Korean New Year- health and faring well

Lunar New Year has rolled around again. My resolution to accept any and all social invitations (within moral bounds) has meant that I've been pretty nicely occupied. Last Friday night was the faculty Christmas Dinner (Yes, I know), at which the band performed for the first time in ages. The music was well-received and I was complimented on how well I'm looking ('Honestly, Patti- I thought you were sick!') which was nice. Saturday morning I went into Seoul with my friend Lynn for errands and brunch, and then headed to see Annie for a few hours before the Robert Burns Dinner. It was my third year at the dinner, and I genuinely do not tire of it. Several work-mates came in, and there was haggis and poetry and high jinks and dancing afterwards. Lovely fun. If there is some dispute over the best poem in the competition, then far be it from me to suggest that the contest was fixed.

A short week at work followed, topped off with Happy Hour Tuesday evening at one of the new local restaurants. It would be nice to have more such events, as the three school divisions so seldom have opportunity to mix socially. We are hoping to have a few gigs in the coming weeks, so perhaps will be able to begin rectifying the situation.

Wednesday I moved the radiation treatment to the morning, and had dinner with friends in the evening. We ate fabulous Mexican food, and put to rest a very nice bottle of tequila that I had been given on my birthday weekend and that had remained untouched in my freezer in the hope that the giver would return to help consume it. I toasted the absent giver with affection and goodwill- that will have to suffice.

Yesterday's planned road trip with Tamarisk and Casey was postponed in the face of bad weather, but was satisfactorily replaced by brunch and martinis; the evening was spent wading my way through the first series of The Walking Dead. Once I reached the end, I looked up the episode guide and the latest seasons and have decided not to invest any more in it. Spoilers spoiled it.

As someone who doesn't watch much telly, I have had a few other series recommended by friends and am keen to start watching them. However, I am jiggered if I can remember what they are. This brings me smoothly into the latest note-worthy radiation side effects, starting with the memory gaps. I'm not losing my memory exactly, but there are definite spaces where I can see that the sun has bleached the wallpaper around the picture frames, if you understand my meaning. I know, for example, that I had a conversation last week in the faculty lounge about going on a ski weekend. I am pretty sure that I agreed to go, and possibly to share accommodation. I cannot, however, try as I might, remember who it was I was speaking to about it. I generally try to keep track of who I agree to share rooms with- it seems a good policy- but in this case, I haven't a clue. I may need to start writing these things down. The gaps are usually around conversations- either I remember the content of the discussion but not the characters in it, or I have perfect recollection of speaking to people and not the foggiest what it was about. I have taken to sending myself emails with messages and instructions just to make sure I don't neglect important reminders. I also found myself staring in bewilderment into the dryer the other morning, wondering why the clothes I expected to find there had disappeared. Only when I went into my room and saw my sweaters folded up on the dresser did I remember that I had spent several minutes the evening before folding and hanging the clean laundry. And clearly, not putting my sweaters into the drawer.

So far, however, the brain bumps haven't been too dramatic. Seven treatments left, though, so there is still time.

Otherwise, I have an interesting ache in the middle of my chest, and my breathing is definitely more laboured. I mentioned this to the radiologist when we spoke on Monday. He did not seem especially concerned, even though he is the one who warned me to be on the lookout for signs of pneumonia. He, too, had told me weeks ago that my heart and lung function would be impeded. I had been attributing all the wheeziness to this, not unreasonably, in my view. He seemed to think differently, as he ponderously explained again that my left lung would suffer 20% functionality loss (please recognize the accommodations I am making here for his English limitations), but that because lungs work pretty well at compensating for each other, this is not likely to be the cause of the changes to my breathing.  Instead, he said:

'It is probably because of the menopause.'

My response was pronounced.

'What? Something else from the menopause? No! Nope. Not having it. I have had quite enough nonsense from the menopause. I am not having anything else!'

He could only laugh. I felt better about that, at least, having found him very humourless throughout our meetings and having managed to muster at least a wry grin from all the other medical professionals I've encountered there. Well, apart from the gynecologist. That man is beyond both my help and my ken. He says things about the usefulness and utility of various body parts associated with the hysterectomy that render me spitting and disinclined to make our encounters more pleasant. He doesn't deserve to laugh at me. The others? Ah, I'm hilARIous, as far as they are concerned.

Aaaanyway, back to it. I am, as usual, relatively side-effects free otherwise. The burns that I was told to expect have not appeared. (Do you suppose that they are giving me weak radiation, in addition to the weak cancer drugs that they apparently gave me while I was having the first version of chemo? Eye roll) I am still a little wobbly- as if my brain is somewhere left of centre. This is not too troublesome, as it also matches my politics. I have not fainted or been sick, despite some of the warnings I've received. The doctor has even told me that I can begin exercising again. This is great, but completely contrary to what I was told by the technician. Once again therefore, in the face of opposing or unclear advice from the people in charge, I have decided to do what I want. They also cannot agree on side effects, therefore, I shall not have any worth worrying about.

And bonus: having the convenience of TWO New Years upon which one can make resolutions, I can renew my vows to get back into a pattern of health and exercise that will not only combat the weebles-wobble-but-they-don't-fall-down sturdiness that I have acquired, but will prepare me for the reconstruction (+) surgery that I hope to arrange for June. Yep. Will be aaaaaalll about the health and exercise from now on. Starting Monday.

Well, it is the holiday, isn't it?