I'm so thankful I was able to journal on my birthday.  I received many blesings from the messages sent by dear friends.

 I've begun to have some periods of breathlessness over the past week  that don't last long. I have liquid morphine to take for shortness of breath,  but these episodes are gone before I can get the medicine drawn up and then another episode may not come back for  5-6 hours or even until another day. So, after the first episode I took the morphine. It worked immediately in relieving the breathlessness. The next time, it seemed I couldn't get the medicine in me quick enough to do any good and it didn't make any sense to me to take the morphine after the episode was over. 

My hospice nurse came by for her weekly visit to check on me today. She said the breath sounds on my lower right chest in the back were diminished. So, I may have more fluid building up around my right lung again causing the intermittent breathlessness. I see the thoracic surgeon next Thursday and hopefully will find out.

I'm thankful my breathing difficulties are not very bad and that I have medication that will help with the symptoms if needed. And while I never thought I'd be able to tolerate wearing oxygen, I'm finding it's not too bad. I just have to pay attention to the tubing so I won't trip myself. I even have small tanks to take when I have to leave the house so I'm never without it. Earlier this week I needed a meeting with the cemetery to straighten out some paperwork and having Leo with me to push the O2 cart , there was no reason I couldn't go to the meeting. I ran out of O2 during the meeting, but Leo had packed an extra tank and was able to switch them out for me. The meeting lasted so long though, I used up both tanks.

We'll be going to my son Paul's on Saturday evening for my birthday. My daughter Lisa and her family will be there as well. Altogether there are 9 of us, counting the grandchildren, my kids and their spouses. I'm thankful there are things like O2 tanks, canes, walkers and the like. Without them so many people would be confined to their homes - I would be confined to home too. I have been confined to home enough in the past year and 1/2 for Covid. I had just begun to go out (with my daughter taking me to places like The Dollar Tree, etc.) I hav actually gone out 3 times with her. And now, with the delta variant, I'll have to be staying home again. Or at least be very careful and selective about going anywhere. 

I'm so thankful that I have not contracted Covid or the delta variant.  In spite of my cancer, I am still very blessed and have much to thank God for. 

God is and all is well.