Cancer

by on May 28, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

So, Cancer can be a pain in the backside. No, Mom is not doing badly. Her bloodwork is still shining bright in fact, as the drugs do their targeted best to kill the cancer in both her blood and her bone marrow. But it is a tiring time for all. Mom has been getting really bad migraines after each treatment. They don’t last long, with a good long sleep being enough to make them go away, but she is more tired than usual and does tend to take a lot more naps right now. Of course that is the body seeking to heal itself. Still, the last three days have been long and hard. Another treatment, followed by several blood draws in the days since to make certain her blood is going crazy. As noted, everything is clean and working well. But these doctors are ready for anything. It is the nature of taking a drug that is still in trials. They know it works, but they also know that some people don’t react well. So far, Mom has been reacting well. I hope that continues.

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The Confederation of Dixie

by on May 27, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The Confederation Navy went through many growing and shrinking pains during the Second Great Depression and beyond. The fleet carriers were far too expensive for any single State to maintain, but the smaller amphibious assault ships were another matter. The size of World War II fleet carriers, they could carry a Marine Expeditionary Unit, its landing craft, and a few fighters at the same time. They could push that number up to a pair of fighter squadrons if they unloaded enough heavy equipment, making them a major threat in nearly any operational theater. They had been used to support, or replace, fleet carriers for decades, in operations all over the world. The USS Bataan was still homeported to the reserve fleet in Norfolk when the failed nuclear strike against Virginia occurred. Her crew spent little time bringing her fully online and finding a Marine fighter squadron willing to fly off her. She and her destroyer escorts became the core of the Virginia, and Confederation, Navy for years to come.

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The Confederation of Dixie

by on May 26, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Norfolk was the largest and most capable naval base when the Second Great Depression began. The ships that ported there belonged to the United States Navy, and while many followed Norfolk in supporting Virginia, they did not join Virginia. They were American warships, and only a very few swore to join any of the States that were essentially rebelling against the American government. They represented a legal grey area until the Convention of States reorganized the Federal government. Most would swear loyalty to the new Federal government after that, including all of the remaining fleet carriers. Those represented a fading strength in the decades that followed, though as small budgets forced more and more of them into retirement. Even the best of the State alliances could not afford to maintain a full fleet carrier in those days, and so they slowly disappeared from the oceans as the decades went by. That paved the way for the far smaller but more versatile navies of the various State alliances.

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A Working Man

by on May 25, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I know it’s hard to see, but I used to work for the man. The man down the road. Yes. In my misspent youth, I had a regular job, working for a man who paid me real money. And I worked with other people. I know that’s hard to think about, but it is true. Now I am a clean freak, so I value a clean work environment. That means that I always cleaned up after the slobs who worked before me. I could feel the dirt on the counters when they left. Maybe it was just in my mind, but I could feel it, so I cleaned it. Except in a handful of cases, where certain coworkers who cleaned very well were involved. In one such case, I came into work when one of said coworkers was in the middle of cleaning the place up and preparing to leave. Now to set the stage, she was my kind of pretty. Not pretty like me, you understand, for I am a truly special kind of pretty. But the kind of pretty I find attractive. So here she is, cleaning the place up so that I, her not-so-humble coworker can walk into a clean work environment. So I thank her for that. And just to clarify, I did keep myself from saying “You clean up nice.” While grammatically correct, phrasing it like that may have left the wrong impression. Or even worse, the right one. Workplace flirting must always be done safely, doncha know. Especially when the man says it should not be done at all.

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Cancer

by on May 24, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

My mom’s cancer treatment continues, and she has found a new lovely side effect. One of the drugs she started has caused a rash to develop on her arms and legs. It isn’t painful, but it does itch, and that can be most annoying. Now compared to what traditional chemo did the last time she had it, the side effects of these new targeted drugs are minor. And the Mayo Clinic is making certain mom has the best care available, including two multi-day stays in the hospital while ramping up new drugs to make certain her body tolerates them. These are very new treatments, and Mayo is one of the eight hospital/clinics that is testing them, and I thank God daily for the fact that Mayo Clinic is here. And that we are here because of that. Though the itchy rash is still a bit annoying… If something could be done about that, my mom would be most thankful… 😉

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