More Fully...
Dear All –
Not too long a note, as we have all just returned (10:30pm!) from dinner out at the Fondue Restaurant in Grenoble. Fondue is a grand “Ottawa Johnsons” tradition, and so it was well enjoyed by all – Frank and Greg even managing to top off their cheese fondue with a chocolate fondue! I fear we shall sleep late yet again tomorrow morning, but it’s an indulgence we don’t feel at all guilty about these days!
It ended a good day for Greg. He was very tired this morning, and latterly quite nauseous. Around noon he took his anti-vertigo pill, and it seemed to get rid of the nausea in about 15 minutes. A mix of good and bad, that. Good to know that the pill gets rid of the nausea so fast, but a bit depressing for Greg to realize that he is still that dependant on the pills to repress his vertigo. That means the vertigo is still there even when moving about the house, but is usually suppressed by meds. Nonetheless, Greg was buoyed by the morning’s spate of e-mails (it is developing into a morning routine: coffee in bed, as we both wait for our morning meds to kick in, with me reading e-mails out loud. There are some benefits to not being allowed to face the 9-to-5 shift…even if the cost is higher than I’d usually recommend!). After the slow start, and a visit with our neighbourhood nurse, Greg and his dad headed into town for G’s physio, and his mum and I hit a few of the towering piles of boxes of books in the “Library/Kirstin’s study” (about a third of the upstairs is still in boxes…but we made a serious dint). -- I must steal a moment here to say how much I love pulling various items out of boxes which remind me so much of the giver – one of the many little but important reasons why ‘gifting’ can be so Good. For decades these items remind the recipient of the others in his/her life, and the many associated memories. (I hope some of you realize how incredibly restrained I am being here!! I could write an entire essay on why I think gift-giving can and should be Good…like much else in this world, it can and has been corrupted, but it needn’t be, at all! Some pretty good examples have been set out for us in Timeless Stories… -- ok, tangent reined in!)
Greg’s physio: WAY better today. He came home in a good mood, and told me that he had learned a new French word: “impec.” “’Impec?’ I asked. “As in impeccable?” Yep. “Well that sounds positive…what was impeccable?” His face exercises apparently. The physio said that he was doing those…well, impeccably! But the physio also guessed correctly that Greg wasn’t talking much ‘the right way’ in front of anyone other than ‘the boss’ (as the physio calls himself) or Gregory-in-the-mirror. So he needs to start working on that. And I need to start remembering to catch him, and subtly, non-naggingly, remind him. Possibly a bit of a challenge! As any of you who have lived with another person for a while knows, sussing out when it’s a good time to bring a person’s attention to a repeated weakness, and when, for reasons of fatigue, mood, or simple bad-timing, not to, is not always easy! Even if they’ve asked you to do it, even after several years of marriage ;)
The physio also swung Greg in the chair again. He felt sick again, but not as bad as last time. He also told Greg that next time he goes to the Underground caves, he’s not allowed to use my arm. Asks I: “But what if *I* need help?!” Well…maybe then, a bit…! Really, we are a rather humourous pair at times. I put in Greg’s eye gel, he puts on my socks (each on the other of course!) At night he unbuckles my bra, I put on his nightly eye patch. Etc, etc. We figure we’ve got being in our 70’s together down pat!
I was reminded tonight, as we drove through downtown Grenoble, of the night Kara (Greg’s sister), Greg and I walked along the river, back to Peter and Sophie’s. Greg was in a very foul mood – he even mentioned it, on one of his early blog entries…mentioned not being very civil to either his sister or me! Reflecting back, I’m aware that that was the only period of length in which Greg has allowed either his fear or frustration about the tumour to dominate his relationship with others. Don’t get me wrong – he ain’t no saint, as he or anyone who has lived with him will freely attest to (Just as, I hasten to add, will anyone who has lived with me! [Greg in particular!!]) And he hasn’t suddenly become a saint since the operation either. He has his bad moments. But he never lets himself stay there for long -- even if it’s a day when it is a struggle not to slip back in. Even the other day when he was really down, and he realized that he was getting too snappy with his mother and me, he took himself away to the bedroom until he was in a better space. For someone who has spent the majority of his life pretty darn healthy and physically active, I’m pretty impressed really. He’s not perfect, but I do think, if I dare use the language of the guy I’m writing my thesis on (and which may sound fairly weird to some of you – but I’ll use him, George MacDonald, as my excuse)...I do think he’s ‘becoming more fully human’ in the midst of this. (do what you will with that!)
OK, enough bizarre talk for the evening – until anon,
Kirstin
PS – I can’t tell you how much your messages are encouraging us. Thankyou so!
PPS – We just saw the date, and realized that it is ‘Epiphany’ (no irony intended there!), or ‘Three Kings Day’ or ‘Twelfth Night’ (just a few of its many names). How we messed up the date of our favourite lesser-known holiday, we haven’t a clue….we’ll celebrate it tomorrow, but a Happy Epiphany to you all in the meantime. Revel away!!
Not too long a note, as we have all just returned (10:30pm!) from dinner out at the Fondue Restaurant in Grenoble. Fondue is a grand “Ottawa Johnsons” tradition, and so it was well enjoyed by all – Frank and Greg even managing to top off their cheese fondue with a chocolate fondue! I fear we shall sleep late yet again tomorrow morning, but it’s an indulgence we don’t feel at all guilty about these days!
It ended a good day for Greg. He was very tired this morning, and latterly quite nauseous. Around noon he took his anti-vertigo pill, and it seemed to get rid of the nausea in about 15 minutes. A mix of good and bad, that. Good to know that the pill gets rid of the nausea so fast, but a bit depressing for Greg to realize that he is still that dependant on the pills to repress his vertigo. That means the vertigo is still there even when moving about the house, but is usually suppressed by meds. Nonetheless, Greg was buoyed by the morning’s spate of e-mails (it is developing into a morning routine: coffee in bed, as we both wait for our morning meds to kick in, with me reading e-mails out loud. There are some benefits to not being allowed to face the 9-to-5 shift…even if the cost is higher than I’d usually recommend!). After the slow start, and a visit with our neighbourhood nurse, Greg and his dad headed into town for G’s physio, and his mum and I hit a few of the towering piles of boxes of books in the “Library/Kirstin’s study” (about a third of the upstairs is still in boxes…but we made a serious dint). -- I must steal a moment here to say how much I love pulling various items out of boxes which remind me so much of the giver – one of the many little but important reasons why ‘gifting’ can be so Good. For decades these items remind the recipient of the others in his/her life, and the many associated memories. (I hope some of you realize how incredibly restrained I am being here!! I could write an entire essay on why I think gift-giving can and should be Good…like much else in this world, it can and has been corrupted, but it needn’t be, at all! Some pretty good examples have been set out for us in Timeless Stories… -- ok, tangent reined in!)
Greg’s physio: WAY better today. He came home in a good mood, and told me that he had learned a new French word: “impec.” “’Impec?’ I asked. “As in impeccable?” Yep. “Well that sounds positive…what was impeccable?” His face exercises apparently. The physio said that he was doing those…well, impeccably! But the physio also guessed correctly that Greg wasn’t talking much ‘the right way’ in front of anyone other than ‘the boss’ (as the physio calls himself) or Gregory-in-the-mirror. So he needs to start working on that. And I need to start remembering to catch him, and subtly, non-naggingly, remind him. Possibly a bit of a challenge! As any of you who have lived with another person for a while knows, sussing out when it’s a good time to bring a person’s attention to a repeated weakness, and when, for reasons of fatigue, mood, or simple bad-timing, not to, is not always easy! Even if they’ve asked you to do it, even after several years of marriage ;)
The physio also swung Greg in the chair again. He felt sick again, but not as bad as last time. He also told Greg that next time he goes to the Underground caves, he’s not allowed to use my arm. Asks I: “But what if *I* need help?!” Well…maybe then, a bit…! Really, we are a rather humourous pair at times. I put in Greg’s eye gel, he puts on my socks (each on the other of course!) At night he unbuckles my bra, I put on his nightly eye patch. Etc, etc. We figure we’ve got being in our 70’s together down pat!
I was reminded tonight, as we drove through downtown Grenoble, of the night Kara (Greg’s sister), Greg and I walked along the river, back to Peter and Sophie’s. Greg was in a very foul mood – he even mentioned it, on one of his early blog entries…mentioned not being very civil to either his sister or me! Reflecting back, I’m aware that that was the only period of length in which Greg has allowed either his fear or frustration about the tumour to dominate his relationship with others. Don’t get me wrong – he ain’t no saint, as he or anyone who has lived with him will freely attest to (Just as, I hasten to add, will anyone who has lived with me! [Greg in particular!!]) And he hasn’t suddenly become a saint since the operation either. He has his bad moments. But he never lets himself stay there for long -- even if it’s a day when it is a struggle not to slip back in. Even the other day when he was really down, and he realized that he was getting too snappy with his mother and me, he took himself away to the bedroom until he was in a better space. For someone who has spent the majority of his life pretty darn healthy and physically active, I’m pretty impressed really. He’s not perfect, but I do think, if I dare use the language of the guy I’m writing my thesis on (and which may sound fairly weird to some of you – but I’ll use him, George MacDonald, as my excuse)...I do think he’s ‘becoming more fully human’ in the midst of this. (do what you will with that!)
OK, enough bizarre talk for the evening – until anon,
Kirstin
PS – I can’t tell you how much your messages are encouraging us. Thankyou so!
PPS – We just saw the date, and realized that it is ‘Epiphany’ (no irony intended there!), or ‘Three Kings Day’ or ‘Twelfth Night’ (just a few of its many names). How we messed up the date of our favourite lesser-known holiday, we haven’t a clue….we’ll celebrate it tomorrow, but a Happy Epiphany to you all in the meantime. Revel away!!
posted by Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson | 12:07 am
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