Lindsey newsletter # 95
Nantes, Sunday 3rd December, 16-30.
I guess that for many months the blog was about Lindsey, about me. It was great to keep you informed of the progress. The hard moments too.
But the original point to the blog was to provide family and friends with some information. When we were in Korea it was difficult to answer to each. Quite logically other sources of information are used and it can be quite annoying not to know how a loved one is faring.
So blogging was about sharing, for better and for worse. I believe the reasons for writing from that perspective are present now.
As Lindsey was doing better, the blog was about giving some news, showing some encouraging pictures.
After our (great) trip to Sardinia, things went well for a while. Then little by little they didn’t. Small things. The siestas got longer, the walking was not as strong. Of course, November took its usual toll and Lindsey wasn’t the only one to not have the usual stamina.
A few days ago a pain in the right shoulder appeared. The local GP put is down to tendinitis and suggested a number of things including pain killers, physio, and a radiography. The monthly blood analyses were good so that reassured me for a while. A little.
Ups and downs. Able to have a long walk to the market but difficulties in explaining what vegetable she wanted; able to go out to buy the stamps for the Christmas cards but not to sign them.
At this point it is probably too early to worry (too much). In the next few days we well be going to the hospital to try to get a more precise idea of what is happening.
And I will blog.
Love
Lindsey newsletter # 96
Nantes, Friday 8th December, 15-30.
Better days… Vikki and Fabien stayed with us from Monday to Thursday. On Monday Lindsey went to pottery where she had a nice time and received help and encouragement from her friends.
The next few days were spent resting, preparing for Christmas and trying to feel better. In many ways this is the case, even if the shoulder is still an absolute nuisance.
I am having huge problems trying to get the medical organisation going. Every time I phone about the shoulder the secretary of whoever I get hold off tells me that they have decided not to take in new patients till after Christmas. And when I get hold of the hospital it’s more or less the same: impossible to get hold of an MRI slot till after Christmas. I am not sure what the next move can be…
But as I wrote before, luckily, Lindsey is a bit better and has become even better when on Wednesday night Luisa and Jose arrived for a few days, followed by Boris on Thursday.
Quite a party!
Lindsey newsletter # 97
Nantes, Monday 11th December, 6-30.
A lovely week end.
On Friday afternoon we went out to the traditional Marché de Noël. Traditional means that we have now got used to these huts serving over-priced goods of no quality at all. But what matters is the spirit, of course.
On Saturday we went off to Saint-Nazaire. In the morning a nice walk in La Brière, a zone of marshes. A meal in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we visited the Submarine base that had been built by the Germans during WW2. A very imposing building.
On Sunday Luisa and Jose had to start their long trip back. A little later Boris took a bus to Bordeaux.
Lindsey with much higher spirits but still with the tendinitis. We have been able to get an appointment for Tuesday.
Lindsey newsletter # 98
Nantes, Wednesday 20th December, 12-30.
Yesterday we saw the oncologist. We were only due in January, but a number of observed symptoms had led me to ask for an earlier appointment. An MRI had taken place a few days ago.
And as expected the results were not good. The tumour has decided to come back. Too close to where the original one treated before for operations or radiotherapy to be possible. So it will be chimio. Starting in January. The spirits are obviously quite gloomy. For Vikki and I perhaps less so because we were seeing the signs and were expecting this. But Lindsey was very demoralized.
Her mood is very confused. To add to the negative side, she still has atrocious pains in her shoulder. The diagnosis is complicated to make, the candidates were tendinitis and capsulitis. But the results of the MRI could mean that it is as much the result of the tumour as a physical issue with the shoulder. In practice it can mean her waking up 3 or 4 times a night, in pain, with the necessity to reshuffle the pillows and see if I can give her or not any pain-killers.
On the good side she spent 3 hours at the hairdresser and she looks stunning. Photographs will follow. I once again understood that I had chosen the wrong profession…
We will be going down to Bergerac on Friday for a week to spend Christmas. Rest and happy faces are needed!
Love
Lindsey newsletter # 99
Nantes, Monday 25th December, 23-30.
Happy Christmas!
We are spending Christmas in the Dordogne region. Some 10 km North of Bergerac. We travelled on Friday, badly needing to get out of Nantes. We picked Boris up en route and got to this house, lying in a farm compound. The farm produces duck products, specially foie gras and magrets.
Lindsey is understandably very upset. The pain in her shoulder is of course not helping. She is spending a long time sleeping and it is being very difficult to get her to push herself.
Luckily she is enjoying her food, as we are all.
On Saturday we went to Bergerac market where we filled up on local products. We also walked around Bergerac which is a lovely city.
On Sunday Susi, Ramon, Aitana and Mateo arrived. They had stopped in Biarritz to pick Lali up.
And today Luis, Corinne and Diego got here from Bordeaux, in time to share the turkey.
We got an enormous amount of presents. Much more than we had been able to get ourselves. Thank you everyone…
And Happy Christmas!
Lindsey newsletter # 100
Nantes, Friday 29th December, 23-30.
Number 100… I am not sure what to think. Already? Only?
Lindsey is sitting watching the rest of the blog… those wonderful 6 months in Japan. A wide smile on her face shows me she is with happy memories. I am waiting for the rain to stop to go and try my Christmas running presents.
We have used the past few days to rest, visit a bit the beautiful Dordogne region. And eat. A tremendous amount. The basis is duck which is cooked in a variety of ways. Most important part is the fat which is used to cook all the non-duck items.
Tomorrow we go back to Nantes.
