Saturday's News

Pat, Tom and Squiggs at Knott's Berry Farm.

May 23rd



Aunt Pat had another great day. Very little pain and discomfort. She had a little pain and was going to request morphine but rolled over to her side and the pain went away. I'm so thankful she is not in any discomfort.

Eric Friedland, Pat & Tom and Lena Mae with Squiggs the Surprise!

She is flooded with birthday cards. She has them stacked on her night stand and shares them. The nieces and nephews paid her a visit. They were looking for Rudy outside. We opened her window to the back yard so she could visit. She enjoyed it. Saint Bob and Saint Emily visited, too. 

Tom and Pat at the beach.

Aunt Pat is drinking about a cup and a half of liquids a day and keeping them down. She is comfortable. She tires easily but still enjoys the calls, visits and emails.

Betsy xo

Tom and Pat on the beach.

Celebration!

May 22nd

We celebrated Aunt Pat's Birthday. 


She had a little chocolate cake.

Eighty-one wishes in one blow!

Saint Bob and Saint Emily brought homemade almond cake and fresh local Oregon berries which Aunt Pat also enjoyed.

Aunt Pat celebrating her birthday as a little girl.

Aunt Pat and Tom riding their tricycles.

Aunt Pat continues to keep drinking liquids and her spirits are good. She did receive morphine last night as she wakes with pain in the middle of the night. She doesn't need pain meds during the day yet.




























She was a little more tired today but it's to be expected with the visitors, phone calls, emails and reading all the lovely cards.


We put more cat food out for Rudy. We removed the screen from Aunt Pat's open window hoping he will jump through it during the night. Keep your fingers crossed!

Betsy xoxo

Aunt Pat's Birthday!!

Tom and Pat

Happy Birthday to Aunt Pat!!!!

Thursday was a good day for Aunt Pat. She had a lot of energy and was very chatty. She didn't nap during the day and entertained visitors with great stories.

Rudy before he ran away.

Wondering if the anti nausea medicine ondansetron is having a positive effect. She did have some pain Wednesday night and took morphine but didn't need any on Thursday.

She is drinking liquids and feeling pretty good. Let's hope it continues!

***Update**** Aunt Pat emailed me this morning. Rudy was spotted at the back door at 3 am. When they opened the door he ran away. He's still in the area! He must be trying to make it home for her birthday.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Betsy xo

Pat and Squiggs visiting.

Dot the i's and cross the t's

May 20th

As you can guess, Aunt Pat is tidying up. No stone left unturned. She is organized and ready as much as she can for the next steps. It's hard to watch, yet, it's amazing this woman as sick and weak as she is, doesn't want to burden anyone. I'm so going to miss her. 

Squiggs flew in from Bend and Tom and Cathy drove over from Ellensburg to visit for the day. It was wonderful they spent time together.

You all have been sending Aunt Pat lovely emails about your friendship. It means the world to her. The greatest gift of life is friendship and she has received it tenfold. 

Dr. Wong, her Primary Care Physician she only met once, did a house call today. It surprised Aunt Pat a doctor in the big city would take time out of his day to come by and check on her. He is another angel in our midst.

Laurie the Hospice Nurse is shocked Aunt Pat is not in any pain. Blockages usually cause severe discomfort. She ordered a pain pump and extra morphine for the long weekend ahead to administer as soon as she needs it. 



Aunt Pat cannot keep any food down. Laurie explained as soon as Aunt Pat stops taking liquids she will last between one to five days. As of now, she is sipping on a little water.

Still no sightings of Rudy. 


Betsy xo

Hospice Visits

May 19th

As many of you know, Hospice visited Aunt Pat today. Laurie the Hospice Nurse is truly amazing. She is kind and gentle and full of grace. She spoke to Aunt Pat about the process of ovarian cancer and what to expect.

It's grim news and Laurie delivered it with dignity and respect. The Hospice organization is amazing and I believe she is truly an angel.

Aunt Pat has a blockage which is why she keeps vomiting. There is a slim possibility it might 'unblock'. If it doesn't, the time is short.

She enjoys visitors. Her energy is waning and she naps a lot. She still loves talking with everyone, sharing stories and chatting on the phone.

Unfortunately, we still cannot find Rudy. The neighbors are looking for him. I hope he shows up soon. Aunt Pat misses him.

Betsy xo

Tuesday's News

May 19th

Aunt Pat is having a terrible time keeping food down. She continues to get weaker and walking is more of a challenge. 

The hunt for Rudy continues. No sightings of him yesterday or today. 

Betsy xo

Wrangling Rudy

Sunday, May 17th

I decided to write a blog to keep everyone near and far updated on Aunt Pat. Feel free to check back and I will update accordingly. It will make it easier as the email list is getting long. And please send this link to anyone who would enjoy being kept in the loop.

We moved Aunt Pat and her cat Rudy to Seattle on April 27th so we could provide the care she needed. She was in an Adult Family care home next to the Greek Orthodox Church in Montlake are of Seattle.

Aunt Pat has good days and bad days. Today is a good day. She has more energy and feels better than the previous two days. On Friday and Saturday she had a hard time keeping food down. She doesn’t feel nauseated. The food just comes up. Sometimes right after eating and sometimes after a few hours. 

Aunt Pat’s Birthday is this Friday, May 22nd. She will be 21 years old with 60 years experience!! If you have a moment, please drop her a birthday card. She lives for your cards, calls and emails. She is still very much the social butterfly.

Pat Friedland and Rudy

2132 Boyer Ave E

Seattle, WA 98112

Aunt Pat’s Cell - 503-739-0482

email - patfriedland@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who sent her a note. She shares all the beautiful cards she’s received. You all are very dear to her. And many thanks to the folks who are doing errands and chores in Cannon Beach and Seattle. I appreciate all the help from mailing packages to keeping her updated on the local news to providing her tech support and visits.

The big news is Rudy escaped on Saturday morning. While Aunt Pat was eating breakfast, her bedroom was vacuumed. Rudy got scared and left the room. The front door was left open and he escaped out of the house. I found him Saturday afternoon three doors down. When I approached, he ran under the porch of the house. I finally coaxed him close enough and grabbed him. When I was standing up, my keys fell out of my pocket. The sound of the keys hitting the ground freaked Rudy out and he sprang from my arms. Back under the porch he hid. 

I put Aunt Pat in her transport chair and wheeled her down to the neighbor’s side yard to talk Rudy into coming out. The neighbor Colleen came out wondering what we were doing. She has two cats and a corgi and she immediately jumped into action to help us catch Rudy. She put cat treats out and got close enough to collect Rudy in her grasp. But he wouldn’t have anything to do with it and sprang from her arms back under the porch. I wheeled Aunt Pat back home as she was getting cold and tired. Colleen and I spent another two hours trying to convince Rudy we were okay to no avail.

I drove to Lynnwood to rent a live animal trap. We secured him in a small area for the night and baited the trap with food. He escaped his enclosure and was on the loose again.

Backyard with the Greek Church's wall in the back ground. Rudy is hiding under the porch!

I searched for him Sunday morning and couldn’t find him. In the afternoon, he was spotted in Aunt Pat’s backyard! Her bedroom window looks into the backyard and she saw him run across it. Brooks and his nine year old daughter Skyler were visiting and found Rudy hiding under the back porch. This is great news! They moved the cat trap and baited it with food and water. 

Panoramic view of the backyard. 

I sat outside Aunt Pat's window this evening. The window is open so Aunt Pat can lay on her bed in her room and talk to me. I'm hoping Rudy can hear our voices and know he’s close to home. It’s good to know where he is. I'm confident we'll get him back.  

I’ll keep everyone posted. Any prayers, good thoughts, and/or positive vibes sent out to the universe would be most welcome. I know how much comfort and love Rudy provides for Aunt Pat. She is relieved he’s close and alive but anxious to get him back safe in her room. I can’t blame her.

Happy Norwegian Independence Day! Aunt Pat has been reminding me of this day. She thinks it’s funny. The Constitution of Norway was signed on May 17, 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway's devastating defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.

Many thanks!
Betsy xoxo

Chives from the garden.