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Apr. 1  Happy  April Fools Day! Tim and Jill arrived from San Jose Friday evening about 9:30.  Since we were all pretty tired, after catching up and chatting a bit, we all headed off to bed. Because I'm still not into hiking or biking, we hung close to home yesterday. Tim and I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" (which we thought was very good) while Maria took Jill to see her sculpture installed in Lake Oswego. Then Maria made one of my favorites for dinner - salmon chowder served in a bread bowl. This morning, Tim and Maria went to Lava Java and brought back coffees all around. Then Tim cooked breakfast for us and, as I write, the three of them are outside tearing down some wasp's nests while it's cool out (We treat our company right, huh?). I'm not sure what else is on the schedule for today other than hanging out, talking, BBQ'd ribs, and making sure we see the next installment of "Planet Earth" this evening.

On Friday night Maria and I made it upstairs where I was able to sleep in my own bed again for the first time in over a month. As a bonus, I was able to sleep pretty much through the night both Friday night and last night - at least I didn't wake up at 3:00 and read for an hour or two. How great was that?  Also, today is the day I get to drop down another 20mg (to 60mg) on the Prednisone. The sooner I get off that stuff the better, as long  as I don't have a relapse of the BOOP. The last few days I've noticed that my face is getting nice and round and "pudgy" which is the result of the steroid. I don't know if they have a name for the condition or not. An appropriate descriptor would be "facial edema"  but I think I will call it "Prednisone Puss." I think (hope) it will eventually go away once I'm off the steroid. I don't know how long that will be but, initially Dr. B. said 3-6 months. I have about 6 weeks down but I think the dose and duration are dictated more by how my lungs are doing than any pre-planned schedule. I have a little device called a "spirometer" through which I inhale that allows me to measure my lung capacity. Since I came home, it has increased from from 875ml to 1125 (2500 ml is normal). That's more than a 25% increase, but with a long, long way to go since I'm still down by more than 50%.

Apr. 3  Maria and I went to see Dr. S this afternoon.  It was a "good news - bad news" visit, which a lot of them seem to be.  However, when you're dealing with this stuff, one lowers one's expectations so the bad news isn't quite as bad as it might be and the good news seems better.  Dr. S. also asked again if I appreciated just how much Prednisone I was taking, noting that 20mg is considered a very high dose and that I've now come down from 180 mg to 60mg.  He noticed that I'd gained weight too and I told him it was because I ate anything that sat still too long.  Dr. S. explained that is one of the side affects of the Prednisone.  See, I'm not just a weakling - it's drug-induced hunger.  They gave me a Vitamin B-12 shot as a prelude to a new chemotherapy I might start next week and Maria and I headed home.  I'll not lay out the details here. If you're interested in the results of the visit and what's next, click here or above on the Diary.

On the way home we stopped and brought some rocks with which to prettify the fire pit and a couple of quaking aspens for Arbor Day - because I've always wanted a quaking aspen.

Well, our guests (see Apr. 1 entry) came and went.  They left Monday a.m. after a fun, relaxing weekend of socializing, bird-watching, over-eating, and a couple of movies.  Now, back to our routine, starting with an appointment with my oncologist today, the laryngologist on Thursday, and the pulmonologist next week.  The laryngologist  has a really great website where he explains with pictures, videos, and text (in lay terms) how your vocal cords work, problems (like my paralysis), and treatments.  If you'd like to take a look , click on  www.voicedoctor.net.  Since my voice has softened more than I'd hoped, I'm seriously thinking of getting a "booster shot" on Thursday.  Other than the doctor appointments this week, life goes on - as it must.  Maria and I continue to do the routine things (to the extent that I can participate), like taking care of the yard and garden, and to make plans, knowing that the our plans could change at any time.

For example,  yesterday, my son Michael came over and dug the hole for and installed our new "fire pit" that Maria got me as a birthday present (actually she got two; the second one  will go to the cabin in Pacific City).  They are actually wheels off a tractor (36" dia. X 17" deep) that Maria coated with black BBQ fire paint.  We've wanted a fire pit that we could just sit around and enjoy with our friends on a nice evening, or throw a whole salmon and/or some oysters on and slow cook them over a bed of coals .  All that's left to do is have the grill cut, clean the grass back a bit, border the edge of the pit with some decorative flat stones, and - presto!  (Oh, and catch a salmon, too).  Thanks Michael and good job!

Apr. 3 I can't believe it's already Tuesday! We had a whirlwind weekend with Jill and Tim, who didn't just come to visit, but did the dishes all weekend, cleaned gutters, scraped wasp nests off our eaves, and treated us to a delicious breakfast, cooked by Tim (see picture above.) Jill and I barely got started catching up on "girl stuff" and it was time for them to go. I never get to see enough of her! But John and I hope to make it to California for a few days before the Hawaii trip. A lot will depend on what Dr. S tells us today.

Apr. 4  After my April 3 post to the Diary, I received the below note from my good friend and fly fishing pardner/teacher in Montana, Stan Grace. Stan is a lifelong Montanan, rod builder extraordinaire, fly fisher and fly tier, and tree whisperer. He has lived long enough to have acquired a lot of practical knowledge and wisdom. He's a man of relatively few words but occasionally imparts some of that wisdom to those who would hear it. I hope he will forgive me for posting his note and picture here (Stan is not one to seek publicity), but the message resonated so true to me, and was so well stated that I wanted to share it those of you who follow this site.

Apr. 5  My Sweetie and I just got back from the laryngologists', Dr. T, where Maria had to endure another viewing of the vocal cord injection. I wanted to get some pictures of the process, but we forgot to take the camera, so none this time. However, the doc did get the cord nice and full this time so I'm really hoping for a good outcome. We'll see in a few days.

What a beautiful day it was! When we got home, Fred and Pat Olney came over. Fred brought his tiller and gave the garden spot an initial tilling while Maria finished putting the rocks around the fire pit and Pat kept her supplied with Margaritas.  I mowed the lawn - or part of it. After work, Rob and Paula came over and a party broke out. We threw some steaks on the barby and after dinner, initiated the new fire pit on a perfectly beautiful evening. Rob was purportedly an Eagle Scout, but it took him 3 weeks worth of newspaper and quart of "Girl Scout Water" to get the fire going. We forgot to sing Kum Ba Ya, though, and had no "s' more" makings on hand.  Maybe next time.

Apr. 8  HAPPY EASTER! Well, a big week coming up for us. On Tuesday morning I go in for a PET scan that Dr. S ordered. That's the one with the radioactive marker that lights up any area that is metabolizing too fast. He wants to see if the cancer had spread to new environs or is behaving itself. Then I go in to see him for the results on Friday the 13th (bad choice of appointment dates). From there, I guess we will decide what to do regarding more chemotherapy and/or radiation, and the schedule for it. We hope it has not spread, but there are no guarantees of course. We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.  Once we know, then we might be able to make the final call on some trips we have been planning (California, Hawaii, Tofino B.C., and Montana). You just have to stay flexible with this stuff. 

Last night we joined Cathy Tortorici and Roy Rogers for dinner at Lynn and Phil's.  We chatted over drinks and hors d'oeuvres, then had a wonderful ham dinner topped off with home made Crème Brûlée for dessert.  Then, Roy and Cathy showed us pictures of their recent sailing vacation in the Caribbean (sweet!) and we talked of aqua waters, warm breezes, sea turtles, and strange fish.

Apr. 9   Today Maria and I went on an "outing" to the NOAA Fisheries office - without the security of my oxygen bottle even. The Hydro Branch had a coffee and cake assembly for Kathy Ceballos in honor of her winning a NOAA Fisheries "Employee of the Year" award. Kathy and I worked together for a long time - since I came to NOAA in fact. She started as my "secretary" but then, as others took note of her skills, congenial way, and work ethic, she was eventually "stolen" away from me. Kathy is well deserving of the honor and I, as are many others I'm sure, am very proud of her. Way to go Kathy! 

Maria and I also got to see the old gang, sometimes referred to as "Hydroids," which was nice since I hadn't seen most of them for over six months.  I hope I didn't offend anyone when I declined to shake hands with them but we decided, with my immunity in the toilet, it would just be best to not provide a landing place for that rare germ/virus that someone might have. My apologies to all. It was still great to see all of you and say hi.

Apr. 10 John is at the hospital, having his PET scan and I'm about to head over to pick him up. Though he doesn't say much about it, he's nervous about this test, as am I. We know the tumor in his side is growing because we can see and feel it from the outside. Besides, it hurts him constantly and makes it hard for him to sleep. We're just hoping, at this point, that its growth is confined to the area just beneath the surface of the skin. Since we had to go to the Salmon Creek Legacy hospital, it will take several days for them to send the results over to the SWMC hospital (different systems, so they can't send it by computer). No chance we'll hear anything till Friday's appointment with Dr. S, I imagine. As always, it's the waiting and worrying that gets to us. Luckily, though, John may have an opportunity to go fishing with Michael this week . . . the best distraction in the world for him! I'm distracting myself with hopes of visiting my family in California soon! Today is my brother, Christopher's, and my nephew, Kyle's, birthday. Happy Birthday, guys! By the way, did anyone notice that John made it through another holiday this past weekend without a trip to the ER or a hospitalization?! There must be some kind of award for that!

Apr. 11 5:30 a.m. John and Michael just took off for a day of chasing Springers with John's special herring, soaked in "secret sauce." Good thing we were so excited about his first day fishing this year that we woke up every hour to see if it was time to get up. The alarm was set for 4:45 PM! The rumor is that the fish are starting to come in, but that the fishery on the Columbia will close after Sunday, so we're pretty glad John can get out there while it's hot! 

Friday the Thirteenth   This afternoon, I have my appointment with Dr. S. to find out the results of the PET scan (assuming he has the results back), whether or not the cancer has spread,  what to do with the spot of my flank (that is starting to hurt quit a bit) and what, if anything, we do from here. We hope that whatever the outcome, we can proceed with more chemo and that it won't affect our planned trip to Hawaii with Lynn and Phil and to Tofino, B.C. fishing with John McCollister and some other friends. Check here for an update on results of the appointment later this evening. 

7:00 P.M. UPDATE:  Well, the usual, with some good news and some not so good from the PET scan.  The not so good was that there are a couple of new spots that popped up. Dr. S. didn't seem too concerned about them at this time because we started the new chemotherapy (Pemetrexed) today (which kind of surprised us).  I guess he believes (hopes) the chemo will take care of these new upstarts (small and subtle in the scan). This new stuff doesn't seem to have all of the adverse side effects that some chemo drugs do, either, and I only have to have the infusion once every three weeks. Also, Dr. S arranged to have the one on my flank, where the biopsy was taken, radiated since we don't need to use it as the canary in the mine any more (we have a couple of new ones now!).  It has been growing and has been been getting more painful by the day. However, we are also considering the possibility of having it surgically removed as well and will make a decision early next Tuesday after visits with both the surgeon (Dr. S2) and the radiation oncologist (Dr. H).  More good news is that the original tumor is smaller than in the last scan AND, that it looks like we might be able to schedule all this around our planned trips. For the full report go to the Diary where Maria will provide a comprehensive rundown. 

On the bright side, Michael, Fred Olney, and I went salmon fishing again yesterday and, although the bite had slowed considerably, Michael got a keeper hatchery spring Chinook with a "netting assist" by Fred.  Although not a large salmon (8-9 lbs.), at this year's prices it's still a $150+ fish at the seafood market near us.  We made plans for Fred to do an Indian-style cooking of it over an open fire in our new fire pit. Yum! It has been so much fun for me to get out fishing a couple of times this week, thanks to Michael! He's the one who told me the bite was on, who got the boat ready to go, and who did all the work loading, launching, and unloading.  A few weeks ago in the hospital, I wouldn't have bet a nickel that I might ever fish again. And look at that! There we are - back in the Czech-Mate, sitting in the rain and wind, smelling of herring and pepperoni, and loving it!

Apr. 16  Until today, I've been feeling pretty decent, even after my chemo shot on Friday.  Today, I have a bit of that "run over by a truck feeling."  However, I was able to cripple out again yesterday with Michael and Garth Griffin for some spring Chinook fishing on the last day of the season on the Columbia.  Another beautiful day in paradise! The fishing was very slow and we saw only 5 fish caught for about 50 boats in the Cathlamet area (Tennasillahee Island).  However, as luck would have it, a suicidal Chinook bumped into my herring. I had Michael fight it while I got myself organized and then I took over. After a couple of spectacular runs, I finally wrested it in while Michael snapped pics. Michael gets and assist for fighting it and Garth for a great net job - a real team effort.  I got so excited and worked up that we drug the oxygen bottle out for a quick pick-me-up as soon as it was netted. So, apparently I've recovered sufficiently to "fish," but still need a little help on the "catching" part. The Chinook weighed in at 14 pounds.  Just right for a salmon bake.  Click here if you'd like to see some pictures.

When I got home, John and Bonnie McCollister were here. They brought over a bunch of dahlia bulbs which they and Maria planted and staked along the west side of the house. Now we will have lots of color and cut flowers this summer. Thanks J & B!

Apr. 18  A busy day - and one where I continued to feel crappy. Still short of breath, pain in my chest and back reminiscent of a heart attack, chemo head, high blood pressure, rapid heart beat, and tired/sleepy. However, there were doctor  appointments to be kept so.... We went to the Cancer Center and did the planning layout for the radiation, which starts tomorrow, and then went to see Dr. S., the oncologist. He sent me over for a chest x-ray to check on my lungs. The x-ray came back okay and, in fact, was better than the one I had a month ago. So why the shortness of breath again? That's what I'd like to know. Could be the chemo that I started last Friday or it could be Maria's diagnosis. Since I'm not feeling all that great this afternoon, Maria is going to do the Diary write up later tonight and all the details of the new treatment regime, her diagnosis, the good news we got, etc. will be there - News at 11:00!. She has all the notes and inside info anyhow. So far we have not had to cancel any trips other that our clamming trip this Friday (radiation, blood test, and doctor's appointment). But I'm wondering about Hawaii? If I were there today, I would be happy (and grateful) to sit on the veranda with a Mai Tai or anything with an umbrella in it, and stare at a palm tree. That's about all the adventure I'm up to right now. Well, I feel a nap coming on so more tomorrow.

Apr. 19, 2007  Is today a holiday somewhere? Either we didn't get the memo or our timing is off! John's check-up with Dr. F, the pulmonologist, ended with a trip to the hospital for tests to see why he has been feeling so short of breath the past three or four days. They took about a gallon of blood and have scheduled a CAT scan plus some other tests. The big worry is that John may be developing blood clots in his lungs, so they need to get to the problem STAT. John is still feeling a bunch of pain in his chest. It seems to throb in a slow strobe-like pattern, ranging in degree from 3-6 on a scale of 1-10. The gave him a little morphine to try and reduce the pain, but it really didn't change anything. We are hoping they'll figure this out quickly and release him, but for now he's back at SWMC, third floor west. More later.

Apr. 19, 2007  (Later in the evening) I just left John in the Cardiac Care Unit at SWMC. He didn't have a pulmonary embolism, but one of the tests showed elevated enzymes indicating heart muscle damage, so they did an angiogram this evening to rule out the possibility that he might be ready to have a big heart attack. The results were good: no clots or occlusions in his arteries, but there is still some indication of "heart disease consistent with his age." The fall-back diagnosis is pericarditis, which is something they can't really treat, except to give anti-inflammatory drugs until it resolves itself. John has had pericarditis once before, when he had Hodgkin's Disease. The cardiologist, Dr. J, isn't committing to this diagnosis and plans to do more tests on John's heart functions tomorrow. In the meantime, they have eliminated the most dangerous possibilities and are working backward to the least dangerous. So, John is resting comfortably and will probably sleep well tonight. He's been wanting to take a nap since 10:30 this morning, but hasn't been left in peace long enough! I'm pretty tired myself, so this is all for now. As always, I'll print any emails for John and take them to the hospital to cheer him up. Garth's fishing poster is already there! :-) Nighty-night!

Apr. 20, 2007  John just called to say he saw Dr. J, the cardiologist, this morning. Now Dr. J thinks John may have myocarditis, but is still not committing to it. The word is that they have run every test known to man (John got no sleep, apparently, because they were hovering around him, running tests, all night! Sheesh, if the hospital food doesn't get you, the sleep deprivation will!) and all have come up negative. They still plan to run an EKG and echocardiogram sometime today, to test the basic functioning of his heart, but really think that a healthy dose of an anti-inflammatory, like Advil, will do the trick. Dr. S came by and shook his head with a "what are you doing in here again?" expression on his face, but is relieved that there doesn't appear to be anything life-threatening going on. So far, no one has hinted that this little detour might preclude more chemo or radiation, so that's good. Hawaii is hanging by a thread, but it's still hanging! Frankly, I think John is more disappointed about missing razor clamming tomorrow!;-) I'm headed over to the hospital. They are about to move John out of CCU and we think he'll go home by tomorrow.

Apr. 21, 2007  Saturday and all John's regular doctors are home for the weekend, so he saw a whole new crew today. The pain in his chest is abating, maybe due to the 800 mg of Ibuprofen they give him every few hours, and his anxiety is less. One of his heart enzymes is still up, but not by much. The nurse explained that it will peak, usually 3 days or so from when it started up, and that's what they are waiting for. The other enzyme has already peaked. More good news is that his resting heart rate is lower now. It was over 120 last week and is now back in the 80s most of the time.

When he gets up to walk to the bathroom, he is still short of breath and has a harder time keeping his O2 saturation up. This is quite a turn-around from this time last week. Heck, a week ago he was landing a Springer! Couldn't have done that today. They are still unsure what's going on with his lungs, but the docs all say it doesn't appear to be BOOP Revisited. There's a slight wheezing in his upper left lung, but nothing shows up on the x-rays, so we continue to wait until someone figures out the enigma of John. They started him on diuretics this evening, on the theory that he might be holding fluid in his lungs. Probably voo-doo.

Since the doctors don't seem to know what to do, Jeff thought a home remedy might help turn the tide: he went clamming with Fred Olney and snuck in some contraband fresh razors for John, who is already sick of the no-salt, no-sweets, no-caffeine, no-taste food. I could be mistaken, but John looked a lot more chipper to me, after savoring a handful of fried razor clams!

No one has mentioned letting him go home and they have actually kept him in CCU, though the rumor is that it's because there are no beds available on the regular hospital units. I'll take my laptop in tomorrow so he can write a note for this page. 

April 22, 2007 Dear friends, can you believe it?  Here I am am again at SWMC Hospital which is appropriate since, after all, it is a holiday - but “Earth Day?”  It’s hard to believe that last Sunday I was well on the road to recovery and plying the waters of the mighty Columbia for springers.  Now I’m stuck in medical purgatory again at the mercy of "evil" nurses, aids, respiratory therapists, lab techs, technicians, and doctors - all questioning, poking, prodding, and squabbling for what could be the last drop of my precious bodily fluids.  All that has saved me so far is that, as the last drop of fluid is removed, it’s instantly replaced with a pill, puff, IV, shot, contrast fluid, or some other vile material.  Yet after after all of this, and a barrage of high-powered tests including angiograms, echo-cardiograms, ultrasounds, x-rays, enzyme tests, urinalyses, and  EKG’s, the diagnosis remains elusive, especially for the wheezing in my lungs.  Where’s Dr. House and his team when you really need them? If you’re sensing a bit of cynicism here, you’re right on.

But, I guess carping won’t make things any better, so instead, I’d best just be thankful that I’m still breathing and that I have Maria to look out after me and care for me.  Also that I have friends like all of you who care about me.  I promise to get out of here as soon as humanly possible  and get on with getting on.  As of today at least, I don't really feel badly enough to be here, especially when I see the condition of some of the other patients.  At least my chest pain is gone now, which I have to think is a good thing.  If you want to read more about some of the medical stuff, as always, go to the Diary section by clicking here or above.
 

Apr. 23, 2007  I spent the day with John today. As you can tell from his entry yesterday, this hospital stay has become old and he's sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. It was a good thing I stayed all day and well into the night because I was able to be there for visits from the hospitalist, a social worker from the cancer center who has befriended us, the cardiologist who did all the testing on John when he was admitted, and Dr. S, John's oncologist. We made it abundantly clear that we wondered what John needed to do to get released and wondered exactly what they were treating. While we still don't have any answers about the lungs, the cardiologist said that, heart-wise, John is good to go.

While sitting around between doctors' rounds, John decided to take the first shower he's been allowed since last week. It wiped him out, even though he was using 5+ liters of O2 per minute while showering. This is what has been worrying us about his lungs. As of Friday the 13th, he wasn't using O2 to shower, climb stairs, mow the lawn, or anything! Since he has been admitted to the hospital, all they've checked his lungs for is blood clots (which he doesn't have). They did an x-ray over the weekend, but couldn't compare it to the one done the day before he was admitted because it was taken at the Vancouver Clinic, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HOSPITAL!!!, and they are on two different computer systems. So, instead, the radiologist compared it to the one taken at the hospital last March, when he still had BOOP. Now, even I know that's not going to tell you anything! To compare the one from last week, someone would have to copy the x-ray to a CD and, somehow, get it all the way across the street to the hospital. Heck, I volunteer! Dr. S promised to get on the phone with the pulmonologist and get back to us about what they are trying to accomplish by keeping John in "lock up."

The other interesting health development today was when John took a short walk down the hall sans oxygen. The nurse had an oxymeter on him and we were all pleased to see that he was able to keep his O2 saturation up to 91% while keeping his heart rate between 110 and 120. Then we got the printout from the remote heart monitor down the hall and learned that during the 6 minutes he was up and walking, his heart rhythm went into atrial fibrillation, but returned to normal sinus rhythm when he sat down again. The cardiologist wasn't too worried about it, though. He says that can sometimes happed with myocarditis and they'll just keep and eye on it to be sure it doesn't become a chronic problem.

We're hoping John can go home in a day or two, but no one will commit to that. He's been worrying about getting behind on "stuff" like the growing lawn, but Michael was kind enough to go over and mow it for us today, so really all's well on the home front.

Apr. 24, 2007  Here I am again, live and and in person at the ol' home computer. I was getting in such a bad mood that I think they just got fed up with me and, about 3:00 p.m., decided to kick me out. Maria brought me home at 6:00. So am I cured? "Hah!" I barely scream at the top of my pusillanimous lungs. The Myocardia seems to be under control, or at least it doesn't hurt any more. As for the ability to breathe, I seem to have taken a substantial step backwards from where I was as recently as last Sunday - the "Day of the Chinook." The problem is that no one knows for sure what caused it or how to treat it. So I'm still on high steroid doses, plus antibiotics, plus mega-doses of Ibuprofen, plus insulin, plus Coumadin, plus who knows what? But there were no additional tests planned and, without a plan of action, Maria and I challenged the powers that be to explain why I needed to be in the hospital. One interesting thing, for those of you who worked at Bonneville Power, was that one of my pulmonary doctors was Joseph Jura, Jim's son. He's the spitting image of Jim and has a lot of the same mannerisms. Like most Doctors these days, he appears to be 12-13 years old (or am I getting older?). There's more to tell, but I'm kind of tired tonight and want to go and crash on the couch with some mind-numbing American Idol and Dr. House. So I will try to add some more tomorrow and will hopefully find a way to get out of this "mood" I seem to have acquired over the last couple of days. Ice cream could be part of the picture. Live and enjoy!

Apr. 24, 2007  Yep, he's in a mood, all right, but I think he's earned the right! He's been such a superhumanly good sport throughout this long saga and, just when things were looking good and we were planning to have some fun, go on a couple of cool trips, another obstacle hits. I guess it's tempting to think that he's ruining everyone else's good time, but we all made those plans with the full knowledge that they might have to be changed. We can have umbrellas in our drinks right outside on our own back deck, looking at the lovely spring garden blooming in our own back yard. There are plenty of cool trips close by and not going out of the area in May will mean we don't have to miss the next awesome clam tide! There's always a silver lining. I'm so glad to have John home I can scarcely stand it! :-))))) <-- Really big smile! We'll get through this little mood glitch after a good night's sleep in our own bed. More tomorrow!

Apr. 25, 2007  ATTITUDE CZECH! Okay, I'm over it. I'm home and back under the watchful eye and loving care of Maria so things are better now. The hospital is just not a place to get well - home is. I am very disappointed at the amount of ground I lost on my recovery the last week but, what the heck, what else do I have to do but sit around and recover in what will eventually be beautiful spring weather? I am back to being connected to "Rollo," the magical, mobile oxygen concentrator since I get out of breath showering, dressing, and thinking too hard. However, I'm able to walk around the house slowly and, at least right now, do not need to be in the wheel chair all the time. Nevertheless, the regression from whatever cause was significant and I've little doubt it set me back to where I was a month or so ago. Bummer. Luckily I am still able to watch TV and work on the computer without significant loss of breath.

Our trip to Hawaii that we'd planned for next week is now out of the question and today we will be canceling reservations that my daughter, Lynn, worked so hard to get. Maria is being wonderful about it, saying it's no big deal and that my health is her top priority. Although I know she must be very disappointed,  I’m certain I will not hear another word about it from her. Neither of us has ever been to Hawaii so we still have that adventure before us. We will just reschedule it for another time, although the stars might not align to do it with Lynn and Phil as we'd planned. But we will continue to make plans as we always have – but with an added measure of flexibility built in.

The good news is that the last round of chemo seems to be working on the tumors by all indications and, we are going to be able to go ahead a radiate the little bastards as well just for good measure. The radiation will take a week to 10 days and, because of location, will not be too tough on my body. Dr S, the Oncologist, is a little nervous about going ahead with more of my chemo, scheduled for a week from this Friday, since he thinks it might have been the trigger for this latest episode. I'm more willing to risk a go at it than he since it seems to be working. It's possible that it wasn't the trigger or that the second round won't have the same effect. Dr. S, Maria, and I will have that discussion next week. Seems there are no guarantees in this business.

Apr. 26, 2007  Whew! What a day! The phone rang literally every few minutes and twice I found myself holding the land line in one hand and the cell phone in the other with a different doctor's office on each line! Lest we feel ignored, the hospital called to see how John liked his stay and the level of service there. We are always glad to compliment SWMC because they give him excellent care! John had his first Coumadin "coagulation check" today and they had to call twice to give me the directions on how to adjust his dose for the next several days. While testing for the Coumadin dosage, the Home Health Care Nurse asked the requisite bazillion questions, starting with, "Do you know who the President of the United States is?" John looked him right in the eye and solemnly answered, "We don't have one right now, but we will again a year from November." He slays me! :-)

Last to call was Dr. S, who is negotiating with John about the next step in chemo. John is lobbying hard to be able to take the next dose of Pemetrexed, as scheduled, but the doctor wants to be sure he won't be causing more harm than good by giving it to him. John was all prepared with data and a spreadsheet on all his stats, knowing Dr. S and how careful he is! We're both really happy with how well John feels now that he's been home, especially since today he was able to keep his O2 saturation at 95% without Rollo, and could spend a fun afternoon sitting outside and supervising while Michael planted the new quaking aspens in John's nature garden.

Apr. 26, 2007  Today I'm back to the routine. I start the morning with a shot (blood thinner) in the stomach, a blood sugar test, a puff or two on the inhaler, ten assorted pills (steroids, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, thyroid, vitamins, etc.), a few more pills occasionally during the day, and finally two more pills, a special inhaler, and two shots in the stomach about 9 tonight. And so far my range of movement is the 50 feet of canula connected to Rollo, the oxygen concentrator. This morning the Home Nursing Service will send someone by to check on me, ask a ton of questions that I've answered a bazillion times, but, most importantly, check on my oxygen saturation, heart rate, and Coumadin level. By comparing these stats over time I can gauge my progress. The blood thinner (Coumadin) is going to be a permanent thing I guess. That means I will have to go in weekly to the Coumadin clinic to have my levels checked, at least at first, and then perhaps less often later. 

Fred and Pat Olney came over yesterday evening and we cooked up razor clams that he and Jeff (my son) dug last Sunday as hors d' oeuvres. After the clams had time to settle, Fred BBQ'd a huge piece of a 22# springer that he caught on the Lewis River a few hours earlier. He and his buddy got two and were home by 10:30. Boy! That was a NW Seafood Extravaganza Supremo Grande!! Thanks guys!

We made all the cancellations for our ill-fated Hawaii trip yesterday. Lynn and Phil will have to suffer along without us next week. Lynn said she would send us pictures daily of the Hawaiian sights we're missing. I told her I would send her  pictures of Battle Ground. She's excited about that and, although she hasn't told Phil yet, I expect he will be as well.

Apr. 27, 2007  I woke up this morning feeling pretty good again (relatively speaking of course). Unfortunately this good feeling was occurring at 3:35 a.m. I read for awhile, did crosswords, and otherwise probably annoyed Maria until 5:45 when she gets up to go to the gym. This afternoon I was able to sit on the mower long enough (2 hours) to get the lawn mowed.  I'm okay at rest , i.e., sitting, but can get out of breath with minimal activity or in just a few steps. I can be gasping for air with a walk from the family room to the den. I'm hoping that this condition will start to improve again pretty soon as it did before my last stint in the hospital. After Maria and I finished the yard work, about 5:00, it was such a beautiful evening, we sat on the deck for a spell, each with a small glass of our favorite beverage, and watched the birds fight over position on  the feeders for what they must believe is the "last seed." What a beautiful evening it was and is. Next on our agenda is to cedar plank the fresh piece of spring Chinook that Fred Olney left for us the other night. I might feel guilty except that he and Bill Shake picked up another one today on the Lewis River. Does it get any better? Gotta go and eat. Take care and have a great weekend.

Apr. 27, 2007  John didn't mention that the highlight of bird watching this evening was when a pair of violet-green swallows kept checking out the new birdhouse in the cherry tree (a birthday gift from Ed and Julie). Suddenly, after a short rest and consultation with the mate in our mimosa tree, one of them made a beeline for the nesting house and flew straight into the hole. Several minutes later, having presumably measured it and checked the view, out came the little swallow and took off for who knows where. We hope they'll return and that we'll be able to watch baby swallows hatch right outside the window!

Apr. 29, 2007  Yesterday, Saturday, was a good day. A couple hours after I got up I noticed a definite improvement in my lung function, i.e., the ability to walk farther without being as winded or to do a little more without the aid of oxygen. It's the first noticeable improvement since I went into the hospital the week before last. I'm not back to where I was before I went in, but am highly encouraged by any progress. On the down side, the twice-daily Lovenox (blood thinner) shots in the stomach, while I transition to Coumadin, are a pain. Each one results in a bruise about the size of a dollar and does not seem to want to quit bleeding. This morning the bedding looked like we might have butchered a hog in there last night (Sorry about that visual). Tomorrow a.m., however, should be the last shot of Lovinox and then I'm on just Coumadin (a pill) - which I will have to remain on to counteract any possible cancer-caused blood clots. However, the daily insulin shots will continue as long as I am on steroids. That could be several more months. On Wednesday I return to Brunhilda and Igor, the two maniacal Radiation Techs, to start another round of radiation - once a day for 10 or so days I think. A walk in the park.

Last night Lynn and Phil came over for a last visit before they head off to Hawaii, the trip Maria and I had to cancel, and we did the first BBQ on our new fire pit. It seemed to work very well and we are really happy with the way it turned out both visually and functionally. We think we will get a lot of enjoyment out of it. We will put in a nearly identical one at our place in Pacific City soon. I was able to sleep only 3 hours last night (damn Prednisone), so today will be spent  planting the lettuce start that Lynn gave me, maybe a Netflix movie while I snooze on the couch, keeping an ear out for the woodpecker that had a go at our Hardy Plank cement siding early this morning, weather watching, and other strenuous activities like that. You all have a lovely, relaxing Sunday as well. (See Maria's news below.)

Apr. 29, 2007  John and I are really encouraged by how well he was feeling yesterday. He noticed a distinct change for the better, sometime midday. Two days before, he needed a wheelchair to get out to the fire pit, but yesterday he walked back and forth several times on his own, and without oxygen. He was all excited about breaking in the new grate/covers he had made for the pit and they worked terrifically! The only thing missing was the S'mores!

The only thing worrying us is the fact that John seems to be spontaneously bleeding and not just from the injection sites. He has developed a little rash of tiny blood blisters all over his arms and they have been erupting, too. We will definitely have a chat with the Coumadin Clinic personnel tomorrow morning. We wonder if they have forgotten to factor in the 800 mg of Ibuprofen he takes three times a day . . .

In the meantime, John and I got a pleasant surprise of a different kind today: Several people emailed to let me know they saw the pictures of my sculpture in today's Oregonian special section called Destination: Lake Oswego. Thanks for the heads-up, everyone! I guess they are featuring the L.O. art scene now because the residents of the city are in the process of voting for their People's Choice Award. The winning sculpture will be purchased by the city and become a permanent part of the city's collection. Anillos is one of ten finalists for that award, which will be decided when they count the votes May 10th.

Apr. 30, 2007  Well, Maria ratted me out again last night to the Home Healthcare Nurse who called Dr. S., who sent me to the emergency room to have my blood checked because of the spontaneous bleeding from capillaries.  After my tantrum subsided to a "modified snit," we made a 6:30 p.m. run to SWMC Emergency.  It turns out that I have something called "petechial hemorrhaging."  It's pronounced "puh-teek-eeal" which probably doesn't help, but since you likely don't care anyway....  See,  you learn something new here every day.  I put a couple of close up pictures of what they look like on the Diary page if you care to see them.  Be careful - it's not pretty - not joking.  Basically all the doc did was to give me some stuff for the constant nose bleed and took me off of the mega dose of Ibuprofen that I was on for the myocarditis.  Apparently, that's the primary cause of the bleeding.  The E-room Doc said it's a trade off thing - myocarditis v. petechial hemorrhaging.  I took what was behind door no. 2.  Actually, they worry more about where else I might be leaking than just the capillaries in my arms.  Isn't this exciting stuff!?  The really good part was that this was one of the first times in the E-room without being admitted.  I got to experience the ride home on the same day.  How nice. Life is good!