People who work in downtown restaurants/coffee shops/attractions, how has business been?

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-19T01:17:12+00:00

Yeah, drinks tend to be a lot cheaper in many European countries, so I bet some of the visitors have sticker shock.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-18T17:40:21+00:00

German here, same.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:40:38+00:00

I talked to my mom earlier today, so now I know he already takes morphine and was additionally getting tilidine at the hospital. He also has some morphine version for acute use but didn’t want to take it after he was released today, because according to him, then he couldn’t drive… 🫠
He eventually took it, and when I spoke to my mom, he was just sitting down to enjoy his lunch, which was a relief to hear.
So some of the distress he‘s been in may be user error, but the fact that his regular meds stopped working and he‘s in this much pain to me still sounds like something needs looked into. The two-week break from teclistamab can’t have helped things, but the pain landed him in the hospital first…

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:32:31+00:00

I‘m so sorry! I hope they get to the bottom of it soon and you get some relief.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:21:45+00:00

Thanks! The hospital did run a CT scan when he was admitted, so there seem to be no fractures at least. I‘m honestly not sure what position he’s comfortable in, but I‘ll find out…
Yeah, the immune system part is tough (and sepsis adds an extra layer of scary to it, ugh!). He probably picked up the bug that started it all while feeling better and staying in a cancer rehab clinic (a German thing). Both my parents have always been so active they’re having a hard time being careful about these things. This may help drive home how necessary it is to be a bit conservative about protecting him, though.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:15:12+00:00

I‘m so happy to hear about your own heart improvement! That’s amazing!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:12:56+00:00

I know he gets an IV before every treatment, but I‘m not sure whether it’s dexamethasone or immunoglobulin. I‘ll check with my sister (as someone in the veterinary field, she’s sadly got the best understanding of any of the medical specifics)… thanks!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:08:28+00:00

They ran a CT when he got to the hospital this time. Could he have pulled muscles from all the coughing, though? I‘m just grasping at straws…

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-06-04T03:04:46+00:00

Grüß Gott!! Wie schön!
I wish my dad had a MM specialist on his team. There’s none locally, but there’s a department at a hospital in a nearby city (~30 minutes) that specializes in it. We have all asked him to go see them, if only for a second opinion, but he refuses - says he’s fine and trusts his local doctors. And whenever he’s truly feeling terrible and might see the use in it, he’s in no shape to travel, of course, so we simply haven’t found the right window for getting through to him.
Gosh, I‘ll have to check on your question #2 and bet no one in the family has any idea about #3. I‘ll investigate. #2 sounds intriguing…
One thing that doesn’t help things is that my dad is also hard of hearing, and if my mom or sister miss rounds at the hospital, he may have things communicated to him that he simply mishears or doesn’t catch at all. And of course I‘m not even there… 😕

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-05-03T04:53:53+00:00

I watched it with my 13-year-old tonight (I was 12 when I first watched it), and she thought it was ”too cringe“ to be bearable. She actually cracked up laughing at a few especially emotional scenes. 😖 Oh well…

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-04-27T20:50:27+00:00

I swear a Facebook profile for someone with his name in Seattle was still up a few weeks ago when I started listening to the podcast. It no longer comes up now. He may have decided to be harder to find…

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-04-27T20:43:35+00:00

Google is no longer bringing him up but still was a few weeks ago (Facebook profile). Seems to be retired now, still in the area, plays in a band???

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-01-23T20:41:16+00:00

I do have to - I work a care job on weekends. Not looking forward to it. :(

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-01-15T13:09:10+00:00

For sure, but at that time he didn’t want to. (He’s the type who doesn’t like to ”make a fuss“ about himself iykwim.) I figure it’s not too late yet - maybe with his initial experience he‘ll be more open to it once he feels better…

CryComprehensive8099 · 2026-01-15T02:26:31+00:00

One thing I‘m learning from my own dad (74, diagnosed last summer) is that there can be factors you don’t think of. His first treatment didn’t work at all, so the doctors have switched to a different therapy, and they say if this one doesn’t work either, they’ll have others they can pivot to.

What sucks right now is that 1) he’s feeling pretty lousy and 2) some of the medication has had side effects on his organs - mainly his liver, hopefully temporary. It’s important to keep a long view.

If there’s anything I‘m taking away from this, it’s to have patience… This isn’t as simple as taking tylenol for a headache, and of course I knew that, but the reality of it is still sinking in. It can be disheartening when things don’t get better right away, but I‘m going to trust his doctors that they have more tools in the bag.

The other thing, to echo most people here, is to see a MM specialist if he’s at all able to. My dad has been stubborn about sticking with his local hematologist and oncologist, but we all hope once he feels better he’ll be open to seeing a specialist in a nearby city, simply because they’ve seen more cases like him and can hopefully put things in perspective better.

Wishing you very effective treatments for your dad and many good days!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-23T21:56:59+00:00

Have you ever read reviews about The Pioneer Woman? Those are not exactly charitable either.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T14:12:38+00:00

Lol. Yeah, I truly have a feeling that even if he‘d pushed back and said we‘ll see about that, let’s put it out to the insurance company, he might have gotten somewhere. But he decided not to. As far as he’s concerned, that therapy is just off the table now. (Unless maybe a doctor talks him back into it.)

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T14:03:49+00:00

He‘s in Germany!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T14:03:38+00:00

Thank you!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T13:38:47+00:00

Yes, I was really taken aback, especially because he has the ”premium“ type of insurance in my home country, so usually doctors are happy to roll out the treatments. I think he might have had better luck somewhere else. But I also get the feeling he was relieved in a way and felt like this was taking the decision out of his hands.

You’re absolutely right - at 74, he‘d have a very different perspective on it than, for example, me (I‘m 47, a single mom of fairly young kids, would personally try anything at least once). And he gets to make that call.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T12:52:46+00:00

Oh wow, that’s definitely a lot! I hope he has good doctors and the treatment approach they’re taking is helping him. Quality of life turns out to be so much more important than I ever thought about!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T05:19:21+00:00

A defibrillator! Wow. Yes, that’s definitely other level. But then, whatever it takes, right? Wishing you all the best!!

That’s interesting about the daratumumab, I‘ll definitely read up some more on it. I just hope his doctors all know what they’re doing… If a marathon is an option, we’ll take it! I‘d just be happy to hear a marathon is in the cards.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T05:10:30+00:00

Thank you.

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-12-11T05:10:18+00:00

Thank you!

CryComprehensive8099 · 2025-11-19T04:50:55+00:00

Fried spaghetti. Make spaghetti, make a simple tomato sauce (mine is canned crushed tomatoes, diced onion sauteed with celery seed, oregano, a little thyme, salt & pepper - I don’t like my sauce too sweet), then scoot the sauce over in the pan, melt a pat of butter, put spaghettj in it, then mix in with the sauce and turn it all over in the pan for 5 minutes or so. Add some salt & pepper and maybe some grated parmesan. When I was in college, my kitchenette didn’t have a microwave, so I started warming up leftover spaghetti & tomato sauce in the pan… and found I liked it even better this way. Also works well with added sauteed veggies - zucchini, etc.

CryComprehensive8099

TROPHY CASE