Dad Had PT Today

I thought Dad might be spending the whole day in bed today; he refused this morning when CNA Jose & I tried to get him out of bed. So he "ate" breakfast in bed; didn't touch his eggs but drank the Boost supplements. Then Zhanna came by and he readily got in to the wheelchair to go to physical therapy! We have noticed that he is more compliant when the female CNAs ask him to get in to the wheelchair. At the Wellness Center, Dad practiced standing up about 8 or 9 times at the parallel bars with assistance from Zhanna and me; this is about 3 times more than he did the last time I was at PT with him. But he complained of pain in both knees; we'll have to see if that pain persists. (I felt his knees, they were not hot and did not look inflamed. Not sure if it really was in his knees or was being referred from elsewhere.)

Dad getting ready to stand up.

Instead of taking Dad straight back to his room, I took him out to the 2nd Floor Lanai since it was almost lunch time. We were the only ones out there today. He didn't touch his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, only the Boost supplements. Today we were able to get the dronabinol (Marinol) in without him spitting it out.

Dad enjoying the view of Pearl Harbor while eating lunch.

While out on the lanai, I saw a bird come over the top of the building and dive down over the bluff at treetop level in the classic Accipiter spp. flight pattern; it went by so fast I couldn't get a photo. That is also a classic accipiter move, stealthy and fast! I did not know there were any accipiters in Hawai'i, so I researched it. According to a very comprehensive 2017 on-line document by the Bishop Museum, there are 338 species of birds that have been recorded from the entire Hawaiian Island chain; of those 212 still exist but only 82 are not vagrants ("a visitor that does not occur regularly"). I concentrated on the 82 endemic & introduced species. Of the 14 raptors listed, only 5 are not vagrants; the problem is that I am very familiar with all 5 species and I know the bird I saw was not any of them. The only accipiter listed is the Chinese sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis) which is a vagrant; so I might have seen a vagrant, which means I probably won't ever see it again.

I saw TheBus going down the other street again, which is called Lurline Drive (where I almost ran in to it). I got a better set of photos than those on Monday, plus I waited for it to turn on to that lower road. I looked at a Google Map that has the bus stops marked on it and it looks like I might be seeing TheBus turning left from Lurline Drive on to Monterey Drive.

TheBus near the top of Lurline Drive,

TheBus further down Lurline Drive.

TheBus turning from Lurline to Monterey Drive.

During my walk to Maunalani Park today I didn't see any new species of bird. I used today to become more familiar with the calls and habits of the Common Waxbills (Estrilda astrild) which seem to really like the park. I also saw the male Saffron Finches (Sicalis flaveola) again, no sign of the female. I found out from the Bishop Museum bird list that the Saffron Finch is actually a type of tanager and not a true finch.

Common Waxbills landing near Saffron Finches.

Among Xander's medications is the appetite stimulant mirtazapine (Remeron); this may sound familiar to you, it's the same appetite stimulant that Dad was originally on! Hopefully this won't make him sleepy like it did to Dad. I left Xander in my bathroom today so I could leave some tuna out for him to eat when he felt like it.

Xander hanging out in the bathroom.

The shaved area on Xander's forearm where the IV was inserted.

Cruisin' On Autopilot

With everything going on in my life right now I apparently switched to autopilot this morning as I left the house. I was on the 1st switchback on Sierra Drive when I realized I should actually be on my way to Dr. Ching's office to have the antibiotic chips removed from the pocket left by my wisdom tooth removal! Fortunately I had left early enough that I still had enough time to get to Dr. Ching's office on time. I took a photo of the 2 prints in the lobby that I mentioned in last week's post.

The sunny version.

The shady version.

The view from the chair.

I was on autopilot last week also. When I drove to Curtis' house for breakfast I was in the lane to get off to go to Kaiser Moanalua! And on the way back I did the same thing! But it wasn't as bad as this morning, I stopped myself before I left the freeway.

Dad was up & picking at his breakfast when I did show up at Maunalani. After breakfast we went to the group exercises; I am doing the exercises, too, since I have no upper body workout program that I follow. Then Dad went to the Namaste session. And I went on my 1st walk of the day. There were 2 workers cutting the grass at the park with weedeaters and a Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) was following along looking for injured prey! I was able to get really close to it and get some good photos; its breeding colors are very apparent.

The Cattle Egret likes to stay close to the workers to get injured prey.

This is the closest of 50 photos that I took; you can really see the buff coloring and yellow legs that identify this as a breeding bird.

Later in the day I took another walk during shift change. The Cattle Egret was still searching through the cut grass for prey, but there were no other interesting birds. But I did see some interesting plants, they looked like Ficus elastica seedlings growing on the trunks of some of the trees.

The wide-leafed plants appear to be young rubber plants.

I needed many more than 2 walks today. Dr. Sox called; she had the results of Xander's biopsy: intestinal large cell lymphoma. I talked with Dr. McMillan, the oncologist, later in the afternoon. Although cats do not respond as well to chemotherapy than dogs and have a shorter survival time, we started Xander on the CHOP protocol. Response rates are 50% to 70% with survival usually between 3 and 6 months; the focus in treating him will be to maintain a good quality of life while he is receiving the chemotherapy. Today he received Vincristine 0.5 mg per m2 intravenously. I brought him home, he was still a little wobbly after dinner. He will be boarded at the Cat Clinic while I am on my trip to Green Bay and Michigan.


Since I haven't seen Kelly to ask him about what brand he used, I have been researching the sun protection clothing on my own. It's confusing but I made my choice, I'm getting 2 shirts from Patagonia. The Coolibar things appeared to be specific for either in the water or not in the water; there were warnings not to use them in the other environment. Patagonia did not have that. And even though Vapor had the lowest individual price for a shirt, you had to buy 6 of the same thing which made the total cost about 30% more than what a single shirt cost from either of the others. I am considering buying from them when I am finally settled in and doing much more outdoor activities. In the meanwhile, I will have one button down shirt that I can use as a light jacket and a long-sleeved shirt with thumb holes for use in wetter settings but still able to be used in casual dry settings.

I got a photo today from CJ; she just returned from a trip to Machu Picchu. I'd like to go there, too. Some day.

(Photo by Carol)

Happy Birthday, George!

Xander Has a Mass

Dr. Sox from the Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center (VERC) called me today; the initial ultrasound showed a mass on Xander's small intestine. They did a needle biopsy later in the day to determine whether it is a lymphoma or a mast cell tumor. The sample was sent to a California lab this evening, results should be back by the end of tomorrow. After we get the results, we will review treatment options & the prognosis for each. The Roommate Who Is Learning to Give Xander His Meds and I went to visit him before dinner, but he was still out of it. We went back for the late visiting hours that start at 9 pm and Xander was doing better.

Xander at 5:30 pm.

Xander at 9:30 p,.

There were 2 nice watercolors in Room 3 where we visited Xander. It had really well done use of negative space.

The entire painting.

Close-up showing the use of the negative spaces.

Before we went to see Xander, we stopped at Coldfyyre, which is just a 1 minute walk from VERC. The Roommate Who Is Learning to Give Xander His Meds got a scoop of Ala Wai Mud Pie and Big Island Chocolate Truffle and I got a scoop of Big Island Chocolate Truffle. He got a pint of Pali Rocky Road for The Potential Most Favorite Roommate. We put the pint in a cooler with lots of ice packs since The Potential Most Favorite Roommate was meeting us after work at VERC.

List of ice cream flavors.

Ice cream cake.

And they had more than just ice cream and ice cream cakes. They also had lunch type food as well as pastries.



I got the call from Dr. Sox while I was on my morning walk at Maunalani Park while Dad was in the Namaste session; I have little more than an hour of free time when he is there. I was glad I was on the walk, I discovered the park has a play structure with recycled rubber surface under it that is great for walking. I must have walked around it a dozen times during the phone call with Dr. Sox and the follow-up call with Kai.

Play structure with recycled rubber surface.

The field I walk around.

The tennis and basketball courts.

As I was leaving I saw a bunch of LBBs; but this time I was close enough to see a bunch of detail. I recognized 3 of the birds immediately: Saffron Finches, 2 males & a female. There was 1 other species in the mixed flock that was going through the short grass. The other birds were smaller and had orange splotches around their eyes; they were Common Waxbills. On the way in I also saw the flock of Java Sparrows. There was also a Red-crested or Brazilian Cardinal.

Two male Saffron Finches (Sicalis flaveola).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild).

Red-crested or Brazilian Cardinal (Paroaria coronata).

Dad likes the Namaste sessions, I think because he can sleep through them. He had no problem with being there today. I helped Kathryn by watching Dad & the other residents while she went to get more of them that requested the session.


Dad was already up and seated for breakfast in the 2nd floor dining room when I arrived; he wouldn't eat the solids, just the liquid supplements. We went to the Castle Living Room to watch the morning news, then Dad sat through the group exercises. I did more exercising than Dad! He sat in the 2nd floor dining room for lunch, but only drank the Boost supplements. This time he swallowed the dronabinol (Marinol). I need to find out how long the dronabinol takes to start working.

Xander Still at Emergency Vet

I had not heard from Dr. Duffy by 10:30 this morning so I called. I was told everyone was busy and someone would call back soon. I waited for the call for about 30 minutes out on the 2nd Floor Landing; I don't like to take or make calls while I'm in Dad's room. I got a call about 5 minutes after I got back to Dad's room, so I went back out. The vet tech said Xander was doing better, his glucose level was back to normal, and Dr. Duffy would call me back later with a more in depth report after he was done with patients. Dr. Duffy did call about 12:30 and gave me a full report. The bottom line is Xander would get another blood glucose test, which he expected to be normal. The issue was with his eating; he ate well last night, but not since then. If he does not eat, he would be back in the ER again. Dr. Duffy said if he did not eat they wanted to keep him another night & do an ultrasound tomorrow to find out why he's not eating. After I left Maunalani this evening I went to visit him (Xander, not Dr. Duffy); he was looking lethargic. I was able to get Xander to eat a little and I gave him my shirt to sleep with. He struggled to stand up, but then he squatted in the cat bed and peed! He really isn't feeling well.

Xander would eat only when I held the bowl up for him.

While I was at VERC visiting Xander, I realized I did not leave one of my used shirts with him yesterday to let him know he was not being abandoned. I left one today; it's a good thing that I have been using my long-sleeved flannel shirt like a light jacket.

Before.

After.

Aftermath.

Xander will have an ultrasound tomorrow to find out what else is going on that is making him not feel like eating. Last year I spent about $7000 on his medical procedures and specialized boarding. So far he is costing about $2000 this year. The winner in all this is Kai; I told him I would pay as much for him this year that I paid for Xander last year. Looks like he will have a bunch more coming his way for next year.

There was a print of an 1865 painting called, Manoa Valley from Waikiki, in the visiting room. It was apparently a part of the 1992 exhibit, Encounters in Paradise: Views of Hawaii and Its People, 1778-1941, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. I noticed there were 2 waterfowl to the left of the horse riders. I tried to identify them, but I think the artist, Enoch Wood Perry, Jr., took some artistic license with them; I couldn't find anything in the Honolulu Audubon book, Hawaii's Birds, that they could be.

Manoa Valley from Waikiki, 1865. Enoch Wood Perry, Jr. American, 1831-1915.

Ducks.

While I was waiting for the vet tech to call this morning, I watched the bus go down the street where it surprised me; I could see the top of the bus over the roof of several houses which means the houses are below the grade of the road. (I apparently did not write about my surprise encounter with the bus on the detour a few weeks ago. I definitely did not get any photos of it; I was too busy trying to find a safe place to pull over and let it by!)

DaBus at left edge of photo, near house with light blue roof.

DaBus in gap behind 1st and 2nd houses.

DaBus ends up on this street, I missed the photo.

I also finally saw someone using their deck! Sort of. I actually think it might have been someone doing some repair work for the homeowner, the person appeared to be dressed in a long-sleeved safety yellow shirt. Which is why I saw the person in the first place, that shirt really stood out! So perhaps there have been other people out on their decks but I haven't been able to see them because they were not so visible. From the 2nd Floor Landing I can see about 30 houses, about 10 appear to have decks (that I can see from this side). I had been thinking being able to see people on their decks is like looking for endangered species. Since I am generally only out on the 2nd Floor Landing for 3 minutes once a day, and its generally the same time period each day, it would have to be the right 3 minutes for me to see someone on their deck. Now I am wondering if they are just too well camouflaged for me to see, like those endangered species! And I had been wondering, Why have a deck if you're not going to use it? May be they are out there, I just can't spot them easily.

You can also see the person on the deck in the middle photo showing DaBus.

I got Dad out of bed for both breakfast & lunch today; he wanted to sit out at the table on the 2nd Floor Lanai on the westerly side of the building. And as usual he did not eat much of the solid food, but did well on drinking the liquid supplements. I need to find out from Dr. Gries or one of the nurses how long before the dronabinol (Marinol) begins to take effect if it is going to be useful.

Dad sitting in the 2nd floor dining room; he wanted to sit outside.

Dad enjoying the view of Pearl Harbor and the Airport.

During lunch Dad said he needed to use the toilet, so I took him back to his room. While CNA Michael helped Dad in the toilet, I noticed something small on the floor. It was the dronabinol (Marinol) capsule that RN Ellie had given Dad about 30 minutes before we went out on the deck for lunch! He had apparently kept it in his mouth, then spit it out when no one was looking. I will have to be more vigilant; if it doesn't stay in it will never have a chance to work!


While out on the 2nd Floor Lanai I noticed that there were jets flying over Maunalani. I think it must be the jets coming in from the West Coast; its been so long since I've flown in from the West Coast that I can't remember their flight path. I know the ones coming from the southeast parts of the state fly past Leahi; on all my recent returns from the West Coast I have come back via Kona so I could check up on the renovation work. I will have to check what side of the plane I am sitting on when I return from my trip in June and have my seat on the left side so I can try to get photos of Maunalani from the air.


I also noticed the number of very large buildings in the downtown area. I'm not sure why I never noticed it before; there must be thousands of people there. I think perhaps my inner hermit was trying to avoid noticing that there were so many people. I'm so glad I have somewhere to go that has way less people.


On my walk to the park today I saw a bunch of LBB's; Little Brown Birds, the birders' bane. They might be Japanese Bush-warblers or African Silverbills or Nutmeg Mannikins or something else totally. I will need to see them again to get better photos, check for key identifying marks, and listening to their calls.

I know they're not House Sparrows or House Finches; just don't know what they are.

My friend Lois called as we were getting ready to eat dinner. She brought over some mangoes from her family's tree. I peeled 3 of them tonight; they were sweet and flavorful! Mahalo, Lois!


We watched the Memorial Day lantern floating ceremony at Ala Moana on the television; a good use for TV.

(Screen shot from KGMB)

Happy Birthday to Johnny!