Sunday...January 31st...2010

Today was a busy day of packing....daughter Janine took on the library shelves with the assistance of her Mother...who sat and directed. Linda made the right decision to pare down her collection of books dramatically. Having all the books boxed up at this point puts us a day ahead of schedule. Thank you Janine....you are special.....

The proposed renter at the spec home at Brasada Ranch has failed to follow through with his agreements and all so Linda has withdrawn the offer to rent...she sees problems with him as a renter as indicated by his actions to this point......so what does that mean....cancellation of the moving truck to Portland and back to plan A of "staging"our furniture at the Brasada house and storing our boxes there also.....So this Thursday and Friday will be the actual move with sons Jim and Jeff providing the "manpower". Jeff will come Tuesday to finish the packing and getting things organized for the move.

Saturday will be the grand cleaning day with daughter Wendy and son in law Chris and daughter Janine and boyfriend Tyson arriving to do the cleaning. Saturday night we should all be done and heading to Portland. Sunday we plan on enjoying the Super Bowl together and celebrating Wendy's birthday.

Today was a small bit sad as we looked though albums of how we were once younger......better looking....more energy....not concerned about illnesses.....wild and out of control about each other....etc...etc....ps....we got over it quickly.......

.

.

Saturday....January 30th...2010

Just a quick report...I think Linda is doing much better today...perhaps she is on her way up and out of the "punies"...we can only hope.....

We made great progress on the packing today....daughter Janine and boyfriend Tyson did all the art...and there is a lot...now all boxed up and protected...we think we are a day ahead of schedule and start on "thining" the library tomorrow and packing it up....

The big problem we are having is the "supposed" renter for the Brasada house....he wanted it..finally got what he wanted and now he seems to keep putting off a final decision....which hurts us as we stopped a loan modification on the house which would have benefited us....to rent to him....and we rented a truck to take our household goods to Portland to store rather than store and "stage" the Brasada house while we are in Florida.....

The garage sale....made $5 today....made $46 the other day....hey it's gas money to get out of town.....OK??????

Friday....January 29th...2010

IMPORTANT NOTICE.........read on...

The Woods' are having a garage sale starting yesterday and continuing until they move next weekend.....if you are within driving distance of Sisters, Oregon (you might consider flying in also)...bring your MONEY.....good stuff...well some of it anyway.... 927 E Creekside Ct...

Oh.....and Mrs. Wood is still "punie"....not much energy....and she's surviving....

Surgery plus chemo equals punies

ps....regarding the above sale, unreasonable offers might be refused....

Thursday.....January 28th...2010....760th Blog

4am ...up and at it...taking Miss Janet to the airport...groan...and having said that, it was a very small price to pay for the incredible amount of help we got.....thanks again Janet!

Linda started with a "moppy day".....but as the day went along she get "better"...still wandering through the "chemo punies"...we hope that ends pretty soon....

Lot of packing today.....finding little "stashes" here and there to pack.....

Daughter Janine comes tomorrow night....her task will be to take all the art off the walls ( and under the beds) and catalog it and protect it by putting it in cardboard.....

Wednesday....January 27th...2010

Busy day today....First, Linda and Dave went to Bend to see the surgeon for an evaluation of her surgery....she is healing nicely and the "wound" is progressing well.....no concerns....the surgeon's assistant did say that it was 3 weeks from the surgery and it usually takes up to 6 weeks to feel back to normal....

The reversal of the colostomy was discussed...she said it usually is about 6 to 9 months before an evaluation takes place...because of the scarring and all involved....anything sooner could very likely cause additional problems...she was very clear that it is "elective surgery" and actually is more complicated than the original surgery and involves hospitalization and healing time..and..and. Linda seemed satisfied with the discussion and not in a rush to have anything changed...she seems more adapted with her situation and time will tell if this is necessary for her.....

When we were leaving, the surgeon came out trying to find Linda....down the hall....it was very clear that he cared about her and wanted her to know that...it was very touching and very kind of him....

We then had to go to the outpatient portion of the hospital to visit with the ostomy nurse......we had a little time beforehand and walked down to the radiation center where Linda did her earlier treatment and also the Livestrong program...all the folks were excited to see Linda and were blown away at how good she looked for what she had been through...the visit with the nurse was very beneficial.....she reviewed what we had been doing and what we had planned for the future in terms of the various ostomy products...we agreed on a plan of action and meet again before we go to Florida to start ordering supplies.....no more home nursing is required...this nurse was very pleased with our progress.

Today was Janet's last day here in Central Oregon...to be truthful, she was running out of things to do...her fault for working so hard and efficiently.....we are very thankful for her help and for her family allowing her to come....now it's only about getting up at 4 am to get her to the airport...yawn!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU JANET!!!!!!

The closing is proceeding on time and without glitches...we are having problems with the potential renting of the Brasada spec house.....with the bank being the biggest obstacle....we are so fed up with the banking system in this country who took our governmental money and then are dumping houses for ridiculous prices, destroying the market further..losing millions of dollars in the process but doing well because of our money...almost makes me want to puke! We either are getting a renter or not having one because we have a construction loan and the bank wants us to sell the property with no buyers in sight..and the only closings have been bankruptcies where the bank loss a lot of money...go figure...anyway this should clear up soon...and means we store our belongings in Portland or "stage" the spec house at Brasada...we'd like to know....

Tuesday....January 26th...2010

Today Linda got up but was dragging a "big anchor".....she was having a bad bad case of the "chemo punies"...yesterday wasn't that hot either....so we decided to go to Bend and see the Oncologist for a blood test. The test was fine...Linda's blood workup was good....just a bad case of the "punies. So they sat her down for two hours and gave her infusions for hydration...which made all the difference in the world. Hopefully tomorrow she will be "out of the woods" with this .

Tomorrow Linda sees the surgeon to review the ruptured colon surgery and see how she is healing. Then it's on the the Ostomy Clinic to see what and how she is doing.

Then back home packing....we have Janet for one more day...she has done a great job and has been/is a lot of help....made a lot of difference. Janine comes Friday night for the weekend and her focus will be boxing up the art work. Jeff comes Tuesday for a couple three days and his focus will be the books....sorting and boxing....

Monday....January 25th....2010.....757th Blog

Hard day's work today.....we are making great headway......yesterday we worked into the afternoon and then "speed watched" the two football playoff games....neither of our favorites won....

Linda and Dave met with the title company today to get the closing papers in order...it looks like everything is proceeding along fine......we are actually signing on the 5th to close on the 8th so we can get a head start to Portland to store our "stuff" and get ready to fly to Florida.....we are also packing the RV so we have "stuff" we need when we come back to Oregon.

Janet continues to be a super worker...(see picture below!!!!!!)...(the picture is actually at 9 pm).....she has a good work ethic we hope our kids match when they show to help....we shall see.

Tomorrow Janet and Linda are "working" together.....with Linda sitting and pointing a lot...Dave is spending the day in the garage organizing the garage sale stuff (he has made $46 so far).

Jim and Jenn stopped by yesterday on their way home from skiing.....

Linda is in the midst of the "chemo punies"...our hope is it is not lengthy as a result of the major surgery...it usually lasts 2 to 3 days...we shall see..

.

.

Saturday...January 23rd...20120

Still no pics...too busy!

Linda "slumped" today....duh!.....major surgery.....chemo.....not drinking enough water...not sleeping enough.....we think she's "got it".....ie ...slow down....rest....drink lots of water....

Major progress today.....Janet doing a super job.....

Tomorrow a "light day" as we plan on quiting early and watching the football playoffs.....tape delaying the first one so we can skip all the commercials.....Go Brett...Go Vikings....

Friday....January 22nd...2010

We are so "caught up" in the packing we are "blogless"..ie. we haven't taken the time to write on the blog nor take any pictures....tomorrow we will do better......maybe....

With Janet's help, we are whizzing right along.....much further along than we figured we'd be. We have a Uhaul rented on the 6th and 7th and kids coming to finish packing....cleaning...and loading the Uhaul....of course at Janet's pace so far, we might be done sooner than later.

Linda is doing well...over doing it of course but taking naps and eating good.....she had a rough night last night but will take some sleeping pills to get rested tonight...and she promises to back off a bit tomorrow.

Talked to "Lil Sis's" daughter today...she has been released from the hospital...but it appears the doctor has stopped the chemo as it is too hard on her and hospice has been called in....we hope to hear directly from her soon.

Yesterday we finished the "punch list" established by the buyer's inspection....including some outdoor filling and painting from the sun and weather.....cleaning gutters...patching a couple of roof caps...etc...etc. It was a good thing it was done yesterday as we awoke to 3 inches of new snow today....and headlines of why there was no snow in Central Oregon...yuk yuk....

Pictures tomorrow.....

Six Happiness Tips

Advice from Tal Ben-Shahar

1. Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions — such as fear, sadness, or anxiety — as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness.

2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning.

3. Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on (the full or the empty part of the glass) and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity?

4. Simplify! We are, generally, too busy, trying to squeeze in more and more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much.

5. Remember the mind-body connection. What we do — or don't do — with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health.

6. Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile

Wednesday....January 20th....2010

Linda here filling in for Dave who is wearing out.

Janet arrived here from Nebraska today, so we have been having a great time catching up. It is so good to have her here to keep me company and help out while Dave continues with the moving effort.

We are still waiting to make the decision on whether we will be renting the big house. They say they will have a decision in two days. I pray we all make the right decision.

I'm still enjoying my flowers. I daily glean them of dead blooms and occasionally put two bouquets together out of one. Thank you all for the flowers and cards which continue to come in the mail. And for all the encouraging comments to keep my spirits up. I am getting stronger every day.


Believe it or not, my shingles still bother me, but the home nurse said it is getting healed. My mid section still really hurts, but I've definitely come to terms to my new status and am feeling so much better spiritually. I think I'll survive!

Love and gratitude......Linda

Tuesday....January 19th...20010...753rd BLOG

Remember the song..."What a Difference a Day Makes"?

What a difference a day made
Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain

Mrs. Wood has done an amazing "turn around.....from a crunched over invalid to an upright purpose driven individual...she thinks it is because of the steroids she is taking because of the chemo infusion today.....who knows.....but it is a welcome sight.

A busy day today with multiple appointments in town.....

The first visit was to get the remainder of the staples out from Linda's surgery...no drama there.....then on to the Oncologist who said her blood counts and vitals were excellent....he said to start the "maintenance therapy" today which included Alimta as the "preferred therapy"...new words meaning Linda is continuing on the Alimta as it has been effective in controlling the spread of the cancer.

Linda will have another Alimta infusion on February 5th and then we fly out to Florida on the 9th...the Oncologist wants a scan done down there in two or three weeks after another infusion on the three week schedule in Florida...the results will be sent to him so the two Oncologists can discuss.

We met with our attorney again today and were simply amazed at how many things we still have to do to get our trust in order....we thought we were on top of things but work needs to be done....

Linda's Aunt Margaret passed away....Linda is sad (and so is Dave) as she was a wonderful person who we got to see for the last time on our Nebraska trip last summer. We also hear that step sister Vicky is not faring well with the lung cancer (that was in her lymph, liver and brain also)....we don't have a full picture yet...but working on it....you might remember her as "Little Sis" on this BLOG......

Linda got a hair cut today....she had a bad one done in Florida...we think the gal who cut it thought she was cutting a flat top on a guy...today's cut was more "Jamie Lee Curtis" type of cut....

Some pictures of Linda today.... Dave thought the "flower" that came on a package was a cute addition.....Linda has always thought his humor was warped......

.

Sunday....January 17th...2010

Linda did ok today....still healing and a bit unstable...the home nurse is coming tomorrow so we get some questions answered and Tuesday we see the Oncologist. Janet Emken is coming from Nebraska this Wednesday for 8 days....that aught to help a lot.....it's been hard attending to Linda, taking care of the daily stuff and begin the packing process....

Linda got a call from old friends last night....the annual gathering of Champ Car fans (yes they are still out there) placed a call and lots of folks talked with Linda.....wow was her spirit lifted.....it is hard to imagine...just a "short while ago" we were flying everywhere......working our "asses" off....nothing could stop us.....and we loved every minute of it....how kind of those folks to call. We hope to have a picture sent by the group soon so we can post it....and we have a surprise picture for them too....

Saturday...January 16th...2010

Linda had a bunch of small issues this morning which raised my concern but everything seems to have settled down....she actually needs almost a full time caregiver....but things will get better.....Sadie is filling in as needed....as you can see from the picture..

Grand daughter Jillian called today...and lifted Linda's spirits....it reminds her of another reason to leave this beautiful Central Oregon for that raining Portland.....

The move is "moving along"...many little projects and emails to the buyers to keep them on top of things....our main packing will be the week of the first week in February with the moving on the 4-6th and cleaning after that...we have gotten commitments from the kids to help..so we are ahead of the game....

Friday...January 15th...2010

Moving started in earnest today....one trip to Brasada to store all the Christmas tubs......another trip tomorrow with more garage stuff. Also working on a reconditioning of a family cedar chest that has been in the works for many years...time to quit procrastinating and get it done....then it goes to Wendy and Taigen.

Oh...and a trip to the dump was a highlight of the day....

Linda did much better today..took a light regimen of pain pills which made her day much easier....also getting on top of the ostomy procedures....thanks to neighbor Liz who delivered some Costco Marie Callender's chicken pot pies for Linda...too much fat but Miss Wood needs some fat....actually she has been eating well....and taking her meds....Tuesday we will see her back on chemo and all....

ps...we made it in the Wings E newsletter that went out to over 5000 homes....

Winging It! Dave Wood - "A Journey Through Cancer"

"We both learned to not live in the future as it destroys not only the future but the present. We learned to be present moment to moment." - Dave Wood

"When I first decided to write about our journey through cancer I felt at one point as if I had the complete story... and then when I tried to put the words on paper, which is normally easy for me, I found it was not possible."

By the way, I published this entire article on a previous blog date...we are already getting great comments back as a result of the above published article.

Friday....January 19th...2010

What are our plans?
.
We are scheduled to have our home sale closed on February 8th....they take possession on the 11th....we fly to Florida on the 9th. We will be packing till the 5th of February.....Dave is currently cleaning and packing the garage.......the big move will be the 5th-7th of February with cleaning on the 7th and 8th...

We plan on having the Brasada Ranch house as our "residence" with the house "staged" with our furniture.......we will store our "stuff" in the large 3 car garage.

We plan on attempting to sell our Florida home while we are down there..."turn key".....that is, everything goes with the house.....dishes.....sheets....car......we only remove our personal stuff...although it can be bought too.....yuk...yuk. It will be in "move in" condition.

When we return to Oregon in early May, we will "live" in the Brasada house but spend most of our time in Portland in the motor home......if a "good deal" opens up in Portland, we will purchase and move....

We hope to have Linda's care continue under the Bend, Oregon Oncologist....

That's about it.....

Linda struggled a bit yesterday...getting used to limited mobility and all....we have a lot of medical appointments set up starting next week...
.

Thursday....January 14th...2010

Mrs. Wood is adjusting to being home..not as easy or convenient but she is adjusting.....

.

Dave is working on starting the move and meeting the "punch list" of things to "fix" for the buyers and taking care of Mrs. Wood He has included a picture of Mrs. Wood when she was much younger as a reminder of what a sweet lady she was/is......

Wednesday...January 13th...2010

Linda is home....resting on the couch....she says "hi" to all of you and wants you to know she is doing ok...and thanks each and every one of you for your positive energy...... a bit slow but every day she will get better....the next couple of weeks are full of doctor appointments and all.

The oncologist cleared her for her Florida trip...she starts chemo again next Tuesday....the last of her staples come out in one week and she sees the surgeon for his final blessing in two weeks. She will be working closely with the ostomy folks for the next couple of weeks.

A salute to Sisters Drug...amazing people...and so very concerned about Linda.....oftentimes they get the medication orders from the Doctors and have to wait to see what is up with Linda.....it was very heartfelt today.

A salute to the nurses and CNA's for their dedication and kindness and humor....it was fun under stressful circumstances...not that we want to repeat it...they were great .

And to Linda's doctors...Dr. Kornfeld...Oncologist .....who knows what to say at the right time.....and understands stage 4 cancer patients are humans too. And to Dr. Frei....the Surgeon.....who finally smiled and was so skilled in what he did.....and Dr. No....who made the "behind the scene decisions" on behalf of Linda..."Yes to Dr. No!!!"..

.
.

Found this beautiful winter poem and thought it might be a comfort to you. It was sent to me and it's very well written and I hope that you enjoy it too .


' WINTER '

by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre

Crap....It's Cold

The End

Wednesday Early....January 13th...2010

Looks like the airline reservations have been made for Florida (great price)...Southwest Airlines on February 9th...this is will be almost 5 weeks after Linda's surgery...the surgeon said tonight Linda could fly to Florida two weeks from today which would be the 27th..so this gives her plenty of time...plus it allows for the house sale closing as well as two chemo treatments.

The house closing is on the 6th of February with possession on the 9th....We plan on moving all the big stuff on the 5 thru the 7th weekend....and packing between now and then......so all those volunteers, pick your time and let Linda know...packing (now to the 5th) , loading (5th to the 7th) or cleaning (6th to the 7th)......

Linda will have half of her surgical staples removed today when she is discharged...the other half (every other one left) will be removed in one week.....she is going to continue outpatient assistance for the colostomy. We hope to have her back in chemo Friday or Monday at the latest.

She should be out of the hospital around 2 pm today.....

Tuesday....January 12th...2010....745th Blog

Linda gets out tomorrow...they are very pleased with her progress.....she is still not very excited about the colostomy and all but looks forward to 6 months from now when she can request it being reversed.

Our buyers came today and Dave spent 3 and a half hours going over things...the "fixes" will be minor and the inspection turned up very little.......
.

.

Monday evening....January 11th...2010

Linda had a pretty good day.....I believe she will have a good night....

See the clown that stopped by her room to brighten her evening...

.

.