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Life
We had another hectic week packed full of medical appointments: labwork, podiatrist, and osteopathic manipulation doctor for me (plus a haircut) and my husband's first post-surgery CT scan (all clear!) and follow-up with his sarcoma surgeon. Luckily, Fox Chase changed the in-person appointment to a tele-visit, so we only had to drive to Philly as a day trip for the scan and didn't need to stay overnight, as planned.
My husband has some side effects from his medication, but we're finding ways to deal with those (water retention is a biggie), and he's doing pretty well. His oncologist today said it is OK to reduce the dose of his medication, so that should help a lot. Last week, he got back into the swing of things with golfing (see what I did?) and managed 9 holes one day, and a full 18 holes two other days. This is great for him ... and good for me, too, as having some quiet solitude really helps with my own health problems.
Last week, I found out why I am still feeling so run-down, and it feels like I am still stuck in my "winter relapse": all of my thyroid numbers are bottomed-out, lower than low! I had a great appointment with my primary care doctor this morning, so we have a plan in place to address it (more lab tests and increasing my medication).
I got out for a couple of walks on my way to appointments, and the weather this weekend was (finally) beautiful! We did some work on cleaning up our garden, though we both have limited stamina right now, so there is more to be done. There are (again, finally!) signs of spring everywhere. Everything is blooming so late this year after our extra-cold, extra-long winter. Seeing these first blooms lifts my spirits!
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| COLD at the start of the week |
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| Our first daffodil in bloom! |
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| Crocus in bloom |
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| Forsythia is almost ready to bloom |
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| A neighbor's daffodils in bloom |
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| Gorgeous walk along the river Friday |
And we enjoyed a delicious corned beef dinner with our son on St. Patrick's Day!
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Tell Me Something IDK About You Tag - This was an unusual tag with just one question! I chose to talk about my Ukrainian heritage (and shared some photos).
Weekly Reading Update: Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Middle-Grade & More! - my weekly wrap-up of what we've been reading the past week.
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We haven't watched a movie in ages, so Saturday evening we finally watched the new Frankenstein adaptation, directed by Guillermo del Toro. It was just as outstanding as everyone said! It definitely sticks closer to the novel, in tone and content, than most traditional monster movie versions. The acting was excellent, especially the lead roles by Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the creature. It's visually stunning but with plenty of emotional depth, too. We both really enjoyed it.
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I'm reading my book group's next pick (and our All-County Reads selection): The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. I enjoyed The Personal Librarian by this author duo (link to my mini review). This is historical fiction about two influential women: Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune. I'd never heard of Bethune before; she was a Black woman who was a powerful force for change in the first half of the 20th century. I'm also finding out that I knew very little about Roosevelt, either! The two were close friends and worked together to fight racism, stop lynching, and make sure that FDR's New Deal policies helped all American citizens, not just the white ones. Their friendship also helped to break barriers between the social taboos of different races eating together or touching each other. It's an astounding, engrossing novel of two remarkable women and the incredible changes they wrought. I've been completely immersed in the narrative since I started it and am looking forward to our discussion next week.
I rarely read more than one book at a time (in print), but I also started a nonfiction book last week, in an effort to better understand my current health issues: The Underactive Thyroid: Do It Yourself Because Your Doctor Won't by Sarah Myhill, MD, and Craig Robinson. Dr, Myhill is a renowned ME/CFS (the immune disorder I have) expert in the UK, and I've been meaning to read this book for years, but my recent basement-level lab results inspired me to download it immediately and begin reading while waiting for my husband's CT scan last week. The title may seem kind of harsh (and my own doctor is thankfully very supportive), but I can name plenty of women who are hypothyroid and have serious symptoms but whose doctors say "your lab results are "normal," so you're fine." It happens a lot. I've learned a lot so far, and I am already implementing some of her suggestions. Hoping it helps!
On audio, I am listening to Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz, which is the read-along pick for Middle-Grade March. It's about an 11-year-old boy named Max who is a German Jew under Hitler's rule. As things became more difficult for Jews in Germany, his parents tried to leave but could not find a single country that would accept Jewish immigrants (a fact I was unaware of). In desperation, they send Max with other Jewish children to England, hoping he will be safe there. He is placed with a wealthy Jewish family near London. Max built his own radio in Germany, and his skills attract the attention of the British intelligence service, where an uncle in the family works. Max ends up in training to become a spy; he is hoping they will send him back to Germany so he can see his parents. It seems a bit silly at first (especially with the two mythical Jewish creatures who are sitting on Max's shoulders invisibly and providing commentary), but it's a compelling story, with well-drawn characters and excellent historical detail. I've read so many books about WWII, but I still learn new things that surprise me, like the extent of antisemitism in England, even as they fought against the Nazis. It's very good so far, and I already plan to listen to the sequel.
My husband is reading a gift from me, God of the Woods by Liz Moore. He hadn't heard of it before, but I've heard nothing but rave reviews! It was one of the hottest books for Big Book Summer the past two years in a row, and I thought he'd enjoy this thriller set at a camp in upstate NY (an area we're both very familiar with). He says that although it is billed as a thriller, it is a slow burn, though the pace is picking in the second half. I will definitely be reading this one, too!
I got a reading update from our son, 31, a couple of weeks ago. For his birthday last year, we gave him The Light of All That Falls, book 3 in the Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. So, he is currently rereading book 2, An Echo of Things to Come. He often does this, but also, in this case, a friend told him he'll want to reread book 2 before he dives into this latest book. He always enjoys this author and this series. He was sick for a few days last week, so he may have moved onto book 3 by now with the extra reading time.
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What are you and your family reading this week?
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