Cabernet and Carboplatin

In more ways than one. I have continued to progress in physical therapy. My PT has gotten me outside to walk down a couple of declining sidewalks, and while at first I was pretty scared, I did quite well. In the beginning of our sessions we take a walk, and she no longer straps me into a gait belt. We are both pretty confident that even if I lose my balance a bit, I can keep going. Last week I went to Walking School. This is a session held several times a year, open to anyone with an above or below knee amputation, no matter what stage we are in with our progress. It is led by two amputees-- one above knee and one below. We divided into two groups based on our level of amputation. The below knee group was larger, and I am sure I was not alone in envying them. Having one's own knee makes it so much easier to walk. The session lasted about three hours and we did a number of exercises-- some fairly easy for me and others far more difficult. And while some of the exercises were he...

These last couple of weeks have had some serious highs and lows. A few days ago, quite unexpectedly, my friend Patty died in her sleep. She is someone I've known since college. After dinner, we'd go back to her room, get stoned, and watch the Patty Duke show. I'm sorry to say I introduced her to her first husband, but her second husband, Bob, is the kind of man she deserved. Smart, funny, talented. And while I do not really know her son, her daughter is a remarkable young woman, and she misses her mother desperately. They were best friends. A couple of weeks ago our geriatric cat, SuSu, passed away. She had been sick, but with medication she rallied and returned to her feisty self, so it was a shock to find her lifeless body in the morning. I hope she died in her sleep, because she was all alone. I know we gave her several very good years, but I wasn't ready for her to leave us. My journey with Leggy Mountbatten continues to progress. We were at a crowded event last ...