Saturday....January 31st...2009

We have gotten flights to Oregon on Wednesday of next week....meaning Linda's oncologist session will have to be Thursday.....Super Bowl flights out made anything earlier impossible....we are happy with what we got.

We plan on packing over the next few days and visiting Florida friends...as well as wrapping up things like mail, newspapers, cars, etc., etc.....things we hadn't planned......

Linda's "The Secret... Daily Teachings" for the day, says "No matter where you are, no matter how difficult things appear to be, you are always being moved toward magnificence. Always "

Pictures following were from last night...pizza...Super Bowl activities downtown and hockey game. Linda was persistent that we all go..and she said it felt good to be among people.....she looks pretty good for feeling as she does......

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Friday....January 30th...2009

What a "zoo" the last two days have been...we still have not talked to the pulmonologist...blah...blah...blah. We are now in connection with our oncologist in Bend who has finally seen the report...after it was faxed to the wrong number...blah...blah...blah.

Short version....the cancer didn't go away...it is now in the right lung and in the lymph nodes under the arms....metastasized is the word.

What now....we have decided to go back to Central Oregon as soon as possible ....and get under the care from the people we know.

More later....Linda is doing well with this news...as well as one can expect.....she was sure she was going to beat it...now she knows she has another struggle.

11:45 pm Eastern Time...additional "stuff"......Linda has had conversations with her oncologist office in Bend....they will be ready to restart chemo on Wednesday....they have been most helpful. My task tonight is to get the flight arrangements in place and all......and everything "buttoned up" here in Florida. My brother being here till Thursday is very helpful.

Tomorrow we plan on some visits to say goodbye to friends here in Florida.

Tonight we had tickets to the hockey game and Linda wanted to go. she felt being out and among people was good therapy. It was actually crazy with the Super Bowl parties everywhere....streets everywhere were cordoned off and multitudes of people moved about. The hockey game sucked...worse one this season. Linda is now sleeping.

More later.....

Thursday....January 29th...2009

Today Linda had her scan.....the technician said it would be three days before the report was issued (which meant Monday) unless there was something serious....and in that case we would receive a call today....

5 pm came and no call so we started to breathe a sigh of relief ......and then later Linda noticed her phone had two call attempts from the doctor....one just before 5 and one at 6:30....she didn't have the phone close to get the calls....and there was no way to get back to the doctor.

So of course we are thinking the worse waiting for the office to open tomorrow....

Wednesday...January 28th...2009

Well, everyone is tied into the scan tomorrow...the oncologist in Bend, Oregon, the acupuncturist in Wesley Chapel, Florida and the Pulmonologist in Tampa, Florida. Hopefully the scan will provide information to the relief needed for Linda. Her appetite is down as well as her energy..she remains optimistic and upbeat....although a bit "battle worn".

Tuesday....January 27th...2008

Linda's scan is scheduled for Thursday in the morning...it will bring us a sigh of relief or scary news....we are hoping for the former....her cough and all have been progressively worse over time...so it is time to get to the bottom line...as our friend john says..."if you really want to know, get a scan"...we are.

John, by the way, went through 17 hours of surgery in Denver the other day..he was removed from ICU yesterday...can't talk yet because of the tracheotomy....but we are hoping for the best....he has been through a lot.

Brother Darron and Dave went to the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey game tonight (with Linda's blessing),,,and they won (!!!!!!!!) against a very difficult team!,,, the Montreal Canadians...Linda is to make Friday night's game with the Flyers.....

This Super Bowl week in Tampa with the game on Sunday...haven't seen any stars in town yet but there are plenty of them we have read....did see Jason Priestly at the Rolex last weekend if that counts.

Monday....Janaury 26th...2009

Linda talked with her pulmonologist today and left a message for her Oregon oncologist...she should talk to him tomorrow.....the pulmonologist is going to have a scan done this week....and provided more meds to still the cough. Linda has been experiencing stomach upset and nausea as well as tiredness...so the test is to get to the bottom of things.

Linda didn't go to the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona....brother Darron and Dave went....got home late Saturday night and watched the finish on TV Sunday.....missed Jim and Swee...frequent posters here....we looked hard for them.
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A picture from our Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game last week:
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Got some photos from the Rolex published on Autoracing1 website...here are some others:

Notice Ryan Hunter Reay in the first picture....knew him when he was a very young driver.....next...one of my favorites AJ Allmendinger who is now in NASCAR.... and then Jimmy Vasser...my all time favorite driver from CART and Champ Car...now a car owner in the IRL....lastly.....getting dark....

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Friday....January 23rd...2009

We had to comment on the inaugural day activities.....we too were wanting to watch it all...and were gone from the house..so we saved it on our Dish TV DVR....a hard drive recording drive we use all the time...for years...to save our favorite programs when we are gone or want to avoid commercials....long story short...or Dish TV Receiver...DVR crashed as we started to watch the inargurals....dead...dead...dead....what a time to die!

Dish TV has another one in the mail....but we not only lost all the "moment in history" inaugurals but all our favorite concerts saved...and worst of all, Linda's last 7 "Days of Our Lives" she had yet to watch (this is the most deadly thing to have happened!).

Anyway, we have "moved on"...we saw snippets on the news....we, most seriously, are very hopeful for a new world....and now a better one. It has been an ugly 8 years.

Brother Darron is playing golf every day...it has been very cold for three days with freezing at night...the tropical plants cannot take it and there will be great losses.

Linda is a trooper....she is weathering the pain and is moving on through whatever each day brings....she is resting more....and sleeping in each day....I'm keeping an eye on her...but not sure what to do...it seems we will have to wait until the pulmonologist appointment in a month and keep the acupuncture sessions going each week. We've read all we can about pleurisy.....it seems the radiation might be the culprit and as the oncologist said..she might have to live with it.....

Tuesday.....January 20th....2009

Brother Darron is here...to play golf...to visit...and play golf...

The weather here is going cold...some of the coldest in years...for two days ..then warming up again.

Linda is experiencing much pain...pleuritic in nature..we are beginning to believe this is all about pleurisy....today her visit to the acupuncture doctor provided a short term relief....

Friday.....January 16th...2008

Miss Cheryl just left...now we are back to our "do very little" routine for a day or two....she and Linda and I had a great time....

We went to Busch Gardens yesterday.....I took pictures while the ladies rode the roller coasters....Linda was in pretty good form and held up for a day of a lot of walking and rides and all. Today she is back hacking again....

The pictures...please be aware these are the "big ones"....the really big roller coasters....too big for me....

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PS...New rule for the BLOG...anyone thinking they are "over posting" and therefore "withhold posting" will have to "double post' to make up for the "withholds"! We make this stuff up as we go along!

Tuesday...January 14th...2008

Today was "medical day".....

Linda got to see the pulmonologist....short version....he saw it as bronchitis....HUH?....we thought we'd be going somewhere NEW!.....8 weeks.!...two programs of steroids!....3 different types of antibiotics!...and where did we go?....a new antibiotic and back on steroids!!!!!!!! The difference this time is he gave her a big prescription of a cough medication....saying she shouldn't cough....the internist wanted her to cough.....not coughing will ease the pains from persistent coughing and the throwing up....that part we liked.

He wants to let her go for 6 weeks and then have an XRay and a reexamination...he assured her she WOULD feel better shortly...we shall see!

Linda also did her acupuncture session..and has another scheduled for next week.....she really wants to get back to where she was a few weeks ago.....where we were walking 4 miles per day and she felt healthy....

Tomorrow Miss Cheryl of Linda's Journey Blog fame comes to visit for a couple of days....think of it....write enough times in this blog and you get a free visit.....many of you have qualified already....so anytime you want to show up....feel free.

Monday.....January 12th....2008

We have a doctor!

What's the big deal? Have you ever tried to find doctors in a"foreign" land? OK, Florida isn't too "foreign" but it felt like it trying to get a doctor...particularly a pulmonologist....

The problem...first...most don't work a full week...so scheduling patients is a chore. We finally had our Oregon doctors fax referrals...so 10 am Linda has an appointment...not too soon as this is really "getting her down"...who blames her after 8 weeks of this c-r-a-p....and what is going on inside that respiratory system.

Sunday...January 11th...2008

Last warm, sunny day for a couple of days or more....tomorrow we start on our "landscaping expansion project".

Linda has been experiencing some depression because of the coughing and sore left arm....she is uncertain at what is going on...the doctors said it wasn't cancer...and...and...but it doesn't seem to have an end...or is this something forever....anyway, tomorrow she is going to continue her focus on getting a visit to a pulmonologist to get to the bottom of things....

Linda also has had a loss of appetite...which might lead to some depression...she thinks maybe it is all the antibiotics and effect on the digestive bacteria...so she is going to get some "bacteria" and eat more yogurt to help....

Thanks for the notes in the comments section....they give her a lift....glad to see folks like "little sis" back ...as well as the new comments....

Our dear friend John, from Denver is facing some very difficult obstacles...he had cancer in the sinus below his left eye...and with hours and hours of multiple surgeries through his mouth, he thought the cancer was gone....it was but a new tumor has come about and he faces 14-16 hours of surgery on the 19th, including the removal of his left eye. He is upbeat about things but I ask that you all take a moment on the 19th and think of John and send him good energy...it works...we are on your team John!

Thursday...January 8th...2008

Growl...grumble...grumble...

We made it to sunny, warm Florida....except...hours and hours after we were supposed to. Continental Airlines didn't have a crew for our flight out of Oregon (weather related they said....have you ever noticed, everything is "weather related" so they don't have to owe you anything?????????). So after a few hours, we flew out and of course missed our transfer in Houston...and of course it was their "low volume" day so they only had one more flight to Tampa...and of course it was hours later...

They are now on my "no fly" list.....

Anyway, we are here..in a cold snap....which means it is very sunny and only 69.3 degrees.....poor us!!!!

Linda went to the acupuncturist this am...very sore from her "Oregon timeout"...hopefully she will get back on track feeling better....we are going to look for a pulmonologist tomorrow.

Tuesday Late...January 6th...2008

Tonight...11:55 PM..we fly to Florida...Linda is doing ok...

Big news!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is Miss Jillian's 11th Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Sunday....January 4th...2008

Snowing again in Portland..should rain in the night and all will be gone....school tomorrow...as no school for the last three weeks. Linda is calling her internist tomorrow as no change in her coughing and phloem after this last round of antibiotics...this is the third set of antibiotics.

We went to a professional lacrosse game last night...the Portland Lumberjaxs....somewhat like hockey.

Some Christmas pictures, etc.:

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Little Miss Taigen got to be the Christmas elf....

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A white Christmas in Central Oregon....

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Linda and Miss Jillian share some Christmas cheer...

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A special night at Costco for dinner!...

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Lacrosse...

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Mrs. Wood is about "holiday" worn out......

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Friday....January 2nd...2008

ALRIGHT!!!!! Two more couples reading the BLOG and leaving comments after all this time...Linda loves them and loves you also for adding to her "team"!!!!!! Keep it up.....also, I am slowly collecting all the posts with comments and plan on publishing all as a book some day..it can be done through companies on the Internet quite easily.....so if you leave a comment, you are in the book too!!!!! Let's get more of you "lurking in the weeds"....leave comments.

We were set to call Claudia tomorrow for a visit...oooopppppsss...we think she is over in Central Oregon where we just left. Today was a great day....we had lunch with super race and Jimmy Vasser fans Jim and Nancy and Gene....great group of folks....and racing friend Cheryl will be in Florida visiting us in a few days...as our friend Ernie D. used to say as he sold condos in Florida..."IT DON"T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Today was a trip to the Verizon store to learn how to use my new Blackberry Storm...which Linda refers to as my "boy toy"....of course I was helped by a very young "cutie patutie" who was a wizard at operating the new phone and taught an old man a thing or two.

Linda tired a bit at the end of a long day as we took grand daughter Jillian to a wonderful dinner at Costco (OK, we are cheap!...but we also like the ice cream and pizzas).


Nancy and Jim...Jimmy Vasser race fans......
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Friday....January 2nd....1:38 am....2009

Mrs. Wood had a coughing spell..she's asleep again and I'm wide awake.....

We are in the "valley"...IE. the west side of the mountains....and "yes" it's doing what the west side does...rain...rain...rain.

Linda's seeing friends and family....I think it does her good....straightens her spirit wise and all. Today we have lunch with a couple of die hard race fans who have tracked us down....good people...tonight hopefully a Trailblazer game if EBAY comes though at 6:43 am today.

We also have Miss Jillian, number 1 granddaughter sometime today....