Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tuesday...March 20th...2010

"Everything is possible to the extent that you are certain"......Don Denhoff

Sunny and warm today....tomorrow is better....the next day is better and so on...finally spring is here in Florida.

Linda is doing ok....struggling with the shingles still.....she consulted with her Oregon Internist...who put her on steroids...and today Linda found it is the same steroid in the same amount she has been taking for other things...DUH...who knows the answer.

Linda seems to be weathering the chemo better this week although she is quite fatigued....Thursday is blood test day so we will see if she needs hydrating.

Linda is eating pretty good...finding the way to beef up some food choices to "up the calories"

Tomorrow....more "sun time" and paperwork/computerwork....

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sunday....March 28th....2010

Today was/is a "low" day...Linda and Dave feel not at their best...seems to be a continuation of whatever "hangs on forever"...we look to a more healthful day tomorrow.

No NASCAR today....rain

No St. Petes Grand Prix today....rain

No activities at our home today....rain

Linda's Uncle Ross passed away last week....Representative in Nebraska.....Lieutenant Governor in Nebraska...and the list goes on....there is a rumor.....according to Linda..who has always believed this...that he invented the string in the roll of lifesavers.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Saturday....March 27th ....2010

I heard the other day that Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund, passed away the beginning of the month, from lung Cancer. News doesn't always reach our home in Florida. I was sad to hear of it for many reasons including Linda being in stage 4 of lung cancer.

What I wanted to say though was that he was a champion for the people...when I worked for the Oregon Eduction Association, and he ran as a legislative candidate from my area, the OEA opposed him and went "after him"...he won, in spite of it all and didn't hold it against us...and became a good friend of education.

When I served on the Education Service District Board of Directors after retirement, I had further contacts with Ben and found him still a good public policy supporter..not always worrying about the votes or the money but rather what was right...how refreshing....

He had a short run for governor...he would have made an excellent Governor for the State of Oregon....putting the people ahead of politics.

He was the only politician who started as a Republican..became an Independent and then a Democrat....and "lived to talk about it".

He will be missed....I quote from a statement his wife said in an interview with the Oregonian newspaper in 1996 ( Libby was on the Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol with me for years):

In an interview with Libby, while sitting in the living room of her home in the countryside near Bend.

"I would like him being remembered as someone who cares for everybody else and worked his little fanny off to make sure we all have a good life....We do have a really nice place here, but he wants everybody to go home at night and be happy where they are."

Rest in peace Ben.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Friday....March 26th....20210

"A gift found...a gift given...a gift lived...pass it on"....Dave Reider
.
A warm and sunney day today...
.
Linda was pretty upbeat today after the hydration yesterday.....

We went to dinner before the Arena Football game tonight....the football game as ok...but not as exciting as we might have thought...so we left at half time and had dessert...before returning home. Oh well...we had to try it to see...
.
Tomorrow "sun time" and then an evening with friends...
.
.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Thursday.....March 25th...2010

"Good health is better than wealth"....Doug Merchant

Linda went in for her tests today...her numbers have lowered but still within the limits...no alarms sounded yet.....they did infuse her with hydration today and added potassium....and she felt better...not so tired and fatigued.

We then went to St. Petes to see old friends in for the St. Petes Grand Prix....a race event this weekend.....an Indy Racing League (IRL) race....the racing series our former Champ Car merged with ....putting many many good people out of work. The good news is that many have ultimately found jobs within the IRL....although it has taken a lot of time for some...

So we were able visit with some today...and it was wonderful....Champ Car was/is referred to many times as a "family"...and we feel that closeness to those who were part of that series and members of the "family".

Linda was pushed around in the wheel chair by her caregiver and held up well....and really enjoyed those she connected with.

Tomorrow ....rest....rest....and then arena football....the Tampa Bay Storm.....keep Linda active without wearing her out...she has drawn the line at going to a baseball game next week...the Tampa Bay Rays....she has always hated baseball (she split up with a baseball team owner who wanted to marry her because she hated baseball...lucky me...who stood next in line)..
.
.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wednesday...March 24th...2010

The Lightning won in overtime last night....glad we were there....Linda was in the wheelchair which saved her a lot of energy...she also withheld from shouting and screaming and...and...which she is prone to do .....to save energy.
.
Today Linda woke up with a blood pressure reading of 84 over 61.... ouch ....water ...water ....water. By the end of the day it increased to 97 over 67. We believe it is the cumulative effect of the chemo Alimta. More than likely tomorrow she will do infusion of hydration in addition to the blood tests.

Linda's problem is not immunity..er white blood counts are good...it is the red blood cell production which is down...so it's not about avoiding crowds ...or...or. It is getting the volume of blood to increase...anemia is the key word.
.
.


Sunday, March 21, 2010

Sunday...March 21st...2010

Swee and Jim came to visit tonight after being involved in the 12hours of Sebring ALMS race...it was good to see them after being with them when we were working with open wheel racing through Champ Car/CART. And Swee is a frequent blogger and supporter of Linda..on and off this blog. We had a delightful dinner and conversation with them and look forward to seeing them again.

Linda did well today....folks are saying she really looks good.

It rained all day after a beautiful day yesterday....tomorrow we have a lot of "book work" to catch up on..
.

Sunday....March 21st....2010

Actually I'm not "battling" cancer.....(Dana Jennings is a writer for the NY Times..he has been blogging about having postate cancer......
.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/author/dana-jennings/
.
Taking time to read his thoughts provides great insights for the cancer patient and all those surrounding him/her.
.



We’re all familiar with sentences like this one: Mr. Smith died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. We think we know what it means, but we read it and hear it so often that it carries little weight, bears no meaning. It’s one of the clichés of cancer.

It is easy shorthand. But it says more about the writer or speaker than it does about the deceased. We like to say that people “fight” cancer because we wrestle fearfully with the notion of ever having the disease. We have turned cancer into one of our modern devils.

But after staggering through prostate cancer and its treatment — surgery, radiation and hormone therapy — the words “fight” and “battle” make me cringe and bristle.
I sometimes think of cancer as a long and difficult journey, a quest out of Tolkien, or a dark waltz — but never a battle. How can it be a battle when we patients are the actual battleground? We are caught in the middle, between our doctors and their potential tools of healing and the cell-devouring horde.

We become a wasteland, at once infested by the black dust of cancer and damaged by the “friendly fire” of treatment. And ordinary language falls far short of explaining that keen sense of oblivion.

As a patient, it’s hard to articulate how being seriously ill feels. In a profound way, we are boiled down to our essential animal selves. We crave survival. We long for pain to end, for ice chips on parched lips, for the brush of a soft hand.

It pays to have a positive outlook, I think, but that in no way translates to “fighting” cancer. Cancer simply is. You can deny its presence in your body, cower at the thought or boldly state that you’re going to whup it. But the cancer does not care. You’re here, the cancer has arrived, and the disease is going to feed until your doctors destroy it or, at least, discourage it.

Then there’s the matter of bravery. We call cancer patients “brave,” perhaps, because the very word cancer makes most of us tremble in fear. But there is nothing brave about showing up for surgery or radiation sessions. Is a tree brave for still standing after its leaves shrivel and fall? Bravery entails choice, and most patients have very little choice but to undergo treatment.

Which brings me to “victim.” I didn’t feel like a victim when I learned that I had cancer. Sure, I felt unlucky and sad and angry, but not like a victim. And I have no patience for the modern cult of victimology.

Victim implies an assailant, and there is no malice or intent with cancer. Some cells in my body mutinied, and I became a host organism — all of it completely organic and natural.

And what are we once treatment ends? Are we survivors? I don’t feel much like a survivor in the traditional (or even reality TV) sense. I didn’t crawl from a burning building or come home whole from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

I’m just trying to lead a positive postcancer life, grateful that my surging Stage 3 cancer has been turned aside, pleased that I can realistically think about the future. I’m trying to complete the metamorphosis from brittle husk to being just me again.

The phrase “salvage radiation” is not used much anymore, but when one doctor said it in reference to my treatment, it made me feel less human and more like a “case.” It meant I needed radiation after surgery, because the cancer was more aggressive than expected — I needed to be “salvaged.”

I felt as if I had been plopped into some screwy sequel to “Raise the Titanic!” — time to raise the U.S.S. Jennings, lads. Or maybe I was going to get picked up by a scrap-metal truck and then get zapped at Frank’s Junkyard, laid out in the back seat of a 1960 Ford Fairlane.

And I’m still troubled by this sentence, which I’ve heard many times: “Well, at least it’s a good cancer.” It’s usually applied to cancers that are considered highly treatable, like those of the prostate and thyroid.

Most people mean well, but the idea of a good cancer makes no sense. At best, the words break meaninglessly over the patient. There are no good cancers, just as there are no good wars, no good earthquakes.

Words can just be inadequate. And as we stumble and trip toward trying to say the right and true thing, we often reach for the nearest rotted-out cliché for support. Better to say nothing, and offer the gift of your presence, than to utter bankrupt bromides.

Silences make us squirm. But when I was sickest, most numbed by my treatment, it was more than healing to bask in a friend’s compassionate silence, to receive and give a hug, to be sustained by a genuine smile.

Strangely enough, although cancer threatened my life it also exalted it, brought with it a bright and terrible clarity.

So, no, cancer isn’t a battle, a fight. It’s simply life — life raised to a higher power.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Saturday....March 20th...2010

Linda here reporting a beautiful sunny day visiting with friends at the pool, and dinner out which we hadn't done in a while. I had a rare appetite which was great to experience. I get tired of forcing myself to eat which is usually what I have to do. The chemo just kills my appetite (not to say I've ever had a big one).

We're looking forward to a visit from Jim and Swee Hart tomorrow who are down in Florida for the Sebring race. We haven't seen them since our racing days, and I'm sure you all recognize them for their frequent blogging. They are two of my biggest supporters.

Love and gratitude.....Linda

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Thursday.....March 18th...2010

I spotted this article today...it reflects a lot of my thinking and wonderment lately with cancer all around me (so it seems)....the article creates a debate...I've included some accompaning comments afterwards...I post this for thoughts..

Cancer is a preventable disease....So why don’t we prevent it?

Cancer is perhaps the most frightening of all diseases we face. And the thing is, it's very often entirely preventable. If we simply made some different decisions, earlier, many cancers would never happen. That sounds like an audacious statement. Cancer after all, comes "out of the blue" -- we report that it happened "suddenly," that it came "without warning." It is the proverbial bolt of lightning that changes our lives all in one strike. How could we prevent lightning?

But in fact, a newly emerging consensus holds that 90 percent of cancers are rooted in environmental or behavioral causes. That means we have a much larger window for rooting out cancer early -- and what's more, a much wider opportunity to head it off before it ever comes close. The lever for opportunity, though, is us -- we need to act.

When you think about it, that makes absolute sense. Consider smoking, which remains the leading cause of cancer in the US. If every smoker quit right now, today, it'd reduce the number of deaths by 440,000, and the number of cancer cases by about 200,000.
Presto! You've just prevented cancer in 25 to 30 percent of the cases in this country. (Of course that's just a pipe dream, so to speak, but you get the idea.)

And there are more examples. Look at the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths: colon cancer. Simple screening strategies such as colonoscopies and fecal blood tests already turn up nearly 150,000 cases of colon cancers early. Greater diligence could turn up tens of thousands more cases. This is preventive medicine in action, saving thousands of lives. Same thing with cervical cancer, where another easy test -- the Pap smear -- has saved thousands of lives.
Of course, screening tests aren't a panacea. Recent news on PSA tests for prostate cancer and mammography for breast cancer demonstrates that screening is only effective when it's deployed judiciously and selectively.

But preventing cancer doesn't always mean taking a test. It can mean much simpler things: like changing our diet. In fact, a brilliant 2008 paper from researchers at the esteemed M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston simply and clearly explains how 30 to 35 percent of all cancer-related deaths are linked to diet (even more than are related to smoking). This includes alcohol consumption, which has been linked to many forms of cancer. And the researchers explain, preventing cancer can mean other seemingly simple actions, like getting less sun. That alone would dramatically cut down on melanoma, the most common form of cancer, with nearly a million cases a year. As many as 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will develop a skin cancer, nearly all of whom could have avoided it had they stayed out of the sun more frequently.

And yes, other environmental factors play a role as well -- exposures to chemicals and radiation are estimated to cause as many as 15 cases of cancer deaths. Reducing the amount of chemicals we're exposed to, and reducing the frequency of radiation we're dosed with via CT scans and other radiography, could significantly decrease many cancers.

But what about genetics? What about the cancers that are directly attributable to our DNA? Well, that's less than 10 percent of cases. That's not to say our genes don't increase our risks for many forms of cancer, but cancers that are essentially caused by genetic factors are few and far between. In most cases, it's the interplay between genes and environment and behavior -- leaving us all sorts of room for evasive action.

As the M.D. Anderson researchers put it: "Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes....Genes are absolutely not our fate."

So what to make of this? On the one hand, practically speaking, few of us are going to upend our lives and make major lifestyle changes. Are we really going to radically change our diets (no meat, no wine)? Are we really going to swath on sunscreen every time we step outside?

Probably not. But on the other hand, this evidence shows that we have all sorts of opportunities in our lives to act -- that we are agents in our lives, not passive actors. We have some control. Our actions have consequences -- and conversely, that means we can also take action.

The truth about cancer is that it's something we have some influence over. But in order to take advantage of that fact, we'll need to act far earlier than we do today. We need to be thinking of the long-term ramifications of our actions.

In many respects, this news should be a source of empowerment. It should gird us for action. It should steel us to take on cancer like we've taken on heart disease -- the number one killer in the US (cancer is the steady number two). After all, we already talk about heart disease in terms of risk, and reducing risk. We take huge amounts of baby aspirin and statins in order to reduce that risk. And it's worked: deaths from heart disease have dropped steeply over the last few decades.

But for some reason, when faced with the same options for cancer, we don't really do much of anything. We don't treat cancer like a preventable disease. And as a result, cancer deaths have stayed pretty much flat. Screening rates are typically low, and effective treatments for prevention are underused. A recent study looked at the drug tamoxofin -- a drug that's proven to cut the risk of breast cancer in half for women at high risk. Alarmingly, though, the study found that an "exceptionally low" number of eligible women actually took the drug. For whatever reason, they weren't compelled to make the smart choice, a choice that could save their lives.

We need to change the way we think about cancer, and we need to change the way we talk about cancer. For too long the conversation -- among scientists, politicians, and the media -- has focused on the idea of a "war" on the disease, spending billions of dollars to find a cure (which, in case you haven't heard, we still don't have). It's been all about end-stage treatments and too little about preventive action.

We need to talk about cancer like we do heart disease. Dr. David Casserett wrote on HuffPost Living recently about how we talk about cancer in the wrong way. We need to change the dialogue. We need to make a few things clear about this disease. We all have a risk. But we can all, likewise, take actions that reduce our risk.

The war on cancer begins at home -- your home and mine.

Thomas Goetz is the executive editor at Wired Magazine and author of the new book The Decision Tree: Taking Control of Our Health In the New Era of Personalized Medicine

Some Comments....

*The title should be, "SOME Cancers are Preventable" or maybe even "A Significant Portion of Cancers are Preventable"

*As a cancer researcher, I agree that many are preventable and you did a very nice job outlining ways we can reduce our risk of cancer.

However the title as it stands may be interpreted as offensive, because it implies that all cancers are preventable.I don't read it that way, that you are at fault if you get cancer. I read it like this: there are ways to take care of yourself so that your chances of cancer greatly decrease. But then there's environment and genes. So even if you take care of yourself perfectly well, the environment in which we live or the gene pool you inherit can still come together to trump the good stuff.

*There is more to living than trying not to die.

*60% of all those newly diagnosed with lung cancer lung cancer NEVER smoked, or quit multiple DECADES ago. The second leading cause is RADON. And guess what? You breathe it everyday.

*Of course not all cancers can be prevented through lifestyle measures; some 15% are due to heredity, 5% to workplace carcinogens and 2% to pollution - things we can't do much about. However, a whopping 30-40% of cancers are linked to poor dietary habits and another 30% to smoking - that's 60-70% of cancers that could be averted.

*Thomas Goetz, the author of the post, chiming in here. I want to address something a few commenters are saying, assuming that I am somehow blaming people who have been diagnosed with cancer for their illness, or that I am saying that if people had done things differently, then we wouldn't have cancer. Neither is close to the case. Individuals who have been diagnosed aren't to blame; they are dealing with something real and serious and need all of our support.

Rather, my point is that our approach as a society - from our doctors and insurers to researchers - puts too much emphasis on stopping cancer after it's already happened, and fails to take advantage of this window of opportunity to reduce the overall number of cancers through greater emphasis on prevention and early detection.

To say that we have some influence in our health isn't to blame people for what happens. It's to say that health isn't just fate; it's something that happens for all sorts of reasons - some of which we actually have some influence over. The more we can take advantage of that influence, the more likely we'll have better health. Not perfect health; something will always happen to each of us. But better health.

This won't eliminate all cancers (obviously), but it could move the needle towards fewer cases - a needle that has scarcely budged since the "war on cancer" was declared.

Thursday.....March 18th....2010

I'm back in the infusion room for my chemo, so thought I'd let you know what this doctor said. I am glad now that Dr. Kornfeld left me a message, as that way Dave was able to read it and Dr Weaver listened to it. He says there is always a percentage discrepancy from one scan to the other, sometimes just depending on the radiologist reading it. As long as there isn't a difference in the tumor of 10 to 15% one way or the other, they will stick to the regimen.

We can't afford to be switching chemos and drugs when there or so few options left open to me. I don't want to run out while I'm doing so good. Anyway, I'm ecstatic with the "stable" news, and am glad you are all out there celebrating with me. I believe your love and prayers are the reason I am doing so well, so I am celebrating you, also. HIP-HIP-HOORAY for you!

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes. I ran out of space to display all the cards. All the love really lifted my spirits, and I had one of my best days in a long time.

Love and gratitude...........Linda..
.
ps...Dave's sense of humor:
.
.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Wednesday.....March 17th...2010

Seven days without laughter makes one weak......Mort Walker

Well, the news is good news.....as far as the Oncologist in Oregon is concerned.

Linda was "glued to her phone" this evening....we had friends over for a movie and the phone kept ringing with people wanting to know the scan results....and she hadn't had any news. When it came, the phone didn't ring...or...or...anyway there was a message from the Oncologist, saying:

It was a bit like comparing apples to oranges because the technician didn't compare the scan to past CT scans...even though he had them.....but the Oncologist, in reading past results and the new findings said he thought things were "stable" and he recommended continuing on the same therapy....he said he thought this was good news.

Tomorrow Linda is scheduled for an infusion session and it will be interesting to see what the Florida Oncologist says..he took the day off today so we will talk with him tomorrow .

Why is this good news?

Drugs used for a stage 4 cancer are not "good forever"......the cancer finds a way to "work around" the drug or chemo...then the Oncologist has to move to a different drug or chemo....Linda has been through some already and then has had to move to a different type when the cancer started to progress (spread as well as increased tumor size). The longer one can stay on a type of drug or chemo...the better...and Linda has been on Alimta for quite a while....and this is good.

Will she get "better"...not unless there is a new "miracle" drug out there......anything that keeps the cancer and/or its spread "stable" is a "win" and clearly the Oncologist report is a "win". Can we hope for this forever....yes .....but it will change.....when.....who knows.....later than sooner we hope....

For now we live with the positive....

A review:

What Is ALIMTA?

The scientific (or generic) name for ALIMTA is pemetrexed (for injection). ALIMTA is a chemotherapy drug used to treat certain kinds of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) called advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. When discussing NSCLC, "nonsquamous" includes adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and all other cell types except squamous cell.

Chemotherapy consists of treatment with one or more anticancer drugs that kill cancer cells. ALIMTA works by interfering with a crucial process that allows cancer cells to reproduce and spread. Specifically, ALIMTA works by inhibiting the action of 3 enzymes that are required to help the cancer grow.

Bottom line....it is a chemo that messes with the cancers' ability to reproduce and multiply ...the cancer is still there...it doesn't disappear..... but it is "held in check"....ie "stable"......and that is what the Doctors hope for.....

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tuesday...March 16th...2010

I know it's 1m on Wednesday (Florida Time) but my list of things to do is long so I'm still counting this as Tuesday....!!!!!.....

Nobody knows the age of the human race but everyone agrees that it is old enough to know better...Anonymous

Linda's test results didn't come today....we checked this evening with the Oncologist office in Oregon and no fax yet..so we are hopeful it will come tomorrow...we are particularly interested in hearing from the Oncologist from Oregon as to what he thinks before we move forward here in Florida....

Linda went to the hockey game tonight..first one since the surgery and all..she went in with good energy but tired quickly by the third session....so we are skipping Thursday night..maybe we will go Saturday night...she will assess things in the morning to figure out if she will be "up" for Saturday.....ps....we lost tonight 2 to 1.....we keep backing away from that last playoff spot..it is starting to look like an uphill climb....

Stepbrother Mick called tonight...Dave's Stepmom is home from the hospital....the radiation is done on the brain...she takes 21 medications a day.....she is very happy to be in her home...as we would expect....Mick had to "move in" to take care of her.....


Monday, March 15, 2010

Monday.....March 15th....2010

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change .... Wayne Dyer

Dave was settling in for the night...peaceful....resting....breathing easy....and then....

Did you do the blog tonight?......nope

Did you read the birthday card son Jim sent me? .....nope

So here I am doing the blog at almost midnight after reading Linda's cards that came today....

Linda's scan went as expected today..about three hours....with three needle insertions before they got it right to put in the nuclear material for the scan...Linda having forgotten to get her port accessed before she came in......we should know the results as early as tomorrow night...but with the results going to the doctors it might be another day or two....the results are going to the Florida and Oregon Oncologists...who will most likely brainstorm if "next steps" are needed.

Dave went to the doctor and got meds to deal with the upper respiratory infection...including antibiotics....an inhaler and something that squirts up the nose to break up the stuff clogging the sineses and tubes to the ears.....he feels better.....

Hockey tomorrow night....going with my bride!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Sunday...March 14th...2010

Sunday....Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity....it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.....William Faulkner

The 64 old mature woman had a good day today...Dave was under the weather with the 3 week plus upper respiratory infection again...

Linda has a good attitude and is watching her water intake and all which solves a lot of problems and prevents problems also. Her Oncologist from Oregon called tonight and the scan is tomorrow with results to him later this week. The only bad thing is we have to get up before 8 am to get ready to head out for the scan...we aren't used to those "early hours"......

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Saturday....March 13th...2010

Linda had a great birthday....an evening with friends made it all worth while...Linda felt energized.....and all had a good time....thank you all who came for your part on Linda's behalf...and all of you long distance with your messages...phone calls...comments on the blog.....cards and whatever......it all works in wondrous ways.....

PS..the cake was great...what does it take to .....take a cake mix...add water...add oil...add eggs....let the mixer do its thing....bake for 30 minutes ....done....except what does one do for frosting...the answer is to have a wife who then wakes up..makes fudge which doesn't harden properly so she puts it on top of the cake...great combination....add ice cream and everyone was happy....
.

Saturday...March 13th...2010

Friday...Stress is an ignorant state..it believes everything is an emergency.

Saturday....Try praising your wife...even if it does frighten her at first.

Saturday...the Happy Birthday girl is at it.....64 and humming the song all day....

Thursday was a bad day for Linda..she slid into the "pits"....and spent some time there....we had to have her hydrated again at the cancer center.....and shots for hemoglobin....the Oncologist said her plate was "filled" and she just couldn't keep up with it.....blocked system causing discomfort and a bit of panic....the return of the shingles....the low immune system..etc...etc.
.
Thursday night she felt much better.....

Yesterday Linda was "ok".....we got deluges of rain all day...on top of the day before....we went shopping but couldn't find what Linda wanted....and the plant hunting sucked as the places didn't have what we wanted...

AND..today is a new day..bright sunshine..no rain...our pond is overflowing from the previous rain..never seen that before....temperature in low 70's..YEA!

Friends are coming over tonight to see Miss Linda and share cake (Dave baked)...and ice cream....

We might even go out and get some tan time in today...




.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Thursday.........March11th....2010

Well,here I am again a week later back in the infusion room being pumped full of fluids. I'm supposed to be at the mall being pushed around in my wheelchair shopping.

I know some of you have questioned whether I am from another planet because of my positive attitide. Well, if you could see me now, you would definitely know I'm human. I've had to ask for my personal box of tissues, I've been crying so much. The doctor thinks my plate is piling up again, and it is finally getting to me. The blockage experience was quite painful for a few days and very scary. Then I've discovered that the shingles (which I had never really gotten rid off) is flaring up. That means back on those meds and the pain of a new outbreak. Then there is the fear of Mondays's scan. I don't normally sweat them, but this one has me nervous, and living in the future, missing out on the moment. I know better, but what can I say? I've had what I call the "chemo punies" before, and I just have to ride them out. My blood counts aren't as high as they should be which doesn't help.

Say an extra prayer if you will that I get back to my "inspiring" self instead of this whiny lady.

Love and gratitude.........Linda

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Wednesday....March 10th...2010

Friend Steve (Deputy Dawg) and I have an agreement....when we see something that's good...and free..each get two (2)..one for me..one for him..and the other way around...

Anyway, Steve went to a cancer forum and picked up a lot of "stuff"..one for him..one for me....but there was something special in the "give a ways"...A tear off daily desk calendar with daily affirmations for cancer patients. Not only are they great for cancer patients but all patients in this world and life or ours...so each day we will share the affirmation for each of you.

Today:

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen

Ok....yesterday's too:

The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical eyesight declines

Wednesday....March 10th...2010

Beautiful day today.....Linda walked a long way today....and yesterday too.....wore her out but she did well...she hopes to get back in the gym by next week and start a toning process too.

Linda had a scare last night when she had "blockage" for the first time in her system....she had severe cramping and distention....no one prepared her for this and she had to scramble for information about how to deal with it....they should have prepared her first....with the help of her hospital nurse in Oregon coaching by phone, Linda finally overcame the problem..about an hour away from having to go to the urgent care at the local hospital. Linda is very much aware now that water and fiber are important in her diet and she is going to log what she eats to see what to avoid...etc...

Brother Darron is back in Alaska and in three feet of snow...while we were in the upper 70's finally here in Florida....he found his flight most exhausting.

We are working on our return to Oregon in the latter part of April. Once we fly back we will drive to Bend for last dental and medical matters and pick up the RV....we then go to Wilsonville...south of Portland ...to be "trailer trash" for a month or two...(in a deluxe motorcoach)....

Tomorrow Linda has her Oncologist appointment for blood tests...wouldn't surprise me if they didn't keep her for hydration again...we then plan on wheeling her around a giant mall in the Brandon area by wheel chair....as it is suppose to rain tomorrow....

Monday, March 8, 2010

Monday....March 8th...2010

When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

You'll be older too,
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.

I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride.

Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck & Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away

Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

Miss Linda will be 64 this coming Saturday....we all were singing the above Beatle's song at dinner tonight....

Linda walked a long way today with brother Darron.....he leaves tomorrow...just as the weather starts warming up (for sure)...
.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Saturday....March 6th...2010

Linda's Resurgence......

Linda has decided that she has backed herself in a corner with the lingering effects of her surgery.....the procedures she must follow because of the ostomy....the painful impact of the shingles.....relatives getting lung cancer and dying.....dealing with stage 4 lung cancer itself....etc...etc....

She has decided to "rise up" and get back "fight'en"......she has made a commitment to get active again...to walk again....go eat better....to have a better attitude.....

Realize, if you will, that what Linda has been through, would "take" a normal person "down"......but again, she isn't normal.....so the "resurgence" begins....

Sooooo, let's get behind her and cheer her on.......cards, calls, blog comments....it all helps.....

Today she did her part...for a start...she got a fancy haircut to feel femine....took a walk...baked bread....had a great attitude....watched the hockey game on TV....
.

Linda Wood
7613 Deer Path Ln
Land O Lakes Florida
34637

Til April 26th

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thursday......March 4th.....2010

Dave has gone to Costco, and I am awaiting an infusion of fluids and anti-nausea meds after a visit with the doctor. I have been nauseous the last four days or so; don't know if it's the crud or not, but glad for any help I can get. I'm having a blood test taken as I write, so hopefully that will be good. I am so anxious to have the pet scan done on the 15th. I haven't had one since I was first diagnosed with cancer, and if it shows no new signs of cancer anywhere, we will have so much cause to celebrate!

The sun is shining outside, although it is still chilly. The temp will be going up every day finally being really warm by the day Darron flies home. He's been such a good sport, but I have felt so bad for him being ill and unable to golf. We've had some good visits, though. We were looking at pictures of fishing trips to Alaska, and reliving great memories. I forgot how young we were!

Thanks for your love and support through our family sadness.

Love and gratitude.......Linda

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Wednesday....March 3rd....2010

Linda is entering her "depressed"...low period following the chemo infusion last week...it normally lasts a couple of days....tomorrow Linda goes in for her blood tests so we hope all is well....particularly since she has the "crud"..ie...upper respiratory infection also....the medication the doctor put her on seems to be doing its job..we shall see...

We are starting to put the word out on selling our Florida home.....look to www.daveoforegon.blogspot.com for details.....hey...blog readers will get a special discount if they are interested in purchasing the property...we might throw in the beautiful scooter for two as a reward....?????????

Dave's Mom is being released from the hospital....and doing brain radiation as an out patient....now the struggle is getting care for her in the "home" setting.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Monday.....March 1st...2010

Beautiful day today with rain tomorrow...

Linda has the crud...took her long enough...she called the oncologist here in Florida and will jump on it with antibiotics.....no sense in feeling awful after finally getting "up" on the surgery.....

Darron ....no golf....as he is still feeling low..

Computer has a maleware infection...again...nothing can stop it....last time it went away after 5 days....imitates Windows software and wants me to pay for protection....Nortons was unhelpful last time..now on Bitdefender....let's see what they can do.....in the meantime I am on the lodge computers for a while....so if we miss a day or two on the BLOG, it's the computer at fault....