Come and gone

Good afternoon everyone,

Well he said with a large sigh, Christmas has come and gone for another year.  I had an enjoyable day.  All of Dolores's family were here, her three brothers and spouses along with son David and Gramma Brown.  Miltons's son and wife and 2 grandchildren were also here.  The turkey was home grown and it was a monster bird.  there was stuffing, yams, broccoli, mashed potatoes, ample gravy, jellied salads and a tossed green salad followed by pumpkin or blueberry pie with ice cream or whipped cream along with plates of  home made squares and cookies and after dinner chocolates.  What a feast.  I'm sure glad my appetite has returned and and my taste buds are working again.

We had  Christmas like weather light snow on and off all day with a temperature around 10 to 15 below zero Celsius.  I am wearing one of Gramma Brown's old hearing aides in my left ear and I certainly notice a difference in what I can hear.  I am sure the radiation affected my hearing along with all the other damage it did.  Along with his oncology training, Dr. Filatov is an eye, ear and throat specialist and when all of the swelling is gone, I will have him check my hearing and have him send in a request to my supplemental health care provider for authorization to have the hearing aids made specifically for me if required. 

I have been suffering from a bad cough for the past 3 or 4 days and the mucus problem has persisted.  A couple of nights ago (Dec. 23 and 24th) Dolores had to suction my trachea trying to clear a blockage which severely curtailed the amount of air I was able to breathe in.  The trachea/windpipe was blocked right near the end of the trachea tube.   On both occasions she injected a sterile  saline solution into my trachea tube which induced heavy coughing and the blockage was released.  It is scary when I realize that I can just barely get enough air into my lungs to stay conscious.  Of course, it's the panic that races through me that is the most debilitating reaction.  When this happens Dolores has me sit down and focus on my breathing and relax.  Usually I am able to regain control and we get on with the suctioning.  If that fails, we head for the hospital PDQ.

Yesterday and today I felt very good.  I slept poorly last night because of the coughing but, now that I'm upright I am  in control.  I missed Dolores yesterday as she had to work.  We open our gifts when she arrived home last night.  These 12 hour shifts that she work certainly cut down on the amount of time we have to spend together.

That's it for now.  I'll post more in a few days.

Love to all,

Rick aka Lumpy 

 

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Good evening everyone,

Well if you watch TV in Canada, from east to west and north to south you will know that it is cold in British Columbia and has been for a good number of days.  For those of you south of the 49th in the great US of A the temperatures here in Vanderhoof have been in the -30C range at night with day time highs in the (minus) mid to high teens Celsius.  Cold, cold, cold.  I have been confined to the indoors because of the cold.

After receiving the good news from Dr. Filatov last week that the CT Scan showed there are no signs of any lumps or bumps in my neck and throat area, I have been on a cloud floating high. My weight is holding steady at 178 lbs. and my appetite is good.  I am relatively pain free and other than the cough and the mucus in my lungs, I'm beginning to feel more and more like my old self.

I feel that it is too early to say the cancer is beaten for sure but, I am optimistic that I have it on the run and I do not expect any new cancer will come to light.  In January 2009 I will see Dr. Campbell, my new GP, and she will give me a full physical from top to bottom (if you get my drift).  Her reasoning is that all my Doctors visits during the last 11 and 1/2 months have been related to the cancer.  Now she wants to make sure that the rest of my systems are all on full go and that I'm healthy.

Once again I'll give you all my new address and phone number:

P.O. Box 27

Vanderhoof, B.C.

V0J 3A0

res:250-567-9516

e-mail:rdhoney@tlpg.com

Look for more new news in the coming week or so.

Rick 

Christmas comes early

Good morning everyone, least way it's still Saturday morning in British Columbia.  I saw Dr. Filatov in Prince George on Wednesday this week.  He examined me using his Endoscopy and I am becoming more accustomed to it.  The swelling inside my throat is still extreme but, it is marginally improved since my visit in October.  With respect to the swelling on the outside of my neck he felt this area and was unable to say what is causing it.  He suggested a CT Scan and he order one ASAP from Prince George Regional Hospital.  I came home feeling no better than before the appointment and was thinking that I have to wait 6 to 8 weeks to have the CT scan.  Next morning (Thurs. Dec. 11) PGRH called and asked if I could come in for the scan at 2:00 PM Friday afternoon.  Seems like they had a cancellation and I was slotted in.

Of course, we had a major snowfall Thursday evening and the roads were in poor winter condition.  We got to the hospital early, checked in and were prepared for a wait.  We no sooner sit down in the waiting room when the ex ray technician calls my name and in I go.  I get an IV installed and the procedure is done before I know it.  We went for a late lunch and then in to see Dr. Filatov.  He went on line and viewed the CT Scan.  He then called the hospital and was able to listen to the Radiologists report.  So, the good news is!  There are no lumps or bumps.  The swelling is caused by fluid/water and is radiation related.  Both Dolores and I were able to view the CT Scan on the screen as Dr. Filatov looked at it.  He explained to me what we were looking at and showed me where the swelling was.  Needless to say I'm greatly relieved at the results.  An early Christmas present for Dolores and I.

I am much more comfortable today with the knowledge that there is no new cancer evident and the swelling will eventually go away all by itself.  Now I can look forward to Christmas and enjoy the season.

I would like to take this time to wish each and everyone of you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As I usually say I'll keep posting regularly.

Love to all,

Rick 

Up to my knees

Yoski everyone,


First things first, I'll feeling quite chipper these days and getting out more and more. The colder weather, is however, hell on my lungs. When I go outside, I my mouth and lungs dry out in a heart beat unless the end of the trachea tube is covered. Usually I try to cover it with my collar or do up my coat to the throat.


Yesterday I brought the wood into the house for the fireplace from the wood shed. It snowed during the night then turned warm and had started to rain. We received about 6" of new snow before it started to rain. I loaded the wheel barrow with wood and pushed/plowed it through the snow to the house. It turned out to be more than I was able to handle easily. I got really short of breath and by the time I got to the back door I was really gasping for air and feeling a little panicky because I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. I was unable to unload the wood right away and I had to sit down and rest until I got my breath back. I still have a long way to go before I'm back up to my former regular strength.


I've started my Xmas shopping. It is really hard finding what I need in such a small town (pop 4,000) with limited choices of stores. Dolores and I went to town yesterday and I was shopping for her. Not only are there fewer stores and a poorer selection, it was hard with her with me. Oh well I got one of her gifts and next Friday we're going to Prince George for the day and I'll finish everything then.


I see Dr. Filatov next Friday (Dec. 10) as well and I hope he'll be able to tell me why my neck above the trachea tube is so swollen. I think the trachea tube may be to long and if that's the case he'll put a shorter one in. I'm hoping that that is the problem. It might also be why I am coughing like I do.


I'm adjusting to farm life. It is really different. I don't get out very much and I'm learning how to entertain myself during the day time, especially when Dolores is working. I'm not able to do very much outside and there is not much to do during the day inside. I've started to repackage my coins and I think I'll sell some of my traders on the Ebay. That will give me something to do.


Well friends, I'm off.


Love to everyone,


Rick

Report time

Howdy all,

The last day of November and the sun is trying to shine. otherwise it has been a dull morning. The wild life is abundant on the fields surrounding the farm. Many female moose and calves along with deer grazing through the snow on the left over alphalfa. The cows are all in the barn area where David has established 4 large feeding stations close to the water wells that the cows drink from. We still have lots of snow but relatively warm weather. It has been above zero Celsius during the day and the coldest we've had is -10 C at night.

I am feeling much better these days. The terrible cough I had has seemed to disappear and the mucus problems have mitigated and it is now manageable. I am still gaining weight and strength. I'll be seeing Dr. Filatov in Prince George on Dec. 10th. The outside of my throat and neck has swollen up such that everyone notices it. It was painful but it is now just annoying. When I saw Dr. Campbell here in Vanderhoof on Wednesday this week, she said it was nothing to worry about but, she didn't have any idea why I was so swollen. A mystery.

I had a full shot a couple of weeks ago and on Wednesday I had a Pneomovak and a tetanus shot. The Pneomovak will protect me from Viral Pneumonia for life. I've had no adverse reactions to either shot.

The day before yesterday Milton I set up my roll top desk in the Reiki room. Dolores took 4 or 5 days and finished wall papering two of the walls and she stained the other two log walls and the ceiling. We have also put my computer desk in this room and there is still enough room for her to do Reiki on her clients when needed. I am pleased to have a private place where I can get away and do my paper work and other things.

Well people, this has been a good week for me. I'm feeling good and my positive attitude is coming back to me. I'm pleased to be gaining weight gradually. I am eating much more and the food tastes really good. I'm still taking 6 cans of tube food a day so I have a good callorie count.

I'll post more in a few days before I see Dr. Filatov. Bye for now.

Rick

The snowy days of winter

Yo & hello,

A cold crisp day (-11 C this AM), sunny and the 10 plus inches of snow is sparkling in the sunshine. I am a virtual shut in. The cold air drys my lungs out and then I cough for hours. When I had this trachea tube put in the folks from Respiratory Services called in to see me and give me a care package of supplies to take home with me. One of the items was a small supply of Portex Thermovents (6). It is a small device that slides on to the end of my trachea tube like a miniature gas mask. I filters the air as I breathe it in and adds moisture to it so my lungs do not dry out.

Last week when Dolores and I were in PG we stopped into Medi Chair, one of the Medical Supply Houses there, and inquired about the Thermovent. I received a call today. These little devices are $450 for a box of 50 and each Thermovent can only be used once. Yikes! Guess I'll have to think of something else. I'm open to any ideas you may have.

I'm 64 today, just one more year and I will get Old Age Pension cheques. Again, yikes or maybe a small yippee. I'm feeling better and while I have this on going cough and mucus, it is a small price to pay for having the third airway. Everyday I seem to be able to eat more real food and in larger quantities. I am even getting hunger pangs once in a while. What a pleasant feeling that is after all these months of having no appetite at all. My taste buds are finally coming alive albeit slowly and that is something to be happy about. Now I wish my thin saliva glands would come back.

SO long for now everyone. I'll be posting again really soon.

Love and hugs,

Rick

Status Quo

Yoski,

Well, we've had a taste of winter, sub zero temperatures and lots of snow and cold west winds. Yesterday and today are fall like, sunny, windy and relatively warm +4 to 8 C. David is glad the snow is gone. The cows are feeding on the very back pasture where there is lots of food for them. Ideally he would like to keep them on the pastures until the end of November thus maximizing the winter hay stocks/supply.

I have lost some more weight. Today I am sub 170 lbs for the first time since before I had the trachea tube installed. Sounds like I had a plumbing feature installed. I've had some stomach/intestinal problems during the past week and was off my food and could not tolerate 6 cans of tube feed per day. It doesn't take much. Even if I miss just 2 cans of tube food in a day, I'm losing 710 calories. I've been studying a booklet on Good Nutrition, a guide for people with cancer. It's given me a lot of ideas to help me boost my intake of calories and protein and how to combat dry mouth and thick saliva as well as sore mouth and throat. It's all basic info but, it never hurts to dust off the tools.

Saturday is voting day. All Municipal elections are held on the dame day, the 3rd Sat. in Nov. every three years, except Vancouver which has a special charter. Guess what? Nobody here knows where we vote and I have not been able to find out/ I went to the Government office yesterday and even they didn't know. I did find out where the polls are in Vanderhoof and I'll drop in there on Saturday. It's difficult for me to get out and about these days because I can't drive. I have to rely on others to drive here and there.

Well that's it for now. Write me at: rdhoney@tlpg.com if you have any questions that I haven't answered for you. Don't be shy, I would love to hear from you.

Love to all,

Rick (a pied dans Vanderhoof)

Days after the move

Yo & hello all,

Yup, I'm here. Still struggling with my new Trachea Tube with a bad and persistent cough and lots of mucus. It's a struggle to get used to it but, I am well not with standing. I'm holding my weigh at 172 to 175 lbs. I'm really quite skinny and working hard to harden up my muscles. A little bit at a time. Every day I am trying to do more and more.
The move went well. Dolores and I had packed up the kitchen, bedrooms and my den and moved lots of boxes and things here to Vanderhoof in the car. On moving day we had to finish packing the books in my library and the furnace/workshop. It was a big job. Dolores, David (her son) and her brothers Milton and Floyd and I took on the job. We rented a 14', 1 ton cube van from U Haul. We started at noonish on Oct. 29th and were finished at 5:00 pm. Dolores spent most of those hours cleaning. I vacuumed the basement and the stairs where the carpets were. We left the house clean as a whistle. We unloaded the truck the following morning and returned the truck at 3:00 pm on the 30th.
On Nov. 1st I deposited the first rent cheque from Ms. M.J. Jacobson my new tenant. I also set up a term deposit for her security deposit. She is a really fine young lady, a single mom with a 2 year old son and a small lap dog. I've known her mother for 20 years so, I have a good feeling about her.
We have been working long days since then unpacking and integrating everything into this house has been a big chore. Dolores has taken the opportunity to clean each room on the main floor as we move new stuff in. I have been packing boxes up to the 2nd floor and our bedroom. Lots of the boxes are being stored until the sprig when we'll have a large garage sale.
I am happy to be here and I have adjusted to the farm and the slower pace of living. I miss the City and the things you can do but, farm life is interesting and Dolores is looking forward to me getting better and stronger so we can work together next year in the garden, with the chickens and other areas. We have come to agreement on cost sharing and what costs I will contribute to. I am happy with the financial arrangements as is she.
Winter is coming and the out door work takes on a different focus. Chopping wood and kindling, loading the outside wood box and the inside wood box is a daily chore. 90 % of the household heat comes from the fireplace which is on 24 hours a day throughout the winter. Wood as you can appreciate becomes a big issue. We buy it locally but, it must be chopped and stacked. As I get stronger, that will become my principal winter chore along with tending to the chickens.
Milton usually works as a camp cook and he is away for most of the winter so I'll pick up his portion of the chores as time goes on. My health and strength will be a limiting factor. David will do what I cannot. There is a real sense of sharing the work load among those available to do it.
Well all, that's it for now.

Love to everyone,
Rick

Results

Yoski,

I had my appointment with Dr. Filatov yesterday morning at 11:00. He examined me and used his endoscopy and looked inside of my mouth and throat. The opening to my airway is still affected by the swelling of my epiglottis which is still extremely swollen. He went further with the scope looking for my vocal cords. The area surrounding the vocal cords is also extremely swollen and the opening to the vocal cords is as small as or smaller than the airway. He then looked through my Trachea Tube and the tube itself is clear of blockages as is the trachea itself. He has given me a clean bill of health.

The trouble I feel with the trachea tube not working is part of an entirely different set of circumstances. You may remember that I had a chest ex ray done last week when I was into the hospital in Vanderhoof. Well it seems that my lungs show the early signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The ex rays show that my lungs are scarred as a result of smoking when I was younger. I stopped 21 years ago tomorrow but, the damage is still there. Both the radiologist who read the ex rays and Dr.Filatov do not think the COPD will get any worse but, it accounts for the shallowness of my breathing and the illusion that the trachea tube is not working as it should. In fact, Dr. Filatov says it is working just as it should. He gave me pointers on how to breathe more effectively and how to talk by blocking the end of the trachea tube with my finger. I now find it easier to talk and I do not get out of breath as I did so often since the tube was put in.

That's it for tonight, more on the move in a day or so.

Bye for now,

Rick aka Lumpy

The Countdown is on

Hi!

Moving day is tomorrow. We have made one minor change to our plans. We pick up the U-Haul rental Truck (a 14' 1 ton cube van) at 11:30 am rather than 9:00 am. Makes it easier to return the truck on Thursday here in Vanderhoof. Dolores is also concerned about unpacking the truck after dark here at the farm. Makes sense and it has been done. I have moved so many times that it has almost become common place except, I am in no condition to spearhead the work force. I am relegated to packing and watching. Dolores, David and Milton all have strong backs and very good work ethics. We'll be ok.

I see Dr. Filatov in the morning at 11:00 and I hope he can help me with the breathing problems I've experienced with the trachea tube and the excess of mucus. I'll report on the outcome of the visit later in the week.

I spoke with son Brock this afternoon and he always inspires me to be more than I am, especially with respect to my diet/tube food and my continual battle with my weight. Unlike most of you, I am trying to stem the loss of weight and start gaining it. I seemed to have bottomed out at 167 lbs. (I weighed a hefty 226 lbs. on April 8 th) and as of this moment I am on the plus side of 175 lbs. Thank-you Brock.

A short Post tonight. Be healthy and happy my friends and family.

Love,

Rick

P.S. If my brother Peter had had a trachea tube, he would have been a "Three Holed Pete".

Plugging along

Yoski everyone,

Wednesday this week is moving day when we move my stuff to the farm. It's going to be a big day. I hope I'm up for it. Last night I was a mess. I couldn't sleep as my breathing was ragged and rough and my throat was/is now swollen on the outside as well as the inside. I was concerned but, Dolores is working her 4 day rotation and really needs her sleep. I know, I know, I should have simply woken her and asked her to suction my trachea tube. She is very understanding and would not mind. It was 3:25 am before I was able to fall asleep. The night before last night was a completely different problem. I could not stop coughing so I spent all night in the living room. I think I slept 2 hours the entire night. Talk about being tired today!

I am unhappy with the trachea tube and how my body is accepting it. I called Dr. Filatov's office this morning and arranged to see him Wed. Nov. 29th at 11:00 am. Most times of any day, or night, I can not breathe through the Trachea tube as I should be able and lots of times I do not expel air through it either. Talk about weird!!!!!!!!!!

I sometimes wonder what will happen next. I get down in the dumps about how long it is taking to get over the damn radiation treatments. It's been almost 5 months since the last session on June 13th and I'm still very week and frail. I am constantly concerned re: my well being and my positive attitude is wearing thin. I'm glad to have Dolores to help me along the way because she knows what I've been through and what I'm likely going to face in the coming months. As she constantly reminds me, radiation kills the good cells as well as the cancer cells. The damage inside my mouth and throat from the treatments was considerable and only time can/will heal that damage. Sometimes the TIME it takes to heal seems unbearable to me.

My new personal info is:

Box 27
Vanderhoof, B.C.
V0J 3A0
res:250-567-9516
fax:250-567-2244
Additional info:
birth date: likely before yours
sex: sometimes
sign: go west
favorite author: Robert B. Parker
favorite musical instrument: piano/keyboards
favorite musical group: AC DC followed by Michael Buble
favorite day of the week: today, otherwise they're all the same
favorite contemporary unelected national politician: Elizabeth May
favorite contemporary elected national politician: Stephen Harper
favorite past national elected politician: Pierre Elliot Trudeau
favorite contemporary Provincial politician elected or unelected: none
favorite past Provincial politician: Bill Bennett Jr.
favorite contemporary US President: Ronald Regan
favorite multi national oil company: none
favorite Bank: none
favorite food: corned beef on rye (from Chapmans in Toronto, Bathurst and Lawrence location)
2nd most favorite food: grilled cheese sandwich c/w dill pickle and catsup
3rd most favorite food: BBQ'd beef ribs &/or BBQ'd baby back ribs (sorry Allan, no pre-boiling)
4th most favorite food: all those things I can't eat now

So long for now,

Rick

P.S.: Dolores suctioned my Trachea tube when she got up this morning and dislodged a giant "gubber" which was completely blocking the tube and accounted for my breathing difficulties. I'm feeling much better now.

H

The sound of rain on the Roof

Good evening everyone,

It's pouring rain here in Fort Fraser and the farm house has a metal roof. It is one of my favourite sounds. The sound of the rain on the roof. It is second only to the sound of the wind, late at night as you are going to sleep. Ho hum, enough of that!

I have recovered really well from my harrowing experiences earlier this week. The newly prescribed "Mucomyst" for the nebulizer is having a very positive effect and my breathing has pretty much returned to normal. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what good news that is to me.

On Tuesday (Oct. 21), I rented 527 Pilot Street to a Licensed Realtor and Property Manager. In consideration of her professional status with Pace Realty Ltd., we have been able to eliminate the 12% monthly Management fee and all of the other charges attendant to the usual Residential tenancy Agreement. I trust the new tenant and have known her mother, the owner of Pace Realty for years and years.

Next Wednesday (Oct. 29) I have rented a truck and David, Milton, Dolores and I will finish the move. I have decided to keep all of the remaining furniture but, since I sold the Living room furniture, there is very little in the way of big, heavy furniture. There is only the furnace/work room to pack up. That will be my job next week. All in all the move is going really well and I am pleased with everything to date in that regard.

Well, so long for now.

Love and hugs, where applicable,

Rick

Ups and downs

Good evening everybody,

This has been a very poor week for the Honeyman. I was released from Prince George Regional Hospital Tuesday October 14th and here it is Late Monday evening Oct. 20, 2008. These past six days tell me that nothing about Trachea Tubes can be taken for granted.

Starting from the moment I was released I knew that I was in for some tough sledding. I have had continual problems breathing and have had many very scary moments when I was struggling for air. Everything came to a head early this mornign at about 2:00 AM when I started to encounter very serious problems breathing. The trachea tube was blocked and no amount of suction would clear it. I became more and more agitated and more and more friegtened with my inability to draw good air.

Dolores gave me a shot of Hydromorph to try and get my nervous system to relax somewhat and when that didn't work she stuffed 2 Ativan tabs under my tongue and phoned the hospital. At 3:00 AM we were dashing into Vanderhoof with me somewhat more at ease, thanks to the Ativan, but just a heart beat away from the unholy terror of not being able to get enough oxigen into my lungs. The hospital staff were awaiting our arrival and no effort was sparred to unplug the blockage in the Trachea Tube. Finally a Mucomyst nebulizer was fed directly into my Trachea Tube and bam, bam I started to cough and spit up mucus both liquid and dried.

The good news was the Nebulizer cracked open the blockages in my lungs and allowed me to cough it out of my lungs. By 9:00 this morning as I was having a Chest Exray and my breathing was back to normal. I am now on a whole new series of meds and medications to avoid a repitition. We'll have to see how successful they will be.

Enough for now, I'll post later in the week.

Love to everyone,

Rick

On the street again

Good afternoon all,

I am free again. Its just after 3:00 PM Feb. 14th voting day. I've cast my ballot and wish Elizabeth May and her Green Party a huge success today.

I have a new Trachea Tube, same as the last one and just as annoying. Like any foreign object invading your body I am having some minor reactions. Excessive coughing, increased mucus and generally a worn down feeling.

I want to assure every one of you that I am fine and in good spirits. I will get better because of this procedure. It is designed to keep me breathing (and alive I might add) while the swelling in my Epiglottis, which is located above my voice box, recedes. Sorry D"Arcy I am too young to die and by so doing stop tormenting you.

I'll post again really soon. A big Thank-you to Kathy Honey for bringing you up to date during my stay at Prince George Regional Hospital.

Toodles,

Lumpity, lump, lump

P.S.: Late addition to this Post. Kathy Honey thinks Tubeman would be an appropriate moniker rather than Lumpy. D'Arcy Regan one of my school chums from Toronto thinks Holeyman would be more apropos. Any other comments?

Rick

Hi Everyone

Hi everyone Kathy here. Don't panic he is O.K. ...sorta. He had the new trach tube put in today and all went well. Except for the part where they want to keep him in the hospital for 5 days or so while he adjusts to the new tube. He apparently was not expecting to be staying in hospital but we all know what he can be like about that. Delores's attitude is duh he just had a new hole cut in his neck. He is in Prince George Regional hospital on the surgery ward. He has asked for me to fill you all in as things go until he is out and about. To the best of anyones knowledge this is a set back from the radiation and is not a renewal of the cancer. He will have to have the tube for quite some time until he is not in any danger of further swelling. So with the feeding tube and the trach tube I think we should start calling him tube man instead of lumpy :) I will keep you posted and hopefully he will tell you he is home, sooner than later. Bye.

Here we go again

Good afternoon to my friends and family,

My appointment with Dr. Filatov was moved forward from Oct. 8th to yesterday at 1:45. Milton also had his appointment moved up so we went in together. Good thing as it turned out.

I haven't seen Dr. Filatov since March and you all know what I've gone through since then. We chatted about this and that and out of the blue he asked me if I was having trouble breathing. I answered that I was with which he grabbed his scope (actually it's an endoscopy) and took a look inside my throat. I gave myself Reiki before he inserted the scope through my left nostril. I gagged a couple of times as manoeuvred scope through to the back of my mouth and throat but. The procedure was successful and it didn't bother me as it has before. We talked some more and he scoped me a second time but, this time he activated the camera. He then showed me what the inside of my throat looks like.

My epiglottis is so swollen he fears that any small agitation or infection, cold, flu or what ever would cause my throat to constrict completely thus shutting off my airway entirely and I would not survive such an episode. I am upset with this strange turn of events and do not look forward to the procedure or the discomfort of having a Trachea tube from 2 months to a year while the swelling goes subsides. The swelling is a direct result of the radiation treatments. Now I know why it has been so painful for me to eat, drink and swallow during these past few months.

So we now start another period of uncertainty and convalescence. I know that the Trachea tube is necessary and it would be fool hardy to think I could get by without it. I have come a long way since I was released from Surrey Memorial Hospital 3 1/2 months ago. My body has done a lot of healing and I am much stronger today than I was then. I hope that I will adjust to the Trachea Tube quickly and painlessly.

So long for now.

Love to everyone,

Rick (now known as "Breathless in Fort Fraser")

First things first

Good afternoon everyone,

Fall has arrived and the colours here in Vanderhoof/Fort Fraser are something to behold. The alfalfa fields take on a new colour of green which is rich and vibrant and to see a 60 to 75 acre field outlined by 100's of birch, willow, aspen and cottonwood trees is beautiful to behold. Vanderhoof sits at the geographical center of B.C, nestled in the Fertile Nechako Valley surrounded by the scenic Sinkut, Blue and Pitka Mountians.

I have had some limited success in holding my weight steady this past week. I bottomed out at 170 lbs. and then managed to gain 3 pounds before running into a savage bout of constipation caused by the codeine in my liquid T-3 . Dolores keeps after me to stay within the regime of my meds, tube food and regular meals. It sounds so easy but, after the rigours of the radiation therapy and the damage it did to my body, every time I waiver from the established procedures I pay a heavy toll.

I am tired all of the time. The little gizmo I bought to counter act my sleep apnoea has been a disappointment. Tomorrow I am seeing Dr. Campbell for a referral to the Sleep Centre in Prince George. I think I mentioned to you all that my sleep apnoea problems have been exacerbated since the Trachea tube was removed. I may need to wear a mask which forces air into my lungs and in some cases it removes the air as well. I must do something.

I've started to get ready to pack and move my stuff from 527 Pilot Street. Yesterday Dolores and I spent the day in Prince George. We took measurements of my antique roll top desk, bed room suite, computer desk, filing cabinets etc. and started to think where these various pieces of furniture will fit here at the farm. I sold my living room furniture to my neighbour Tammy's mother (sofa, love seat, coffee table and 2 end tables). She was very happy and I feel she got a good deal.

I went to Solomon Movers and bought used 2 and 4 cu. ft. boxes (10 of each) and 25 lbs. of clean white packing paper. I'll also buy some more plastic totes at Canadian Tire specifically for my books. I will dismantle all of my book cases and with some careful planning I will probably not need to rent indoor heated storage space. I will sell, donate or give away all of that which I do not need. After I renovated Pilot Street, I really hacked and slashed and got rid of oodles of stuff.

I guess that's it for now, I'll be back to you as the move progress.

Until then,

Rick

Take note

Good morning all,

My new address is:

Box 27
Vanderhoof, B.C.
V0J 3A0
res:250-567-9516
fax:259-567-2244

You may remember that I have been thinking of moving here to the farm for some time. Dolores and her family have all made me feel as if I am one of them and I have now accepted Dolores's invitation to move here permanently. Earlier this week I spoke to various Realtors in Prince George concerning the CMV of my house on Pilot Street. I also spoke about renting the house, partially furnished or empty with just the fridge and stove. I will get $1,500 per month partially furnished and $1,100 with just the stove and frig. I will leave the portable dishwasher and the washer and dryer but, the tenant will be responsible for maintenance. No pets and no smokers.

I will be a busy person during the remainder of Sept. and most of Oct. as I get the house ready for occupancy. There is virtually no room here for my furniture or other stuff so I'll rent a heated, in door storage locker and hire ACD Movers to move my stuff there.

I am feeling much better these days. My throat is still clogged up with mucus and saliva and it is most annoying. Yesterday I started taking 30 mls of liquid T-3 30 minutes before all meals and I also Rinse and gargle with Fraser Valley Mouthwash, a concoction of 5 friendly drugs which seems to cut through the mass in my throat and I am able to swallow with very little discomfort. I have also started taking 6 cans of "tube" food every day and I am hoping to stop the weight loss. On Thursday I weighed only 170 lbs, down from 226 May 8, 2008..
I find myself learning to grin and bear the pain. I'm alive and getting stronger. That's far better than being dead or still having the cancer.

Talk to you soon my friends.

Rick

Chandler, Raymond (Phillip Marlowe series)

Yoski,

I may have mentioned that I am hooked on Robert B. Parker author of the "Spenser" series of mystery novels as well as the Jessie Stone series and the Sunny Randall series. I have been reading his books voraciously. Now that I have read nearly all of his titles, I am looking to find a new series of mystery novels to get into and the Phillip Marlowe series by Raymond Chandler has caught my eye. Has anyone out there read the "Marlowe" series. If so, please give me some feedback on this series. If anyone has read the Mickey Spillane series I would like to know what you think of it. Also the Sam Spade series.

Write me with your comments at: rdhoney@tlpg.com

Thank-you.

Rick

P.S. Code Clements I hope to hear from you since you've read just about everything under the sun.

A new mile post

Hi everyone,

Really great news today. The fire like pain I feel in my throat when I eat something I shouldn't appears to be gone. I first noticed that it was gone on Monday afternoon. Yesterday and today I have not felt it at all. I saw Dr.Campbell in Vanderhoof today and she was elated for me. I still have the pain caused by the build up of mucus and saliva but, it is manageable most of the time. Now its time to slowly reintroduce fruits, vegetables, and other things into my diet that bothered me before. I am really hopeful that this is going to last.

Dr. Campbell would like me to keep the food tube in at least until I see her again on Oct. 15th. I will see Dr. Filatov on the 8th. Time enough to take the food tube out at that time.

Maybe I will now be able to eat a more rounded diet and perhaps put on some more weight. We'll soon find out.

That's it for now.

Love to everyone,

Rick

Fall is coming

Hello all,

Ho, hum, life goes on. It is starting to feel like fall. The days, when it is sunny are wonderful. The mornings are cool and we have had frost on a number of occasions already. It has also been unseasonably wet and Dolores is disappointed with the vegetable garden.

I'll be able to ride my bike today. The back roads are now dry enough for me to get out. My throat is starting to feel better. The fire like pain in my throat that shoots up into my left ear is finally starting to subside. Perhaps the hydromorph that I'm taking is helping. I am still plagued with the heavy,sticky, white saliva and mucus build up in my throat. This seems to cause me more pain than any thing else. I will persevere with the anti histamines and the Flonase which seem to help keep my sinuses clear.

I see Dr. Campbell this coming Wednesday. She was going to try and talk with Dr. Leong in Vancouver re: the sore throat and what type of long term pain management for the damaged nerve endings might be put in place. Anything will be helpful to me. I also see the Dietitian on Wednesday and she may have some suggestions which will help me gain weight or at least stop the slow and gradual losses I have been experiencing. Most days I ingest 4 cans of tube feed (255 mls each with 355 cals) and on a really good day about a 1,000 calories in real food. Swallowing is still my largest problem due to the dryness in my mouth (no thin saliva glands yet) and the aforementioned mucus etc. which is lodged in my throat.

I am starting to regain some of my strength although my stamina is still far short of where I would like it to be. This is an on going project which will likely take months. Yesterday Dolores and I were in Prince George running here and there. We stopped at Pilot Street to say hello to the neighbours, pick up the mail etc. and I happened to see my skis. Well, that caused my blood to rush and as I ran my fingers over them I promised myself that I will be up on the slopes this year for sure. What finer incentive to get back in shape is there than downhill "skiing".

That's it for this report. Talk to you soon.

Love to everyone.

Rick

Sleep Apnoea

Hi!

This is for my very good friend and pal Geoff Best and to my cousin Harvey Wrightman. I have taken a big step to overcome my snoring problem and sleep apnoea. For those who suffer from these two ailments please visit the following web site: http://www.aveosleep.ca/ . I have purchased a small plastic device from Ethics International and Business Trade which seems to have solved my two sleeping problems.

For $149 plus tax and shipping and handling I purchased an AveoTSD and have been using it for the past two nights. It has taken some getting used to but, it seems to be working. I will keep you informed as the days turn to weeks turn to months etc.

Since the Trachea Tube was removed several weeks ago, my sleep apnoea problem has become worse. Dolores became very concerned and asked me to see my Doctor about it. Earlier this year while I was visiting Dr. Jason Boxtart, we talked about sleep apnoea and he gave me the web site shown above. I procrastinated as usual and did nothing until this past week.

For any and all of you who suffer from snoring and sleep apnoea, I urge you to visit the web site.

Talk to you all later.

Rick (Oh Silent Night)

http://www.aveosleep.ca/

Labour Day Weekend

Good evening everyone,

It's the end of summer and the kids head back to school on Tuesday, watch out for heavier traffic on Tuesday and be careful in the school zones. In B.C. the speed limit in school zones is 30 Km's and the fine for speeding starts at $176.

I've had a good week. I still have a sore throat and it is painful to swallow. Eating is not my favourite pass time these days. I find that I just have to grin and bear it. I am taking 6 cans of Tube Food a day through my J-tube. I have stopped loosing weight and I am holding fairly steady at 175 lbs.

The weather here this week was mostly cloudy with a lot of rain. When its sunny this is a beautiful area of the Province. Everyone hopes for some warm sunny weather next week so the vegetable garden will mature and the potatoes, carrots, turnips, squash and zoocini will ripen up. Tomorrow the meat chickens will be slaughtered and processed. It is an all day job and everyone has a job to do. It will be my first time.

More to follow next week.

Bye for now,

Rick

Getting better by the day

Hi, hello, how are you,

Here I am on Sunday evening at 5:40 PM, PDT. It has been a good week for me. I am regaining some of my strength and endurance. On the down side, I have not been able to stop loosing weight. At the last weigh in last night, I was wavering between 173 and 174 lbs. My throat continues to be sore especially first thing in the morning and while I'm eating. Some days it is better than others.

I saw Dr. Campbell on Wednesday this past week and she does not want me to have the food tube removed prematurely. I see her again on Wed. Sept. 3 and we'll make the decision then based on my weight at that time. I am back to taking my tube food through the J-tube because for some reason my throat has started to react negatively to the liquid food.

I have kicked the Fentanyl patch and I take liquid T-3 before meals and Sufentenil immediately before meals. I hope that the sore throat will clear up during the coming week. I am tired of it. I am back to driving my car and that gives me mobility which I enjoy.

Dolores and I picked and shucked sweet peas yesterday. Grand mother Brown Blanched them, put them in cold water and put them in Freezer bags for future use. We bought a case of B.C. peaches and will can them to morrow. Today the three of us made 35 pints of anti-pasto. A big job, lots of cutting and mixing, boiling. packing in jars and then into the caner for 20 minutes. It will be so good on cold winter nights and around Christmas. Tomorrow we'll pick more peas and Tay berries.

Next weekend, the 25 meat birds, chickens, become freezer guests. It will be a family production. Dolores and Milton dispatch the birds, douse them in warm/hot water, I will defeather them and Grandma will gut them. It is one of the bigger fall jobs. The new laying hens are still growing and will start laying toward the end of October. It is something to see the difference in growing rates between the meat birds and the layers. The meat birds are always bigger and by next weekend will weigh between 7 and 8 lbs. while the layers are about 2 lbs.

That's it for now and as my mother used to say, I must be off. I'll report again later in the week.

Bye for now,

Rick

Quality recovery time

Hi all,

It's been sunny and hot here at Fort Fraser. The day time highs have been 28 to 30 C every day and the nights cool down significantly. Today it is overcast and drizzling. I have good news, I am feeling much better these days and the only complaint is the continuing soreness in my throat. Every day I seem to be getting to feel like my old self and yesterday I went for a ride on my bike. Zounds, that doesn't sound like much but, to me a was a huge break through. I rode about six Km's in total over the fields and then down the mile long driveway and back. It was exhilarating.

This is canning season and Grandmother Martha Brown, age 91, has been busy making jams, jellies and fruit juices. I being the anxious helper have been watching closely and have learned a great deal hanging around the kitchen with her. She is a marvellous woman and we enjoy each others company.

The garden has been really slow in coming this year but, the broccoli and Cauliflower are ripe and she has frozen quite a bit of both. The peas are coming and Dolores and I will be picking them on the weekend. The berries, raspberry, Tay berries, yellow raspberries, white and black currents have been bountiful this year. If you know anyone who wants to come and pick for free, call me at 250-567-9516 but, you better hurry. The Saskatoon berries are a dismal failure this year. High winds in the spring blew most of the blossoms off the bushes. The potatoes and the carrots look to be coming along well, the turnips are another disappointment. There are ample salad greens and the greenhouse tomatoes and peppers are just now ripening.

Dolores' son David has finished the haying with a bumper crop, approximately 775 to 800 bales most of which weigh 1400 lbs with some at 1200lbs. The new baler is able to squeeze out 1400 lb bales while the old baler produces 1200 lb. bales. There is ample feed for the up coming winter. David is now in the process of transporting the hay to hay yard, a monumental task since the bale wagons can only carry 13 bales per trip. You do the math, its a lot of trips and this is a big farm with lots of hills and valleys

I plan to stay at the farm for the foreseeable future. Dolores and I would like to make a life for ourselves together. We have to sit down and do the economics and decide what to do with my home on Pilot Street. I think renting it out makes lots of sense. We'll see and those plans will be the subject of a future Blog entry.

Stay with me folks, I plan to post here for some time to come. Bye for now,

Recovering Rick

The long way home

Howdy folks,

I'm back in Fort Fraser and have just finished enjoying a lucious ham caserole dinner. The trip home was eventful and began yesterday afternoon after my appointment with Dr. Leong ended. The B.C. Air Ambulance service was called and we were told that the Ambulance to take me to the airport was en route. Sure enough it arrived 15 minutes later. I was loaded in and strapped on to a gurney the engine was running and the driver was notified that the air ambulance I was scheduled to take was diverted to another centre and I was bumped.

Brock had already left for home and I had to call him to come back for me. As we were leaving the hospital he called the Air Ambulance Dispatch and we were told to hold at the hospital because another ambulance was on the way to pick me up. We turned around and went back into the waiting room and sat. 1/2 an hour later we were told that I had once again been bumped.

I spent an enjoyable evening with Brock revelling in the fact that I am in the clear and the cancer is gone. We ate together and watched some TV and I called some friends in the Vancouver area to give them the news first hand. I had a fitfull sleep and tassed and turned all night. Brock woke me up at 7:30 to say the ambulance was on the way & would be there in 1/2 and hour. Well, that 1/2 turned into 1 1/2 hours and I had all but given up on an early flight back.

The ambulance arrived around 9:00 ish and off we go to YVR. It took an hour to get there and the plane was waiting for us. There was one other passenger on a gurney and as a result I had to be on a gurney because of the configuration of the Beach Craft 18. It really is a flying ICU. My medic was an ALC (Advanced Life Support) and that gave me great comfort. Soon after take off as we were climbing to our 24,000 foot cruising altitude I started to cough. I had to Reiki myself to calm down and I fell asleep for the rest of the 65 minute flight to Prince George. I was then transfered to a regular ambulance and transported to Vanderhoof.

Dolores was waiting for me along with Dr. Sean Ebert. Dr. Ebert removed the trachea tube and stitched the hole shut but, only after three failed attempts to bandage the trachea hole. Every time I coughed I blew the bandages off. I am so pleased that the tube has been removed and the pain in my throat is subsiding by the hour. I am able to swallow my food much better and with less pain. What a relieve. The coughing has lessened as well.

That's it. I'm now entering the last stage of my recovery and that is to regain my strength and stamina. It will be fun to do it. And the best news I am cancer free.

Stay tuned and I will update you with periodic accounts of how I am doing.

I want to say thank-you to you all for showing your support during the last 4 and 1/2 months. It was extremely important to me and without your support faith and prayers who knows where I would be today. My friend Pauline Viverette (Spranghill66) said it best "The Devil should have taken you when he had the chance because he won't get another one". Thank-you Pauline and everybody else.

Love to all,

Rick now Lumpfree.

A new beginning

Whopeee,

I'm in Vancouver and had my appointment with Dr. Anderson, the Surgeon, yesterday. He gave me a clean bill of health and surgery is not required. He wants me to see Dr, Filitov in PG every second month for the next year. Yahoo! That's really good news. He also wants Dr. Filatov to remove the Trachea tube when I get home.

I saw Dr. Leong today at 2:20 and he listened to what I had to say since the last time I saw him in June. Dr. Leong did not scope me but he did examine me. He also thinks its a good idea to see Dr. Filitov every two months. He feels the sore throat is a combination of my excessive coughing and the Trachea tube. He wants me to have the trachea tube removed when I get home. He also wants me to start drinking my tube food instead of using the G-tube. I should try it for a two week period and if all goes well, have it taken out.

So, from this point it appears that I am on my way to a full recovery. How sweet is that? Now I have to regain my strength and stamina. It's been a long battle and I hope its over. So, as you can see, I appear to be out of the woods.

Keep watching the Blog for more updates as I continue to recover.

By for now,

Lumpfree ( that sounds so nice)

P.S. Last night I stayed the Vancouver Lodge, The Jean Barker Pavilion, part of the Vancouver Cancer Clinic, last night and I'm now at Brocks house. The lodge was $38 for the night plus three squares.

Today, I was to take an ambulance from the Fraser Valley Cancer Clinic to Vancouver airport then take the air ambulance to Vanderhoof this afternoon, But I was bumped, not once but twice so here I sit. I may go home tomorrow or Thursday. I hope its tomorrow.

On my way

Good evening all,

It's just about 6:00 PDT and I'm packed, fed and waiting for Milton to drive me into hospital in Vanderhoof. It has been a really crummy day here with a howling west wind, driving rain all day and most of last night and we reached a high of only 11.4 C (about 52 F for those of you in the US). Chilly for the 10th of August that's for sure. I lit a fire in the huge River Rock fire place in the living room about 3:00 o'clock this afternoon and it took took the chill out of the air.

I can't remember if I mentioned that Dolores took me through a session of "Thought Feild Therapy" on Friday night. Some of you may associate this with "Tapping". The purpose was to rid me of my fear and anxiety of the proceedure where the Doctor puts the long scope up through my nose and down into my throat. I am sure to undergo this proceedure both at Dr. Andersons office on tomorrow afternoon and again on Tuesday when I see Dr. Leong.

The process requires that assess the level of my fear and anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10 and then we proceed to tap various parts of the body while thinking about the fear. After the first session I had reduced my fear level from a high 8 to 6. We then discussed what bothers me the most and then proceeded to repeat the tapping. After the 2nd pass through my fear level was reduced to 0.

There is place on our chest which is called the sore point. It is located on the right hand side of the chest above the breast. We spent about 5 to 10 seconds rubbing the sore spot each time we did the tapping. After the 2nd session of tapping the sore spot was gone. This indicates that I will be able to undergo the proceedure with much less discomfort. The proof will be seen tomorrow and Tuesday. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Departure time is near. I'll be back here in Fort Fraser late Tuesday evening or sometime on Wednesday. I'll provide full details of the visit at that time. Bye for now.

Lumpy on the move

Vancouver trip

Good evening everyone,



A quick up date on what's happening with my trip to Vancouver to have my post radiation check ups. But first some background. On Tuesday Aug. 5, I went into the Vanderhoof Hospital (St. John Hospital) to meet Dr. Suzanne Campbell the resident Oncologist there. We went over my history and what was next in my treatment schedule. I mentioned my appointments on the 11th and 12th in Vancouver. I also said that I was going to postpone the trip until a later date because of my current physical condition. She declared me to be unfit to take the Northern Health bus to Vancouver and back. Next she said that she would look into having me booked on and air ambulance to & from Vanderhoof and Vancouver.

On Thursday this week ( Aug. 8), the Hospital in Vanderhoof called me to say that the air ambulance to and from PG/Vancouver has been confirmed. I am to check into St. John Hospital here in Vanderhoof Sunday evening and be taken air ambulance to Vancouver Monday morning. The air ambulance will likely land in Vanderhoof rather than PG. In either event I will be transported to the appropriate airport by ambulance.

From Vancouver airport I'll be taken directly to Dr. Anderson's office and then I'll stay the night at the Jean Seabar Vancouver Lodge which is part of the Vancouver Cancer Clinic. Brock will pick me up Tuesday morning and take to the Fraser Valley Cancer Clinic. The hospital has now told me that Dr. Leong, my Radiation Oncologist, is going to have to arrange for the Air ambulance from Vancouver back to PG. Dr. Campbell in Vanderhoof is liaising with Dr. Leong so that this becomes a reality. Either Brock or and Ambulance will return me to the Vancouver Airport when I'm finished at Fraser Valley Cancer Clinic for the return flight. I'll be taken back to St, Johns where I'll either be discharged then and there or I'll stay the night and be discharged on Wednesday Morning.

This is too wonderful for words. The Northern Health Bus takes 12 hours each way and I really was afraid of that trip by myself in my current condition. I don't know weather I'm receiving special treatment or weather this service is available to all cancer patients who live outside of Vancouver and have to go there for treatment.

Whatever the case is, I'm scheduled for the trip and I'm happy about it. Tomorrow I'll get myself ready for the trip. I'll have to pack my portable suction unit, my Meds and enough tube food and the paraphernalia to last for the duration of the trip along with clothes and toiletries.

I'll post a short note before I leave but, if not I'll likely be back here by Wednesday next week and I'll update you then. Bye for now,

Rick

Yoski

Hi everyone,

Beautiful and warm today +25C and a nice breeze. David has been out on the tractor all day cutting raking and now he's baling. The weather forecast is for more of the same through Thursday this week. This big log house certainly stays cool in these temperatures.

I had a poor night last night. Coughing and blowing and generally feeling really uncomfortable. I got up at 10:00 AM and Dolores gave me a nebulizer of Saline and Pulmicort. It loosened up the gunk in my lungs and bronchial tubes. I started coughing up phlegm and other stuff for a while and then I was able to sleep until noon.

I woke up with a good appetite and had a large bowl of porridge with blueberries and maple syrup. Shortly after I had a tube feed and the next thing you know I'm outside in the garden reading in the sunshine/shade. Generally, except for the cough, I'm feeling pretty good today.

Dolores and here brother Milton have been picking raspberries all day and making raspberry juice. They've already picked enough berries to make 24 pints of raspberry jam. They also picked enough Tay berries to do 12 pints of Tay berry jam. I do not have the stamina to pick like they do.

Dolores has said that one of the reasons I get so tired so easily is that in addition to recovering from the Radiation poisoning, I also had double pneumonia while I was in ICU at Surrey Memorial and it will take 6 to 8 weeks to recover fully from that. No wonder I feel so out of gas all the time. A piece of good news, my weight has held steady at 83/84 kilos (182/184 lbs.) for the past 5 days. I'm almost skinny. Wish I could ride my bike but, that is out of the question for the time being.

I'm hoping that you are all having an excellent summer. All the best and I talk to you soon.

Rick

Flu bug hits

Good evening all,

Yesterday was the best day I've had since the whole Radiation thing started. I felt really good and seemed to have lots of energy and stamina. I had three squares for the first time in a long time as well as 5 cans of Ensure Plus through my food tube. I don't seem to have the same amount of mucus and phlegm that I have had in recent weeks and the heavy, sticky white saliva has not been nearly so prevalent.

That all changed today, I woke up and was sick to my stomach. I laid down for a bit then had a breakfast food tube (1 1/2 cans). And was back to bed. I woke up coughing and was sick again. But, I had nothing in my stomach either time. It was terrible. I crushed up some anti nauseants and mixed it with jam and swallowed it. I fell asleep in seconds. I woke up feeling better but, I cannot eat. I had another 1 1/2 cans of tube food and as of this moment I'm feeling more like myself. I guess even cancer patients get the flu.

I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Talk to you soon,

Rick

Lazy days

Good afternoon everyone,

Wednesday afternoon 3:31 PM PDT. We're having wet rainy days here and the haying has been put on hold until the sun comes out and everything drys up. I have been waiting for the hospital to call letting us know what the swab from throat showed up. Dolores tells me that they only phone if there is something wrong in my mouth. When she goes to work tomorrow she will search out the results and confirm that there is nothing to worry about.

The Nystatin is doing what it is supposed to do. My mouth feels better but I still have a sore throat. I take 30 mls of liquid T-3 1/2 a hour before each meal and I can swallow without the real bad pain. My diet is still very restricted to soft foods which are easy to chew and swallow. I am holding my weight at 83 kilos/182 lbs. but it is a struggle. I have very little appetite and my taste buds are still somewhat wonky. Most raw fruits really bother me and so far only watermelon and blue berries are the only two that I eat regularly. The protein milkshakes are good but the protein powder is quite heavy and gums up my swallowing.

I am still unable to sleep comfortably in bed and spend some or all of every night sleeping on the Easy Boy Recliner. With my head and shoulders elevated I do not seem to cough as much and the phlegm and clear mucus do not gather in my throat area so much. Not with standing, I am making progress and I'm feeling better every day. I still get tired when Dolores and I go to town for the afternoon and I'm glad to get home and put my feet up.

I will try to post more regularly and keep you all up to date.

Bye for now,

Rick

Fort Fraser update

Hello all,

In an earlier post Kathy wrote "one step forward, two steps back". Oh my how tired I'm getting of living like this. Last night Dolores took me into emergency at St. Johns Hospitalin Vanderhoof. For the past several days my throat has been sore and eating was becoming more and more difficult. Things that I could eat the day before yesterday I couldn't eat yesterday because my throat felt like it was on fire. Even drinking water hurts. Swallowing has become painful again like it was when I was in the midst of the radiation treatments.

Well, Nurse Dolores did an oral examination and found that the roof of my mouth is covered in white blotches and she suspected that I had a fungal infection of some sort. Off we go at 9:15 to "E-merg". Surprise, surprise. No one there except me. The on call Doctor is trained in Oncology and she agrees that I may have a fungal/bacterial infection in my mouth and throat area and she put me on Nilstatin to fight what ever it is that's bothering me. She also took a "swab" from the infected area and sent it to the lab.

We'll probably hear something on Wednesday. In the meantime, I've doubled the amount of my tube feeds and I try to eat as much as I can. Brock would feel right at home with this current development and he will understand my frustration. There have been many untoward developments like this in my recovery process. The Doctor thinks this infection, or what ever it is, is a result of the radiation traeatments. I ask myself, how long can this go on?

The second piece of bad news is, I'm losing weight again. I lost almost 1 full kilo from Wednesday afternoon until last night.. Both Dolores and I are concerned. I try to eat but, I can only tolerate so much pain. I am back on "Hydromorphone" which I am unhappy about and I am still wearing the 25 mcg per hour Fentanyl patch. I tried earlier this week to reduce the patch strength to 12.5 mcg per hour but, the pain was more than I wanted to put up with. This recent development is simply the latest in a long, long series of set backs.

In two weeks I am scheduled to go to Vancouver for more tests and I am planning on taking the Northern Health bus. At this time, this trip now seems to be somewhat in doubt. I'll have to keep my travel plans and options open.

Time to try to get some food into me. I'll report more as the week progresses.

Bye for now,

Rick

Yoski

Good evening all. Nothing much to report from Fort Fraser. I am sleeping lots. What a routine. I get up between 8:30 & 9:00 and eat breakfast. Then it's a food tube. I sit out in the sun for a while and come in and nap until lunch is ready at noon. I have a protein shake while everyone else enjoys this and that. Again I sit outside in the sun for an hour and then today we drove out to the fields where David and his brother Michael are baling. The weather has been perfect for cutting the hay and now baling it.

When we got home from the fields I was exhausted and I laid down for a nap. Supper will be ready around 5:45 and will be served in shifts. David and Michael will eat when they finish the hay around 9:00PM and we'll eat when its ready. Life on the farm is easy, except for those who have to do the actual work. I find just getting up and getting dressed is a chore. I sleep well and the napping is surely helping my body to heal. I feel a little bit better each day. It is a slow process for sure.

So long for now. Keep in touch. I'm able to access my e-mail account from this computer and as you can see I can also publish from here.

Love to everyone,

Rick

Fort Fraser Express

Good afternoon everyone,

We're here in scenic Fort Fraser. The farm is lush and green and the work Dolores did in the spring time planting her flower beds has paid off. The colours are spectacular. The 3 acre vegetable garden is growing but, it needs more warm weather and more sunshine. It has been cool and wet so far this summer. Today it is sunny with cloudy periods and quite breezy. I have been able to sit out in the back yard, out of the wind and enjoy the sun.

I am still very weak and with very little stamina. I have been sleeping better but I still have a nap after breakfast and then again after lunch. The sticky wet saliva and mucus is driving me crazy. I have figured out that I sleep much better at night if I leave the trachea tube open and during the day I put the Passey-Muir Valve on. I notice improvement everyday.

The trip from Vancouver to here was uneventful. It was a beautiful day for driving and the weather was great. Sunny most of the way and the traffic was light. I felt good and with Dolores doing the driving I was able to catch cat naps here and there. As a result we were able to complete the trip in one day. We left Surrey at 9:00 AM Friday and arrived here at about 10:30 PM.

David, Dolores's oldest son, is busy with haying and works long hours as long as the weather permits. I don't know how many acres are put up in hay but it is enough that when baled it provides for all of the winter needs of herd. I haven't seen a cow since I arrived. They are out grazing on the open fields which are not visible from the house. It is a fairly large farm at 965 acres. For yhose who wonder how large that is, 640 acres is equal to 1 square mile. As I get stronger Dolores will take me around the entire farm.

That's it people. I will be updating periodically from now until I return to Vancouver Aug. 10. I have a number of appointments and if I need surgery, it will be scheduled at that time.

Until the next time,

Rick

On our way

Good morning everyone,

7:56 AM PDT. I'm enjoying one last tube feed before Dolores & I head north. We're pretty much bang on our 9:00 AM projected departure time. Brock is on his rotational days off now and is up and making a gigantic omelet for he and Dolores. You can imagine the difference between what I'm having and that.

The weather seems to have changed and we're likely to have rain for most of our drive north. We plan to make the trip over the course of 2 days. We'll drive as far as we can today and then take a room for the night. I expect we will get to 100 Mile House or a little further.

I'm feeling really good today. I slept very well last night, probably the best night since I was discharged from the hospital. The car is packed and I mean packed and there is barely enough room for the two of us.

I'll reconnect with you all once we reach Fort Fraser. Until then, adios amigos.

love to everybody,

Rick

Anxious

Good morning everyone,

I'm walking around like a zombie this morning . I slept poorly last night. The heavy saliva mixed with mucus backs up in my throat and makes it difficult to get a good sleep unless I have the Trachea tube open. Then when I cough, anything in my throat is expelled out through the open end of the Trachea tube. Yuk! But, I sleep so much better.

The Public Health nurse was here at 9:00 and I was napping. She changed my dressings & I'm now feeding myself through the G-tube. Dolores was going to leave Fort Fraser around 7:00AM and expect by now (10:10) she will be nearing Williams Lake. From there if you push hard and pass everything in site it is 6 to 6 1/2 hours to Surrey. Of course Dolores does not drive like I do so I am going to start looking for her between 5:00 & 6:00 this afternoon.

This will probably be my last post for a day or two. I am feeling better with each day and other than the Fentanyl patch I am drug free. I am still taking the Flonaze and the antihistamine tablets and they make a difference in keeping my sinuses open. My strength is coming back just like my appetite and I am looking forward to our trip home on Friday.

So long for now everyone, look for me again on Saturday or Sunday.

Rick

Road Trip coming up

Yahoo,

Well the end of my stay in Vancouver is very clearly in site. Dolores gave me a surprise yesterday when she told me that she has arranged to take Wed. and Thurs. off and will come to Surrey tomorrow, July 16. What a pleasant surprise. We will spend Thurs. packing and picking up medical supplies and head for home about 9:00 Friday AM.

As much as I appreciate all that Brock has done for me, it is time to go. I'm sure he will be as relieved as me. I will be returning soon enough for my mid-Aug. doctors appointments and tests. Another pleasant time to look forward to, said very much tongue in cheek.

Today is my first real day alone. Brock is at work, Dave the room mate is at work and here I am looking after myself. The Public health nurse will be here between noon and 2:00 to change my dressings. Otherwise it's me and the cat. I am OK with this and the visit by the PHN is really only a safe guard for Brock & I in case I run into an unforeseen problem.

I will have at least one more post before I hit the road. Wish me good luck with my travels just as I wish all the best to everyone tuned into this blog and my adventures.

Bye for now,

Rick, the Traveller

Anyone hungry

Howdy all,

I am enjoying the sensation of hunger again. It has been weeks and weeks since I thought about food and how good it can taste. There are times when my taste buds wink out, like last evening when I had a piece of cold watermelon it was totally tasteless.

The ache in my tongue, teeth and gums is now almost gone. There are things that set it on fire such as pepper, cold acidic fruits etc. I tried a tangerine the other day and as soon as I bit into it, swoosh on came the pain and I had to spit it out.

This morning we went to see the Dietitian at FFCC but, she was not in today. She will call me on Thursday and we will discuss my diet etc. and different ways to get more protein into me. So far I'm getting the protein from soup, Soy beverage, Protein shakes and eggs.

Dolores and I have agreed that it might be best for me if she drives to Surrey to get me and then drives me home. The bus may is probably more than I can handle. She expects to leave Fort Fraser on Friday and spend Friday and Saturday nights here and we return to her home Sunday. That way if the trip is to long for me, we can stop somewhere over night along the way and continue on Monday.

That's it for today.

Rick

Up early

Good morning everyone,

It's 5:45 PDT and I had a quiet and uneventful night. I do know I coughed a lot because I have an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I have been able to wear my Passey Muir Valve for nearly a full day now. It makes life so much easier and I do not have to worry about a stray piece of this or that getting sucked into my Tract tube and blocking it up.

This morning I'm tired but feeling just a little bit better than yesterday. Well Duh! you say. I'm speaking in the broader sense of my well being. This morning when I had to yawn there was almost no pain in my throat. Yesterday it was very painful to yawn. It's these little things that are accumulating and making me feel better and stronger.

This will be a very short post as I would like to grab some more ZZZZZZZZ's before Brock wakes up. Yesterday I felt hungry, imagine that, I was hungry. It has been a long time since I've felt that HUNGER. Brock did not have to berate me all day about eat this Dad, eat that as he so often has to. Even my food tube feedings were manageable.

Bye for now, as usual look for more later.

Love, hugs and good wishes to everyone.

Rick

Set back

Good afternoon all,

I spent last night (July 11) in the hospital in Emergency. I suffered an episode where I was unable to breathe out through my nose or mouth if I had the plug or the Passey Muir Valve attached to the end of the Trach tube. As long as the Trach tube was open I could breathe normally. This scared both Brock and I and we dashed off to Surrey Memorial Hospital at 9:00 PM and were rushed right through to the system and Respiratory Care Therapist looked at me and said I would be ok but, I would stay the night and an Ear Nose and Throat Doctor would be called in to see me.

I was moved to an Emergency Cubicle and I slept peacefully throughout the night. This morning at about 10:30 the ENT Doctor came in to see me scoped my upper nasal passages and then scoped me through my trach tube. He says that my upper passages are blocked due to a cold and allergies I have but, most importantly is my allergy to Cat Dander. Brock and his room mate Dave have had a cat for years and years so that along with the dust is the most likely candidate for the problems I'm suffering from and there is very little I can do to resolve that problem. I'll continue to use Flownase, a Nasal spray and my antihistamine pills. When I have another attach I pop off the plug at the top of my Trach tube and breathe normally. I must also learn to relax as so as I feel one of these attacks coming on.

On Monday Brock and I will visit the Fraser Valley Cancer Clinic and see if we can get an early appointment with Dr. Leong. We'll seek his advice on what would be best for me and How I should best get back to Prince George and then to Deloreses home in Fort Fraser. I have been advised that I cannot fly because of the Trach tube.

I'll keep you all fully informed.

Bye for now,

Rick

New old news

Yoski,

Yesterday I said I would tell you more about my battle with the cancer and why I think I may have the upper hand but, first the radiation is still working inside my mouth and causing its effects to be felt. My mouth is still super sensitive to food and even canned foods which seem bland enough contain spices and my mouth comes alive. It's the hardest thing about real food is finding something which I can eat that a) doesn't add to the thick sticky saliva or b) is bland enough for me to eat. Remember my throat is still tender from the Tracheotomy.

On Saturday June 28th Dr. Body Lau, an ENT Specialist who assisted with the Tracheotomy stopped by to see me in my room. Lau works for Dr. G. Anderson the surgeon who will remove the lymph node mass, if necessary, later this summer. Anyway, Dr. Lau had his portable scope with him and you know what that means! Yup we're sticking this thing up your nose and down into your mouth.

Well his first attempt was some what successful he told me he had to go in again. He sent his assistant down to to his office to get some local freezing spray. While she was away he explained what he was going to do and what he expected of me. I asked for a few moments to give myself Reiki and while his assistant was away I gave myself Reiki and lower my anxiety level and got my breathing under control. Once the spray was administered we went through the
procedure a second time but, this time he talked me through it, told me when to breathe, when to exhale when to say EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, when to say E E E E E E E E E and so on. The examination took about seven minutes. I was able to endure the discomfort. Once he had finished he congratulated me and said that was the biggest turn around Improvement he had ever encountered when doing this test.

Now for the good part. He could find no evidence of the Cancerous Tumor at the base of the left side of my tongue. He was quick to point out that this is not definitive evidence but it sure sounded good to me.

On the other hand he threw a monkey wrench into the fire by saying he thought he saw a spot at the base of my tongue on the right side, but, he was decidedly undecided about this. More tests for sure when I see Dr. Anderson, Lau's boss, on Mon. August 11th here in Vancouver. On the 12th of August I see Dr. Leong and the FVCC Dentistry Dept.

There you have it. The tumor on my tongue may be gone. Keep your fingers crossed and let's all be positive that it's gone.

Bye for now,

Rick