Getting to Know You

That is my feeling on Plant ID. I love plants and I love knowing their uses and characteristics. However, the Scientific names feel like a nemesis for me. Thank goodness 46 years ago I had an excellent Latin teacher or I would be up a creek without a paddle. I am enjoying my Interior Plant class. I am not as imaginative as many of the other students, but I love playing around with arrangements and plantings.

Today we went into meet with the Radiation Doctors. The question of itching that started with surgery and is now a red flat rash at odd areas along the back and shoulders came up. Some of the medications could be the cause and possibly shingles. However, it is not burning pain, rather itching to drive you nuts. We applied aloe vera and a blend of essential oils tonight and the redness had dimmed by bedtime. I will ask the Chemotherapy physician if essential oils can be used on his feet or through diffusion in the room while they treat him starting at the end of February. He will be given IV iron X4 to build up the hemoglobin that has been low before the surgery.

Right now we are having some conflict in that I keep feeling like he is not taking an active role in learning about how to help himself and has all but collapsed. Part of it is the fatigue from the radiation and part from low iron levels. The other part is the medications for pain that dull and depress and keep the patient from being active...they say activity and nutrition is most important then give them drugs that depress appetite, activity, and mental alertness. What is this.

Sigh

Will sign off for tonight.

Oh yes...forgot to note a funny I saw today near the seawall. As everyone knows parking on the beach can end up with some not very nice droppings on the car. Well, today, as I was sitting at a red light, I looked up and saw a cloud of seagulls right over 4 cars. A driver of one of the cars had thrown something out of the car on the ground. Instantly the seagulls arrived, covering the sky above the cars. The other drivers were like....Quick! Light CHANGE!...I just smiled.