Merry Christmas

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well the time is drawing ever closer. Santa will roast his behind if he attempts to come down our chimney on Christmas Eve. Dolores and I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Good New year. We are ready and today Dolores is busy putting out the Christmas decorations around the house. Milton and Dolores put the tree up on Saturday. It is a 9 foot artificial tree and it comes in three large pieces with 500 LED lights already attached to the branches. It is very good looking tree.

My sister Janet asked my recently to explain what the Hyperbaric treatments will be like.

The Hyperbaric treatments are still some what of a mystery to me. The hyperbaric unit is a large vessel about 1/4 the size of a subway car. There are nine (9) stations each with a large easy boy type recliner chair for the patients and room for a nurse and an orderly as well. The patients and the support staff enter the unit and it is put under pressure, I don't know to what depth each "dive" goes to or how long it takes to get to the required depth or how long it takes to de-pressurize. I'll fill you in with more details after my treatments begin. Each session is a total of 2 1/2 hours. There are big port hole type windows on each side of the unit and a large door at one end for access and egress. Additionally there are 2 flat screen TVs in the unit. I will be allowed to take in a book to read during the sessions.

Like I said, I don't know all of the details but I will let you know as I learn.

I am still gaining weight slowly and get out of the house a couple of times each day. Winter is with us and today is the warmest it has been in over a week. It is -8 C as I write. We have lots of snow and wild animals running around the farm. The moose like to eat from the ends of the hay bales. They are very neat the way they eat the hay and do not rip the bales apart the way the cows do. There a quadrillion coyotes and the dogs keep them at bay during the night. We hardly ever see them as they are mostly nocturnal unlike the moose and the dear.

Well, a Merry Christmas to all of my friends and family from our house to yours.

Love and Hugs,

Rick

Good News

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Well it is definite, on Monday January 10th I have my first Hyperbaric treatment in Vancouver at Vancouver General Hospital. As of this time I will have 40 daily treatments, except for weekends and holidays, and the last treatment will be Friday March 5th. We have reserved room 32 at the Jean C. Barber Lodge from Jan. 9th to the 5th of March. The wait for the news is over and both Dolores and I are happy that we can now make plans and get ready for the trip. It remains to be seen how I will hold up to the rigors of the treatments but, I am as ready as I can be and looking forward to getting started. I will pass on more details as the time gets closer.

Winter is still upon us here at the farm. Today is foggy and right on the freezing point. It snowed a couple of cms last night and I guess there is about 12 to 15 cms in total on the ground. David is feeding the cows daily from the hay yard and every day between 12 noon and 2:30ish we have no water pressure in the house because the cows are at the watering wells and we just have to wait until they are finished. For me it is right when I have my mid day tube feed so I'm not as inconvenienced as the rest of the household.

I am well and feeling much better these days and my energy levels are gradually returning. My weight has climbed back to 162 and the problems with the stoma and the infection there are all but gone. There is still redness around the stoma but no pain even when Dolores is cleaning it and putting on new dressings. The surgical wound is almost fully healed and the scabbing is getting to be smaller by the day. It looks like my problems there are all over.

For those of you in and around the Toronto area who know him, my really good friend from my high school days, D'Arcy Regan, will be 66 tomorrow. Happy Birthday D'Arcy.

That's it for now. More later on the Hyperbaric treatments as I get more information.

Love and Hugs,

Rick

On the Mend Again

Hello Everybody,

It's been awhile since my last post and in the interim I have had a minor set back and got an infection in the stoma where the tube feed goes through the abdominal wall. It was extremely painful and the tube would withdraw into the stoma causing a lot of pressure and pain. Dolores said the likely cause of the tube withdrawing was a hyperactive peristalsis which is the natural wave length of the intestine. She used her nursing experience to try various methods to stop the tube from fully withdrawing into the stoma but nothing worked. Finally we went to the hospital and they they took a swab from the stoma and the infection is VRE (Vancomysin Resistant Entococcus) an infection people are likely to get if they spend a prolonged time in a hospital. There is no known cure for the bug and it stays with you for life.

Once the cause of the infection was known I was put on Ciprofloxacin and within several days the infection started to clear up. At the same time we reduced the amount of Metoclopramide that I take by 50% and the pain subsided and the tube stopped withdrawing as it was. Unfortunately one of the side affects of the Cipro is an upset stomach so now I take Gravol to counteract that affect and finally I'm feeling better.

The surgical wound from when they put the new food tube in is finally starting to heal after over 4 months. It does not bother me at all any more and we don't have to put a dressing on it any more. It just looks ugly. Once again we blame this on the VRE prolonging the natural healing process.

Now it is back to getting my energy levels up and the desire to get out of my chair. Everything seems to take a great deal of effort. I have been trying to up date this blog for the last 4 or 5 days and could not seem to find the mindset to sit down and write it. I have finished my Christmas shopping and now I have to send the gifts out and again no energy to get the job done. Tomorrow I'll tackle that job.

On a positive side, I am feeling much better although I've lost a pound to 161. I have been able to get outside everyday although it is winter, lots of snow and it's chilly -10 today and -15 last night and really foggy. Today every thing is covered with hoar frost and it's a very white world here. With he cold the fireplace is on 24 hours a day and whenever anybody gets up in the middle of the night the fireplace is checked and stoked if needed.

I'll post again before Christmas and bring you up to date.

Until then, Love and Hugs,

Rick

Eyes Forever - Update

Hello All,

Its a damp, cold,2 C and rainy day here in Vanderhoof what might be called a typical fall day. Tomorrow or the next day it is going to get cold with highs of -16 C, brrrrrrr. Maybe today is better. -16 will feel really chilly. Dolores bought me an early Birthday present when we were in PG 10 days ago, a new winter jacket. Since I've lost all this weight I don't wear extra large any more and the large size fits pretty well.

I have received the results of my visual field test and there is some reduction in optic nerve sensitivity. The Optometrist would like to have me retested to verify the sensitivity loss and the new test will concentrate more on the areas involved. Dr. Logan says that the reduction in sensitivity could be an artificial result and may not show up in the 2nd test, as there can sometimes be a learning curve with tests of this nature. Sometimes with the 2nd test the results improve or disappear all together. I now have to reschedule a new appointment.

More good news, my weight is now up to 161 from 158 at my last post. I still tend to spend more time in my recliner than an my feet doing things and Dolores can be a tough task master. On days like today it is tough to get outside and do the chores. I can handle the cold but, the rain really makes it uncomfortable. Still no new words as to timing from the hyperbaric people but, we're still planning on going for treatments in January 2011 unless we hear otherwise from them.

On Saturday the cows were "preg" tested and of the 92 cows tested 8 were open (meaning not pregnant) and they will be sold at the auction, possibly here in Vanderhoof on Dec, 5th. These cows bring very poor prices .50 to .60 cents per pound and are sent to the MacDonald's hamburger factory. As you may or may not know, we experienced a drought here last summer and did not grow enough hay to feed the whole herd all winter. We were forced to buy more than 60 tons of hay and it would have been more had Dolores, Milton and David not made the decision to reduce the herd size.

That's all there is for now, stay tuned for more news as it comes.

Love to everyone,

Rick

Eyes Forever

Howdy all,

Not much to report from the farm. Winter is trying to be here, at least today the ground is covered with snow and its almost noon. The sky is clear and the sun is shinning and the temperature is now up to 5 C. Actually it's trying to be a nice day.

On Thursday, Nov. 4th, we went to Prince George and I had a test for glaucoma at the optometrist's office. The pressure in my eyes is somewhat elevated and they now do this test to see if you have glaucoma. It took about 20 minutes and was completely painless. It will take up to 4 weeks to get the results. More waiting, oh well I'm good at that.

We took our 1991 Chev 3 plus 3, 1 ton pick up truck to town this trip and left it at Inland Spring and had the left rear leaf spring replaced. The leaf spring was badly damaged a couple of years ago when the left rear wheel came off on the highway while the truck was fully loaded with feed. Since then it has been listing to the side and we couldn't use it for much of anything other than pleasure driving. It runs on propane but it has a 454 cu. in. engine so we don't use it to often for pleasure driving. It's not very economical. Now it is back in service as a work truck.

I'm feeling much better these days. I seem to have more get up and go although I spend lots of time in my Lazy Boy with my feet up. My weight is steady at 158 but, I have started to take a protein shake daily and I should see the weight slowly start to rise. We are still on schedule to go to the hyperbaric unit at Vancouver General Hospital in January 2011. We are waiting for a starting date.

I applied to the Canadian Cancer Society for funding to assist with the costs involved to stay in Vancouver for 55 to 60 days at $100/night plus $14/day for parking but I was declined because Delores and I make to much money annually. Imagine that 2 pensioners make too much money to be eligible for assistance. How is that possible. OH WELL, at least I've saved up enough money to pay for the stay in Vancouver.

Anyway, that's it for now. Love and hugs to everyone.

Rick

Update

Good afternoon everyone,

My appointment with Dr. Filatov was on Thursday Oct. 14th and all went fairly well.

I should explain. There are two sections to explain. First He scoped my upper throat

and tongue area, second he took out my trachea tube and scoped the lower area

(larynx and the fistula). With respect to the upper area, The epiglottis is still very

swollen and does not function as it should. But, on the other hand, there is no sign

of the tongue cancer which is good news.

The examination of the larynx shows/reveals major scar tissue lodged between the

vocal cords which not only impairs my efforts to breath normally it also affects my

speech. Since we're a little disenchanted with Dr. Anderson, the Vancouver Surgeon,

Dr. Filatov has recommended an another throat specialist in Vancouver who does this

sort of micro surgery. Unfortunately I've forgotten his name. We will have Dr. Filatov

refer us to see him when we go to Vancouver in the New Year for the Hyperbaric

treatments. If the scar tissue is removed there is a good possibility that I won't need

the tracheostomy tube for breathing and it can be removed. More good news.

Finally the fistula. Dr. Filatov does not believe it is cancerous. It does not show any

tell tail signs of being cancerous. More good news but, on the downside, it is very large.

He cannot speculate on weather the hyperbaric treatments will heal it up or weather

surgery will be required. He did state that this type of surgery is considered to be major

and I am in no condition at the present to have the surgery. So, for the foreseeable future

I an stuck with the food tube. Bad news.

All in all it was a good visit although I am extremely disappointed about the news about

the fistula. I am, however, continuing to gain weight. I'm now 158 pounds and feeling good.

As usual I wish I had more strength and stamina but, it is coming back slowly.

I am sleeping well and becoming accustomed to NOT eating or drinking.

That's it for this moment.

Love to everyone,

Rick

OPPS!

Good afternoon all,

In my last post I forgot to mention a most important detail. On September 30th (Thursday) we shipped this year's calf crop to the Vanderhoof Public Auction. All of the calves were sold the next day, Friday Oct. 1. Our original intention was to sell them at this week's Friday auction but, the long range weather forecast was not good for today and tomorrow. Last week we had spectacular fall weather and it was easy for the cattle liner to get in to the sort yard and load the calves. If the weather was rainy and the sort yard became muddy, the liner would not be able to get in and out. Thus the decision to sell them a week early.

As it turned out we got really good prices for all of the calves, better than either of the past 2 years. Dolores, Milton and David were very pleased with the prices per pound for both heifer and bull calves. Let me tell you cattle ranching is no way to get rich quick. The cattle producers are at the bottom of the ladder and all of the costs trickle down to the producers. Oh well that is the nature of the cattle business and it's the business we are in.

Another good week for me. I have been feeling better for the most part. I seem to be overly tired today with a minor upset stomach. I did my morning chores and since then I've been stretched out on my easy boy. I haven't slept just relaxing.

That's it for this week. Talk to you soon and love and hugs to everyone.

Rick

Autumn is Here, with a pre-winter blast

Fall arrived 2 weeks ago with that beautiful symphony of colours bright shiny days with warm temperatures. That was all shattered with our first major snow storm this morning. Big wet heavy flakes, low lying, dark grey clouds and a promise of much more to come. I was bringing wood into the house and burning the garbage when it started and by the time Dolores , Milton and David came out to continue with the slaughtering of the turkeys it was a full blown snow storm. All of the snow is gone as I write this update.

Yesterday, on the other hand, was a nice fall day high overcast with sunny periods and a high of 14. We started the turkeys in the morning and processed 9 of the 15 birds. The Toms, 4, weighed in at 20 to 22 lbs. and the hens came in at an average of 18 lbs. all finished. Three of the 4 toms were cut up for smaller meals of cutlets and the wings, drumsticks and thighs were bagged separately from the breasts which, were all cut up for the cutlets. It was a big job. I played a very minor roll in the whole process while Dolores, Milton and David did the lions share of it all.

Next Thursday the 14th, I have an appointment with Dr. Filatov in Prince George. We will then learn the state of the 2nd fistula. I am still gaining weight all be it slowly. I am up to 156 lbs. I have been feeling punky these past few days and can not give you a specific reason why. Martha and Dolores have had the sore throat and cough and perhaps I'm suffering the same although my throat has not been sore. The cough has returned and the mucus build up has been more than usual.

I really like my new glasses. I can read things again and see the small print without having to lift up my glasses to read it. Right from the start they were fitted properly and I am pleased. I filed a health care claim through Manulife and was paid the maximum of $200 for the glasses and I have applied to Pacific Blue Cross (Dolores' former long term health care provider) for 80% of the balance of the cost of the glasses. We're still waiting for payment from Blue Cross.

Well that brings you up to date. Stay tuned.

Love and hugs to everyone.

Rick

Quick Update

Good evening everyone,

I continue to get better and slowly my stamina is returning. I get

winded and tired really easily so I have to pace myself. I spend a

lot of time stretched out in my Lazy Boy catching little cat naps now

and then. My weight continues to rise now pushing 155 though I record

it as 154 on my daily sheet. Milton said the other day that it takes

15,000 calories to gain a pound. Seems like a lot to me but, who

knows. Maybe 15,000 calories in like cookies and cake etc. Knowing

what I take through the J-tube 15,000 calories seems lake a million.

Dolores has been hard at work with the garden. Seems like there was a

whole lot more to do than I previously thought or reported. The beets

are now picked, pickled and canned and some were cooked, sliced

up and frozen. Martha fries them in a pan during the winter and

there is almost always a jar of beet pickles on the dinner table.

She started on the carrots today and picked 2 rows and left them

on the ground to dry before picking them up later and bringing them

into the house to be packed in Banana boxes and put in the root

cellar. Tomorrow she will cut the last of the broccoli and cauliflower.

The brussel sprouts are still in the ground.

David and Dolores dug about a 1/4 of the potato patch the day

before yesterday and tomorrow they will go at it again. It is

slim pickings there this year. That will leave the turnips left as well

as the end of the carrots. The end is in sight. We get frost most

every night so the green house is done for the year. There is still

lettuce to be picked in the garden, it doesn't seem to mind the frost.

I have taken over the wood pile again and keep the inside woodbox

full. Chopping the kindling is also one of my daily chores now and I

feed all the chickens, except the meat birds. I also feed the turkeys.

When there is garbage to be burned, that's my job as well.

It doesn't sound like much when I put it down on paper but, it's all

I am currently capable of doing. It gives me a sense of doing some-

thing and a reason to get up out of my recliner and get outside.

Well that's it folks. Stay tuned for further up dates.

Love and hugs to all.

Rick

Doctor's Appointment

Good afternoon everyone. I went in to see Dr. Campbell today

for general check up and get meds

renewed. I've gained 5 lbs. since coming home from the hospital and

she was extremely pleased (153). Mt stamina is still poor but I

notice an improvement almost every day. The wound/scar from the

insertion of the J-tube is starting to heal and the pain is going away

gradually. Dolores is really good with the wound and changes the

dressings every other day and has all of the right medications and

salves. I'm a really lucky guy.

We went over the meds I take and the frequency that I take them and

the amount. She agrees that there is little need to change very much.

I can cut back the amount of the really expensive "Andansitron" $368

for 30 tablets, from 4 a day to 2 1/2 to 3 tabs a day taken 4

different times every day. This drug controls the nausea and it works

really well. We'll see if I can get by with less.

She wants to see me every two to three months for the time being and

as I said she was particularly pleased with my weight gain. She

inquired about the hyperbaric treatments and what our plans are in

that regard. I have ti gain another 10 pounds and be much more fit

than I am now to be able to withstand the rigors of 40 treatments. We

were told by the Doctor in charge of the hyperbaric unit that the

treatments are quite exhausting. We're still planning on going but who

knows when I'll be ready and when they will have an opening for me.

We will stay at the Jean C. Barber Lodge during our stay in Vancouver

and Dolores is going to contact the Cancer Agency/clinic in Vancouver

and inquire about financial assistance. While the nightly rate of

$95. including meals and snacks is reasonable, the hyperbaric unit

only operates on weekdays and is closed on the weekends and all

holidays. The 40 treatments will spread out into 56 to 60 nights

which is $5,320 to $5,700 which is within our budget but if there is

assistance available we will try for it. I will keep you posted.

Well, there you have it. Like I said I will keep you updated as we move along.

By the way, my sister Janet and husband Ron have returned home from their

trip to PEI. Hurricane Earl prevented them from getting across the bridge

and they stayed with friends near Fredericton. Their time spent on the Island

was most enjoyable as their rental cottage was right on the ocean. They

enjoyed fresh lobster and seafood at every opportunity. I really hope that I

get a chance to get to the Maritimes during this lifetime.

That's all for now.

Love and hugs,

Rick

Fall is Here

Good morning everyone,

The good news continues, I have gained another couple of pounds and

now weigh 153 up from 148 when I came home from the hospital. This

past week has been a good one for me as I didn't have a single episode

of vomiting or spitting up after a tube feed. I think we finally have

the right mixture of drugs. I am seeing my Doctor (Suzanne Campbell)

next Tuesday morning (Sept. 14th) and we will go over my medications

and the amounts I take. I also need a couple of the prescriptions

renewed.

By now Janet you and Ron are half way through their trip to PEI and I

am wondering how the trip has been so far. My brother John tells me that he and

Lucy have taken their garden out for the season. Our garden is pretty

much done except for the turnips, carrots, beets and some of the leafy

stuff (Swiss chard and onions , I think) and the potatoes. It was

such a hot dry summer we think the potatoes will be few and far

between.

Dolores is still waiting to see if she enjoys retirement. She has

been so busy around the house, garden, chickens and my medical needs

that she hasn't had a chance to take a breath and relax. Her time

will come soon enough. Now we have 20 Turkeys to slaughter and dress

out, Meat birds (50 chickens), 60 new laying hens along with the 2

year old layers (about 15) and 60 year old layers. Lots of work

involved with them all. Milton is home from Camp (where he was

cooking for 30 straight days) and it makes a big difference in the

outside volume of work Dolores has to do daily. Milton expects to be

going back to camp during September but there has been no word yet

from his employer just when that will be. His next stint will be

easier because he will be home most week ends.

We received our winter supply of wood this week and we were busy

filling up the wood shed. There are still two full loads under tarps

that would not fit in the shed. David has a wood stove/heater in his

trailer so it requires a lot of wood to keep the two wood stoves

stoked during the winter. And, as it happens our fireplace takes 14"

sticks while he takes 16" wood. We have to pay extra for the 14" wood

and that is why we order the two different lengths. I think we got 13

cords delivered. One of the summer sheds is still full from last

year's supply so I think we are good for the winter coming up.

Fall is definitely here in Vanderhoof. Day time temps are in the mid

to high teens with night time temps dropping to single digits. We've

had to have the fire going quite a bit so far. After a very dry

summer we have had lots of rain so far in September and it has been

windy. It takes a lot to keep this big log house warm on those chilly

days and cool nights.

Well, that's it for now. All is well here and I hope it is good for

you too.

Love and Hugs,

Rick

On the mend

Good afternoon all,

My sister Janet and her husband Ron (of Kingston, Ont.) are planning

a trip to Cape Wolfe PEI and will be there from Saturday night the 4th

until Sat a.m. the 11th. They are driving and expect to be home on

Monday 13th. Boy oh boy I wish Dolores and I could take the same

trip. Neither of us have been to PEI.

I am finally beginning to feel better although I really miss eating

and drinking. This tube thing sucks big time but, when one considers

the alternatives, the tube feed does not really seem so bad. I have finally

started to slowly gain some weight and today I am pushing 151 lbs. up

3 pounds since I came home from the hospital. Dolores pushes me hard

to take my protein shakes and keeps telling me that it is the extra

protein which will add the pounds.

The new J-tube is working as it should and the incidents of vomiting

have been reduced practically to zero and when an incident occurs it

is short lived and manageable. No more protracted periods of vomiting

anymore thank goodness. Only down side to report is the surgical

wound to insert the tube is healing very slowly and still causes some

pain. The doctor say it is OK and there is no infection and in time

it will heal completely.

So having talked about the protein shake, time to grab some.

All the best to yo everyone and

Love as always,

Rick

Two Big Days

Howdy all. The other day when I wrote I forgot to mention 2 very big days in the household happened recently. On August 9th, Dolores celebrated her 65th birthday. A milestone year in everyone's life. Now the Government starts to pay us back some of our hard earned money and in the case of CPP some of the money we have saved over the years. Then the biggest day of all, on the 15th of August Dolores retired from St. John Hospital where she has worked since 1994.

No more 12 hour shifts, no more getting up at 5:30 to be at work at 7:30, our car insurance went down because we are "pleasure only drivers" now, no more to and from work coverage. She is really quite happy about her retirement as am I. Now he has the time to work doing the farming and gardening chores as she wants and as time allows rather, than having to fit them in during her rotational days off.

I am still working on recovering from my last hospital stay. It will take time but, I am really pleased with the j-tube. Almost no throwing up and the periods of nausea have been reduced to almost zero. Now if we can find a to speed up the time it takes to take a tin of tube feed during the day from the 2 1/2 hours it now takes. Gradually I'm increasing the speed but it will be a long time.

That's it for now friends. Stay tuned.

Love and hugs,

Rick

A long overdue up date

Hello everyone. I'm happy to report that I have returned home from 42 days spent in the hospital. I spent the first 11 days at St. John Hospital here in Vanderhoof after Milton rushed me in to emergency on June 25. At that time I was having more and more trouble keeping the tube food down and finally on the Friday AM Martha phoned Dolores who was working and told her how worried she was about my current situation. Dolores promptly told her to have Milton drive me in.

Over the course of the next ii days I was sent by ambulance to Prince George for various tests including a CT Scan, Ultra Sound and one other test which I cannot remember. On Monday July 5th I was admitted to Prince George Regional Hospital (or as it is now called University Hospital Of Northern B.C., UHNBC) and was there until I was transferred back to Vanderhoof on July 27th.

Both CT Scans showed I have developed another Tracheoesophageal Fistula as well as a Plumonary embolism to the left lower lobe. The Ultra sound was of my legs to see if this was where the embolism originated.

On July 9th I had an upper endoscopy of the esophagus and the upper endoscopy was used to extend the the PEG tube into a J-tube. This procedure seemed to provide some temporary relief to the nausea and vomiting but, it did not resolve those issues. On July 17th there was an attempt to transfer me back to Vanderhoof but, Dolores put her foot down and refused the transfer as my symptoms were progressively getting worse. On July 23rd the PEG Tube was replaced with an actual jejunostomy ( a J-tube). After insertion of the J-tube, I developed Serratia Marcescens and was treated with anti-biotics. So far this procedure has worked better than anything before although I still suffer from bouts of nausea and infrequent vomiting.

In the meantime on July 15th I underwent a colonoscopy that revealed a polyp on the anorectal junction. Biopsies of the large colon were taken and the results are still pending. Because of the Pulmonary embolism I am on Warafin a blood thinner) for the next 6 months and after that has been resolved we will have to deal with the polyp.

On Monday the 26th of July I was transferred back to St. John Hospital where I was n recovery until my discharge last Friday July 6th. I'm really happy to be home. While the hospitals are good places for short periods of time 42 days was a real long stay. I am holding my weight at 148 to 149 lbs. but so far since I have been home there has been no weight gain. This has Dolores concerned and we are working to add calories and fluids to the 5 tins of tube feed I take each day. Starting while I was in my last stay at St. John Hospital I have been taking multiple cans of tube feed while I am sleeping at night. We are currently at 3 cans which run from circa 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM. For the most part this has worked out well and I take to tins during the day. We have slowed down the rate of consumption from 160 mls per hour to 75 mls per hour during the night and 90 mls per hour during the day. I am taking a new tube feed which provides 2 calories for every ml. With 5 tins per day I should gain weight.

Well, there you have it. I am beginning to feel better ad am trying to regain some of the strength that I lost during the last stay in the hospitals. It will be a long battle but one I am up for. Dolores is like the Rock of Gibraltar behind me and we are both confident of getting me back into the shape I need to be in to under go the rigors of the Hyperbarrick Chamber at the Cancer Clinic in Vancouver.

So for now, so long and I will keep you all up to date with further postings, especially as my health improves.

Love and hugs to everyone,

Rick

Recent illness

Hi folks,

I am posting this to let you know that Rick has been hospitalized for the past 10 days. He has had an enormous amount of difficulty with this last gastric tube,he has had nausea and vomiting for the past 6 months.We have seen several specialists been to the coast but to no avail. He has been approved foe hyperbaric treatments to help with the blood flow to his larynx and epiglottis, But we have to get a handle on the vomiting, He has been in the local hospital, st john since a week ago Thursday. His condition is serious as he while there has had a pulmonary embolism,a blood clot to his lung. He has had a baruim series and CTs of his chest,abdomen and pelvis. That is when they found the clot. Several of his blood work results are on the low side. His albumin which is the protein in his blood is low, This causes the cells to have a hard time to keep the fluid in them so his feet and ankles are swollen, this is where his clot came from.He was heparinized yesterday.

We are supposed to be transferred to Prince George Hospital on Monday.He will have a Gastroscopy and hopefully a replacement of the gastric tube to a new location, As the the

fistula in the esophogus has re appeared as of the cat scan. We were told that it was healed up on the 14th of June.It has been very hard to keep his spirits up so if any one can help I would be so grateful , I am off to the hospital, I normally do not use Rick's Mac sa this is a bit of a challenge. Take Care Dolores

UPDATE

Good morning everyone,

OH what a tale to tell. Sorry that I have been so tardy in responding

to your many enquiries. The trip to Vancouver was both the best of

things and the worst of things. The trip down to the Coast was tiring

and long. We arrived in Vancouver at 6:00ish on Sunday night May 30th

in the pouring rain. We unloaded the car and got it parked in the

Cancer Lot, for which we paid $14. per day. We had reserved and IV

Pole but, they didn't have any and we are counting on it. So they

call up the cancer agency/institute (I think) and one will be sent

right over. Dolores went straight to the dinning room for dinner and

I sacked out. About 7:00 the IV pole arrives and I started a tube

feed. We know know that I cannot tube feed while we are driving. We

tried both days and both times I got horribly sick. That pretty much

deals with the trip and the arrival.

Monday AM we have a 9:30 appointment ant the Hypereric Unit located

and Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). We had to be up really early

5:30 to get my meds in me and have a nebulizer (1/2 hr.) and a tube

feed (3 hours). Dolores was able to have breakfast in the dinning

room while I was on the tube. The Mason's provide a car service for

the cancer patients and we had arranged for a drive to VGH upon our

arrival the previous evening. Lots of time to spare I think we

arrived at the Hyperbaric unit with minutes to spare. We met with Dr.

Campana the Director of the unit and were given the cook's tour and an

orientation session. Both Dolores and I were most impressed with the

facility and the staff. What's more, they think I an a good candidate

for Hyperbaric Treatments.

The Masons pick us up at the hospital and took us back to the Lodge

(Jean C. Barber Cancer Lodge) where we were staying. I then had to

have another Tube feed and then it was off to see Dr. Anderson for

3:20 PM. The Mason's drove us again. Dr. Anderson was running over

an hour late and I was anxious. Finally we get in to see him and this

is where things went down hill and fast. He is always pretty abrupt

and short because, I think, he is running so late, but that's his

concern not ours. Any way the first thing he does is ask questions

about the fistula and what we've done since Dec. 3oth when Dr. Filatov

discovered

it. Then he scoped me. He didn't freeze me and before you know it I'

bleeding, coughing and the wind pipe is going into spasms and he

doesn't have a smock on and of course I coughed blood and mucus all

over his dress shirt and the floor. Get this he was upset with me and

wonders what his wife will think of having to get him a new shirt, as

if I care. anyway, he said the fistula was healed he could find no

evidence of it. That was the only positive thing which happened

during the whole appointment.

I asked Dr. Anderson what next and why was I still vomiting out of my

Trachea Tube if the fistula was healed? Simply said my epiglottis and

larynx are both severely damaged fro the radiation and when I vomit,

it comes up the esophagus through the laryxn and out the trachea tube.

He said that was it and I would have a gastric tube forever. Nor

very encouraging and he didn't have any alternate suggestions.

Next morning Tuesday May 2 we came home. I was sort of in shock as

you can imagine.

Since we've been home, Dolores has been busy. We've been to see Dr.

Filatov (June 14th) and during his examination of my larynx and area

he was able to confirm that the fistula has indeed healed and and is

no longer a worry. He has make a referral for me to see another

surgeon her in town who will do a Gastroscopy (scope down the throat,

esophagus and ultimately into the stomach to see if there is something

that can be done with the existing food tube and if necessary replace

it.

That brings us up to date. Sorry I just haven't been up to

writing anybody since we got home. I've been sick most every day and

the drugs I'm taking take away my ability to sit down and concentrate.

Rick

Things are starting to move

Good morning all,

Finally I can say things are starting to move. Spearheaded by Dolores We are off to Vancouver for May 31st appointments with the Hyperbaric Unit of the Vancouver Cancer Clinic and Dr. Anderson the surgeon.

After more than a month of runaround and buck passing by this Doctor then that Doctor, Dolores took matters into her own hands and phoned the Hyperbaric Unit directly and got the goods first hand. It was then a simple matter to have Dr. Campbell here in Vanderhoof to refer me to the unit. I then coordinated times to meet with Dr. Anderson and the hyperbaric people on the same day.

At this point it looks like I'll need 30 treatments (dives) in the Hyperbaric Chamber before the surgery and 10 treatments after the surgery. So, on May 31st we set the wheels in motion and get the hyperbaric treatments planned and Dr. Anderson sets the wheels in motion for a date for the surgery. Still a long way to go but it is a start and these few good pieces of news have inflated my optimism again.

Generally I am starting to feel better every day. The good days are now out numbering the bad days. I am getting out and walking and the residual pain from the hernia operation all but gone. The wound itself has healed and left a small scar and while this area is still tender I seem to have regained full strength there. I still have not tackled the stairs yet, next week.

Brock has taken a leave of absence from KCS Plastics in Langley and taken a 6 week spot teaching troubled teens at an out doors oriented school in Kelowna. If he passes this orientation/probation period he will be asked to stay on until Aug. 31st.

His choices come Aug. 31st are to stay with the school for the next year or return to Vancouver and try to get on to the spare board in Surrey. My details are sketchy as Brock was so excited about getting the job, we had a hard time pinning him down on the details. I will try to get more information in the coming days and pass it along. This is, of course, the first step, for him to get back into teaching. We are excited for him and hope everything works out for him.

That's all for now, more to come in the days ahead.

Love and hugs to everyone.

Rick

Back to the Ranch

Good evening everyone,

Well, the hernia surgery has come and gone and from that point I am better and without any significant amount of pain. On the other hand, while the surgery went well the recovery was something else again. I came out of the surgery well enough and it was always the plan that I would stay in the hospital overnight for observation.

Somehow, the post operative orders got confused and I was given my regular evening tube feed and a protein shake earlier in the afternoon. This was contrary to the post op plan where I was to receive only IV Fluids after the surgery. Sometime during the early morning hours I was terribly sick and threw everything up. I spiked a fever of 38.7 as well.

Dr. Dhillon was called in and when I had been calmed down and made more comfortable, it was decided to do chest ex rays in the morning to determine if I had aspirated during the vomiting. Sure enough the ex rays showed evidence of aspiration in the left lung and I was immediately put on a regime of three anti biotics. By Saturday morning I had aspiration pneumonia in both lungs.

Dolores stayed with me the whole time. I was assigned a private ward and the hospital staff put a cot in the room and she took care of me except for the IV administrations. I was finally released on Thursday April 22nd 7 days after originally planned and I am finally getting some of my strength back. I was very weak when we left the hospital and I will be on anti biotics for another three days.

The good side of the story is that I am now getting better by the hour and the hernia surgery was a complete success. Dolores has taken yet more time off to make sure I get over the first 10 days back at home with as little discomfort as possible. 24 hour nursing care, I surely am the very lucky guy.

That's it for the time being but, like always stay tuned for further updates particularly as they relate to my son Brock.

Until then, Love and Hugs to everyone.

Rick

Surgery

Good morning all,

Tomorrow, April 15th, I am going to be admitted to St. John Hospital here in Vanderhoof for early morning (9:00) hernia surgery. I am scheduled to have a Spinal Injection rather than full anesthetic. Normally this would be a day surgery, but because of my condition with the Tracheostomy and the Peg Tube and my current state of health, I will be kept in the hospital over night and the decision to release me will be made Friday morning.

I am concerned because this is new to me. I've never had this type of surgery and the scariest part is the 6 weeks rehabilitation/healing time. I imagine I'll be able to update the Blog within a matter of days so keep tuned for updates.

Other than that, I an doing well. The food tube is bothersome and I'm still having problems adjusting to it. I thought that we had a system of anti nausea drugs in place that worked pretty well but recently I've been having trouble keeping the food down. Dolores and I are confused and really don't know what the answer is. Unfortunately neither do the Doctors. So, at least for the time being it is struggle on as best as possible.

Until later, love and hugs to everyone.

Rick

Hernia Surgery

Good morning everybody,

The hernia surgery is scheduled for next Thursday April 15th at 9:00

AM. This all came to a climax on Monday this week while Dolores,

Milton and Mother were down at Big Lake for Olmers funeral. It was

about 10:30 AM and I was getting dressed after my morning tube feed

when I felt a terrible pain in my groin area. Usually this is a sign

that the hernia has popped out more than it usually does. In times

past when this has happened Dolores has been home to push the swelling

back in. Not on Monday and try as I might I had no luck. The pain

was getting worse and worse so I called David and asked him to drive

me to the hospital. He was concerned for me and agreed readily but, I

knew I was taking him away from his farm duties and this is the

busiest time of the year for him. Calving season is in full force.

We got me to emergency and the charge nurse called the Duty Doctor who

called Dr. Klopper. In the meantime I was given a shot of Demerol

with Gravol and before you know it the swelling has gone down to

normal and the pain subsided. Dr. Klopper was concerned and said he

was going to schedule surgery asap and before I left the hospital the

date was set and yesterday I went in for the pre surgical appointment,

Had the blood work done and had an ECG. So now it's on and I must

admit I'm worried about the surgery but, I know I am in good hands and

Dolores is here to help me when I get home.

That's it for now folks. I'll update before I go in for the surgery or directly after.

Love and Hugs,

Rick

Death in the Family

Good evening everyone,

Unfortunately, I have sad news today. Dolores' oldest brother Olmer died a week ago yesterday from complications of bilateral pneumonia. Olmer Brown was only 72 years old. He had CLL (Chronic Leuckoceptic Leukemia) and had had it for the past 7 years. There is no known cure and he had been given 10 years when he was first diagnosed.

Recently he and his wife Linda discovered a Clinic in Scottsdale Arizona where they have been having substantial success in curing this terrible disease through a process of transplanting Stem Cells. Of course this treatment is not available in either Canada or the USA, so the Doctor who owns the Clinic in Scottsdale also owns a Clinic in Mexico where the actual transplant was done.

The treatment both in Scottsdale and Mexico spanned 10 days and everything seemed to be positive. Olmer and Linda flew back to Canada and returned to their home at Big Lake, B.C. About 4 or 5 days after their return Olmer and Linda both got the flu and Linda took Olmer to the hospital in Williams Lake without delay. A day and a half later he was take by air ambulance to Kamloops where he was immediately put on a respirator. His condition deteriorated each day and as I said he died of the pneumonia and other complications.

I, along with all of direct family, relatives and friends will miss him terribly. Dolores, her mother and Milton will travel to Big Lake on Monday April 4th for the funeral. I am unable to withstand the travel and over night stay at Big Lake so I will keep the home fires burning. Michelle, David's significant other will look in on me from time to time and David will have to look after the rest of the farm chores done by Dolores and Milton in their absence.

I will up date my position in the next couple of days.

Love to everyone,

Rick

Up date

Hello all,

I've been better in recent days, still not really well and struggling to be happy and focused. This tube feed is really getting me down but, I have no other choice. It's the tube feed or likely die. Guess the tube feed wins by a large margin. We plan to see Dr. Filatov sometime in April and we will get a better answer on where I am going with the fistula. The whole purpose of the tube feed is to allow it to heal on its own rather than have the operation which is iffy, complicated, dangerous and with only a chance that it will be successful. I also have to be in much better health than I am now and weigh a whole lot more than I do now.

I am trying to get out and walk every day. It is really tough just trying to walk the day for about 1/2 a KM. I am exhausted when I get in and always have to lie back and snooze. I think I sleep about 18 hours a day. My ability to concentrate winks out at about 1/2 to 3/4's of an hour and then I have to rest. I cannot drive or do anything requiring good motor skills or where I need a degree of coordination. It's the drugs I take to keep the nausea at bay that do it. So far we seem to have found the right mixture of drugs and most days I get my three Tube feeds in. I take one protein shake fortified with extra vitamins, minerals and prune juice each day ay noon. I've stopped trying to take the 6:00PM shake, it just upsets my stomach to much when I have my 8:00PM tube feed.

I've got to run, time for meds.

Love and hugs to everyone.

Rick

A new Addition to the Household

Good morning all,

On Thursday March 11th Dolores and I bought a new puppy. It is a
Great Pyrenees/Kuvasz cross. The Great Pyrenees is and Italian Breed
and the Kuvasz is a Hungarian Breed. It was born between Christmas
and New Years 2009 and currently weighs 25 pounds. He will be a big
one. The Great Pyrenees was the father and the Kuvasz was the mother.
When he is fully grown he will weigh about 125/130 lbs.

Our dog Duke is a Kuvasz cross and he is 125 lbs. and about 10 years
old, so we don't know how long he will be with us.

Lady is a Pointer, Kuvasz cross and she is considerably smaller than Duke
and about 6 years old. It was time to get another dog to watch over the
heard and to keep the predators at bay.

The puppies were listed in the Bargain Finder for $300 and we had to

drive about 80 Kms east toward Prince George to pick him up. He

is really friendly but, the other dogs have yet to welcome him to the group.

It will happen but, sometimes it just takes time.

Well there you have it something different to think about. Oh, by the way

we are calling him "Buster".

Stay tuned for updates.

Love and hugs to everyone,

Rick

March it is

Yoski everybody,

I'm happy to say that I seem to be on the mend but, it is a slow
process. Seems like it's 1 step forward followed by 2 small steps
backward. My good days are getting more frequent but, the bad days
are bad days. I have problems maintaining my weight and for the past
week I've been down around 155 lbs. I have lost all I can, there is
nothing left but, still it's hard to gain weight on the tube feed.

I'm happy that Dolores and I got married in fact just meeting her was
a God send of the highest/best order. It would be hard to imagine
living without her and all she does for me. I am one very lucky guy.
Now the fight is on to get on with life, gain weight and see if the
fistula will heal by itself. The surgery is a brutal one and the
chances of it being a success are small.

I only have a few minutes before my next tube feed at 2:00 PM

so I'll sign off and wish everybody good health and happiness..

Love as always,

Rick

Getting by with the Peg Tube

Good morning all,

It has been some tome since I updated the blog. I have been having a great deal of difficulty with the new gastric tube and a the nausea associated with it. Dr. Campbell had me on a protocol of 4 different drugs to fight the upset in my stomach. When Dolores and I read the book about each of the drugs, in most cases one or two of the side affects were "vomiting and nausea". The very things we were trying to get beyond. By a process of gradual elimination we are down to "Zofran" as the only vomiting and nausea drug I am currently taking. It has lots of side effects some more unpleasant than others but for the most part the nausea is being dealt with satisfactorily. I still have a vomiting problem and I want to tell you it has been a trying 7 weeks since the tube was inserted December 31, 2009.

Most days I must stay close to the house and I have little or no energy to do much of anything. My patience has been pushed to the limit and I really have to fight to stay positive when there seems to be so little to look forward to in the short term. Today I'm fighting with cramps as a new experience to the general malaise.

On a positive side, Dolores and I were married here at the farm on Friday evening Feb. 12th. It was a small gathering with Mother, Milton, Dolores and I. David and Michelle and her three children (7, 14 and 17) along with Louella and Wes Novack. (Louella is one of Dolores' closest friends). The marriage Commissioner had the the date right but had the day wrong. She thought the 12th was Saturday evening. I phoned her at 7:20 PM and asked her where she was? Good thing I did because that's when she told me she thought she was coming on Saturday night. She was here within 40 minutes so it was a manageable delay and we all were able to chuckle about it afterward.

The extra excitement of the day along with the ceremony took their toll on me and by 10:00 PM I was completely done in and had to call it a day. We have commenced looking into having Dolores become a beneficiary on my pension plan which will thereby enable her to join my extended health care plan. It is an expensive proposition in terms of the actuarial deduction that will be taken from my pension and it may not prove to be worth while but we must look into it. I will call my lawyer this week and get the process started to have a joint will made up. Dolores will also start looking into her retirement benefits once she gets within 9 months of her retirement date which is Aug. 9th, 2010.

In closing, Dolores has been off work since the last week in December due to a bad back. She has been seeing Dr. Tony Kim and acupuncturist and acupressure specialist and she sees him this afternoon for perhaps the last time and will start back to work on Wednesday. I hope she is able to manage it.

Sorry that my news has tended to be on the downside but, the Peg Tube has NOT been a fun experience. I see Dr. Campbell next Friday and I think she will try to get me in to see Dr. Palarme (the Doctor who inserted the tube) on an emergency basis. Perhaps there is a problem with its positioning of the tube in my stomach or some other minor little glitch which will fix me right up. Who knows.

I will try to post more often and try to keep you all up to date. Bye for now.

Love and hugs to everyone,

Rick

Addendum to Yesterdays Post

Good evening all,

I was in a funk last night when I posted and there are a few things I should clarify. The food tube (Peg Tube) was inserted because of the Fistula between the esophagus and the Trachea itself. Because of the danger of aspirating Dr. Filatov decided that the Peg Tube was required for my betterment and right now. It took less than 18 hours from when he decided it was required until it was in place.

This is my second food tube, but, with the last tube I was able to eat and drink to a certain degree. With this tube, I am unable to swallow anything through my mouth, no water or any other liquid and certainly no food. BUMMER!!! I've had a difficult time getting accustomed to the tube feed. Right from the get go I've suffered from vomiting and nausea. The side affects of all of the anti nausea drugs are vomiting and nausea, who would suspect that.

Anyway, this new drug Zofran seems to be the answer and it has eliminated most of the nausea and vomiting, not all but most. I now can get through 6 cans of tube feed a day as well as two Protein Shakes. That gives me enough calories per day to maintain my current weight and actually gain weight slowly.

That should give a little more background to last nights post.

If you have questions drop me a line or call.

Bye for now, Love and Hugs.

Rick

Into a New Month

Good afternoon to everyone

Well, January has come and gone and for me it was a very poor month and I'm glad to see it gone. There were highlights of course including the birthdays of my brothers John and Stephen, my soon to be brother in law Milton, nephew Tom, Friend Bob Pavich and I'm sure there are others I've overlooked. But, from a health point of view it was dreadful.

As I've told you, I had the Peg Tube inserted Dec. 31, 2009 and that was the beginning of the trouble for me. The doctors were experimenting with various anti nausea drugs for most of the month and I was miserable throughout all of that time. My weight dropped to a low of 156 and has climbed back to 158/59 but, always just short of 160.

Finally toward the end of the month Dr. Campbell prescribed Zofran to go along with the three other drugs I take along with the tube food to fight the nausea and it works. Hooray! The downside is it costs $368 for 30 pills. I cut them in two and use three 1/2 pills a day. Pharmacare does not cover this drug so I'm hoping Manulife, my supplemental Health Care Provider will cover 90% of the cost. I've sent in a claim form and have my fingers crossed.

I am looking forward to February and especially Friday night the 12th when Dolores and I are going to be married here at the farm. Please don't worry about me I am on the mend and the first three paragraphs were a just a rant and now I am feeling better. I try to get out to the wood pile twice a day for exercise and much needed fresh air.

Send me some e-mail to cheer me up. That always does me good. ( rdhoney@tlpg.com )

I'll post more in a week or so. I see Dr. Campbell this coming Friday, Feb 5th and I'll bring you up to date then.

Until then, Love and hugs,

Rick

Are you sitting down

Yoski from Vanderhoof where it is sunny and brisk (-14C),

First, the very best news. Dr. Filatov called on the evening of Wednesday Jan. 20th and advised that the results from the biopsy came back NEGATIVE!!!! NO CANCER!!!! I was so relieved and excited I had trouble calming down so I could take my final "tube feed" of the day. It was like a 10 ton burden was lifted from shoulders. I cannot even begin to tell you how good it made me feel inside.

Now for the next piece of good news. Dolores and I are going to get married on Friday evening Feb. 12, 2010. We bought the marriage license yesterday and contacted a Marriage Commissioner who will perform the ceremony here at the farm at 7:30 ish on the 12th. I had wanted to have the marriage on Feb. 14th but, Milton will be away on that day. Martha (mother), Milton, David and his significant other Michelle will be in attendance. For those of you who wanted to celebrate with us, you will get a 2nd chance in the summer of this year when we will re-confirm our vows at a gathering/party/celebration here at the farm (date to be determined).

So! Having given you the really good big news, I will sign off and promise to provide a more complete update over the course of the next few days.

Until then, love and hugs.

Rick and Dolores

Gotta get some rest

Hi everyone,

A short post this evening. Tomorrow I have a 10:00 AM appointment at Prince George Regional Hospital to have and ECG and a discussion with the Anesthetist before a second biopsy is done on my Fistula on Thursday Jan. 14th. Dr. Filatov called us on Friday morning to tell us that the biopsy tissue from the first procedure was "crushed" and the results were inconclusive. thereby setting up the need for a 2nd biopsy. This time I will undergo full anesthetic thus the meeting tomorrow.

I guess I'm not surprised as, these things happen with great frequency. Just means two more trips to PG (125 KMs each way). Tomorrow we will stop off at Prince George Auto Wreckers and purchase 2 leaf springs for our 1992 Chev 1 Ton Pick Up truck. A local repair shop will then install them and the truck will be like new, heheheheheheh. Also I purchased a new Easy Boy Recliner type of chair from Brad and the Brick to make those 6 hours a day on the tube feed seem more comfortable and we'll get that tomorrow as well.

That's it for now later in the week I'll post more.

Love and Hugs.

Rick

Yikes! No food or water!

Good evening everyone,

Today was a big day for Dolores and I and by 10:45 AM we were
were approaching Prince George and my 11:15 AM appointment at Prince
George Regional Hospital. As it happened the the biopsy procedure was delayed
until 12 noon and then Dr. Filatov, a charge nurse and Dolores went to
work on me. The actual surgical time was about 30 minutes and I felt
no pain either during or after the biopsy. Dr. Filatov was able to
move the procedure up from the 7th to today because of other surgical
cancellations. My good fortune. Of course this was all made necessary when

Dr. Filatov discovered that I have a perforation connecting the proximal the

trachea and the esophagus. Said another way I have a "Fistula" or a hole

between the Trachea and the esophagus. Youch, if that sounds bad you

should try sitting in my shoes these days.

We now wait 5 to 7 days for the analysis of the biopsy to be completed
and I hope you all have your collective fingers crossed. It has been a
very difficult few days for me. I know how much each of you enjoy
your food and drink. Well! Try going cold turkey and having absolutely

no food or drink orally. It is a shock to the system and it has been hard to
adjust to it. But, of course I have no choice it has to be done. Dr.
Filatov is actually quite surprised that I have not come down with
"aspiration" pneumonia. When I think back on all the difficulties I
have been having when eating and drinking during the past few
weeks/months, I wonder how I have managed to avoid it as well.

To help me live and to forgo all food and water taken orally, I had a

Gastric tube inserted through the stomach wall and a hole was punched

through my chest wall and WahLah! I now take all nourishment through the

G-Tube.

I am worn out completely tonight, dead dog tired. I slept very poorly
last night and tonight I will take 1/2 of one of Dolores' little "blue
sleepers". I was weighed this morning and came in at 163, a nice
little bit of recovery from the 160 lbs. of a couple of days ago. I'm
on my second and third cans of "tube feed" for today and likely will
only get 4 down before bed. I had to fast from midnight on this
morning and had my first tube at 12:30 this afternoon. Taking
nourishment like this is slow and tedious and really difficult at
times like this. If I run the drip to fast, I get an upset stomach
and "vomit" all the food back up and that is really a waste of time
and money.

My mind is slipping away as I type. I'll post this and if necessary I'll add to

it tomorrow. Good night all and Lots of love and hugs from the "holey" one.

Bye for now,

Rick