Crossover done..great time...great learning...
We are home....
Big week...blinds today...CT scan Wednesday...Oncologst thursday....Camping Thursday- Monday with family.
Linda is weezing more and coughing more....maybe due to the 10 percent growth in the tumor.....Thursday we find out if this is because of the previous chemo Alimta no longer working or the new med Tarceva is ineffective.....it is not hard to guess which we wish for....
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday...August 28th...2010
Day 4 of the Wings Seminars Crossover completed...tomorrow is the last day.....have had a wonderful time...Dave is the music man..have avoided it for a few years after doing it for over 10 years...but it is fun again....the group got their life long contracts today...yesterday I got to share Linda's which is "I am a courageous and powerful woman"...the group was very impressed and agreed it has been a big part in carrying her through all these difficulties.....Dave has also been working with a small group of participants and all are doing great...
This is a series of seminars which are so powerful...everyone should participate..it makes an incredible difference in one's life. http://www.wings-seminars.com/
Tomorrow we should be done by 5 and Claudia is right...up the hiway to pick up Linda who is having toooo good a time with friends...the picture of the team today in Crossover with Bev, the facilitator..
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This is a series of seminars which are so powerful...everyone should participate..it makes an incredible difference in one's life. http://www.wings-seminars.com/
Tomorrow we should be done by 5 and Claudia is right...up the hiway to pick up Linda who is having toooo good a time with friends...the picture of the team today in Crossover with Bev, the facilitator..
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday....August......26...2010
Where did our warm weather go. I loved yesterdays's heat and spent a lot of time reading out on the terrace. Today it was too cold for that. I did have lunch with dear friends Terri Judd and LuAnne Galloway. This is the greatest thing about living back in the valley where I can visit old friends on hopefully a regular basis. Loving all those dear to me is what I live for and they all bring me such joy. Tomorrow, friend Rhodie Deetz is having a party at her house where I will be able to see friends I haven't seen in a least twenty years. I am so excited.
I didn't sleep well at all last night, having indigestion keeping me awake. I wish I knew exactly what foods to avoid so as not to go through this, but I have'nt figured it out yet. Some of it may be solved when my ostomy reversal is complete. I'm still waiting for a date for that surgery.
The week is going fast, and I look forward to Sunday night when I have Dave back. I kinda miss having him around.
Love and gratitude.....Linda
I didn't sleep well at all last night, having indigestion keeping me awake. I wish I knew exactly what foods to avoid so as not to go through this, but I have'nt figured it out yet. Some of it may be solved when my ostomy reversal is complete. I'm still waiting for a date for that surgery.
The week is going fast, and I look forward to Sunday night when I have Dave back. I kinda miss having him around.
Love and gratitude.....Linda
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday...August 25th..2010
Talked with Linda by phone tonight..she sounded good and said she had a long nap today and felt great....tomorrow she goes out with a couple of gal friends so she was looking forward to that...
Dave has completed day 1 of a 5 day seminar...all is going well...
www.wings-seminars.com
Dave has completed day 1 of a 5 day seminar...all is going well...
www.wings-seminars.com
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday....August 24....2010
Dave dropped me off at Judy's office on the way to Eugene this afternoon. I promised to write the first blog, but it is an ordeal, as this computer is twelve years old and slower than molasses.
I am excited to have the time to spend with Judy and other friends in the Salem area while Dave is doing his seminar. I will miss him, but it will probably be good for him to be away from the responsibility of me for awhile. It is lucky that I am still feeling energetic (for me!) and the blood pressure is trying to behave. It was hard to leave the Canby house when it is so close to being done. It'll be there waiting for us when we get back.
Jillian is back home in Coos Bay. It was great to see as much of her as we did this summer, and we have such great memories of Canada.
Love and gratitude.....Linda
I am excited to have the time to spend with Judy and other friends in the Salem area while Dave is doing his seminar. I will miss him, but it will probably be good for him to be away from the responsibility of me for awhile. It is lucky that I am still feeling energetic (for me!) and the blood pressure is trying to behave. It was hard to leave the Canby house when it is so close to being done. It'll be there waiting for us when we get back.
Jillian is back home in Coos Bay. It was great to see as much of her as we did this summer, and we have such great memories of Canada.
Love and gratitude.....Linda
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday...August 23rd...2010
Linda is still having pretty good days.....and she is keeping busy...not waylaid by no energy or..or. Her pulse has been up a bit which concerns her...after being "normal" for two weeks.....and she is still suffering from heartburn a lot...not being able to take her acid preventer....because of the Tarceva.
Today Linda got her bone builder...Zometa...by infusion at OHSU.....this being necessary because of the possible liesons on Vertebra T2 and T3....not any real changes in that area for a long time..so good news.
Linda will get her CT scan on September 1st and a visit with the Oncologist September 2nd.....our hope is that the tumor growth was because the Alimta chemo she had been on just became ineffective as opposed to the Tarceva not working..which would not be good.
Tomorrow Linda heads to Salem to be watched over by her friend Judy.....and there are things planned with many of her friends down there...so it should be a good week for her....Dave is doing a Wings Seminar which is a normal August thing over the years. In two weeks we go camping (in our RV) with some of the kids and families....
Today Linda got her bone builder...Zometa...by infusion at OHSU.....this being necessary because of the possible liesons on Vertebra T2 and T3....not any real changes in that area for a long time..so good news.
Linda will get her CT scan on September 1st and a visit with the Oncologist September 2nd.....our hope is that the tumor growth was because the Alimta chemo she had been on just became ineffective as opposed to the Tarceva not working..which would not be good.
Tomorrow Linda heads to Salem to be watched over by her friend Judy.....and there are things planned with many of her friends down there...so it should be a good week for her....Dave is doing a Wings Seminar which is a normal August thing over the years. In two weeks we go camping (in our RV) with some of the kids and families....
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Saturday....August 21st...2010
Yesterday we completed the Jillian's Great Victorian Adventure by returning to Oregon by train from Seattle....Jillian seemed a bit grouchy.....either tired from all the fun......we were tired too..or sad it was over...she'll bounce back quickly....
Today it was back to work...and a productive day....the master closet is done except for shelving which will be done tomorrow...also two toilets placed...and Linda grouted the fireplace....it looks terrific....
Linda was a bit unhappy today as her pulse was back up again after two weeks of great numbers...her hope is that it is a temporary thing and things will improve again. Monday we go to OHSU for an infusion of Zometa which is the bone builder
Tuesday Dave goes to Wings in Eugene to help with a Crossover Seminar for 5 days...Linda is going to her friend Judy's for the week......and her friends have things planned for her and she has some folks to see that she hasn't seen in a long time...
Today it was back to work...and a productive day....the master closet is done except for shelving which will be done tomorrow...also two toilets placed...and Linda grouted the fireplace....it looks terrific....
Linda was a bit unhappy today as her pulse was back up again after two weeks of great numbers...her hope is that it is a temporary thing and things will improve again. Monday we go to OHSU for an infusion of Zometa which is the bone builder
Tuesday Dave goes to Wings in Eugene to help with a Crossover Seminar for 5 days...Linda is going to her friend Judy's for the week......and her friends have things planned for her and she has some folks to see that she hasn't seen in a long time...
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Thursday...August 19th...2010
Day 4 of Jillian's Great Victorian Adventure....
A day in Seattle without Linda as she rested today...her bp and pulse were good all day..she was cold all day as there was a dramatic weather change..cooling and gray....normal for Seattle.
The kids, Chris and Dave went to Pike's Place and went to the "Wall of Gum" in a nearby alley....and explored the waterfront.....a tourist mecca....
Pizza tonight..home for homemade apple pie....sleep....and homeward by train....the last day of the Jillian's Great Victorian adventure....
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A day in Seattle without Linda as she rested today...her bp and pulse were good all day..she was cold all day as there was a dramatic weather change..cooling and gray....normal for Seattle.
The kids, Chris and Dave went to Pike's Place and went to the "Wall of Gum" in a nearby alley....and explored the waterfront.....a tourist mecca....
Pizza tonight..home for homemade apple pie....sleep....and homeward by train....the last day of the Jillian's Great Victorian adventure....
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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday PM.,.,..August 18th...2010
Day 3 of Jillian's Great Victorian Adventure..
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We are an hour out of Seattle...the water is much smoother and Mrs. Wood has kept her "cookies" this trip...in fact she is quite animated, playing cards with the grand daughter (The Buzzard).
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We are an hour out of Seattle...the water is much smoother and Mrs. Wood has kept her "cookies" this trip...in fact she is quite animated, playing cards with the grand daughter (The Buzzard).
No nap today for Mrs. Wood as we slept in and then checked out of the Empress Hotel.....then on to the The Royal BC Museum.....then on to the Craigdarroch Castle......both of which the two "girls" found most entertaining.
Jillian got her prize of cookies and milk through room service this am and tipped the server ...good for her.
Linda has had a good week and a good Victorian trip. Tomorrow we do Pikes Place in Seattle as well as another museum but Mrs. Wood will most likely take a day off as we travel home by train on Friday...Grand daughter #2 Taigen and son in law Chris will be joining us tomorrow..
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ps...the pictures are of Linda playing the piano at the castle....the castle itself....an animated Linda at lunch and room service....all in reverse order....,..
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Wednesday AM.....August 18th...2010
Day 2 in Jillian's Great Victorian Adventure....Yesterday...
The kid is still with us after day 2.....that will relieve many minds...but we had moments of bad thoughts like making her work at the Empress dusting shelves for a year..or..or...
Linda got seasick when we hit a bad patch of water in the straits...but bounced back....a waste of money buying her a nice hot chocolate only to see it again a half hour later.
The Empress is very nice...they gave the "real" Buzzard...aka Jillian...a quiz for milk and cookies...so of course off we went to explore all the halls and rooms in the hotel....and then all employees denied having anything to do with the quiz when confronted...Jillian won..only missing one question....
We shopped a lot....same stores going out of business as last time we were here..same stuff on closeout...but it was fun...lots of stuff named "Jillian"..won't find that in the states...must be an English thing.....
Linda took a long nap...then off again....
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Linda took another nap and Jillian bought some "stuff" she had spotted earlier in the day...
We went on a tour through the Parliment building......very interesting governmental structure...with England and all.....
Jillian wanted Italian for dinner so we found the Old Spagetti Factory......
Then all worn out, we retired for the night...
Today we go to the big museum...and catch the boat back to Seattle at 7 pm...we might bring the Buzzard back with us...Linda will take some chemo nausea meds prior to getting on the boat...all will be well...
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The kid is still with us after day 2.....that will relieve many minds...but we had moments of bad thoughts like making her work at the Empress dusting shelves for a year..or..or...
Linda got seasick when we hit a bad patch of water in the straits...but bounced back....a waste of money buying her a nice hot chocolate only to see it again a half hour later.
The Empress is very nice...they gave the "real" Buzzard...aka Jillian...a quiz for milk and cookies...so of course off we went to explore all the halls and rooms in the hotel....and then all employees denied having anything to do with the quiz when confronted...Jillian won..only missing one question....
We shopped a lot....same stores going out of business as last time we were here..same stuff on closeout...but it was fun...lots of stuff named "Jillian"..won't find that in the states...must be an English thing.....
Linda took a long nap...then off again....
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Linda took another nap and Jillian bought some "stuff" she had spotted earlier in the day...
We went on a tour through the Parliment building......very interesting governmental structure...with England and all.....
Jillian wanted Italian for dinner so we found the Old Spagetti Factory......
Then all worn out, we retired for the night...
Today we go to the big museum...and catch the boat back to Seattle at 7 pm...we might bring the Buzzard back with us...Linda will take some chemo nausea meds prior to getting on the boat...all will be well...
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Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday...August 16th...2010
Day 1 of Jillian's Great Victorian Adventure (JGVA).......
Here's Jillian........
Today I woke up early to go on an exiting adventure with my grandma and Buzzard (g-pa), after I got ready I waited for them to get to my dad's house. Once they got there I said good by to my step mom (Jenn) and my dad drove us all to the train station. Our train left from Portland to Seattle, and we bunked at relatives' house, aunt Wendy, uncle Chris, and cuz Taigen. The train was fun but but long... Me and g-pa bickered a lot, sarcastically. Thankfully g-ma was feeling great for the trip and took a short nap on the train ride, and then we eventually arrived in Seattle and Aunt Wendy picked us up from the train station. A few minutes after we got to there Uncle Chris and Taigen got there and we all hung out.
Have to go to bed early tonight though because g-pa booked us 8:30 ferry tickets so we have to be there by 7:30 :(P Then off to Victoria Canada, ah can't wait and I'm sure that the grandparents can't either. Well g-ma is resting for tomorrow and is recovering great.
Sincerely,
Jillian Emken... :D....
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Here's Jillian........
Today I woke up early to go on an exiting adventure with my grandma and Buzzard (g-pa), after I got ready I waited for them to get to my dad's house. Once they got there I said good by to my step mom (Jenn) and my dad drove us all to the train station. Our train left from Portland to Seattle, and we bunked at relatives' house, aunt Wendy, uncle Chris, and cuz Taigen. The train was fun but but long... Me and g-pa bickered a lot, sarcastically. Thankfully g-ma was feeling great for the trip and took a short nap on the train ride, and then we eventually arrived in Seattle and Aunt Wendy picked us up from the train station. A few minutes after we got to there Uncle Chris and Taigen got there and we all hung out.
Have to go to bed early tonight though because g-pa booked us 8:30 ferry tickets so we have to be there by 7:30 :(P Then off to Victoria Canada, ah can't wait and I'm sure that the grandparents can't either. Well g-ma is resting for tomorrow and is recovering great.
Sincerely,
Jillian Emken... :D....
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Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday....August 15th...2010
Linda had another great day today..is it the medicine for the appetite....is it an improved pulse and blood pressure....or a combination....whatever....it is a welcome.....whatever it is....when she does something she doesn't have to stop every 5 minutes to get her breathing under control and pulse down...Linda is up 3 to 4 pounds too....(still 11 under her pre cancer weight....but a welcomed improvement).
Today we tiled the fireplace after tiling the hearth last night and nailing a wood surround....it really looks nice. Now we have baseboards as our big task in addition to putting two toilets and 2 sinks in as well as hooking up the gas for the stove and all the plumbing in the kitchen for the dishwasher, garbage disposal and sink.....
Tomorrow we leave by train for Seattle with grand daughter Jillian..an overdue Christmas present to replace the plane flight she never got to Florida....tomorrow night we spend with her cousin Taigen and uncle Chris and Aunt Wendy.....Tuesday we take the Clipper boat from Seattle to Victoria...spending the night at the Empress Hotel...then back Wednesday night to Seattle. On Thursday it is up to the two cousins to figure out where they want to go..we hear Pike's Place and maybe the Children's Museum. Friday we take the train back to Portland.
Dear friend Claudia visited today....it has been great to have so many friends step forward to see Linda and bring her energy and excitement....it was her third reason for wanting to move to the Portland area...after wanting a Doctor at OHSU and to be near family.
Some pictures of the tiling and Linda at her best...
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Today we tiled the fireplace after tiling the hearth last night and nailing a wood surround....it really looks nice. Now we have baseboards as our big task in addition to putting two toilets and 2 sinks in as well as hooking up the gas for the stove and all the plumbing in the kitchen for the dishwasher, garbage disposal and sink.....
Tomorrow we leave by train for Seattle with grand daughter Jillian..an overdue Christmas present to replace the plane flight she never got to Florida....tomorrow night we spend with her cousin Taigen and uncle Chris and Aunt Wendy.....Tuesday we take the Clipper boat from Seattle to Victoria...spending the night at the Empress Hotel...then back Wednesday night to Seattle. On Thursday it is up to the two cousins to figure out where they want to go..we hear Pike's Place and maybe the Children's Museum. Friday we take the train back to Portland.
Dear friend Claudia visited today....it has been great to have so many friends step forward to see Linda and bring her energy and excitement....it was her third reason for wanting to move to the Portland area...after wanting a Doctor at OHSU and to be near family.
Some pictures of the tiling and Linda at her best...
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Saturday...August 15th...2010
Good day today...Linda is amazed at how good it feels to feel good.....she actually forgets to take her blood pressure as there is no body warning her to do so....and that is good.... she has a cough that is increasing..most likely caused by the tumor in the left airway...it still is worriesome though.
Daughter Janine visited in the am and in the afternoon we went up the hill above Wilsonville to visit some great folks...Shari and John.....we had a wonderful time relaxing and then wandering around to see their treasures that John has created....they are authoring their 4th book together and gave Linda a copy of their 3rd book.....
Work on the house involved getting the fireplace ready for tiling...and then cutting and laying the tumbled travertine for the hearth.....doesn't sound like much but at 7 dollars a tile, one doesn't want to make too many mistakes...none were made. Tomorrow we start opn the face of the fireplace using 3 by 6 tumbled travertine tile....Linda will be very much involved as this is her specialty...
We hope to see friend Claudia stop by tomorrow to share her recent travels and all. Monday we leave for Seattle by train with grand daughter Jillian and then on to Victoria by boat. in two weeks we will be back at it and push to have all done..and have visits (we note those West Salem folks who we would love to see on our door step)...
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Daughter Janine visited in the am and in the afternoon we went up the hill above Wilsonville to visit some great folks...Shari and John.....we had a wonderful time relaxing and then wandering around to see their treasures that John has created....they are authoring their 4th book together and gave Linda a copy of their 3rd book.....
Work on the house involved getting the fireplace ready for tiling...and then cutting and laying the tumbled travertine for the hearth.....doesn't sound like much but at 7 dollars a tile, one doesn't want to make too many mistakes...none were made. Tomorrow we start opn the face of the fireplace using 3 by 6 tumbled travertine tile....Linda will be very much involved as this is her specialty...
We hope to see friend Claudia stop by tomorrow to share her recent travels and all. Monday we leave for Seattle by train with grand daughter Jillian and then on to Victoria by boat. in two weeks we will be back at it and push to have all done..and have visits (we note those West Salem folks who we would love to see on our door step)...
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Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday...August 13th...2010
Good day for Linda...good blood pressure and pulse...these two things seem to determine her health...so when the numbers are good....so is she.
The new med has created the "munchies"...good...good....good. She remarked that it is so nice to feel good in a day rather than the way she has fely a lot lately....
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"N-Arlington" and "V-Ross" came to visit... Nancy and Virginia...good "old" friends of ours..to see the house and to have lunch together....they thought the house was very nice....and liked Canby...
The new med has created the "munchies"...good...good....good. She remarked that it is so nice to feel good in a day rather than the way she has fely a lot lately....
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"N-Arlington" and "V-Ross" came to visit... Nancy and Virginia...good "old" friends of ours..to see the house and to have lunch together....they thought the house was very nice....and liked Canby...
At the Mexican restaurant...I asked for "agua" and it didn't happen...Nancy.....quick on her "verbalness"...said...if you ask for "water" you might get it...spoiled my great effort to communicate with spanish speaking restaurant folks...
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Some of the pictures below are before the carpet...some after..notice the classy furniture!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursday...August 12th...2010
Quite a day....
First a visit with Linda's primary physician followed by a call from Linda's Oncologist....
Linda's primary physician is very delightful and caring and concerned and fully engaged..and..and. After concerns about Linda's heart because of the PE concerns..etc...the doctor determined that this all seems lung related rather than heart related....that the tumor seems to be impacting Linda's ability to breathe, thereby causing the rest of the lung to work harder. Her oxygen consumption is good...even under fast walking (which they did together)
....but the heart works harder to get the oxygen around and the lung work harder to get the oxygen.
Dr. Sandler called soon after Linda's visit with the primary doctor .....he said the tumors had increased 10% since the last scan.....he did not want to assume this was because of the Tarceva...as an immediate change to another chemo would mean a shortened long term treatment...so it is either the Tarceva being ineffective or that the previous chemo...Alimta...had run its course and was ineffective ....hence the change to Tarceva.
A scan will be done on September 1 prior to the appointment with Dr. Sandler on the 2nd...this will determine the effectiveness of the Tarceva....Linda is going in on August 23rd for a Zometa infusion to build bone as a preventative to possible lesions/cancer in T2/T3...
That's about it...the next scan should tell the story.
Not much on the house today as running around consumed a lot of a day....we did unpack all our paintings and the painter finished and is gone....tomorrow friends Nancy and Ginnie are coming to visit....and we will focus on the gas hookup for the stove....connecting sinks....grouting tile which we cut and laid today to finish off backsplashes...laundry room floor...and guest bath counter. Finally, a lot of cardboard from packing and all is going to the recycling center as we have exceeded our ability to use the curb side service provided...we also are going to pick up the hearth tile so we can start on the fireplace tiling which will be fun....
First a visit with Linda's primary physician followed by a call from Linda's Oncologist....
Linda's primary physician is very delightful and caring and concerned and fully engaged..and..and. After concerns about Linda's heart because of the PE concerns..etc...the doctor determined that this all seems lung related rather than heart related....that the tumor seems to be impacting Linda's ability to breathe, thereby causing the rest of the lung to work harder. Her oxygen consumption is good...even under fast walking (which they did together)
....but the heart works harder to get the oxygen around and the lung work harder to get the oxygen.
Dr. Sandler called soon after Linda's visit with the primary doctor .....he said the tumors had increased 10% since the last scan.....he did not want to assume this was because of the Tarceva...as an immediate change to another chemo would mean a shortened long term treatment...so it is either the Tarceva being ineffective or that the previous chemo...Alimta...had run its course and was ineffective ....hence the change to Tarceva.
A scan will be done on September 1 prior to the appointment with Dr. Sandler on the 2nd...this will determine the effectiveness of the Tarceva....Linda is going in on August 23rd for a Zometa infusion to build bone as a preventative to possible lesions/cancer in T2/T3...
That's about it...the next scan should tell the story.
Not much on the house today as running around consumed a lot of a day....we did unpack all our paintings and the painter finished and is gone....tomorrow friends Nancy and Ginnie are coming to visit....and we will focus on the gas hookup for the stove....connecting sinks....grouting tile which we cut and laid today to finish off backsplashes...laundry room floor...and guest bath counter. Finally, a lot of cardboard from packing and all is going to the recycling center as we have exceeded our ability to use the curb side service provided...we also are going to pick up the hearth tile so we can start on the fireplace tiling which will be fun....
Wednesday...August 12th...2010
Carpet's in! The place looks gorgeous!
The electrician came today....got lots done..... coming to finish in a couple of days...the painter wanted to come to finish today but with the carpet going it, Linda put him off...
We are over the hump.....many little projects..nothing big.....sinks to set..water lines to hook up...shelves to assemble...etc...etc.
Linda is doing good...gained two pounds..the new med seems to live up to it's promise to increase appetite....tomorrow Linda sees her primary physician re the chest pressure which has diminished...of course...in time for the doctor...
Linda is excited about the new place...it is coming together and she can see the results...
The electrician came today....got lots done..... coming to finish in a couple of days...the painter wanted to come to finish today but with the carpet going it, Linda put him off...
We are over the hump.....many little projects..nothing big.....sinks to set..water lines to hook up...shelves to assemble...etc...etc.
Linda is doing good...gained two pounds..the new med seems to live up to it's promise to increase appetite....tomorrow Linda sees her primary physician re the chest pressure which has diminished...of course...in time for the doctor...
Linda is excited about the new place...it is coming together and she can see the results...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday,.,.,August 10th...2010
Interesting day....Flooring done...prep for tomorrow's carpet installation ready....appliances arrived...refrigerator running....lots of clean up completed....
Linda had another good day...emailed doctor with update on blood pressures and pulses and the pressure in her chest...which of course was like starting an air raid siren...multiples phones calls from the doctor's office....no..no ER this time...but Linda has a doctor appointment Thursday as a result..better safe than sorry.
No word on the scan comparisons yet at OHSU.....we called in and inquired but no call back yet...maybe tomorrow.
Linda had another good day...emailed doctor with update on blood pressures and pulses and the pressure in her chest...which of course was like starting an air raid siren...multiples phones calls from the doctor's office....no..no ER this time...but Linda has a doctor appointment Thursday as a result..better safe than sorry.
No word on the scan comparisons yet at OHSU.....we called in and inquired but no call back yet...maybe tomorrow.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday....August 9....2010
Dave is in the house finishing up the wood floor, so I am helping him out by doing the blog.
Another good day for me. For a while I was wondering if I'd have another good day, so I'm thankful they are back. I hope they stay for awhile. I haven't noticed any great improvements in the appetite yet, but I'll be patient.
I'm excited to have the appliances come tomorrow and the carpet the following morning. It will really start looking like a house to move into.
Love and gratitude......Linda
Another good day for me. For a while I was wondering if I'd have another good day, so I'm thankful they are back. I hope they stay for awhile. I haven't noticed any great improvements in the appetite yet, but I'll be patient.
I'm excited to have the appliances come tomorrow and the carpet the following morning. It will really start looking like a house to move into.
Love and gratitude......Linda
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Saturday...August 8th...2010
Linda had another pretty good day today.......she stayed pretty active....friend Maureen drove up from Salem and the "girls" went out to lunch....after Linda napped a bit later in the day, Dave and Linda went to a pub..that's right ...a pub...to watch friend Claudia's son, Chael, fight for the title in the UFC middleweight division....we sat with the young "chicks" and the young "bucks", remembering the days when we were into the pub scene...years and years ago...the fight was on closed circuit TV...Chael was dominate until the last 2 minutes of the 5th and last round....soundly defeating the champion...when.....he got caught in a submission hold...and it was all over.....sad but there will be another day and another opportunity....
We made good progress on the house today....tiling is done..at least the work for the tiler...the painter worked and is within a day of being done.....still no electrician....the wood floor will be done tomorrow...the fireplace is being prepared for final tiling.....
Linda's friend, Judy, is coming tomorrow...it should be another good day for Mrs. Wood...
We made good progress on the house today....tiling is done..at least the work for the tiler...the painter worked and is within a day of being done.....still no electrician....the wood floor will be done tomorrow...the fireplace is being prepared for final tiling.....
Linda's friend, Judy, is coming tomorrow...it should be another good day for Mrs. Wood...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday....August 6th...2010
Linda actually had a good day today..so what did she do...skipped her nap...went with Dave to Costco...and of course overdid it all...but she is resting comfortably and much happier feeling the way she does..after not so good a week.
Linda starts the prescription Megace tomorrow..it is suppose to increase her appetite and help her gain weight and then have her be more active and feel better....we shall see....
The tiler is done..beautiful master shower with as pebble floor..wow! the painter might show tomorrow to finish up...Dave has a couple of days left on the floor and then starts tiling the fireplace....next week the carpet and appliances go in and we are then 90% done..little stuff after that....of course then the "move in"...and the electrician has been scarce....
Linda starts the prescription Megace tomorrow..it is suppose to increase her appetite and help her gain weight and then have her be more active and feel better....we shall see....
The tiler is done..beautiful master shower with as pebble floor..wow! the painter might show tomorrow to finish up...Dave has a couple of days left on the floor and then starts tiling the fireplace....next week the carpet and appliances go in and we are then 90% done..little stuff after that....of course then the "move in"...and the electrician has been scarce....
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thursday....August 5th ....2010
A lot to catch up on....
Linda was sent to the ER by the doctor at OHSU because of the symptoms she had....worrying she might have a "PE"..ie pulmonary embolism....or a clot in her lung.....the report was that she didn't but there a "lot of tumors".....which of course didn't help her mentally or emotionally.
Linda has been "down" physically since her medical crisis (perforated diverticulitis) last January..she has never bounced back and regained her mental, emotional or physical condition that was in place prior to the resulting operation. She has been coughing more....tired more...no appetite...and losing a bit of weight....low blood pressure...high pulse.....pleuritic pain...etc...etc.
So the Oncologist wanted to see her today as well as view the CT Scan from the Monday trip to the hospital...after viewing it he sent it on to the radiologist for a comprehensive view and the results of that should be known tomorrow.....which will tell all of us....is the Tarceva doing its job...if not then "plan B" .....another type of chemo....the Oncologist did say the ER doctor ..not having any reference point ....would say there were a lot of tumors..his preliminary view showed the same tumors.....again, the radiologist report will provide much information needed....
He said Linda was suffering from "deconditioning".......a deterioration of muscle and such due to the serious cancer she has...he also said she cannot and should not be forced to eat...to continue to find things she likes and things like smoothies etc to get the needed calories if possible. He also is referred her to "pallative care".....the care of stress, pain and the like from a serious illness like lung cancer...it is a term common to hospice care but in this case it is because of the seriousness of the illness.......Linda is scheduled to see a doctor for this on September 1st. She the will see the Oncologist September 2nd...the scan and Oncologist visit in two weeks have been cancelled.
Linda is also on a new liquid medication that will replace her steroids..they have run their course...some people on this liquid medication develop quite an appetite..that is the goal....tomorrow we pick it up and will have more specific information.
That is about it.....as we remember....
Last night we went to a delightful dinner prepared by friend Nancy who lives on the river..it was a nice night off...Linda was still feeling very emotional...wanting to enjoy more of life in terms of food and all....hopefully today will produce a better quality of life for her.
The house...the tiler is ready to grout the bath tomorrow..the master shower looks great...He has the floors done..the sink areas too.....the painters have one more day inside and return when the tiler is done.....the electrician is needing to get back and get on his list of things to do..he has been busy or sick and is behind....the wood floor is going well...Dave is over half done..he brought his "coach" back in for a half hour..got the things he needed to know and off he went again...he will finish without help...it is a fun job but hard on the back and knees...but it looks nice....
Tomorrow grouting....work on fireplace tile....work on hardwood floor....finish kitchen backsplash.......pictures below of our new outdoor paint job and our visit to Nancy's....Linda is on Nancy's deck watching the sailboats go by...
.
Linda was sent to the ER by the doctor at OHSU because of the symptoms she had....worrying she might have a "PE"..ie pulmonary embolism....or a clot in her lung.....the report was that she didn't but there a "lot of tumors".....which of course didn't help her mentally or emotionally.
Linda has been "down" physically since her medical crisis (perforated diverticulitis) last January..she has never bounced back and regained her mental, emotional or physical condition that was in place prior to the resulting operation. She has been coughing more....tired more...no appetite...and losing a bit of weight....low blood pressure...high pulse.....pleuritic pain...etc...etc.
So the Oncologist wanted to see her today as well as view the CT Scan from the Monday trip to the hospital...after viewing it he sent it on to the radiologist for a comprehensive view and the results of that should be known tomorrow.....which will tell all of us....is the Tarceva doing its job...if not then "plan B" .....another type of chemo....the Oncologist did say the ER doctor ..not having any reference point ....would say there were a lot of tumors..his preliminary view showed the same tumors.....again, the radiologist report will provide much information needed....
He said Linda was suffering from "deconditioning".......a deterioration of muscle and such due to the serious cancer she has...he also said she cannot and should not be forced to eat...to continue to find things she likes and things like smoothies etc to get the needed calories if possible. He also is referred her to "pallative care".....the care of stress, pain and the like from a serious illness like lung cancer...it is a term common to hospice care but in this case it is because of the seriousness of the illness.......Linda is scheduled to see a doctor for this on September 1st. She the will see the Oncologist September 2nd...the scan and Oncologist visit in two weeks have been cancelled.
Linda is also on a new liquid medication that will replace her steroids..they have run their course...some people on this liquid medication develop quite an appetite..that is the goal....tomorrow we pick it up and will have more specific information.
That is about it.....as we remember....
Last night we went to a delightful dinner prepared by friend Nancy who lives on the river..it was a nice night off...Linda was still feeling very emotional...wanting to enjoy more of life in terms of food and all....hopefully today will produce a better quality of life for her.
The house...the tiler is ready to grout the bath tomorrow..the master shower looks great...He has the floors done..the sink areas too.....the painters have one more day inside and return when the tiler is done.....the electrician is needing to get back and get on his list of things to do..he has been busy or sick and is behind....the wood floor is going well...Dave is over half done..he brought his "coach" back in for a half hour..got the things he needed to know and off he went again...he will finish without help...it is a fun job but hard on the back and knees...but it looks nice....
Tomorrow grouting....work on fireplace tile....work on hardwood floor....finish kitchen backsplash.......pictures below of our new outdoor paint job and our visit to Nancy's....Linda is on Nancy's deck watching the sailboats go by...
.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday.....August 3....2010
Dave is in working on the wood floor, so I'm pinch-hitting for him. He paid an RV park neighbor by the hour to get him started today, and he'll come back and help him as he has extra time. I think he's enjoying his new skill. The tiler is almost done and the painters only have one long day left.
I had a scare yesterday. I called and talked to my Oncologist's nurse about some new symptoms I've been having. I thought maybe my pneumonia was coming back, but she was worried I might have a blood clot in my lungs. She sent me to the nearest ER to have a scan done. They couldn't use my port to put in the contrast for that particular scan, and the nurse couldn't find a good vein without using an ultrasound to find one. That tells you how bad my veins have become with this cancer. We're taking the scan to the oncologist tomorrow, so they can check it for cancer progress. Maybe it will take the place of the scan I was going to do in three weeks.
Past my bedtime, so I'll sign off. I love you guys!
Love and gratitude......Linda
Dave's post note.....
Finally quit working on the hardwood floor...I love it...I had my doubts but with the coaching today I'm confident now....Linda was still up when I finished....hope she sleeps in as tomorrow is a busy day...helping daughter Janine grout her bathroom floor tiling.....going to OHSU to drop off the scan Linda talked about....going to Lowes to pick up glass block for the tiler....going to friend Nancy's for dinner.....
It feels like we are over the "hump".....getting the painting down to one last day's work...the tiler has 2-3 days to finish...the hardwood floor is well under way....then the carpet folks will come and install the carpet....and the appliances arrive and are installed.....we will be reinstalling the sinks and toilets and doing some odd ball tiling...but nothing big.....we should start thinking about when to get our furniture over here....
Mrs. Wood seemed to be much better today than yesterday.....we need a string of good days to happen....
And...John Potts came by today to visit...a dear friend from Wings.....we have shared much together...it was great to see him as he will not be with us in the August Crossover Seminar as in many of the past few years...we will miss him...I will miss him....he is a good model of a human being for me.....the good news is he and his girl friend will be in the September Listening Heart Seminar for couples that Linda and I assist with...so that will be great and a bonus for us....
I had a scare yesterday. I called and talked to my Oncologist's nurse about some new symptoms I've been having. I thought maybe my pneumonia was coming back, but she was worried I might have a blood clot in my lungs. She sent me to the nearest ER to have a scan done. They couldn't use my port to put in the contrast for that particular scan, and the nurse couldn't find a good vein without using an ultrasound to find one. That tells you how bad my veins have become with this cancer. We're taking the scan to the oncologist tomorrow, so they can check it for cancer progress. Maybe it will take the place of the scan I was going to do in three weeks.
Past my bedtime, so I'll sign off. I love you guys!
Love and gratitude......Linda
Dave's post note.....
Finally quit working on the hardwood floor...I love it...I had my doubts but with the coaching today I'm confident now....Linda was still up when I finished....hope she sleeps in as tomorrow is a busy day...helping daughter Janine grout her bathroom floor tiling.....going to OHSU to drop off the scan Linda talked about....going to Lowes to pick up glass block for the tiler....going to friend Nancy's for dinner.....
It feels like we are over the "hump".....getting the painting down to one last day's work...the tiler has 2-3 days to finish...the hardwood floor is well under way....then the carpet folks will come and install the carpet....and the appliances arrive and are installed.....we will be reinstalling the sinks and toilets and doing some odd ball tiling...but nothing big.....we should start thinking about when to get our furniture over here....
Mrs. Wood seemed to be much better today than yesterday.....we need a string of good days to happen....
And...John Potts came by today to visit...a dear friend from Wings.....we have shared much together...it was great to see him as he will not be with us in the August Crossover Seminar as in many of the past few years...we will miss him...I will miss him....he is a good model of a human being for me.....the good news is he and his girl friend will be in the September Listening Heart Seminar for couples that Linda and I assist with...so that will be great and a bonus for us....
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday...August 1st....2010
It's over.....What is?.....July....The Oregon Jamboree....the restful time out of town.....
Linda was more tired today.....her BP was down a bit.....103/78 with a pulse of 105 (high pulse with a lowered blood pressure.....not dramatically low). She did rest a bit so she made it through the day with no "tough times".
The Oakridge Boys, Marty Stuart, and Travis Tritt were great...Miranda Lambert was a bit loud.....the band drowned her out a lot......you can tell when it gets too loud...the "old folks" start leaving early....
Tomorrow it's back to Canby to see the painting progress as well as the tiling of the master bath.
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