walking uphill

Tuesday here, and yesterday we had an appointment with the oncologist again--he spent about an hour talking with us, explaining about the possible and probable effects of the radiation and chemotherapy. He is very clear and thoughtful, and careful to try to explain well. He said the recent CTscan showed that the surgeon did a really good job, and there is no visible tumor left, which is good. They have a complicated planning process for the radiation, and he showed us that the edge of the tumor is a bit close to the eye socket, and there is some chance that the radiation will damage Manford's tear ducts on one side, but that doesn't sound so bad. He will start on Monday, and have six weeks of weekday radiation and six solid weeks of chemotherapy, which is just a daily capsule, along with some antinausea medication. I have been reading about various other things that could be added on to enhance treatment, and getting myself all confused, but will talk with the doctor about the options; I think he will listen. We plan to go to Rotorua, an hour away, for a night away at a hot pool spa, either Friday or Saturday night, depending on when they can do the pre-treatment MRI.

The kids are holding up ok; Emily picks up on anyone's malaise, and was home from school today with a bug, but really likes her teacher and has been officially appointed rat monitor. Joseph has gotten into Cambridge English and Math, which are kind of like AP classes, with a special extra exam (great fun), and an actual text book for math (ok, it's called "maths" here) that is called "Pure Mathematics" because, Joseph says, there are no pictures. There are definitely no pictures and it looks like serious math. Very few classes use text books here--I think there isn't a bit enough market to write texts just for the New Zealand curriculum, which has just been revised, and they make do with a variety of resources. For Cambridge English he gets to read Jane Eyre and Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Ernest, along with some poetry. Real high school stuff--he will not appreciate it, but he will have done it. None of this Scarlett Letter or the Crucible American stuff.

Manford and Emily and Charlie and I walked uphill (and over hill) up the street about four blocks each way today, which is a new record, and the next goal is the cheese shop which is just a bit farther. Manford is walking with just a cane now, very distinguished, but we need to get a nicer one, maybe with a flask in it...I'll look on e-bay. But now, Emily is edging toward bedtime and we will start the Prisoner of Azkaban, again.

Carrie