Hec, many of the feelings and experiences you’re describing feel familiar from when my mom died earlier this year. I felt like an emotional supernova for that last week, burning energy at ridiculous rate. And yeah, I am also super not proud of some of my behavior during that time.

Hi everybody. I get very little Internet time now but I’m going to try and catch up when I can.

kat, is your tag from Turning Red?

Deep in lurker mode here, too, but wanted to say, don't forget to secure your own oxygen mask from time to time, David.

Also, you're doing an incredible job with an incomprehensibly difficult task. Sending more love.

Dylan's favorite uncle died in his sleep last night.

I'm sorry, Susan. It is a blessing that Dylan was able to have time with him.

Go Atropa and Beekaytee for doing the hard work! I've slid the past year and need to get serious again.

Yay, Tim! Give that man a bubble wrap bow.

It's unrelenting and exhausting and I know there's so much more to do.

Yes, it is. In some ways having so much to do also keeps you from crumbling. If you can offload any tasks please do so because the physical and emotional exhaustion takes a massive toll.

David and JZ, I'm in awe of both of you. I'm glad you have one another, and grateful for the presence of your pixels in my life. Even the painful ones. Thank you for keeping us updated. You are loved.

What Shir said. I know the updates are difficult, but those of us loving you from afar appreciate so much that you have included us. You are family and we love you.

{{hugs you all}}

Grabs some of those Consuela hugs!

Hi Jim and Fiona!

Tim's first night home was a little rougher than expected, but things will get smoother from here. We're both tired, but he's still snoozing, which he'll do on and off all day. Rest is priority #1 for him, so he's got that part down.

A lot to be said for that rest part. The pain vs pain med issues balance can be a tricky one too.

The pain vs pain med issues balance can be a tricky one too.

Tim is super diligent about setting an alarm for every 6 hours to take his pain meds, because it's so much easier to control the pain when you're staying in front of it, so to speak. If he waits for the pain to get bad before he takes meds, it's a lot harder to get the pain back under control.

Good news: I'm not a lazy fuck!

Go Tim with the pain control!!!

Good news: I'm not a lazy fuck!

That's what I'm talkin' about! Woot!

Hec, sometimes I have asked my mother to read your blended-family postings because they are so remarkable to us. The weird part in mine was that the two "steps" also took against each other,whether from strong personalities or out of some misguided attempt to help their "side", I've never been sure, but they weren't even involved in some of the original arguments, but it didn't stop them.