Continuation

Hello again from sunny Vanderhoof,

As I said last night Dolores and I arrived home from our trip to Vancouver in time for supper last night. We left Vancouver at 10:00 ish on Friday the 7th and took our time coming home. We stopped in Sorento to visit with Elaine and Brian Hopkins (long time friends of Dolores) and stayed with them Friday and Saturday nights. It was a good visit although the air quality was really putrid due to the numerous forest fires in the area.

On Sunday morning we left after a leisurely breakfast for Big Lake to visit with Olmer and Linda Brown (Dolores's brother). We had a restful visit with them Sunday and stayed the night. We left Big lake and drove to Barkerville, a historical gold rush town 80 Km's out of Quesnel, B.C. We wondered aimlessly around the town site taking in the sites and sounds and went to the local theatre for an afternoon show depicting the great fire in Barkerville in the late summer of 1868. The entire town was destroyed (burned to the ground) except for 3 buildings. It was enjoyable.

We left Barkerville at about 5:30 PM and drove to Prince George for dinner. While we were having supper, we made a spur of the moment decision to stay overnight in PG. We ran around Prince George on Tuesday and visited with Dolores's brother Floyd and his wife Janice. Then we left for home at 3:45 PM.

So much for that. I received some very distressing news from Dr. Anderson during my appointment with him on Tuesday afternoon Aug. 5th. I have Fibrosis of the Larynx. That is to say that what Dr. Filatov though was skin granulation over the top of my voice box is in fact fibroids (scar tissue) and it is much more difficult to deal with. The bottom line is, I'll have the traecheostomy tube for the rest of my life. There are no other alternatives.

On Spt. 29th, I will have a procedure called a Laser Microlaryngoscopy at Vancouver General Hospital. This will entail a full examination of the larynx and the fibroids. Dr. Anderson will clean them up as much as possible but, he cannot remove them because the risk of aspirating while I'm drinking or eating is too great. He could remove my larynx but, then I would not be able to talk and I would still have to have a tracheostomy tube, so what is the point of that?

There is no question that I will have to have the tracheostomy tube forever but, the good thing is I'm still breathing and I'm on the green side of the grass. I'll be able to fill you in more completely after the procedure on the 29th of Sept. I'll keep posting in the meantime and keep you up to date on what's happening here in Vanderhoof.

Bye for now,

Rick

Back in Vanderhoof

Good evening all,

Dolores and I arrived home a few hours ago. I am exhausted and am going to take my meds and hit the hay. I'll up date you with all the details of our trip to Vancouver tomorrow.

Bye for now,

Rick

The Big Smoke

Good morning all,

A great big hello to each and everyone of you. We made it to Vancouver in 12 hours yesterday and in one piece. The traffic was manageable and the road construction delays were to be expected. We left the farm at 8:00 AM and drove through to Quesnel where we gassed up and changed drivers. It was a bright sunny day and about 22 C. As we got further south on Highway 97 heading toward Cache Creek the smoke in the air from the many forest fires around Kamloops and Lilloet (sp) was very noticeable.

We had lunch in 100 Mile House and then proceeded on to Kamloops where we picked up the Coquihalla Hwy. We stopped in Merritt for gas (107.9/l) and a Dairy Queen sundae and then it was on to Hope and where we joined up with the Trans Canada Hwy into Vancouver, We arrived here at the Jean C. Barber Cancer Lodge at about 8:00 PM. It was a long drive. We checked into our room and at 9:00 PM we joined a number of the other guests staying here for a late evening snack and something to drink. The cost for the two of us is $95 per night including breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as 2 snacks at 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm. This is a wonderful facility and everyone is very friendly.

This afternoon we will drive out to see Dr. Anderson at his office in Coquitlam. We will then spend some time shopping and loitering around and then have Greek dinner with Dolores's son Michael and his daughter Jessica. Afterward we will drive over to Surrey and visit with Brock.

At 8:30 tomorrow morning we have an appointment at the Vancouver Cancer Clinic Dentistry Clinic which is located across the street from this facility. We have decided to stay here through to Friday morning and we will then depart for Sorento.

I will up date tomorrow after my Dental visit. Until then, bye for now.

Rick

Travel Time

Good morning to everyone,

Tomorrow morning Dolores and I will drive to Vancouver and on Wed. Aug. 5th we will see Dr. Anderson, the surgeon who will remove the Granulation/web that has grown over the top of my voice box. This meeting will be a consultation and examination and will be the precursor to the actual surgery. We expect it will take 4 to 6 weeks before I will have the surgery. On Thursday morning I have an appointment at the Vancouver Cancer Clinic Dental Office in Vancouver. We will stay at the Jean C. Barber Cancer Lodge across the Street from the Cancer Clinic on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. On Thursday night we will stay with my friends Linda and Bob Leighton in Surrey, B.C.

It is almost a 1,000 km's to Vancouver from the farm so we will have a long day on the road. Thankfully I can drive now so with the two of us sharing the duty, the trip will be somewhat less tiring. On the way home, we are going to visit friends of Dolores in Sorento (60 Km's east of Kamloops on the Trans Canada Hwy). We will also stop to visit Olmer and Linda Brown at Big Lake before returning home on Monday Aug. 10th.

I could wish that this trip was to have the "web" removed but, it isn't. It is just another long trip for a consultation. The way it looks now, I will have the trachea tube at least into November but, I guess that we are making progress. I am feeling very good these days. The terrible cough has eased up somewhat and I am more comfortable on a day to day basis. I continue to grow stronger and bit by bit my health and wellness is improving. I am filling out nicely and staying steady at 175 lbs. The ravages of the cancer are becoming less and less noticeable with every passing day.

Stay tuned, the saga continues.

Bye for now,

Rick