Life goes on

Things are pretty stable right now, if not ideal. Elizabeth continues to have problems with energy, appetite and gastro-intestinal cramping, but has periods of being better in all of these respects and able to be more active. She tries to take walks most days, although is only up to quite level terrain. We are down to once-a-week clinic visits, which is a good sign. This is day 62 and our hope/expectation is that by day 100 there will begin to be some tapering of the imunno-suppressive medications and therefore hopefully some reduction in side effects.

On a lighter note, I have added to the blog a link to some photos via Jalbum -- I'll add albums to this periodically, so have a look if you're interested. For now it is mainly photos from our garden and the neighborhood.

Update

Peter was feeling discouraged when posting the last blog. But we would both agree I am doing better now. My energy level is better and I still get out for afternoon walks if the weather cooperates. I am still a long way from my normal high energy self but all things take time. And I am really grateful to be at home, enjoying the glorious spring and watching the spring perennials, and rhododendrons and azaleas bloom in our back yard, which I can see really well from our living room. Our creeping phlox had the best year ever and looks fantastic. Our little wildflower garden has been great and the trillium are still in bloom, and today we have a lady slipper orchid out-it has 9 flowers!!! It is not often I get so much opportunity to enjoy my garden. And I have been able to get out and enjoy the wonderful flowering trees in our neighborhood. So not a bad life-a lady of leisure. Although I keep up with my research staff on grant related issues.
Elizabeth

It's a long haul

While the last post announced good news, the reality since then has been far from easy. Elizabeth has been suffering considerably from tiredness and nausea/loss of appetite. Especially in the mornings, she is hardly able to walk the length of the house without getting elevated pulse rate, exhaustion, and shortness of breath. This seems to lift somewhat in the afternoons, and she has been determinedly getting out for a walk of a mile or so, usually on the most level ground we can find in our hilly neighborhood. The nausea seems to be increasing, and most days she has to struggle to get down enough food to stave off continuing weight loss -- this from a woman who normally really loves good food with a husband who likes to make it for her. Neither we nor the docs can figure out where this is coming from. We can only hope that this is some passing phase.