Eclipses & Ellipses...

It has been a very long time since I posted anything - and that can either be positive or negative - or a bit of both which is, in fact, the case.

Swimming in Molasses

While I have written about this in the past, I am back to the same place so here we go again...I am tapering down to a lower dose of the steroid Decadron (wasn't he a Transformer?).  I am very, very happy to be doing this and I can't wait (actually, I can wait.  I will taper very slowly so my endocrine system doesn't go completely haywire) but it is leaving me feeling like I'm waking-up from a ten-year nap.  I'm sluggish, fuzzy, and living in slow motion.  It will pass but right now it makes getting through the day a challenge.

Devouring or Devoured?

I thought it was time to rename the blog.  Keeping Up with Chris, Steph, and Walt Van Bebber has done the job admirably since we started this last January when simple and literal seemed appropriate.  Getting overly  precious about what we called it just didn't feel right at the time.  But recently it's just seemed a bit too bland and descriptive - like a folder we have in the file cabinet labeled "Taxes 2006" or "Moscow Receipts."
I found out not too long ago that one of my oldest friends called me the "Devouring Mind" in high school I think mostly because I was curious about and interested in everything and I just had a burning desire to know and discover things.

Settling In

We've been back around three weeks now and we are just beginning to feel adjusted.  The last three weeks have been such a rollercoaster, for both emotions and expectations, that we are still feeling a bit out on our feet.  Well, two of us do anyhow - Walt has never looked happier to be reunited with his toys, piles of sports equipment, books, and "his" backyard.  I wouldn't say that he was miserable in the City but I know that he sensed the uncertainty and temporary status there.  Being back together with his "stuff" has seemed to reassure him above all else that life is back to normal.  I wish it were so simple for adults.

A good laugh and a long sleep

There is an Irish proverb that says,"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's bag."  I have been laughing plenty but sleep has been hard to come by.  One of the most effective medications at helping to reduce brain swelling is the steroid decadron.  It seems that all brain cancer survivors spend some amount of time on decadron.  Unfortunately, decadron comes with a litany of unpleasant side effects - anxiety, irritability, elevated blood pressure, weight gain, and worst of all in my case, insomnia.