Tuesday...November 30th...2010

Linda is tired most of the time..sleeps a lot...having said that, she is not coughing and breathing easier...thanks to the supplemental oxygen...she is dealing with some depression, knowing the oxygen is not a sometime deal as she originally thought..but rather 24/7...and that it is another step in the cancer journey.

Many friends and family members are stepping forward knowing Christmas, including baking and decorating are very important to Linda...and we are very thankful for that...

Linda had some difficulty breathing this am while she was doing some paperwork in the office...it was only after letting her know her chair leg was on the oxygen tubing that the breathing became easier again....duh....

Tomorrow we are going to OHSU to visit with the Palliative Doctor..we think he might have some thoughts about making Linda's life easier...we shall see.

We also have our cleaning lady coming for the first time...yea....

Sunday....November 28th.....2010

Linda is doing well on the O2 but still not much "gas in the engine" ....she tires quickly and recovery takes time...she has talked with numerous folks by phone and appears to be saying she is sliding downhill.....this has been hard on her..even though the O2 helps her ...so a bit of good and bad mixed together...and then there is the impact of the chemo...


Claudia was a "champ" ( a Christmas Fairy?) today...came over and did Christmas decorating with Linda...the decorating is very important to Linda ....they also planed a "girls baking day" and have the recipes picked out....actually we asked her if she was a Fairy or an Elf...and she was very clear that she was a Elf!


Dave is tiling the counter in the laundery....and it looks great...he also bought 40 Empress Green Arbivitae...to make a hedge out on the front sidewalk....tomorrow he is picking up the remainder of the plants and buy materials for a front porch railing....


One more Turkey Day cartoon..and that ends it....

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Saturday....November 27th...2010

Well...first trip to the store with the wheelchair and oxygen tank...and Mrs. Wood passed with flying colors....she's getting things figured out and accepting the O2 as the "new normal".....what is surprising is the coughing that has gone on for months is GONE.....and she feels better (duh)....
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This Christmas will be very important to Linda....people are already committing to come over and bake cookies and such with her...as that is her favorite thing...and to help her decorate for Christmas which is also her favorite thing....anyone wanting to come over and engage in one or the other or both...just call Mrs. Wood and find a time....

Linda thinks the BLOG comments and all within them are so wonderful....not able to thank each and everyone of you personally...consider this your THANKS! You are all special in her eyes....keep those comments coming..she reads and rereads every one of them.....

Some Turkey Day cartoons sent to us...brings a chuckle....

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Friday...November 26th...2010

Another "line in the sand" crossed...Linda is on O2 now..and will be on it...whenever and wherever...a bit of a shock for her....she has a machine that creates O2 which is her main source...she also has a big emergency tank should there be a power failure..etc...etc...and she has several small tanks (well kind of small) for travel...it will take a bit getting used to but she has what it takes to prevail and she will......

Friday....November 26th..2010

Things didn't go well after company left last night...Linda was short of breath and every effort drove her heart rate and pulse up.....today the answer became clear..she is not getting enough oxygen...we knew this was something in progress and last night was the "turning point"....

Today at chemo, Linda's O2 was at 90 then 89%....when documented twice..which it was, then she is put on oxygen..once they put it on her, she relaxed immediately and went to restful sleep....we believe they are arranging for oxygen equipment for our home as we speak...

Most of the OHSU facility was closed so no garage parking..no help downstairs etc..etc..only the infusion center is open..so it was a struggle to get Linda to the center...but we made it...

Thursday....November 25th...2010

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Linda and Dave had Sons Jim and Jeff, Daughter in law Jenn, Daughter Janine and her roomate Katie, and Grand daughter Jillian and her mom Julie.....so a house full of people. Everyone pitched in to make Linda's day a good one...and it was....now it's evening and quiet and we can reflect on our rich lives and our relations....

Tomorrow back to chemo...

Linda is not the strongest energy wise but good spirits...

Some pictures Jenn took at the Anniversary Event......

Monday evening......Nov..22.......2010

It's Linda, just checking in to thank everyone for all the well wishes, cards, gifts, and flowers for our 3oth anniversary. We had the most wonderful day filled with love, family, and friends. We couldn't have asked for anything more. I am so proud of my children for doing such a wonderful job. We came back to the house after the event and had more family show up here that couldn't make the afternoon, so it was after midnight before we got to bed. It was well worth it, and I rested up all of Sunday, and I am still recuperating. I've barely made it off the couch or the bed, but hope to bounce back for Thanksgiving. I'll have lots of help.

Thanks again for all the love you show me. What a lucky woman I am!

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

Monday....November 22nd...2010

Not much new to report...Linda is still recovering from her long day Saturday....but would not have traded it for anything....

Linda is setting up for Thanksgiving...has lots of help..and for some pre Christamas baking too...

Saturday...November 20th..2010

The 30th Anniversary...The Event...
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Our kids and their spouses (for those with spouses) put on a very wonderful 30th Anniversary for us today...followed by a gathering of family at our home this evening. all was very special and heartfelt..we are very appreciative of the support and the effort they went to on this very special day.....

We saw many friends ...from old to new...from here...from there....who took the time to come and spend time at our "Event"..we thank each and every one of them (You).....thank you..it meant a lot to us....and the kind things you said....

Some pictures.....

Thursday....november 18th...2010

A loooonnnngggg day today....
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Up early.....off to the Doctor...hiway jammed...had to go the back way....the Doctor reported nothing on the scan..no intestinal blockage...no increased cancer from the last scan...no fluid in the abdomen..on with the chemo....3 weeks on...1 week off....another scan in 8 weeks....

Thhheeeennnn....4 more hours in chemo as somehow something wasn't working...so it took a long time..late to meet with the attorney...Linda got her Taxotere....might lose her hair....etc...etc.

2 hours at the attorney...Trust document signed....started to plan funding...Dave's head is imploding from all the responsibilities...figures jumping off a bridge so he makes sure he goes first is a viable option at this stage rather than have to administer the Trusts....we shall see....another meeting in two weeks to complete...maybe.....depends on how many bridges we cross over between now and then.....

Sister Karen came over and presented a beautiful winter flowering tree from her family and Brother Marlin's....nice surprise...

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Tomorrow Linda's dear friend and bridesmaid....Mary..arrives from California (well a couple of days ago)...takes Linda to lunch....

The Big Event Saturday....

Linda's chemo schedule (about 2 hours per session).....

11/26 Friday...10 am chemo

12/3 Friday...11:30 am chemo

12/9 OFF

12/16 Thursday....9:40 am Oncologist .....10:30 am chemo ....Dave....

12/23 Thursday...9:30 am chemo

12/30 Thursday...9:30 am chemo

1/6 OFF

1/13 Scan

Linda is looking for anyone who would like to drive/visit with her on these days...except the 16th...where we meet with the Oncologist...

Anyone wanting to bake Christmas cookies with Miss Linda in early December is encouraged to call her to set up a day....a couple of folks are already signed up...so hurry....

More wedding/honeymoon pictures including the scandelous one...

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Tuesday...November 16th..2010

I didn't get a call from the doctor today giving me my test results, so I called the clinic. One of the nurses read the report and told me there was no new cancer. She couldn't find anything about the bloating. I was excited to hear the cancer had not grown, but I would sure like to know what is causing the bloating. I was so wanting to wear my wedding dress on Saturday (yes, I did sew my dress, the maid of honors, the bridesmaids and flower girl's). Hopefully, I will learn more when I see the doctor on Thursday.

I coughed a lot today, keeping me from resting, so I am really tired tonight. Dave spent the day in Eugene doing work for Wings, so friend Claudia came and kept me company this afternoon and stayed for dinner. She helped me go through the cedar chest, finding things from the wedding I will take to the event on Saturday.

Love and gratitude.....Linda

Monday...November 15th...2010

Linda did well at her last radiation session today......which was followed by the CT scan....no issues there either...she seems to have bounced back from her "bad day" a couple of days ago.

Tomorrow no meetings..no medical sessions...no nothing (double negative)....yea!

Saturday is "The Event".....more wedding pics.....

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Sunday....November 14th...2010

Better day today..still a cough and high pulse....tomorrow the last radiation and then a CTScan to give answers to some stuff...

Linda's sister Karen and husband Ray came today and brought dinner.....we had a nice time..son Jim stopped by and had dinner with us...

Saturday....November 13th...2010

Not a good day for Linda...she didn't feel too well all day..threw up on the way home from the Lawyer's office.... She is trying to make sense of it all...Monday might help as they are doing a full body CTScan to try to determine if there are any problems...particularly in the abdomen...

Sister Karen brought her a walker and she is using it now to get around....

Yesterday she had friends Nancy and Virginia take her to the radiation session..she seems pretty good then..so who knows it this is a temporary thing....

One more radiation session...Linda is afraid it will make her feel worse as the radiation has a collective effect and continues to impact her much time after the last session...and then she starts chemo on Thursday. The Oncologist is cutting her dosage into thirds as he is concerned about how she will tolerate it...

As you might be able to tell.....things are not going the best....and having said that, we are going to make the best of things....

Thursday....November 11th..2010

Linda completed her 8th radiation day....she saw her Oncologist first and he indicated she would start chemo next Thursday......instead of chemo one week and then two weeks off, they are going to give her smaller amounts one day each week for three weeks and then the fourth week off..it adds up to the same amount but not as hard on the system.

Monday she has her last radiation an also will have head to lower pelvis to check on the swelling in the abdomen, etc..

We are still working on our Trust..big meeting with the attorney on Saturday.....he is impressed with the work we have done....Dave has been working on converting pictures of our wedding and honeymoon and anniversary trips to digital form for son Jim for the "Big event" next week...and also trying to finish the garage cleanup and projects..and...and..seems like there is not enough time....

Daughter Janine took us to lunch today...nice to give the credit card a rest..and the food tastes better....

Ginnie and Nancy are taking Linda to radiation tomorrow....gives Dave a head start on projects....

Wednesday...November 10th...2010

Today started with a call from Dr. Sandler's office....Linda doesn't qualify for O2 assistance unless her Oxygen intake drops to 90% or less..measured 2 times within a day...also regarding the abdominal swelling, Linda is going to meet with Dr. Sandler before her 8th radiation session tomorrow.....

Then off we went to the 7th radiation session on the hill...no big news there except Linda met with the radiology Oncologist...Dr. Holland ...after the radiation...he reported no visible change in the tumor but it could take time as it involves the tumor trying to divide its cells....so we are not to lose hope yet. He also prescribed some cough medicine with codeine to try to calm the cough....also he recommended taking Oxycontin...2 pills....every 4 to 6 hours.

Linda failed the O2 test..yuk..the nurse took the initial measure...92%..wow..we have never seen it that low..the nurse thought with a quick walk the numbers would be below the threshold and she would document it..duh..after the walk, Linda recorded a 98% which went all the way to 100%...good news...we guess..but no O2....

Dr. Holland looked at Linda's abdominal swelling but had no answers...he looked at the CTscan but it was too high on the body to tell anything...Linda is going to consult with Dr. Sandler about this in the am and also consult with OHSU's Ostomy assistance folks....wondering if there are any clues there...

Friday Nancy and Virginia drive out and take Linda to her session and then spend some time together...tomorrow daughter Janine takes her to lunch....her sister Karen brought a bed "wedge" to elevate the body , maybe helping the cough....also she brought a walker which could be helpful...

We are spending lots of time and effort on our trust..as we meet with the attorney again on Saturday...and start to finalize things..sounds easy but it has been a lot of work and will continue as such..this crappy economy has made things worse....

Tuesday.....November 9th...2010

Bumpy start to a day that turned out OK.....we got stuck in traffic on the way to the radiation session...folks in Portland stop on the freeway when it rains...and it rains a lot....the fast lane becomes the slowest...the slow lane becomes the fastest..you get the picture....

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So we were late and then we were told there was a doctor appointment after the radiation...after a long wait and told all the rooms were filled and we would be the last, we said "reschedule"...

Then it got better.....Claudia brought the St. Paul girls over for lunch....and Linda..and the "girls" had a wonderful time....thanks to all of you for taking the time to make Linda's day a good one....

No big changes to report......tomorrow.....back to the OHSU for Day 7 of radiaiton....forewarning...they'd better not be late!

Pictures of the "girls' day" today.....and of neighbor Eleanore.....who has been wonderful in her support of Linda...

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Sunday....November 7th...2010

The Buzzard..AKA Jillian...has left for home.....we will miss her....

Linda is doing alright...things have changed a lot over the last few weeks..not as much energy....coughing continues...some discomfort in the left lung...discomfort from the radiation...we plan on seeing the Oncologist's nurse after the radiaition session in the morning.....to see what can be done to allieviate some of the discomfort....

Friday...November 5th...2010

The "Buzzard" is here.....grand daughter Jillian, that is....and already deeply involved in a card game with her Grandma....

Linda had a good trip to radiation...held up well for session number 4......

And then...another hour and a half with the Trust attorney.....where we went from a $2000 revision to a $6900 total conceptual change and rewrite.....the good news is we can use trade for the amount and pay 5% cash....the end productive for where we are at and the impact of the economy on us over the past couple of years...

Tomorrow a trip to Woodburn to a book rummage sale and then to the outlet mall.......

Notice....15 days to the Incredible 30 year Anniversary Event...a peek backwards.....THE HONEYMOON!!!!!!......below...

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Thursday...November 4th..2010

I had a much better experience with radiation this morning. My left shoulder has been really hurting from being raised over my head during treatment. I didn't sleep well last night, and it will take a while to get back to normal. This morning they decided I could lay my left arm up along my head without hanging on to the bar. What a big difference that made. I told them I was thinking about not coming in any more because of the pain, so we are glad to find a solution.

Son Jim was my caregiver this morning, driving me in and walking to my treatment. It was a nice morning, and I felt well enough to walk, so I got some good exercise.

Granddaughter Jillian may be coming yet today to stay through the weekend. Maybe I'll have energy to bake some cookies with her and play some cards. That's some of her favorite activities anyway, so we'll probably be fine.

Love and gratitude......Linda

Tuesday...November 2nd...2010

Radiation and Zometa infusion for bone building..took a lot of the day..tomorrow it's back in for radiaiton #2 of 10......and so on this week..next week most of the week is at 9:400 or 9:50 for sessions #5 thru #9.....Linda held up well.....the results of the radiaiton will most likely be apparent if at all, towards the end of the sessions.....we hope for the best for quality of life.

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Monday...November 1st...2010

Big day tomorrow...1st day of radiation...visit with both Oncologists....radiation and medical...infusion of Zometa for bone building...and the schedule for the other 9 days of radiation....hopefully this will relieve the coughing and shortness of breath.
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Halloween was a flop again...we used to live at the top of a hill in Bend with a steep drive and many steps to the front door..no trick or treaters.....a small culdesac in sisters slightly out of town....no trick or treaters....Florida gated community with no kids....no trick or treaters. We were warned about having 80 plus trick or treaters at our door here in Canby...nope..we had five (5)...our door faces the wrong way....people at our back had just under 100 kids...our front door facing the other way produced 5...anyone need some candy?

Judy and Roman came tonight providing Chinese for dinner....and we watched the Giants win the World Series and Dancing With the Stars....go Jennifer....pictures below of Judy and Linda and Roman in his normal position....

Linda didn't want anyone to see she was washing windows....but the truth be the truth..picture to prove it....

Maureen came over the visit a few days ago..and then...we found some mysterious chairs and Halloweens decorations on the front porch...she is a rascal...a nice one at that....see the picture below..

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