PART LXXXI: The Process of cancer treatment

Thursday, March 11th 

JB did an online questionnaire the day before. He usually does one there - as he is part of a study. I packed my water, book, laptop, phone. Last time it took about 15 minutes for JB to get through the COVID screening line at the hospital main entrance. 

08:13 – Off we went for the hospital visit. There was rain on the way, but it was quite balmy. It was 9 C. when we arose, and went up to 14 C, again. The rain clouds run north east, so Ottawa, our destination, as well as home, would be getting rain. It's much better than snow, truthfully. 

It was a messy ride in. It was lovely to see several flocks of geese in V formation. During our trips, we've seen this development from the beginning, now it is expanding. They tore down the forest, burned and removed it.

I like the building on Bank. My youngest lives somewhere around here. I think.

9:45 a.m. – Our usual entrance is strictly for staff. We were there in lots of time, so we drove around the campus. The melt water splashing was horrid, typical spring weather. My parking lot off Lynn Lane wasn't cleaned out, so I parked on the street with all the other caregivers/drivers. There are a lot of us. There is no point paying $13 to park, when you don't know how long you'll be, and have to wait in the car due to COVID–19.

I chose my footwear carefully. I didn't think I was leaving the car, so I popped on running shoes for the first time in months. Sadly, I parked over a puddle!

I could have worn my pajamas, I told JB, as I don't see or talk to anyone the whole trip. I did not, however. What if we get into a car accident?!

11:00 a.m. – JB phoned from the hospital for me to pick him up. 

There were so many birds. A kestrel, as I waited at the park. Geese flyovers. Crows. A flock of starlings on the way home. JB grabbed a drive-by shooting, we were so tired though, we did not stop. It would have been cool to see what all were there.

A somewhat aggressive panhandler. Waving and gesticulating. 

We drive home by the mansions along River Road. There was this house for sale: $4,795,000. It's 3 acres on the river. 

The snowmachine trails are shut for the season. We've lost so much of our snow. 

The rivers have a layer of meltwater on top. 

12:45 – We stopped at the end of the drive to empty the mailbox. An eagle! (Archive photo!) 

By the time we arrived home it was 16 C.!!!! Yay, SPRING! 

JB had a nap. They usually inject the needle into his lower hip. Protocols changed, as they had some issues with patients and damage to their sciatic nerve. 

4:00 – I went for a beer run, and saw two swans flying north. I pulled over and watched them. (Archive photo from Narrows Lock!)

5:00 – I ordered dinner, and JB picked it up for us. My shoulders were sore from driving. I have driven little since the pandemic. This was a good long 2-hour drive between leaving, dropping him off and finding parking.

Our quarterly appointment

Thursday, May 10th

JB had his regular appointment in the city, at Ottawa General Hospital. It is every 3 months. We woke early. At 6:45 a.m., our power went out. Then it came back, then it went out, again. In between, I posted my blog post. Good thing. I put my makeup on by lantern, and got dressed with it, too! We flushed for the last time, then decided to go into Manotick for breakfast. It was on the way.

8:09 a.m. 

Once we made it out of the garage, JB had wisely opened the door in between power outages. I closed it manually. It was POURING rain! It was gun day at the recertification and training range for the OPP.


On the radio, hooray for Lake 88 and local radio, we heard that 7000 people, along our corridor from Perth to Rideau Ferry, were without power due to a lightning strike.

9:25 a.m. breakfast 

After an hour and 16 minutes, plus 82 km, we were in my old stomping grounds, Manotick. The restaurant was packed, with only one server.  Happily they had wifi, and we had time to kill. We were only 35 minutes from OGH.
 

10:30 a.m.

We had time to waste. Manotick is undergoing much development. I lived here, after my divorce, from 1993 – 1997.



We took a leisurely drive from Manotick to OGH.

Next, we toodled around Nicholls Isl. looking at the houses. This spot is where the Long Isl. Lock Station is located, as well. The history of the building of this station is interesting (1860s).

 

Nicolls Isl. is a lovely spot. The houses are a bit too cheek to jowl for me... This is the dashcam video, sped up a bit!
Nicolls Isl from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We took you here, Yam, when you visited! (Yam's Visit to Southeastern Ontario) It was a much nicer day, that day. The camp sites aren't open yet. This is part of the Rideau Canal.


This is amazing old house. You wonder the stories. I would imagine it is the lockmaster's house, from back in the day. I did more research and Twitter buddy, Andrew King, November 2017,  did some research. There was a whole village here in the 1860s.


More dipsy doodling, a little further north I hung a left on a short street, and I saw this amazing sculpture!


Then, at the Terry Fox Athletic Centre, it was the National Capital High School Classic track and field competition. It was sopping wet! I loved this big crow, playing in the water in the parking lot!

11:20 a.m. shopping

What the heck, let's go inddors: Billings Bridge mall, I bought new shoes! There is the quilted bag you made for me, Jean! I did a bit of a sketch, waiting for brekkie!

12:17 at the hospital

The parking lot, again, was full. They now have parking lot attendants, and you can leave your keys with them. This is a trend, three months ago we had trouble finding a spot, too. 

Pretests: Bone Scan #5 was in April. That was a day of power outages, as well.
He has his quarterly blood test, for PSA, as well. It remains at 0.08! This is good news.

12:30 in the waiting room

We were in to see doctor Cag. at 12:45,  to debrief those test results, although our GP did this, as well. JB has osteopenia. He's to take 1000 mg calcium, 1000 mg vitamin D, to stave it off. He could have been prone to it prior to treatments, and it is a predictable part of side effects. It's part of the disease trajectory, and it can be ameliorated. The naturopath, Dr. Jen, has been helping with this, as well. His cancer has been slowed, this is the good part.

In checking his pills, he's already on all this. We spend $200 every so often, for all this stuff. He's worth it!

His supplements

13:00 and we're done

I have photos of this building being built. Now, we are back to springtime.

13:17 on the road again

The people beside us in the parking lot, she still had a catheter in her nose, had to go back in as they'd forgotten to pay for their parking inside at the machine. I felt so badly for them. You have to pay at this machine, which validates the ticket.

Still, people sitting waiting for a parking spot.

13:34 jerk in the intersection

Traffic was slow in his lane, so he was about to pull right out in front of me, in the middle of the intersection, on Hunt Club. What a jerk. Then, he pulled in behind me, and then around me on the right, pulling in front of the red truck beyond the intersection to proceed to yell at me. The woman in front braked suddenly, and I had to brake.

intersection from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

14:49 stopped in Rideau Ferry for 'lunch'

One hour, 32 minutes later (95 km), we arrived at CC's on the Rideau. Time for 'lunch'.


Look closely, where the debris and bubbles line up, driven by the wind. These are called Langmuir Streaks! I looked it up, once, when I noticed them on Long Lake. Langmuir figured out what it was.


The new owners have redesigned the menu. It's quite yummy!

16:11 we were finally home

The next day, the sun came out.