Doing Life

I tried posting this journal but it didn't seem to go.  Trying again.  

The title of this journal is a saying my dear friend Nora uses.  No matter what happens, she is 'doing life'.  I like it.  I too have been doing life.  I am surprised to see how long it is since I have posted!  I had Covid and was just pooped for quite awhile.  I am back to a semblance of normal.

My dearest friends are  dealing with health issues.  My best Calgary friend has Sjogren's Disease (dry mucus membranes) which affects her eyes - no tears.  She also has other issues that require frequent doctor visits.  The hardest part is that her vision is deterorating.  Her husband has prostate cancer which has metstasized.  He is getting slower and frail.

Nora has bronchiectasis. She is doing well but does get short of breath.  Her husband has a pacemaker and has just been diagnosed with Leukemia.  My friend Jack's wife has severe aphasia.  She has great difficulty saying what she wants to say.  She has no cognitive problems which makes it very hard for her.  She has an app on her phone that puts voice to whatever she types.  She always had a lot to say so it is really really hard.

As for Joe and me; we are trucking along.  We are finding this getting old business frustrating.  Joe tires easily but is otherwise healthy despite his diabetes and sometimes not very healthy eating habits.  My back and hip hurts when I walk.  I take Tylenol extra strength or one of Joe's prescription pills when I go walking.  We are lucky to have a pool in our condo so we do water exercises 2 or 3 times a week.

I was getting quite short of breath climbing the hill by our condo.  It is the equivalent of 8 or 9 stories.  If I go downtown, it is down!  Which mean coming home is a climb.  I could do it quite briskly awhile back but now I have to stop once or twice to admire the scenery.  I told my doctor because Joe was worried.  She thought I should get my heart checked so off to the cardiologist.  After the tests etc, my heart is pretty good for my age.  She referred me to a respirologist - more tests.  I have the very very very beginning of interstitial lung disease.  It is a serious condition with no cure but I figure I will be dead before it kills me.  In other words, I am doing okay for a now 79 year old codger!

I just got back from visiting my family in Thunder Bay.  I think I ranted about them awhile back.  Well, I am welcomed back in to the fold.  However, they are having health issues.  My niece has scleroderma (an autoimmune disease that hardens the skin).  Hers is in her lungs as well as her skin which is not great.  She spent the last 3 days in Toronto being assessed.  The specialists sent her home with a treatment plan that will help but it won't cure.  They also diagnosed Reynaud's disease.  She has severe numbness of her fingers.  My nephew has grossly swollen ankles and legs and has been putting off going to the doctor. I gave him a lecture.  He was supposed to go today.  I haven't bugged him yet!

I could go on and on.  But I choose to be positive - mostly.  Life is not all sickness and death.

I do want to be around for awile because my beautiful great granddaughters are going to have a BABY SISTER in November!  We are excited!! CEVYN is doing well. She and her fiance Jon are very excited!  I am going to Ottawa in November and staying over Christmas!!!  Joe will join me when the baby is born.  

As I said, I am doing life and it is good.  Of course I miss Lisa and feel that deep sadness when I see Cevyn's kids growing up without the best grandma in the world.  I know she is with them but they don't.  I see it as our jobs to be there for them for as long as we can.