DeBary, FL.
60 deg. mist, N. wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 79F. Breezy. Winds from the NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20%.
Again, Marv and Inez, (Lindsey's parents), invited Jim and Linda to their house for Thanksgiving dinner with their family, so Thursday, Jim and Linda took CLT, (Cute Little Truck), and headed up to DeLand. They got there a little before noon and by about 1:00 they were enjoying another one of Inez's great meals. ;-)
Like she always does, she prepared a great meal of ham, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and all of the other traditional Thanksgiving dishes to go with them. Then, of course, there were the pies that she baked plus the plate of brownies that Linda had taken over there.
Again, Jim and Linda want to thank Marv and Inez for including them in their family's Thanksgiving holiday. They always have a house full of family, but always make room for them.
Thank You!!!!!
While Jim and Linda were at Marv and Inez's, they were looking through all the sale adds that came in the paper. Jim noticed that Home Depot had Christmas Trees on sale and mentioned that he needed to buy a tree because all they had was the little 2' tree that they had been using in the RVs. Well, , , , , Friday morning, just before 6:00 AM, there was a knock on our front door and when Jim opened it, there was Lindsey with a tree!!!!
He had gotten up and had gone to Home Depot at 5:00 AM and bought a tree for Jim and Linda!!!! He intended to get one of the featured trees in the add, but others had the same idea and by the time he got there they were all sold. So, he bought another tree that was also on sale. Jim offered to pay for the tree, but Lindsey wouldn't take anything for it, so I guess this is an early Christmas present. ;-)
Are these "kids" great or what??????
You know, even though Linda has been having health problems, we really do have a lot to be thankful for. Great family, great friends, plenty of food and a good roof over our heads.
What more could you ask for????
Did you know that the first artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century? These "trees" were made using goose feathers that were dyed green.
Woof!!!
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving
DeBary, FL.
38 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast =Partly cloudy, High temp. 64 deg. N. wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
Please have a great and safe Thanksgiving!! We all have so much to be thankful for!!
Did you know that In 2002, retail sales of turkey was approximately $3.6 billion? In 2010, sales reached $4.37 billion.
Woof!!!
38 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast =Partly cloudy, High temp. 64 deg. N. wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
Did you know that In 2002, retail sales of turkey was approximately $3.6 billion? In 2010, sales reached $4.37 billion.
Woof!!!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Learning About Chemo and A Tentative Schedule
DeBary, FL.
66 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 68F. Breezy. Winds from the WNW at 15 to 20 mph. Low temperature tonight, 38 deg.
Yesterday was "Learn about Chemo Day", so about 9:15 Laura came by and picked up Jim and Linda and they all headed over to the chemo therapist, which isn't in the hospital, but in another medical building in Orange City. It's actually closer than the hospital and probably easier to get to.
After filling out yet another bunch of forms, Linda was finally called in to have a blood test and to meet the doctor who will be overseeing all the treatments. (Jim and Laura were also there when Linda met Dr. Saferali. ) She went through all of the steps of the chemo treatments and talked about treatment procedures and possible side effects. The meeting lasted over an hour and the doctor answered all the questions and concerns that Linda, Jim and Laura had, the best she could.
One of the things about chemo is that each person is different and the treatments effect everyone differently, so there's no "set answers" that will pertain to everyone.
Linda, Jim and Laura all thought that Dr. Saferali was very knowledgeable and were pleased with how she answered all Linda's questions and concerns. They also appreciated that she took as much time with them as needed and she never made them feel like she was rushing through the meeting.
OK, so what's next?? Well, here's what I know so far. On the 6th of December, Linda and Jim, (and possibly Laura if she can make it), will go back to the Chemo office for a "Chemo Patient Education" meeting. She will meet with the nurses that administer the treatment and see the facilities. The nurses will also explain all the procedures and try to explain what will happen while Linda is there.
Then, on the 12th of December, Linda will have her first chemo treatment. She needs to be there at 9:00 AM and the treatment will probably last anywhere from 4 to 6 hours. (probably close to 6 hours because this will be the first treatment). The second treatment will be 21 day later on the 2nd of January, and a third treatment will be 21 days after that.
After the third treatment, there will be about a 2 week waiting period and then Linda will start 8 weeks of Radiation treatment, (5 treatments a week on Monday through Friday for 8 weeks). Then after about another 2 weeks, Linda will again get 3 more Chemo treatments, (again spaced at 21 day intervals).
I haven't figured it out exactly, because the 2 week waiting periods may change between the 2 different types of treatments, but rough figuring brings it to sometime in September before all the treatments will be completed.
After the meeting, Linda, Laura and Jim met Lindsey over at the 4 B's Restaurant and had lunch/breakfast. Then Laura brought Linda and Jim back here to the house, where they relaxed and talked about the upcoming treatments and procedures.
Jim and Linda have had some serious discussions about all of this and how it may/will affect our future. There have not been any decisions made, but major changes may be necessary. Only time will tell though.
A Point to Ponder : Everyone experiences fear! It's what you do despite that fear that defines you!
Woof!!!
66 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 68F. Breezy. Winds from the WNW at 15 to 20 mph. Low temperature tonight, 38 deg.
Yesterday was "Learn about Chemo Day", so about 9:15 Laura came by and picked up Jim and Linda and they all headed over to the chemo therapist, which isn't in the hospital, but in another medical building in Orange City. It's actually closer than the hospital and probably easier to get to.
After filling out yet another bunch of forms, Linda was finally called in to have a blood test and to meet the doctor who will be overseeing all the treatments. (Jim and Laura were also there when Linda met Dr. Saferali. ) She went through all of the steps of the chemo treatments and talked about treatment procedures and possible side effects. The meeting lasted over an hour and the doctor answered all the questions and concerns that Linda, Jim and Laura had, the best she could.
One of the things about chemo is that each person is different and the treatments effect everyone differently, so there's no "set answers" that will pertain to everyone.
Linda, Jim and Laura all thought that Dr. Saferali was very knowledgeable and were pleased with how she answered all Linda's questions and concerns. They also appreciated that she took as much time with them as needed and she never made them feel like she was rushing through the meeting.
OK, so what's next?? Well, here's what I know so far. On the 6th of December, Linda and Jim, (and possibly Laura if she can make it), will go back to the Chemo office for a "Chemo Patient Education" meeting. She will meet with the nurses that administer the treatment and see the facilities. The nurses will also explain all the procedures and try to explain what will happen while Linda is there.
Then, on the 12th of December, Linda will have her first chemo treatment. She needs to be there at 9:00 AM and the treatment will probably last anywhere from 4 to 6 hours. (probably close to 6 hours because this will be the first treatment). The second treatment will be 21 day later on the 2nd of January, and a third treatment will be 21 days after that.
After the third treatment, there will be about a 2 week waiting period and then Linda will start 8 weeks of Radiation treatment, (5 treatments a week on Monday through Friday for 8 weeks). Then after about another 2 weeks, Linda will again get 3 more Chemo treatments, (again spaced at 21 day intervals).
I haven't figured it out exactly, because the 2 week waiting periods may change between the 2 different types of treatments, but rough figuring brings it to sometime in September before all the treatments will be completed.
After the meeting, Linda, Laura and Jim met Lindsey over at the 4 B's Restaurant and had lunch/breakfast. Then Laura brought Linda and Jim back here to the house, where they relaxed and talked about the upcoming treatments and procedures.
Jim and Linda have had some serious discussions about all of this and how it may/will affect our future. There have not been any decisions made, but major changes may be necessary. Only time will tell though.
A Point to Ponder : Everyone experiences fear! It's what you do despite that fear that defines you!
Woof!!!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Meeting With The Radiation Oncologist and Roland And Louise Visit
DeBary, FL.
62 deg. mostly cloudy, NE wind @ 2 mph.
Forecast = High temp. 72 deg. mostly cloudy, E. wind @ 15 mph.
Friday, Jim and Linda headed over to the Florida Hospital in Orange City for Linda's appointment with the Radiation Oncologist. This was an informational meeting where a nurse and then the doctor explained the Radiation Therapy procedure and then answered questions that Linda and Jim had.
Linda and Jim both learned a lot about Radiation Therapy and by about noon, CLT was taking them to the 4 B's restaurant here in DeBary. There, they had meals, ( Linda had breakfast for lunch and Jim had the Crab Cakes). They said that both meals were very good, and Jim especially enjoyed the clam chowder soup that came with his meal. ;-)
Yesterday morning, Louise and Roland called Linda and said that they were in Orlando at a phone store and if Linda and Jim weren't busy, they'd stop by for awhile in the afternoon. Both Jim and Linda thought that was a great idea and told them to come on over.
So, , , by early afternoon, Roland and Louise were pulling into the driveway. ; -)
The afternoon was spent visiting and catching up on what all has happened since Linda's surgery. Then about 4:00 Linda called Gentili's Pizza and ordered a pizza for pick-up.
After a very nice meal with very good friends, Roland and Louise decided that they needed to head back home. It's at least a 2 hour drive from here to Frostpoof so even though it was about 5:00 when they left, I'm sure it was after 7:00 by the time they got home.
It sure was good to see them again. Lately, it seems like there's always something going on that makes it difficult to get together with them. :-( Hopefully, Jim and Linda will be able to see them a couple times this winter or next summer.
A Point to Ponder : To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others use your heart.
Woof!!!
62 deg. mostly cloudy, NE wind @ 2 mph.
Forecast = High temp. 72 deg. mostly cloudy, E. wind @ 15 mph.
Friday, Jim and Linda headed over to the Florida Hospital in Orange City for Linda's appointment with the Radiation Oncologist. This was an informational meeting where a nurse and then the doctor explained the Radiation Therapy procedure and then answered questions that Linda and Jim had.
Linda and Jim both learned a lot about Radiation Therapy and by about noon, CLT was taking them to the 4 B's restaurant here in DeBary. There, they had meals, ( Linda had breakfast for lunch and Jim had the Crab Cakes). They said that both meals were very good, and Jim especially enjoyed the clam chowder soup that came with his meal. ;-)
Yesterday morning, Louise and Roland called Linda and said that they were in Orlando at a phone store and if Linda and Jim weren't busy, they'd stop by for awhile in the afternoon. Both Jim and Linda thought that was a great idea and told them to come on over.
So, , , by early afternoon, Roland and Louise were pulling into the driveway. ; -)
The afternoon was spent visiting and catching up on what all has happened since Linda's surgery. Then about 4:00 Linda called Gentili's Pizza and ordered a pizza for pick-up.
After a very nice meal with very good friends, Roland and Louise decided that they needed to head back home. It's at least a 2 hour drive from here to Frostpoof so even though it was about 5:00 when they left, I'm sure it was after 7:00 by the time they got home.
It sure was good to see them again. Lately, it seems like there's always something going on that makes it difficult to get together with them. :-( Hopefully, Jim and Linda will be able to see them a couple times this winter or next summer.
A Point to Ponder : To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others use your heart.
Woof!!!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Lots Of Support and A New Laptop
DeBary, FL.
63 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain. High of 79F. Winds from the NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Linda's had a lot of support the last few days. Family and friends have been calling to encourage her as she comes to terms with the upcoming treatments. Of course Laura has stopped over a few times and Jim has been trying to help her through this emotional time.
Dr. Molpus, the surgeon, has arranged it so that Linda will have her chemo and radiation treatments here in Orange City, at the Florida Hospital. That way, Jim and Linda won't have to make the 30 to 45 minute trip over to Daytona Beach for all those treatments during the next 9 months. Today, the Florida Hospital is supposed to call Linda to make an appointment for her to come in to a informational meeting to learn all about the treatments, the scheduling of them, and what side effects to expect.
I don't think I've mentioned it, but I have been doing this blog on the desktop computer lately because the notebook is having serious problems. Jim says he thinks it's been infected with a virus again, and it's causing it to slow way down and not even load some of the pages.
So, being that it's an old computer, "2006", that is still running Windows XP, Jim and Linda decided that a new one would be the best choice. After some research and talking to a "Computer Doctor" that has been highly recommended, they took CLT and went to Office Depot yesterday and bought a new one.
It was on sale as a "Pre-Black Friday" item and with a rebate, ended up being less than $400. :-) Of course with taxes and some software that Jim wanted, it ended up being more than that. :-(
After they left Office Depot, they headed over to the 4 B's restaurant here in DeBary. It's a restaurant that only serves breakfast and lunch and has been a "local" meeting spot for over 50 years. It's one of those places where the waitresses know most of the people by name and even brings some of them their, "usual" before they order it. ;-)
Oh, and the food is really good too!!!! :-)
Tomorrow, the "Computer Doctor" is going to come here to the house to set up the new computer and try to get all the files off of the old one and onto the new one. Then, Jim, Linda and I will have to learn all about the new Windows 8.1 operating system, so we can use it. :-0
Again, Linda, Jim and I want to thank all of you who have sent best wishes and encouragement Linda's way. The e-mails, phone calls and comments have been a great help in this time of stress. I want to assure you that Linda is doing very well and is getting stronger each day. I have great faith that she'll come through all of this with flying colors and before we know it, we'll be traveling again. :-)
Thank You!!!!!!!!
Did you know that today is "Name your PC day?"
Wow!! what a coincidence!!!!! Hmmmm, now what shall we name it?????
Woof!!!
63 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain. High of 79F. Winds from the NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Linda's had a lot of support the last few days. Family and friends have been calling to encourage her as she comes to terms with the upcoming treatments. Of course Laura has stopped over a few times and Jim has been trying to help her through this emotional time.
Dr. Molpus, the surgeon, has arranged it so that Linda will have her chemo and radiation treatments here in Orange City, at the Florida Hospital. That way, Jim and Linda won't have to make the 30 to 45 minute trip over to Daytona Beach for all those treatments during the next 9 months. Today, the Florida Hospital is supposed to call Linda to make an appointment for her to come in to a informational meeting to learn all about the treatments, the scheduling of them, and what side effects to expect.
I don't think I've mentioned it, but I have been doing this blog on the desktop computer lately because the notebook is having serious problems. Jim says he thinks it's been infected with a virus again, and it's causing it to slow way down and not even load some of the pages.
So, being that it's an old computer, "2006", that is still running Windows XP, Jim and Linda decided that a new one would be the best choice. After some research and talking to a "Computer Doctor" that has been highly recommended, they took CLT and went to Office Depot yesterday and bought a new one.
It was on sale as a "Pre-Black Friday" item and with a rebate, ended up being less than $400. :-) Of course with taxes and some software that Jim wanted, it ended up being more than that. :-(
After they left Office Depot, they headed over to the 4 B's restaurant here in DeBary. It's a restaurant that only serves breakfast and lunch and has been a "local" meeting spot for over 50 years. It's one of those places where the waitresses know most of the people by name and even brings some of them their, "usual" before they order it. ;-)
Oh, and the food is really good too!!!! :-)
Tomorrow, the "Computer Doctor" is going to come here to the house to set up the new computer and try to get all the files off of the old one and onto the new one. Then, Jim, Linda and I will have to learn all about the new Windows 8.1 operating system, so we can use it. :-0
Again, Linda, Jim and I want to thank all of you who have sent best wishes and encouragement Linda's way. The e-mails, phone calls and comments have been a great help in this time of stress. I want to assure you that Linda is doing very well and is getting stronger each day. I have great faith that she'll come through all of this with flying colors and before we know it, we'll be traveling again. :-)
Thank You!!!!!!!!
Did you know that today is "Name your PC day?"
Wow!! what a coincidence!!!!! Hmmmm, now what shall we name it?????
Woof!!!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Post-Op Doctor Visit and Not Good News
DeBary, FL.
65 deg. scattered clouds, NE wind @ 2 mph.
Forecast = Mostly cloudy, high temp. 84 deg. E. wind @ 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain, 40%.
About 8:30 yesterday morning, Laura swung by and picked up Linda and Jim. This trip was to take Linda over to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach so that she could have a Post-Op exam and a Post-Op consultation with Dr. Molpus, the surgeon who preformed Linda's surgery.
The exam went well and the doctor was pleased with Linda's progress and the healing of the surgery incisions.
Then, came the consultation!!!
Dr. Molpus explained that the tumor had grown almost through the uterus wall and that the biopsies had for the most part come back negative. But, (And there's always a "but" isn't there?), he did remove some suspect tissue from the surrounding areas that came back positive. :-(
So, even though the final decision is Linda's, he highly recommends the she has both Chemo and Radiation therapy. :-(( This hit Linda pretty hard as she was hoping that they would only have to do the Radiation therapy.
Now, what does this all mean? Well the details will be worked out when she meets with the Chemo and Radiation people, but Dr. Molpus told her that the whole procedure would take close to 9 months with rotations between the Chemo and Radiation!!! :-O That would mean that if they wait another 4 weeks for Linda to completely heal up from the hysterectomy surgery, (which the doctor says is necessary), they would start the Chemo and Radiation sometime in December or January.
That would mean that it would be sometime during September or October before we could travel again. :-( It is possible that there will be short times between secessions, and if Linda is up to it, we might be able to go RVing for short times, but that's a very big "if"!!!
As many of you know, these treatments can be very disabling, so only time will tell if we'll be able to travel at all, or not. Jim says, "We'll do what we have to do", but right now, Linda is pretty upset about the whole thing, and I can't say I blame her. It's a big disappointment and will be a lot for her to deal with during the next 9 or 10 months.
Did you know that the first Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages were three inches wide and eighteen inches long? You made your own bandage by cutting off as much as you needed.
Woof!!!
65 deg. scattered clouds, NE wind @ 2 mph.
Forecast = Mostly cloudy, high temp. 84 deg. E. wind @ 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain, 40%.
About 8:30 yesterday morning, Laura swung by and picked up Linda and Jim. This trip was to take Linda over to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach so that she could have a Post-Op exam and a Post-Op consultation with Dr. Molpus, the surgeon who preformed Linda's surgery.
The exam went well and the doctor was pleased with Linda's progress and the healing of the surgery incisions.
Then, came the consultation!!!
Dr. Molpus explained that the tumor had grown almost through the uterus wall and that the biopsies had for the most part come back negative. But, (And there's always a "but" isn't there?), he did remove some suspect tissue from the surrounding areas that came back positive. :-(
So, even though the final decision is Linda's, he highly recommends the she has both Chemo and Radiation therapy. :-(( This hit Linda pretty hard as she was hoping that they would only have to do the Radiation therapy.
Now, what does this all mean? Well the details will be worked out when she meets with the Chemo and Radiation people, but Dr. Molpus told her that the whole procedure would take close to 9 months with rotations between the Chemo and Radiation!!! :-O That would mean that if they wait another 4 weeks for Linda to completely heal up from the hysterectomy surgery, (which the doctor says is necessary), they would start the Chemo and Radiation sometime in December or January.
That would mean that it would be sometime during September or October before we could travel again. :-( It is possible that there will be short times between secessions, and if Linda is up to it, we might be able to go RVing for short times, but that's a very big "if"!!!
As many of you know, these treatments can be very disabling, so only time will tell if we'll be able to travel at all, or not. Jim says, "We'll do what we have to do", but right now, Linda is pretty upset about the whole thing, and I can't say I blame her. It's a big disappointment and will be a lot for her to deal with during the next 9 or 10 months.
Did you know that the first Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages were three inches wide and eighteen inches long? You made your own bandage by cutting off as much as you needed.
Woof!!!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A Trip To The Used Bookstore, Laundry and We're Proud
DeBary, FL.
58 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 15mph with 25 mph gusts.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 68F. Breezy. Winds from the NNE at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20%.
Not a whole lot to report. Linda and Laura went to a used book store in Orange City Monday. By the time they returned, Linda was really tired, but said that she enjoyed the outing and ended up buying a few paperbacks. ;-)
Because the laundry hamper was overflowing, Linda and Jim did a couple loads of laundry yesterday. Actually, Jim took the laundry out to the storage shed and put the clothes into the machines while Linda talked him through some of the settings for the washer and dryer, from the kitchen doorway.
Yeah, I know, , , , you'd think that Jim would know how to do the laundry, but that is one of those things that Linda always took care of. He would carry the baskets of dirty clothes for her and bring the washed items back, but he never really "did" the laundry.
Well, you can't say that he hasn't now!! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!!!!! ;-)
Jim didn't think that Linda was up to making dinner or going out to eat yesterday so he volunteered to go out and get something, but Linda said that she thought it would be good for her if they went out to eat. So, they ended up going to Steak 'n Shake for a Steakburger.
After they returned, the evening was spent watching TV.
You know, Jim and I are really proud of Linda. She's still pretty sore and gets tired quickly, but she has been pushing herself and trying to do something active each day. She has quite a list of things that she's not supposed to do, so some days it's hard to find something she can do.
Friday, she has an appointment with the surgeon, (Dr. Molpus), for the follow up to here surgery and to find out what further treatments he thinks will be necessary. She's not looking forward to going at all! She says that she's more worried about the procedures that he may recommend than she was about the surgery itself.
Did you know that Steak ‘n Shake was founded in February, 1934 in Normal, Illinois? Gus Belt, Steak ‘n Shake’s founder, pioneered the concept of premium burgers and milk shakes.
Woof!!!
58 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 15mph with 25 mph gusts.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 68F. Breezy. Winds from the NNE at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20%.
Not a whole lot to report. Linda and Laura went to a used book store in Orange City Monday. By the time they returned, Linda was really tired, but said that she enjoyed the outing and ended up buying a few paperbacks. ;-)
Because the laundry hamper was overflowing, Linda and Jim did a couple loads of laundry yesterday. Actually, Jim took the laundry out to the storage shed and put the clothes into the machines while Linda talked him through some of the settings for the washer and dryer, from the kitchen doorway.
Yeah, I know, , , , you'd think that Jim would know how to do the laundry, but that is one of those things that Linda always took care of. He would carry the baskets of dirty clothes for her and bring the washed items back, but he never really "did" the laundry.
Well, you can't say that he hasn't now!! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!!!!! ;-)
Jim didn't think that Linda was up to making dinner or going out to eat yesterday so he volunteered to go out and get something, but Linda said that she thought it would be good for her if they went out to eat. So, they ended up going to Steak 'n Shake for a Steakburger.
After they returned, the evening was spent watching TV.
You know, Jim and I are really proud of Linda. She's still pretty sore and gets tired quickly, but she has been pushing herself and trying to do something active each day. She has quite a list of things that she's not supposed to do, so some days it's hard to find something she can do.
Friday, she has an appointment with the surgeon, (Dr. Molpus), for the follow up to here surgery and to find out what further treatments he thinks will be necessary. She's not looking forward to going at all! She says that she's more worried about the procedures that he may recommend than she was about the surgery itself.
Did you know that Steak ‘n Shake was founded in February, 1934 in Normal, Illinois? Gus Belt, Steak ‘n Shake’s founder, pioneered the concept of premium burgers and milk shakes.
Woof!!!
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