good Evening and Hello -

Tonight is a cool evening in the fort - the kind of evening that reminds us that fall is creeping around the corner.  Backpacks of children will soon be filled with brand new boxes of crayons and their parents will be thrilled to send them off to teachers who are actually quite pleased to be back in the classroom.  Days will keep getting shorter and football season will start up soon.  With that said, I'm reminded that the world and life keeps on going and Kurtis and I will continue to take things one day at a time.

As you might have seen on my Facebook post a few days ago, we are back home.  The hospital stint (just over 24 hours) is the shortest that we've ever had throughout this entire experience, so we are both incredibly thankful for that.  The doctors think that the radiation caused some swelling in his brain which was causing his crippling nausea.  That would explain why none of the drugs that they gave him were working at all.  Once they checked him into the hospital, he got several doses of the steroid that he was taking at the beginning of the summer.  It seems to be working quite well and I know that Kurtis is happy to be feeling at least a little "normally" again.

Yesterday, Kurtis was feeling good enough that I felt comfortable leaving him home to head down to the Rockies game.  It's been months since I've been able to go and breathing in the peanut, hot dog, and beer filled smell while hanging out with one of my colleagues and my grandparents was just what I needed.  I'm sure many of you know this, but baseball is basically part of my anatomy and has been since I was a wee one (thanks dad).  I wouldn't have it any other way.  And to anyone who says that the baseball season is too long at 162 games -- IT IS NOT.  For people like me, we need the constant beat of summer - cracks of the bat and the adrenaline rush of a fabulous double play.

Today Kurtis got his blood tested and his is in need of another transfusion.  His appointment is for Wednesday morning.  We joke that we've spent pretty much every holiday you can think of in the hospital - and Wednesday will be a new one ... "last day of summer" -ha. Thursday and Friday are back to school for teachers and then the kiddos return and I'm excited for that.   I miss them in the summer - even when summer is "normal" I miss them so it will be a great thing to get back into the swing of things.

We're hoping that Kurtis starts to feel more and more normal as we get farther and farther away from his radiation treatments.  They really did a number on him...in a different way than chemo does.  His mom is coming up to hang with him for chemo this week and most likely through Saturday while I head down to Parker to watch the Solheim Cup with my parents.  I'm thrilled to get the chance to see golfers that are almost as good as me (HAHAHA).

Chauncey wants everyone to know that he still hasn't come remotely close to catching a rabbit.  He also says that he is protecting us because "haven't you seen the bunny in Monty Python?!"  That explains his addiction pretty good.  He and the next-door dog, Tilly, have been working hard at being "fence friends" and so far it's going well.  Armed with cheap dog treats we call "McDonalds" we've been working with the two of them so that they can be out at the same time and not wake up the entire city of Fort Collins.  Chauncey's grade is currently a "developing" on the Polaris grading scale (not passing...) but he's close to a "developing/accomplished" (passing).

Thank you for your continued thoughts and love.  We really appreciate everything that is sent our way.

Lots of love,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey

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