Time for an update.
Owen and Trinity were exposed to COVID. Her sister, with whom she lives, tested positive. She and Owen tested negative yesterday. They are quarantining here and will get tested again in four or five days. We are trying to create zones. They stay in Owen's room and use the upstairs bathroom or are in the basement. They wear masks. We're trying to figure it all out...how to handle it.
We actually got the phone from Owen about this when we were in the waiting room for our oncologist. He called and said Trinity's sister was positive. I told him to stay calm and go get tested. Then we went into our appointment. We were chatting to the woman taking his blood pressure, etc. and mentioned all this and she kinda scrunched up her nose and said she thought the media was making things worse. WEIRD. Then we talked to our beloved Vasireddy. God I love him. He managed to talk me down. He talked about what he thought Owen should do and how we should handle it, what we should watch for. He also calmed me down re: worrying we wouldn't continue to get the grants for the chemo copay. He's SO good at calming we down without ever, ever being condescending. Ernie's doing ok. One positive note is that the treatment he's getting right now doesn't depress his immune system the way the earlier chemo did. Insurance turned down our latest scan but he should be able to get one in November. His PSA was the teensiest bit up but as Vasireddy said, we've given up trying to use that as a marker for Ernie. So, all basically ok.
We sat and waiting for a prescription for eons at Walgreen's. Ernie inside, me in the car.
We finally got home and talked to Owen some more. He was going to stay where he was until he got his results. The next morning he got his results--negative. Whew. Finally, later in the day, Trinity got hers---negative. They packed up some things and came here as I wanted.
I don't know how well we'll be able to keep our distance but they are possibly even more paranoid than we are. I love them.
We have the separate bathrooms. We're kinda setting stuff out for them and they come and get it. We shall see.
I relaxed a little once they were on their way. It's not perfect but we'll figure it out.
Ernie and I curled up and watched some of our latest cooking shows. I got a call from my sister Debbie.
She has breast cancer.
Yeah.
Fucking cancer strikes again.
God love her, she hated telling me because she knew I'd be upset. It did feel like a kick in the gut. However, she said she saw the surgeon yesterday (Harvard educated which we know our mother would have liked) and she said it's treatable and curable. Debbie made me repeat the words after her.
So. Yeah.
I got off the phone. I cried. I told Leo and Ernie. Then Trinity and Owen showed up. I told them as they slunk through the living room to the basement. Ernie got me a glass of wine.
This was not an easy week. I was frazzled early in the week trying to get everything done and then all this. I guess I'll be working some this weekend to get caught up.
Part of me just wants to go back to bed but later, we'll pick our pumpkins and that will help.
I love you, Debbie. And Owen and Trinity. And Leo and Ernie. And Hattie. And Rascal. And Bob. I love you all.
Onward.