Happy Day of Mom

05/11/2014	You found Killingsworth Park Pond		Visit Log
Happy Mothers Day! May 11th was a blank on our geocaching calendar and this cache is the closest one to home which we have not found. So while Mrs. Bend stayed by the phone to be ready for phone calls from her girls, (Our son called earlier from Logan Airport while waiting to board the plane back to California.) Mr. Bend loaded the cords into the Garmin and set out. It is a beautiful day for a walk in the woods, 74 degrees when I got back to the car. Much better than last year, remember, we had snow. As I approached GZ, Mr. Goose was quite upset, I didn't see the nest but he sure let me know I was encroaching on his territory. Made the find. Great hide! It earns a favorite from us. Stamped the log and replaced as found. Thanks for the fun time.

Touch of Spring

The pills are here.  No excuses.  I took the first two at 5:30 a.m.

All went relatively well.  We went grocery shopping, picked up laundry, and mailed some things and I felt fine.

When we got home there were Mother's Day flowers waiting.  Purple iris and tulips in a purple vase - a real touch of spring.  The card said Happy Day of Mom  :)

Happy Day of Mom

Took the second dose at 6 p.m.   So far so good.

This will continue indefinitely - as long as the chemo is doing its job.

Delivery Day

Today is the day that we wait for deliveries!  Home Depot is going to deliver our new dryer between 1 and 5 - guess they can't get a shorter time frame!  Our current laundry is in town at the Eastfield Laundromat being washed, dried and folded.  I really don't like waiting around at laundromats.  Been there, done that.  My hamper is full of things that I don't trust them with, so I'll still have plenty of clothes to wash when this dryer gets hooked up.  It won't be right away, though...a nice man has to come and convert the new dryer to propane use before we'll be up and running.  That will probably be early next week.

UPS will deliver my chemo medication (Nexavar) sometime today.  I've been told repeatedly that I have to be here to sign for it.  That means just being here all day until UPS shows up.  I'll start taking it tomorrow - have no idea what it will do to me.  I know it's toxic, and it makes me a little nervous.  It's hard to plan the next weeks because I don't know how this will make me feel.  It's supposed to slow the growth of the tumor. and result in a "stable disease".  It's not a cure.  I'm hopeful.

Oh good - both things got here before 3 p.m., thankfully not simultaneously.

Geezer Breakfast

Faculty Retirees Breakfast!  It's always a hoot - no exception this year.

  Sat next to Dorothy and Jan, and across from Kay and Diann.  Conversation just can't get more animated than that!  Dick was being entertained by Bill, other Bill, Dan and Jeff.  It was fun seeing Karen again - she's always a hoot, too !  A most successful breakfast as always, and I'm so glad that we were able to attend.  They meet once a month, but we usually only get to one a year these days.

Time to head for home.  Trip north was uneventful.  We stayed off I-75 on purpose because of the construction northbound over the Zilwaukee bridge, and went instead on 96 to 127 - a much more relaxing drive!  Dinner at Rico's and then home.  What a nice road trip!


And of course, no day is complete without....

05/07/2014	You found Don't Get Trashed GFS 2		Visit Log
Found in good condition on our way back north today. Thanks for the smiley
05/07/2014	You found John P. Woodford Rest Area Westbound I-96 MM111		Visit Log
We were on our way back north when we decided on a pit stop. I knew we had found the Joker cache but now the iPad told us there were two caches here that we had never found. After finding the first one was a sodden mess, I was some what concerned about what condition this would be in. It's excellent! Signed the log and swapped one of our pens for a TB. Replaced as found, covered a little better and then took some pictures of the spring flowers. You folks down here are still a couple of weeks ahead of us. TFTC, the flowers alone are worth a favorite.
05/07/2014	You found Trained to Work at Night, Tri-County Edition #19		Visit Log
Signed the log as best I could. Cache is a sodden mess.
05/07/2014	You found Happy Food Stamps		Visit Log
TFTS

Hi Doug!

It was so good to see Doug this morning.

 He seems really comfortable in his new surroundings, and it is a very nice place to be.  His room reminds me of Mom's room at Concord Place, the difference being that she didn't have the mini fridge and sink in the room, and she didn't have her own shower in her bathroom.

We had a good time talking about Traverse City, and reminiscing about the good old days.  He does have memory lapses, but he covers it up quite well, and seems undisturbed.   We were there for a little over an hour.

Dick and Doug (or, Richard and Ray!)

Then we were off to Canton to see Sniders.  We haven't seen them for ages.  It's all because grandparents like to be with their grandchildren!  Theirs are in Wisconsin and California, and ours is in Florida!  So those places are where we spend a good portion of our time.  It was great to have a chance to spend some time with them and catch up on all of the latest family news, health issues, and once again re-live some good old times.

Jan had made reservations for dinner at Carson's American Bistro in Ann Arbor, and Dan Fisher came along too.  We had a great meal, super company and still more good old stories!

More fun than a barrel of....

Of course, no day is complete without a little geocaching!

05/06/2014	You found 9/11 Memorial Cache		Visit Log
We came downstate this week to meet with family and attend a retirees breakfast. To complete the AlphaNumeric name challenge we need a cache starting with the number 9. We could only find 2 in Michigan and so, since we were in the area, we aimed for this one. On 9/11, we were both home, I was watching TV and Mrs Bend was playing "Everquest" on her computer. When the first plane crashed, I yelled upstairs that it had happened, she was deeply involved with a team in the game. When the second plane crashed, I yelled again. She came down, partly because our daughter was a Flight Attendant with American. As we learned about the third and fourth planes we were both in shock. She never played that game again.
05/06/2014	You found Dr. Feelgood		Visit Log
Yoiks!! This bad boy needs help. Log is soaked. We did our best to sign but it should be replaced yesterday.

Rochester Hills

Short road trip this week.  We went to Rochester Hills to visit Doug in his new digs at Waltonwood.  We spent some time with Roger and Megan to prepare outselves for that visit.  It was good to know the procedure for entry to the facility - Waltonwood is a very secure place.  We had a nice get together with Rog and Megan, and for me the best part was looking at Roger's collection of wild life pictures.  They have more deer in their neighborhood than we have at the river!

When we left we really felt prepared to visit Doug.

With Roger and Megan in their lovely home.

We had a chance to see Fay in between play practice and figure skating :)

Star Wars Day

Do You Remember...

Team Goldfinch put on a spectacular event this weekend.  (Do You Remember)  It was divided into 3 sessions, beginning Friday night.  Dick went to all three.  He wound up finding 26 caches, plus the event - a very productive weekend!

  I went to the grand finale - the potluck lunch and prize drawing :)  Our contribution was lasagna.  At our table were  4LmbrJx, Noah's Peeps, Lightkeeper Jane, Team Leprechaun, Peggy of Frank&Peggy, and Sue from Baldwin.  It was a truly well done event, which must have taken Jay hours and hours and then more hours of planning and work.  We certainly enjoyed it immensely.

GEE

Well, now we own a dryer.  Sort of.

It will be delivered May 9, then it has to be converted to propane usage, and installed.  Thank goodness for the Eastfield Laundromat!

It's a Hotpoint gas dryer from Home Depot.  In the U.S., Hotpoint appliances are made by GE.

Our old dryer is a Maytag.  We've lived here on the river for 23 years, and I'm thinking we had that dryer for 12 years or so down in Belleville.  I guess it deserved to break down.  Do you remember those old TV commercials starring the lonely Maytag repairman?  Makes me giggle now.

Wash Day?

Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday.


Monday is my traditional day to do laundry.  I wonder why?  I guess old habits die hard.  My Mom always washed clothes on Monday.  In her day, it was a much bigger project - wringer washer, etc.  She also ironed on Tuesday, and even seemed to enjoy it.  I never iron anything anymore, do you?  Neither one of us ever churned on Thursday.  As for cleaning on Friday and baking on Saturday, Mom did both of those things almost every day of the week.

But for me, still, Monday is wash day.  Except for today...doggone it.  The dryer broke down.  Checking around we discovered that it would cost as much to fix it as to buy a new one...well, almost.  So we're shopping for a new dryer.  We want to get an economical one because we'll only be using it for a few months before we move to our new condo - maybe next September.

Did you know that the Eastfield laundromat will wash, dry and fold your laundry?  Then you just pick it up and pay.  Reminds me of Belleville in l957 when Lucille Remus ran a laundry which would do the same thing.  She saved me many times during my early days of teaching!

Sweet Sunday

Checking email and Facebook

playing computer games

Dick goes to maintain the Ranger Rick series by the Nature Center

I straighten up the dining room

plan dinner

Dick loads wheelbarrow with more wood for the wood stove

We go walking at the mall

Shop at Target

Lunch at the food court

Mail a card

Do the downtown cruise

More computer games :)

Give Me an N....

Then give me an e..x..a..v..a..r..  What does that spell?? It spells Hope !

Dr. Ruch called early this morning to tell me that my tumor marker is too high and he is prescribing Nexavar (sorafenib) to put the brakes on the tumor.  This is a powerful chemo drug with various side effects which vary from patient to patient.  He recommends this as the logical next treatment for my HCC, and I'm willing to give it a try.  He now thinks that my ascites is caused by the cancer and not by the cirrhosis.  This is an expensive drug, and I'm counting on it being really worth it :)



By slowing tumor growth and reducing the blood supply to the tumor, Nexavar may prevent the growth and spread of cancer. These processes can also be important to normal cells, so therapies like Nexavar may affect some normal cells as well.

Farewell Dr. Kevin and Dr. Pat

Went to have my teeth cleaned this morning.  My hygienist is the same, but our dentists have both retired.  It makes me a little nostalgic.  My new dentist is Dr. Kevin's niece Christina.  She was very personable and thorough.  But still.

Afterwards we had breakfast at Sparky's - blueberry pancakes.  Yum.  Then home to advance the laundry.

Off to town again to donate another box of books to the library, mail some stuff, and shop for a popcorn popper and some popcorn.  We had success at K Mart.

Dr. Barnes office went above and beyond the call of duty and gave me an appointment this coming Friday with his PA Kathy.  I'm thrilled and relieved.  We need to begin treating cirrhosis.  I understand that it can be treated successfully over a long period of time.

Dick spoke to Bill and Jan about our upcoming trip downstate during the first week of May.  We plan to visit Doug in Rochester and then go on to Belleville for old home week :)

Traverse Dental Associates

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Welcome! For over 70 years, Traverse Dental Associates, P.C. has been working with patients to provide the best dental care in the Traverse City area. Dr. David Swan, Dr. Macare Lumbrezer, Dr. Chris Mazzola, Dr. Josh Van Horn, and Dr. Christina Mazzola are all graduates of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

The Third Time Was Not The Charm...

Fourth paracentesis this morning.  Fourth overall, first at Munson.  Munson is more casual, and faster, with more attention from the M.D.  In at 10, out at 11.  We were both surprised.

Main differences - no blood draw with an hour's wait,  no blood pressure taken at any time, 10 minutes with Doctor, as opposed to a minute and a half,  and a different tap site.  Generally got the same results, only faster.

As I left, the ultrasound tech said, "see you in a month."  Gee - the way things have been going, she's probably right!

Easter 2014

Brunch at Harrington's by the Bay.

 Delightful in every way.

The only things missing were blue skies, blue bay and sailboats.

Happy Easter!  Laurie's comment was that even bunnies have an Uncle Tom :)

Update

By Sarah Temin — Apr 18, 2014 9:35pm

I just visited Esmertina and after a few days of not seeing her, the difference was quite something, for the better, though she still has some pain. She walked down the hall, which is great. And, things seem to be moving towards better. --Observations of Sarah

IV Forever

Wendy's "Jana update" for today:

                                                         ***************

I stopped by the hospital this morning for rounds. The abscess has virtually completely disappeared in scans and the drain has been removed.  Unfortunately, the process of removing the drain created a hematoma in the abdomen wall which is causing still more pain in a new location.  

Jana did have the fistula exam, and the result of that suggests that the final answer is that the abscess was tubular ovarian (that might not be the strict medical term) and not caused by a diverticuli.  

There are not any immediate next steps except for continuing days in the hospital with IV antibiotics and monitoring.  I do think I am observing Jana getting incrementally better, but there is still so much pain and discomfort it is difficult to evaluate.

                                             ***************************


 We spoke to J. this morning.  She is feeling a lot of pain.  She's receiving the IV antibiotics and some pain meds, but basically she is miserable.  Here at home, I have no pain as such, just some discomfort.  The ascites is getting worse, and it does grotesque things to your body.  We had planned to return to the Vital Step gym this morning, but I begged off because I don't think my "water balloon" would allow me to pedal, etc.  I see the oncologist tomorrow, and I'm hoping he can arrange for paracentesis ASAP.

Where's Noah?

Barb's Birthday

Palm Sunday began in a very ordinary way.  Grocery list, bills to mail, recycling, library.  The best part was in the evening - dinner at Shelly's - a birthday dinner for Barb!

We always have a good time with Barb and her family.  The kids are so cute, and Shelly, Chris, Adam and Melanie are always fun and interesting.  We had some good conversation with Barb and Jim too.

Happy Birthday Barb!

Jana Update:

Wendy Carter

Apr 13

Dear All --

I stopped by the hospital today and overheard another conversation with another doctor.  White blood cell count is down, but unfortunately not pain.  They were planning another CT scan today and then a different diagnostic test I cannot even begin to spell tomorrow.

I will stop by for morning rounds tomorrow and hear the result of the CT Scan.  The medical mystery now is that the abscess is being resolved, but this has not been accompanied by a lessening of pain.  

I'm afraid this means more time in the hospital and no light at the end of the tunnel yet for poor Jana.

Prom

South Fork High School Prom

As a sophomore, D. was able to go to Prom Saturday night because he volunteered for the clean-up committee  :)

Cottage, Omelette and Caring Bridge

Soon work will begin on our new T.C.  condo, so it's time to think about flooring, countertops, etc. The Cottage Show seemed like a good place to begin, and we did get some ideas and contacts (and free candy!) Afterwards we went to the Omelette Shoppe - we haven't been there for literally months!  It was fun and nostalgic.  There were only two or three employees that we recognized - lots of new staff. Latest Jana updates: 1. From Wendy: Dear All -- Jana is looking much better today.  She is more mobile, though still in pain.  I listened to a conversation with the head of the internal medicine team which is now responsible for her care. They believe a small diverticuli was responsible for the abscess, and are changing the antibiotics to reflect this.  If the new antibiotics don't lead to reduced white blood cell count and less pain, they will consult with infectious diseases. Jana will be in the hospital through Sunday and probably through at least Monday.  There was no MRI today and none scheduled.  Have a great weekend, Wendy 2. From Laurie: Nurse practitioner Cindy visited Jana this afternoon. There is a diagnosis debate among the different medical teams. One side feels Jana has a Tubo-Ovarian abscess http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/pelvic-inflammatory-disease-tubo-ovarian-abscess-topic-overview The other feels it's a Diverticula http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/diverticula The culture the team took from the aspiration is growing. Nurse Cindy said results may be available tomorrow. Jana is having a CT scan or a MRI today. The imaging will hopefully allow them to get a good view of the abscess area and help determine the source of infection. Nurse Cindy flushed the drain and said it will remain in place until less than 20ml drains in 24 hour period. Jana will have a contrast dye test on Monday. They will put dye in the drainage tube and hope it dead ends. They do not want it to track back to the colon. Nurse Cindy said the name of the test, it was something like a cystilogram, but some people call it an abscessogram. I can't find much about it. During the test an X-ray tech will watch the flow of the contrast. Jana told me she is going to be handled now be the internal medicine group. They are going to reevaluate all her medicines etc. she is currently on 4 different antibiotics. Jana will be hospitalized until Monday at least. That is all for now Laurie 3. From Sarah: Dear Family and Friends, A CaringBridge Site was created for Esmertina 123. We will use this online space to share health news, and you can write messages of encouragement in return. Please visit often to keep updated and show your support. Visit: Site Link:www.caringbridge.org/visit/esmertina123 Site Name: esmertina123 CaringBridge is a nonprofit offering trusted spaces where family and friends can connect and share during any type of health event. Sincerely, Esmertina CaringBridge — the Heart of the Matter Down deep, more than anything else, people want to stay connected. Especially during a health event. CaringBridge Sites are personal, protected spaces that help family and friends share encouragement, compassion and love. Please add mail@t.caringbridge.org to your address book or safe sender list. Please do not reply to this email. © 1997-2014 CaringBridge®, a nonprofit organization. 1715 Yankee Doodle Road, Suite 301, Eagan, MN 55121, USA My CaringBridge | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Help Center

Doctor Day

If you're not seeing a doctor today, you are really out of the loop!

Today's Jana update from Laurie:

Jana's doctor checked in this morning at 6:30. Today is drainage/aspiration day. The procedure requires fasting and Jana is an "add on " so she is basically on reserve, if there is an opening it's her time to take the test. The doctor said it will be performed before 5:00 pm. Everything hinges on the aspiration procedure. If there is a lot of fluid, the drain will remain in place and Jana will return to her room to drip dry. If there isn't a lot of fluid they will take what they can get and culture the specimen. The cells and bacteria in the fluid will hopefully determine the source of the infection. The doctor feels the drainage should relieve Jana's pain and discomfort. If that occurs she would be released Saturday. If there is no fluid or the drainage does not relieve the pain......back to the drawing board. That is all for now. Love Laurie

This afternoon, Dick and I went to see Dr. Burke.  We got the official okie dokie that it's OK for the two of us to exercise at the gym.

Lunch at Bubba's.

Bee Well

Jana is still in the hospital and very uncomfortable.  I spoke to her shortly after 7 a.m.  She was unhappy and still having too much pain.  Her breakfast arrived while we were talking, so we planned to talk later.  Meanwhile, around 8:30 Laurie was on the phone with Jana when the Doctor came in - this is Laurie's report:

I was talking to Jana this morning and luckily one of her doctors walked in to give her an update. Jana put the Doctor on speaker and we received her updated plan of action.

Jana has been on antibiotics for almost 48 hours with no improvement in her condition. After palpitating her stomach today it is more distended. Pain level has not improved. White cell count has not improved. The source of infection is unknown.

This next part I'm unclear on as I was driving home from carpool and didn't think of questions till afterward. They feel the cystic mass is causing the pain. The Dr. mentioned it was the size of an orange. The team is planning on draining the mass tomorrow. They feel it has fluid in it but she did say it could be solid and have no fluid. After retrieving the fluid it will be analyzed and I don't know what happens then. I also don't know if all the infection fluid? ( don't know proper name) is in the mass. Jana asked if it could burst but the Doctor said no if I remember correctly.

There was no discussion of a release date. The doctor gave me the impression that the team will decide what to do next after they have examined the fluid. So unless there is a change in Jana's condition, she will spend a very long uncomfortable painful day in the hospital. The Doctor wants her to be ambulatory so no knock out pain killer. So basically there will be no new news until the mass fluid is examined. That is all for now. Love you, Laurie

We are all very concerned about Jana's condition and so sorry that she's going through this.

MRI Day

MRI for the patient, World of Warcraft for the Tech!  (That patient better pull in his elbows!)

A Day in the Life......

More laundry

Errands:

Buy new walker at Thompson's.  The other walker is in Palm City, so we're covered both places.  We wound up going to both Thompson's stores - the one on Union St. had the right one.

Pick up mail at Barlow P.O.

Get Dick's new lenses and spare pair at Cedar Run Eye Center.

Visit Kathee at the Visitor Center.

Cash refund check from Munson (!!!)  Still can't believe that one.  Guess I overpaid...

Go to Mall for lunch.  Dick walks Mall, I don't.

Call Dr. Burke's office for appointments for both of us.  We've been gone for six months so we need new referrals and approval from the Doctor to return to our gym.  We can see him Thursday.

Back home - sort through mail - catalogs, catalogs, and then some catalogs.

Pay some bills.

Still more laundry.

**********************************

Got a call late last evening from Jana.  She was at the ER with her friend Wendy.

  She had been given morphine and was being prepped for a CT Scan.  It seems she has an infection of some kind - she had a high fever and lots of pain.

 Right now it's almost 3 o'clock the next afternoon and she's still lying on a gurney in the hallway.  They want to admit her, but there's no bed available at the moment.  I just talked to her again, and she thinks maybe around 5 o'clock she'll have a room.  Her friends Wendy and Sarah are taking turns staying with her, and they both text us when there is news.

At this point she's had some good pain meds, the CT Scan and an ultrasound, and they still don't know what's wrong.  We are a bit on pins and needles today, but it's a relief to know that she's not alone.

Shall We Move to Finland?

Wouldn't this be perfect?   It's just the way it used to be here...when public education built our nation! (Except for paying teachers like doctors!)

Slept in this morning! A little laundry, a little unpacking (don't want to rush it), and a drive through town. We returned paperbacks to the library, ate breakfast at Sparky's, drove out past Lone Tree to see where our condo will be. So far the proposed lot is deeply buried in snow - we think they have been dumping snow from the whole development there. Temps in the forties today. We saw a ball game at the Open Space - some participants were wearing shorts and T shirts. Facebook tells me that Bardon's and Moomers were both open today.

Goodbye Palm City

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04/03/2014	You found  Give Me a Break!!!		Visit Log
As Snow Birds we spend our summers up north and that is where we are headed today. As Geocachers, we want to find a cache in every Florida county just as we have in Michigan. This is our first find in St John County. TFTC

A Day With Laurie

Off to the beach we go for a final look at the ocean. We went to Jensen Beach, one of my favorites.

The guard shack had two red flags flying - one for high surf and currents, and the other warning the public to stay out of the water.

We just wanted to see the ocean anyway. The beach was very crowded with sun worshippers and families. I was amazed at how many people were there! Afterwards we went for a late lunch at Chillin' the Most - a fun place with great service and super food.

Home for a rest, and then over to Gillespie's for pizza and a tennis report.  It was a superfine last day in Florida.  We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.