has been a lesson in what's really important and preparedness.
Losing Dad was...not devastating. I know...weird, right?
You see, I've been preparing for it since December. Survival rates of SCLC patients can't/shouldn't really be called survival rates...more of "it's possible that you might make it this long" rate. There is no survival...it takes you eventually. End of story.
So the past month has been more of a helping others deal with it (screamers...particularly the eldest...have been strongly affected. They adored their Pawpaw.), helping Mom go through years of hording (more of that to come later this month) and finding a "new normal." Fighting the urge to call Dad and tell him about the hilariousness that is our house, seeing something online and thinking "I should tell Dad about that" and, today's challenge, getting his FB pages (yeah, he had two...lol) set to memorial. New normal. I don't like it.
But it's not my job to like it.
The past month has also brought about massive changes to our lifestyle...huge.
Smoking is done...the particular brand of SCLC that Dad had has never been found in non-smokers...and just his having it moves my chances of having it WAY on up there. No thanks. Quitting with the tobacco will take the risk down a bit.
Dietary changes...we had fallen into the horrible habit of convenience foods again. Eating junk and feeling like crap. No more. We're back on track with food and dropping weight again.
Fitness changes...we take the screamers and four-legged fiends on nightly walks now. Anywhere from a mile to 2 on steep, hilly terrain. We'll do that for a few more months, adding length to the walks and eventually tossing packs on our backs too.
Time changes...there is considerably less time spent online, watching TV and playing video games. We're spending time with each other, reading and, STILL, unpacking. We're planning for next Summer and trips we intend to take, this Fall's camping expeditions and a mess of other things.
We're redoing our wills, looking at doing the whole pre-arrangement thing and redoing that lovely paperwork organization so that finding anything of vital importance will be as easy as opening a drawer. Basic things that pretty much everyone I know just tends to put off and not worry about.
It's been a month of changes...
