Pain in the Ass
Another rainy day with Chester. For those of you not in the Bay area, we've had a historic amount of rain over the past six weeks. As in, it has rained nearly every day for six weeks. The earth is saturated, the gutters are working overtime, mud slides and floods are afflicting the area, and spirits seem to be soggy around here. Rain doesn't usually bother me- in fact today Chester and I were talking about our mutual fondness of parading naked in the rain- but we are all a little tired of the incessant downpour.
Yesterday we braved the rain to make it to an appointment with Chester's general practicioner. We arrived at the office soaked and shivering, and left with a handful of prescriptions. Mostly refills of the drugs Chester is already taking, with the addition of a mouth wash for thrush and a hydrocortisone cream for Chester's sore butt. Chester has developed a very sore hemorrhoid, and it is even more sore because he has to sit on it so much in the wheelchair. We are taking care of it, but it is certainly a royal pain in the ass for the fussy old queen.
Today we also started the process of unpacking- now that all of Chester's belongings are down here, we get to start filling the shelves and making sense of all of it. Our first task is orienting all of the shelves, deciding where the crystals want to live and where the everyday items need to be to make Chester's day easy and efficient. Today's task was rebuilding a tall shelf, rearranging the shelves so that they would fit on the wall where we wanted it without bumping into the fuse box and other clunky things sticking out of the wall. The apartment feels more and more like home as we unpack and the dust settles.
I just got Chester settled on his third sitz bath of the night. He is really craving a nice warm bathtub immersion, but we haven't yet figured out a way to get him safely in and out of the tub. So at least his butt gets a warm soak in the basin that fits in the toilet. It seems to be quite a relief for him so far, and hopefully the hemorrhoid will relax very soon.
Tomorrow Chester gets another MRI. This is about six weeks since his last MRI that showed the half-centimeter growth of the primary tumor location. The information we get from the MRI tomorrow (results not till Monday) will help him make more decisions about further medical intervention or not. Meanwhile, his head wound has never looked so good- the wound site has sealed up completely, it hasn't been weeping at all for two weeks, and there is no redness or itching. All good signs- it is my hope that the respite from chemotherapy and the additional antibiotic may have helped any possible infection clear up and Chester can keep his head together. Still, there is the possibility of the bone flap removal, and we will keep you posted.
Important information and requests about companion care for Chester: First, I want to extend deep thanks to all those kind souls who have spent time with Chester as his primary companion. Those nights, weekends, and weeks of companionship have been most appreciated, and I trust that you all enjoyed your intimate time with Cheeky. On my part, I am committed to continue my time here with Chester until June 1. That will be nine months of being with Chester (with the breaks provided by all the other lovely folks who came and spent time!). I don't _want_ to withdrawal my full-time commitment, but I need to. I am needed to co-facilitate this summer's Sexological Bodywork training with Joseph Kramer, an eight week course beginning mid-June (the same class we were teaching with Chester last summer during his diagnosis). I need to have at least a week before class begins to come back into my own body and refocus my attention. So this means Chester is looking for summer companions- ideally, one or two very dedicated individuals who can take on my roles. He needs someone to live with him, assist him in keeping track of his schedule and medications, help him with daily tasks, and provide care and company. This is a major commitment, and I encourage those of you who are able to consider stepping up for this task. Who amongst this dear community can dedicate their summer to Chester's care? Who will set aside other commitments to focus their time and energy on being with our beloved friend? If anyone reading this gets inspired to be one of Chester's angels and spend their summer with him, please be in touch so we can begin communicating about it. I'll be posting again and again about this need until it is filled- so please, take some time to consider the possibility and see what emerges. It is a very vulnerable place for Chester- to need full time care, to rely on the generosity of friends to sustain him, to depend so much on the goodwill and dedication of his community. So far he has been graced with so much support and love, and I trust it will continue to flow. And, I assure you- while this role is huge and sometimes exhausting, it is by far the most rewarding and profound relationship I have ever invested myself in. To be with Chester as an ally and friend and assist him in daily survival is a very blessed opportunity, and I encourage you all to consider the joy and connection of the role in addition to the work and sacrifice it requires.
Chester just rolled out of the bathroom and we'll now begin the process of getting ready for bed. Till Soon, Dear Friends.
Yesterday we braved the rain to make it to an appointment with Chester's general practicioner. We arrived at the office soaked and shivering, and left with a handful of prescriptions. Mostly refills of the drugs Chester is already taking, with the addition of a mouth wash for thrush and a hydrocortisone cream for Chester's sore butt. Chester has developed a very sore hemorrhoid, and it is even more sore because he has to sit on it so much in the wheelchair. We are taking care of it, but it is certainly a royal pain in the ass for the fussy old queen.
Today we also started the process of unpacking- now that all of Chester's belongings are down here, we get to start filling the shelves and making sense of all of it. Our first task is orienting all of the shelves, deciding where the crystals want to live and where the everyday items need to be to make Chester's day easy and efficient. Today's task was rebuilding a tall shelf, rearranging the shelves so that they would fit on the wall where we wanted it without bumping into the fuse box and other clunky things sticking out of the wall. The apartment feels more and more like home as we unpack and the dust settles.
I just got Chester settled on his third sitz bath of the night. He is really craving a nice warm bathtub immersion, but we haven't yet figured out a way to get him safely in and out of the tub. So at least his butt gets a warm soak in the basin that fits in the toilet. It seems to be quite a relief for him so far, and hopefully the hemorrhoid will relax very soon.
Tomorrow Chester gets another MRI. This is about six weeks since his last MRI that showed the half-centimeter growth of the primary tumor location. The information we get from the MRI tomorrow (results not till Monday) will help him make more decisions about further medical intervention or not. Meanwhile, his head wound has never looked so good- the wound site has sealed up completely, it hasn't been weeping at all for two weeks, and there is no redness or itching. All good signs- it is my hope that the respite from chemotherapy and the additional antibiotic may have helped any possible infection clear up and Chester can keep his head together. Still, there is the possibility of the bone flap removal, and we will keep you posted.
Important information and requests about companion care for Chester: First, I want to extend deep thanks to all those kind souls who have spent time with Chester as his primary companion. Those nights, weekends, and weeks of companionship have been most appreciated, and I trust that you all enjoyed your intimate time with Cheeky. On my part, I am committed to continue my time here with Chester until June 1. That will be nine months of being with Chester (with the breaks provided by all the other lovely folks who came and spent time!). I don't _want_ to withdrawal my full-time commitment, but I need to. I am needed to co-facilitate this summer's Sexological Bodywork training with Joseph Kramer, an eight week course beginning mid-June (the same class we were teaching with Chester last summer during his diagnosis). I need to have at least a week before class begins to come back into my own body and refocus my attention. So this means Chester is looking for summer companions- ideally, one or two very dedicated individuals who can take on my roles. He needs someone to live with him, assist him in keeping track of his schedule and medications, help him with daily tasks, and provide care and company. This is a major commitment, and I encourage those of you who are able to consider stepping up for this task. Who amongst this dear community can dedicate their summer to Chester's care? Who will set aside other commitments to focus their time and energy on being with our beloved friend? If anyone reading this gets inspired to be one of Chester's angels and spend their summer with him, please be in touch so we can begin communicating about it. I'll be posting again and again about this need until it is filled- so please, take some time to consider the possibility and see what emerges. It is a very vulnerable place for Chester- to need full time care, to rely on the generosity of friends to sustain him, to depend so much on the goodwill and dedication of his community. So far he has been graced with so much support and love, and I trust it will continue to flow. And, I assure you- while this role is huge and sometimes exhausting, it is by far the most rewarding and profound relationship I have ever invested myself in. To be with Chester as an ally and friend and assist him in daily survival is a very blessed opportunity, and I encourage you all to consider the joy and connection of the role in addition to the work and sacrifice it requires.
Chester just rolled out of the bathroom and we'll now begin the process of getting ready for bed. Till Soon, Dear Friends.
posted by Chrys Curtis-Fawley at 4:49 PM
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