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