Bigger Plate

As if dealing with my own symptoms and doctors and financial struggles weren't enough, I have now heaped another helping of doctors and symptoms onto my plate.

My 'Uncle' has recently been diagnosed with Stage Four of an aggressive form of lymphoma. He is 69, his daughter has her own family a couple of hours away, and his wife is Autistic. Any guess as to who has volunteered to spend three to five days down there every three weeks when he has his chemo?

I'm hoping that this trip was the most intensive. First round of chemo and a half dozen oral medications to get used to taking, one of which is making him diabetic, so I also had to learn and then teach them how to change his diet and monitor is blood sugar. What a roller coaster ride.

At first I was frustrated because we couldn't lay hands on the reference material that they had sent home with him. But once I'd read through that, I felt much better. I had been working blind, with only the Internet as a rough guide as to how to balance out his blood sugar. But the care manual for the Chemo was in conflict with some of those instructions, so until I had read everything, I was a little bit unnerved. According to his doctor, though, I'm doing a great job. Uncle's daughter and I are getting on well, and make a great nursing team. Even Auntie isn't feeling too overwhelmed with all of the changes.

With both myself and their daughter only a phone call away, and a handy reference guide for both diabetic diet, and chemo symptoms to watch for, I am confident they will do fine on their own until my next visit.

With any luck, my own medical appointments will coincide with my trips to Hamilton for nursing duty. Cross your fingers...