We can be sisters in pain, Hil. I had my injections today of a monthly chemo that for obscure reasons causes my leg muscles to go into painful spasms. After last month's experience, I have pain killers and water next to my bed. I also am on some other drugs that might help. It's always an adventure.

I always assumed I would be taking care of my sister, who needs a keeper. Instead, I'll need that caretaker. Damn. I forgot to have children.

Ugh Hil, that makes me frustrated on your behalf. I personally think it's crappy that you even need to ask for coverage. We get to cancel up to 3 classes per semester, no question asked as long as we cover all the necessary material.

Yeah, it sounds like we've been through similar things Burrell.

Yup. Not in a good way. Ping me if you ever need someone to vent to.

Ugh Hil, that makes me frustrated on your behalf. I personally think it's crappy that you even need to ask for coverage. We get to cancel up to 3 classes per semester, no question asked as long as we cover all the necessary material.

We're not given any sort of limit on how many we can cancel, just told not to cancel if at all possible. And I don't really want to cancel for something where I can plan in advance, since I know that it's likely that I'll have at least one or two days when I need to cancel for medical reasons without much advance notice.

We can be sisters in pain, Hil. I had my injections today of a monthly chemo that for obscure reasons causes my leg muscles to go into painful spasms. After last month's experience, I have pain killers and water next to my bed. I also am on some other drugs that might help. It's always an adventure.

Ugh. My painkillers are kicking in some, so my pain is back down to about a 4 or 5 (it was maybe verging on 8 before). Tomorrow is an exam day for my calc students, so I'm teaching 8-11 and 2:30-3:30, office hours in between, and then supervising the exam from about 4 to 6, and then all the professors are grading the exams together afterwards. (And we're also going to be ordering in "pizza or something," which means that I probably have to be prepared to explain to people that I'm vegan, and then deal with all those questions in addition to the questions about the walker and about the fact that, by the time we get to the grading part of the evening, I know I'm not going to be able to hide the fact that I'm in pain.)

At least I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow. I hope your day goes better than anticipated, Hil.

Connie, I hear you: as heartbreaking as it was to lose both my parents quickly in the space of three years, it could have been so much worse. "It's always sudden" is not without its blessings.

I'm sorry, Hil. Much general coping~ma to you; I'll be thinking good thoughts for you tomorrow.

Love, fist-bumps of solidarity, virtual mimosas, and lots of good vibes to folks who need or want 'em. Take your pick, there's plenty.

I got some exciting news today, namely that the organization I volunteer for could put together a disability rights action team.Which would be terrific, in terms of putting our stuff right in with the progressive agenda, where it belongs(despite a certain amount of confusion/unpleasantness with union members regarding deinstitutionalization and whatnot...I still believe that there must be a way to balance it out and satisfy many needs on both sides, although if I knew how for sure, I'd be writing in a better office, you know?) But, right now, I don't even know how to build an advocacy team either.I watch stuff and write about it or make up shit and hope people pay me for it. And I've turned out be a good soldier for a draft-dodging peace freak. But it's so totally exciting to ask about disability stuff and have someone say "Okay," even if it's "Okay, if..." which this still is. Usually, though, I'd fill out some survey and watch all my ideas go Away, and this is not that. If my supervisor wasn't gay, I think I'd make out with him right now(as it is, he';s probably still lucky I work remotely lest twenty years of misplaced passion hit him full-bore and shit.)

My grandpa died watching television...he was a huge man and not a great patient, ie score one for it's always sudden, although I think the tragedy of his life was he was such a natural for the internet and he missed it. He would have been bigger than "Shit my Dad Says" imo.

We all really are just going through these life stages together, aren't we, buffistas? I dunno how much I talked about this here, but I am in Indianapolis Right Now helping my folks move to Dallas so my sister can help them out as they age. And since they're all packed up, I'm staying at the SO's mom's place. And I was here a year ago planning a funeral, so it's kinda hard, but I'm really glad I'm here. Both my mom and his just seem to need to vent right now, and that's something I can do,

Plus I will go to the optometrist and get my hair cut and make a Japanese grocery store run and a Trader Joes run and an Ulta run. So I will be busy. But good.

Packers come tomorrow. Movers come Monday and I pick up my sister from the airport. They're closing on the house on Tuesday morning and will depart immediately afterwards. My sister is driving them in their car down to Dallas.

And I will be rushing home to make rehearsal, because my new band is making its debut gig a week from tomorrow!

I hope the team come together, erika. It sounds like it could be really useful.

~ma to all the Buffistas going through the unfun life transitions. I was a bit worried that my dad would get Altzheimer's since his mother did. I won't say lymphoma was a pleasant alternative, but he was so scared of dulpicating grandma's cognitive decline, I'm glad he didn't have to experience that. One of my best friends is watching her mother go through Altzheimer's. Her mother is in a nursing home, but there seems to be a lot that has to happen from the outside to make sure proper care is given. Said friend is around 60 herself, childless, and wondering who would do this for her if/when she needs it. I've decided to work with denial as my primary coping method.