We both had cold symptoms (no COVID) when we arrived back in Minnesota and we thought we had pretty much recovered before Joe had chemo on Tuesday last week. However, Joe’s cold seemed to get worse throughout the week, following chemo. The usual symptoms of exhaustion after treatment occurred and I didn’t think much of it. However, on Saturday, he was coughing so much that I got worried. Late that afternoon he took a shower and laid down. He kept coughing so I decided it was time to take his temperature. It was just over 99 and he thought it was because of the hot shower. I told him I would wait 30 minutes and take it again. Then it was 101.1 so we called the doctor. They asked a bunch of questions and recommended that we go to the emergency room at Methodist, where he is normally treated.

There were not a lot of people in the lobby around 6:30 pm, but they said that everyone will try to get in before the Easter holiday so we should expect that it would get busy. We didn’t wait too long before he got a room. They took some blood and we waited, they asked a bunch of questions, and we waited, and they had the results of the blood tests and we waited. Then the doctor came in and decided an X-ray would be best to look at his lungs. That is when they discovered that he had “a touch of pneumonia.” It was 11 pm before we left the hospital with 3 more drugs, including antibiotics. That night he slept in the basement so I could get some sleep and he coughed nearly the entire night, getting little to no sleep.

It seems like the holidays always bring something. In 2022, Joe had his appendix removed on Christmas Day and in 2021 I had diverticulitis on Easter. At least this Easter I was prepared for the meal I served and there were only 6 of us for dinner. As usual, the family pitched in and everything went smoothly. Cheree and Mike picked up Rob (he had a complicated carpal tunnel surgery a week ago and unable to drive), and Mike became the bartender and ham slicer in Joe’s place.  Joe laid down when he was tired and tried to get comfortable, which is practically impossible when he is always coughing. We played our usual holiday game of Tripoli, which Joe couldn’t manage, but I know he didn’t sleep much because the rest of us were SO loud. Thank goodness, he found joy in our laughter.

He is on the mend, but due to the chemo treatment, it is slow going. Lauren, Joe’s daughter, had some special tea and cough drops delivered to our home yesterday, but again, Joe’s tastebuds are not working well, so he managed to choke down one cup of tea and a few cough drops.

One more treatment of chemo to go and we can’t wait to be done with this stage. We continue to trust that God will lead the way on this health journey and we intend to enjoy as many moments with family and friends as possible.

In His hands,

Sue