Almost a year

Nov. 19th, 2006 was the day Dave was diagnosed with lymphoma! I remember last Thanksgiving when three of our four children (and grandchildren) were here to celebrate with us. It was quite an emotional day and we gave thanks for our family. This year we will give thanks again to our family and friends and to God who has given us a year to be thankful for. Am not sure how we will celebrate this year, but will probably fix a good dinner and share with my mom and Al; Molly & Jeff, Stella and Sully; my brother, Randy; and D.J. Of course if anyone is alone, they are welcome to join us! If I can bake banana bread in a toaster oven, you can bet I make a "mean" turkey!

"Boppa" and Sully spending a quiet afternoon together. Dave is feeling stronger each day, but
rocking Sully definitely has it's benefits!

Back to Work

I really have to give Dave credit as he wants to go back to work! He picked up his radio from the department yesterday and got some new slacks (he went down a couple sizes), so he is good to go. Tomorrow will be his first day back. He will not be making any ambulance runs or fire calls, but will be able to do the administrative work. If he gets too worn out during the day, he will be free to come home and rest. It was a comforting feeling listening to the "scanner" last night, as it has always been such a part of our life. I always said it was so annoying and I couldn't wait until Dave didn't have to have it on all of the time, but I have to admit that it was "comforting" to hear it again. Dave's CT scan won't be until December, but his lab work all came back great yesterday. He's a little anemic, but of no concern, but I will do my best to give him more red meat and spinach! We are both so thankful to be back home to family and friends. We definitely can count our blessings!

Evening with Friends

It was off to Orland's and Jan's tonight for dinner! Ike and Gus also joined us and we had a good time laughing and eating (something I'm really getting good at)! Dave had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Hunt today, and things went well. He only gained 1 lb., and the problem seems to be if I am not here to be sure he eats, he waits until I get home from work to fix supper. You can bet we had a long discussion about that!!! All in all, things are improving, albeit at a slow pace.

Life is Good

Progress

What a great day! Dave, while sitting, can actually lift one leg and put it over the other WITHOUT USING HIS HANDS! That probably doesn't sound too exciting, but it sure is a sign for being stronger. We also were able to go out to dinner with Orland and Jan this evening and had such a great time. Dave ate well and even stayed up until 9:30! We saw people we haven't seen for a long time and it was nice just saying "hi"! God has given us another beautiful day, and we are both so thankful for the blessings of each day.

Getting Stronger

Dave is actually feeling a little stronger in his legs, and we can see the improvement in his walking! It gets a little frustrating for him, as he would like to do more and tires easily, but I think he is coming along, and physical therapy seems to help a lot, although it sure wipes him out. It was 3 wks. Saturday when we got home and it seems like living in Seattle was a dream. It's funny how you get right back into the swing of things. I went to the doc today to see if my sore throat was strep, but it's just a viral "thing". We are spraying everything down in the house with Lysol, using disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, etc. so, hopefully, Dave doesn't get the "bug". It sure is the season for it.

What's Not to Love!!!

Drs. Appointment Today

Dave saw Dr. Hunt today and was very encouraged by the visit. He has gained another 4-5 lbs. and is doing great according to her. It definitely is a slow process, and the radiation is still working in his body, hence, the fatigue. I know it is hard for Dave sometime to see improvement, but it is definitely there. He also started physical therapy to strengthen his legs, so now his calves hurt! He agreed that it is a "good hurt"! We enjoyed having our 7 month old grandson with us over the weekend - he really put some joy in the days (night time was another story!). We are loving the beautiful weather and are so thankful to be away from all the noise of the city. Unfortunately, I hit a deer the other night (poor thing) and now have to get my car repaired. Life is getting back to normal!