It Has Been 39 Years!

Yesterday Brian and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary. Do you imagine what it was like back in those olden days?

We enjoyed a quite day together and contemplated many more. He who is the love of my life!

Harvest is upon us with time spent gathering the acorn squash, pumkins and gourds out of the garden. Also there were more tomatoes to be found. Jessamyn gave us some wonderful apples that were made into applesauce. Today's project involves picking the rest of the grapes and making a strong antioxidant concoction to freeze.

Brian is doing much better on the new medications. Healing from his radiation and gaining some strength. His voice is returning and headaches have diminished. He is also eating some orally and that in itself has help lift his spirits. Ice cream, pie, and soups seem to be the foods of choice.

Fall and The Freeze

Yes sir!

Today is the autumn equinox and it has frozen at our place. The delicate flowering plants have wilted, along with the garden. The pumpkins can be seen and so can our breath with early sunrise. Some hardier plants are still brazenly displaying their colors.

Yesterday Brian saw his family physician and he changed Brian's pain medication back to the fentanyl patch. This way the pain medication by passes the gastric system all together and hopefully will help Brian with eating and digesting. Brian's voice has returned and he is getting a little stronger each day.

Tomorrow our grandson Taylen plays in his first 7th grade football game. I can hardly believe he is getting that old. He has turned into a fine young gentleman! Paqui will pick me up and Brian if he is up for it to attend the game in Rushville. Fall is truely in the air!

Nebraska Sandhills

Safely Tucked In At Home

We made it! We are actually sleeping in our own beds and communing with our poor lonely pets. Rico met us at the airport in Scottsbluff and jumped up and down until he choked. Paqui and Zeyda brought him to the airport so we could go directly home after our long journey. The flight back was pretty strenuous! Brian was so weak, he needed a wheel chair to get around. I had to manipulate the guitar, the computer bag, a carry on and my purse all the while trying to keep up with the airline attendent. Which did nothing for my sore knee! The jostling of the plane, wheel chair, and car made Brian motion sick. So by the time we reached home we both were wiped out.

Yesterday a long time friend of ours, Doug Mellgren, stopped overnight.  He is doing research along the North Platte River valley through Nebraska and Wyoming for his up coming book. Doug lives in Norway and we met a long time ago when he was writing for the Sidney newspaper. Both of our girls were excited to see him and they came with families in tow for dinner. Many great stories were told, catching up on our years apart. What fun we had! Just sorry Eva, his wife, couldn't come with him too.

Doug in red sailing his boat



Home Again, Home Again, Hip, Hip Hooray!

Hooray for us!

We finally get to go home tomorrow. Brian saw his oncologist, dietitian, and natural path today and we got clearance to disembark. It has been a long four weeks with many trials for Brian and I, but it is over for awhile now. He doesn't need to return for six weeks while he recuperates from the radiation treatment. Next time we go he will have scans to see to what extend the radiation worked and what the next course of action will be for the remaining tumor in his esophagus.

Jessamyn flew home today and we sure enjoyed her short visit. Brian wasn't up to much activity, so she and I shopped, toured Kenosha, WI harbor and went to see the movie " The Help".  The movie was GREAT! I will probably read the book too.



Paqui called and she is getting our lawn in shape and picking up our mail again so all we have to do when we get home is settle back into our routines. Thanks Paqui, we couldn't have done it without you!

Counting Down!

This hopefully is our last week here at the CTCA in Zion. I am certainly counting down the days until we get home. Brian is counting down the last three days he will have to take radiation. It has been a rough go for him and it still will be for a few weeks after, while the radiation continues to work. At least recuperating at home is easier and more comfortable when you are surrounded by familiar objects and of course people. The speech therapy for his swallowing difficulties has helped strengthened his pharynx muscles and he is able to swallow water again. I have been taught how to help. I just need to make sure I don't get too zealous about it :)

Today we are moving to the Radission Hotel in Pleasant Prairie. It will be a new location to scope out with restaurants and outlet mall near by.

Jessamyn will be coming next Tuesday night and we can scope out the new shopping possibilities.

Unfortunately, I have injured my right knee and when I bear weight and walk the knee talks back to me. It is the knee I didn't have replaced so hope it will heal. I will need to see my orthopedic doc if it doesn't get better soon, darn it! 



Tonight is Nebraska football and being such a loyal fan I will try to watch or listen to the game viva my computer or the TV. Go Nebraska! Go Nebraska,  Go, go, Nebraska!



Extended Stay

It was a quiet Labor Day weekend for us. Brian was recovering from the  week of radiation and didn't feel up to an adventure. He continues to have difficulty swallowing, probably from his radiation treatments. He saw a speech therapist about it today and tomorrow he is going to have a swallowing evaluation with x rays to determine the cause. Today we also got notice that his oncologist wants to see him again, which will extend our stay through September 16th. The doctor scheduled a chemotherapy session to our dismay.  Brian will try and contact her to see what type of chemo she is ordering so he can research it and decide if he wants to take it.

Jessamyn trying on the old cheerleading uniform.

On a lighter note, Jessamyn called and she is flying to Chicago to hang out with us for a few days next week.  She will be here the 13th through the 16th of September. It will be a nice diversion for both Brian and I.

 Zeyda celebrated her third birthday party (birthday was actually on Sat.) on Labor Day. Brian and I Skyped the party and Brian, with guitar in hand, accompanied both of us singing Happy Birthday to her.

I have been pretty homesick and I am glad Jessamyn is coming to visit next week to save the day!

Went Loco

Howdy everyone!

It has been over a week since we have arrived. Even though we have a nice room here at The Country Inn and Suites, cabin fever has taken a hold at times. I try and swim or use the exercise equipment and we travel to and from the hospital, but I still feel confined. Brian needs plenty of rest and of course that means quite too. What is a girl suppose to do?

She goes to the mall and shops tell she drops and then the next day she gets a 35 year old tattoo redone for the next 35 years. Go girl go! Have I gone loco or what?

Brian is hanging in there like a trooper and has learned to tube feed himself . He is working on increasing his supplement intake gradually. The head/ear aches are subsiding and he is breathing better. He can still take water and some soft foods slowly.

Have a safe Labor Day weekend. We might check out the Jazz festival in Chicago or the Renaissance Fair on the Wisconsin/Illinois border. It depends on how Brian is feeling.

Adios!