I met with my oncologist this morning. The subject of today’s meeting was to discuss the results of a follow up PET scan I had last week. Specifically, he wanted to see if the mysterious nodule that showed up on my right lung in a test from two months ago has gotten larger. Well, it has. Or so it appears.

According to the new scan, the nodule has increased in size from .8 to 1 centimeter. Dr. Daud admitted that 2 millimeters was actually within the margin of error of what the PET scan could resolve with certainty, but since it erred on the side of getting larger, it would be prudent to have a biopsy. Read More...

photo by dusipuffi

Today we’re setting the Way-Back machine for March 1977. The place, the western suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska, specifically, 139th street and Kingswood Drive. And more specifically still, the little sidewalk in front of Willa Cather Elementary.

The Google Maps satellite image of today just breaks my heart. The little elementary school I remember so well is bounded now by an enormous and ugly shopping mall, and miles and miles of continual sprawl. But when I was in the sixth grade, the view from the schoolyard resembled the photo I’ve included above. I remember setting the tips of my shoes to the edge of the playground blacktop, and slowly raising my eyes to the horizon. It felt like I was on the edge of the world.

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I was going to start this blog post with a big list of complaints. Mostly about the effects of radiation treatment and how it gives me nausea, fatigue, oh, and insomnia. What a combo! It also hurts like the worst sunburn I’ve ever had.

Well, like I said, I came here intending to go on about it, but I’ve already bored myself to death with my bitching, and it hardly seems fair to bore my readers as well.

So all I’ve got today are some odds and ends... Read More...

It was such a pleasure meeting O’s first grade teacher, Mrs. V. last year. She had a deserved reputation as a teacher who was devoted to science and nature and had a classroom packed with bird nests, insects, tree ring samples, and even a real chicken coop. She is also one of those people who are so good at what they do, and it is such a natural extension of who they are that they have no real sense of just how special they really are.

Mrs. V. ran a little classroom program called “Meet the Experts” where a parent or other community adult would visit the class and talk about their job or area of expertise. These visitors might be park rangers, doctors, firemen, etc.

At the end of the first parent teacher conference, I found myself volunteering to take part. Mrs. V. has that effect on people. I told her I was interested in astronomy and that I’d like to talk a little about it with the children. Of course, we realized that it would be so much better as an evening activity so that we could actually go out and see some of the things I was talking about. And so it was conceived.

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I woke up this morning without feeling sick. I felt a bit tired, and yes, still uncomfortable in my neck from surgery. But really, for the most part, I felt okay.

I went on two client appointments this morning and stayed pretty focused. Then I came home to start on the “home sick all week” mess of my household. Soon after I picked up O and A from school and told them we had a mission. We were finally going to give their bedroom some much needed love. Read More...

I just wanted to remind readers, and let new readers know, about the website COUNTERACT, which tracks the medical details of my cancer diagnosis and prognosis. You will also find links there to a calendar of days when I may need assistance with meals or taxi rides to and from treatment.

Also, if anyone if familiar with WordPress, Sylvie is having a heck of a time trying to get the comments section there to not require a WordPress account to leave a comment. We’ve both looked over all of the settings and can’t find the option anywhere. If you know where we should be looking, please leave a comment here or email me. There must be a way to unlock comments to anyone. Thanks! Read More...

For the past few days I’ve been down with some sort of stomach flu, nausea, fever, etc. Wouldn’t you know that the last few days I have to feel well before my year of treatment, and I get sick!

Tomorrow I finally begin radiation treatment. I’ve been going back to the hospital for several days to do trial runs. Now the fun really begins.

Curiously it looks like several other single parent bloggers have been under the weather too. Here’s hoping we all return to good health soon.

And if you think this is the most boring post you’ve ever read on Depot Dad, you’d find I agree with you.

After I moved out on my own, one of the first online resources I found to help me in my new part-time single parent life was the website iheartsingleparents.com. Back in April, it was still just getting started, but even then it was already a bustling community of other single parents offering lots of support, laughs, tips, and friendships.

I liked the other members I met there and I enjoyed learning about their lives and struggles. Soon after, I wanted to make my own contribution to the community, not to mention also draw some attention to myself and my blog. I got the idea to make an instructional video that teaches you how to juggle while making a veiled allusion to the fact that learning how to juggle somehow helps single parents manage all of the various demands in our lives.

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