Travel Turbulance

I must say Brian and I have had the worst travel experience we have ever encountered. Tuesday we headed out to CTCA, flying our usual route from Scottsbluff to Denver and then to O'Hara in Chicago. The flight to Denver was uneventful, however then the nightmare began! Our United 1:50pm flight was cancelled due to a mechanical failure. All were reticketed on another plane that they found. We all boarded and got settled then they told us the weather radar went down. We had to disembark and get reticketed to a later flight around 8:30pm. We waited and waited until that flight was suppose to board and they cancelled the flight due to severe weather in Chicago. Brian and I ended up staying in Denver overnight with no luggage. Then we were rescheduled on an American flight the next day. When we checked in they had cancelled that flight.  Finally we got booked on an Airtran flight to Milwaukee at 3:30pm. The only probable was United had already flew our bags to O'Hara (not our bodies) and wouldn't release our bags without a baggage claim. In the meantime, Brian wasn't feeling well and missed all his appointments that were scheduled. Again we stayed at our hotel in Zion without our luggage. The Cancer Treatment Center rescheduled our appointments and let me ride with the limo driver to O'Hara and pick our bag up and then ride back to Zion. Boy, what a nightmare!  We returned yesterday without any of the previous type of drama thank goodness!!

Brian hasn't really snapped back from treatments like he usually has. He has lost about 21 pounds since last time we were back to CTCA in the end of May. His doctor is concerned and we were brain storming on what could be causing him to have a decreased appetite along with chronic ear pain with headache. They changed his pain medication and we are hoping that will help. I think he was having a reaction to the opiates he was taking. Next time we go back he will have another scope and scans to see what is up. He had his third chemo treatment in this series and is recuperating from their side effects.

We enjoyed our trip to Washburn ND with Bree and the Haywaddies. Bree's folks were wonderful and put up with us for 4 days. We got the basement bedroom and it worked perfectly for Brian to get some undisturbed sleep. The Missouri River is unbelievably high and out of its banks. Wow! I feel sorry for those who are displaced from all the flood waters in ND, SD and NE.

Bye for now!

Trying to Keep Upbeat

 It has been a trying few weeks, with some ups and some downs.

On the upside our nephew Kevin Charles has married a great gal name Shannon. She has a little girl named Charlotte who makes their new family complete. The wedding and following party were fun. Brian was well enough to attend and we both enjoyed visiting with our family and friends, both old and new.

On the downside, Brian continues to battled an infection and chemotherapy side effects daily. It has been frustrating for Brian and our family during this time as well. It is hard for this old nurse not to be able to make him feel better or take away his pain. It is hard for Paqui and Jessamyn and families to see their Dad and Grandpa this way.  He is on a new antibiotic after visiting his family doctor Friday. Hopefully, this will help him get back some strength and stamina.

Next week we are going to Washburn, North Dakota with Bree. The Haywaddies band is going to play for her hometown celebration. It has been a dream of hers ever since the band started. Bree, Brian and I made spa appointments for a day of massages, treatments and feel goodies in Bismark on the way. Let me tell you, we all can use a little body love now and then!

Tonight we are going to the Ft. Robinson Playhouse show in Crawford, NE with Jessamyn and the Voss families. It should be a great time, since the show is about Hank Williams. Might go fishing tomorrow at Isham Lake on the Box L, the Voss family ranch. It depends on how Brian feels. Well, ta ta!

A Little Set Back

Yesterday we all had a little scare when Brian noticeably became more ill. I took him into see his family practitioner and he stated that his lungs sounded a little coarse. The doctor ordered a chest X ray and started Brian on an antibiotic with nebulizer treatments. Oh, boy we thought he might have pneumonia. However, his chest X ray indicated no acute infection in his lungs and we all sighed in relief! But he does have a severe sinus infection and very sore throat. Of course, a lot of sinus symptoms are similar to what happens after chemo and it is hard to distinguish when a real infection going on.

We had to cancel our trip back to CTCA Monday for his third chemotherapy session because of his illness. Next tentative dates for the trip back will be 6-21 through 6-23. Hopefully he will be feeling much better and stronger by then.

With all that was going on this last couple of days we finally got the garden in. It has just warmed up the last couple of days and has been dry enough to get the job done. Now, all I ask is that all this wet weather we have had has deterred the grasshopper eggs from hatching!

This weekend we are going to Sidney to see our nephew Kevin Charles get married. At least I will be going and Brian will too if he is feeling better by tomorrow. So have a great weekend!