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Mar. 1 March came in like a lion and so has John. He's BA-A-A-CK! Eyes are bright, jokes abound, focused and interested in everything, whipping out the crossword in record time . . . all the indicators are there! He sat up for 5 and I/2 hours already today, had a sponge bath, pedicure, breakfast, and lunch. Dr. F showed me the films of today's x-ray and there is the biggest positive change yet. Imagine an overcast day with the clouds beginning to burn off. As they thin, you wonder if you are really seeing the blue behind the clouds or if you just think you see it because you want to so much. And then the point comes when you are sure that's what you see, the clouds seem to crack apart and the blue sky shines through. Today, the jet black color of healthy lung tissue was definitely showing up in patches.

The doctor cautioned me not to get ahead of myself; John is nowhere near out of the woods, but he is on the path. He aced the "eyeball" test and the doctor has him on a list to be transferred to a regular private room, as soon as they can get one free. It has to be one that supports the levels of oxygen he still needs and private because he is still VERY VULNERABLE TO INFECTION. They are reducing the amount of steroids he's taking and have already stopped one of the antibiotics. He's still taking insulin to counteract the glucose in the steroid IV, but is getting injections instead of an IV drip. The goal is to get him out of ICU today and out of the hospital ASAP. This may mean some kind of nursing support at home for awhile. I'm not sure he'll be able to do stairs, so I'm prepared to convert the studio to a temporary transitional healing place and we've designed it so it can work very well for that, even with a view to the little birds John loves to watch!

Mar. 2 John was moved out of ICU last night and spent a comfortable night on low-flow oxygen. The room is not a private one, but apparently has high-flow oxygen available as a back-up, should he need it. He was ready to get up this morning and sit in a chair for about 4 hours. He was able to walk a short distance (to the head) for the first time in a week and decided to celebrate feeling so good with a shave. Dr. S says he's on "cruise control" right now, just letting his body put itself back together. Dr. F hadn't been in yet by the time I had to run some errands, but I hope to see him (and John's latest x-ray) when I return this afternoon. Everyone who comes in listens to his lungs and they all proclaim that they sound very good. John said, for the first time, that he actually feels really good today. WaHOO!

Mar. 3 John spent a good day yesterday. He was able to get up and sit for several hours at a time, plus two walks on the short leash of his oxygen tube. He wears out by late afternoon, so visits are best earlier in the day, at this point. He's been expressing strong opinions again, especially about the fact that he is hungry and they won't give him anything that tastes good to him. That's mostly because his diet is extremely restricted, due to the glucose and insulin he's been getting. But they are weaning him off the IV steroids and antibiotics. He can still have Albuterol treatments to open his lungs, if he wants them, but is now using an inhaler every 4 hours that he can do on his own. These are clear steps toward being able to leave the support of the hospital and go home. He's already bored and wants to get out of there ASAP. Besides, he's done the math and figures if he's out in the 3-5 day period the doctor suggested, he can still get the vocal cord shot which has been rescheduled for this coming Thursday. Boy, when he bounces back, he bounces back! I haven't seen the x-rays yet, but the doctors tell us that they lag behind the pathology. In other words, he was really feeling sick for about 10 days before the white-out showed on his x-rays. Now, the x-rays may still show congestion, but he' actually breathing better than the films would suggest and his lungs sound clear. Maybe one of you scientists can explain to me how this is possible, but for now I'll just accept it's true.

Once the move has been made out of ICU, John thinks it best that he have one visit per day from friends. That may mean a small group of 2-3 or a single person. But one brief (20 minute) visit will be a good place to start each day, so we can capitalize on the strength he is building and so that he will have something to look forward to each day. I think it best if Lynn coordinates the visitations, as she sees or talks to many of you at work. Besides, I don't want to deal with sorting through the bribes that are sure to materialize as people try to get cuts in line! ;-) Email (lpalensky@nwcouncil.org) or call her if you want to visit John. Once he comes home, though, you'll have to bribe me (or him!) ;-) Meanwhile, keep the emails coming to me and I'll continue to print them for John.

I can hardly believe I'm writing this two days after our darkest hour. But some of you have actually been with John on a real boat, awash in the ocean. I remember a story about powering over the perpendicular wall of a wave and knowing that it was do or die. Of course, John "did" and now he's done it again! I knew he was special when I married him, but I'm still amazed by the depth of his character and strength. Rob Jones put it well when he dropped by last night. He told me he thinks that John's strength comes from a place so deep inside that he can't even help it. I want to thank you all again for the support you have offered both of us and our family. We hope we will be able to return the kindness if ever needed!

Mar. 3 (Later in the day) John was finishing breakfast when I got to the hospital today and was glad to get the newspaper so he could check over the business news. It's probably a good thing that he was less than interested in the news during the stock market's wild ride this past week.

While there, I was able to be see two of the doctors, including Dr. F, the lung specialist, who told us that John might be able to come home Tuesday or Wednesday, if he continues to improve to the point of using portable oxygen tanks. Right now, however, he is going through oxygen at too fast a rate for that. We're still not really sure what caused all this, but it seems to be either a reaction to the chemo drug or a virus. The virus hypothesis might explain why there's a section of his left lung that was untouched by the condition and which, in my opinion, probably helped save his life. John can finally feel the difference in his ability to inhale. He walked to the hallway where he sat in a chair for awhile and enjoyed a different view. Then he was ready to return to bed, have lunch and a siesta. His roommate "went off" last night into some kind of loud hallucination and John barely got any sleep.

He is bored with being cooped up in the hospital, totally unimpressed with the food, and counting the minutes till he can blow that taco stand. (I'm thinking Steve Smith's idea of tying tackle during a hospital visit is a really good one!) He's improving more each day, though, taking concrete steps toward being ready to handle at-home activity. He will be on oral steroids for quite some time, apparently, as it will take a long time for his lungs to recover, so we'll have to be extra careful about exposing his weakened immune system to infections of any kind. But he's already starting to look ahead to plans for fun activities with friends and family.

Last night, Lynn and Phil came to visit, bearing food for me (THANKS, Kendra!) and plans for a trip to Hawaii in May, before we go to Tofino. John thumbed through the book she brought and the pictures of Hawaii got him pretty pumped! So, at last, we two (who are probably the only two in the world who haven't been to Hawaii) will get to go! Whee! Looking at the fishing pictures Garth and Tom Iverson sent, John said, "I want to do some more of that." Buoy-10 came up in conversation today, too. :-)

It's 10:00. John called to say good night and that he is feeling well. His voice sounded stronger than it has all week.

Mar. 4 As I get ready to head to the hospital, an email from Lynn that the kids' mom is in ICU in Moses Lake, Washington, after some symptoms that may be due to a stroke. They don't know yet. But Lynn, Michael and Jeff have already been through so much this week! It might be best for communications regarding visiting John to come to me for awhile, as Lynn and the boys may need to be with their mother.

Mar. 4 (Later in the day)  The word is that Joan may stay in the hospital overnight. She has some numbness in her left arm. The doctors seem to think it may clear up on its own in 24 hours, but are doing many tests. Lynn is flying out there this afternoon and the boys are going to see her within the next day or so.

Meanwhile, Jeff is visiting with John, who continues to make progress. Apparently, Dr. F labeled him as "progressing" on the chart today and wants him to start walking a little, with oxygen tank in tow. We tried it, but his blood pressure started out low and went lower when he stood up (sound familiar?). He walked to the door, remembering to breathe all the way, but his 94% oxygen saturation dropped to 81%, so that was it for the outing. The Physical Therapist turned him around and sent him back to the chair where he recovered in a few seconds.

He admitted that he was seeing little "sparkles" behind his eyes, which he often does when his blood pressure is too low. The nurse, Steve, and the PT tried to explain it away with other theories (too much oxygen from breathing while he walked . . .?!. . . the diuretics he takes twice a day, etc), but when John was still mentioning it an hour later, I decided to ask the nurse to check with one of the doctors because, for the past 3 months, twinkling lights meant he needed an infusion of saline. He has needed one every 2-4 days since Thanksgiving and he's been off of a saline IV for about 2-3 days now. It made sense to me to check this out, rather than let it slip through the cracks, if John is to have every opportunity to rebuild his lungs. Steve came back into the room a few minutes later, bearing an IV bag,  and said, "This is why it's always good to listen to patients and their families. The doctor looked back at John's chart and noticed he's been losing more liquid than he's been taking in for the past couple of days." Hmmm.

With all the different specialists John has seen and all the different reasons for admitting him to the hospital, none of the doctors currently treating his lungs has the whole picture of where he's been since October. Of course, John wouldn't have wanted to bother anyone by asking them to check this out, and I probably would behave the same way if our positions were reversed. But it's far easier for me to insist on getting answers to the question, "Is this something to worry about?," than it is to let something that might be important slide. Each time, I hope they'll tell me it was nothing to worry about, but each time (so far) it has turned out to be something. I'm more and more convinced that dealing with doctors, hospitals, etc. is a two-person job! The person who is ill (especially when he is taking chemo and other drugs which are tripping all over each other inside him) really has other things on his mind and can't always remember every step of the journey.

We both feel for the man who shares John's room with him (the one who "went off" and had to be restrained the other night). He has become convinced that everyone at the hospital, including John and me, is part of a giant conspiracy. He is quite agitated and refuses to take his medication. He thought they had put cocaine into his custard, so wouldn't eat it. He spent most of the morning on the phone with his wife, who has Alzheimer's Disease, explaining his whole conspiracy theory to her and standing adamantly by his decision to refuse the CAT scan they want to give to figure out what's happening to him. We are grateful that we have each other and that both of us are more or less lucid most of the time!

Even though John didn't get much of a walk, he did manage to take a shower, still hooked up to oxygen, and felt much improved afterward. When I left, he and Jeff were just sitting down to a hand of cards.

Mar. 5 I spent the morning with John and am home, clearing the studio of clay stuff so we can set up a hospital bed when he comes home. John has about had it with trying to sleep next to his delusional roommate, so it's a good thing the man is being discharged today. Last night, he tried to get out of bed every 5 minutes, setting off the most obnoxious alarm you've ever heard, so John got very little sleep. Since John has doing better, physically, he has been spending too much time thinking. Combine that with sleeplessness and generally not wanting to be there anymore, and he gets a bit down about how long his recovery is taking. That's where visits from friends and family really help cheer him up. And his energy is good, so he can handle more visit time than he originally thought he could. He really enjoyed it when Jim Luce stopped in yesterday.

The doctor says he'll be on pretty big doses of steroids for a couple more weeks before they can start weaning him off, but reassured us that he should be able to go on the trip to Hawaii we have planned for the beginning of May, as well as to Tofino. I guess, since John's been such an awesome sport through all of this, he's allowed a moment to fret about the future, but I'm determined not to let him get stuck in the backwash! He'll feel a lot better once he can go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather we're having at last!

The word from Lynn is that her mother is recovering from something brought on by the use of an over-the-counter cold medication.

Mar. 6 The studio is all set for John to come home. All we have to do now is get the doctor(s) to sign the discharge papers. He is border-line ready to come home, in terms of how much oxygen he needs and how much a home-delivery system can provide. We're still not sure whether it will be tomorrow or the next day or ??? lDr. B, a pulmonologist, will be following up on this with John. He explained that they have finally decided that John has a case of BOOP. Yeah. Apparently, if it had been a virus, it wouldn't have improved with the steroid therapy. It has taken until now to get the name of the disorder so I could look it up. The docs are all brilliant when it comes to caring for John; not so brilliant when it comes to articulating the specific problem. Apparently, this case of BOOP is most likely caused by the chemo treatment John recently had. It's rare, of course, but not unheard of. It will take months for his lungs to recover, with big doses of corticosteroids that will gradually taper off. While on steroids, his immune system will be depressed and he'll be at a higher risk for infection.

The doctors were able to diagnose this only by trial and error, as taking the preferred biopsy would have been too risky, in John's case. But, judging from the way it developed and has subsequently responded, they are pretty sure it is Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia. It looks like a long road to recovery, but thankfully, John is on that road! Although I'm sure he will recover more comfortably at home, he is likely to need much more time than he will want to spend just waiting for his lungs to repair themselves. The doctors assure him that he cannot speed up the process by "challenging" his lungs. He needs to adapt his activity to accommodate his oxygen needs and will need to do so for a long time to come. We will all have to encourage him to be patient and not "get ahead of his headlights," as he would say.

Mar. 7 John came home this afternoon. We're getting used to the new set-up. I'll let him fill you in on the details tomorrow, when he gets to the computer.

Mar. 8  Down? Perhaps a bit. Out? Not yet! After two weeks in "lock up," I hardly know where to start. Probably first is to give everyone of you out there the biggest heartfelt thanks possible for all your prayers, kindnesses, emails, pictures,  cards, visits, and support in general. You will likely never know how much that has meant to me. Thank you all so very much!  And to Maria and the kids and their spouses, thanks for the many hours spent driving back and forth to the hospital, sitting with me, and helping Maria out in every way possible. And Eddy...... I returned home from the hospital yesterday to the drone of my mower and Eddy's whistling as he chewed away at our 1.2+ acres of 5" high lawn - in the rain. No small feat! Thanks, Dude! (Rob and Paula, Dandy thanks you for keeping her alive while Maria spent several nights at the hospital!)

I've had to read through the last couple of week's postings by Maria to find out what the hell I've been doing. It's all kind of a blur to me now - and frankly, I kind of like it that way. Sounds like I might have scared a few folks a bit. Sorry about that! I do remember that at one point I thought I was checking out, but the amazing part is that I was very calm and really didn't care that much. Maria, Maria, Maria.... what can I say.  I know I could not have survived without her constant and untiring support. I can't begin to tell you how much she has worked to keep me going and to have everything ready for when I came home. I am soooooooooooo lucky to have her!

I'm more than a little disappointed that this nasty stuff I have has one of the least dignified names possible....BOOP?? What the hell is that about? How do I tell people I'm recovering from a bad case of BOOP? Or that I nearly died of BOOP? It sounds like some kind of a rash or something.

So, I'm home now where Maria has set up and organized everything for my care and comfort. The frustrating thing is that I have to be on oxygen constantly and get winded just brushing my teeth - no joking. Then I have to sit and pant for a few minutes to get the oxygen saturation back to a reasonable level (if you want to have a little fun with me, just stand on my oxygen line for a couple of minutes). Apparently this is not a short term deal but is going to take quite a bit of time to get back to something close to normal - although a complete recovery is not likely an option. Some things that I may never be able to do again would include mowing the lawn, washing the boat, cleaning my own salmon, sweeping the driveway, and vacuuming. I fully expect, however, to be able to bait up, fight a nook, BBQ salmon, open my own beer, and supervise others.

Well, all of this typing is taking its toll on me, so I should probably go and get a quick rest before the Garth-Meister (Mr. Meals on Wheels) arrives with a gourmet lunch for me. I haven't seen Garth for a while. It will be good. Take care and I'll write more when I recover a bit.

Mar. 8 Here's a picture of Garth and John as they performed the hand sanitizing ritual we seem to be doing constantly now. Garth brought a marvelous lunch of lamb chops, asparagus and ginger-carrot soup, followed by Annie's delicious chocolate chip cookies. It was one of John's first real meals after getting out of the hospital and we really savored it! John is getting stronger each day although, as he said, it is going to take a very long time to rebuild after this big BOOP. The studio "apartment" worked great as sleeping quarters for us last night. John was very cozy in his hospital bed and we even tried out the shower this morning. It all worked like a charm. We never expected to be the ones to use the fancy handicapped accessible amenities we built in, but we are sure glad to have them!

Mar. 10  It's Great to be Home!  After a couple of days lounging around the house with "Nurse Maria" attending to my every need, I'm starting to feel like I just might make it a bit longer.  However, I have to tell you that the recovery progress is measured in inches - not feet or yards.  Hang on to those lungs folks - apparently they are quite important in the grand scheme of things.  I notice that I am able to walk 25 or so feet now, slowly, without totally crashing and burning.  And my pusillanimous legs which have done nada for the last two weeks are starting to get the tiniest bit of strength back so that I can at least stand up to put my pants on.  I know it probably sounds like I'm pulling your chain but I'm not - normal little things that I once took for granted can just totally exhaust and wind me. 

We have, of course, had to delay getting the shot in my throat that I hope will allow me to talk a bit better, but at least we are keeping it on the schedule.  The next opportunity is a week from this Monday unless one of the docs nixes it.  It's very important to me, so I will likely push back if someone tries to kybosh it again.

So far I haven't been able to make it upstairs to weigh so I'm not sure how much more weight I've lost, but I'd guess it's another 10 pounds or perhaps a bit more.  Unfortunately, it's not all fat but has become painfully obvious that a lot of muscle mass has gone by the wayside as well.  But either way, my clothes fit better and I'm as sexy as ever(?).

Mar. 11  Daylight Saving Time and it's a lovely, warm day already. Nearly 60 degrees on the deck. John walked from the studio to the deck, with the wheelchair in tow for oxygen, and spent a few minutes enjoying the birds. I'm enjoying feeling better today, as I've had a stomach virus of some kind since Thursday night. John's feeling a bit stronger every day, though he's lost another 15 pounds during this recent stint at the hospital. He walks short distances, but uses the wheelchair for most major transitions.

Yesterday, Lynn and Phil came to visit and we did some planning for the Hawaii trip. It's going to be a challenge, since they don't let you take your own oxygen on a plane. You have to get the airline to provide it for the trip and then arrange for some hospital supply place to provide it while you're there. Lynn is being kind enough to look up all the logistics for us, as we're neophyte Hawaii tourists. John has come so far in a week that it's hard to imagine exactly what to expect in the next 2 months. In some ways, it's been a rude awakening for us to realize how limiting it is to need additional oxygen for every little thing from brushing your teeth to digesting your food. Never mind walking around or getting in and out of vehicles, boarding planes, registering at hotels, snorkeling (?!), etc. These days, we're glad if he can feel relatively good and just get around the house.

Mar. 13  After several days, I think we've almost got this "next phase" down to a science. We've even managed to squeeze in a tiny bit of time for me to work-out in the mornings.

This morning, I met Aaron, the young man who bought my Subaru, at the DMV to clear up some kind of bureaucratic glitch with the title transfer. He told me that he and his fiancée are getting married this Saturday. They are a sweet couple and it was fun to give them my heartfelt congratulations and wishes that their marriage be as wonderful as their wedding is sure to be. The thought has been with me since then that John and I are so fortunate, not only to have finally found each other and to have enjoyed two years of more happiness than either of us had any right to expect, but also to have had the opportunity to learn the real meaning of marriage through some of our recent challenges. Not to say we aren't still having more fun than we can stand, but this is also where the real character of a relationship shines through. Of course, ours is supported by our incredible extended family of children, spouses, and friends, without whom the challenges would have been much greater.

As John mentioned, the kids are all coming this weekend to help us with "spring cleaning" in the garden. Nothing too strenuous, but lots of little stuff that would be impossible for us to manage by ourselves right now. John is trying to adjust to the idea that he won't be able to pitch in with everyone else, but you know how he can always get a crowd psyched up to accomplish great things and have fun while doing it! His job is to keep us all motivated! Personally, I'm looking forward to all the hilarious energy that always surrounds the Palensky kids wherever they are and I'm sure, in the process, we'll make a dent in the list!

Mar. 13  Well, this is the start of my 6th day home and I'm happy to report that they've so far been pretty uneventful - the way we like them.  I do think that I've seen a bit of progress in my ability to move around a bit without gasping and wheezing so much.  And when I do exhaust myself, I think my recovery time is somewhat faster as well.  Nothing based on measurements - just a general sense.  I even sit around for 15 minutes to a half an hour without the use of oxygen and it doesn't seem to bother me as long as I'm not exerting.  Michael came by yesterday and took me (and my oxygen) for a spin in his brand new Honda Element he just bought.  It's a nice rig.  Much nicer and roomier inside than I had imagined.

Yesterday evening, Bill Tweit (WDFW) came by and filled me in on the "North of Falcon" harvest situation and the option to not have a B-10 fishery on nooks until late August.  What is the world coming to?  Not being encumbered by the nuances of harvest management and mired down by facts, I was able to provide Bill with a lot of good advice and solutions to most of the complex harvest issues he was wrestling with.  I didn't notice Bill taking any notes as I talked and he gazed out the window at my bird feeders, but I'm sure he was mulling over each idea, putting them in their proper context, and giving each gem its due consideration.

This weekend all the kids are supposed to come over to deliver on our Christmas present which was a weekend yard work party to get the old ranch ready for spring.  It's supposed to be a pretty nice weekend, so I'm really looking forward to it - sitting on the deck with the walkie-talkie, orchestrating the work.  Just imagine how much 6 people might accomplish in 14 - 16 hours.  Wow!  I've got to get that list prioritized now so there's not a minute of down time!  Take care of those lungs and remember,  healthy alveoli are happy alveoli.

Mar. 15  Beware the Ides of March! Well, in spite of that warning, we are hopeful John will make it through till tomorrow, son Jeff's birthday, and on past St. Patrick's Day without a trip to the hospital. Three "holidays" in a row! You know that's tempting fate with him! Hold on, friends! Maybe he'll catch a break this time!

We spent this afternoon watching birds at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. What a fun time! I saw my first Shovelers and there were lots of Mergansers, Buffleheads, Mallards, Swans (couldn't see if they were Tundra or Trumpeter), Canada Geese, Teal, Pintails, Coots, Red-winged Blackbirds, Marsh Hawks, Red Tails, Great Blue Herons, and Violet Green Swallows. John spotted some Marsh Wrens and I saw five swans fly over. We caught sight of one beautiful Wood Duck as well as a Ring Necked Duck, which neither of us had seen before. It is still a little early for the real mating displays, so we'll try again in a few weeks, but we had a great time picnicking with the wild birds.

Yesterday, we visited with Dr. S, "our" oncologist, who reminded us how close we came to losing John. He okayed John's trip to the throat doc on Monday (for the vocal cord shot) by saying, "You've earned it, John!" We still don't know what the next step is in cancer treatment, so we'll wait another 3 weeks to see how John's lungs recover and then make some kind of decision. John gets stronger each day and can now go for periods of time without oxygen, while at rest. Exertion still requires plugging into "Rollo," the oxygen concentrator.

This evening, Rob and Paula came by, bearing pizza and their always-good company. Rob gave John some pointers on how to sight with his antique Winchester shotgun and a good time was had by all. Larry Larson and John McCollister promise to bring some salmon for lunch tomorrow. If this keeps up, I may not have to learn how to cook!

Mar. 16  What a beautiful day! Larry Larson and John McCollister visited today and Big John brought an absolutely wonderful piece of Frazer River white chinook he caught last summer, Larry a salad that he whipped up here, and Big John baked some fresh bread. Larry's wife, Ila, sent over some sinfully delicious "Nanaimo Bars." I don't know what all is in them but it's probably best we don't know. Thanks, Ila!  Larry BBQ'd the salmon and we all had lunch on the deck while Larry told us about all the fun things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii where Maria and I hope to go later in May with Lynn and Phil. My appetite seems to be going full tilt boogie and, in spite of wanting to eat anything that sits still long enough, I somehow lost 2 more pounds since getting out of "lock up." But if I continue to eat the way I did at noon, I should be able to reverse that trend before long. I was afraid to check my insulin level this afternoon after the Nanaimo Bar, but the machine held together and I don't seem to be in any kind of shock or coma at the moment. Tomorrow is son Jeff's birthday and he a Vanessa are coming down to spend the weekend with us. So Maria and I are looking forward to a fun time with them and Lynn and Phil. (Michael has a bad cold and so is temporarily banned from the germ-free "Kingdom of Sterility and Cleanliness.") I hope this weather can hold on just a bit longer. Still looking forward to going in Monday and getting the shot in the the throat for my voice. Life is good! Take care and remember to breathe deeply every chance you get.

So Maria and I are starting to settle into a routine that includes taking tons of pills, blood sugar tests, insulin shots, Lovenox shots, oxygen-concentrators, hospital beds, air tanks, wheelchairs, wheelchairs tangled in 50' of plastic tubing from oxygen concentrators, home care nurses, and diet. Whew! So much to remember.  We've moved into the studio for sleeping at night where the hospital bed was set up and where Maria sleeps on the "concrete futon mattress." During the day, I spend a lot of time on the computer, updating this site and at least trying to acknowledge the emails you all send (Thank you very much!).  I really need to be doing some taxes but just don't yet seem to have the energy for that.  I have a huge backlog of "to do's" but don't seem to be making a lot of headway yet, e.g., on cataloging and organizing all my pictures, tying some tackle, managing my portfolio of losing stocks, etc. My liquor cabinet keeps expanding as many folks see the need to bring me a bottle of something. Since I can't partake right now, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.  Rob Jones, Fred Olney, Eddy Kokoruda, and a couple of my other buddies come over every now and then and help winnow it down a bit.  Thanks guys. Well, I'd better rest up a bit for lunch. It takes a lot of oxygen to digest, you know, and then there's that whole daylight savings time thing to deal with tomorrow.

Mar. 18  A busy, fun weekend, this one. Lynn, Phil, Jeff, and Vanessa were here, making good on their Christmas present to Maria and me, which was a weekend of spring yard work - the gift of time - the most precious of all! Everyone worked very hard cutting brush, doing the burn pile, mowing, cleaning, and a bunch of other stuff. There were more than a few sore muscles in the group this morning. I was able to hop on the riding lawnmower and motor out to the work area where I could sit and watch the action and kibitz a bit. Only my butt muscles are sore today. It was also Jeff's 34th birthday so, after working all day, we celebrated last night with a lovely prime rib and mashed potato dinner by Maria and a sinfully good German chocolate cake that Lynn made for Jeff. Once again, I somehow avoided a diabetic coma, but I'm not sure why, given the amount of cake I ate. For his birthday gift, I gave Jeff his grandfather Al's antique Model 97 Winchester 12 Gauge shotgun that I had scammed onto 40 or so years ago. After dinner, Rob and Blake Jones came over and we played a game of Texas Hold 'em - which Rob eventually won. Rob and Blake both finished in the money. We also initiated Phil to the game. Phil found it academically interesting how quickly one might divest oneself of $20. We all hope this newfound interest continues to flourish. Today Rob Jones dropped by with his John Deere and he and Phil played dueling lawnmowers and got the lawn all trimmed and looking good. Lynn and Phil brought lunch and Vanessa made her famous Guacamole. Thank you all very much for your hard work! It was a lot of fun - at least for me. We love you! --Dad and Maria.

Mar. 18 John pretty much covered the events of the weekend. The results are astounding! The place has never looked so good! The company, food and weather all conspired to make fun out of a lot of hard work. We laughed, we cried, we saved Jeff from a couple of falling trees, we even found a bird's nest and a baby antler shed by our little two point buck. Dodie and Dandy continued their fragile truce. And there was cake!

John did neglect to mention he was also in charge of entertainment: Before he climbed onto the mower, we put his wheelchair and its oxygen tank into the back of the lawnmower trailer so he could supervise the burn pile. (Let's see . . . fire . . . oxygen under pressure . . . what could go wrong?) We forgot to put the little gate on the back of the trailer, so when the wind changed and John had to drive away from the smoke at one point, the chair bounced out of the back of the trailer, a scene which was made only slightly more hilarious by the fact that the oxygen tube was still attached to John's face and just about strangled him as it came off with the chair. Oww!

Mar. 19  Today I went to see the Laryngologist, Dr. T., to have some repair done on my vocal cord (voice ). It was about all the fun one can stand on a Monday, with long needles involved. Anyhow, it's over now and I'm back home with a sore throat and contemplating soothing it with ice cream. Click on the Diary Section above for the $10 description of the procedure. I won't know  how much it might have improved my ability to talk, since I will be hoarse for a couple of days.  And, my voice will "evolve" over a few days as well so it can still change a bit. Don't expect miracles but at least you might be able to hear me over the phone. The doctor said he'd hoped to get the cord a bit "fuller" than he initially did, but when he tried to go back in, the swelling in the throat that had already occurred prevented him from being able to get the needle where he needed it. After several tries, he decided to leave it and said we could put in some more later if I wanted to. This procedure is a temporary fix and is expected to last for a couple of months.  My voice will likely weaken as the injection material is ultimately reabsorbed by the body. Then you do it again or go for the permanent surgical fix. See Diary for more details.

Mar. 21  Well, we made it - Happy Spring!  I've been home and out of the hospital now for two weeks and it seems to have passed very quickly.  I still feel like I'm getting stronger each day and able to move around more without being totally tied to the oxygen tube.  I can walk around the house a bit, out to the studio, and out to the car without totally winding myself, although it's best to suck on some 02 for a minute or two after I go on these treks.  My legs are still weak from the 2 weeks flat on my back.  I've not been upstairs yet but did take on the challenge of the the 5 stair steps to the landing.  I need to attempt the stairs each day to get my legs back.  Someday I will make it to the top. 

Fred Olney came by yesterday and dropped off some razor clams (cleaned)  that Frank and Linda young shared with Fred and Pat.   Maria and I are lucky to have so many wonderful and thoughtful friends.  Also, as we sat at the dining room table with Fred, I got to add a new species that Fred spotted to my backyard bird list  - a mature Bald Eagle!  First one ever here at the old ranch.  It was likely flying the Lewis River and ventured off a bit and almost over the yard.  Maybe it was zeroing in on our cat??  Also, Lynn came over last night and brought chocolate cake.  I held myself to two pieces.

I've been chatting up a storm with my new voice and generally having fun surprising folks when I answer the phone.  I still can't sing, however, but I don't think that was part of the deal.  Tomorrow I go to see the pulmonary doctor and find out how my lungs are faring.  Maria and I are hoping that he will cut back on the steroids a bit (prednisone) - maybe from 100mg to 80mg or so.  That stuff makes me so jittery, not to mention the constant tingling and numbness in my feet and fingers and the insulin balance problems it causes.  I seem to be doing okay keeping my blood sugar in the normal range, even though I'm ravenously hungry and will eat anything that doesn't move for a few minutes.  I weighed again this morning thinking I might be putting some of the weight I lost in the hospital back on but....nope.  Still down a total of 55# since this whole thing began.  Speaking of food, Kathy Ceballos is coming over on a work/social visit tomorrow and is bringing some Chinese food, for which I seem to have a craving, for our lunch.  Such good friends!  Take care..... and remember to exhale.

Mar. 22  We went to see the pulmonologist (lung doc) today and he seemed to think I was doing pretty well.  I'm able to maintain about 94% O2 saturation without additional oxygen as long as I'm not exerting at all.  As soon as I do anything though, I get winded and my heart rate soars to compensate.  Because of all the muscle loss and muscle weakness I'm having associated with the steroid treatment (Prednisone) Dr. B. decided to start dropping the Prednisone dose down beginning tomorrow.  YES!  (Kids - If you're not using steroids now, don't start!)  That stuff just might be worse than than the cure.  But he said I will likely be on it for about 4 months barring any relapse.   You have to be weaned off of it slowly or it can have some really bad side effects, and the trick is to balance the steroid's adverse effects with its beneficial ones as a treatment.  Too low a dose and the risk of a relapse increases.  Also, along with the reduction in Prednisone is a pro rata reduction in insulin dose.  But, at least so far, there are no significant side effects associated with the insulin as best I can tell.

When we got home from the clinic, Kathy Ceballos was sitting in the driveway with a nice Kung Pao Chicken bento for me and some kind of swill for herself.  We ate lunch, gossiped about all of you folks at work, and had a very nice visit.  Thanks Kathy for the lunch and for telling me "you know what" about "you know who. . ."  

In with the good air --- out with bad --- Repeat.

Mar. 25   All is quiet here on the western front - a good thing.  I seem to be getting a tad bit stronger over time (noticeable every few days), but on a day-to-day basis, they vary.  I'm scooting around the house more, unassisted by O2,  but I still get really winded and have to sit down and recover.  I'm only 2.5 weeks out of the hospital so I guess I shouldn't expect too much yet - especially since the doc said this is a 3 to 6 month recovery if all goes well.  I'm starting to work on the stairs so that Maria and I can eventually move back into the upstairs bedroom, but my little "sparrow legs" are having a tough time with it so far.  Maybe, as we decrease the steroids, I can regain some leg strength.  Friday, I scuffed my foot on the hardwood floor and did a "face plant" in the kitchen.  As you might expect, I don't go down gently and it scared the heck out of Maria, who thought I hit my head on the cooking island in the process.  I didn't, but I did manage to smack my knee pretty good and hurt my shoulder a bit.  Fortunately, the floor broke my fall or it might have been worse.

Steve Smith stopped by Friday night on his way back from Olympia and visited for a while.  I've been pretty nervous about venturing out in public due to my compromised immune system, but yesterday Rob, Paula, Maria and, I snuck out for a matinee movie and an ice cream afterwards.  Today, Maria and I will hang close to home where Maria is baking fresh bread and I intend to catch the Oregon - Florida game.  After that, perhaps a nap and more breathing.  Busy, busy, busy!

Mar. 26 John is such a strong man! He's been improving each day and has had a big boost to his already positive attitude with the new voice. Dandy has finally gotten used to sleeping out in the studio with us and we're about to change it all on her again with a move upstairs! I was up there vacuuming today and, low and behold, there came John, sans O2, halfway up all on his own! I'll bet he'll be able to make it to the top in a few days! He took the wheelchair out to get the paper yesterday, before deciding to mow the lawn. The nice spring day did wonders for both of us and it was fun working together. I just about have "the list" all crossed off! Just a couple more things to do and we'll be done with spring cleaning in the yard. :-)

Mar. 26  Yesterday was so nice out that I went out on the deck and dared to brush some of the tangled messes out of Dandy. As you can see, she loved it. The birds love it too, since some of them use her hair for nest building. What a hair ball she is! While I was doing that, Maria was working on getting the potted plants cleaned up, out of the potting shed, and back on the brick patio. When I'd finished with Dandy, I felt good enough to climb onto the riding mower and start on the lawn. I couldn't get on and off of the mower all the time to dump the bags so Maria and I worked together. I'd mow and, when I'd filled the bags, she'd come back and dump them for me. It worked out great. I was about to start calling around to get estimates for mowing, but as long as we're able to do it, we might as well save the money to spend on one of our many vices.  

The Home Health Care Nurse came by today and we checked my O2 saturations and they were good - about 95% without oxygen, which held at 89% after two "laps" through the house.  My heart rate does soar, however - about 150 bpm - to keep it at that level.  But I seem to be able to recover fairly quickly - much better than a couple of weeks ago.

Maria and I stayed up to watch Planet Earth last night on the Discovery Channel.  It's absolutely wonderful but it was on until midnight, which is late for us.  I actually fell asleep before it was over and missed most of the ocean segment.  Since I've been on the steroids, I am unable to sleep through the night.  So last night was no exception and I did my usual 3:00 wake up, which I do every night, and which lasts for an hour and a half to two hours.  This morning I was awake reading the paper from cover to cover from 3:00 a.m. until 5:00 a.m.  Then I cat-napped until  7:00.  Boy what I wouldn't give for a full night's sleep!  On the other hand, though, I'm really up on current events.

Mar. 29  Other than trying to grow some hair back on my head, there's not been much going on here.  No doctor appointments until next week, but then a plethora of them.  I think I'm continuing to improve lung-wise but have a number of aches and pains elsewhere that need to be checked out by the docs next week.  Also, my newfound voice seems to have faded (weakened) a bit over the last few days - something Dr. T. said could happen.  So I will need to think about getting him to put a little more juice in the vocal cord.  Finally, I think Maria and I are going to try to move out of the studio and back up to the bedroom soon - maybe tomorrow - assuming I can conquer the stairs.

Maria and I continue to play around at getting the yard and garden in shape, as allowed by the weather and how I feel.  Maria does most of the work while I follow around on the mower and kibitz.  It's so beautiful out today we're going to make another run at it before the monsoons start again tomorrow.  Maria's best friend from San Jose, Jill, and her boyfriend Tim are driving up Friday to spend the weekend with us so we're looking forward to spending a couple of days with them.  We wish the weather were going to be nicer for their visit, but then, they see sunshine all the time so the downpours being forecast could be a nice change for them (Yeah, right).  Welcome to the NW!

Mar. 30  Well, we squeezed out one more warm, beautiful day before the rain starts.  Our good friends, John and Bonnie McCollister came over this afternoon for a visit.  They came complete with great Subway sandwiches, crisp apples, and wonderful home made chocolate chip cookies.  We lingered over a long lunch on the deck well into the afternoon, catching up on everything, talking about our planned Tofino fishing trip, gardening, birds, kids, etc., and generally having a great time.  I was able to walk with everyone  for a stroll out in the yard to show John and Bonnie where our new fire pit is going to go.  Then Maria "forced" me to walk out to the mailbox with her to get the mail - about a 100 yard round trip (don't worry she did fine).  And finally - drum roll please - I was able to make it up the stairs (or was it "K2" I climbed?) and recover without any supplemental oxygen.  So, that means we are moving out of the studio and back into the bedroom tonight.  But "Rollo," the mobile O2 concentrator, awaits me upstairs since I'm still on low-flow oxygen at night.  Our friends from California, Jill and Tim, should be arriving about 9-10 o'clock tonight after their long drive from the Bay Area.  And Steve Smith just called and is going to stop by for a bit on his way back from Olympia.  A busy, busy, fun day with more to come.  You all have a great weekend and enjoy the clean, rain-washed air!