ECONOGAL

November 2019 was a difficult month from an emotional standpoint. My Dad’s breast cancer diagnosis meant many trips to medical facilities as well as meetings with various providers. There is one more scan to run before treatment can begin.

The radiology oncologist assures us that radiation treatment will not slow him down much. The current plan is four weeks of treatment to the chest wall. My Dad has opted out of chemo at this point in time. As an octogenarian, he feels chemotherapy will be more harmful than helpful. I will support his decisions as well as any second thoughts he may have.

Normal Routine altered for November 2019

As a consequence of supporting my Dad through his surgery and scans, I was away from home the entire month of November. Thus, normal fall activities fell by the wayside. Instead, I was able to see more of the action on the foreclosure than I anticipated. I also enjoyed the warm Florida weather. Multiple days of snow were missed. But not the single-digit weather. It is too bad snow needs colder temperatures. I like the tranquil look of fresh fallen snow.

My reading efforts included a couple of longer books. They were great for the waiting rooms. But I plan to indulge in a couple of quick fun reads this week.

Christmas Stocking

Working on a Christmas stocking certainly helped to alleviate the stresses of November 2019. I hope the newest member of the family will cherish the stocking for years. This is the first attempt at making a felt stocking and I am quite pleased with the result.

The kit made the creation fairly simple. The most time consuming part was attaching the sequins and beads. I now understand why completed stockings are so expensive.

Conflicted Feelings

It is with a clash of feelings that I traveled back to the High Plains from Florida on the last day of November 2019. I have missed my home. My husband and my cat have missed me. But I feel conflicted about leaving my Dad on his own. The winter months can make travel difficult, so quick trips across the plains are sometimes delayed due to highway closures.

However, I am confident that my Dad is not only capable but in a great frame of mind to undergo the daily radiation treatments scheduled for the remainder of the year. He has support of family and friends in Central Florida. He enjoyed the Thanksgiving visit of his first great-grandchild and will have many visitors in the next six weeks.

We all face mortality. A belief in God helps one accept life’s path. The prayers and wishes from the readers of this blog have been greatly appreciated by my Dad and by me.