Alex's even longer post thread.

[Alex]

Kristi's new chemo regimen seems to be gentler on her than the previous ones. Lets home it is more effective.

Is there a thing with elderly US women and asking endless questions? I seem to encounter this a lot. It got so bad with Dona that at one point, I kind of growled at her that I was a grown man, I knew what I was doing, so back off and let me do it without 50 questions. That was just booking a damn train ticket, never mind all the endless other things I was constantly asked about. It's the same with Kristi's mum or when Susie's mum came over to visit... basically any US woman over 60 I've encountered. They are worse than kids when it comes to just this constant stream of "Whys?".

Anyway, I've given Kristi a list of questions to give to her doctor. Dona constantly reminded me that Kristi is not expected to last 10-years. This is something I already knew, but it being mentioned up to three times a day, every day really did not leave me in a good place.

In four days we had: Ash having an allergic reaction and need to be rushed to the hospital with breathing problems; his adopted grandfather rushed to hospital with 3 bowel blockages; a young friend telling me that she has a swelling in her brain that in 10-years will cause blindness, and at some point kill her, another friend who has just got out of an abusive relationship had to go to court and her ex got visitation rights then that night her daughter got a cough that ended up getting so bad, she'd to be taken into hospital as well with breathing problems. I'm sure there was something else that happened that's slipped my mind.

Work has offered me compassionate leave. I'm waiting until I have the answers back from my questions and then figure out if I need it or not. There are some places Kristi has always wanted to go see, so I figure we might as well start planning trips there now.

Ash has taken a sudden interest in murder mystery shows. It started with us watching Only Murders in the Building and has just blown up from there.  Clue, Murder by Death, Murder on the Orient Express...

Warlord Games just cheated and released a Gurkha army. Yeah like I am going to be able to not buy that.

Bastards.

Our new Staff Sgt is a Gurkha. Not sure when he arrives. My boss got an email with his itinerary. It seemed... complicated.

[Trevor]

Kristi's new chemo regimen seems to be gentler on her than the previous ones. Lets home it is more effective.

Is there a thing with elderly US women and asking endless questions? I seem to encounter this a lot. It got so bad with Dona that at one point, I kind of growled at her that I was a grown man, I knew what I was doing, so back off and let me do it without 50 questions. That was just booking a damn train ticket, never mind all the endless other things I was constantly asked about. It's the same with Kristi's mum or when Susie's mum came over to visit... basically any US woman over 60 I've encountered. They are worse than kids when it comes to just this constant stream of "Whys?".

Anyway, I've given Kristi a list of questions to give to her doctor. Dona constantly reminded me that Kristi is not expected to last 10-years. This is something I already knew, but it being mentioned up to three times a day, every day really did not leave me in a good place.

In four days we had: Ash having an allergic reaction and need to be rushed to the hospital with breathing problems; his adopted grandfather rushed to hospital with 3 bowel blockages; a young friend telling me that she has a swelling in her brain that in 10-years will cause blindness, and at some point kill her, another friend who has just got out of an abusive relationship had to go to court and her ex got visitation rights then that night her daughter got a cough that ended up getting so bad, she'd to be taken into hospital as well with breathing problems. I'm sure there was something else that happened that's slipped my mind.

Work has offered me compassionate leave. I'm waiting until I have the answers back from my questions and then figure out if I need it or not. There are some places Kristi has always wanted to go see, so I figure we might as well start planning trips there now.

Ash has taken a sudden interest in murder mystery shows. It started with us watching Only Murders in the Building and has just blown up from there.  Clue, Murder by Death, Murder on the Orient Express...

Warlord Games just cheated and released a Gurkha army. Yeah like I am going to be able to not buy that.

Bastards.

Our new Staff Sgt is a Gurkha. Not sure when he arrives. My boss got an email with his itinerary. It seemed... complicated.

Hugs to Kristi and Ash.

♥️♥️🌹🐢

[Rev. Powell]

Wow. I feel for you, Alex. If I were facing that situation, I guess there are two things I'd do concurrently: 1. hope for the best (since people often beat doctor's prognostications). 2. Focus on making your family's remaining time together as good as possible.

As to elderly US women, they're just trying to express interest and concern. Americans are more outgoing in general than Europeans, and old women are the "worst" category at that. Often it's because they're lonely and trying to make new connections with anyone they meet.

[Alex]

I was sitting in the man cave earlier, just watching random horror films. Ash came in and joined me just as Shockwaves began. When it ended, he asked if we could watch it again.

I'm putting that down as a patenting win.

Recently, he's gotten into murder mystery films, especially ones with a touch of comedy. I put on the newest Murder on the Orient Express which since it also has trains is an obvious win. I think I'll try him with Horror Express soon.

Still waiting on the answers back from Kristi's medical team. The current chemo mix is definately giving her more of her own life which I am happy about. Dona wants me to to sue her surgeon, between the operation causing the cancer to spread and then telling us she'd be fine to travel when it turns out this could have killed her. My own feeling on the matter is that it was an emergency situation, he did what he needed to do to save her life. She'd have been dead before that day was out if he hadn't operated and if we get 10 more years together, well that is ten years he gave us together where she can see her child grow up. It would be Kristi's choice though and I don't think she in interested in a long legal battle in another country.

I just wish the damn travel insurance would pay up and stop asking for endless reams of documents. I am glad I insisted on all health conditions being put down on the form, even if it increased what we paid. If I'd let Kristi leave some stuff out, they'd have cancelled the payment at the first hurdle. She got an email yesterday that seemed to indicate a final decision had been made either way. It just didn't say which way, so she'll be phoning them up later today after Ash has been dropped off at school.

Got my annual assessment. It says I am very capable of getting promoted if I want and that me not going for it is a loss to the section. Hah. I've been down the promotion road before and I did not enjoy it so I will stick with my plan of being a private for the next 8 years until forced retirement, unless they increase that age (as seems fairly liklely that they will, in which case I'll do it until 65.