The Weekend Ended

The first thing I'll share is about how Terry is --- he is feeling more nauseated the last few days and has less energy.  The sinuses are still not clearing up, however we are hoping that the BK virus is slightly improving and hope that it continues in that direction.  I wish we had some good health news, but we just don't.  However, we do have some good news ..., you'll learn about it if you continue reading.

We had a Vidaza infusion Saturday and then we left for Royal City, (with a detour to Costco on the way).  We arrived home  (HOME ... HAPPY DAY!)  sometime after 4:00pm and carried our boxes in.  I can't believe how much we acquired over the few/several months here, which included Christmas.  It was stuff we aren't using now and didn't really wanna move it to the new apartment. 

We then headed in to the last basketball game BJo had for the season, which was Sr. Night (where they recognize the seniors and their parents).   We talked to the doctors and they agreed to let us go, even suggesting to re-schedule our infusion today (moving it from 10:00 to 3:30).

It snowed while we were in watching the game Saturday night and the roads were not fun traveling from town to home, but we all made it safely.  We woke up to these drifts out our front door, and cancelled church meetings. 

We had planned to go to Sacrament meeting but instead we had the kids over for brunch.  I was enjoying the company too much to remember to take more pics, so this is what we get!  :)  Pictures or not, we enjoyed the visit.

Good thing we left a few minutes earlier than we planned, cause the traveling was slower goin' for awhile.  Several miles before and up Snoqualmie Pass were 45 mph, and coming down was 20 mph, but there were no accidents and we had no problems.  We drove straight to the clinic, arriving about 10 or 15 minutes late for the appointment, but it wasn't a problem. 

It was so nice to be on our home turf and with family, even though it was short (less than 24 hours).  We are anxious for the day when we can be home for good.  I didn't post anything about going home earlier because I didn't want to say something and then have it change.  Anthony and BJo had been sick (throwing up and icky) and we weren't sure if we should go.  Well, I was hesitant, but Terry was determined to be there for BJo's Sr. Night.  If BJo was too sick to go to the game then we would probably have stayed here, but she was determined to go too, so that was all we needed to know.

So if either of us get sick it's our own fault.


Oh, they got a bit of snow here in Seattle too.  There is not much, but we can see it here and there.

Friday

The weekend is upon us and it is a full one.  We'll post more about it later.  For today ... it was not too filled - a blood draw and an infusion of Vidaza, and then the normal hydration at home.  No new news ... things are not changing, so there really isn't anything to report. 

We picked up our schedule for the week and learned that we have a full week ahead.  We were warned about this at our last team visit, so we were not really surprised.  We will continue to let you know what's happening..., after the weekend.  (Sorry, I just don't wanna blog tomorrow - I'll see how I feel about it Sunday or Monday - maybe we'll have another puzzle to share)


Until then, have a good weekend!

Even if it is still cold!

Enduring to the End!

We finally completed this puzzle - hardest puzzle yet!

Pieces fit in places they didn't really belong, and yet it looked good until more pieces were put in and the last piece in that area didn't fit the last space left.  That happened several times as we worked our way through this puzzle.  It was like putting the puzzle together twice, or even more than twice.  If at first you don't succeed, try, and try again.   It really was tricky and it is good to have completed.  It's really a pretty scene and I am glad that we didn't give up each time we thought about it.

I suppose it's a good experience to remind us the importance of not giving up and of enduring to the end. Good things will come in the end.  Remember, it will turn out better than we think!

Still ...

We are still working on that puzzle ...
and re-working it ...
and it is work.

We started the first of seven Vidaza infusions again today ...
in clinic ...
and it went well.

It's still cold ...
therefore no walking today.

Still here!
Still fine!

Not much goin' on!

No appointments today so we had a lazy day.
We have been putting a difficult puzzle together (it is so tricky we have threatened to stop and put it back in the box several times).
I spent a little time loading the car with the boxes that will go home instead of being moved to the other apartment whenever we do move (no word yet, just being prepared).

That's about it ...

T73

Clinic visit today brought us a smile, even though Terry's health hasn't really improved.  Things are going about the same, though counts are so slightly up that it's probably not worth mentioning, and if like many times before, they'll possibly be down next draw ..., but we take what we can get. 

WBC = .72(L)
RBC = 3.17(L)
HCT = 30(L)
PLT = 52(L)
ANC = 0.28(C)
We need to watch the Creatinine and Glucose levels, they are a bit higher than we'd like, but not critical.

Great news is that one of his meds that he takes three times a day (with nothing to eat two hours before or after) has been changed to twice a day, so that's five pills a day less now, making things much easier.   :)   We are now reworking things to make our medication schedule less complicated.

We start Vidaza infusion (targeting MDS) again on Thursday, daily for seven days. It sounds like another bone marrow biopsy is set up for the 28th, and we will have some busy days ahead with all the "work up" they will begin. 

Weekend Visit

We had a wonderful visit with the kids this weekend.  We went to the Woodland Park Zoo Saturday, we had an ice cream party (Auger and Akleigh earned by reading books), and we put a puzzle together.  I took a few photos and BJo took some photos so we have several to share.

Looking at the zebras ...

the elephant ...

 

 

playing in the cave ...

 

 

viewing the orangutan ...

 

 

On the way here the kids saw the 12th Man Flags everywhere, so on the way to the zoo Auger would yell it out when he saw one.  He was so excited to find each one, and we even saw a few in the zoo ... and we heard about it ;), and even encouraged it by showing him one if we saw it.  Fun times!

 

 

The puzzle we put together was a panoramic puzzle over 3 feet wide (less than a foot tall) ...

 

 

pretty birds on a branch ... 

 

 

We had a great visit and enjoyed being together ...

 

 

 

We didn't watch the big game Sunday, but on occasion throughout the game we would hear some yelling and celebrating going on around us, which made us wonder if there was a touch down or some other wonderful play being made by the Seahawks.

 

The town was all a buzz for several hours after the game ended. People yelling and carrying on, traffic picked up on the roads from one or two cars a minute to almost the normal full lanes everywhere and there was honking all around.  Pedestrians went from almost zero to several and each group was yelling and waving and encouraging cars to honk. We heard a few fireworks going off every once in awhile as well.    We thought that all of the noise subsided around 10:00pm, but at 10:30 we heard more fireworks.  Imagine the talk of the town the next day ....

PS
BJo showed me some photos Michael took while he and Elsie were here, so I added them to that post HERE - you wont wanna miss em!

Early Saturday ... Avoided Catastrophe

My sister sent me this photo wondering if we had seen the Space Needle like this. 

 

From Sea to shining Sea(hawks)!

Credit: Bennett Smith (a Seattleite living in NJ!)

 

 

We don't get out much at night and we have no view of it from our windows.  So, this morning I was curious and headed up the stairs to the roof to see what I could see.  Surely with the big game tomorrow it would be lit up, and I was curious to find out.

 

This is what I saw

 

 

Not quite as bright - the blue was not very noticeable.  Maybe from a different view point or time of night it would be better, but this was still fun to see.

 

 

Now, about the avoided catastrophe ...

 

Of course it was dark when I stepped out into the garden area.  I only stepped out a couple steps for the picture and was going to go back in.  But I felt like I might be a little unsteady and taking night shots are a bit blurry, especially if not steady, so I walked over to the far edge where there is a view finder to rest my camera on and take a better photo.

 

Half way there I walked around a planter (on my right) and my left foot came down on what felt like a pipe or board on the floor.  I couldn't see very well, but looked down to see if I could tell what I stepped on so I could be careful when I came back.

 

OH MY!

 

There was no floor!  Just the joists!  

 

I had luckily stepped right on one joist right in the middle area of my foot so I was stable and upright.  ;)    Had I not stepped on that joist I would have gone down and it wouldn't have been pretty.  It was dark enough that I couldn't see how far down I would have gone, but I would guess at least a foot or so.  I could have broken a leg or arm or rib or ....  Not sure how I would have landed or caught myself.  Maybe I'd be passed out and still up there instead of here writing this. Maybe I'd be laying there squealing like the lady next door.  (okay, maybe that's not funny, and I don't mean it in a mean way toward her, but sometimes we just have to smile at our misfortunes...)   Luckily I did tell Terry where I was going, so I'm sure it wouldn't have been too long before he came looking, and then if he couldn't see ....   Oh Bother!

 

I couldn't believe they didn't have that roped off or signs to help us know what was going on.  I'm heading to the office today to kindly suggest an addition of rope, tape, and or signs, because some of us do go to the roof in the dark of the night or morning hours.

 

I feel blessed to be safe and sound!  I do believe that Someone is watching out for us!

 

 

Oh, I forgot to show you the flag on the wall at the lab check in station.

 

 

We have seen it there before, but I either haven't had my camera or there were just too many people in the way.  Yesterday I had a clear shot for about one minute and then it began to buzz with people again.  I didn't even notice the banner on the counter when I took the photo, but there were people standing there just to the left of this view so I couldn't have seen more of it even if I tried.

 

We check in for labs at that counter.  The nurse then comes through the door and calls our name when he/she is ready for us.  We go through those doors into a large room with several stations set up for blood draw.  Maybe I can get a photo of that some weekend when there aren't too many people in there. 

 

 

Well, I don't have any medical news.  Just some sights and sounds from Seattle. 

 

I'm not sure if I'll post tonight or tomorrow because there won't be any more medical news until Tuesday, unless something unforeseen happens.  We aren't planning on that ..., and I think I'll not go to the roof in the dark again for awhile.