BACK TO BLOGG'N

I kind of dropped the ball on the blog, but since the craziness of the holidays are just about over, I'll have time to do a little "catch-up". As you probably figured out (since I hadn't posted in awhile) that Dave has been doing pretty good. He will have a PET scan Jan. 14th, and that will tell us what is the next step, if any. Of course, we are praying for his being "stable".

We had a wonderful Christmas, spending Christmas Eve with 30+ relatives at Molly's house, and a quieter Christmas Day with 8 for dinner. My sister, Dawn, and her husband stayed with us for a week, and we had a great visit. I tried my hand at prime rib, and I must give myself a pat on the back as it was delicious.

With all the snow (as beautiful as it is), it has kept Dave busy. It was a wise investment when we purchased the ATV, as Dave is able to get out and do some plowing. The shoveling is a little difficult for him, but he gives it his best shot.

I spent most of my "spare time" knitting Christmas gifts and working, etc. The knitted gifts were well-received, so it was all worthwhile. Next year, though, I'm not going to wait until the last month to knit 3 pairs of socks , 3 pairs of gloves, and two hats, all while removing wall paper, painting the upstairs bath and bedroom!! I know, I know, I've heard it before: I MUST BE CRAZY and have a PROBLEM! Is there anyone else "crazy" out there?

I'm not one to make a New Year's resolution, but shedding a few pounds would be a great start. All this sitting and eating has taken it's toll on me, but sure has "plumped" Dave up. We hope everyone has a great New Year, and we are praying for a good new year at our house too!

Making noodles at Nannie's and Boppa's

What fun we had this afternoon making noodles. They tasted good too!!!! Dave is doing quite well, and went on an over-night camping/hunting trip with his brother, Brian. Didn't come home with any game, but had a good time!!

Friends

Orland and Jan Leland came over this evening and we had a great time making our noodles for fettucine alfredo. Note Dave holding Ripley; I think he thought we were all nuts, and he was hungry!!! We had a great time, wonderful meal, and wonderful friends. Thanks, Jan and Orland for the laughs!!

How I spend my "spare" time.

Dave wanted wool socks, so I knit him some "funky" ones
to keep his feet warm this winter. Boy, he has long feet!

Goin' Hunting

Dave and Bob DePratu decided they would give hunting a try. They had a great day, saw some doe, but no buck. I really don't know what those two would have done if that had got something. It was a beautiful day and a great way to spend it.

Hospital Visit

Yes, we spent the morning back in ths hospital. No, it wasn't Dave. Stella had her tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, and she wanted her "boppa". I guess I was chopped liver! Oh well, someone has to take the pictures. She did great and is a "trooper" like her grandfather. Dave is feeling pretty good, back working in the shop (as I hold my breath), fingers healing.

HMMMMM

It's been a pretty quiet week with Dave tending to his wounds. His fingers are healing well, but I haven't looked at them since they were stitched up. He goes to the ER almost daily for dressing changes and soaking. As far as his lymphoma followup goes, he has an appointment Nov. 14 for lab, then will see Dr. Boehme a few days later. He seems to be feeling pretty good, just wears out easily. It is definitely an improvement over where he was physically a year ago. It will be 2 yrs. on Nov. 19th since the diagnosis of lymphoma, and this journey began.

How not to spend a Saturday

Dave just keeps me hopping! Here he is in the ER after nearly cutting off 3 fingers with the table saw!! Thankfully, he had turned off the saw; unfortunately, it was still turning when he reached across for a piece of wood. He just missed the joint of the ring finger, but those fingers will never be pretty! His fingers look like something out of a Halloween movie! He's pretty mad at himself, but is doing his best to play it down. So much for helping me with the dishes.

LAST CHEMO

Today, Dave had his last chemo for awhile. We don't, at this point, know what the next step will be. There will be no scans unless Dave feels discomfort or has other indications of a problem. Let's pray that he gets an extended length of time without symptoms or, better yet, a remission (something that he hasn't had yet). He is feeling pretty good, eating well, gaining weight and enjoying some of the activities he enjoyed before the diagnosis of lymphoma. He still doesn't have all his energy back, but considering all the abuse his body has gone through, I'm impressed with his determination and amazing attitude. He has started doing a little bit of wood-working, gets out more often, and even pushes the broom on occasion! Now if I could only get him to empty the dishwasher!!!!!!

WEEKEND UPDATE

We had a wonderful evening Fri., enjoying dinner with Luanne and Joe Basirico at McKenzie River. Dave felt good, but Saturday things started going downhill. He started feeling weak, headache, body aches and fever. At 7:30 his temp. was 102.8, so we made a trip to the ER. After an EKG, chest x-ray, blood work, urinalysis, IV fluid, it was determined that he had a virus of some sort. We got back home about midnight and it was a restless night. This morning he felt somewhat better, still had a headache, but extremely unstable and weak. He took it easy all day and said that he felt a bit better this evening, but I'm not so sure I believe him. Tomorrow morning he has an appointment with Dr. Boehme and then scheduled chemo. I'm not certain if the chemo will happen though. It's hard to see him doing so well and then within a day's time, he's flat on his back. Let's pray tomorrow is better.