Retired (Again) after Two Years

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For those who don't know, I disappeared mostly because I started tutoring English online to international students for about 25 hours each week. First, I want to say thank you to those who keep me in mind and sent occasional notes and reminders. It was good to be remembered. 2021 was a tricky year right up to the very last. In November, Anne's doctor discovered a small lump in her breast. She has been a breast cancer survivor for the last thirty years. So, after some scans and X-rays, it was decided that surgery was required. I took her in early one morning and picked her up the same afternoon. That whole process was not too painful. She did not even finish the few pain pills that were prescribed. Then came the Oncologist, who prescribed twelve weeks of Chemo therapy. The cancer clinic is about ten minutes from home, so the commute was easy. Anne seemed to have little reaction to the first few weekly five hour treatments, but then had to skip one or two because of something low or high in blood tests given each week. Then, two weeks ago, after a Thursday treatment, we were next to each other in the kitchen. As I turned away, she had a flash of nausea, blacked out and fell backwards, fortunately not hitting her head. I was alarmed, of course, but she woke right up and was okay. As a result of that, Chemo therapy is on hold for three weeks. When she starts again, she will only be given the drug that is used for this "HER 2" type cancer, instead of the five bags in five hours cocktails. She is in good spirits, her apatite is good and she is still doing art quilts and being honored for her work. I am doing more cooking, more cleaning and less yard work (hooray).