Monday, November 8, 2021

Days Of Our Daze

stilton’s place, stilton, political, humor, conservative, cartoons, jokes, hope n’ change, kathy, leukemia, cancer, update

The graphic above is sort of a rough approximation of how things feel right now in the Jarlsberg home. There are dark and spooky clouds out there, but for now we're enjoying relative peace.

Last Tuesday, Kathy checked back into the hospital (scheduled - not an emergency) for her second round of chemotherapy. This amounts to 3 days (rather than 5) of the same old toxins they walloped her with last time, but rather than stay in the hospital during the recovery period she gets to come home (with twice weekly visits to the hospital to see if she needs a transfusion or other care). 

We were somewhat shocked when they really DID let her out on time, and Kathy was back at home by early Friday evening. It's worth noting that being home isn't exactly a cakewalk: the chemo continues doing its destructive thing for a few additional days, after which Kathy's red blood cells (for oxygen) are low, as are her white blood cells (for fighting infection), and her platelets (for blood clotting). 

When you have really low platelets you're warned against high-risk activities like cutting your fingernails, flossing, or blowing your nose - any one of which could apparently lead to a tsunami of bleeding.

But that being said, Kathy is able to get around without her walker (albeit carefully) and do a number of things. And the whole house just feels alive and inhabited again with her in it. 

At some point on Monday (we still need to hear from the hospital) Kathy will be getting an injection of something to encourage her body to start making various blood cells again so we don't have to rely as heavily on transfusions (unlike Biden, probably), then on Wednesday we'll be meeting with a member of the doctor's team to update us on wherever the heck we are in this whole process because there's apparently a HIPPA rule against giving patients more than about 48 hours worth of useful information.

But today is a good day, and I wanted to share that with you! 

FROM THE VAULT: Spring Forward, Fall On Your Face...

obama, obama jokes, political, humor, cartoon, conservative, hope n' change, hope and change, stilton jarlsberg, daylight saving time, lefty lucy

In Stanley Kubrick's classic "Dr. Strangelove," the world is plunged into nuclear war owing to General Jack D. Ripper's obsession with protecting our nation's "precious bodily fluids.

Frankly, Hope n' Change thinks that General Ripper, while well-intended, was completely missing the more serious threat. Specifically, the threat to our nation's "precious bodily biorhythms" owing to the pernicious Daylight Saving Time conspiracy.

Seriously, the government just declares a reversal of time and expects us to suck it up without confusion, nausea, and disrupted sleep patterns? Granted, this hits us harder at Hope n' Change than it does many others owing to the fact that we suffer from "dyscloxia" which prevents us from reading the face of a clock after the time change and having any idea whatsoever what time it really is.

We're not kidding. We're writing this at 1:22 pm and can honestly tell you that we are clueless about whether it should actually be 12:22 or 2:22. But we know with absolute certainty that it's only an evil and all-powerful government claiming (preposterously) that it's 1:22 and we're not buying it.

We fail to see any upside to Daylight Saving Time whatsoever, with the slight exception that since the government has declared time to be malleable, we can pretty much declare it to be "happy hour" whenever we like.

50 comments:

  1. Good on you, Kathy, and #1 Daughter!

    Great report, VERY encouraging, and worthy of a flagon of whatever your liver can bear.

    Clearly, you're ALL doing the Right Stuff, so please Keep Calm and Carry On.

    TVAG

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great report, Stilt! Please give Kathy a *careful* hug for all of us out here in Internet Land.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stilt
    All good news on the healing front, so wonderful to hear 👍 Since you and Lefty Lucy are tuned into the climate, I suggest, if you have some vegetative time in the next year or so, the 1966 version of Our Man Flint, the old 007 spoof. Amazing how prescient many of the whacky concepts and ideas of the sixties have come to pass. Why do you need to control the weather when you can control what folks think/feel about it? Ben

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stilt
    All good news on the healing front, so wonderful to hear 👍 Since you and Lefty Lucy are tuned into the climate, I suggest, if you have some vegetative time in the next year or so, the 1966 version of Our Man Flint, the old 007 spoof. Amazing how prescient many of the whacky concepts and ideas of the sixties have come to pass. Why do you need to control the weather when you can control what folks think/feel about it? Ben

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great to hear, but keep that house spotless! (I've been there with a daughter on chemo with lessened immunity). You're both in my thoughts. D

    ReplyDelete
  6. "the whole house just feels alive and inhabited again with her in it. "
    That's great! Continued prayers for her well being and recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glad to hear that things are looking up!

    ReplyDelete
  8. DST & "Standard" time (what a hoot that is) used to confuse me a lot, and it still can if I focus on it. But now it's often helpful to just not give a shit what time it is.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Daylight Savings Time: All the fun of jet lag with none of the actual accomplishment of getting somewhere.

    Good to hear that Kathy is doing as well as can be expected! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Todah la-Shem, grateful that good news is flowing. Keeping all the Jarlsbergs in my prayers.

    Re DST -- I could throw out a suggestion that you move to Hawai'i. There, the only time they move the clocks is after a power outage😁. On the other hand, it's not for nothing there's a song about "Blue Hawai'i," so any Normal Deplorables might not be very comfortable there now.

    ReplyDelete
  11. May the good news continue. And there be slow dancing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's good to hear! You both are still in our prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  13. More Good News! Wonderful! Keep 'em coming! If you don't set your clocks back you can start drinking an hour earlier than everyone else. That is if you have a set time for a drink. It's always five o'clock somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great to hear good news! I‘’ll buy a round of drinks for everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Just wait till Kathy get chemo brain. My wife had cancer 2 years ago and still has problems with memory and her ability to do any work. Best of luck in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  16. That Lefty Lucy strip was published n 2015? Hmmm. musta missed that one. If Lefty ever needs a fill-in, AOC IMHO would do fine. She apparently is on record as saying 'woke' = civil rights. Somehow that brings a lot of Orwell back. Like All animals are equal but some are more equal than others. And, doublespeak.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for the update & wish you all best wishes. I, too suffer from "dyscloxia" & it drives me crazy wondering whether I am early or late for a nap.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good report - it sounds like she is well on the way to beating this!! Go Kathy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Glad to hear some good news! Continued prayers

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kathy is in my prayers. God bless and protect her!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Here in Prescott, AZ, the time machine has not changed, so we don't have to run around changing our clocks. The only gripe I have is that my favorite TV shows (mostly the news and business stuff on FOX) now broadcast one hour later. The only other state that doesn't recognize the time change is Hawaii.....or at least that's what my Hawaiian-born wife told me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Happy to hear the good news, hope all continues to go well. As to the time change, I don't much care since I am retired and time and days don't seem to matter as much. I do think it is a bunch of foolishness, typical government providing a "solution" to a problem that doesn't exist. Is there any logical rationale for it? Any time I hear a politician say "Wouldn't it be a good idea if...", I cringe and think, here we go again, what will these morons do next? Stay safe and hang in there, its a long, tough road.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Good news for the clan o' Stilt is good news for us all. Yeah, Kathy! And a big thumbs up to the support staff at home. You kids just rock out! Love, Glen and Sioux.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Good to hear the Good News and prayers that it will keep coming!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you for the update. Prayers continuing for Kathy and you.
    As someone who worked rotating shift work for many years, going back and forth to DST is a piece of cake.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You and Kathy are in my prayers every day.

    Each little step forward, walking without a walker, is a milestone.

    My husband had his leg amputated 6 weeks ago and so I know the fear that grips your insides for the one you love so much. But while doing everything I can, I still place my trust in the Lord.

    Love to your both,

    Marge Swanson aka Kenoshamarge in Wisconsin.

    ReplyDelete
  27. You and Cathy are in my thoughts and prayers. May they bring you both good health, good spirits and good fortune. As for me, I'm waiting patiently for my MD to tell me what the CT Scan found to cause my Lipase number to jump to over 900 and my Amylase to over 600.

    ReplyDelete
  28. You have a great following !! Remarks are positive and uplifting. heh.. Mikes comment concerning your thoughts about "the whole house just feels alive and inhabited again with her in it. " was my first thought as well. Pray for the recovery effort and send blessings to your struggle. Scrapper in deed. Dave

    ReplyDelete
  29. That's great to hear Stilton. You and Kathy are still in my prayers. God Bless.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Good to hear you and Kathy are at home. A bad day at home beats a "good" day at the hospital hands down!

    Still praying that Kathy beats the snot out of this disease, and does it in record time.

    DST... honestly, I could probably care less, and would actually prefer we stay on DST all the time, so I'm not driving home from work in the dark. That being said, I'm retiring next April, and will truly not give a shit, then. I have a plan for my alarm clock that first day off, that involves about 50 rounds of 5.56 NATO. Might even let the 12 gauge join the fun!

    Lucy... Dumber than a bag of hammers, but still smarter than our president! It just made me think that the endgame for the libs is NOT reducing climate change. They have proven over and over that the climate is the furthest thing from their minds by flying private jets to their meaningless conferences. Making bazillions off the faux "crisis" and making the sheeple complacent is the endgame.

    ReplyDelete
  31. THUMBS UP to Kathy!!
    We moved to Arizona to escape Daylight Saving time. (Not really the main reason, but it's definitely one of the perks of living here...)

    Best wishes to you both.

    ReplyDelete
  32. My stomach turns just imagining what she's enduring, but am grateful she gets to be home most of the time and is having good days. Hang in there, buddy.

    I'm eligible to give blood again as of today, so I'll be going in soon. I'll make sure my blood is adequately fortified. Hope she likes Costco pizza.

    Oh, Lucy. Your wisdom is priceless. I got an unpleasant surprise on the floor this morning as our dog (who is now deaf, blind and unable to alert us as he used to) woke up when his body thought it was time to as opposed to the time on the clock in our bedroom.

    Speaking of the "climate crisis": In the wake of the CON26 summit in Glasgow where the world's wanna-be dictators flew in on some 400 private jets, drank fine scotch with ice from melting glaciers and commiserated as to how you and I need to pay for their cause, the guy who supposedly healed the seas and planet in '08 and who owns multiple oceanfront properties is leaving on a tour to save supposedly sinking island nations. Kinda self serving, don't ya think?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Glad to hear Mrs J is doing at least as well as can be expected.

    As for time changes, I'd be happy with staying on DST and making it Standard Time.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Very glad Kathy continues to improve...Certainly hope this path continues for the best.

    ReplyDelete
  35. They already did. NOAA several years ago simply lowered the recorded high temperatures for the 1980s. The flimesy excuse was that in the 2000s thermometers are more accurate. The real reason was to be able to pretend that the planet heated up in the 90s when it did not.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great news about the Mrs, Stilt (Would she be the Doctress?) Happy dancing alla round!
    Was thinking of you, and your DST allergy yesterday, glad you're weathering w/ aplomb!
    And full agree on it being happy hour at ANY time!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I just learned on last trip home that two more of my old HS classmates now have serious diseases. Add that to others and also several in the extended families. Most all of us are getting there. Wife and I have, with a lot of effort, good insurance and great healthcare back then, each survived first things that tried to do us in and got past them OK. Also have pretty good genes about this; so we are doing OK and of that I'm very aware and thankful. We are lucky. We're also realizing more all the time this is about quality and not so much just longevity.

    And you all seem to be handing all this pretty well. It's very much about attitude, good support and internal energy. Continued success and many laughs.

    ReplyDelete
  38. If you don't like Daylight Saving Time, then move to Arizona, where we're on Daylight Wasting time all the time. Sure, there's no changing the clocks, but it gets dark way too early in the winter.

    If I had my way, Daylight Saving Time would be year-round, and it would be TWO hours. There's no need for light during the first few hours of the work day. Better to have more daylight hours to be out having fun in AFTER work!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Very encouraging news indeed! Glad to hear it.

    ReplyDelete
  40. DST is plain stupid. Noon should be when the sun is at its highest elevation of the day. If employees and/or workers want to start the shifts earlier or later, change the union contract.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Sorry folks, real time is GMT (UTC).
    I've tuned into WWV (Ft. Collins) since the 1960's.
    I think it is advantagious to delay the hour in the summer.
    It gets your ass out of bed.
    Local time is that: Local.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Example on TEXAS DST in June: We used to do the Texas Water Safari marathon canoe race and were competitive enough to run 24 hours per day Start to Finish; running 260 miles downriver and across the bay. The race was run near Summer solstice (longest day) and it was noted that it got dim first light @ 6AM and was pretty well dark by 9PM. So 15 hours of natural illumination. Halve that and add 7.5 hrs to 6AM to see the Zenith was at 1:30 PM Yep, that's DST

    But it didn't make a bit of difference in 15 hrs light & 9 hours dark. And we liked to run in the dark anyway. Cooler, leave the light off AMAP SO don't attract bugs; still easy to see the course of the river between the tree canopy shading both banks of natural starlight and maybe moonlight plus surface illumination off any low clouds Anything making river noise should be avoided or alerted; but if it's just floating along with the current; no noise and no problem. Great memories. Don't miss out on night things.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Glad Kathy is back home. Hang in there my friend. I am praying for her, and for you.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Stilt & Kathy,

    Sending you thoughts and prayers for continued 'good days'.

    JRMD

    ReplyDelete
  45. Glad to hear the good news, and I wish ditzy Lucy was right at the moment. I'm really tired of the iffy weather we are having. It's back to ac during the day and heater in the evening and my wardrobe isn't up to it, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  46. @Readers- So many wonderful comments and all are very much appreciated! I don't have the brains or strength to reply to everyone individually, but let me knock out a few at least. Also, today (Tuesday) is a good day for Kathy!

    @Maoz- I visited Hawaii a lot when my parents lived there and got "island fever" being so out of step with mainland time. Who knew I was so delicate?

    @Anonymous- So far we're not seeing much evidence of chemo brain, though Kathy has always had memory issues induced by a lifetime of anti-seizure medication (she has epilepsy, albeit totally controlled).

    @KenoshaMarge- I'm so sorry about your husband's surgery and hope he (and you!) can successfully adjust to the changes and challenges you'll be facing. Until now, I didn't really realize what taking things day by day meant, but I'm getting better at it and it helps. Hopefully the same will hold true for you and your husband.

    @Mr. Bits- It's awful waiting for the results of tests like that. My stomach is honestly churning right now for you. Here's hoping that your doctor will be able to give you good news soon.

    @John the Econ- Costco pizza blood? Dang, I'd like some of that myself! (And thank you and EVERYONE who donates!)

    @greggBC- I'd forgotten that! The bastards! (grin)

    @Rod- It's rough to be getting older and seeing your contemporaries starting to drop. My best friend in the area was diagnosed with prostate cancer about the same time Kathy's diagnosis was made, and the medical establishment is still jerking him around about treatment.

    ReplyDelete
  47. The videos of Kenosha and Kyle's trials there have been on my laptop and the net for that same amount of time(2 years or so)...I am laughing at the trial knowing even a bad prosecutor can't make it seem that Kyle is a heinous lefty-rioter killer; ya'll being fairly intelligent the trial vids should amuse you (and maybe Kathy)and I am so totally watching Kathy's progress all this time...
    yay for Kathy's progress! I wish I could help out, but you have a group watching out for ya'll at least as numerous as the people who know Epstein didn't kill hisself. Best wishes to Kathy as always and you as well...
    I am NOT a robot!

    ReplyDelete
  48. How's everyone doing after one week of back-to-Standard Time? I was up ready to go in the mornings but then dead-tired before bedtime all week; I guess that's just being stubborn. Stilt? Hmmm... STILT? Are ya'll OK? [grinning]

    ReplyDelete