Thank you for the update, Epic. Very good to hear that the new physician has their act together. A plan of action to have surgery early in the new year sounds good to me.

Having a plan makes all the difference, Epic. It's great that your new surgeon is giving you confidence in the chosen path.

So glad there’s a plan in place, Epic.

Awake all too early and plagued by too many thoughts, but feeling less bleak than in the hallway. Spent the evening cuddling with my mom and Matilda on the living room couch and it hushed the panic voices, a little.

Talked earlier in the evening with my youngest brother (in remission from multiple myeloma), who had been calling everyone but me every single day. He choked up a little (uncharacteristically) and said, “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”

“And I’m so sorry you already went through this,” I said.

And in his usual logic-before-tact way, he said, “Oh, I think what you’re going through will be much worse. I don’t have to face surgeries or metastases and I barely had to go through any chemotherapy.”

I’ve known him all his life so I know what he meant to express was that I was the one deserving all the worry and empathy right now, not him, but sheesh! Bruh.

Bruh! It is good to have that relationship where you feel free to say whatever you are thinking at the moment, and have the other person get it.

Glad to hear that you are at home with your family, JZ, and I’m glad that you are starting to make some progress, Epic.

Overnight, it got up to 56° here, but the temperature is dropping, and it will get down to 10° later in the day.

The range of temperature they show today is 82° midday to 45° overnight. It's only been in the 70s at night lately, so that will be a change! Back to normal Wednesday. It's going to feel like Christmas! The lasagnas I am making will be a nice cozy option.

JZ’s bro: spirit, 10/10. Execution, 3/10.

I’m glad you’re home, JZ.

I’m home for the next few hours, and then heading to Michigan by way of Atlanta. Maybe. My flight’s been canceled and rebooked twice so far. Also, the power has gone out in my apartment twice, briefly, with 25+ winds expected the rest of the day. So no matter where I am tomorrow, I may need my puffy coat.

I’m so glad JZ is home and resting.

ltc has been home with the flu all week. I started with symptoms last night. So, we’re not hosting our first Christmas Eve. We’re staying home and scaling back the food we’re making, and I’m waiting to see if my doctor will call in Tamiflu. I still have to wrap all the things.

{{sj and family}} I hope you get through this easier than expected.

Last night around 9 or 9:30, the temperature dropped from 40-something to 20 degrees. Even though we knew it would happen, it was weird as hell. And now it's a very frigid –5 degrees, with a windchill of Oh Hell No. The roads are a mess, but I wasn't planning to go anywhere today anyway.