Another good day

The sun is shining. It is actually 80 degrees. Hot when you don't have air conditioning, but it feels good after the long cold wet winter and spring. My friend, Jen, thinks we'll cook in October as paybacks, but right now I'm enjoying it.

Today featured two doctor's appointments and a trip to the foundations shop. For those unfamiliar with that term, that is the lingerie shop for special needs. For once, it wasn't me. In honor of Karina's shred of dignity she retains, all I can say is that strapless bras are an invention of the devil.

An hour with the world's greatest cardiologist, Dr. Ashley, produced no startling revelations. I go back for an echo in August. She gave me a prescription for nitro because I still have occasional bouts of angina surrounding emotional upheaval. I can't imagine what I would have to be emotional about. Since nitro drops your blood pressure, this is exciting for someone with a blood pressure typically 110/70. She advised me to make sure I was sitting down. She also gave me a name for a medical message therapist to work on my incision and the shoulder from hell.

The shoulder is painful and frustrating. It hurts the worst first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Dr. Dierks said a patient told him that it felt like he had pitched nine innings. I don't know if that is true having never pitched any innings other than kickball. I just look silly with one sleeve of my jacket on, though.

Tomorrow we are doing the Friday oneg for one of Karina's friends who is Bat Mitzvah this weekend. The other woman we are working with lost her husband to cancer two years ago. I don't know if it will be more therapeutic or traumatic. At least there aren't any rules for the "non-Jewish parent" in this particular instance.

Yesterday we were successful in the search for a dress for Karina. Miraculously, we found the perfect dress, perfect fit, 60% off. When does that ever happen??? There should be some kind of medal for taking a three year old and a 13 year old on an extended shopping trip. Karina asked why I wasn't looking for a dress. I told her truthfully that I needed to see what the weight situation and the feeding tube situation would be closer to the Bat Mitzvah. This put her into a bit of a tizzy. She would prefer to pretend nothing is happening. A workable strategy right up until your mom is getting her dinner poured through a tube at the reception.

Karina is also worried about the prospect of carrying the Torah all around the Synagogue. She was thrilled to have it at the new Temple, but I think the much larger area is intimidating for her. The Torah scroll weighs about 26 pounds and dropping it or setting it down for a moment really isn't an option. However, Dr. Hicks asked, "What if a kid wasn't physically able?" So there must be some allowances. Adrenaline is an amazing thing, too.

I have no radiation news or really anything else. I was on the treadmill for a hour today and I'll keep it up until the tell me not to. My friend Sandy is making crab for me for dinner tonight. So all is well until tomorrow.

Love,
Kiara