Saturday, March 29, 2014

Another Week Of Treatments and A Plan

DeBary, FL.

69 deg. mostly cloudy, S. wind @ 3 mph.
Forecast = Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Well, another week of radiation therapy done!!!! The dizziness that still has from the chemo treatments still seems to be slowly getting better, but there are times when she still has to find a place to sit down, for fear of falling.  She and Jim found out that this week ends the type of treatment that she has been receiving where she has to go every day of the week, (Monday through Friday), and will now be starting a different type where she'll be going in 1 or 2 times a week instead. And, if they heard right, Linda will only have 2 more weeks of radiation treatment instead of 3!!!!!!!! ;-)

Monday, Dr. Graham's nurse will be calling and letting Linda know when her next appointment will be and then we'll also know for sure if there's only 2 more weeks of radiation left or not.

 As of this morning, we haven't heard anything about the new travel trailer. Jim told them that there was no big hurry, so it may be a little while before they get to it.

The RV dealers are very busy right now down here in Florida. Most of the "Snowbirds" who were down here for the winter are heading back North and as they are getting ready to leave, are finding problems with their RVs. So, they bring them to RV repair places to get repairs done. Some of the people are very impatient because their plans are being delayed.

Jim has been going over to the storage lot where Bobbie T is parked and has been emptying her out. There wasn't too much left in her but now she's empty and much of the stuff he took out of her is in the back of Big RED, in boxes and totes.

When Jim and Linda do get the new trailer, the plan is to take it over to the Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort, (where we have stayed in past years and is only a few miles from here), rent a site for a month, put most of the "stuff" in the trailer and actually spend quite a bit of time over there checking everything out, staying in it and probably spending quite a few nights there also.

Jim says that it'll be like a vacation, (that I think they're really needing) and at the same time they'll be checking everything out on the trailer. Then, if there's any problems, it can be taken back to the dealer and repaired before we would  be traveling with it.

No big plans for this weekend. If it's not stormy this evening, Jim and Linda would like to go out to eat someplace. If it is stormy, they'll just wait until tomorrow. :-)

Did you know that March is "National Frozen Food Month:?

Woof!!!



Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Where Are They?????

DeBary, FL

43 deg. clear, W. wind @ 3 mph.
Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 62F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed over to the hospital for Linda's radiation treatment. In about an hour they were back here getting a bite to eat. I knew something was in the works because they were doing a lot of talking and planning. I didn't think too much more about it because nothing seemed to come of their conversation as they were just sitting around, watching TV and reading. 

Then, all of a sudden, (About 3:00), they talked some more, got up from their chairs, went out and got into Big RED and drove away!! Now, I didn't think too much about it, but 5:00 came around, then 6:00, and then 7:00, and they still weren't back!!!! 

Now, I'm starting to get worried and am beginning to think something is wrong!!! 

Did they get into an accident or something????

Did they have trouble with Big RED????

Did one of them get sick????

Are they in the Hospital, injured or sick???????????????

Well,  ,  ,  ,  ,  about 7:15 I heard Big RED backing into the driveway and shortly afterwords, they came in the back door. They seemed OK. Big RED sounded normal when he backed in, neither one of them had any bandages or anything to lead me to believe that they had an accident, but they were carrying an envelope that had the words, "LaMesa RV" on it!!!!!!! 

Well, I knew it was coming, but I really didn't think it would come this soon. But, they got a good price, made what they think is a good deal and Traded off Bobbie T for a brand new Heartland North Trail Travel Trailer!!!!!! 

2014 Heartland NORTH TRAIL


Yep!!!! You read that right!!!! A new travel trailer!!!! It's a North Trail NT 26 LRSS, it has one large slide that holds the couch and dinette, it has a rear living area and a front bedroom with the kitchen and bath in the center.
I don't know when they'll be picking it up, probably not until the first part of next week.

Being that it was so late when they finished at the dealer's, they swung by the Steak N Shake and picked up a couple burgers to bring back here to the house. After they finished eating their sandwiches, they watched TV until bedtime.

Today, Linda will be going to another radiation treatment and she and Jim will need to stop by Walgreen's to pick up a couple prescriptions and a few other items, but I don't know of much else happening.

Did you know that today is Manatee Appreciation Day?

Woof!!!

Friday, March 21, 2014

Everything's OK

DeBary, FL.

81 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Abundant sunshine. High 78F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight = Partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.

Just a note to let you know that everything is well here in DeBary. Linda just finished up with her 4th week of her Radiation treatments and just has 4 more to go. Her dizziness seems to be getting even better and now she only gets dizzy if she overdoes it.

Other than that, its been normal everyday things like laundry, cleaning, groceries and going to radiation treatments every weekday. One night Big RED took Jim and Linda out to eat, and today, after the radiation treatments they went to the 4 B's restaurant for breakfast at lunchtime.

No special plans for this weekend. Just everyday living.

Did you know that today is "National Common Courtesy Day?"

Woof!!!!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

3 Down, 5 To Go and It's Covered

DeBary, FL.

53 deg, clear, no wind.
Forecast = Abundant sunshine. High near 80F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday, after Linda's radiation therapy treatment in the morning, and her visit with Dr. Saferali, (the chemo doctor) in the early afternoon,  Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed over to the Truck Stuff store so that Jim could look at something he wanted to buy for Big RED. He didn't say what it was and Big RED didn't know either, but Jim ordered it and was told that it would be there the next day. (Friday).

Yesterday, Linda had her radiation therapy treatment over at the hospital again. This is the end of her 3rd week of radiation treatments so there's only 5 more weeks to go. :-)  I think I've said before that these treatments don't take very long and in about 20 to 30 minutes, she's finished and Big RED is bringing them back home.  In fact, yesterday, they returned back here before noon.

After watching the news and getting a bite to eat, Jim told Linda that he was going to take Big RED over to the Truck Stuff store and get the item he ordered installed.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  off they went. :-)

It didn't take long at all and by about 1:45 I heard Big RED backing into the car/truck port.

So, what did Jim buy for Big RED, you ask???

Well, it's a vinyl folding  truck bed cover and it sure looks neat on him. The brand name is Rugged Cover. It has a lifetime warranty and was reasonably priced.

It's a soft vinyl cover so you can't set anything heavy on top of it,



but it does have a metal frame inside of its 3 sections and it folds up behind the cab if you want to haul something tall. It's also easily removable, (4 clamps), so that the whole bed is usable if necessary.

This bed cover should work very well at protecting items that Jim and Linda want to haul around, (wheelchair and walker come to mind right away), plus if they do buy a travel trailer, they'll be able to store "stuff" in the bed of the truck instead of overloading the trailer. The cover has some very good looking weatherseals and Jim is hoping that they'll do a good job of keeping water out.

Nothing special planned for this weekend. The laundry hamper is getting full and I've noticed some dust in places, so there's always those chores to do. :-(  And, who knows, maybe they'll go out to eat or something. :-)

Oh, just one more thing. We just learned yesterday that Jim and Linda's good friend, Roland, is having some medical problems and Jim, Linda and I want to send our thoughts and  prayers his way.

Did you know that traditional St Patrick’s Day food includes, Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, and of course, Guinness?

Woof!!!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Gram's Kitchen and More Wheels For Linda

DeBary, FL.

67 deg. light rain, no wind.
Forecast = Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 81F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Saturday night Jim and Linda did go to Gram's Kitchen where they splurged on the Prime Rib special. Again, both of them thought it was very good and there was enough that they'll probably get another meal out of the leftovers that they brought home. ;-)

Sunday, Jim went to the Winn Dixie Grocery store in the morning and then watched most of the NASCAR race on TV, while Linda read, in the afternoon.

Speaking of Winn Dixie, Jim says that they've almost completely changed the layout of the store. The bakery, Deli, frozen foods and dairy are still in the same place, but all of the merchandise on the shelves have been moved to different locations!!! :-(  It took Jim a lot longer to find what he was looking for and when he came back, I heard him telling Linda that there were some pretty angry customers over there. I really wonder why they do that? They haven't changed what merchandise they stock, they just moved it to a different place!!!

Monday, about 1:30, a truck pulled up in front of the house and being that Jim was out in the workshop, he went out to the street to see who it was. Come to find out, it was the medical supply company delivering the new "mobility chair" that the lady at the hospital had arranged to have sent here.

It seems to be pretty nice and it should be of some help when she wants to go shopping or to the radiation doctor at the hospital. In fact, yesterday, Jim loaded into the back of Big RED and they used it just for that purpose when Linda had her radiation treatment.



Jim says that it worked fine, but he's thinking that it pushes harder than a regular wheelchair. It's lighter weight than a regular wheelchair though, so its easier for him to load in and out of the truck.

They're forecasting rain off and on today, so I don't expect Jim and Linda to be going anywhere except the hospital for the radiation treatment and possibly stop by Walgreen's to pick up a few items on the way back here.

Did you know that March is "National Umbrella Month"?

Woof!!!




Saturday, March 8, 2014

Company and More Wheels?

DeBary, FL.

48 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High near 70F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

Everything has been going well here. Linda's still having dizzy spells but she says that she thinks her energy is coming back and is basically feeling a little better.

Thursday, we had company in the afternoon. Dave and Dee Dee stopped by for a few hours while on their way to see some people in Orange City. Dave and Dee Dee are part of the "Illinois Bunch" and are the couple who had the fish fry over by Tampa back in February. Because of the rain and an accident in Orlando, they didn't get here until about 1:30 or so, but still were able to spend a good part of the afternoon here.

Thanks for stopping by, Dave and Dee Dee, it sure gave Linda's spirit a boost!!! :-)

Oh, and Dave, if you're reading this, Linda's been doing the "Dave Dance" before she gets up from sitting. ;-)

Linda's been using her new walker everywhere in the house and has used it to go out to the truck when she goes to her radiation therapy session. At the hospital though, (where the radiation therapy is), she uses a hospital wheel chair as it's really too far for her to walk.

And, speaking of wheelchairs, Jim was talking to a social worker at the hospital the other day, and she said that she thought she could get what they call a "mobility chair" for Linda to use. From what I understand, it's different than a regular wheelchair, but I don't know much else about it, except that a woman called on the phone yesterday and told Jim that they'd be delivering one here to the house this Monday.

Don't think that there's anything special happening this weekend. Laundry needs to be done and there's other normal "chores" to be done so I imagine  Jim and Linda will be doing that. They were also talking about going out to dinner tonight, so that may go to Gram's or someplace.

Did you know that today is International Fanny Pack Day?

Woof!!!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Linda's New Wheels

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Cloudy. High 74F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.

Friday, after Linda's radiation therapy treatment, Jim and Linda stopped by a place called Aging Tree in Orange City. Jim had done some inquiring and had found out that they have all kinds of walkers, wheel chairs and motorized scooters for people who need them to get around. Linda didn't go in, but when Jim came back out, he was pushing a walker that he had purchased for her.

Since Linda's favorite color is blue, he said it was a "no brainer" to select this one. ;-)

You see, with Linda having those dizzy spells, Jim was real worried that she might lose her balance and fall. (And that wouldn't be good at all!!)

It's really nice, it has a neat paint job,

a nice seat to sit on if she gets dizzy or tired,

storage under the seat,       "Ooof"


and dual hand brakes that she can use to slow down if she gets going to fast or, lock on so the walker doesn't move as she's sitting down or getting up.

At first, Linda didn't know if she liked the idea of a walker or not, but since she has used it some, she realizes that it's much safer, plus it does give here somewhere to sit, no matter where she is, if she gets one of those dizzy spells. :-)

Yesterday, Linda had another radiation treatment. Everything went well and after the treatmJent, Big RED took her and Jim over to Bob Evans for a mid-day, 2-day-late, anniversary  dinner. They originally had planned to go to the Perkins Restaurant right down the street, but being that it was right at noon, the place was packed. :-(

Anyway, they had a nice anniversary dinner. ;-)

After they left Bob Evans, they swung by Walgreen's and picked up Linda's prescriptions, (that Jim had dropped off on Friday), before coming back here to the house. Then, around 4:00 or so, Laura stopped by for awhile, just to see how Linda was doing and to chat for awhile.

Oh!! Just one more thing. I'd like to welcome my newest follower and very good friend, Louise Combs, to this blog. She and Paul are the managers of the Prairie Pines Campground that we stay at when we're up in Rantoul Illinois during the summers. If you get up that way this summer, tell Louise that Blaine says "Hi"!!

Did you know that the walker most patients use today as a mobility device was patented in the 1940s by Andrejs Muiza, a Russian immigrant?

Woof!!!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Dr. Visits and An Anniversary

DeBary. Fl.

54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Mostly sunny. High 79F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.

Been awhile since I've posted so I thought I'd catch you up on what's been happening around here.

Linda is doing fine. The radiation therapy seems to be going well. She's still having dizzy spells and fatigue from the chemo though, and even after a visit to the chemo doctor on Thursday, it seems like she'll just have to wait for the symptoms to go away. Of course in about 10 weeks or so, she'll be having more chemo treatments, so one has to wonder if they'll be gone for very long, if at all, until she's completely done with all of the treatments. :-(

The radiation treatments only last about 20 minutes or so, and being that they are great over there at getting you in right on your appointment time, it only takes about an hour out of the day to go over there, get the treatment and return back here to the house. :-)

So, one week is behind her, only 7 more to go!!!

Yesterday was Jim and Linda's wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that they've been married 29 years already. Both were saying that it sure didn't seem that long. When Linda got up yesterday, she found this vase sitting on the table. ;-)

Jim had purchased it on Thursday when he went shopping. He had seen it for sale at the Lotus Garden  Chinese Restaurant that he went to when they ordered Chinese for dinner earlier in the week.

Linda seemed to really like it and now it's sitting on the china cabinet where she has her blue dishes.

The plan was to go out for diner yesterday, but Jim wasn't feeling real well, so they stayed home instead.

Maybe they'll go out today. :-)

Don't think that there are any big plans for the next few days. Just normal living, with time out each day for those radiation treatments.

A Point to Ponder : People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Woof!!!