Friday....May 15th...2009

Well....we made it to Seattle...by way of Portland (spent Thursday night with daughter Janine and saw son Jim and daughter in law Jenn)(and Friday morning looking at condos with daughter in law and realtor Jenn)....and then up the freeway, doing quite well until the last 25 miles to Tacoma that took an hour and a half because of two accidents.....and then dinner with my Mom and step brother Mick and step sister Kelly.

We had a great dinner and visit and then a quick drive to Seattle to spend the next two nights at daughter Wendy and son in law Chris and grand daughter Taigen's home in West Seattle.

Linda held up well but was ready to "cash it in" for the night pretty fast...in fact she is snoring very loudly as I type this...don't tell her I said that! She really enjoyed seeing relatives and is looking forward to the cruise.

I forgot to mention the Oncologist changed her doses of heart medications yesterday and her pulse is no long racing like it has been...much relief for her.

Pictures below....dinner with my Mom, Mick and Kelly.....and the last picture...."Sadie the Lady" telling us goodbye as we leave her with daughter Janine for a week while we cruise.
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Wednesday...May 13th...2009

Tomorrow Linda has her chemo treatment and then we head to Portland ....she has had an "uneventful" day..pulse up a bit..hair coming out faster now (actually it is coming out at the same rate for weeks but is at "critical fallout" as we speak).

Linda is looking forward to the cruise...it has been one of her goals and we are doing it....a bit earlier than we had planned but the timing and the price (great great price) was right.

Friday we go to Tacoma for a Mother's day dinner..a bit late, I know...then on to Seattle to stay with daughter Wendy and son in law Chris...and Miss Taigen, the precious grand daughter.

Saturday it is lunch with my aunt and cousin(s)...I am calling myself the long lost nephew as we were disconnected for many years.

Sunday ....North to Alaska.....remember the song by Johnny Horton?
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Monday...May11th...2009

Linda had another "down" day with high pulse and tired and all....BUT then we had company come over and her energy went up....great news....great company....we hope for a good tomorrow now. Talked to the neighbor about the dog....hopefully that is all worked out...they are good neighbors...so are we...the dog just has to be a good neighbor too!

Tomorrow we go to Brasada to finish doing the bark dust on the spec house...we want everything looking good for a potential buyer...should one miraculously come by....one wants to be ready no matter what the market looks like.

Sunday......May 10th...2009

Not such a good day for Linda....perhaps too many activities...too much company.....an accumulation of chemo....or a combination....who knows....tomorrow she is going to "lie low"....we have company tomorrow night and she has agreed to sleep in (if our neighbor's new dog allows it....his persistent barking woke us before 8 am this morning) and take naps during the day....she did take two naps today.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.....

Why Dogs Bark
The first step in obtaining peace and quiet is to realize that most dogs bark for specific reasons. Some reasons include:

Solitary Confinement. A dog left alone or confined for long periods without supervision is likely to bark because he feels anxious or sad and is afraid the owner may not return. (Will your dog be left along for much of the day? Some dogs adapt to this better than others.)

Who's in Charge Here? Your dog may bark excessively for your attention because you unintentionally trained him to do so. One "woof" and you open the door to let him out. Another and you let him in. A polite bark is rewarded with a treat. A loud one brings praise for alerting you to stranger danger. Too much barking brings censure. To a dog, humans are consistently inconsistent.

Inactivity. Lack of exercise can easily result in a dog that has pent-up energy and barks out of frustration. A well-exercised, happy dog is more likely to sleep when you're not there.

How to Stop the Barking
So, what can you do about your dog's barking? Here are some tips:

Let's get physical. Dogs that spend most of their time in the backyard or in the house probably need an exercise outlet. Even if your yard is large, dashing around it in circles is not the equivalent of exercise and interaction. Take your dog for a long walk, or head to the park for a change of scenery and a game of fetch.

Love the one you're with. Bring your dog into the house when you're home. It's important that he feels he's part of the family and is loved. Develop a relationship with him through play and fun.

You've got a friend in me. Dogs are social creatures. Take your dog to the same park daily or weekly and let him make doggy friends. Dogs romping around together tire easily and sleep soundly.

More Strategies
Once you've tried some of these doggie deterrents, if your dog still insists on barking his heart out, then you may need to employ a more serious at-home training strategy like this:

First, teach your dog that barking is okay until he is told to "Be quiet." Each time your dog barks, command him to "Be quiet." Simultaneously, hold a treat in front of your dog's nose. Most dogs get quiet immediately because they can't sniff and lick the treat while barking at the same time.

Praise your dog continuously during his quiet time with petting and words of encouragement.
After three seconds of no barking, let him have the treat. As you continue with your training, increase the amount of time you require him to be quiet before giving the treat.

When your dog makes a mistake and barks (and he will) reprimand him immediately. Never strike your dog, but do something that will catch his attention, such as clapping loudly or squirting water in his face. As soon as your dog stops barking, you must instantly reward him.

Saturday...May 9th...2009

Linda is doing nicely...walking every day....taking her medications...good spirits and all...Daughter Janine is here ...son Jeff was here last night and will come again tomorrow.

I forgot to mention a very important thing at the Oncologists the other day...Linda has been worried about her lower back pain...being tied to the cancer..after the OHSU doctor mentioned an unidentified spot on the spine...well anyway, all is well...the pain is in the lower back...the spot noticed is up the spine....so no connection.

That's about it......

Thursday....May 7th...2009

Big day today.....

Linda's first day of cycle 5 started today with the visit to her Oncologist. He noticed and said immediately that she looked "cushingoid"....which means she was exhibiting the signs and symptoms of Cushing's Disease...ie..her face looked fat. This doesn't mean she has the disease..it means she has the same look...if that makes sense. This "look" is caused by the steroids she is taking...I noticed it a while back but she said she didn't notice anything...well today the doctor did. The solution...cut the steroid use in half and examine again next week.

If you look closely at the pictures I've taken of her in the last week or more, you will surely agree she is "cushingnoid".

The Oncologist told Linda her blood counts were back, ie..... "good".....this is great news as it has been a while...it seems the Procrit shots have done their job...no need for a shot today.

The Oncologist also discussed the finding by the 2nd opinion in Portland at OHSU.....the only thing that may be different is a recommendation of possible treatment after cycle 6. Also the possibility of a "port" for future infusions was discussed as Linda has difficulties with the needle "pokes"...ie., finding a good vein for the blood tests and infusions...we are not sure where that will go.

Linda did her 4 hours of 3 infusions without any difficulty...the $17K infusion we have talked about.

Then it was off to the Dermatologist as a followup to her Moh's surgery to remove the basal cell cancer on her face..remember the 30 stitches? the doctor was very pleased with her progress and felt that with another two months or so of massaging the area with petrolium jelly, there should be little evidence of scaring...he will do a followup check in six months.

A few more chores in Bend and then home we came...a bit worn out from the long day. Tomorrow night son Jeff comes for dinner...then Saturday daughter Janine and son Jim come for the weekend.

Next week another chemo session and getting ready for the Alaska cruise...and the trip to Portland and on to Seattle...seeing family and friends along the way.

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Tuesday...May 5th...2009

Things are OK here. Linda is a bit concerned about intermittent pain in her lower back...since the Oncologist at OHSU indicated a note on the Scan had indicated something there....too early to define what it was. Linda has had back pain since she fell on ice several years ago...and since Vioxx was removed from the market. We shall discuss all this with the Oncologist on Thursday (Chemo Cycle 5 Day 1).

We just booked an Alaska cruise....we waited until we got old..and we are old....so we are booked. We leave on the cruise out of Seattle on May 17th and return to Seattle on May 24th..it also allows us to visit relatives and friends in Portland, Tacoma and Seattle. We had some ship credits and a great sale on Norwegian Cruise Lines, so we are going "on the cheap".

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Sunday...May 3rd...2009

We are back home from a short ski excursion to Mt. Bachelor...me ski...Linda rest and read books. We didn't expect snow in a late spring date..last night we got 4 new inches..and more to come tonight...so we "bailed" and came home early. It was nice to get away in the motorhome..first time out this spring.

Linda felt pretty good...her blood pressure and pulse were high this morning...her blood pressure medication brought things down to normal in short order...it seems the chemo does weird things with her blood pressure and pulse.

Tomorrow we go to Brasada Ranch to work on the 1.5 mil spec house...house cleaning..new bark..etc...etc.. Anything to attract a buyer....
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Friday ...May 1st...2009

I did have another thing on my mind I wanted to talk about.....when I worked for the Oregon Education Association as a consultant, I agreed to mentor an intern, Sandy Bushek. Sandy turned out to be a great consultant herself and is a wonderful person. Her husband, Dan, was a great guy too. Anyway, Dan was diagnosed with Stage III Lung Cancer last August and passed away the other day. I want to share his obituary in honor of him.....I know his fight was a tough one.
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Friday...May 1st...2009

Not much to report today...Linda doing OK...pulse up a bit...so she wears down easier.

Tomorrow bright and early, we take the motorhome to Mt. Bachelor for a couple of days of skiing....nice to have your home out the front door to the ski lifts. So if no Internet signal wandering around, it will be Monday before we are back.

Today was "bark dust day"....with a Ranger pickup, it takes two loads to do the job, so we are half way done...another load on Monday. Linda insisted on helping so the best thing to do was give her a whisk broom and have her clean the bark dust off the rocks...which she did wonderfully.

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Thursday...April 30th...2009

Linda had a difficult time doing a blood draw at the Oncologist again today..took three tries again...the blood count was up a bit so the transfusion and Procrit seem to be working..she got another Procrit shot today....she is doing well.

"Dat's" about it.....

In the Wing's seminar last Saturday, we were asked to do a metaphor of a belief that we hold that is limiting and when changed will bring tremendous energy to our lives. Linda's limiting belief is that there is not enough time left in her life. The metaphor in her life is a "watch"....ie..the watch shows there is time....even though there are things going on in her body, she is living in the present and knows she does have time for a whole lot of things...

One of the other participants sent her an email saying she loved Linda's watch as a metaphor and that it reminded her of a song by Jimmy Buffett entitled "Breathe in Breathe Out Move On".The song is about hurricane Katrina but really about a watch that reads "now" and "the time is now", "breathe in", "breathe out" and "move on"......"the past is gone" and in my words, "the future hasn't come yet"


Breathe in, Breathe Out, Move on
(Jimmy Buffett)

I bought a cheap watch from a crazy man
Floating down canal
It doesn't use numbers or moving hands
It always just says now
Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And If I have trouble the warranty said
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

And it rained, It was nothing really new
And it blew, we've seen all that before
And it poured, the Earth began to strain
Pontchartrain leaking through the door, tides at war

If a hurricane doesn't leave you dead
It will make you strong
Don't try to explain it just nod your head
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

And it rained, It was nothing really new
And it blew, seen all that before
And it poured, the Earth began to strain
Pontchartrain buried the 9th Ward to the 2nd floor

According to my watch the time is now
Past is dead and gone
Don't try to shake it just nod your head
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On
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Thank you Cindy...that is really special and well worth sharing....wow!

Wednesday...April 29th....2009

Home again!...back from the Oregon coast by way of Portland looking at some condos and stopping to wish Marlin, Linda's brother, a happy birthday...Linda is doing well...tomorrow she receives at Procrit shot (for red blood cell production) and that's it...chemo again next Thursday.

Some pictures from the last couple of days.....
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Tuesday...April 28th...2009

Steve, Nancy and Linda are touring a winery at Nehalem Bay while I am "stealing" their wireless signal ...Pictures...Jim and Jenn ..brunch on Sunday before we came to the coast...Linda beside herself watching the Blazer game Sunday night...and beautiful sunsets.

Linda is doing very well..lots of energy..either the company or the transfusion..or both...

Monday..... April 27..... 2009

Here we are in beautiful Seaside, Oregon with great friends having a great time. The four of us haven't gotten together since shortly after I was first diagnosed almost two years ago, and what a shame, as we always have such a good time together. Nancy and Steve are out for a drive and stopping to pick up seafood for tonight's dinner (We are pigging out while we are here). I've already had a morning nap to keep my energy up for all the fun we are having. We played two games of "Five Crowns" last night and I won them both (no chemo brain for me!) I've already made chocolate chip cookies yesterday and sweet rolls for breakfast so that they won't forget why they invite me along. ha ha.

Love and Gratitude

Linda

Sunday....April 26th....2009

Getting ready for brunch with son Jim and daughter in law Jenn...then off to the coast with Steve and Nancy....back to Portland on Wednesday to look at three condos.

Had a great Wings Seminar yesterday...Linda held up well and we both came away glad we had made the trek to Eugene.. It is unusual to have a one day seminar...and we gained a lot in the one day. It was "Change Your Mind...Change the World".This 1-day seminar explored this transformation.....learning the skills to do something different, create new patterns and live with intention going towards what one wants. ...I liked the statement..."when I change, there is a ripple effect" and " I wanted to change the world but found out the only thing one can be sure of change is oneself". Another was "when the door open, go through it".

The seminar was a great review for both of us about focusing on ourselves and what we want to see in our lives and the world......that is how change is made in the world....

A little "gift" in the seminar was a sharing by a participant who has a "feel good binder" where she has kept past letters, awards, etc. for herself.....and when she feels down or...she takes out the binder as a reminder of what she has achieved and more....great idea!

Anyway, on to the beach with friends.

ps.........Wings Seminars...... http://www.wings-seminars.com/ We highly recommend it to all.......check out their web site....

Friday...April 24th...2009

Today was a big day...we arrived in Portland last night and this morning looked around for possible relocation places, should our house in Sisters sell.

Linda's appointment at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) was at 2:30 with a leading lung cancer specialist...

What did we learn.....

Linda's treatment was progressing quite well...they were very pleased with her progress ...and said they wouldn't have done anything different.

They are getting everything together should we relocate to Portland and said it would be easy to transition.....

There were no clinical trials coming up that would fit her case...and they described for us how the trials worked and the different types.

They answered questions about diet and anything special which would enhance recovery or make things work better. They said keeping a positive attitude, exercise and keeping weight were the most important...they said there was no scientific evidence that a certain diet or regimen or...other than the above would help cure/control the cancer.

They talked about how this cancer will progress in answer to Linda's question.....emphasizing each person is unique and there is no way to predict how and when things will happen. Linda is in the first "line of defense"...with the effort being to control the cancer....at the end of the 6th cycle (she is in 4 now), the Oncologist will continue perhaps two more cycles, use one of the chemos in a maintenance program, stop all together with a scan every three months ...or...or.

Eventually there will be a move to a second line of defense and then a third as the cancer overcomes the treatment...it is not a matter of "if"..it is "when".

Again, they were very pleased with her progress to this point.

They said eventually the cancer will be in a different place like the brain or the bone and that will be the critical point....so Linda is committed to a good attitude, exercise and diet and will do her part to control this cancer...

The Oncologist suggested that your part is to provide love and support and understand there is no "magic" to make things different....no special diet..no special place to go for treatment...or..or...

Linda was quite satisfied with the meeting as were the two Oncologists...I forgot to mention we actually saw two Oncologists..the first one reviewed his findings with the second who talked with Linda also.

We had dinner with Linda's dear friend Claudia, who is a sweet lady. We had lots of fun at PF Chang's and only quit early as Linda and Dave drive to Eugene early in the am for an all day Wings Seminar. Sunday we head to the beach at Seaside with two friends, Steve and Nancy, to spend a few days telling old stories and lies....
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Wednesday...April 22nd...2009

Linda went to St. Charles today for the blood transfusion.....to deal with the anemia....it took 3 hours....no immediate changes for the good yet....so who knows. Linda gets time off now as we are in the second week of cycle 4 with the chemo for this week having been given yesterday....next week she has the week off and will begin cycle 5 on the 7th of May.

Tomorrow we head to Portland with the meeting for the second opinion at OHSU on Friday...Sunday we head to the coast at Seaside for some R&R with friends....

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Tuesday...April 21st...2009

Where do we start?

A "normal" infusion day producing a lot of stuff....

Linda went in for her infusion..2nd week of cycle 4 of 6 cycles....she had a series of questions so we met with the Oncologist, following the infusion.

First...to deal with the anemia which shows the red blood cell production has dropped again another very small amount means the red blood cell production inducer shots have yet to "kick in"...so tomorrow she will go to the hospital to receive a blood transfusion...to " kick start" things.....

Friday we go to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) to start her second opinion and to set up things should we sell and move to Portland....today we talked again about it with the Oncologist and went to Central Oregon Radiation Association (CORA) to get the past scans on disk and to the Cancer Care of the Cascades for documentation of care to this point, including all chemo infusions etc., to take to Portland.

Lastly, Linda discussed some vertigo and imbalances she has started to experience...this could set off alarms, meaning something has moved to the brain...her brain scan 10 weeks ago was clear. The Oncologist explained it could be a variety of causes....one type of chemo Linda is receiving could be causing it...it could be the anemia.....or it could be cancer....rather than jump to a conclusion, Linda will receive the transfusion tomorrow and watch her symptoms for a few days ..if the imbalance and vertigo continue then another brain scan is in order....we shall see and not jump to any conclusions unwarranted.

Linda is pretty worn down...but she's watching the Blazers play again tonight and has not yelled too much yet as the Blazers are playing better defense, etc..

Next...Dave....Had his followup PDT visit with the Dermatologist...that was the photodynamic therapy done months ago to kill pre cancers on the face and scalp...there was an additional concern (on Dave's part) as he got a sunburn skiing yesterday....where was the sun screen ...you ask?...such a logical and reasonable question...Yes...he did pack it....yes it went to the mountain....no...he didn't use it....why....he forgot. The dermatologist was "ok" about it....Dave thought he was going to get chewed out..a gentle reminder of the need to use it followed....

Outcome?...a couple of pre cancers on the lip and one on the forehead..marked improvement from past exams....PDT worked....followup in 6 weeks to look at the lip again.

Next...Sadie...horrible piles and blood in the house when we returned....the good news is we had a vet scheduled for late today....she has colitis....why....unknown....why is it continuing....the medication Sadie was to take every day was not done properly...so it is not a surprise she had become very sick again....why?...no finger pointing...we suffered another big bill today and more medication....this time the directions will be followed and she will be a healthy puppy again...

That's about it...Dave skis in the am with his sunscreen on and then gets Linda for her transfusion at the hospital...Thursday, Linda goes to her local cancer support group and then we head to Portland for a few days followed by a few days with friends on the coast to rest and reflect on old times...

Sunday....April 19th....2009

Slow, warm day today..we stayed home instead of attending the memorial we had planned to attend..not enough energy.

Linda is ok...looking to Tuesday and confer with the Oncologist...

The Silent Generation are people born before 1946. -
The Baby Boomers are people born between 1946 and 1959. -
Generation X are people born between 1960 and 1979. -
Generation Y are people born between 1980 and 1995.

Why do we call the last one Generation Y?

Saturday....April 18th...2009

Today was a day of rest....sorta....Linda fixed a delightful breakfast for the neighbors across the creek....and I ate too many cinnamon rolls...and forgot to take pictures.....we also went to Hoodoo Ski Area....about 25 minutes from the house to get my new skis adjusted.....

The rest of the day has been sitting in the sun and now watching the Trailblazers play their first playoff game against Houston....we are a ways down....it needs to turn around...as Miss Linda is getting a bit loud...yes..she yells when the Blazers make mistakes....and ....and

Linda is still very anemic..it shows in her "steps"...I wanted her to go in yesterday and get a transfusion..but she is holding off till Tuesday...there she goes...she just yelled again...we are down by 12 points in the second quarter.

More tomorrow.....

Yesterday we had to go to Linda's 1.5 million dollar spec.....to do a few things.....pictures below...man...we need a sale....anyone interested?....there she goes ..she just yelled again..we are down by 1o points......

Now she's here in the office yelling about that "Chinese guy"....ie Houston's center (Yau Ming)....she says "he's 8 for 8....it isn't fair!"

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Thursday...April 16th....2009

Trip to Bend today..then on to Brasada Ranch..then to Redmond..then home.....we accomplished a lot...got Linda toget her hair cut short...with it being a bit sparser than normal she does look much better with shorter hair..she agrees after fighting it for a month. She held up well today but indicated she felt like she had ankle weights on today...she has gone to bed early.

Schedule...

Friday..relax..nothing pressing to do....some sun time for sure...

Saturday..relax..nothing pressing to do...some sun time for sure...did I mention it is supposed to be 80 degrees? I might ski if they arrive in the UPS tomorrow from South Tahoe...

Sunday..relax..nothing pressing to do...will attend a memorial for a dear lady who gave a lot to the National Ski Patrol......

Monday...Reality check.....

Wednesday....April 15th....2009

Linda is doing well today after the big chemo day yesterday and the fiasco the day before with the scan. She got multiple calls from CORA, the company that did the scan on Monday....they have been very apologetic....erased all costs associated with the scan (those buggers are over a thousand but we have no cost as Linda quickly filled our "stop loss" this year....so no out of pocket....does save the insurance company money). They have also communicated with the company that provided the safety alarm system that didn't work...etc...etc. They also have a plan in place to use Linda's oncology nurses for the insertions and then head over to the scan.

So they are concerned and have gone out of their way to communicate...beats most of the communications one has these days....we've been over a month getting a pair of skis from Tahoe by UPS and getting carpet backordered through Home Depot....

Linda is tired..took a 2 hour nap....the anemia is the main cause...

Tuesday...April 14th...2009

We went to a Livestrong (Lance Armstrong Foundation) dinner tonight...Defeat Cancer (Diet, Exercise, Family, Education, Attitude and thriving), part of the St. Charles Cancer Care Program.

The speaker is a 30 year nursery worker and expert.....his whole life ....7 days a week is with plants...and he doesn't see it as work...

His message while discussing plants and all that associates with gardens and.....:

You are in charge of your own vessel.
You set the sail.
You adjust that sail.

Someone is always better than you.
Someone is always worse than you.

Adjust for a better life.

Gardening can be part of the puzzle (of a successful life).
It can put a smile on your face.
Share some flowers.
Give some herbs.

We all have a chance to make a difference in our lives.

Get off the "pitty pot" and "flush".

Refuse to give up.
You (doctors) had your chance to kill me.

Taking it too easy doesn't work too well.
Doing things keeps you going.

This was a very inspirational and insightful evening, drawing upon the garden and work associated with a sucessful garden and its relationship with life.

Not a bad way to spend an evening.

PS..I was looking for an appropriate cartoon to illustrate the story above associated with gardening....could not resist this "inappropriate cartoon"....
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Tuesday...April 14th...2009

"D" Day Today..."D" stands for "Defeat"...defeat cancer that is...

We met with the Oncologist.....Linda said "Do you have good news..I don't want to shoot the messenger"...the Oncologist, Dr. Kornfeld said "I have good news"...

The scan showed "marked improvement"...not just improvement... "marked improvement".

He went on to say that there was reduction in the left lung tumors, decreased size in the small tumors in the right lung and decrease lymph node cancer and decrease in lesions in the one lesion in the liver and the one lesion in the spleen (if they are cancerous). He said the reduction was 30% on a side which is good...this means a 60% reduction in volume of the tumors.

This means the cancer is responding to the treatment. He went on to say that it is not so important as to where the cancer is and how much or how many organs or...as opposed to the response to the treatment...that is, if one has cancer in one organ and there is a negative response...that is the worse case.

Linda's immune system is good.

Linda is continuing to become more anemic..she received a shot of Procrit again today (to stimulate the creation of red blood cells.)...she will receive a shot every week until we see him again. If this is not enough, she will go in for blood transfusions. The net affect of this is tiredness.

Linda will not see the Oncologist again for three weeks...she is to continue on the same course of treatment for at least three more cycles as the cancer is responding to this treatment. There will be another scan at the end of the 6th cycle (ie 9 weeks).

He said the screwup (our word) yesterday with the contrast is diminishing..there was still swelling today but not as dramatic as yesterday...the Oncology nurses were appalled and a bit disgusted....as they work with injections all the time...Linda is a tough one for injections and infusions...we have never gotten a clear answer as to why she doesn't have a port....(a different permanent system for infusions rather than finding veins each time for infusions, blood draws etc. etc.).

How does Linda feel ..."Grateful"...

Does this mean the cancer will go away...no...but it can go into remission....and then a maintenance program of chemo is established....will it rear its ugly head again...most likely....some day..we hope for some day not too soon...a long time away.

Linda got a "nutty bar" (her fabvorite) at Costco to celebrate (hey, what do you mean saying I'm cheap?)

We came home for Linda to get a nap and then back to Bend for a "Defeat Dinner" ...sponsored by the Livestrong program...Lance Armstrong Foundation...
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Some pictures from last week....Linda and Dave at the hockey game last Thursday in Tampa....good friends Neil and Terese (she just won 2.5 million on the slots at the Indian Casino) and Linda flying back to Oregon (as opposed to the last trip).
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Monday....April 13th...2009

Did I ever tell you that Linda Lou thinks up new things to have me worry about...I mean strange thinks that only happen once in a "blue moon"?

Well she did it again today.....

Linda went in to get her scan done to see how the cancer was progressing...or "degressing"...or "ungressing"......anyway they put the "contrast" by infusion into her vein....and started the process of scanning...she immediately felt extreme pain in her arm and they stopped things to take a look.....low and behold, the contrast was not going into her vein, but rather into the soft tissue in her arm...the needle had come out of the vein or...or....

The tech said he had only seen that once on the three years he had been there. Linda was scared because of the look and feel of the arm....

They ended up doing the scan without the contrast...and treated her with ice and heat....and had her keep her arm raised above her heart......we think they call the condition "contrast medium infiltration"....and has to be closely observed.....

We have been back twice today to the doctor in charge as the swelling is continuing....she also has called him this evening...he is not so concerned about the swelling but rather if there are other reactions which haven't yet been observed....if they do, off to the emergency room we go....
What a day...again....

Tomorrow we see the Oncologist..who will review the scan plus look at the affected arm...

We have an early photo of the condition..look closely to see the swelling ..and then imagine it three times as long (from just above the wrist to the armpit....) this late in the day...6 hours after it happened...

How is Sadie? Thanks for asking..she is off her food and on scambled eggs and chicken....she is much more active as a result..the company manufacturing the dog food is sending a sample bag and once we return the sample of the dog food, they analyze it in their lab and in an independent lab at the same time....
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Linda tonight..you have to look closely..the picture doesn't show the true swelling..all the way up to the armpit....and down to the wrist....we will be glad to get to the doctor tomorrow to have it looked at..

Sunday....April 12th...2009

Happy Easter...a bit cool and a bit of rain here in Central Oregon..

Linda's big scan is in the am..she has to drink that awful scan stuff in three batches beginning tonight....Tuesday am we meet with the Oncologist to hear the results.

Our dog has been sick..yes...Sadie the Lady has been ill....we think now it is a new bag of dog food we bought shortly before going to Florida....she has been on the same "stomach sensitive" dog food for 4 years....recommended by a Vet....when she eats some she gets ill..take her off it...she is fine....Linda is calling the manufacturer to see what they say tomorrow.

Saturday....April 12th...2009

Well .....we are home..and not a bad first day back...the weather was pretty nice today...not the 80's we are used to but upper 50's and clear.

Linda did well on the trip back....as we had two layovers.....the wheelchair worked great again.

Today Linda is thinking about her test on Monday and results with the doctor on Tuesday...it is very obvious that it is affecting her....she is wanting the best and knowing there are other possibilities......

Thursday...April 9th...2009

We're packed..ready for early morning trip to the airport.....seeing friends this am...heading to hockey game tonight....seeing friends for dinner prior....this socializing is work!

Oh...and some "sun time" today.....

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For you race fans....lunch with PTsmom yesterday.....she is a delight....hey Viv.....smile will you?

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Wednesday.....April 8th...2009

Dave thinks I've been boring ( we should be so lucky, huh?) so I'm doing the blog today. It's kind of nice to have a little time free of drama just meeting with friends for lunch, dinner, or some card playing. With only another day left before we head back to Oregon, we're cramming in as many friends as we can.

We met with good friend, Vivian Tracy (driver Paul Tracy's mom) for lunch in Channelside today. She winters just south of us in Sarasota. She heads back to Canada next week.

I set up an appointment at OHSU for a week from Friday. The big specialist isn't going to be ready for new patients for over a month yet, so I settled for a different lung specialist. The new guy still must get licensed in Oregon or get set up with insurance carriers, etc. We'll have the results of my new scan by next Tuesday, so all that can go up with me. I'm counting on good news, but am prepared for anything.

We're off to dinner with friends now, so I'll sign off till later.

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

Sunday...April 5th....2009

Quiet day today...Linda is doing well...still a bit fatigued but well overall..

Taigen fishing on Friday before she went home....two fish caught....including a big catfish...and a sunfish of some type...also with her dad Chris in the pool
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Saturday....April 4th...2009

Company has all flown home..we will miss them all but now it's "pool time"...and "sun time".....of course some hockey and dinner with friends thrown in.

Linda is doing well...again with a nap she is great for the day....

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A picture we missed at St. Petes visit the other day was a visit to the ALMS paddock and we got to see two great people...Amanda and Holly who work with deFerren Acura Racing ...Amanda was one of our "bosses" with Champ Car for years...we miss her dearly...we wish we had the energy to work with her again...but those days are passed...and we have great memories..

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