News from Janee & Mike Arnoff

Hi, BJ and all!

Things have changed a lot for us and it's happened pretty suddenly. Michael's tumor has begun growing again and is now in the temporal and frontal lobes. He has a catheter (because of incontinence combined with a frightfully unsteady gait and weakness). Since then (8/20), he's gotten so weak that he is in a wheelchair all the time, unless he's in bed or in a chair. Steps are out of the question. He needs help with just about everything, except that he still feeds himself, as long as I cut his meat.

He had a grand mal seizure on Friday, so now he's on anti-seizure medicine. His blood sugar was very high, so now I test his sugars and give him insulin shots. The diabetes is from the steroid that he takes to keep his brain swelling down.

His spirits are good, but he can't communicate on his own very well. He does well with yes/no questions. He still enjoys things (like when we went to the Indy Zoo today!) but then can't tell what we did. He sleeps from 8 at night till 9 in the morning, and then naps in the afternoon.

Caring for him is easy and fun, since I love him so. He is so well-mannered, cooperative, and sweet, just as he always has been.

We decided not to proceed with further treatment and to let Hospice into our lives. They come 3x a week to bathe him, and we have other visits too. They are going to be a very good thing for us, and enable me to keep him at home, rather than having to put him someplace else.

Michael won't be returning to Tucson. It would just be too scary for me to try to take him now, because there is just too much of a risk that he would die on the trip, and I would much rather he die here than in Oklahoma or something. I will come when I can, and .. I'm thinking that I'll be able to leave within a couple of months, when he dies and I'm ready to travel.

I wish that I had cheerier news, but .. that's what's going on. I wish everyone safe travels back to Tucson, and I'll see you when I arrive!

BJ, I do hope to still do the photography thing that we had talked about. I've also talked with Ione Condit about this, and she has some great ideas. If I don't make it back soon enough, I'll bet she would take the reins for awhile.

Hugs all around,
Janee