Sunday Eveing In Cold Central Oregon.....November 18th

We arose early this am and traveled to the Tampa airport for the long trip home...and things didn't go well....a United Airlines stewardess slept in and of course no one could get on the plane til she showed up (FAA regs)......and it went downhill from there.....first they were going to send us to Denver direct but they couldn't find our bag in the airplane..then they sent us to Chicago and left our baggage there...and then...and then.

We are home but no luggage.

We had the shock of our lives to hit a white out snowstorm in the mountains on the way home...what a shock...driving a day ago in flip flops and shorts...and now wrestling with a snowbound highway with a whiteout...but we made it.

Linda is a bit tired and we both have a bit of a "reality check" in that tomorrow the chemo starts again...it has been so nice to have her back to a semi normal state...a reminder of our good times....we have to remind ourselves tomorrow: "it is what it is" and we will make the best of it.

Dave

Saturday....Last Evening in Warm Florida....November 17th

Today was a day by the pool with warm weather back again...also a day of folks stopping to say "good-bye" and how good Linda looks........and she does. It was a good choice to come here.....Linda will be in good health mentally and physically for her next round of chemo starting Monday morning.

Tomorrow we leave at 4 am to catch the airplane home (groan).

Dave

Friday Evening (Still In Florida)....November 16th

One more day to go...then back to cold!

Actually today is a cold day in Florida...a cold front came in for a day and lowered the temperatures into the lower 60's...tomorrow back up to the 70's again........

Linda was a bit tired all day today...we went to see some friends' new home and had lunch with them and another set of friends....and then back for Linda to take a nap (she hasn't had one in days)....

Tonight we start packing for a return home.....the flight home starts with a 4 am Sunday morning trip to the airport....we will leave our car at the airport for friends to pick up later and drive to our home and garage.

I want to say clearly this trip has been a good one ....good for Linda and her health....she has improved "hundreds of percents".....folks who see her for the first time say she looks "fabulous".... (perhaps they wonder if what they were reading previously about Linda's condition was "real".....it was).

Of course staring Monday, the "journey" will take a different direction with new chemo.

Dave

Thursday Evening In Florida.....November 15th

Today was a special day as we went to the Moffitt Cancer Institute where leading edge research on cancer is taking place.....we attended a forum where a leading research doctor talked about lung cancer and it's toll as well as the fact that even though it is the leading deadly cancer it is lacking in funding etc. as compared with other cancers......the statistics were sobering. He went on to say: "there's not even a race for a cure"......meaning other cancers have fundraising events going on but yet this cancer lags significantly behind with little to show in efforts to fund for research.

He explained how the research is proceeding...getting a bit technical but he talked about how bad proteins are formed that cause the ultimate cancer cells and how the right medications can "turn off" the protein formations. They are getting to the point where they can identify which proteins a patient has and then prescribe the right medications...

There were two testimonials by two lung cancer survivors..one a stage IIIB (like Linda) and a stage IV).....very heart felt and perhaps inspirational.

A panel of doctors and nurses then answered questions and were most informative. One doctor talked about how his patients played better golf after lung removal surgery.......when pressed about why he said the patients no longer had what it took to "kill the ball"...therefore playing better.

We were glad we went.....it is a very large complex.....we believe Linda's doctors in Bend are benefiting from this complex and its research.

Dave..

Wednesday Florida Evening....November 14th

Linda had a good day today......each day gets better and better......

After a sunny morning and lunch, we went to downtown Tampa with friends to wander a bit in "Channelside" and to have dinner.....Channelside is where the cruise ships dock (none today) and Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Team fans gather prior to a game....

Linda did a bit of walking and held up really well.....

Tomorrow we go to the Moffit Institute which is a cancer center for Tampa. To commemorate November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Moffits invited cancer patients and family and friends to a Forum. The topic will be Personalized Therapy for Lung Cancer Patients....which is followed by a panel discussion. There will be a reception following with the Faces of Lung Cancer Exhibit....a collection of photographs and personal care stories of lung cancer patients, their caregivers and health care professionals.

Linda is looking forward to this Forum as a vehicle for collection of more information and also this might be where she continues her treatments after Christmas.

Dave

Tuesday Evening In Florida...November 13th

Linda had a pretty good day...lots of "sun time"....we went to a different resort and had lunch with friends and played cards by the pool....(I admit having won....not making a big deal about that (YEAH RIGHT!)).....and then back to the hot tub....and now "Dancing With the Stars"....looks like Helio will get first or second to the "spice girl"....Helio is a great guy....too bad he is a racing driver with the wrong open wheel series...he used to be with the better series...Champ Car (CART in those days). (See Below)

Linda seems more in charge and involved in more "detail things" like the bank accounts, home sales, etc....etc.....

Tomorrow we are heading to downtown Tampa for an afternoon...watching the cruise ships leave the docks...and more. With Linda's energy level up we are able to do more.

We'll do some more pictures......Below are some pictures taken last spring at the Rolex 24 Hours with Helio of "Dancing With the Stars"

Dave

Monday Afternoon in Florida.....November 12th

Linda's up 2 pounds....she's starting to get into the "eating habit".......her blood pressure is down a bit but all in all she's looking much better....

Denise, Rachel, and Clark left this morning...nice visit....following are some pictures of their visit.....

Sunday Evening in Florida......November 11th

This is Denise writing the blog tonight here in Tampa with Linda and Dave. The Florida air is doing wonders for Linda. She looks great tonight.

We are having a great visit enjoying good food and great company. Rachel, Clark and I went kayaking in the lake while Linda took a good nap. She is tolerating more foods today and taking in more calories.

Disappointing day with Jeff Gordon losing the race today at Phoenix . Dave is in a deep depression. This is short and sweet . We have to go play Apples-to-Apples. Pictures tomorrow.

Denise

Saturday Evening In Florida....November 10th

Linda here reporting on another beautiful day in Florida. We spent a lot of time in and by the pool, took a short walk to get me exercised and went out to lunch.

We're sitting in front of the TV now looking for something interesting to watch. I'm hoping to go to bed fairly early as I'm expecting niece Denise tomorrow. They were expected today, but daughter Rachel wasn't feeling well, so they put it off a day.

I'm feeling pretty much the same today, grateful to be sharing the day with Dave and hoping tomorrow I may feel just a little better. Thanksgiving is coming and I want to be able to eat with gusto, and not just mashed potatoes and gravy!

Hope all of you out there are enjoying your weekends, and know that I hold you all in my heart.

Love and gratatude.......Linda

Friday Evening In Florida....November 9th

Today was not a bad day...Linda still has some side issues like burping..heartburn...fatigue, etc...but all in all....a pretty good day.

We went for dinner at friends which was great...good food and a good TV concert.

We had a good day by the pool too.

Tomorrow niece Denise and family arrive for a two day visit...Linda looks forward to comparing notes and getting some more clues to her journey to health.

Someone is in the home next to us.tonight..it has been vacant for months and is for sale...we never saw the man who owned it previously...so we are a bit nervous...with the housing market "dead" down here, people are renting their places they can't sell for cheap rent and renters move in who don't respect anything...and have kids....and .....and. So we are a bit nervous...."there goes the neighborhood". Others down the block are experiencing the same sort of problem as are other neighborhoods.

Dave

Thursday Forida Evening......November 8th

Linda had a pretty good day today.....she is "squeaking" in extra calories between meals with a calorie loaded drink...she still eats small meals...so this is helpful.

Tonight friends brought dinner over and we shared a movie together...so that was fun. Earlier today we sold a property we owned here...an RV lot...made some good money in a short period of ownership. We had to get in the car and begrudgingly leave the pool and sun and go quite a ways to sign papers.

Tomorrow we plan on some more "pool time"...the rest and sun are good remedies for Linda.

Dave

Wednesday Evening....In Florida....November 7th

Another Sunny Day in Florida.....Pictures As Promised

Linda on our back lanai....

Our back yard and lanai

Our back pond with an alligator on the far bank ("Lidi"....ie "lidi-gator"...named by the attorney two doors down ("litigator"..."lidi-gator"...get it?)

Our front

Neighborhood traffic stoppers

Linda continues to improve (my observation)...we are heading out to dinner with friends....

Dave

Tuesday Evening In Florida....... Nov. 6, 2007

Dave promised he'd do the pictures you asked for tomorrow if I did the blog again tonight, so you get me again.

Last night ended up being a tough night for me with more than usual bloating and belching. I have been working today being really careful what I eat to try to figure out if certain foods are setting it off. I seem to be doing better tonight, even though I'm stuffed from my small portion of baked chicken I had for dinner. I'm so impatient to get my appetite back.

It was really warm today, so we spent a lot of time by the pool and in the pool. I'm getting some of my color back, but being careful with lots of sunscreen, especially on my radiation areas. Tomorrow, it'll be a bit cooler but still nice.

Love and Gratitude......Linda

Monday Evening......A Florida Evening.....November 5th

This is Linda with one of my rare check-ins. I'm enjoying the Florida sunshine immensely. The sun feels so good on my usually cold body. I know I'm going to hate to have to leave it for the winter of Oregon, but therapy will take me home plus the holidays are coming and I want to be close to our family.

I'm impatient to feel well again, especially appetite wise. That is the hardest part for me, not wanting to eat, but needing to so badly to put some meat back on my bones. My neighbor here brought me some custard pudding today to entice me. Full of whole milk and eggs, it should help. I'll have some soon for my evening dessert.

Thanks for your continued caring.

Love and gratitude.....Linda


Linda reminded me to report in on my MRI.....the Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor had ordered it to see if there was a tumor causing the great loss of hearing in my left ear...the short answer is.....no tumor...(phewwwww). He called today today and said they had to do the scan to rule this out as it is a real possibility and they needed to eliminate it right off the bat.

Now he said for me to go ahead and get tested again for a hearing aid. This will keep me from turning my head to the left when someone is talking on my left side. I don't know why these doctors have been coming up with stressful things for me to do (like the phantom heart murmur last month) with everything Linda has going on....enough!

Dave

ps...the other good news is that the loss is not due to the Champ Cars....the doctor said both ears would have loss if this was the case...he thinks it is a virus caused loss...just like Linda suffered years ago (she lost most all her hearing though in the left ear...and it is not correctable by a hearing aid).

Sunday Evening...(Florida Evening)....November 4th

Another day in warm and sunny Florida......Wilderness Lake Preserve is where we live.....in Land O Lakes, Florida...about 1/2 hour north of Tampa. http://www.wildernesslakepreserve.com/

Specifically, we live in Deerfields, which is a gated community of Villas, within the Preserve. Wilderness Lake Preserve is a beautiful community of neighborhoods and lodges. and recreation.....we love the flora and "green-ness" (my word) of it all....

Linda is doing pretty good...eating better with less side effects....and she is eating more types of food....the bad news is I will have to be a serious cook soon....I've been somewhat slack in that department for the past couple of months.

We got some quality "sun time" today...and took an extended walk...Linda didn't make it all the way back to the starting point so I got the car and picked her up...good start though...she took a long nap as a result.

We saw lot of old friends today and neighbors stopped by......Linda's niece, Denise (and Clark and Rachel) are coming over from the "east coast" of Florida to visit us on the "west coast" this next weekend.

Dave

Saturday Evening (Florida Time)......November 3rd

Hello from Florida!

It took us all day to get here....but well worth it.....warm.....warm.....warm!

Linda says to tell everybody she feels great! She is loving the warmth and the bright colors and all. She even ate pretty good on the airplane getting here. I think this two weeks "off" will be wonderful for her.....seeing old friends...sitting by the pool....going to the beaches...maybe a hockey game or two...

Linda said to tell everyone that we were on vacation and the Blog would be on vacation too...but I said "no way"...look for some pictures. and stuff daily.....

Our villa looked as if we had never left it.....the water tastes a bit sulfurous...but everything else looks in good shape.

More tomorrow....

Dave

Friday Evening....November 2nd

28th Day of Healing

Things are looking a bit better today...Linda actually drove the car and was active in a lot of the day's decisions. She submitted her samples for the GI test...of course, things being Friday...she should hear Monday....But my sense is that she is getting better each day and the doctor has said it will take time to be back to "normal".

I did my MRI on my left ear today....took two Ativans as I have extreme claustrophobia...it seems I went to sleep a few times which is not what they want...one moves while sleeping..anyway it was finally done but Monday till i hear the results.

We are excited to be heading to our Florida home in the morning...we are in Portland now as the flight is early. We will be in warm weather...poolside....for two weeks.....we can't wait.

Dave

Thursday Evening....November 1st

27th Day of Healing

Linda had another healing day...I think there is some improvement but hard to convince her....since she is completely off pain medication, she feels a slight pain in the left lung...the Oncologist said there was some scarring there from the radiation...the good news is there is no esophogus pain.

She still has discomfort in her gut. The Clinic is having her do a sample to see if there is any infection...we take it in tomorrow....if not it is something that will get better over time, we hope. She continues to eat in small amounts ...many times a day.

I have an MRI tomorrow as I have lost much hearing in my left ear....I thought it was being around Champ Car too much but the Doctor says it is too unequal a loss from the left to the right ear...so they are testing tomorrow to identify, if possible, the problem. Linda had the same thing years ago in her left ear...she actually went deaf....they determined it was virus caused.....strange I have a problem with the same ear.

We leave for Portland tomorrow and fly to Florida early Saturday....we look forward to the warm weather and to see friends...we have had many phone calls from Florida friends once the word was out we were heading that direction.....bless them all. We will see you soon.

Dave

Wednesday Evening....October 31st

26th Day of Healing......

Not much new to report today...we went searching for "bacteria" to assist Linda's GI...we shall see.....things are still acting up and she is eating very slowly and in small amounts several times a day....it may take some time to get back to "normal".

I did some research on Toxol last night and who knows what the side effects can be...we've heard cramping...tingling in the finger tips....etc etc...plus the sites all mention the possibility of nausea with hair loss etc. etc.....we remember each person is different...my only hope is she has an easier time this round....at least it won't "fry" her esophagus.....which started many of her recent problems.

We are going to Florida this Saturday and returning on the 18th..prior to her first session in the first cycle. We both agree a change in scenery might be helpful...particularly one that is warm.

We got the RV put away for the winter today...and celebrated son Jeff's birthday last night...a month or so late....son in law Chris' birthday was yesterday so we're a bit late on that one too...

Dave

ps..Linda continues to struggle with what was said yesterday at the doctor appointment...she is very close to her emotions as a result.....she is not sure if he was saying the follow up treatments weren't really needed or wouldn't make a difference and when he said she might want to go a year before the next CT scan as it wouldn't make a difference (she has decided to wait the year and not worry)...so we are going to clarify these things and others at our next appointment..just to make sure she is fully aware of what is being said.

Tuesday Evening.......October 30th

25th Day of Healing...Today we got a "glimpse" at the future.....

Today Linda and I met with the medical oncologist...to see about the CTscan from yesterday and what the next steps were to be.....

First...he said the scan showed the tumors and nodes were "shrinking quite nicely"....

He then he said the initial treatments (chemo and radiation) were very aggressive to get things at the beginning...anything else from this point on was to go after "rogue cells".

He said that Linda had the hardest time of anyone in their experience with the GI problems (the tube feeding and all). He said that any symptoms Linda now had with her GI were most likely "post traumatic stress syndrone". Any symptoms she has now (and she has some) will work their way out with time.

Linda is now scheduled for her second phase of chemo which starts November 19th....it is TAXOL which is given on day 1 of 21 day cycles..of which there will be 4 of them...so on November 21....December 10....December 31...and January 21 the chemo will be given for each of the 4 cycles....

These cycles are designed to get the "rogue cells".....the cells that might have migrated with all of this....he is saying to do another CTscan in a year.....but is willing to do one sooner if she wishes....I think his statement was that it wouldn't make a difference how often it is done..when it gets to a certain point then they can deal with it....

Linda is very close to her emotions right now..things are a bit "raw".....it will take time......and she has to deal with the fatigue factor and eating....these are the two things Linda needs to figure out.....not overdoing and getting some nourishment of the right kind and amount... also there is the fear of the future and the unknown.....

Dave

ps..Linda cooked some fudge for the nurses in the infusion center..and they really liked it...Linda is very appreciative of their assistance and support during her first phase of chemo.