Things have been busy, but largely stable over the last week(ish).

We said goodbye to Bruiser last Thursday, here at home. It was a very peaceful transition, and his last day was filled with adoration and culinary delights (donuts, cheese, Aurora’s breakfast, etc.). I posted some (many) photos on the public part of the blog in a post all about him. The other two dogs are a little on edge as they process his absence (the pure chaos of our visitor schedule isn’t helping), but they seem to be finding a new groove as time passes.

Jordan is feeling mostly stable, though he does have an overall decrease in sensation on his left side and worsening vision as compared to last week. You never know how things could go (brain tumors can rapidly cause major complications in other body systems), but his tumor seems to be progressing slower than we expected as of today.

We started on hospice this week, which means we had to discontinue the home health therapists. He’s still getting to the Challenge Center when they have openings and every Friday afternoon, and he’s keeping up on his home exercise program as time allows.

Moving to hospice also means that we’ve been juggling all the Orientation Week appointments (doctor, nurses, social worker, etc) in an already-packed calendar full of loving visitors. We now officially have access to all the medical support and supplies we will need through Jordan’s final day (though there’s still plenty of administrative things on the checklist for me to tackle).

In terms of final days, the current plan is to keep going as we are until Jordan’s symptoms reach a point he no longer finds tolerable, or when he’s in danger of losing his ability to physically take the Aid in Dying medication – whichever comes first. The final decision is his to make, and everything about it is fully within his control (with my support, as well as that of the hospice program). I would still caution that we’re in the final weeks, but how many weeks is completely dependent on tumor progression and Jordan’s tolerance for increased symptoms.

If you’ve sent me a message and I haven’t responded, thank you for reaching out. I intend to reply eventually! My correspondence is falling by the wayside in the midst of all my other responsibilities and self-care, but I read them all and truly appreciate your love and support.

As long as Jordan is still feeling up for visits, I’m still squeezing them into the calendar so keep checking the Lotsa page as I move things around. Unfortunately, I’m down to only really being able to think 1-2 days ahead – so the calendar is not a graceful process. Thanks for your patience and flexibility!