We are coming to the end of the second week of Kate’s daily radiation and chemo treatments. Side effects continue to be slight, though the fatigue we’ve been warned about is, I think, beginnning to make its presence felt. Aphasia and other problems, including some right-side weakness, continue with varying severity, but we’ve raised the steroid dosage again and it is helping a lot.

I think I need to clarify what exactly I mean by “aphasia.” Kate can still speak, and can hold up her end of a conversation reasonably well (with some amusing lapses). But certain words are difficult for her to find; they come out wrong or don’t come out at all. Recent problem words: spell check, traffic cone, snow peas. The thing the problem words seem have in common is that they are the ones that carry the most information in the sentence, the ones that are the least predictable from previous information. “What time is it?” or “Please pass the salt,” no problem. But “I’m having trouble with the –” or “Have you seen my –?” Linguistically speaking, Kate needs a cane, or a walker, not a wheelchair.

We had a good New Year celebration. New Year’s Eve was very quiet — we watched TV and went to sleep early — but on New Year’s Day we attended the traditional party at Marc and Patty’s. It was at Marc and Patty’s New Year’s party that we met, exactly thirty years ago. We like to say that we found each other under their Christmas tree, and they throw us an anniversary party every year. We stayed at the party for about an hour, then went home and had a nap. She sleeps in 20-minute chunks.

New Year’s Day also marks one month since the surgery, and the last radiation treatment is scheduled for February 2, so in some ways we are at the halfway point. There may be some side effects coming down the pike, but I doubt any of them will be worse than brain surgery and we got through that. Kate has been a complete champ, dealing with the immobilization mask and blood draws and hundreds of pills without complaint. We try to eat right and to get out and walk a couple of times a day.

I have changed the title of my LiveJournal blog from “The Days Are Just Packed” to “We Are Still Laughing.” Because even though the days still are packed, there are still moments of joy and shared humor in every day and I want to acknowledge that.

Our friends continue to be incredibly supportive. Beginning next week we will have out-of-town friends staying with us for most of January and chunks of February, which will be very helpful. People come to visit nearly every day, often bringing food, and cards and emails continue to come in. These are all really appreciated, and I hope they will continue in the new year. (One note: please don’t visit if you are sick.)

We now have a freezer in the basement and can accept deliveries of food at pretty much any time. We need healthy dinners with lots of protein, lots of vegetables and beans for vitamins and fiber, and little salt (it increases brain swelling). If there’s any other assistance you can offer, please do contact me; sometimes I need a reminder of the help that is available.

This is really hard, but with your help and support we will get through it. Thank you all so much.