July 28, 2025

A busy day Sunday with a lot of running around, preparation for being away, and trying to give the dogs extra attention and exercise.  Also very emotional.  In a big way, because of the dogs. Their reactivity is exhausting and frustrating.  Always something.

Before cancer, Marlon was looking into ancestry DNA testing.  He was recently gifted a set.  He tried to do it last week but upon signing up he saw he was too young.  He gave up.  A friend pointed out that a parent had to set up the account and then he can do it.  Just mailed it off today.  After a bone marrow transplant, ancestry testing doesn't work properly, and he wouldn't have been able to (they suggest testing a sibling).

With the anxiety about radiation and transplant upon me, I reached out to the mom who was her son's 50% donor.  She said there were 4 unrelated 100% matches out there for him but she chose to be the donor.  She said a 50% related is as good as 100% unrelated.

  I did not know there was a choice.  If I did, I would have allowed M’s siblings to decide.  I would have preferred it to be a sibling but never would have wanted them to feel obligated.  I wish I had known we could ask.  

Marlon had his second cranial radiation.  Again it left him with the feeling of having swallowed too much chlorine water.  And a headache and general unease.  By evening, he is feeling better and happy to be at my niece's place where she has AC.  We don't have AC at home. I am sitting outside enjoying the warm air.  Take it when we have it .

Bye blue car.  Thank goodness we have a reliable car.  We stopped relying on that car a while ago but it treated us well.