Retired Drifters

Final post from Jerald's family. We miss you.

2011-07-30T09:09:00.011-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 90 degrees, partly cloudy

Jerald, my wonderful husband of 48 years, died July 6, 2011 from complications of Amyloidosis. He fought this disease very hard but in the end it was not enough and his strength was depleted beyond fighting to survive anymore. Jerald never gave up and believed to the end he would go into remission and live to be at least 100.

I cannot tell you in words how his family feels losing him so abruptly. He was a strong believer in keeping close family ties, making to-do lists, and making just one more road trip in our RV. We never accepted the possibility of failure and we were positive of his eventual recovery. Me, "his girls" and grand kids will always miss and love him because of the husband, father and Pop Pop he was and will always be to us.

In his memory and hopefully to help someone out there that may have Amyloidosis, I'm listing the symptoms you need to be aware of if you have have been in and out of the hospital or doctors office for ailments that suggest more than just congestive heart failure. You can be tested and know for sure or you can slowly waste away and leave family members asking why and how could this happen.

Amyloidosis Symptoms Alert:

Many symptoms mimic other diseases, cancer is just one example.
Fatigue
Weight Loss
Numbness of hands or feet
Weak hand grip
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
Bruising around the eyes
Dizziness when standing
Light headed feeling
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Swelling of the extremities
Edema
Difficulty swallowing
Irregular heart rhythms
Enlarged tongue
Hoarseness
Changing voice
Diarrhea alternating with constipation
Feeling full after small amounts of food
Another potential key indicator is increased protein levels found during regular blood tests.

Jerald had all of these symptoms at one time or another and most of them before he died. To learn more, please go to http://www.amyloidosis.org/

Someone once wrote: The past is history, the future unknown, but The Present is a gift. Treat each day as a gift and remember always that life is fleeting and the present you know becomes the past and those left behind have a future a little less bright without you in it.

Take care all and be safe.
Jerald's "girls" and family

Today's Town (his home town)- Ocala, Florida: God Be With Us

Not all who wander are lost.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tuscaloosa/obituary.aspx?n=Jerald-Simmons&pid=152425549

I Missed Something Yesterday

2011-07-03T22:22:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

I made a great mistake in yesterday's post - I failed to mention that Carolyn and I had been married 48 years as of yesterday. How in the world did I forget that? The only thing I can think of is that I have been under the weather. Of course, Carolyn is under the same pressure as me, and she has to fight the effects of her vertigo issues. We did wish each other a happy anniversary, and had plans to eat out, but the little problem I had yesterday morning stopped our plans.

But, I did remember the roses. Two dozen of very pretty red roses that Carolyn loves, and she'll tale care of them as long as they are viable.

This post was difficult to write, as it seems the holiday has spawned a horde of people working on their computers. I think many of the people are downloading movies which takes up a lot of band width, slowing the signal down for everyone. Part of the post was written on the HP, while part of it was written on the I-Pad, which doesn't seem as affected by the slow signal.

I had a lot of problems sleeping last night, for the first time in about four nights. So, I'm back to trying to nap in the daytime so I can get some sleep and rest. It may have been the excitement of Lori's family being here, but I have to try to spend some time with them.

The neighborhood we live in is a very nice area, with mostly newer houses and well-landscaped yards. I find it amusing sitting at the dining room window, watching as first one, then another home owner will start mowing. It seems like the daylight hours are filled with the sound of mowers running. Many people use a yard service to keep their yards looking good, and eventually, we may have to go to that. That's too bad, because both of us enjoy working in the yard.

Scott and Chriselda are celebrating a wedding anniversary today, made even more special by the birth of their son. Happy anniversary, guys.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Pulaski, Tennessee: Small Town Style, Big City Services

Not all who wander are lost.

Missed Posting

2011-07-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 93 degrees, clear skies

Typical weather for the holiday - hot and dry. I remember one year (2004) when we had to wear jackets for the holiday. We were on the coast of Oregon, and I thought I would freeze. It was so cool that Carolyn chose to stay at home when I went to the fireworks display at the Waldport harbor. Fun memory, better times.

Yesterday was a bad one for me, as I felt so bad I couldn't get up the energy to write the blog. I was told by my doctor's office on Friday that my electrolytes were off-balance. Not bad enough for going in the hospital, Thank God, but bad enough that it made me feel so rotten. Today, we had the levels checked again, and found there has been some improvement in the numbers. They told me to keep doing what I was and check back on Tuesday after the holiday.

Lori and her family arrived from Texas about mid-afternoon, choosing to split their trip up this time. They spent the night in Slidell, Louisiana, and then drove on up here today. In the past, they have made the trip in one day, and found that it's just too difficult. At this time, I don't think I could handle the trip from Slidell.

Recently, I became a new uncle, as my brother Terrell's son Scott and his wife Chriselda became the proud parents of their first child, William Garrison Simmons. Congratulations to the new parents and grandparents.

It's interesting to sit at the computer and watch the hummingbirds and red wasps fight over the feeder that Carolyn put up for the hummers. The red wasps are very aggressive, but the hummers don't back away. Occasionally, we will go outside ans swat the wasps in an effort to get rid of them. We do have some success in swatting then. The dining room is probably our favorite room in the house, because we can look out at the world while working on the computer. In addition, we work on our puzzles in this room because the light is more natural. Nice room with a wood floor.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Winona, Mississippi: The Art And Soul Of Mississippi

Not all who wander are lost.

Lori And Family Coming

2011-06-30T22:50:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 59 degrees, high 90 degrees, clear skies

Carolyn had an early dentist appointment (0815 hours) this morning with the new dentist. She likes the new dentist and hygienist, as do I. The only problem we see is that they seem to overbook their time, resulting in more waiting than we expected.

After her appointment was finished, we stopped across the street at McDonald's for a sausage egg mcmuffin. Then, it was back home to allow Carolyn to do a little more housework that she wanted to get done.

I slept well again last night, again without a sleep aid. My body is soaking up the rest and sleep, remembering what it is like to sleep well again. In fact, I took two naps of about an hour each today. I think that part of the sleep stuff in the day time is caused by the chemo treatment, but that's okay. I feel better after each nap. I'm hopeful that I'll feel stronger tomorrow so I can mow the yard for the weekend.

Lori and her family expect to be here late Saturday for about a week. While here, they will be helping John's mother, who lives in Huntsville, with some repairs on the house and cleanup in the yard. Maybe they will find time to do some vacation stuff.

By the way, did you notice the low temperature? Are you kidding me, 59 degrees in late June? Carolyn loves it. I kinda like it, too.

Carolyn is afraid of any type of bug that might sting. Bees, red wasps, and that sort of thing. This morning after the dentist visit, we were in the garage when we noticed several bugs buzzing around in a holly tree next to the garage. I knew right away that they were bees, but she didn't think they were. She thought they were some kind of beetle that have been eating her rose blooms. I asked her to close the garage doors so they couldn't come in, keeping it low-key. About an hour later, we checked and the bugs were gone. I still think they were bees, moving in a swarm that paused in the holly tree on their trip to wherever they were going. At least no one got bit, and Carolyn didn't get stressed.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Ozark, Alabama: A City For All Seasons, A City For All Reasons

Not all who wander are lost.

I-Pod

2011-06-29T22:36:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 84 degrees, high fog early, then clear skies

Last night was the best night for me as far as sleep in many days. I got 6-7 hours without the use of any type of sleep aid. As a result of me sleeping better, Carolyn got more sleep because she is so tuned in to what is going on with me.

The chemo treatment from Monday caught up with me today, as I was nauseated most of the day, with no appetite. I enlisted another specialist to help with my care in the event I have to go back into the hospital or just need to see him in his office. He is an internist, and is aware of Amyloidosis. In addition, he will handle anything beyond my pulmonary or cardiac system. In effect, that makes him my primary care physician, and I feel comfortable with that. My hope is that with these three specialists helping me now, I can stay out of the hospital a little more.

We have an I-pod we bought a few years ago that we kept in the truck to play over the radio. Over time, we almost forgot about the pod, not using it for the last six months. A few days ago, I brought the pod in the house and played it some to make sure I remembered how. Sure enough, I couldn't remember everything. But I have a pod manual on the lap top, so pulled it up and started reading. At this time, I'm fairly proficient with the pod again, but am still trying to figure out how to delete several songs that we don't care for anymore. Once I do that, I'm going to check out some cds from the library and put them on the pod. We have a docking station we're going to use that has a really good sound for the pod that we'll use most of the time. I'll also sync the pod to the I-Pad so I can listen to music on it. Makes the pad even more useful.

More late, be safe.

Today's Town - Nacogdoches, Texas: The First Town In Texas

Not all who wander are lost.

Rain

2011-06-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 77 degrees, rain most of the day

The rain started about 0600 hours this morning, and continued until mid-afternoon. The farmers are loving this weather.

We were getting weather crazy about noon time, so I suggested we go get a hamburger at Jack's in Athens. I guess it was good, because Carolyn said it was. I ate about 3/4 of mine, and it seemed to take a long time to eat that much.

After the hamburger, we took a ride down Nick Davis Road to see how things have changed along a road that we used to travel quite a lot. A lot of new homes have been built on and just off the road, but we still like the scenery out that way.

I was reading up on Limestone County, and found that it is the fastest growing county in the state. That statement was a little surprising when I first read it, and then I realized that the county draws a lot of people who work in Madison and Huntsville. Both of those places have a lot of government jobs as well as high tech jobs.

I finished a new book by C W Box that I checked out of the library using my I-Pad today. I immediately returned it electronically, and checked out another one that I'll start reading tonight. This electronic book reading is pretty neat. So far, it hasn't cost me anything to check out books. No taking a chance on going to the library hoping I find something to read. I just browse the electronic section and find something that's interesting, and down load it in about ten seconds. Pretty neat.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Atlanta, Georgia: A-Town

Not all who wander are lost.

Halfway There

2011-06-27T22:23:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 62 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

This morning was one of the most beautiful we have seen in quite some time. Clear, blue skies, almost a brisk low of 62 degrees, no allergies bothering Carolyn. Very nice.

I had an early appointment in Huntsville to see my oncologist. I didn't know if he was going to allow another treatment this soon after getting out of the hospital last Tuesday. The lab was not set up to draw my blood and analyze it, so I had to wait for all that. Finally, all my schedules were set up, and I went in to have a treatment. Yes! Number six is out of the way, other than recovering from it.

After receiving treatment, Carolyn noticed that I was displaying signs of dehydration. We were going to Sam's Club, so decided to eat lunch there and get some fluids in me. After two large cups of Powerade and one for the road, I felt much better.

We picked up what we needed at Sam's and headed home. We put everything away and rested for the next two hours. I needed it badly. After getting up, I continued my hydration, and feel much better.

My oncologist prescribed a different sleep aid, so I'll try it tonight. I need a good night's sleep.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Enterprise, Alabama: City Of Progress

Not all who wander are lost.

Dreams Continue

2011-06-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 86 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, showers in the afternoon

Note the low temperature of 68 degrees. It occurred this afternoon about 1430 hours. Weird, huh?

Carolyn's hummingbirds continue to grow in number, with at least five now buzzing around the feeder. She feeds them daily, and is talking about getting another feeder for the over flow. As long as it gives her pleasure.....

I took another sleep aid last night, and the dreams continued. It would be nice if the dreams would be pleasurable, rather than being glad when I wake up. Carolyn said that I mumble and talk all night, as well as shifting around in the bed. So, I have a decision to make with the help of my oncologist on the choice of another aid. Hopefully, we'll find a sleep aid that doesn't cause dreams, yet allows me to get the rest I need in fighting this disease.

Judy and Roger visited this afternoon, and it was good to see them. Roger has been sick after his cancer treatment in Birmingham this past Monday, so he didn't feel like doing much. He was better today, so they came to see us. Glad they did!

I have to go to Huntsville tomorrow for my chemo treatment, which will be number six out of twelve. Here's hoping all my blood work looks good enough to allow the treatment. I missed last week's treatment while in the hospital, and I hope I don't have to miss anymore.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Midland, Texas: The Tall City

Not all who wander are lost.

Dreams

2011-06-25T22:42:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 90 degrees, mostly clear skies

Terri left again on her way home today, after changing her mind yesterday and coming back. It's okay with us, we like having family around.

Terri has been giving a little thought to possibly moving to the Athens area in the near future so she can be closer to family. We would to have her closer, but emphasize to her that the decision is her's to make. We're doing our best to stand back, but it is difficult.

I took another sleep aid last night, and the dreams continued. This time, the dreams were mostly political in nature, and that may not sound so bad, but eight hours of it? It got so tiresome in that dream, and even though I woke up in the middle of it, as soon as I went back to sleep, I went right back in to the dream. I guess I still have to decide whether dreams are worth more sleep. It wouldn't be so bad, but none of the dreams I have had so far have been pleasant ones.

I did a little more puttering around in the shop, and took a short, one-block walk. I'm making as much as effort as possible to get some physical activity. Before I got sick, I walked at least four miles a day, plus took care of all the upkeep on the RV and truck. And, that doesn't count all the sightseeing we did. My goal is to get back to something close to what I was able to do before, but will accept whatever I get.

Supper was at Appleby's, as Carolyn had a pasta dish, while I had half of a small sirloin steak. Carolyn said her food was good.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Franklin, Tennessee: A Great American Main Street Award Community

Not all who wander are lost.

Better Than Hospital

2011-06-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 70 degrees, high 84 degrees, cloudy, rain in the afternoon

I slept good last night after using a sleep aid. The only problem is that I felt groggy for half the day. I don't know which is worse: not sleeping enough, or the side effects of the sleep aid.

Once I got over the effects of the sleep aid, I did some more puttering around in the garage and shop. The garage was swept and things put away in preparation for spraying for bugs in the room. Carolyn likes to sit in the garage, but doesn't like it when some little beetles show up. The room has now been sprayed, and we'll see if it helps the bug problem.

Terri decided to stay another day, and will now leave on Saturday. It's nice to have company.

We're working on another puzzle, and it's another hard one. Carolyn complains about the hard ones, but I think she likes to prove she can master them.

Supper was pizza from Pizza Hut, and we made it the large supreme pan pizza. I can't taste much of it, but I like the texture of the crust.

Not much going on here today, but at least I wasn't in the hospital. I'll take a day like that anytime.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Columbus, Mississippi: Possum Town

Not all who wander are lost

Caught In Groundhog Day

2011-06-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I feel like I'm trapped in a kind of Groundhog Day moment, where everything is repeated over and over.

I woke up this past Sunday morning with my heart beating like a drum and shaking my whole body. I had no chest pain, and no shortness of breath. We went to the emergency room, where they started trying to figure out what was wrong. It was quickly established that I wasn't having a heart attack, but no one had seen what I was experiencing. Unfortunately, my cardiologist was out of town.

In the course of all the many tests and x-rays, it was discovered that I had a pocket of fluid between my lungs and the chest cavity. That needed to come out, so I was admitted to the hospital. The rest of Sunday was spent doing tests and being pricked and poked.

On Monday, the tests continued as did the heart beating like a drum. I got very little sleep Sunday night. A pulmonary specialist came in early and talked to me about the fluid pocket and how he was going to remove it. At noon, he came back and removed about a liter of fluid from the pocket.

Shortly after, my cardiologist came in, and immediately knew what was wrong with my heart. It seems the pacemaker has a wire that runs down the left side, near the diaphragm. There is a nerve in the diaphragm that was being stimulated by the pacemaker, making it appear as though I had the world's worse case of hiccups. The cardiologist called the pacemaker rep, who came in about an hour later. She hooked me up to her machines, and started making adjustments. Almost immediately, the heart beat straightened out. What a relief!

The rep stayed about an hour, trying various settings so the best one for me could be used. It appears that what she did has worked, at least for the time being. I called the doctor who installed the pacemaker today, and informed his nurse. She said to monitor the situation, and let them know if it comes back. I wonder if there's a warranty on the work?

I was released late Tuesday, and have several followup doctor visits to go to over the next week or so.

Next is the chemo treatment I'm going through. I missed this week's treatment, but am scheduled to start again next Monday, if the oncologist agrees. With the next treatment, I will be halfway through the program.

So, that's what's been happening the last few days. Not fun, but could have been worse. I'd rather be RVing.

I had a followup visit with the pulmonary doctor who removed the fluid from my chest. After an exam and x-rays, he said the fluid had not returned, and that my lungs were clear. I'll see him again in a month.

Terri and Thomas are visiting for a few days as she had to see with her own eyes that Dad was okay. They will be going home tomorrow.

This afternoon, I puttered around a little with the weed eater. After supper, I mowed the front yard. Trying to do what I can when I can.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Fort Bragg, California: The Gem Of The Mendocino Coast

Not all who wander are lost.

Back Home

2011-06-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Just a quick post to let everyone know I have been in the hospital again, and got out Tuesday evening. I'll write a post to relate what happened as soon as I get to feeling better in the next day or so.

Jerald

Norther?

2011-06-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 90 degrees, partly cloudy skies

When we lived in Texas, one of the weather events we always watched for in the winter was for a norther to blow in. That meant a front was going to pass through with sudden high winds and sharp drops in the temperatures. We have actually seen them pass through, as a mist would sometimes rise along the line of the front.

So, why did I bring the subject of a norther up? Today, we were in the living room reading when a sudden roar of the wind came up. This wind was totally unexpected, and there hadn't been anything in the forecast to indicate bad weather was coming. I called up the local radar on the computer, and saw that some strong storms were passing through Tennessee. Apparently, we were close enough to the storms that we got these heavy winds that were probably 50-60 mph. The winds subsided after about a half hour, and we didn't get any rain. But, it sure looked like rain for awhile.

I managed to feel well enough today to go to the WalMart Mall to pick up a few of the things we purchase there. It was early enough that traffic was light, and few people were in the store. Just the way I like it. I managed to find everything I was looking for, even though it seems they move products around every week. I had planned to go to the local Sears store before going home, but by the time I left the Mall, I was wiped out. I'll go to Sears next week.

Last night was not a good one for me, as my sleep was interrupted all night by aches and pains. This disease of Amyloidosis has so many things that it does to a person, and one of them is the sleep interruption. As a result, I took three short naps today, which helped me get through the day. Believe me, I would rather be sleeping at night.

Judy and Roger visited this afternoon, and we agreed we would celebrate Father's Day by eating lunch at a local restaurant tomorrow. I hope I can find something that I can taste. If not, that's fine, because I know Carolyn will enjoy eating something besides her cooking.

Next week, Athens State College will be holding a celebration for the life of the Delmore Brothers. The Delmores were from Elkmont back in the early 1900s, and were one of the first country music groups that became famous. They were inducted in to the Country Music Hall of Fame. If I feel well enough, I would like to go listen to the music. I love the old music, especially that made with all acoustical instruments. Then, there's the Athens Old Time Fiddler's Convention, coming in October. I should be be finished with my chemo stuff by then, so I plan to go watch all the musicians standing in groups and jamming. Good stuff.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Lander, Wyoming: Where Rails End And Trails Begin

Not all who wander are lost.

Windshield Replacement

2011-06-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 80 degrees, mostly cloudy all day with light rain showers

Light rain started here about midnight, and continued until a little after lunch time. That's the first rain, along with what we got the day before, for the month of June.

My chemo sickness was a little better today, and I'm hopeful tomorrow will be even better. I still had to take things easy, but was able to get through the day with only two little naps. Food still doesn't taste good, but I was able to eat enough to keep Carolyn from fussing at me.

Speaking of eating, we went to Publix this afternoon to pick up a few groceries. Carolyn likes shopping at Publix, and will take an hour to look around for things she likes to get. The deli has a really good sub shop, and we had one made today for supper. And lunch. And..... That thing was so big. It had to weigh at least two pounds. It had roast beef, turkey, ham, salami, cheese, and all the trimmings on a large multi-grain roll. The meat was all Boar's Head products. Now, I'm expected to eat half this thing. With the way I'm eating, it will last three meals. Oh, by the way. The name of this sub is the Ultimate. And, it is.

We had the windshield changed on the truck today. If I had known how easy it was going to be, I would have done it long ago. Back in 2007, a rock flew up from a passing truck in Texas and broke the windshield for the first time. The crack grew, but never in a way that bothered our vision. Then, about five weeks ago, another rock hit the windshield, putting a big star on the passenger's side, and started growing. I contacted our insurance company to find out what to do about getting it fixed, and they set up the repairs.

The repairs were completed today at our house. The repairman said he would be about 20 minutes, and he was right. I'm amazed at how easy it was for him to make the repairs by himself. And now we have a nice clear windshield. Let's see how long it stays like this.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Groesbeck, Texas: Texas’ Best Kept Secret

Not all who wander are lost.

Bad Chemo Day

2011-06-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 61 degrees, high 90 degrees, clear skies

We got a little rain last night, but the wind and lightning were the most impressive things to come out of the little storm that passed through here. More trees were blown down, and the area has lost a lot of nice ones this spring.

The biggest thing that happened to us was that we lost our satellite television signal during the storm, which is normal. But, it didn't come back after the storm was finished. We went through all the things that the network said to do in order to get the signal back, but nothing worked. It was obvious that the dish had moved just enough to lose the signal. I called Dish, they went through the same things we did to try to get the signal back, and then they scheduled a repairman to come out and fix the dish. I thought we would be waiting a week, but the repairman was here, did the repairs, and was gone by lunch today. I would say that's good service. Kudos to Dish!

I'm in the part of the chemo drug cycle where I'm taking drugs by mouth for four days after an infusion of another chemo drug on Monday. I finished the oral part of taking the drug today (until next cycle), and the oral drug has really hit me hard. I think today was my worse day yet in this chemo treatment thing, and the one drug has caused it. Thank God I don't have to take it any more than I am.

Most of the day was spent trying to not be nauseated. I accomplished that, and was even able to eat a little. Tomorrow should be better.

I bought an I-Pad a few weeks ago, and have been tinkering around with it since. Learning how to use something like this is a little difficult when you don't feel on top of your game, and might be just a tad technologically challenged. Well, I think I'm learning how to use it. I've learned how to do quite a few things with it, and even down loaded a book from the Athens library that I read on the I-Pad.

I can imagine a world where real books will become obsolete. That's a shame, because we love books and reading. However, reading on the I-Pad is so much easier. Just touch the screen and the pages turn. Make the print larger or smaller as needed. The I-Pad is lighter and more convenient than toting a book around.

Then there's the surfing on the Internet that can be done with the I-Pad. Use it any place there's a wifi signal. Music and movies can be accessed. I've only touched the surface of what this thing can do, and I'm impressed. I'm using the first generation I-Pad, and the second generation is even more powerful. It will be interesting to see where all this goes.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Atlanta, Texas: The Other Atlanta, Texas Style!

Not all who wander are lost.

Dental Appointment

2011-06-15T22:46:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 90 degrees, cloudy, windy

Most of the day, it looked like we might get our first rain in almost a month. And, we did after the sun went down. At least the grass was staying green, and I didn't have to mow so often. Now, more mowing in a couple of days.

The chemo drugs hit me with a thud today, as my feel good days ended. I was expecting the down turn in how I feel, but was hoping I could get another good day. I had to take two naps to get through the day, but still found the energy early this morning to help Carolyn put some of her plants in pots. I can't stop trying to do something every day.

I had an appointment with a new dentist today, as we were due for our six month checkups. Carolyn's appointment will be late next week. We saw the same dentist in Texas for almost 20 years, and had a great relationship with him. Our hope was that we could build the same type of relationship with a dentist here. Based on my experience today, this new dentist is going to work out fine. The dental hygienist that cleaned my teeth was very good, using a combination of water and ultra sound to clean my teeth. At the end, there was a small amount of using the old scraper, but no pain, no bleeding, and my teeth feel very clean. I met the dentist when he checked everything out, and he struck me as being personable, and caring about the condition of my mouth. I think Carolyn will like this new office, too.

Since my appointment was just after lunch, we didn't eat lunch until the dental stuff was finished. Since we were in Ardmore, about the only thing that interested us was McDonald's. We stopped there, where I had the fish sandwich, which is a good sign that my appetite is hurting again due to the chemo drugs. I managed to eat it all, along with some unsweetened tea.

By the time we got home, I was wore out, so a nap seemed like the thing to do. An hour later, I felt better. As I was sitting in the dining room, watching the hummingbirds feed outside the window, I decided to see if I could get some pictures of them. Check out the pictures below.

I guess you could say we get a lot of enjoyment out of watching them.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bartow, Florida: The City Of Oaks and Azaleas

Not all who wander are lost.

Felt Good, Again

2011-06-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 90 degrees, clear skies

I managed another day of feeling half-way decent, not even having to take a nap for the second day in a row. Tomorrow is expected to be a different outcome, as the chemo drug treatment from Monday starts licking my rear-end, again. At least I had two good days, and will take what ever I can get.

I used the feel good day in an effort to do some of the things that Carolyn leaves to me. I made a trip to Lowe's to get another roll of window film so we can finish tinting the windows on the south side of the house. Actually, there is only one window there, but it is in our bedroom, and with the early sun rise here, light starts pouring in the window before 0500 hours every morning. Tinting that window will stop most of the light, and maybe fool our bodies into thinking it is still early. I also picked up some landscape cloth for Carolyn so she can prepare some flower beds.

Since we are only using the fire place as a place to set the gas log, we decided to cap the flue opening at the top of the chimney with a more or leas permanent cap. I had the cap made at a metal shop while I was waiting, and it only cost $8.00. Not bad for a custom made piece. When Traci is here, I'll ask her to install the cap with some construction adhesive placed on the edges of the flue. Capping the flue keeps rain out, as well as birds, and keeps us from losing heat up the chimney when it's cold.

When we bought the riding mower, we were offered an extended warranty for it. I deferred a decision on that until today, when I decided to go ahead and purchase the warranty. Normally, I don't like extended warranties. but, in this case, with my illness and the cost of repairs without the warranty, I decided to go ahead with it. One more thing to not have to worry about so I can concentrate on getting well.

Traci does a lot of landscaping in partnership with a friend. Whenever she finds an interesting plant, she brings it to Carolyn, since Carolyn loves plants and flowers so much. I had to pick up some pots for plants to be transferred to, since most of them are root bound. We didn't do any transplanting today, but probably will tomorrow.

I have a dental appointment tomorrow with a new dentist. We had the same dentist in Texas for almost 20 years, so we are hopeful we can build the same type of relationship with the new dentist. Fingers crossed.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Ada, Oklahoma: City Of Pure Spring Water

Not all who wander are lost.

Company Left

2011-06-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

Lori and her family left shortly after 0700 hours this morning, on their way back to Texas. We had a great week with them, and the good thing is that they may be back as soon as 2-3 weeks from now. John's mother needs some help with repairs on the house and upkeep in the yard, so that's probably what most of the next visit will consist of. It doesn't matter to us as long as they are here.

I had to go to Huntsville this morning for another chemo treatment. There was a chance that the treatment would be put off due to my platelet count, but the lab work showed that the count had recovered to normal levels. So, the doctor and I decided to have another treatment performed. That's number five out of twelve completed. This week is different, since I will also be taking oral chemo drugs for the next four days.

The infusion person that helped me said the steroids they have me on are designed to help my appetite, as well as help me feel better for a few days. I have to say the steroids worked well today, as I didn't need to take a nap, and my appetite did seem a little better. I tried to eat as much as I could, since I have found that my appetite suffers later in the weeks as the chemo drugs kick in. I'm not gaining any weight, but at least I'm not losing any.

One of the problems I have with this disease is extremity neuropathy, which is a tingling, numbness, and loss of feeling in the hands and feet. In addition, the drugs cause the same problem. I talked to my oncologist about it today, as well as my primary doctor in Atlanta. It was decided we would use a combination of vitamins, minerals, and supplements in an effort to help the problem. If the issue is not better in three weeks, a prescription drug will be used.

While I was in Huntsville, Carolyn was doing her thing with the house. Changing beds, washing clothes, dusting, wiping, sweeping, mopping, etc. Getting ready for the next company, which we love to have. Then, she even found time to start a new puzzle.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Binghamton, New York: Home Of The Square Deal

Not all who wander are lost.

Rest Day

2011-06-12T22:42:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

Today was a rest day for Lori and her family, as they get ready to go back home to Texas tomorrow. Lori and Zoe spent the day with us while John and Julian spent most of the day with John's mother in Huntsville. At our house, at least, there was a lot of reading, surfing the net, and watching television. Plus, I managed to sneak in two short naps.

Remember when I used to say that I didn't take naps, but instead used down time like that for meditation? Well, I have to say there's little meditation now. If I lay my head down, I'm probably going to fall asleep. It's all connected with my illness and the treatments I'm going through. There's nothing like a little chemo treatment to make you feel wore out all the time.

Now, having said all that, when I got up this morning, I felt the best that I have all week. As a result, I decided to go to Publix and the WalMart Mall to pick up a few groceries. I usually enjoy shopping for groceries, but being sick has made it difficult to do more than necessary. So, it was nice to be able to get out early while it was still cool and the stores were not crowded so I could take my time and look.

Carolyn prepared a nice meal of lentils and rice for lunch, along with french bread and Italian sausage, and there was so much that it served for supper, too. Zoe had never eaten lentils before, and found that she really likes them, at least the way Carolyn prepares them. Plus, dessert was cocoanut cake. Not bad.

As most readers know, we have two daughters. Here are a couple of pictures of them. They had to get their looks from their mother. I'm surrounded by beautiful women!

This is Terri, our oldest.

And here's Lori, our baby.

Have I said lately that I love my family?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Industry, Texas: Cradle Of German Settlement In Texas

Not all who wander are lost.

Dead Batteries

2011-06-11T22:48:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

Lori and her family drove up to Sewanee, Tennessee, today as they visited the small college town and a family grave plot. Many of John's relatives are interred there, including his father who passed away last year. They took John's mother with them, since she doesn't get up that way very often. While there, they did some cleaning of the grave sites and head stones.

The big news around here today was that both batteries on the truck went bad at the same time. When I went out to start the truck this morning, the motor would turn over, but not start. We've had this problem before, like every three years, so I quickly figured out the batteries were probably bad. Since everyone was gone from our house, I called my brother-in-law Roger to see if he could take me to have the batteries checked. He arrived and we loaded the batteries in to his truck. When we got to the battery store, luckily before they closed, it was quickly found that the batteries were bad. I bought two new batteries and we took them home. Installation took a few minutes and the moment of truth arrived. Will it start or not? Yay, it started. Big sigh of relief! It's a bad feeling to have a vehicle broke, and no replacement for it.

When the family went on their hike on the Rails to Trails system yesterday near Elkmont, they took some pictures that they shared with me. Therefore, the readers get to share them, too.

Th picture above shows our daughters Terri and Lori on the top steps, then grandson Julian, with grandson Thomas and granddaughter Zoe on the bottom steps. John was taking the picture.

This next picture shows there really is an Elkmont.

Terri likes pictures like this.

Finally, this looks like a cool spot on a hot day.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Columbia, Tennessee: Mule Town

Not all who wander are lost.

Sleeping Aid

2011-06-10T22:36:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

The weather has remained basically the same now for about two weeks - clear, with highs in the low 90s. Humidity has been low for this area, averaging in the 40% range. So, what does all that mean? No new tornado outbreaks. Plus, the wheat combines are working in excellent conditions for harvesting the winter wheat crop in this area. Farming is still a way of life for many people up here, and it's good to see them get a good crop. After the wheat is harvested, the same ground will be planted with soy beans.

Lori and her family went to Tennessee today to visit the Franklin Battleground area and Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg. They invited us to go, but I'm not up to tromping all over the place in the heat. Besides, it's their vacation, and they should be doing things that they like, rather than trying to entertain Mom and Dad. I think they forget sometimes that we like the peace and quiet just fine.

I had to go pick up a few groceries at the WalMart Mall this morning. On the way home, I stopped at a little diner located in the Greyhound Bus Station to pick us up a quick sandwich for lunch. What a pleasant surprise that turned out to be. Carolyn asked for the toasted club sandwich, while I ordered the hamburger. Carolyn said her club sandwich was the best she has ever had, and my hamburger, if I could have tasted it, would have been outstanding. Total cost - less than $7.00.

One of the side effects of the chemo treatment I'm going through is restlessness, general aches and pain, and lack of sleep. I've never been a person that needed to take any type of pill in order to sleep or rest. Until now.

With all the side effects of the treatment, I have become exhausted from lack of sleep and rest. My doctors have been very supportive in giving me whatever I needed to try to rest, but I resisted using it because I didn't want to become dependent on a pill so I could sleep. One pill that was prescribed caused me to have nightmares for two nights, so that didn't work too well. Last night, I took a different sleeping aid that might work for me. I was able to get eight hours total of sleep, with no ill effects, and felt better today. Not any where close to 100%, but I wasn't in a fog all day. I think I'll take another one of those pills tonight. If they continue working as well as that one did last night, I'll be able to rest and hopefully help the healing process. Then, I'll worry about stopping the pills when I'm finished with the treatment plan.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hutto, Texas: Official Hippo Community Of Texas

Not all who wander are lost.

Sulphur Creek Trestle

2011-06-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 92 degrees, clear skies

The chemo treatment I received this past Monday kicked my rear-end big time today. I got up this morning with a little nausea, but got over that. The worse part of the day was just not feeling well, at all. But, I am sick, so I guess all of this is relative.

I had to go to the treatment center this morning to give the leeches more blood. Fortunately, I had to be there early, so I missed most of the traffic mess. By the time I was finished and talked to the nurse about one of my medications, it was late enough that all the morning traffic rush was finished.

When I got home, the first thing I did was lay down for awhile to try to get over some dizziness I was feeling. When I got up, all the visiting family company had decided to go for a hike on the Rails to Trails system, located a couple miles away. Their primary interest was in going to the site of The Battle of the Sulphur Creek Trestle. During the Civil War, the Union Forces built a fort to defend a railroad trestle that crossed Sulphur Creek, about 1.5 miles south of Elkmont. The Confederates attacked the fort and drove the Union forces out. The battle was the bloodiest in Alabama for the war.

The site where the fort was located is now in private hands, and a new house has been built on the old earthen fortifications. Looking at an overhead view of the property, the old trenches and other identifying features can be plainly seen.

Everyone got home about mid-afternoon, and spent the rest of the afternoon recuperating.

Terri and Thomas had to go home this afternoon. He has a reservation with a church group to go to Atlanta tomorrow, so he had to get back and prepare for the trip. At least we had the family together for a couple of days.

Lori and her family are planning to go to Franklin, Tennessee tomorrow to tour the battleground for the Battle of Franklin, the bloodiest five hour battle of the entire Civil War. Interesting place to visit.

I've had enough for today. I'm going to bed.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Boone, North Carolina: The Heart Of The High Country

Not all who wander are lost.

Lasagna

2011-06-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 93 degrees, clear skies

Lori and Thomas finished trimming our shrubs this morning, while the weather was still somewhat cool. Of course, they needed a straw boss to watch what they were doing, and offer suggestions on doing the job better. Just kidding, I was out there but it was to offer support where I could. They did a fine job.

After lunch, all the folks who are visiting decided they wanted to go to the movies, so they checked what was playing in Athens. Yes, that's right, Athens now has a movie theater. They found a movie they might like, and off they went. We were invited, but neither Carolyn or I wanted to go. Instead, we used the time to rest and plan supper.

We decided we would pick up some frozen lasagna, both vegetarian and meat. We have some vegetarians in the family, so we always make sure we have food for them. I drove in to the WalMart Mall and picked up what we needed. When I got home, we should have started cooking the lasagna, because it seemed to take a long time to get it cooked. Anyway, the lasagna eventually cooked, and we added salad and garlic bread. Dessert was chocolate pound cake, so a pretty decent supper.

Earlier this afternoon, we watched a video Lori rented named True Grit with Jeff Bridges. Excellent movie, but then Jeff is one of our favorite actors.

Another busy day. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I have to go to Huntsville in the morning for more lab work. Apparently, this lab work has a little more importance than previously. We'll see.

Oh, by the way - remember the puzzle we almost gave up on? Well, we finished it Tuesday morning. Perseverance does pay off, even with puzzles.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Austin, Texas: City of the Violet Crown

Not all who wander are lost.

Spaghetti and Family Gathering

2011-06-07T22:52:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 93 degrees, clear skies

Lori, Zoe, and I spent the early morning hours trimming some of the shrubs around the front of the house. In addition, we worked on some straggly limbs on the shade trees. We still have some shrubs to trim, but we'll get those before Lori goes back to Texas. I sure appreciate what they are doing to help us.

Later in the day, Traci came over and shaped up the holly trees located at the front corners of the house. The place is looking pretty good.

About 1700 hours, Terri and Thomas arrived from Tuscaloosa for a visit of a couple of days. That means we have our entire family at home at one time for the first time since Christmas of 2009. What better time for a more extended family get together, so we invited Judy, Roger, and Traci over for a spaghetti supper. John, Lori's husband, brought his mother from Huntsville, so it was a great gathering of people that we care about.

Spaghetti is nothing special, but it seemed to go over big with the crowd. And, it is easy to prepare for that larger a crowd. Add in salad and garlic toast, along with fresh baked cookies and brownies, and everyone seemed to have plenty.

I know I have said it several times before, but family is important to us. Getting together with everyone today was special for us.

I'm wore out after the busy day.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Tampa, Florida: The Big Guava

'Not all who wander are lost.

One-On-One With Lori

2011-06-06T22:58:00.003-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

I had another chemo treatment in Huntsville today, and Lori asked if she could go with me. Well, of course she could. So, we left home about 0730 hours, headed for what we thought was going to be heavy rush hour traffic. Luckily, the traffic was not as bad as we thought it would be, and we made good time through the normal bottleneck of Madison.

Before we left Athens, we stopped for a little breakfast snack so I wouldn't get hungry while waiting to be served at the cancer center. Even with the stop, we were a few minutes early, giving the vampires in the lab time to pull their weekly quota of blood. We found that the dosage of one of my medicines needs to be adjusted downward, so that will be happening over the next few days.

After the vampires were finished with me, I checked in with the doctor's office, knowing that I would have to wait until the lab reports were ready before I could see him. While we were waiting, Lori and I had a nice visit, talking about all manner of things.

After about thirty minutes, I was called back to see the the doctor, after my vital signs had been checked. Lori went with me, since I wanted her to see the entire experience I go through at the cancer center. The doctor did his usual checks, and then I started asking questions. The lab reports are starting to show some real differences in values since my first treatment, and I have to go back to the lab on Thursday for more blood donations. My next scheduled treatment is next Monday, but that may be delayed a week to give me a rest from the drugs. In addition, the labs will be checking the critical parameters for the Amyloidosis to see what changes are going on there. Overall, the doctor thinks I am tolerating the chemo well. That was the key issue before going in to the treatment plan.

Once I was finished with the doctor, I went back to scheduling, where I was given the times for my next two appointments. Then it was on to the infusion lab, where I was hooked up to an IV with steroids. After the steroids were infused, the chemo drug was pushed in to the IV, and I was finished. Now, that doesn't sound like much, but the whole experience always seems to take a lot out of me, and Lori was able to see how weak I was when it was finished.

After getting to the truck and resting a few minutes, we drove down to Sam's Club, where I picked up a few things that we use. Then it was back to Athens and lunch at home.

It was a busy day, but I spent a good part of it visiting one-on-one with Lori. That doesn't happen often, and I appreciate her wanting to see what I'm experiencing.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Grants Pass, Oregon: Where The Rogue River Runs

Not all who wander are lost.

Old Friend Bo

2011-06-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 91 degrees, hazy

It looked for awhile today that the thunderstorm we are dreading was ready to hit us. But, it played out west of us, so still no rain. The temperature did cool off a little, so we're grateful for that.

We took an extra roll of window film back to Lowe's that we didn't need, and picked up a roll of their darkest film for our bedroom. We need to darken the room early in the morning, and the dark film should take care of it for us. I'm getting tired of waking up at 0500 hours and thinking it must be 0700 hours.

We like good bar-b-que, and have had a hard time finding what we consider good bar-b-que in this area. Living in Texas for 20 years, we got used to what they served out there, and use it as the standard to judge all others. We are not fans of a vinegar based bar-b-que, preferring that it just have a dry rub with the option of adding a sweet sauce. There are several restaurants in this area that serve bar-b-que, and some of them are high profile outfits that go to cook offs all over the country. We have tried many of the locals, and are still searching for that one place that we wouldn't mind going back to. We may have stumbled up on that place today.

Whitt's is a local outfit that has several little stores scattered around the area. Since we were in town at lunch time, we decided to try them out. Now, this is not a place to go for a lot of variety. They have pulled pork, beef, and turkey. Their pulled pork sandwiches are probably their biggest seller, served on a bun with mayonnaise, cole slaw, and dill pickle. We ordered some of these sandwiches, but left off the cole slaw because it is a vinegar based slaw.

Well, the sandwich was quite a surprise, as it was full of meat which was not dry. Nothing had to be added, and it was quite tasty. At least Carolyn said it was, as I couldn't taste it. I still ate it. I'm looking forward to the time when I get my taste buds back so I can experience what it really tastes like.

This afternoon, I talked to old friend Bo, who lives in Texas. We both retired at the same time from the company we worked for back about ten years ago, and worked together several times since then in various contracting jobs. Speaking to Bo brought back a lot of memories, mostly good, of things that happened while working. I find that I miss the social aspect of work more that anything else. It would be great to see some of the other people I used to work with.

More chemo treatment tomorrow as I continue to fight Amyloidosis.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - London, Kentucky: Home Of The World Chicken Festival

Not all who wander are lost.

Yard Work

2011-06-04T22:32:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 91 degrees, hazy and cloudy skies

It looks like the weather here is building up to a big thunderstorm in the next few days. At least that's the way it looks to us, with the haze and humidity getting worse every day. We're not looking forward to it, especially after the tornado outbreak in April.

Carolyn installed the window film on the west side windows today, and there seems to be a definite difference in the amount of heat coming through those windows. We decided that we will use a different film in our bedroom in an effort to also reduce the glare in the room. Our hope is that it will darken the room so that it doesn't get light inside the room at 0500 hours. As I said earlier, the sun seems to come up real early here.

Traci came over this afternoon and started doing some of the yard work that I can't do at this time. Things like tree trimming and weed eating wear me out now, and I don't have the strength to do those little jobs that used to be so easy. While Traci did her thing, I mowed the yard, which I can still do, at least if using the riding mower.

Roger also came over, and in between work and rest, we had a good visit. He crawled up on the roof and measured what size roof cap we need so we can cover the chimney. Now, you have to understand that Roger really shouldn't be up on that roof with the problems that he has, but he is a tough old bird that you can't get down. A former Green Beret, he has been fighting cancer for the past eleven years. He has a business that he still goes to most days. He, along with my sister-in-law Kathy, are my role models for this fight that I'm going through with Amyloidosis.

Our daughter Lori and her family are coming up from Texas tomorrow, and should arrive late tomorrow night. It will be good to see them again. I'm sure we will have plenty to talk about when they get here.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Liberty, Texas: First City On The Trinity

Not all who wander are lost.

I-65 Sauna

2011-06-03T22:33:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 95 degrees, clear skies

We spent more time than we wanted today on the sauna known as I-65, the interstate highway that goes between Athens and Birmingham. The reason for the trip was to do a followup visit with the doctor who installed my heart pacemaker about six weeks ago. Temperatures on the highway averaged 102 degrees, and we were held up for about 30 minutes near Cullman as crews were removing storm debris from the right of way.

Our appointment was for 1240 hours, and we arrived about an hour early. Imagine my surprise when I was called back to see the doctor within ten minutes after getting there and checking in. The doctor said the pacemaker appears to be working well. He made some minor adjustments, and ten minutes later, we were finished. All right!

The trip back to Athens was uneventful, except for me being tired. We stopped once so I could rest my eyes. When we got to Athens, we decided to have a late lunch/early supper, and stopped at Logan's Road House. I ordered the catfish, while Carolyn had the pork chop. By the time we got home, it was about 1600 hours.

Since I was wore out, I took a nap of about an hour, and felt much better. Our niece Traci came by for a visit, which we always enjoy. She's coming back tomorrow to help us catch up with some of the yard work that we can't do at that time. Oh, by the way, we pay her for helping us. If she didn't do the work, we would have to get someone else to do it for us.

My brother-in-law Wayne had major surgery on his back yesterday, and it appears he came through the operation in good shape. He's got a long road ahead of him as he recuperates, but I'm sure all the prayers helped.

Company is coming next week. I hope I can be a good host.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Buffalo, New York: It’s Good For You

Not all who wander are lost.

This And That

2011-06-02T22:52:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 93 degrees, clear skies

The warm weather is getting a little warmer each day, and is expected to keep going up. We are staying inside as much as possible, but when we do have to get out, we tend to get whatever it is that we're doing finished as quickly as possible.

Today, we had a few things to pick up at Lowe's, like window film to reduce the heat gain through the west side windows of the house. The box the film came in says that the film will reduce heat gain through the windows by 60%. If so, that's pretty good, and will help keep the house cooler in the afternoons. Plus, it will cut some of the glare. The sun starts coming up before 0500 hours here, so maybe the bedroom will be a little darker for a short time in the mornings. Another plus to the window film is that we can take a tax credit for installing it.

I'm already planning for snow removal when it snows here in the winter. This past winter, we didn't have a snow shovel, and there were several instances when we could have used one. And, of course, there were none to be found in the stores. There are plenty available in the stores right now, so I bought one when we didn't need it. If everything works out well, we will be in warmer weather in the RV when it snows here again, and the shovel never gets used.

I also bought an extendable tree trimmer to trim the trees in the yard. I don't have the energy or strength to do it right now, but we have company coming next week. Maybe I can talk them into doing some of the trimming. Oh, and weed eating, too.

I have a doctor's appointment in Birmingham tomorrow with the doctor that installed the heart pacemaker about six weeks ago. His office called to ask if we could be there at 1240 hours, rather than at the original time of 1500 hours. I accepted the new time, because it means we can get out of Birmingham before rush hour starts. I'll do that every time I can.

Not much happening here, other than trying to stay cool and finish the puzzle that is so difficult.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Grants Pass, Oregon: Gateway To The Redwoods

Not all who wander are lost.

Benadryl As A Sleep Aid

2011-06-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

I talked to the oncologist's nurse practitioner about my sleepless nights, and we discussed some aids to help the situation. She said the issue was caused by the steroids that I'm taking. The doctor prescribed a sleeping pill to help me sleep, but that fix seemed to cause me to have a lot of weird dreams. I asked about using Benadryl, and she said that would be fine, even saying that if one tablet didn't help, to take a second one. Last night, I tried the Benadryl, and it seemed to help the little aches and pains, plus seemed to help me sleep a little better. The nurse said if it doesn't work like I need, to let her know, since there are some other prescription sleep aids that might do the job for me.

I never dreamed that I would be taking all the medicine I'm taking. Folks, watch your health. It can get away from you in a heartbeat. This is coming from a person that supposedly did everything right: tried to get enough exercise, tried to eat right, had routine physicals, did everything the doctors said to to do, and then got blindsided by a disease that no one ever heard of before. Amyloidois is a terrible disease that has the potential to brought into remission if caught soon enough and treated aggressively. I'm in the aggressive mode on treatment, so time will tell if it works. I think it will, and am planning accordingly. Even to the point of thinking about going to a different type of RV when we can travel again.

We met Judy and Roger for lunch today at Captain D's Seafood. Wednesday is senior
discount day, and they offer 15 different meals along with a drink for $4.99 a meal. That's a good deal in my book. We enjoyed meeting and eating together, and will probably start doing it at least weekly. Not at Captain D's each week, but there are plenty of places around Athens we can go to.

Remember I was whining about how difficult a puzzle was that we were trying to put together, and that we would probably put it away? Well, we have sucked it up, and kept working on the puzzle. At this time, it is about 50% finished, and we estimate we have about another week before it will be finished. No stinking puzzle is going to beat us!

While we were in town, we stopped at the WalMart Mall to look for a hoe. Not a hoe to work in a garden or flower beds, but a hoe that can be used for killing snakes. That means it needs to be substantial enough to beat on a snake without breaking. Can you believe the Mall did not have any hoes? I guess we'll have to check Lowe's the next time we're there.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hartford, Connecticut: Insurance City

Not all who wander are lost.

Broken Windshield

2011-05-31T22:33:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

Today was another chemo treatment day, and I had an appointment to be there at 0820 hours. Since I didn't know how bad the traffic would be at that time of the day, I left a little earlier than needed, but did miss most of the traffic.

The first order of business was to have the leeches draw another batch of blood so we could see if the chemo drugs are causing unexpected problems. Apparently not, as no one talked to me about the report. I received a copy, but don't really know how to read it. I didn't see the oncologist today, but will next week, so maybe I can get a quick lesson in what to look for.

Once the blood was sucked out, I had to wait about a half hour before being called back for my chemo treatment. I was given a steroid IV that lasted about 20 minutes, then infused with a syringe full of Velcade. There is one other drug I take orally for four days of the month named Mephalan, along with more oral steroids once a week. No Mephalan again until about two weeks from now.

By the time I was headed home, the morning rush hour traffic was done with, and the drive back to Athens was easy. I might try to have all my appointments set up for early morning.

I decided to go to the treatment by myself, since there isn't anything Carolyn can do except offer moral support. That worked out well, so whenever I can, I'll be trying to regain my independence. She will go to appointments in Atlanta so she can help me stay alert. For these trips of about 25 miles to Huntsville, I think I'll be able to handle it.

When I got home, I was wiped out since I didn't sleep well last night. I took a nap of about an hour, and it really helped refresh me for the rest of the day. As a result, I did a lot of puttering around the house, taking care of little chores that I usually do.

A few weeks ago, we had rocks hit our windshield that caused it to crack badly in two places. We were on the interstate, so there was no chance of identifying the big truck that might have caused it. Today, I called our auto insurance about it, and they are going to set up a windshield replacement for us at home in the next few days. Thank goodness I won't have to go sit in a glass repair shop for half a day.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bridge City, Texas: Building Bridges Together

Not all who wander are lost.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T22:36:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 91 degrees, clear skies

Hopefully, people will remember the purpose of Memorial Day, which is to remember the sacrifices made by the members of our armed forces, past and present, in helping keep our country free. The day is usually spent by most people gathering with family and friends for picnics, swimming, and other summer fun. There's nothing wrong with that, but let's all take a moment to think about the real reason for the holiday.

Speaking of picnics, we went to Judy and Roger's house for a cookout this afternoon, complete with hamburgers, red hot sausages, potato salad, baked beans, and all the trimmings. The food was great, and visiting even better. And, we did take time to remember why the holiday was being held.

We had not seen Judy and Roger for almost two weeks, as Judy came down with the shingles again. We have had the shingles shot, so may have been immune, but decided it might be best to stay away until Judy got better. I don't need to be taking chances with a disease like that with all the other stuff going on with me. Luckily, Judy is doing much better now, just in time for the cookout.

Having the cookout meant we needed to pick up a few things ahead of time, so I went to the WalMart Mall early this morning before the crowds hit. We haven't been buying many groceries lately, with my last time in the Mall about two weeks ago. I was surprised that some prices had been dropped, apparently for the holiday. Even more surprising was how much some items have increased in price.

It didn't take long to pick up what we needed, and then it was back home to rest from the activity. It was about 0900 hours by the time I got home, and traffic was still light. I guess many people were sleeping in before the fun started.

We have a bug here that looks like some kind of moth that has been making a noise like clack, clack, clack. The noise is bothersome when outside, and reminds us of sounds we hear when near the ocean in Florida. The bugs seem to stay in the trees most of the time, and really raise a ruckus if I walk under the trees. I'm not sure how long these things stay around, but we're ready for them to go wherever they go.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Irmo, South Carolina: Gateway To Lake Murray

Not all who wander are lost.

HARD Puzzle

2011-05-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 92 degrees, clear skies

It seems like today was the warmest day of the year so far. One saving grace is that the humidity is fairly low. We won't have that helping us in July and August. Hey, maybe I'll be finished with treatment by then and we can go where it's cooler. That's something to start planning for.

When Carolyn was cleaning one day, she found what she thought was a soft place in the floor by the television in the living room. We checked it out, and found that by an omission, one of the floor registers had not been cut out when the carpet was replaced before we bought the house. I have no idea how an oversight like that occurred. Today, I picked up a floor register at Lowe's, cut out the carpet from the hole, and installed the new floor register. We're still shaking our heads over his one.

I don't like to say it, but we may have tried to put a puzzle together that is more than we can handle. The new puzzle is so difficult to work with, we may put it back in the box and say good riddance. Carolyn's mother Doris would probably like this one a lot. I'm about ready to send it to her. We have about 1/3 of it put together, and nothing seems to be coming to us.

Remember in yesterday's post where I mowed the yard and tried to do some weed
eating? The weed eating kicked my tail in more ways than one. I still felt the effects of that little exercise today, having to rest several times. On the bright side, I still think I can do just about anything I want, even if the truth is that I can't. Now, to figure out what I really can do so I don't have another day like that.

It appears my appetite has stabilized somewhat, allowing my weight to stay within a range that the doctors can live with. This morning, I decided I wanted an apple fritter, which is something that I usually don't care about. But, I decided to go with what I wanted, and picked up the fritter when I was in town. I'm glad I bought the fritter, but it didn't taste like I expected. On the other hand, we had leftover pizza today, and it came close to tasting like I remember. No, not limp, soggy, and cardboard like. But the fresh vegetables, meat, and cheese, not to mention the pan crust, combined to tease me with a taste that was better than I have had in some time. Perhaps there is hope for when the treatment is over that I can enjoy food again.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Fort Payne, Alabama: One Of America's Top 100 Small Towns

Not all who wander are lost.

Happy Birthday, Yard Mowing

2011-05-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 55 degrees, high 88 degrees, mostly clear skies

We have always been the type of people who prefer to do things for ourselves. Things like yard work, especially. Since I have been sick, we have struggled with getting the yard mowed and plants trimmed up when needed. Our niece Trace has been a great help to us, but she has her own things going on, so we hesitate to ask her for help. We bought a riding mower a couple of weekss ago, since there was no way I could handle a push mower. Buying the mower has allowed us to at least mow the yard when needed, but did nothing to take care of the other things, like weed eating, trimming shrubs, and so on.

Today, I mowed the yard, and managed that with no problems. Then, came the problems. I got out the weed eater so some trimming could be done. I didn't realize how weak I was until I tried to edge the driveway. What a job that turned out to be. By the time I finished that little job, I was wiped out.

After seeing what the little bit of work did to me, we decided to continue mowing when needed, but everything else will be farmed out to whoever we can hire to do the work. It's not something we're happy about, but resignation has set in, at least until I can start feeling better. Drat!

Have you noticed that gas prices have declined slightly in the last week or so? In this area, gas can be bought for ~$3.54/gallon, while diesel is $3.89/gallon. Not a big decline in prices, but anything is welcomed. The question I have is this: are the prices being lowered slightly in order to raise them even higher than they were?

Carolyn had a birthday today, and we tried to make it as special a day as we could. She didn't want much - breakfast at Cracker Barrel, no cooking for supper, and that sort of thing. It's amazing how little we want or need as we get older. I don't know what I would do without her around to help me through this illness and treatment plan. When I feel bad, she knows how to help me feel better. When I feel like getting out of the house, she's there, ready to go. I love her so much, and I hope I can do something really special for her when this is all over.

Happy Birthday, Dear.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Giddings, Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality

Not all who wander are lost.

I-Pad Learning

2011-05-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 57 degrees, high 73 degrees, partly cloudy skies

The new I-Pad I bought last week hasn't been much use to me so far. Not because it isn't a wonderful piece of electronics that can do all kinds of things for me, but because I have not been able to get into the intricacies of the use of it, compared to my lap top. The chemo drugs I'm taking appear to have slowed down my thought processes, so when I try to use the pad, I find myself going back and forth reading the manual in order to use the different functions. It could be that as I continue to familiarize myself with the new piece of equipment, it will get easier to understand. At this time, however, it is a slow slog.

I remember having the same problem when we bought an i-pod. What a great concept - put all your music on a small piece of equipment and enjoy to your heart's content. It seemed to take forever, even though it didn't, to get familiar enough with the pod that we could navigate around it. The sound was great, especially when using a docking station, and we could get rid of all the music cds that we were trying to carry with us in the RV.

So, there is hope for the pad, but I think it is going to take longer than I realized before I become proficient with it. Lori is coming up to visit in a few days, and she has one. Perhaps I can use her as a learning resource while she's here.

A couple weeks ago, we noticed that the storm door leading to the deck had a screen that was bent, which would allow bugs to come in the house in the summer. That won't do with Carolyn, and I'm not too fond of it, neither. We took the screen to a store in Pulaski that rebuilds them so we could get a new screen. We never heard back from the store that the screen was repaired, so I called them today. The screen was ready, so we took a nice little drive up to get it. It was nice to get out in the beautiful countryside, where everything is lush and green after all the rain. Since coming back to this area, we have a different appreciation for the natural beauty available here in the Tennessee Valley.

Now, if we could do something about the bad weather that comes through here much too frequently. At least it seems too frequent to us.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Las Vegas, Nevada: The Entertainment Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Another Storm

2011-05-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy skies, windy

Last night, the tornado sirens went off just after midnight, prompting us to get the weather radio working and turning the television on to see what was going on. When we went to bed, the weather folks said that a little rain was coming, but nothing to worry about. Apparently, they didn't have the whole story. We had high wind, hail, and heavy rain until daylight. More trees have been blown down in the area, and people have had damage. The power is off in some areas, but not at our house.

I'm ready for some stability in the weather. We will never take the weather for granted again after the outbreak we had here last month.

I had to go see my cardiologist for a followup visit this morning. Everything is looking good as far as my heart is concerned, which is always good news. Some minor problems seem to have gotten better, so that gives me more energy to put into handling the chemo drugs I'm taking for the Amyloidosis.

After leaving the doctor's office, I stopped at the hardware store and bought the storm door that I mentioned in yesterday's post. The handyman that I talked to yesterday will stop and pick up the door next week when he installs it for us. We have always liked Small Town, USA, and we are continually reminded of the advantages of living in a small town. Like the great service this handyman is giving us.

We changed out our hummingbird feeder today because the hummer didn't seem to like the feeder we were using. Almost immediately, two hummers showed up and started using the new feeder. That made Carolyn's day, because she thought there was only one bird. How many will there be?

The last couple of weeks, my appetite has improved a little, primarily because I decided I would only try to eat what seemed good at the time. As a result, I try to use my imagination, thinking about what I used to like and what it tasted like. Sometimes, the food I come up with might seem a little strange, but at least I have gained a few pounds back. Tonight, I decided I wanted Italian food, so we went to Clark's Restaurant in Athens for their Thursday night special of chicken parmigiana. I wasn't sure how the taste would come across, since most food tastes differently now. I have to say it wasn't bad, even though the taste was slightly off from what I remember.

Now, if only fried chicken tasted like I remember.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - New York, New York: Media Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Safe Deposit Box

2011-05-25T22:46:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 86 degrees, partly cloudy skies

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we looked at the storm doors at Lowe's so we can get one for the front door. Today, we went to a local hardware and lumber store, and found a storm door that we like better than anything we saw at Lowe's. And, the one we found today is over $100 cheaper. In addition, the quality seems better. So, I will go back tomorrow to buy the door. Then, a handyman that I found through a list that the hardware store gave me will install the door early next week. He will pick up the door from the store, so I don't have to do anything except pay the bill. The way I feel right now, that's about all I can handle.

The chemo treatment is kicking me when I'm down. I'm not nauseated, and don't have diarrhea, but I feel so washed out that it is difficult to do much of anything. Of course, if this is the worse that I feel throughout this treatment process, then I will have done well.

This morning, we started going through the stuff that we might want to put in a bank safety deposit box. It quickly became apparent that we have different ideas about what should go in the bank. I tend to want to put important legal papers, along with a few personal items in the box. Carolyn, on the other hand, wants the legal papers, but also wants just about every picture, memento, and anything that has an emotional attachment in the box. Only one problem with that: there's not a box big enough to hold all the stuff. I think we will probably scan the pictures and just about everything else that we can, and put dvds in the box holding the images. That should take care of everything except the legal papers, such as wills, house deed, RV title, truck title, etc.

It's easy to forget the good lessons we learned about getting rid of clutter and excess stuff in an RV. I think the lessons would kick in again if we could take a road trip, but that appears to be out in the future.

With the way I feel right now, this is about all I can write tonight.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: The Diamond City

Not all who wander are lost.

Glass Door Search

2011-05-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 86 degrees, partly cloudy skies

The chemo drugs biggest effect on me seems to be to cause sleeplessness. I'm lucky to get two hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time. When I wake up, it seems to take a couple hours to go back to sleep, so I usually get up and surf the net or read. Sometimes, I'm able to fall asleep on the couch, which is a bonus. During the day, I can usually take a couple of short naps, which helps my tired feeling. Sure would be nice to be able to sleep through the night.

We plan to install a glass door on the front door entry way as a way to get some natural light in the house in the mornings. This morning, we stopped at Lowe's to see what they had available, but have not made a decision yet. The opening for the door on our house is wide enough and tall enough, but is not quite recessed enough. We lack about a quarter inch having enough of a recess for the door to fit right. That means a shim would have to be installed. Lowe's will do the installation, but we have talked about whether we want to try to do the installation ourselves. With my weakened state, I don't know what kind of problems I would have. As I said a few posts ago, I used to eat this kind of stuff up. Now, I have to think about what I try to do. Mowing the yard last week wore me out, even though all I did was steer the riding mower.

The hummingbird is starting to show up more frequently, and Carolyn was able to see him today. She gets a lot of pleasure out of watching nature, and has watched a pair of bluebirds as they raise two young birds in our newspaper box. She'll be sad when they leave.

I forgot to mention that we finished putting a puzzle together last weekend, and started another one almost immediately. The new one is even more difficult, and it may actually take a month to do. Time flies when trying to find a piece that fits.

We have shrubs in front of our house that are big and require a lot of work to keep trimmed. They sit there green all the time, without any blooms. We have discussed removing the shrubs and putting in shrubs that actually have some color and blooms. Such as camellias, gardenias, roses, azaleas, hydrangeas, and things like that. The hard part would be digging the old shrubs out, which would be very difficult for me at this time. I think I'll see if we can hire some high school boys to dig them out and plant the new plants. That is if I can find some kids that want to work. The realtor we used to buy the house told us to let him know if we needed any help, so maybe I can talk to him to see if he can steer us to some kids that actually want to work.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Ozona, Texas: Biggest Little Town In The World

Not all who wander are lost.

A Hummingbird Arrives!

2011-05-23T22:39:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 86 degrees, partly cloudy skies

We have a hummingbird sighting! I saw the first one late this afternoon after we got home from chemo treatment in Huntsville. He(?) is a little skittish right now, but maybe I can get a picture soon. Carolyn sat for a while in the dining room in an attempt to see the little hummer, but missed him. It doesn't take much to entertain us, does it? Puzzles, reading, surfing the net, a little television, and now a hummingbird to watch. It doesn't get much better.

Except being able to travel again. We're working on that, and it will happen when it's time.

It was a busy day for us. We had business to take care of at the new bank first thing this morning. Before that, we stopped at Burger King for a breakfast sandwich, since we felt that we would have a long wait for lunch while at the cancer center in Huntsville.

Leaving the bank, we drove on to the cancer center, where the first order of business was to let the vampires have their way with my veins. Halfway through the blood letting, a different vein had to be opened so enough blood could be drawn.

The next order of business was to find a comfortable place to sit. That brings up the question of whether there is a comfortable chair in a medical facility. If so, I have never found it. Anyway, two hours later I was finally called in to see the doctor. He checked me out and asked how I felt. This illness makes you feel like you have the worse case of flu possible. What the doctor meant was how did the chemo treatment affect me over the past week, and I have to say there was less effect than I thought there would be. Maybe I will be one of those people who stands up to the chemo in a good fashion. I hope so.

After seeing the doctor, I was sent to talk to the scheduler about my schedule for the next two weeks. Then, it was on to the infusion center, where this week's treatment was administered. That took a total of about an hour.

By the time all this was done, it was after 1400 hours, so we decided to drive back to Athens for lunch at Logan's Road House. The lunch was good, but the service was not up to par, as our server seemed to forget about us. I tipped her the normal 15%, but I usually tip more for better service.

By the time we got home, it was after 1600 hours. I stretched out in my WalMart recliner in the garage and slept for about 45 minutes. That made me feel good enough that I was able to do a couple things for Carolyn.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Thermopolis, Wyoming: World’s Largest Hot Mineral Spring

Not all who wander are lost.

Lunch At Appleby's

2011-05-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 82 degrees, mostly clear skies

We spent some time today moving the herbs that Carolyn bought yesterday in to containers. She enjoys cooking with fresh herbs, and already has plans for drying some of the extra herbs that we can't use.

In addition, she put up a hummingbird feeder in an attempt to draw some of the little birds to our dining room window. It may be that it is too late for the hummingbirds this spring, or it could be that they have already moved on, but no action so far. If they don't show up, Carolyn is going to be disappointed. She gets a big kick out of watching their antics.

A pair of bluebirds set up housekeeping in our newspaper box, and there are two little bluebirds in there now. The newspaper box is beside our mailbox, and the parents raise quite a ruckus when I go to pick up the mail. Little do they know that we are the last thing they have to worry about.

We went to lunch at Appleby's, one of Carolyn's favorite restaurants. We were there when they opened at 1100 hours, and had an enjoyable meal that had more than enough leftovers for supper. Carolyn had some type of salad with chicken on it, while I had the chicken strip lunch. We ate all we could for lunch, and finished it up for supper. I added a protein shake as I try to gain back some of the weight that I've lost over the last few months.

After getting home, I took a short nap that would have been longer except for the noise that erupted as Carolyn was doing some work with her Dremel tool. I bought a fancy recliner from the WalMart Mall yesterday, and it just seems to fit my body to a tee. I've used it twice in the last two days in the garage, and it was so easy to fall asleep in it.

My brother-in-law Roger visited for a short time this afternoon, leaving Judy at home as she is fighting a bug. Roger used the recliner while here, and I thought he was going to take a nap for awhile there.

Since the tornado outbreak a few weeks ago, we are more aware than ever of the possibility of bad weather. For a short time today, we watched as reports of bad weather came out of the mid-west. It did not seem to be a fun place to be. Thank God the weather here is fairly tame right now.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Comfort, Texas: Haven In The Hills

Not all who wander are lost.

Food And Appetite

2011-05-21T22:37:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 59 degrees, high 88 degrees, mostly clear skies, breezy

One of the worse things I have to put up with in my fight with Amyloidosis is a lack of appetite, caused mostly by most foods not tasting like they should. As an example, take a simple hamburger. We used to consider ourselves connoisseurs of hamburgers, always looking for the ultimate tasting burgers. Now, hamburgers taste nothing like what I remember, and even though I keep trying to eat them, I usually throw most of them in the garbage.

Carolyn is very good at trying to prepare food that will taste good to me, but I have found that the only foods that come close to what I remember are the more spicy ones, such as pizza. Even that is usually lacking some taste detail that I remember, taking away any pleasure of eating. Tonight, we decided to try a Pizza Hut Super Supreme Pan Pizza, and I have to say it wasn't bad. I had two pieces, and my stomach feels good. The taste wasn't perfect, but at least I could eat it.

Breakfast usually tastes okay, especially eggs and grits. For some reason, those items have the same taste as I remember, but I can't eat eggs all the time. Some fruits are okay, as long as they are not too sweet. We bought a nice cantaloupe, and it has a very good taste. Canned peaches in a light syrup are okay, but I can't eat the heavy syrup. The only tea I can drink is unsweetened, which I would never have drank when I was healthy. I've actually learned to like unsweetened tea.

Ice cream is not bad. It seems very cold foods are okay, as long as I eat them quickly. Like milkshakes from Sonic. And, the frappe' mocha from McDonald's is good, even though I'm not much of a coffee drinker.

Enough about food. Carolyn needed to get her eye glass prescription filled today, so we checked the options at the Vision Center at the WalMart Mall. Her last glasses came from the Mall, and she was happy with them, so we decided to try them again. She was able to find a pair that she liked, and she seemed to be able to make the salesperson understand that the new glasses needed to match the old ones as far as where the lines on the glasses were placed. That's because of her vertigo. The new glasses should be ready for pickup in about a week. The salesperson said if Carolyn was not happy with what they did, she would be refunded her money. I guess you can't ask any more than that.

While we were at the Mall, Carolyn found some herb plants that she has been looking for. She picked up some Italian parsley, sage, dill, rosemary, thyme, and basil. If I ever get my taste buds back, we should have some good eating.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Childersburg, Alabama: A New Beginning, Progressing Toward The Future

Not all who wander are lost.

Tornado Perspective

2011-05-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 52 degrees, high 86 degrees, clear skies

The weather is getting nice. It's enjoyable to sit on the screened porch, soaking up the warmer temperatures, watching the birds do their thing with nests and babies. I know the humidity is coming, but I'm loving this.

I slept better last night, even though I still feel like I had some of the sleeping pill affecting me from the night before. Carolyn said I didn't seem to dream like I did the night I took the pill, but was still a little restless. I do know that I felt better today, and I will not take another of those sleeping pills. What in the world was I thinking to take that thing? Especially since I had never used them before. Oh, that's right, I forget that everyone has to learn for themselves what works for them. I'm here to tell you that these particular sleeping pills don't work for me.

Today was the first day without chemo drugs this week. I'm glad that I get a break every week like this, since it may help the severity of the drugs on my body. My brother-in-law Roger and sister-in-law Kathy don't seem to get a break like this. Of course, one thing to keep in mind is that they are actually fighting cancer with the drugs they take, while my illness is treated with the same drugs as used against cancer, even though I don't have cancer. The drugs are used against myeloma, which is a cancer of the blood, while I have Amyloidosis. I hope all this makes sense.

This morning, while I felt halfway decent, we decided to take a ride down to the community of Tanner, about five miles south of Athens. Tanner was hit very hard during the tornado outbreak, and we had not been there to see how bad the damage was since then. We built a house in the worse hit area back in the 1980s, and had heard that the house was completely destroyed. Well, we found that the house is still standing, but suffered a lot of damage. All the windows were blown out, the shutters are gone, the roof is damaged, and the house looks like it has been abandoned. It is such a shame that people have lost everything, and we think it will be a long time before the recovery effort in the neighborhood is finished. We saw the path that the tornado took, and it appears that it was about a half mile wide. It sure gives me a different appreciation for the damage that these things can cause.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - New York, New York: The City That Never Sleeps

Not all who wander are lost.

New Mower

2011-05-19T22:29:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 48 degrees, high 72 degrees, partly cloudy skies

Last night, I decided to do something I had never done before. In an attempt to sleep better, I took a prescribed sleeping pill. Bad mistake, as I did sleep longer, but the quality of sleep was poor. I dreamed most of the night, and felt the effects of the pill all day. Given a choice between the pill or not, I think I'll pass from now on.

The water heater repairs from yesterday did not quite do the job. When we woke this morning, we found that there had been some leakage in to the overflow pan. We called the plumber again, and he responded quickly. He found that the top heating element was leaking slightly. Since we had an extra element, he changed it out and that appears to have fixed the problem. No charge for having to come back, even though we tried to pay him. You don't see service like this any more, it seems, and it's nice.

Remember the puzzle that we started putting together on Monday? I thought it would take us a month to finish it. At the rate we're going, we will finish it in a few days. These things just seem to grab your attention, and before you know it, an hour has been spent adding pieces.

We started the new riding mower today for the first time. After it had sat in the shop for almost two weeks, I thought it was time to get it running. The first order of business was to read all the paperwork. The thing I noticed about the paperwork was that it was full of disclaimers. Eventually, I got through with the reading, filled the tank with gas, checked the oil, put the battery cables on the battery, and started it up.

As might be expected, the new mower runs great. Since I had it running, the next thing was to see how well it mows. In a word, great! The yard is freshly mowed, and it looks very nice. We finished the mowing with a little weed eating, and it looks like we're good for a few days.

With the mowing and and feeling so low because of the sleeping pill, I was not able to play with the I-Pad again today. I'm looking forward to seeing what it will do for us. Maybe tomorrow.

I finished the first week's doses of chemo drugs today, and so far, I'm doing good. Some minor side effects, but I know it could be much worse. No more drugs this week, which will give me a chance to recover a little. Then, back on them next Monday.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Lincoln City, Oregon: A Great Place To Try New Things

Not all who wander are lost.

Water Heater Issues

2011-05-18T22:45:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 43 degrees, high 59 degrees, partly cloudy skies

Last night, we noticed that the heat of the water coming out of the water heater was not what it should have been. This morning, the water was cold. I went and bought a couple of heating elements, thinking this might be the easiest fix, if that was the problem. No cigar, as the heating elements made no change. That was about the extent of my experience, so we asked Judy who to call as a plumber to to fix the problem.

Judy recommended a plumber that goes to their church, and even called him on our behalf. He showed up about 1545 hours, as I was in a doctor's office in Athens. The plumber found that the thermostat was bad, which was replaced. Voila! Hot water!

The plumber worked quickly, and charged what I thought was a fair price. If we have another problem, he will be the person we will call. Since I have gotten sick, it has seemed difficulty for me to take care of things that I would have eaten up when I was healthy.

I didn't get to play with the I-Pad today, since we were trying to get the water heater repaired, and I was a little under the weather. I felt like I had a bad case of the flu, without a cough or fever. It could be because of not sleeping or resting well, or could be because of the chemo drugs. Whatever it is, I'm finally talking a sleep aid tonight in an attempt to sleep better.

If I rest better tonight, I intend to try to get the new lawn mower running tomorrow so the yard can be cut. It will have been almost two weeks since it was cut, but it hasn't been a problem due to the cooler weather.

By the way, the fire ants are gone. The washing powder trick worked again.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Sugar Land, Texas: The Shug

Not all who wander are lost.

I-Pad Delivered

2011-05-17T22:25:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 45 degrees, high 57 degrees, pertly cloudy skies

In what has become the new normal, I woke several times last night, getting up for s short time each time until I got sleepy again. As a result, I only get about 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night, but usually feel halfway decent until about 1100 hours the next day. Then, it seems like I hit a wall for the rest of day, taking short naps. I'll be glad to get my sleeping habits straightened out.

While I was feeling decent, I went to town to pick up a few groceries. It won't be long that I won't be able to go in the stores because of my white blood cell count being too low to be out in public due to the risk of infection. At that time, the doctors have told me that I need to do everything I can to prevent colds, etc., so I'll probably sit in the truck and let Carolyn go do the shopping.

I took my second round of oral chemo drugs today, as well as the first round of oral steroids. So far, I don't feel any effects from the drugs, but have plenty of stuff to help those ill effects if they arise. Only two more days of chemo drugs this week, then I get three days break.

Our water heater quit heating water late this afternoon, and I have no idea what the problem is. I suspect both heating elements went out, so I'll go get two new ones tomorrow and change them out. If that doesn't work, I'll call a plumber. We're not looking forward to cold showers.

NCIS, out favorite television show, had it's season finale tonight. Does it seem like shows have less and less episodes as time goes on? Especially those that we like so much? Only about 5 to 6 months until new shows come back.

The I-Pad I ordered was delivered today. I spent a little time getting it set up and the battery charged, and downloading some program updates. In addition, I downloaded the manual that tells how everything works. I can see how this is going to be a handy little tool for me, once I figure out how everything works. I guess the best way to describe it is that it it very much like an I-Phone, without the telephone features. And, it has a much bigger screen. Since I still don't have an I-Phone, it's a lot to learn.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Gadsden, Alabama: All American City

Not all who wander are lost.

First Treatment

2011-05-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 52 degrees, high 54 degrees, cloudy, light showers, cool

We were at the bank when they opened this morning, seeking help on signing and notarizing important legal papers concerning medical treatment and so forth. It took about 30 minutes to get everything done, and then we left to go to my first treatment session at the cancer center.

We arrived at the cancer center early, and had a little wait as the place was busy. Whenever you go to a facility like this, look at the general ages of the people being treated. Most of them are older, and we see very few younger patients. The older a person is, the more likely it is that they will have to be treated for a life threatening disease.

When I was finally called, most of my time was spent getting acquainted with what the facility offers for patient comfort, and precautions to follow when taking treatment so I'll know what to do when specific examples come up, like a fever. The drugs were explained again, and I found that what I'm taking are some of the more benign cancer drugs as far as causing nausea and side effects. On the other hand, instead of taking drugs just one day a week, I'll be taking two of them multiple days, with one being taken four days a week. So, that leaves three days a week that I won't be taking any drugs for Amyloidosis.

A cycle of drugs is four weeks, then the cycle starts again. I will do three cycles, then go back to Atlanta to Emory University Medical Center for testing and evaluation on whether to keep doing what we're doing, or make changes.

How long is this all expected to go on? I have no idea.

We didn't get of of the cancer center until almost 1400 hours, so we stopped at Rosie's Cantina for a late lunch. Not bad, but not Texas, either.

When we got home after 1530 hours, we found that Fedex had tried to deliver the I-Pad that I ordered last week. It has to be signed for, so they will bring it back tomorrow. I'm looking forward to playing with it, since my oncologist told me I can use it at the cancer clinic on their public wifi. Cool!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Port Clinton, Ohio: Walleye Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Router Repairs, Etc.

2011-05-15T22:27:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 52 degrees, high 56 degrees, cloudy, misty

After breakfast at home, we worked on a few things we have needed to do for some time. The upcoming chemo treatment has made us realize that we need to update our wills, which my sister Janie is helping us do. She is a paralegal in an attorney's office in Florida, and has been so since she graduated high school. She offered to help us, so we are drawing on her expertise as we get other types of paperwork ready.

Carolyn went through some old paperwork, and we set aside some stuff that needs to go to a safety deposit box. I'm not sure why we've allowed things to go like this, unless it's spelled Amyloidosis.

We found a puzzle we bought several months ago during the winter. We never started putting it together, so started today. This is a very difficult puzzle, with 1000 pieces. At the rate we're going, it'll take us a month to finish it. Carolyn has mentioned she might want to frame it if it looks as good put together as the cover on the box looks.

I bought a router for the Internet in an effort to allow visitors to use their computers when visiting. For the last three months, the router has not worked, and I didn't have the gumption to find out why. Today, I tackled that problem in an effort to find out why it quit working. I had a feeling it was connected to the network security keys inside the setup of the program. Accessing the program, I printed out the administrator's information. Then, I started tinkering with the settings. I found that the security features had been changed. Using the trial and error method, I chanced up on the proper security keys. Yes!! Now, we have a working router again.

Why is it so important to have a working router? Well, for guests, obviously, but also because I bought an I-Pad which will be delivered on Tuesday. The I-Pad is perfect for using wifi, which means I can take it out to the porch or in to the bedroom and still access the Internet. I can also take the I-Pad with me when I have treatments to help the time pass. There are probably many uses that I haven't thought about. My daughter Lori has one, and loves it. Maybe she can recommend some apps for it.

My appetite has improved somewhat in the past two weeks, even though I continue to lose weight, but at a slower pace. My attempts to eat different foods have been like an education, as I find that some foods still don't taste like I remember, but are bearable. This evening, I tried some Equate Nutritional Shake, and found that it tastes much like a melted vanilla milk shake. I might be able to do something with these drinks, although I'd rather be eating something I liked.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Refugio, Texas: Birthplace Of Nolan Ryan

Not all who wander are lost.

Excuses For A Milkshake

2011-05-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 56 degrees, high 64 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, showers, windy

I slept better last night, but I'm still lacking in the total amount of time I need to be sleeping. Amyloidosis treatment starts Monday, and I have already been given a sleeping aid in the event I need it. Maybe I need to try the pills out ahead of time to make sure they work. Then again, maybe not. I've never used anything like that before, and only want to if needed.

I had my usual breakfast this morning, but I noticed my stomach acted like it was a big hole about mid-morning. I invited Carolyn to Hardee's for a breakfast sandwich, which filled my stomach hole nicely. Normally, we eat breakfast at home, but with what I'm going through right now, something outside the house goes over well.

When we got home, we rested for about an hour, as I took a short nap. Actually, I have no idea how long the nap was, but I enjoyed it. After the nap, we got something positive done, as we cleaned out the shop and garage both.

Later in the day, we went to town and bought a weed eater, another extension cord, and three chairs for the screened porch. For the first time ever, I asked for help with getting stuff to the truck, as my strength gave out on me. Oh, well. At least I'm still trying.

Before we started home, we bought a sandwich and a milkshake. I have really grown to like the milkshakes. I find myself making excuses to go to town so I can buy one.

After getting home, I called my cousin Faye to see how her husband Cut is doing. He had a stroke earlier in the week, and was moved to a rehab center yesterday. It looks like a long and hard road for his recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cut and his family.

More late, be safe.

Today's Town - North Charleston, South Carolina: Hub Of The Low Country

Not all who wander are lost.

Blogger Was Off

2011-05-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 72 degrees, cloudy, rain showers

Blogger, the service I use to publish the blog every day, was out of service last night. As a result, yesterday's post was published this morning, while tonight's post went out at it's usual time. So, if you think you might have missed a day, you probably did. But, the posts should all be there.

It was very difficult for me to go to sleep last night, as it seemed like I couldn't relax. I was more tired than usual, so maybe the news that treatment for Amyloidosis will start Monday had me a little wired up. It's been a long struggle to find out what's wrong with me, then another struggle to find someone that knew how to treat it. But, we feel good about the direction things are going.

We received a call that a window screen we had made for the house was ready to be picked up in Pulaski, so we went up there to get it. While there, we picked up a few things at the local WalMart Mall, which is Carolyn's favorite store of the chain.

We stopped at McDonald's for a quick lunch. The Pulaski area has many Amish families living there, and we have seen them several times, riding the streets in their horse drawn carriages. Today, there was a large group of them at McDonald's, eating lunch and enjoying their kids' antics in the indoor play area. As we left, we looked for their horse drawn carriages, but didn't find them. Carolyn pointed out a bus in the parking lot, and said maybe they hired the bus to take them somewhere. Each family group had a different color that seemed to identify the particular family. Interesting people who choose to live the old way in a modern world full of conveniences.

By the time we got home, I was wiped out, so a nap was in order. It is amazing how much a short nap helps my fatigue problem.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Comfort, Texas: Star Of The Texas Hill Country

Not all who wander are lost.

Oncologist Visit

2011-05-13T14:13:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 88 degrees, mostly clear skies

It’s funny (strange?) how when you take a car to the shop for repairs, and the car won’t make the noise or action that you want repaired. Well, today the same thing happened when I went to the doctor to complain about my medicine. For the most part, the symptoms are better, and he convinced me to stay on the medicine a little longer in an effort to use something that he thinks is good for me.

Since the tornado outbreak, we had not been east of I-65, so had no idea of the damage that had been done in the eastern part of Limestone County, the county we live in. We got a good idea of that damage today, as we saw several houses that were blown away or collapsed piles of rubble. The area is going to be a while recovering from this tragedy. I couldn’t bring myself to take pictures of the damage.

We had an appointment in Huntsville with the oncologist that is going to administer the chemo drugs for my Amyloidosis. The drugs are similar to what is used for myeloma, since the two diseases mimic each other. The oncologist explained the process that I will be going through, with me being administered one drug intravenously and other two taken orally. If everything goes well, I will receive the drugs once a week for 12 weeks, then go back to Atlanta for a full workup to see how I’m doing. The oncologist said he will be able to tell me week to week how the disease is reacting, so that made me feel better about having to wait so long.

Oh, by the way – the treatments start Monday, May 16, 1911.

It was after 1700 hours by the time my appointment was finished, so we got stuck on the moving parking lot named University Boulevard. The first chance we got, we stopped and had supper, so by the time we came out, traffic was much better. By the time we got home, all we wanted to do was collapse for the rest of the day. I didn’t know I could get so tired.

More later, be safe.

Today’s Town – Huntsville, Alabama: The Sky Is Not The Limit

Not all who wander are lost.

Stupid Survey

2011-05-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 61 degrees, high 88 degrees, clear skies

When we got up this morning, I felt enough of an appetite that I invited Carolyn to go get a Hardee's sausage egg biscuit. She was ready in about two minutes, and off we went. Now, this was before 0700 hours, so either she was hungry for a biscuit, or she was trying to encourage me to eat anything I wanted. I think it was trying to encourage me that got her going. As I said, I'm trying to gain whatever weight I can before starting the treatment for Amyloidosis.

When we finished eating, Carolyn asked me to go by K-Mart for something she needed. I went in to get the item, and was waiting to pay for it when a screen came up at the check out station asking me to take part in a survey. Huh?? I said I didn't want to play, and the cashier said it would only take a minute. I said I was still not interested, and why couldn't I just pay for what I wanted and leave? I guess I showed some of that spark that's been missing for awhile, because as I was walking away, I heard one of the other cashiers say, Wooo!

We caught up our record keeping from the trip to Atlanta, and then tried to interpret the lab reports that we are taking to the oncologist in Huntsville. It's all Greek to us, but there seemed to be far too many high or low values. It'll be interesting to compare these numbers to the numbers we get three months from now.

Judy and Roger came over in the afternoon, and it was a much better visit than what we had last Sunday. I even cracked a couple of jokes, which have been in short supply around here lately. Humor is good for the soul.

I mentioned earlier that I was using washing powder on the fire ant hills in the yard, and guess what? The washing powder works just as well here as in Texas, and most of the hills are dead. It's a cheaper and safer alternative to poison, and we wouldn't use anything else.

I have two doctor appointments tomorrow, one with my cardiologist and the other with the oncologist. I'm hopeful the cardiologist will adjust some of my medicine, since I'm not reacting to it well at all. It makes me feel much like what I can imagine the chemo drugs might make me feel; exhausted, no stamina, little appetite, chills, shortness of breath......

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Brevard, North Carolina: Land Of The Waterfalls

Not all who wander are lost.

Back From Atlanta

2011-05-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 65 degrees in Atlanta, high 89 degrees in Elkmont, mostly clear skies

After another restless night, we were up and about by 0700 hours this morning. The bed slept better than the one we had last week, and we didn't have to use the pads we took with us.

I did my best to keep quiet so Carolyn could sleep, but I don't think I succeeded too well. She seems to be tuned in to what I'm doing at all times.

We checked out the menu for breakfast at the hotel, but weren't impressed. So, we drove down to McDonald's and got some egg McMuffins. I managed to eat all of mine, as I'm trying to get a little weight on, or at least not lose anymore.

When we got back to the hotel, the hotel called a taxi for us so we wouldn't have to fight with trying to park the truck in those little spaces in the parking garages. We were almost an hour early to the clinic, but we were called back in about ten minutes after we got there.

We met with my doctor, and he explained I don't have myeloma, and the extent of the spread of the Amyloidosis. We knew I was being affected in my heart, and suspected the same for my kidneys. The kidneys were confirmed today. So, two major organs affected by this terrible disease. Next, the doctor went over his preferred treatment option, with which he has had about a 70% success rate. If the treatment works, I wouldn't feel better immediately, but as time went by, the organs would tend to repair some of the damage, and that's when I would start to feel better. The downside is that about 30% of patients can't tolerate the chemo drugs. So, my task is to get myself built up as much as much as possible before treatment starts. I don't have much time to do it, as I meet with the oncologist on Thursday in Huntsville.

In three months, we go back to Atlanta for followup testing. If the treatment is working, we'll stay on it. If it's not working, we'll try something new.

Overall, a positive meeting in Atlanta, and now something's about to begin. I have no idea where this treatment will lead us, but I know I can't stay on the same path I'm on now.

I was very tired after the trip to Atlanta, but now I have a direction to go. Tired is better than some of the alternatives.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Gainesville, Georgia: Poultry Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Atlanta, Again

2011-05-09T22:47:00.003-05:00

Atlanta, Georgia

Weather: low 60 degrees in Elkmont, high 85 degrees in Atlanta, clear skies

We left home headed to Atlanta about 0830 hours this morning, immediately after the garbage was picked up. We didn't want to leave our garbage container by the street for two days. A quick stop was made in Athens so we could get a breakfast sandwich at Hardee's. I was able to eat all the sandwich, which made Carolyn happy. Me, too.

Leaving at that time of the day meant that we missed all the rush hours, both in Birmingham and Atlanta. We made a stop about 75 miles east of Birmingham so I could rest my eyes, but it wasn't very refreshing, as the temperature is starting to go up. Another stop was made at the Georgia welcome center on I-20, and that stop was more restful, as I was able to find a place with some shade. I closed my eyes for about 20 minutes, and Carolyn said I went to sleep. If so, that's okay, because I haven't slept well in some time. I'll take every nap I can get.

We saw a Dairy Queen about five miles later, and decided to stop and get me a milkshake. Bad mistake, as this was the worse milkshake I had ever had. The thing was too sweet, and already melting by the time Carolyn brought it back to the truck. These Dairy Queens in the east don't hold a candle to the ones in Texas. We would have stopped at Sonic, but we didn't see one all the way across east Alabama or west Georgia.

We arrived at our hotel about 1430 hours, where we checked in. The first order of business for me was some cold water, then a nap of about an hour. About 1730 hours, we went back to the restaurant that we used last week. We made more bad choices, but then that's not too hard to do when my appetite's as bad as it is now. It was not the fault of the restaurant, and I explained that to the waitress. She seemed to understand, because she said they got a lot of people from the clinic with the same problems.

When we got back to our hotel, I tried to write the blog, but was just too tired. I put it off until I was up near midnight and felt better. I would hate to think I had to give up the blog, because I enjoy writing it. If I miss a day now and then, don't worry. I'll be back as soon as possible. Of course, I don't plan to miss any days, but I know how this illness kicks my tail. On top of that, the medicine to control the atrial fibrillation is beating me down. I'm going to see my cardiac doctor when we get back home to see if he can make some changes that will give me more energy and a better quality of life.

My appointment tomorrow is 1040 hours, at which time we're supposed to review all the tests, and agree on a treatment plan. As I said yesterday, I'm hopeful, but anxious at the same time. What does the future hold?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Atlanta, Georgia: Dogwood City

Not all who wander are lost.

Happy Mothr's Day

2011-05-08T22:58:00.003-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 57 degrees, high 80 degrees, clear skies

Today was a bad one for me, as I felt under the weather. I had that bothersome cough that doesn't produce anything, except for making me sore all over. About mid-afternoon, I finally tried some cough drops, and got the cough under control. I didn't have much of an appetite, but did what I could with food so Carolyn wouldn't worry about me. In addition, I stopped trying to be tough by not using pain pills that were given to me, and they helped. I took a nap, and that helped somewhat. Then an early night to bed, as I'm writing this post to the blog during one of my occasional times up during the night.

Terri and Thomas were here overnight, and it was nice to see them. Carolyn was able to do a little shopping with Terri, as Thomas and I waited for them in the car. We had lunch in town, helping celebrate Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Don't be afraid to tell you mother that you love them. I've wished many times that I had told my mother more when she was living.

Roger and Judy came over after lunch, and it was probably not the best of visits for them. I was out of it, and not the best company. They understood, but it doesn't make me feel any better about being a good host.

Then, Traci came over late in the afternoon, as she brought us two pads to go on the hotel bed when we're in Atlanta tomorrow night. I'm hoping the bed will be more comfortable than last week, but if not, the pads are going on the bed. No more sleeping on a torture rack. In addition, we chose another hotel to make reservations at, so that might make a difference.

Another thing Traci did was bring us a spare stethoscope so Carolyn could listen to my heart easier. She has been taught to recognize what atrial fibrillation sounds like, so we can try to get help sooner, if needed. We recognize that Carolyn's not a trained medical professional, but this is one more tool for us to use. The stethoscope does not take the place of going to the doctor.

We will be leaving for Atlanta about mid-morning tomorrow, taking our time and letting me rest as needed. My appointment with the doctors is at 1040 hours Tuesday, when we expect to get the results of all the tests. In addition, we expect a treatment plan to be presented, with most of the treatment taking place in Huntsville. We'll go back to Atlanta every three months for more testing and evaluation. If the treatment is working, nothing changes. If it's not, then a new treatment plan will be implemented. I'm hopeful, but anxious as we approach the appointment time.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Houston, Texas: Golden Buckle Of The Sunbelt

Not all who wander are lost.

Found Child's Sneaker

2011-05-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 46 degrees, high 72 degrees, clear skies

I had a good night's sleep, only getting up once for about an hour. After going back to bed at 0300 hours, I was able to sleep until 0700 hours. That may not seem like much, but it helps me.

I felt halfway decent this morning, so we spent some time getting our medical records and costs in order. It appears that we will have enough medical costs this year to be able to itemize our taxes for the year. Believe me when I say that I would rather not be itemizing, because it might mean I wasn't as sick.

After lunch, I used some washing powder to treat fire ant hills in the yard. We used the washing powder for years in Texas, and it seems to do a good job, without worrying about poisoning animals or birds. In about a week, the hills should be dead.

Terri and Thomas came up from Tuscaloosa in the early afternoon, and they had many stories as well as video of the tornado that struck their area last week. We can tell that they are still deeply affected by the things they have seen.

They brought me two large milkshakes from Sonic, and I got busy drinking one of them. I learned today that if I'm going to eat supper with any appetite at all, I need to eat things like a milkshake earlier in the day. Those things tend to stick with you, and I was still full at suppertime. I managed to eat enough to keep Carolyn from fussing at me too much. Anyway, no milkshakes after 1200 hours, unless that is all I'm eating.

When Traci mowed our yard yesterday, she picked up some debris that fell out of the sky last week during the tornado outbreak. One thing she found was a child's sneaker in the back yard. When she first found the shoe, she was afraid there might be something in it, like a foot. Luckily, there wasn't. We hope the child is okay.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Jonestown, Texas: Gateway To The Hill Country

Not all who wander are lost.

Milkshakes

2011-05-06T22:34:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 45 degrees, high 64 degrees, clear skies

Every night, I tend to get up at least 2-3 times due to aches and pains. Most of the time, I can stay up for a half hour or so, then go back to bed and sleep. Last night, I only got up once, stayed up about an hour, had an ice cream bar, and felt good. I went back to bed about 0330 hours and slept the rest of the night. When I got up this morning, I still felt halfway decent.

After breakfast, the good feeling persisted, so I did a few things around the house to help Carolyn. By mid-morning, I started to drag a little, so I started slowing down. The people who were replacing the bottom sashes of our windows finally showed up and got busy. I think the wait is going to be worth it, as we like the quality of work that was performed. It's nice to not be looking through fogged windows.

Recently, I have been having a milkshake everyday, as I try to boost my appetite and gain back some of the weight that I have lost. No weight gain so far, but at least the loss has slowed down. I can't afford to lose any more weight.

I have found that Sonic has the best milkshake, which came from a tip from my sister-in-law Kathy. It is something that I have come to look forward to, so at least lunch means a little more than it did.

We have been looking for a riding mower to buy for mowing our yard. Sears is having a sale on their yard equipment, so we checked out what they had. We found the type and size of mower we were looking for and struck a deal. One of the things the dealer agreed to was to deliver the mower for nothing. So, we have a new riding mower sitting in the garage for the first time in many years. I'll do the mowing when I'm able. If Carolyn can't do it, then Traci will come over and do it. Have I said lately how much we appreciate Traci and her help?

This past week has been full of news about Usama Bin Laden's death. I haven't said anything about it before now, but it is hard to keep quiet. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our armed forces and intelligence services for their relentless hunt for Bin Laden. In addition, George W. Bush and his administration's policies helped. It bothers me to see our current president doing the victory tour that he has been on this week, when he was one of the loudest voices of criticism against the policies that helped find the terrorist. I think it's about time for Obama to get serious about the economy, budget deficit, and inflation. Let's get people back to work, and start taming a deficit that seems to me to be out of control. Cut back on the campaigning for re-election and do the job he was elected to do.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hutto, Texas: Growing A Quality Community

Not all who wander are lost.

Better Night's Sleep

2011-05-05T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 37 degrees, high 64 degrees, clear skies

Did you notice the low temperature for today? I guess this is Blackberry Winter. We'll enjoy it while it lasts.

We slept much better last night, after the awful night we spent the night before in a hotel in Atlanta. Our bed seemed like a cloud after trying to sleep in the hardest bed I have ever experienced. The hotel should have paid us for staying there.

We were still tired after the long trip, even though we slept well. Once we were up and stirring, I went to town to pick up a few groceries, and get a haircut. While I was there, I looked at a couple of lawn mowers that would work for us in keeping the yard looking good. I'll probably go back tomorrow and buy one of them. Our niece Traci has been doing our yard, and we have paid her for doing so. However, she is busy with her stuff, and I think I'm getting to the point where I should be able to drive a riding mower. That still leaves the question of weed eating and trimming the shrubs, but we'll face that when the time comes.

Carolyn did some of her patented house cleaning while I was out of the house. I'm glad she did it while I was gone, since I feel like I get in her way. She's usually pretty good about not sweeping me out with the dirt, but it goes better if I'm not around.

In the afternoon, both of us took little mini-naps, but I don't think they will keep us awake tonight. I received a call that the replacement windows that we have been trying to have installed since we bought the house will be installed tomorrow. It's about time. One more thing to mark off the to do list.

Things are gradually getting back to normal after the tornado outbreak last week. Most people have their electric power back, and Athens is not as busy as it was with all the people visiting who had no power or had lost their homes. It was a financial windfall for the businesses here, but I'm sure they would like to be able to reverse the clock so we could forget all the bad weather last week. I know it made an impression on me.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Tuscaloosa, Alabama: America’s One And Only

Not all who wander are lost.

Torture Rack

2011-05-04T22:48:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low in Atlanta, Georgia was 40 degrees, high in Elkmont was 61 degrees, clear skies

Last night was a miserable night for me. We had the hardest bed ever placed in a hotel room, and with the weight I have lost, plus the soreness in my hip from the bone marrow biopsy, I could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. I think a pool table would have been soft compared to that bed. As a result, I only got about two hours sleep. At least we're home now, and can sleep in our bed. The uncomfortable night is one of the reasons we decided to buy an RV, besides the freedom it gave us.

We left Atlanta about 0800 hours, pulling into rush hour traffic. Once we got to I-20, traffic fell off, and we moved along at a comfortable speed for us. About 100 miles down the road, I pulled into a McDonald's, where I lay back in the seat for about 15 minutes. Carolyn said I fell asleep for a short time, and if I did, that's good. Before we left again, I bought a milkshake for the boost, which kept me going for another 100 miles. Then, we pulled in to a rest area on I-65, where I took another short nap. That little nap gave me enough energy to make it home about 1400 hours.

For the third time, a nap was again in order. That held me until I went to bed tonight. Carolyn prepared us a nice supper so we wouldn't have to go out. Believe me, it was better than anything we have had this week.

We received word today that my cousin Faye's husband Ellis (we call him Cut) suffered a stroke, and is in ICU in Jacksonville, Florida. He faces a long and difficult recovery, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Jacksonville, Florida: Where Florida Begins

Not all who wander are lost.

Back In Atlanta

2011-05-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

Atlanta, Georgia

Weather: low 54 degrees, high 80 degrees, afternoon showers, cooling off to 40 degrees by morning

We got an early start this morning, leaving home about 0450 hours on our way to Atlanta and more medical stuff. At that time of the morning, traffic was light, and we were able to get through Birmingham before the morning rush hour hit there. With the early start, we were able to pace ourselves, and when I felt myself start to fade, we would stop and allow me to stretch out on the seat until I felt better.

We arrived at our hotel about noon, and since I had called ahead and asked if we could check in at that time, a room was ready. Since we were a little early, which was planned, I was able to take a short nap before going to Emory Clinic. The nap helped me, and at 1300 hours, we called a cab to take us to the clinic.

Once at the clinic, things moved at a good clip. I had samples from home which were checked in. Then, blood samples were drawn for more lab work. At least this week, they only took eight vials, versus eleven last week.

When the lab work was completed, we were taken to the bone marrow biopsy area. Ouch! It hurts just to say those words. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. When I was being prepped for the biopsy, I was asked if I wanted use just a local anesthetic that would numb the affected area where the biopsy would take place, or a general that would make me sleep while the procedure was going on. I decided to cowboy up and just use the local. That was a good choice, as the pain was minimal, and I was able to walk out within ten minutes after the procedure was finished. That also means I can drive now instead of having to wait 24 hours.

Someone asked me if a lot of bone marrow was taken for the test, and I said I didn't know, since I had never experienced it before. The volume that was pulled seemed like a lot to me, but what do I know?

We called a cab to take us back to the hotel, where we rested until supper time. Supper was a surprise, because we went to a place named Evans Fine Dining, which turned out to be a typical neighborhood diner. It was a nice surprise, since the food was good, cheap, and plentiful. And the best thing of all was that I could actually eat what I ordered. I should say I ate most of it, and that's much better than I ave been doing. Maybe we should hang around here a few days so I can get some strength and energy back.

We'll return home tomorrow, taking our time as I try not to overdo it. I have another appointment next Tuesday, when the doctor will present his findings, and hopefully, a treatment plan. If everything goes as we hope, a treatment plan will be administered by doctors near our home, while we will return here for more tests and checkups to see how the treatment is going.

So, that was our day. Early, busy, and tiring.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Atlanta, Georgia: The Big Peach

Not all who wander are lost.

Preps For Trip To Atlanta

2011-05-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama
Weather: low 63 degrees, high 81 degrees, partly cloudy skies

Most of our day was spent resting and getting ready for our trip to Atlanta. We expect to leave in the morning about 0500 hours. While I'm over there, more testing will be performed, including a bone marrow biopsy. We will be staying in Atlanta tomorrow night, with an early start home on Wednesday. Then, we do it all over again next week. But, the alternative is to have no hope, and now I do have some hope. As I told the doctors, I'll go anywhere, do anything, anytime they want me to.

I attempted to rent a car to drive to Atlanta tomorrow, but the need for cars by tornado victims is acute. As one man told me, he had five cars sitting in his driveway, and couldn't drive any of them. The second story of a house across the street was blown in to his, resulting in a total loss. It's a miracle they weren't killed.

The cleanup from the storms continues, but that is going to be a long term project. The damage is so much worse than we would have thought. Huntsville still only has about 30% of their electrical power back, so many of those folks are staying and eating in the Athens area. Traffic is much heavier than normal, and business is booming. I'm sure everyone wishes things were back to normal.

One side benefit of the bad weather last week is that the weather this week has been outstanding. And, we're expecting lows in the high 30s on Tuesday night. I keep thinking Blackberry Winter is here, only to be fooled by another cool front passing through.

More later, be safe. Pay attention to those weather warnings.

Today's Town - Cullman, Alabama: City Of Churches

Not all who wander are lost.

Catch Up

2011-05-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 77 degrees, partly cloudy skies, breezy

It has been almost a week since I posted. What a week it has been! I guess the best place to start is at the beginning.

The last time I posted was Sunday evening, as my sister Janie was getting ready to go home. The next morning, Janie left. I was feeling really bad, so I called my cardiologist in Athens about it. He told me to get to to his office as soon as possible. An ekg showed that I was in atrial fibrillation, even though the pacemaker I had installed was supposed to help.

I was immediately placed in ICU, where treatment was started to get the AF under control. The AF was controlled that evening, but other problems had arisen that needed to be addressed. When the pacemaker was installed, my fluid retention medicine stopped working, and I gained ten pounds in less than five days. After two days, a combination of drugs was found that started the pump flowing again.

On Wednesday morning at 0500 hours, I was awakened by a nurse who said the area was under a tornado warning. Everyone was moved in to the hall for more protection. That warning did not result in a tornado hitting Athens.

At 1200 hours on Wednesday, another tornado warning was announced for the area. Back in to the hall. This tornado did hit the area, causing deaths, injuries, and destruction.

At 1700 hours, another warning, which resulted in another hit for the area. More deaths, injuries, and destruction. We were trying to be released from the hospital at that time, so it was rather hectic.

One of the tornadoes that hit in the afternoon destroyed the neighborhood where we lived in the 1980s, including a home we had built that we thought was going to be our retirement home.

We finally got home about 2000 hours, where we had no damage, but there was not any electricity. No problem, at least we were safe, and I was doing better.

We saw things that day I don't care to see again. Large amounts of debris fell for hours, including sheet metal, tree parts, insulation, and just about anything else we use in a modern world.

We got everything ready to go to Atlanta the next morning, when we left for my doctor's appointment over there. Leaving at 0500 hours in the morning, we were at the doctor's office a few minutes early. After doing the paperwork, we were called back for a complete examination and personal history. Then, the doctor said he had hope to offer me, which made us feel good, because we had no hope before. He explained my disease again, and said he had several treatment options that had promise for me. The rest of the day was spent with tests, x-rays, and scheduling.

We spent the night in Atlanta, and arrived home Friday afternoon. The electricity was
still off, with no idea when it would come back on. Still, we felt we were fortunate. Many people lost loved ones, had injuries, or lost everything they owned.

Saturday was spent resting and trying to catch up with things that had been ignored all week. The electricity came back on about 1730 hours that night while we were gone to get supper. Nice surprise to come back to. Carolyn put it very well when she the power being off wasn't hard, just inconvenient. We did lose everything in the refrigerator and freezer, but still count ourselves fortunate.

Today was more resting and catching up. I think we're getting there, just in time to back to Atlanta on Tuesday for more testing.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Tuscaloosa, Alabama: Together We Can Build A Bridge To The Future

Not all who wander are lost.

Buffet

2011-04-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy skies, windy

It looks as though Janie is not going to help her big brother by pulling the RV with the truck for us. I thought I was starting to sway her, but apparently not. It's not like she doesn't have a husband to take care of or a job that she likes a lot. Oh, wait. That's probably why she won't do it. Her husband Wayne is a great fellow, but is a homebody who doesn't like to travel. plus, she is a paralegal with many years of experience. Dadgum it, as Bobby Bowden would say.

I took another short walk this morning, in the ongoing attempt to build myself back up somewhat. I was going to walk again in the afternoon, but my temperature spiked again, as a result of the pacemaker being installed last Tuesday. It was easier to recover from the spike this time, since we knew what to do to bring the temperature back down. After an hour, it was barely above normal, and I felt much better. It is so important to have a person to help me at times like this, and Carolyn is a tireless taskmaster when it comes to getting me to do what I need. Thank you, Dear.

At lunch, we went to a local buffet for lunch, where I couldn't find anything on the buffet that tempted my appetite. Looking on the regular menu, I found a small sirloin steak with a baked potato that worked just fine, especially with the restaurant not putting any salt on it. So, that was what I had, being able to eat about half of it. I brought the rest home for another time.

Janie will be going home tomorrow, unless we can find a way to keep her here. She has been great company for us, and we enjoyed catching up with what's happening in her life. She has a fantastic attitude about life, and plans to work as long as she feels that she's useful. I can never see Janie not being useful to her employer, so we'll see how long she does it. I expect to be around for her retirement party, many years in the future.

I have to have lab work performed tomorrow in Athens, at which time I will try to see my doctor to firm up my appointment to see an Amyloidosis specialist at Emory University in Atlanta.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - New Paltz, New York: The Heart Of Ulster County

Not all who wander are lost.

Small Crisis Last Night

2011-04-23T22:46:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy skies, breezy

I'm still working on convincing Janie to pull the RV with our truck, as we travel and see the country. It seems like a perfectly logical thing for her to do for her big brother, but she still resists the idea. However, I do sense that I'm wearing her resistance down. The only problem is that she's leaving Monday, so I may run out of time. Maybe I'll at least plant the seed of acceptance for down the road.

Speaking of Janie, Carolyn took a picture of Janie and myself. I don't know if you can tell or not, but I have had a lot of weight loss that I'm trying to stop. Another consequence of Amyloidosis.

Here's the latest picture of Janie and Carolyn. I'm surrounded by good looking women, and on top of that, they are good people. I love them dearly, as I do the rest of my family.

,

After I posted the blog last night, I began having a fever with chills and pain. The fever was high enough that we called my niece Traci, who is trained as a trauma nurse. She said I needed to start walking in the house, take a pain pill, wash my body with a cold wash cloth, and drink fluids. Along with all that, I called the emergency number that I was given to call if any of the things I listed above occurred. Unfortunately, it took about three hours to get a call back from a doctor, and by then the fever had lowered somewhat, and the pain had eased. He told me that I probably had an infection from the surgery earlier this week. His advice was to continue all the things I had started, and if the temperature went back up, he would call in a prescription for antibiotics for me. Traci was a great help to me, even if it was over the telephone.

After a relatively easy night, my fever was gone, as was the heat around the incision. I woke up hungry for breakfast, which Carolyn prepared for me. It was the most I had eaten in quite some time, and I've decided that I will try to eat as much for breakfast as possible to make up for the lack of appetite later in the day. It seemed to work today, and I feel much better than I did last night.

I went for two short walks in the neighborhood today, and Janie went along to keep me company. The total distance walked was probably just under a mile, but I'm grateful for anything I can do. My goal is to keep doing the short walks in an effort to build myself up enough that when I seek further treatment for the disease that I'll be a viable candidate.

Tomorrow, we'll be going to a buffet in Athens for Easter lunch. I'm looking forward to trying several different dishes in an effort to find more food that I can eat. Wish me luck.

I still have anther day to work on Janie about pulling the RV. As I said, I think her resistance is wearing down.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hood River, Oregon: Wind Surfing Capital Of America

Not all who wander are lost.

Pain Medicine

2011-04-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 61 degrees, high 79 degrees, partly cloudy skies, windy

My sister Janie is staying with us a couple days during her visit to north Alabama. Judy brought her over just after lunch, and we spent most of the rest of the day getting caught up with what's happening with each other's life, including our children. And grandchildren. Don't want to forget them.

I had a rough night from a sleeping standpoint because my arm and shoulder were aching from the pacemaker implantation. Today, we went to town and had a prescription filled that should take care of the pain tonight. I don't like to take pain medication, but I can't get by with no more sleep than I got last night.

I have been steadily receiving e-mails from the Amyloidosis support group that I joined yesterday. Every message has been a positive expression of support, which is important to receive. And, many of the messages offer suggestions for treatment options that we didn't know existed.

The nurse for my doctor in Athens called today, and said that she had gathered all the records on my case in order to be able to send them to Emory University in Atlanta, where I expect to be going in the near future for further evaluation of my case. Thank God I have medical professionals here who are taking such an interest in my case. I was not happy at all with what happened a couple weeks ago in Birmingham when I saw the doctor there. I may have gone down there for the wrong reason, which was to make it more convenient for family. Future care will be based on what's best for me.

Traci mowed our yard today, so it doesn't look like we need to get a herd of goats to eat it down.

We ate supper tonight at Ruby Tuesday's, where I found a meal that only had about 200 mg of sodium. I'm not going to say it was tasty, because I couldn't taste it. I ate what I could and brought the rest home, where I'll try to eat more tomorrow.

Since I can't drive for another eleven days, Janie drove into town in my truck. She had never driven anything as big as that, but she did good.

Hmmmmm. I wonder if she would be interested in pulling the RV down the road?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Vicksburg, Mississippi: Red Carpet City Of The South

Not all who wander are lost.

Surprise Visitor

2011-04-21T22:45:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 54 degrees, high 66 degrees, cloudy

Even though I woke about every two hours last night, I felt that I slept pretty well, compared to the past few months. I didn't have to get up and stay up, being able to sleep on my back as well as my right side. Sleeping on my back is an obvious improvement that the pacemaker seems to have made.

While I was in the hospital, I was restricted to a heart healthy diet, which apparently didn't scrimp on the sodium. As a result, I gained more than four pounds of water weight in two days, which I am now in the process of trying to remove. Carolyn is cooking like I need, with low or no sodium, so I should see a difference in the next few days.

My activity level was low today, as I recover from the hospital stay. Tomorrow, I will start trying to do more, including walking within reason.

I had a huge surprise this afternoon, one that would be difficult to outdo. My baby sister Janie lives in Florida, and imagine my surprise when my sister Judy brought Janie to see me. She flew up for the weekend, and will go home on Monday. I've written many times about how important family is to me, and it was reiterated to me when Janie showed up. We had a very good visit, and she will be coming back tomorrow to spend a night or two with us. Great surprise!!!

I continue to hear from people who have us in their thoughts and prayers, and I want to say it is all appreciated.

Janie was kidding me that I needed to mow the yard, since it is a little ragged looking. That's just another indication of how badly I have been feeling. I'm hopeful I'll be feeling better soon so I can take care of it. I enjoy working in the yard, but now now.

One of my greatest pleasures now is browsing through some RV blogs that I follow on a routine basis. I'm living vicariously through other people's adventures, but I guess that's okay, since I hope that my blog has helped other RVers.

I joined an amyloidosis support group today in an effort to find information on what treatments are working and where I should go. My mailbox is already receiving messages, so it will be interesting to see what I can find out. One thing positive I found out is that Shand's Medical Center, a branch of the University of Florida, is active in research and treatment of the disease. One more resource I didn't know about.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Georgetown, Texas: Sincerely Yours

Not all who wander are lost.

Back Home

2011-04-20T22:35:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 72 degrees, cloudy, showers

I had the pacemaker installed yesterday, and the most immediate effect I noticed was that I was able to sleep for about five hours in the hospital last night. Plus, I was able to sleep on my back. It has been months since I could do that.

The doctor who performed the procedure said it went well, and he thinks I will notice an improvement in how I feel as I heal from the procedure. It seemed as though my appetite was better after the operation, but I noticed at lunch that some things still don't taste good that used to. Maybe that will get better with time.

I have to go back to Birmingham in six weeks for a followup. Several restrictions have been placed on what I can do the next two weeks, including no driving. I'm still optimistic about my future going forward. That was enhanced some today, when my doctor in Athens who found the disease called me at home. A biopsy sample was sent to Mayo Clinic for further refining of what type of amyloidosis I have. The doctor received the results today, and wanted to share them with me.

There are three basic types of amyloidosis: primary, AL, and genetic. The biopsy shows that I have the AL strain, which my doctor says gives more treatment options than the primary type does. He will be gathering information for the next two weeks on possible treatment plans and facilities. I will be seeing him at the end of that time, when we will discuss what to do going forward. That is the most encouraging thing I have heard since I was diagnosed, and gives us hope that something is going on that will benefit me.

In the meantime, we would like to thank all the folks who have been keeping us in their prayers and thoughts. You don't know how much it means to us.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chattanooga, Tennessee: Gateway To The South

Not all who wander are lost.

Back In Birmingham

2011-04-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

Birmingham, Alabama

Weather: low 41 degrees, high 71 degrees, mostly clear skies

We spent a little time this morning preparing for the trip to the hospital in Birmingham, then took off. As I noted, the weather was good, and traffic was not too bad. Near the Tennessee River, we saw the biggest fields of red clover that we had ever seen. Red blooms stretched across fields that had obviously been planted as a crop. Too bad we couldn't stop and take a picture.

The great RV migration north must have started today. We passed literally hundreds of RVs of all types. It was fun to imagine where they might be headed. Alaska? Nova Scotia? New England? Points unknown? I wonder how many of them are heading to their summer base after a winter in the south? How many of them are just following their noses? That sounds like fun to me.

We got into Birmingham and checked in at our hotel, within easy walking distance of the University Hospital. After a late lunch, we made sure we knew where to go in the morning. The last thing I want to be doing is trying to find out where to go and only having five minutes to get there. No problem with that now, and we might even be able to get a shuttle from the hotel to the hospital.

I have to be at the hospital at 0600 hours in the morning, which means we have to get up at 0430 hours. Ouch! That brings back memories of when I was working. But, I'm hopeful the pacemaker that is being implanted will help me feel better. Once I've recovered from that, we're going to evaluate what to do next in an effort to find more relief from the disease. With all the information I'm receiving from people who are helping me look, I should be able to find some possibilities that have promise.

I don't know if I'll be able to post tomorrow, but I will be back for sure once we get home late Wednesday afternoon.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Birmingham, Alabama: The Magic City

Not all who wander are lost.

Cold This Morning

2011-04-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies

Brrrrr! Did you notice the low temperature last night? I sure felt it when I got out of the warm bed this morning, and the warmth from the gas log felt good. Could this be the long awaited Blackberry Winter?

In all the stuff going on with me being sick, I don't think I've given enough credit to Carolyn for helping me with it as she has. She must have been a medical person of some sort in a former life, because she seems to have a sense of what to do to help me when I'm having a difficult time. In addition, she helps me maintain a healthy sense of optimism. And I haven't even mentioned how hard she works to prepare foods for me that are low sodium, healthy, and taste good. That's a trick in itself. This morning, she heard me getting up. By the time I was dressed and came into the kitchen, she had prepared fresh fruit, eggs, and a real treat for me, two slices of low sodium bacon. Total sodium content for the meal: 170 mg. That's really good for a meal that was tasty and healthy. I have limited myself to less than 500 mg of sodium a day, so that left plenty to stretch over the rest of the day.

Thank you, Dear, for all that you do.

After breakfast, we lazed around until about 1100 hours when we planted some annual flowers that Traci gave us. The flowers were placed in a large planter that we can move wherever we want it, including the screened porch. While we were at it, Carolyn trimmed the roses that she planted about three weeks ago. The roses had some dead blooms on them, and trimming should promote more blooms.

My brother Terrell called this morning, and we had a good conversation about all sorts of things. Kathy is back on the chemo, and it is giving her fits. We really feel for her, and hope she can get a break from it soon. She needs to gain some weight. Eat up, Kathy!

Then, my baby sister Janie called. She sent me a funny greeting card last week, which I really appreciated. Another good telephone call from one of the people that are important in my life.

We will be going to Birmingham tomorrow so we can spend the night there in a hotel. Then, we have to be at the UAB hospital at 0600 hours Tuesday morning to have a pacemaker implanted in an effort to relieve some of the strain on my heart caused by the amyloidosis. If everything goes well, and we expect it to, I should feel better with more energy and strength. Once I'm over the procedure, we will be evaluating what steps to take next in my fight against the disease.

Judy and Roger are going with us to the hospital, and we appreciate all the help they have been during this time of illness. It is so nice to have family around at a
time like this.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Grants, New Mexico: Uranium City, USA

Not all who wander are lost.

Whirlwind

2011-04-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 46 degrees, high 52 degrees, cloudy, windy - cold day!

The rain that came through yesterday was timely, since I had put out some weed and feed fertilizer on the yard. This afternoon, I noticed that some of the weeds were already looking a little limp and sick. Maybe what I did will give the grass a fighting chance against the weeds.

Since I am going into the hospital next Tuesday to have a pacemaker installed, Carolyn sprang into action this morning, acting as though we had company coming to visit. She made like a whirlwind through the house, cleaning places I hadn't even thought about. I helped where I could, mainly by hanging on and trying not to get blown away by the whirlwind. Eventually, I found an excuse to go to town to get some dog repellent to keep neighborhood dogs out of the flower beds.

In addition to the cleaning, Carolyn finished another piece of furniture. She did an outstanding job, and the pieces she has finished so far look like store bought pieces.

When I first found out about my disease, the information I found gave few options for treatment. John, my son-in-law, has a sister who works in the research department at Georgia Tech. John told her about my disease, and asked if she knew about any research being performed on the issue. She was familiar with the disease, and pulled up information on 122 research items going on at this time. That information is going to be made available, and anything new that comes up will be passed on. I feel blessed that I have people trying to help me, as well as keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. Once I get over the installation of the pacemaker, we will evaluate where I am as far as feeling better. As soon as I can handle it, we will be getting a second opinion on what my options are beyond the pacemaker.

I have given much thought as to whether I should announce my disease on the blog, beyond saying what I have so far. I've come to the conclusion that since the disease is usually so difficult to detect that it would be doing a disservice to someone else reading the blog that might be having the same issues that I have been, yet the doctors couldn't find the problem. Having said all this, the name of my disease is amyloidosis. Rather than try to explain what it is or means, I will leave it to the individual reader to find the information on the Internet.

I will say that if anyone is having problems getting a problem diagnosed, don't be shy about getting other doctors involved. I shudder to think what might have happened if we hadn't found the doctor here who diagnosed me. I had several wrong diagnoses prior to coming here. I'm not angry about the missed opportunities to diagnose the disease sooner, but am disappointed. I trusted the doctors to help me, and they didn't. If the disease had been diagnosed sooner, I might have had more options.

I hope this post wasn't too much of a downer, but if I can help someone else with the same problem, then it will have been worth it.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Binghamton, New York: The Parlor City

Not all who wander are lost.

Squeaky Wheel

2011-04-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 57 degrees, high 59 degrees, cloudy, rain all day, and everything that goes with bad weather in the south in the spring

We didn't get much done on our list of things to do today, since most of the items need good weather to complete. Besides, after three fairly busy days, it was time for a little rest.

About 0815 hours, I received a telephone call from the surgery scheduling nurse at the facility that will be doing my heart pacemaker implant. She apologized for it taking so long to contact me about my surgery, and was very helpful in telling me what I needed to do to get ready for the procedure. She said she had a slot open for next Tuesday, and wanted to know if I wanted to take it. Of course I said yes, since it has been impressed on me how important it is to get this done as soon as possible. So, I am set up for the procedure to be performed next Tuesday early in the morning. I will have to remain in the hospital overnight, then go home on Wednesday. We have hopes that the pacemaker will make a difference in a positive way for my quality of life. I know that it won't solve all my issues, but at least this should be a good start.

Does the quick response today after me complaining yesterday about not hearing from the scheduling nurse mean that the squeaky wheel gets the grease? I don't know, but I have a feeling that if I hadn't said anything, I would be waiting until the cows came home.

Even though we couldn't work on our to do list, we still did a few housekeeping chores. Those things never go away, and Carolyn does not like to wait on them to be done. In addition, we went in to town to the local Publix store and bought some groceries, looking primarily for low and no sodium foods. Does anyone realize how hard it is to eat a diet that has no salt, or very little? I think that as s nation, we have become accustomed to eating out, take out, or convenience foods at grocery stores. About the only foods that don't have much sodium are non-processed, which means that much more cooking is being done in our house. That's tough on someone like me, who loved to try out new restaurants. When we did cook at home, we had old standby recipes we both liked that required more sodium than what I can have now. Hopefully, the pacemaker will help with that, in that we may have more latitude with the sodium.

While we were tn town, we noticed several RVs on the interstate and US highways. That was surprising to us, since we made it a habit to be sitting somewhere when bad weather was upon us. I felt that traveling in heavy rain was too dangerous, and it wasn't fun at all. Besides, the RV will get filthy in rain. I guess some people are in a hurry.

Our daughter Terri lives in Tuscaloosa, where the worse of the weather hit today. They had several tornadoes in and around the area today, but nothing hit where she lives. We were in constant contact with her as all this was going on, and kept her posted on what the Weather Channel was saying, as she was hanging out in the bathroom, the safest room in the house. We're thankful that nothing happened where she was.

I received something unexpected in the mail today, a greeting card from my baby sister Janie, who lives near Lakeland, Florida. It was a nice gesture on her part designed to keep my spirits up, and I appreciate it. We hope to see you soon in Florida, Janie.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Lakeland, Florida: A True Sense of Place

Not all who wander are lost.

Chore Progress

2011-04-14T22:54:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 45 degrees, high 76 degrees, clear skies

Our busy day yesterday made us a little slow to get going this morning. Both of us were so tired last night that we were asleep before 2200 hours. Sleeping early didn't help as far as my sleeping problems, but I was still able to get enough sleep that it didn't bother me today. No sandy feeling eyes or everything looking like it had a yellow haze around it. That sound familiar to anyone who's had trouble sleeping before?

Once we finally got some energy going, I finished putting fertilizer and weed killer on the lawn. That only took me a couple hours to finish, when in the past, I could have done it in a half hour. At least I can still do some things.

Carolyn completed staining and finishing the piece of furniture she was working on yesterday, plus started another piece. The first piece turned out well, so it was a good investment. She thinks she will complete all the pieces by next Monday, if some projected weather coming through here tomorrow doesn't slow her down. In her spare time, she planted some bulbs, which is a little late for this year. But, she'll get to enjoy them next year. The important thing was to get them in the ground.

My brother-in-law Roger came by for a visit about midday. Judy and Traci had to go to Birmingham, so he spent some time with us. He and I decided to go McDonald's and get a fish filet sandwich for lunch, one of the few things I can still eat at that restaurant. I think we might start getting together every week for lunch. We had a good visit, and it was nice to sit and talk to a person I consider not only my brother-in-law, but one of my best friends. We are fortunate to have Judy, Roger, and Traci here as we go through my medical problems.

Speaking of medical problems, when I saw the specialist in Birmingham last week, he said I needed a pacemaker installed as soon as possible. I agreed to the pacemaker, and urged them to get me in to the hospital quickly so it could be done. That was a week ago yesterday, and I have still not heard from anyone about when the procedure will be performed. This past Monday, I called and asked that I receive a call back that day letting me know what the status was, which was agreed to. I heard nothing.

Today, I called again, expressing my concern that nothing seemed to be happening as far as setting up my appointment for the procedure. Could it have fallen through the cracks? Did I need to go to another facility? I was assured that the doctor's nurse was going to check into what was going on, and I would get a call back today. Well, guess what? No call today. What am I expected to think? This facility is supposed to be ranked in the top ten in the US. I have to say they are not showing me anything. If I don't hear something soon, I will be talking to my doctor in Athens about having the procedure performed in Huntsville. I don't feel like I can afford to wait, even if the facility in Birmingham is rated as highly as it is. We're talking about my health and life here.

RVing is a lot more fun than this.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Boulder City, Nevada: A World Away For A Day

Not all who wander are lost.

Lists

2011-04-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 45 degrees, high 72 degrees, clear skies

I wonder how many people use lists to keep up with what they have to do? We use them and I used them when I was working to ensure I didn't miss something that was important. Lately, we have slacked off on a lot of things, and the use of lists to keep us focused was one of them. So, yesterday we resolved to get our rear ends in gear and start doing the things that we feel are important. Like, start a list of things to do, work the list, and keep it updated.

The first order of business was to generate a list, naturally. After about 20 items, Carolyn said that's enough for now. However, both of us added more items during the day, and now we have about 30 items, even after working off a few.

Today, Carolyn worked on some cleaning that she felt was important. After she was satisfied with that chore, she asked me to move an unfinished night stand from one of the guest bedrooms to the garage so she could sand it down and put stain and a polyurethane sealer on it. She finished that by the end of the day, but will probably put another coat on it tomorrow. Oh, and she experimented with making a copy of the frozen Starbucks mocha latte' that they sell in their stores. It wasn't bad, but both of us agreed it needs more work. She'll tweak her recipe tomorrow.

I, on the other hand, did manly things all day. My pace was much slower than in the past, but after sleeping better last night, I had enough energy to do a few things. The first chore I did was flush the water heater, which had probably never been done in this house. I had a little trouble with the drain valve on the water heater getting clogged up, but that eventually worked itself out.

While I was working on the water heater, I decided to change the bottom heating element. It has been burned out since we have been in the house. Getting another element required a trip to town to the plumbing store, where I bought an element and a tool to change it with for a total of $13.95. Not bad as far as cost for something that a plumber might have charged $150 or more to do.

After lunch and resting, I decided to tackle spreading fertilizer and weed killer on the lawn. In the past, that job would have taken me about 45 minutes. Today, I worked on it for almost two hours and still have about 1/3 of the yard to finish. I'll do that tomorrow, if I'm up to it.

So everyone won't think I was slacking off while Carolyn was working, I helped her when she needed it. Doing these little jobs today made us think about how easy the RV is to take care of, compared to a house. There are things that have to be done in an RV to keep everything working, but it is so self-contained that it just seems easier.

Both of us are tired tonight, but there is a sense that we have control of what we need to do, and now we have a list to help us stay straight.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Annetta, Texas: The Friendly City

Not all who wander are lost.

High Fuel Prices

2011-04-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 53 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies, breezy

The weather has cooled off again, much to Carolyn's delight. The low tonight is supposed to be near 40 degrees. Could this be the long awaited blackberry winter?

Last night was the worse for me in several weeks. It was difficult to sleep, and near morning, I started having problems breathing. That was the end of any sleep for me. I spent the morning lazing around, trying to get some energy up so I could do something productive. I will be glad when the pacemaker is installed. It may not solve all my problems, but I'm hopeful some of the symptoms will be relieved.

After lunch, I decided to go to town to run a few little errands that I have been putting off. Carolyn decided to stay at home, since my sleepless nights are starting to affect her.

My first stop was at Lowe's, where I bought some caulking. We need to do a little caulking around some windows, and I think I can do that if I take my time. In addition, I bought some weed and feed fertilizer for the lawn, since the weeds are making a serious attempt to take over. There were a couple other items I was going to get, but I thought the prices would be cheaper at the WalMart Mall.

Leaving Lowe's, I drove around the corner to the Mall. I was right about lower prices on the other items I needed, so it was a good decision to go the mall. It seemed as though there were a lot of cars in the parking lot, but the store didn't seem that busy.

On the way home, I stopped at a gas station to fill up with diesel. I try to fill up before I get below a half tank. That makes me feel a little better about the price of fuel, but not much. I paid $3.899 a gallon today, and that was about the cheapest around. It'll probably be higher tomorrow.

Speaking of fuel prices, why is it that the US does not take advantage of all the energy sources we have in our country, instead of sending all that money to countries that wish we would disappear from the face of the earth? It just doesn't make sense to me. Much like not controlling our borders doesn't make sense. Both political parties are to blame.

Back in 2008 when fuel prices got up to almost $5.00 a gallon, I began to think that the price would stay high from then on. Then, with the economy failing, prices went down to as low as $1.60 a gallon. I knew that wouldn't last, but it was nice for awhile. I wonder how low it will go in the future? It's hard to believe it will drop much.

Carolyn is getting good at cooking with low or no salt recipes. She uses a lot of spices to make up for the salt, and is even eating the same thing as me in an effort to make me feel better about what I have to eat. I appreciate her trying to eat like I do, but is there any reason for both of us to be miserable about the diet?

Tuesday night is one of the best nights for television as far as I'm concerned. NCIS is on, and starting tonight, the new episodes of Deadliest Catch begin. That's one of the best reality shows on television, and I admire what those guys do in cold, wet, dangerous conditions.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Childersburg, Alabama: The Oldest City In America…1540

Not all who wander are lost.

Messed Up Sleep

2011-04-11T22:31:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy to mostly cloudy, breezy, showers late in the afternoon

It is so aggravating to be sleeping soundly an hour after going to bed, then wake up to go to the restroom and not being able to go back to sleep for two hours. Then, wake up again two hours later and repeat the whole cycle. This disease I'm fighting has got my sleep patterns all messed up.

We needed to go buy a few groceries, but it seemed to take all morning to get up enough gumption to get out the door. We finally left home about 1100 hours, and went to Wendy's, where I was able to get a baked potato with the trimmings and unsweetened tea for lunch. Total sodium - 50 mg. I stopped at a store on the way in and picked up a salt substitute in an effort to get a little more taste in the food, and it wasn't too bad. Carolyn had the baked potato, but also some chicken nuggets. She can use real salt, so I'm sure her meal was better than mine.

After lunch, we stopped at the WalMart Mall and spent some time looking at food labels for nutritional values, primarily sodium content. I don't worry about calories or fat, since it wouldn't hurt me to gain a little weight. However, we have found that if the sodium content is low enough for me, the food is usually low in most other things. It's a continual quandary trying to find food that tastes good.

When we got home, we decided to have a homemade tomato pasta sauce, along with pasta, naturally. It wasn't as good as the sauce in a jar, but again, not bad. We have already thought of some things we can do to spice the sauce up.

Several weeks ago, I contacted the person who sold the house to us about him fulfilling the terms of the contract. Since then, I either didn't hear from the seller, or he offered excuses for not doing what he was supposed to do. The result was that the work was still not done.

This past Saturday, I finally had enough, and went to see him again. I think I made a deep enough impression on him this time, as I was very definite in telling him that I thought we had given him more than enough time to do the work, and I needed to know when it was going to be completed. He assured me he would get on it today. I replied that's fine, but that he had said that before, and nothing happened. Again, I stressed that we wanted the work completed as soon as possible. Today, the seller called me to say that the company where he bought the material was no longer handling that material, and he was going to have to find a new supplier. That tells me this is the first time he has made any effort to do what he was supposed to back in December, and it really ticked me off. I will give him a short time to get back to me. If he doesn't, I will be seeing an attorney. That's something I would rather not do, but may be the only avenue I have to get the contract honored.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chiefland, Florida: Gem of the Suwanee Valley

Not all who wander are lost.

Terri Went Home

2011-04-10T22:48:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degree, high 82 degrees, clear skies

When our daughters visited us in the past, we always tried to have a number of things scheduled to do in the area. The last few visits, I have been unable to do much, and the girls have shown no inclination to do much of anything but stay close and visit. This weekend's visit by Terri was the same, as she didn't leave home except when we went out to eat. I'm so glad they understand my current limitations. I'm hopeful that implanting a pacemaker will make a big difference in how I feel and what I'm able to do. I would sure like to be able to go visit them with the RV!

Terri left in the mid-afternoon, as she and Thomas had to get back to Tuscaloosa to check on their cat. It was a good visit, very low-key, which is the way I would like to keep them. We had a lot of good conversations, and she gave me some good tips on alternative foods and diets, as well as found some information on the web about salt substitutes.

After Terri left, I treated Carolyn to a mocha latte' at McDonald's. I had an ice cream cone and unsweetend tea. I know my choices probably don't make a lot of sense, but it works for me. At least they are low sodium.

Speaking of low sodium, I have not had any food with added sodium for the last five days. Can you imagine how plain grits taste with out salt? Last night, I had baby back ribs with a dry rub that only had 150 mg of sodium, total. Of course, there was no sauce, and the meat was a little plain tasting, but it tasted good to me. I had enough left for lunch today.

This afternoon, we watched the Master's Golf Tournament. Imagine our surprise when I turned it on to find that Tiger Woods had played himself in to contention. Only one problem - he ran out of holes, while the players behind him kept playing well. It was an exciting tournament, and probably one of the best Master's in some time.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Brazoria, Texas: Home Of The No Name Festival

Not all who wander are lost.

Ruby Tuesday, Twice

2011-04-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 66 degrees, high 80 degrees, clear skies, breezy

It was another beautiful day in north Alabama. Could it be that we're going to skip blackberry winter?

We spent the morning visiting with Terri, catching up on what's been happening with her. At lunch time, we decided to go out to lunch. The question we had was where could we go that I could get food that wasn't full of sodium. Terri suggested Ruby Tuesday, so I looked at their nutritional values for their offerings. I found sirloin steak with a baked potato and steamed broccoli for less than 300 mg of sodium. That worked for me, so off we went to Athens.

There was hardly anyone in the restaurant, even though it was almost noon. When our food was served, I checked it out to make sure there was no salt, and then started eating. Now, I haven't found anything to replace salt yet, but my lunch was not bad. It could be that I'm getting used to no salt. Carolyn and Terri said their food was good, also.

When we left the restaurant, we stopped at a health food store to see if they had any salt substitutes. The clerk said we have sea salt. Well, duh, that's still salt. Anyway, the answer was no salt substitute at the health food store. Strange.

On the way home, we stopped at the library and exchanged our books. It was the first time that Terri had been to this library since we left the area over 20 years ago. She said it was like stepping back in time, because the biggest change was the availability of computers for people to use.

After getting home, rest was in order for the rest of the day, until we decided to go back to Ruby Tuesday for supper. I thought if they had something I could eat for lunch, maybe I could find something for supper. Looking the menu over after checking the sodium levels on the net, I decided to try the dry rub baby back ribs. Along with grilled green beans and french fries, all with no salt. Again, I was able to eat well, without much sodium. Still, I miss the salt. I never ate a lot of salt, in the past, but when you've been told to reduce the amount of salt you eat as much as possible, it makes you aware of how much salt is in our everyday food.

The evening was spent reading, watching television, and surfing the web. Nice and relaxed.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Kosciusko, Mississippi: A Great Place To Live

Not all who wander are lost.

Met Another Neighbor

2011-04-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy skies

Both of us were tired today after the road trip yesterday. I wanted to do some painting on the screened porch trim, but couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm to do it. My rationale was that the recent rain probably wet the wood too much for painting. I don't know what excuse I'll use tomorrow.

Carolyn did some more genealogy today, finding a possible link to another ancestor on my father's side that we had never heard of before. She's still checking the possible connection, making sure there is something valid there. I hope there is, since that would give us another possible route to take my paternal line back beyond the 1850s.

We met another neighbor today, a former NYC cop who retired to the area about 20 years ago. Jonah is a typical New Yorker who has lived in the south long enough to pick up many of the same mannerisms that we associate with southern people. He loves it here, and says he would never consider moving back to the city. He owns 85 acres of land up near the Tennessee state line, and invited us to use it for shooting, picnics, or whatever. Very nice guy, just like every one else we have met here. To top it off, we had some common memories of the city and Hudson River valley, since we were up there for 15 months about ten years ago. It was a great experience living there.

Terri and Thomas came up for a weekend visit from Tuscaloosa, arriving about 1800 hours. We served them some of my famous Oriental Beef Stew for supper, and they said it was good. I have no idea if it was or not, since I couldn't taste the nuances of flavors that are usually present.

I'm having to watch my sodium intake, so I had broiled fish, along with yellow and zucchini squash, and broccoli. It wasn't as good as it might have been with a little salt, but I guess it'll have to do. I did put some seasoning packet stuff that the doctors gave me on the food , but that stuff is a far cry from salt. The fish was prepared with garlic, black pepper, onion powder, dill, parsley, paprika, and a little lemon juice, and wasn't bad at all, even without salt.

Tonight was the first time we have used the air conditioning since we moved here. Carolyn is already fussing about the weather being too warm.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hutto, Texas: Official Hippo Community Of Texas

Not all who wander are lost.

Little Road Trip

2011-04-07T22:30:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 46 degrees, high 70 degrees, mostly clear skies

After the news we received from the doctor at UAB yesterday, you'll never guess what we did today. Well, maybe you'll guess if you know us at all.

We got out of bed at the usual time, had breakfast, and did some talking about what we were told yesterday. Talking about it is not off-limits to us, because what we're facing is life, in it's most basic form. But, that's not what I was talking about doing earlier.

We got in the truck and went on a road trip. Yep, that's right, a road trip. Being on the road makes us happy, and we felt we needed to do something that we like after all the stress we have been under. The trip was not as long as some we did when I was healthier, but it made us feel good again about the possibilities of life.

For some time, we've been wanting to go on the Natchez Trace again, and travel a part of it that we had never been on. The portion we drove on today was from near Summertown, Tennessee, to near Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Getting there was most of the fun of the trip.

We left Elkmont and drove north to Pulaski, Tennessee, where we took US 64 west to Lawrenceburg. This little town has the most decentralized downtown we have ever seen. Almost all the town appears to straggle along US 43, running north and south.

We stopped in Lawrenceburg at McDonald's so I could get a fish sandwich, one of the few things that still tastes good to me. Along with unsweetend tea, that was lunch for me, and not too bad.

After lunch, we continued north on US 43, seeing several Amish horse and buggy teams along the way. No pictures, as we saw them too late. I have to admire these people for standing by their beliefs in this world of temptation. We eventually turned west and drove toward the Trace, eventually coming to what we thought was one of the highlights of the trip, Yoder's Store. This store is located in the middle of nowhere, and is run by a Mennonite family. Imagine our surprise to find that they had a large inventory of dried fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and home canned jellies and relishes, along with all types of other stuff that's hard to find. We bought several items, including a natural granola bar that was very tasty. I wish we had bought a half dozen. To top off the great place we found, the prices were what I would consider very reasonable.

Continuing on to the Trace, we entered the Trace at the Meriwether Lewis Memorial Area. Now, here's where we learned the history lesson for today. Lewis (of Lewis and Clark fame) was traveling from Louisiana to Washington, DC, when he stopped for the night at this point on the Trace. That night, he was shot under mysterious circumstances and died the next day. He was buried in a cemetery near the Tavern, where the State of Tennessee erected a monument over his grave. Here's a picture of the monument where Lewis is buried.

And, here's a picture of the plaque detailing what happened.

After leaving the Meriwether site, we drove south on the Trace at the speed limit of 50 mph. This section of the Trace doesn't seem to have as much of interest as other sections we have driven, but the natural beauty and quiet of the road was enough to make us happy with it. One thing that did stand out was the beauty of the dogwood, red bud, and wild plum trees. Here's an example.

By the time we got to the Lewisburg exit, we were ready to head home. Our total drive on the Trace wasn't that long, but it helped us get rid of some wanderlust. I think you'll see us doing this more often as a way to fight the downer news that we sometimes get. We're tired tonight, but it's a good tired.

Hmmmm. I wonder what we can get in to tomorrow?

Today's Town - Lawrenceburg, Tennessee: The Home Of Southern Gospel Music

More later, be safe.

Not all who wander are lost.

Doctor's Appointment In Birmingham

2011-04-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 35 degrees, high 65 degrees, clear skies, frost this morning

The day for the doctor's appointment in Birmingham finally arrived, and I was more than ready for it to happen. Judy and Roger had to go to the same general area for Roger to see his pulmonary specialist, so they invited us to go with them. What a help they were in finding the clinic we needed to go to! We would have been lost in all that hustle and bustle, but they knew exactly where we needed to go. Thank God we had their help. And the company on the ride there and back was good.

We arrived in Birmingham early enough that Judy asked that we all go the cafeteria for breakfast at the VA hospital. I had eaten before we left, but Carolyn ordered something, since she wasn't hungry before we left home. After eating, Judy took us to the Kirklin Clinic, which serves just about every specialty known to man, with about 500 doctors under one roof.

The place was bustling, but the staff seemed to be able to pull order out of the people, doing what I thought was a pretty good job of getting people to where they needed to be and served. My first stop was at the lab, where they pulled enough blood to keep Dracula happy for half a night or so. Next, I had an EKG performed, then moved to another area where I had the most complete echocardiogram performed that I have ever had.

After all that was finished, the results were interpreted by specialists on the spot. Then, I was called in to see my primary specialist, Dr. Bourge. I had heard many good things about him, and had seen his picture before, but was really impressed with the way he came in and introduced himself. Then, he dropped the bomb.

After meeting and greeting was out of the way, I was told I have a very bad disease. He explained where I was at in the progression of the disease, and it appears that some doctors may have missed an opportunity to diagnose the disease sooner. Like, 2-3 years ago, when it was just starting to grab me. I think it may be understandable that a diagnosis may have been missed, since this is such a rare disease. But, I'm still disappointed that I didn't have better results than what I did. Maybe I could have gotten treatment sooner and slowed down the progression of the disease. As I mentioned before, there is no cure, but in many cases it can be slowed with an increase in quality of life.

At this point, the disease has affected the electrical signals to my heart to such an extent that he recommended I have a pacemaker installed as soon as possible. Another option he offered was to do nothing, and my heart would stop pumping to the point that, as he said, I would drown. I agreed to the pacemaker, obviously, and the appointments are being set up for as soon as possible. Dr. Bourge thinks the pacemaker will help my quality of life, and relieve some of my symptoms. At this point, I'll be thankful for any help I can get. The pacemaker will be installed one day, I'll stay in the hospital overnight for observation, then go home the next day.

The pacemaker is not a cure-all for the disease I have, but if it can help me feel better, I'll be happy. The doctor did not give much hope for alternative treatment because of my age and the advanced stage of the disease. He did say he was the resident expert on the disease and keeps up on all the new treatments that arise, and he would call me if he heard of anything that might help. He also offered to help me with any second opinions that I might want to pursue. At this time, I haven't decided on second opinions, since I think it is important to have the pacemaker installed quickly.

The next question that comes up is how will this affect my daily life, and does this mean the end of RVing for us? Those questions remain to be answered, but we are hopeful that the pacemaker will give me the energy and strength to want to be out on the road at least part time. If the doctor advises against it, we'll face that when the time comes. In the meantime, the RV is in safe storage, waiting patiently for us.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Birmingham, Alabama: The Pittsburgh Of The South

Not all who wander are lost.

Ice Cream And Moche Frappe'

2011-04-05T22:32:00.002-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low degrees, high degrees, clear skies, breezy, chilly

The weather today is a far cry from what we went through yesterday. The rain continued until about midnight, and it feels like winter around here again. Carolyn loves the cool weather.

My doctor's appointment for Thursday was moved to today, so that meant I had to go see the doctor who performed the biopsy on me last Thursday. He said everything looked good, and I didn't have to go see him any more. Okay, one doctor down, how many to go?

After leaving the doctor's office, we went to lunch at Mickey D's, primarily because I have found I can eat their fish filet sandwich. Along with unsweetened tea, it was food that tastes much like what I remember. As I have said before, most of the food that used to be my favorites no longer tastes good. It's great to find something that still allows my taste buds to operate like they should.

After lunch, we stopped at the WalMart Mall for a few things we needed. It's amazing how little we buy now that my eating choices are so restricted. I have to make sure Carolyn gets what she needs, since it's so difficult to cook for me.

On the way home, we stopped back at Mickey D's and got us a treat to have on the road. I had ice cream (I can still eat certain ones), and picked up a mocha frappe', for Carolyn, which she loves. I'm not a coffee drinker, but this frappe' doesn't taste bad. I might get myself one next time.

Tomorrow, we have to go to Birmingham for what we hope is the beginning of aggressive treatment for the disease that I have just been diagnosed with. I'm looking forward to getting started, but we have backup plans in case we don't like what we see or hear.

I like college basketball, but I think the national collegiate championship last night between Connecticut and Butler was one of the worse college games I have seen. And, to have it be the championship game with the amount of ineptitude that was shown last night is even worse. The coaches did an awful job of preparing their players to play the most important game of their lives.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Blakely, Georgia: Peanut Proud!

Not all who wander are lost.

Diagnosis Confirmed

2011-04-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 56 degrees, high 63 degrees, heavy rain, thunder, lightning, wind, hail, tornado watches.......

What a weather day this was! At it's heaviest, the rain resembled some of the torrential downpours we came to associate with Texas. Add in the wind, thunder, lightning, hail, and tornado watches, and it made for a rather interesting day. This is the type of weather that Carolyn can't stand, so it was not a good day for her. Fortunately, tomorrow should be much better. Cooler, but no bad weather in the forecast.

My brother Keith and his boys left this morning, bound for parts unknown. That means when they left, they had not decided where they would go from here. I talked to him in the afternoon, and they had decided to go to Florida to visit family down there. I gave him some directions on a shorter route to where they want to go, so hopefully it will help save them a few miles of driving.

I had a lab appointment this morning to take care of. Carolyn was busy cleaning after the weekend, so she stayed at home. While I was at the hospital giving my blood samples, I decided to go by my doctor's office to see if they had the results of the biopsy that was performed on me last Thursday. The results were in, and were as we expected. In other words, the biopsy confirmed what my doctor said he was 99% certain was what I have that's making me so sick. The news is not good, but we don't know the full ramifications of what all this means to us at this time. I should be able to find that out when I go to see a specialist at the University of Alabama in Birmingham on Wednesday.

Repeating what I said in a previous post, the disease affects about 2,000 people in this country each year. Basically, it is a disease of the bone marrow, where too much of a protein is produced by the bone marrow. Normally, the excess protein is absorbed by the body, but with so much being produced, the body is overwhelmed, and the excess protein begins attacking different organs in the body. In my case, we know that the excess protein has attacked my heart, and may have attacked other organs. All that is still to be determined. Because the disease is rare, there's not a lot of research that's been performed in an effort to conquer it because the resources are being spent on diseases that offer a higher payback. That's unfortunate, but the way it is. Some treatment options are available, and you can bet that I will be doing everything I can to get the best treatment possible. I have people who love me and need me around, so I have no plans to check out any time soon.

Regardless of the treatment options we choose, we know that at least the near future will be devoted to finding the right doctors and the right treatment plans to give me the best chance possible in this fight. That probably means no RVing for at least the near future. Longer term, we don't know what it means, but at this time, it's important to get treatment started in an aggressive manner.

I have not listed what the disease is that I was diagnosed with for the purpose of maintaining some semblance of privacy over the Internet. I think we all know what I mean, with kooks and spammers out there that are looking for any way to get in to our systems. If anyone might be having similar medical problems and would like to know more that might help them, leave me a comment on the blog and I will respond to your personal e-mail address or telephone number. If you ask, your comment will not be published, and under no circumstances will I publish e-mail addresses or telephone numbers.

What does all this mean for the blog? At this time, I intend to continue writing the blog every day. I realize there may be times that I don't feel like it, or may not have access to a computer, but I get a lot of pleasure out of the blog. It has developed in to a little diary for us that we can use to go back and see what was happening in our lives. Like, 14 months ago, we were in Big Bend National park, enjoying the majestic beauty of a place that we never dreamed could exist in Texas.

On a better note, I ate better today than I have in several weeks. For some reason, all the experimenting to find food that tastes half-way palatable paid off today, and I feel fairly decent tonight. Now, to keep building on that little success.....

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Cincinnati, Ohio: Porkolopis

Not all who wander are lost.

Family Meal

2011-04-03T22:53:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 37 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies, breezy - nice day

The company slept in this morning until about 0900 hours. They were tired from their long drive from Hope, Arkansas, to here yesterday. After they were up and had breakfast (breakfast wraps), we spent the morning sitting and talking about what's happening in each of our worlds, as well as cussed and discussed the state of political and other affairs in this country. A good visit with family that I wish could happen more often.

At lunchtime, we went in to a local hamburger place (where else?). I couldn't eat a hamburger, but was able to get the fish sandwich down. On the way home, we stopped at Publix and picked up all the fixings for homemade hamburgers as a family get together with Keith and his sons, as well as Judy and her family.

Have you ever noticed that family get togethers of any size are nice, but the more people there are, the better? Let's see, if we were able to get everyone together one more time, that would be about..... 70 people. Wow, that would be a good gathering. I wonder what it would take to make that happen?

This next week is going to be a busy one for us, as I have lab appointments tomorrow, as well as hope to hear from my doctor what the results were from the biopsy last Thursday. Then, I go to Birmingham on Wednesday to have at least three more tests performed, then see a specialist from UAB about my issues. On Thursday, I go to see the surgeon that did the biopsy so he can remove the stitches from my stomach. That's what scheduled now. Who knows what else will turn up. I hope Carolyn and I can find some time to get out for at least a short road trip of some type, just for pleasure.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Las Vegas, Nevada: Glitter Gulch

Not all who wander are lost.

Keith And Sons Arrive

2011-04-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 38 degrees, high 65 degrees, clear skies, breezy

The weather today was glorious, even if the wind was a little brisk. Tomorrow is supposed to be even better. Maybe the cold weather has finally broken. At least until Blackberry Winter arrives.

I slept the best last night that I have in a couple of months. I was only up once last night, and then for only a little over an hour before I was able to go back to bed. I hope I can repeat that tonight.

The nice weather seemed to boost my spirits, as I felt the best that I have in several days. It may have been partly due to my brother Keith and two of his sons coming to visit from Hope, Arkansas, that helped me feel better, but I can stand more of it.

Keith and sons arrived in the middle of the afternoon, and we spent the time until supper catching up on what's been happening withe all of us. At suppertime, we went to El Olmeca Mexican Restaurant in Ardmore, and everyone said the food was good. I suppose it was, since everything tasted off to me. I ate enough that Carolyn didn't fuss at me, so I guess I did okay.

After supper, we all went to my sister Judy and her husband Roger's house for a visit. As always, that was a great visit, and I think Keith enjoyed it. There will be more visiting back and forth before Keith leaves.

All in all, it was a good day. Great weather, and I saw family. I love it!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hope, Arkansas: Birthplace of President Bill Clinton

Not all who wander are lost.

Sleeping

2011-04-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 40 degrees, high 50 degrees mostly cloudy skies, but the sun did peek out in the late afternoon

One side benefit of the drugs I received at the hospital yesterday was that I slept a good part of the night last night, and Carolyn says I slept about half of the day today. I'm not sure how much I slept, but I do know that I felt sleepy all day, and it was easy to fall asleep.

When the biopsy was taken from my stomach fat, the doctor made an incision about six inches long to be able to get the samples he needed. As a result, I'm suffering from a lot of soreness, but so far, it's not been bad enough to take pain killers. I'm sure the soreness will get better in the next few days.

Since I was under the weather (again), we stayed at home, where Carolyn took the opportunity to do a lot of research on genealogy. She concentrated on my family, with a little help from me when I was awake. She has found records all the way back to 1813 on my maternal grandfather's side. She found records dating to 1781 on my maternal grandmother's side. Previously, she has found records dating to the 1200s on her father's side, and back to the 1500s on her mother's side. The hard area to find information remains on my father's side. We're hoping for a breakthrough, eventually. We don't like to think we will have to do it, but we may have to seek help from a professional on my father's side.

Our niece Traci came over for a visit this afternoon, and brought some rare old plants with her that she had found in a secret location. Carolyn loves that sort of thing, so she spent some time looking them up on the Internet. These are probably not the sort of plants that would do well in a typical yard setting, but it's still nice to know that some of the old stuff is still out there, tucked away in hidden places.

My baby brother Keith is supposed to visit tomorrow with two of his sons. I hope that I feel better so I can be a good host. In fact, I'll be a good host, whether I feel good or not. I enjoy being with family, and am looking forward to seeing them. They are on a man trip, and I don't really know what their destination is. It's great they are coming this way.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee: Once Known As The Phosphate Capital OF The World

Not all who wander are lost.

What A Trip!

2011-03-31T22:44:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 45 degrees, rain early, cloudy

It was another cold and miserable wet day here as we went out to the truck to drive to the hospital in Athens. I had to be at the hospital at 0800 hours as an out-patient for the procedure to do a biopsy on my abdominal fat, which the doctor said again was hard to find. The biopsy may tell us definitively whether I have the disease that is suspected, or it may cause us to have other testing performed to find the problem. Either way, at least we are doing something to move forward. Most people who know me know that I don't like standing around doing nothing when answers are needed.

I had never been in the portion of the hospital that I was in today, and I have to say that I was impressed. It was modern, well-lit, and cheerful looking. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. After checking in, I was taken to a small private room, where I changed in to the dreaded hospital gown with the open view. After my vital signs were taken, an IV drip was installed with a minimum of pain. Soon after, I was taken to the operating suite, where I talked to the nurses and anesthesiologist. I understood that I would be sedated lightly, and would recover relatively quickly. Okay, let's go do it.

Well, I am here to say that I experienced the trip of a lifetime. As in, psychedelic in the most extreme sense. What happened is that I stopped breathing and they had to intubate me and administer a general anesthetic. That new anesthetic is what caused my way out experience. Imagine the most extreme representation of a psychedelic experience that you might have seen on television or in a movie, and that's what I think I had. I can't remember all of it, but enough to know I never want to go through that again. Plus, it didn't stop when I was taken back to my room. Even with my eyes open, I was seeing things that were out of this world.

We finally left the hospital about 1500 hours, and Carolyn had to drive, obviously. She stopped at the drug store to fill a prescription for me, and then we went home. I couldn't close my eyes because I kept having flashbacks to the experience. When we got home, where Carolyn had to help me in the house, laid down on the couch. I closed my eyes for a few minutes and saw a huge sock, similar to the ones that are used to make the sock monkeys, floating across my view. At the point where the material came together on the heel of the sock, there was a pulse as though the sock had a heart beat. As soon as I opened my eyes, the sock went away. Thank God!

I fell asleep on the couch and slept for about two hours. When I woke, I felt a little better, and was able to join Carolyn at the dining room table for a small snack and some V-8 juice.

I don't have any pain yet from the biopsy, but have some good drugs, just in case. In the meantime, I hope I can sleep tonight without flashing back to whatever it was that I experienced. I never want to go through something like that again.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Pueblo, Colorado: Pride City

Not all who wander are lost.

Night-time Hail Storm

2011-03-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 40 degrees, high 49 degrees, cloudy, early showers

The crazy weather continued last night, as a hail storm arrived with no warning about 0030 hours this morning. It was relatively quiet outside as I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly I heard first one, then another, heavy thump hit the roof. All at once, something began hitting the roof that sounded like an army was up there hammering away for all they were worth. That's when I realized it was a hail storm, which often precedes a tornado. In this case, the hail continued to fall heavily for another 15 minutes or so, and then stopped as quickly as it had started. I looked outside about 0200 hours, and saw that the hail was piled below the gutters where apparently it had fallen over, plus the drains had hail piled up below them. Quiet a sound event, and we never had a tornado siren go off. As far as I could tell today, we didn't have any damage. It would have been a shame if the roof had been damaged, since it is only about six months old.

We didn't have any doctors' appointments today, so there was no rush to get out. The weather remains cold and wet, so the house was the place to be. This morning, we had a few housekeeping items to take care of, which didn't take long. The rest of the morning was spent by me reading and napping, while Carolyn continued working on her genealogy research.

At lunchtime, we went in to town to eat at a restaurant that has a senior special all day on Wednesdays. I had tilapia, while Carolyn had fried shrimp. My side dishes were not good to me at all, even though the same dishes tasted fine last week. It's strange how my taste buds are okay on something one day, then I can't stand the same dish the next day.

After lunch, we had to stop at the WalMart Mall to pick up a few groceries. Why is it that they seem to be moving everything in the store? We start remembering where things are located, and then they move them so we have to search to find what we want.

When we got home, we resumed doing what we had been doing earlier in the day, with a little television thrown in for good measure. About 1530 hours, I fell asleep watching television and slept for about a half hour. Now, if I could stretch that out a little......

My little brother Keith (just kidding) called today and said he and two of his sons will be coming here on Saturday from their home in southern Arkansas. he said he feels a need to see family, and I know exactly what he means. Our extended family has always been close, even though we may live a thousand miles apart. I have felt this need recently, but who knows how long it will be before we can take a long trip to visit family.

Tomorrow, I will have the abdominal fat biopsy performed as the doctors seek further information on what is wrong with me. I'm not expecting much in the way of pain, other than maybe a little soreness for a couple of days. At least we're continuing to move forward in trying to find the problem.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Holland, Texas: Home Of The Holland Corn Festival

Not all who wander are lost.

No Biopsy Today

2011-03-29T22:34:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 37 degrees, high 49 degrees, cloudy skies

I heard today that the weather we are experiencing here in the far north of Alabama is known as "Dogwood Winter". The dogwoods are blooming and it is cold, so the name is appropriate. The next season is supposed to be "Blackberry Winter", based on cold weather when the blackberry bushes bloom. So far, the black berries show no sign of blooming, so who knows how much longer the cold weather will hang on. Will spring ever arrive?

Sleep was hard to come by for me again last night, as my aches and pains as well as breathing problems only allowed me about three hours of sleep. I dragged around the house this morning until we had to leave for a doctor's appointment at 1100 hours. I had to see a surgeon about performing a biopsy of my abdominal fat in the area of my stomach. Only thing is that he had problems finding any fat. He was not inclined to do a biopsy, but after talking to my doctor, plans were made for me to have the biopsy performed this Thursday. That will still give us time to get the results of the biopsy back before I go to UAB next week to see a specialist down there. The biopsy, if it comes back positive, will save time on further testing in Birmingham, hopefully allowing a treatment plan to begin sooner. If the test comes back negative, more testing will have to be performed in Birmingham, but at least we will have saved the time that would have been required for the abdominal fat biopsy.

Does any of what I just wrote make any sense?

We saw my sister Judy and her husband Roger today. He continues to have problems fighting cancer, and underwent a procedure yesterday that made him sick. But, he struggled out of the bed about noontime and went in to his business in Athens. He is a tough old bird, and has a great attitude.

We continue to look for food that I can eat, and have found that most processed foods are out for me because of the taste. Fresh fruit tastes okay, as does plainly cooked fresh vegetables that are cooked slightly. Broiled fish seems to be good so far, with the tilapia tasting the best.

Speaking of tilapia, I can remember when people would catch them in Florida and treat them as trash fish. I didn't know of anyone that ate them back then. Little did we know that they would become the delicacy that they have.

Carolyn prepared lentils and corn muffins for supper, and it tasted okay. The taste may change tomorrow, but not bad tonight.

I can tell you from experience that RVing, even on a bad day, is more fun than what I am going through.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Freeport, Texas: Watta Town

Not all who wander are lost.

Red Lobster

2011-03-28T22:44:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 48 degrees, cloudy skies

It rained most of the night again, even though we slept through most of it. At least there weren't any dangerous conditions like tornadoes coming out of this little bit of weather.

Since we don't know how involved or how long the medical testing will be that I undergo next week in Birmingham, we have been trying to take care of things that can be before we go. Things like closing a bank account that's no longer needed, which we did today. When we were in Florida last summer, we opened an account in order to have money available for a real estate auction we were planning to attend. Before the auction actually took place, the property we were interested in was taken off the market. The majority of the money was moved out of the account at that time, with enough left to keep us from having to pay a service charge. Enough time had finally passed that we could close the account without a penalty, which as I said, was completed today. One more thing finished to simplify life.

The account we were closing was with Wells-Fargo, which has several branches in Decatur. After finishing at the bank, I invited Carolyn to Red Lobster for lunch, which she accepted before I could change my mind. There is a Red Lobster restaurant in Decatur, so it wasn't a big deal to drive on to it.

Red Lobster is one of Carolyn's favorite restaurants, and I can take it or leave it. Especially now that it's so difficult for me taste anything. But, I need to keep remembering this is a two person partnership, and there are places she likes to go. So, today was my way of showing that I try to do things she likes, even if some of them don't give me as much pleasure as they used to.

Carolyn said the food was good, including her salad, biscuits, baked potato, and fried shrimp. I had the blackened catfish, which I assume was okay. At least I was able to eat it, as well as the potato. The salad was wasted on me.

On the way back to Athens, we stopped at an RV repair shop to talk to the owner about repairing the rubber seal around the rear window of our RV. The seal has come loose in the upper corners, and we would like to get it repaired before going to Birmingham in the event that we can use the RV to stay in if I have to spend any time at all down there for treatment. The shop folks said they could repair the seal by the end of the week if I could get the RV to them, so we'll move it on Wednesday if I have it in me.

Before going home, we stopped at the library in Athens to exchange some books. All set now on new reading material for a few days.

About lunch time, my doctor in Athens who is treating me for what I have ailing me called and asked if I would be willing to go ahead and have another test performed that might help in pinpointing what my exact problem is. Of course I said yes, so tomorrow, I see another doctor who will set up the test in the next day or so. I'll do anything or go anywhere they want, as long as it helps me feel better.

The rest of the day was spent resting, reading, and watching television. It was a productive day for us in several ways. Now, let's keep the momentum up.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Houston, Texas: The Bayou City

Not all who wander are lost.

More Rain

2011-03-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 43 degrees, cloudy, breezy

The rains of yesterday continued until about 0200 hours this morning. No rain during the daylight hours today, but radar shows more coming tonight. Enough, already!

After my usual night of being up and down all night, then sleeping fairly well the last three hours before getting up at 0730 hours, we spent a slow morning reading, watching television, and working on genealogy. Can you imagine Carolyn being able to go back to her 12th great-grandfather? That just boggles the mind, and then to find the town in Wales where he came from is even more impressive. I put a real challenge to her today: what kind of work did he do? Intuition says he was probably a farmer or shop keeper, so let's see what she comes up with.

After the hard morning's work of doing much of nothing, we went to lunch at Cracker Barrel. With the problems I'm having with my taste buds being messed up, it doesn't really matter where we go. In fact, I could do just as well at home. Bad taste in one place is also bad taste any where else. But, I need to think of what Carolyn would like to do, so I try to suggest different places to give her a break. Who knows, maybe I'll find something with a little taste.

The food at Cracker Barrel was the same as always, but it didn't affect my taste buds at all. I ate as much as I could, and brought the rest home. I'm not sure why I brought it home, because making leftovers out of it didn't help.

We took a short ride in the country after leaving Cracker Barrel, but soon got tired of seeing water soaked fields and flooded ditches. When we got home, Carolyn continued working on genealogy while I watched a terrific college basketball game between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Kansas. Kansas was a prohibitive favorite to beat the little school from Richmond, Virginia, but got the surprise of their lives as the smaller school won the game rather easily. It's good to see the underdog do well.

About three weeks ago, I wrote that we had to get in contact with the seller of the house we bought about them not fulfilling a term of the contract. He was supposed to replace all the lower sashes of the windows, and had promised to have it completed well before now. I guess you can see what is coming, as the work has still not been completed. I went to see him again today, emphasizing the point that we need to get the work finished, and the sooner, the better. The seller put the blame on someone else. As far as I am concerned, he is to blame, and if we don't get action in the near future, I will be seeing a lawyer. I think we have been more than accommodating. It's time for some action on his part. So, there!!!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Charleston, South Carolina: The Marina City

Not all who wander are lost.

Feeling A Little Better

2011-03-26T22:22:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 46 degrees, high 24 degrees, cloudy, rain all day

The rain started about 0200 hours last night, and has continued with varying intensity all day. As with most spring weather that passes through this area, we had severe thunderstorm warnings, flash flood warnings, tornado warnings...... About the only thing we haven't seen is hail, but the night is still young.

I felt a little better today than I did yesterday, but that's not saying much. We went to town to pick up a few groceries, concentrating on stuff that might stimulate my appetite. Things like fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, trail mix, and vegetable juice (V-8), which tastes pretty good. At least for the present. The taste may change completely tomorrow.

I felt well enough that I asked Carolyn to let me cook supper, which turned out to be oriental beef stew over rice, one of my specialties. I had to rely on Carolyn to do the final taste test, as my taste buds were not up to the task. I think the dish turned out okay, since I didn't hear any complaints from Carolyn.

While Carolyn was doing some genealogy, I watched college basketball on television. Florida played Butler in the NCAA basketball round of eight. It was a very good game, going to overtime. Butler won in overtime by three points, and will now play against Kansas. Ouch! Florida's season is finished. Now I'll start following spring sports.

The springtime is beautiful up here, with the different trees, shrubs, and flowers blooming. Here are a few examples of what I mean.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Columbia, Tennessee: Old South Charm, New South Progress

Not all who wander are lost.

Bad Day

2011-03-25T22:48:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 32 degrees, high 52 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, breezy

Notice the low temperature? We haven't seen any fields or gardens planted around here, and it looks like the low temperatures are why. Imagine a field coming up nicely, then frost kills the crop. That would have to be expensive in this day of high fuel, seed, and fertilizer prices.

Speaking of planting, Carolyn did a little digging in the dirt today. She loves to get her hands dirty, and this clay does a good job of it. She was able to finish planting the roses we bought last Saturday, as well as some bulbs she was given for Christmas. If love of plants makes these things grow, they will be championship quality.

I had a bad day, so far under the weather that I wouldn't have been able to see the sun if it was shining. About all I could do was be a gofer for Carolyn while she was doing her thing in the yard. In the middle of the afternoon, we had to go to town to pick up a few things to treat my symptoms. Normally, I go by myself when it's just to do what I did today, but Carolyn insisted on going so she could keep an eye on me. I'm glad she did, because she helped keep me alert.

Anyone that knows Carolyn knows that she has been advised to not drive because of her vertigo, and the issues it causes her. But, she is probably the best driver there is that doesn't drive. Her back seat driving is on a par with a championship race driver.

Her advice is the sort that would probably tick some people off, but I appreciate the help. In fact, I have come to expect her to help me drive. What caused her to be that way was her helping me watch the RV and traffic while we were traveling so much. There's no doubt she helped us avoid some problems along the way.

Moving on and hoping I'm not in too much trouble, after we had picked up what we needed, we went to McDonald's, where I bought Carolyn a mocha frappe' coffee. Since I hadn't eaten any lunch, she insisted I buy something, so I bought a southwestern salad. It didn't taste any better than anything else I have tried, but I managed to get half of it down. Tonight, I finished the rest, even though I almost gagged on it. I need to eat more than I am, so tomorrow will be an experiment with food, as we try to find as much as possible that I'll eat. It can't be eggs, grits, chili, and ice cream all the day. I need more fiber and vitamins.

Feeling bad caught up with me after 1700 hours, when I fell asleep watching the news. I can't remember the last time I took a nap that late in the day.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Eugene, Oregon: Track Town, USA

Not all who wander are lost.

Taxes Finished

2011-03-24T22:45:00.001-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 48 degrees, high 52 degrees, partly cloudy, windy

We had a storm line that came through the area last night with heavy rain, high winds, and tornado warnings. We have tornado sirens all over the county, but they didn't sound off until well after the weather event was finished. Was somebody asleep at the switch?

With the windy and cool weather today, we decided to not do anything outside until it warms up again. That gave us the time to finish our income taxes, which ended up being a big ouch! How is it that someone like us pays as much as we do, while I hear about people in a much higher income bracket that pay a lower percentage? Not to mention the 49% of people who pay no income taxes? Something seems screwed up in our system.

Don't get me wrong, we appreciate everything we have, and worked hard to accomplish it. But, when I realize how much we have paid in taxes over the years and how hard we worked for the money, it just grinds my gears.

Another thing I did today was get a haircut. It had been about eight weeks since the last one, and I was starting to be a candidate for dog tags. Since I was so unhappy with the person who did the last one, I tried another shop, where the only barber was a woman. Over the years, I have gotten a lot of haircuts from women, and I can think of only a couple that I was unhappy with. Today's haircut was a good one, with just the right amount taken off. Carolyn was happy with it, so I guess that's the seal of approval.

I found more food that I can eat today, as we decided to try lunch at Appleby's. We tried their 2 for $20.00 deal, which included an appetizer and two entrees. The appetizer was boneless chicken wings, which looked to me like over-sized nuggets. Carolyn says they were good, but I couldn't get past the first bite, as my balky taste buds rebelled at the sweet sauce that was on the wings. Luckily, my entree was grilled sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, and spring vegetables. All of the entree tasted fine, and I couldn't finish it. So, I had the rest for supper. Carolyn ordered some kind of pasta dish with penne pasta and a white sauce. She said it was very good.

I watched NCAA college basketball tonight, as Florida played BYU and the nation's leading scorer. This was a game between two very good teams that went back and forth before ending in a tie in regulation. Florida got a quick start in the overtime period and won the game 83 to 74. That puts Florida in the round of eight, where they will play for a chance to move on to the semi-finals.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Columbia, South Carolina: The Metro

Not all who wander are lost.

Possible Diagnosis

2011-03-23T22:37:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 69 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, windy with gusts to 30 mph

I had a doctor's appointment this morning for a checkup and to discuss what the possible diagnosis is for all the medical problems I have been having. Obviously, we had no idea what the problem is, but all kinds of things had gone through our heads. Imagine our surprise to find that the doctor is 99% sure that the problem is a rare disease that is only diagnosed about 2,000 times a year in this county. That word "diagnosed" seems to be a key, because the disease is usually only found with the kinds of testing that I have been going through, and even then it slips through the cracks.

The good news is that there is a treatment for the disease, but not in the traditional sense that most heart ailments are treated. That's assuming that the progress of the disease has not gone too far for treatment. The doctor still has a couple more tests he wants to do to confirm the diagnosis, which he is scheduling for me. I'm hopeful that treatment can begin within the next two weeks. At that time, my care will be transferred to the Cardiac Unit at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB). I don't know how long treatment will last, or what denotes success or failure. I do know that I'm ready to move forward in a positive direction, and I feel positive about what I know at this time.

The doctor cautioned me about not eating enough, which I already knew was a concern. When we finished with him, it was lunch time, so I suggested we try some fish. I tried the baked tilapia, cole slaw, rice, and fried okra. The rice was bad, and I ate about half the cole slaw before it started tasting bad. On the other hand, the fried okra was good, and the baked tilapia was excellent. Very mild, flaky, and cooked perfectly. My drink to start with was lemonade, but it tasted so bad that I couldn't drink it. The taste had nothing to do with the restaurant, but was my faulty taste buds acting up. So, I got some unsweetened tea, and that hit the spot.

Carolyn got her usual fried shrimp, and she said her food was also good. She shared one of her shrimp with me, and it wasn't bad.

The lunch was the most I had eaten at one time in several days, and I felt good afterward. When we got home, I had an ice cream bar for dessert. Hopefully, I can keep building on the success of today.

One question we have is what impact this diagnosis, if it holds up, will have on our RVing lifestyle. I don't think we can answer the question until the rest of the tests are performed and we get into the treatment. In the best-case scenario, treatment works as anticipated, and everything returns to normal. In the worst-case scenario, treatment doesn't work, or not nearly as well as expected, with little impact on my symptoms. I think it's easy to figure out the scenario we would like to see.

Realistically, planning for the worse and hoping for the best, we may not be able to get out with the RV for several more months. My health is the number one concern for us at this time, so we will do whatever the doctors want.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - San Francisco, California: San Fran

Not all who wander are lost.

Baked Potato

2011-03-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 52 degrees, high 75 degrees, partly cloudy skies, breezy

I was up at 0200 hours last night, and was unable to go to sleep again until after 0400. At least I was able to sleep until almost 0800 hours, so there wasn't much sleep missed. And when I add in the nap from this afternoon, I did okay on sleep. Much better than I was doing as little as two weeks ago.

I thought Carolyn was through with her cleaning blitz, but that was a mistake on my part, as she continued her assault on the house. I should have realized that spring is here, and you know what that means. While she was working over the house, I went to the shop and swept the floor to get up the trash from what I was doing yesterday. Then, I did some touch-up painting on the shop door trim where the paint was peeling off. The next little project I did was to continue with the painting on the trim strips for the screened porch. That job wasn't finished, but I made a good start on it. It'll probably take two coats, since the strips are treated wood.

I tried a different dish for lunch today. Tuna salad was the choice, with a chopped egg, pickle relish, mayo, salt, and black pepper. I decided to try it by itself with no bread. Well, the first bite was fine, but everything after that was downhill. Eventually, I settled for some leftover chili, which worked.

After lunch, we went to the Dollar General at Elkmont to pick up a couple things that Carolyn wanted. When we were done at Dollar General, I went next door to the Piggly Wiggly, where I bought a couple of Klondike bars for us, as well as some ice cream on sticks. I also bought a couple of moon pies in another attempt to find something I can eat. We ate the Klondike bars, and they were okay, but there seemed to be just a touch too much chocolate. I know there's usually no such thing as too much chocolate, but with my taste buds messed up like they are, it was today.

When we got home, I was so tired that I took a nap of about an hour. The naps help me now, but are an indication of how bad I feel. I see my doctor tomorrow, and we hope he can begin to answer a lot of questions we have.

As we were trying to come up with something for supper for me, Carolyn suggested a baked potato without anything on it. In the past, I would have said no, but I'm searching for food, so I said okay. I added salt and pepper to it, then just a touch of taco meat. Nope, that didn't work. The potato by itself worked, so I added a touch of butter. That worked all right, so I added more butter and finished the potato. So, one more food I can eat, even if it is a little bland.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Tupelo, Mississippi: All American City

Not all who wander are lost.

Shop Work

2011-03-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 55 degrees, high 73 degrees, mostly clear skies, breezy

Carolyn became a dynamo in the house this morning, working on some cleaning left over from when Lori and the grandkids were here last week. I was little help to her, so I stayed out of her way as much as I could. Come to think of it, staying out of the way was probably a help to her.

While Carolyn was busy, I worked on our taxes a little, trying to make sense of what a CPA used to do for us over the last 25 years. I think I have it all figured out, and even entered all the data. Tomorrow, I'll double check the numbers and facts, then think about it a little. Then, I'll check again in a day or two. If everything seems good, in to the mail the return goes.

After Carolyn's morning of hard work, I felt I owed her lunch in town. So, we went to....drum roll, please......McDonald's, so I could try something different in my quest for food that tastes good, or at least doesn't taste as bad as most food does to me since I have been sick. What I had in mind was to try the McNuggets, along with one of their dipping sauces. No french fries, and no Coke, since both of those taste awful to me.

I know that McNuggets are not a premium piece of meat, but when you're trying to find anything that tastes half-way decent, you try just about everything. Well, I've got to say that the McNuggets didn't make the grade. After about three bites, the awful taste took over, and I couldn't get past it. Knowing I needed to eat something, I managed to get five of the nuggets down. Next, I decided to try their ice cream cone. That went fairly well, and would have been better if I hadn't already stimulated my taste buds with the chicken.

Before we came home, we stopped at the WalMart Mall to pick up a few more things for me to try to eat in the next couple of days, plus a few things that Carolyn needed for housekeeping. Then, it was back home for a well deserved rest.

In the afternoon, I spent a little time in the shop getting things neatened up. It took longer than it should have, but then everything does these days with me being sick. At least I'm getting some things done.

The food experiment tonight was taco salad, since that is usually one of our favorite meals. I thought that the spicy mix would overwhelm the bad taste. Not to be, as it was nothing like what I expected. I think what I may have to do with the salad is add one ingredient to the meat to see if that one triggers the bad taste, then add another and another until I can narrow the culprit(s) down.

So goes another day in trying to find something that tastes good to me.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Gordo, Alabama: Fat City

Not all who wander are lost.

Visited The RV

2011-03-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 48 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies

We enjoyed a slow morning, as I didn't get up until almost 0800 hours. What I didn't tell you was that I was up for about three hours last night, waking about 0200 hours and not being able to go back to bed until almost 0500 hours. I will be so happy when my medical problems are diagnosed and an appropriate treatment started!

After lunch, we attempted to plant the three roses that we bought yesterday at Lowe's. But, like many of the best laid plans...... We ran in to concrete in the flower bed where we wanted to plant the roses. Now, why in the world concrete is in there is beyond. The only thing I can think of is that when the house was built, excess concrete from the driveway was dumped in that area. The only way it can be fixed is to remove the mulch, pea gravel, and dirt, and then get the concrete out. That's too much for me to handle right now, so we'll find another place for the roses.

Once we got over wrestling with the concrete, we had to go to where the RV is stored so it could be moved to another spot. The campground has a rally coming in the first of April, and they need the spot where we had it stored. It felt sad driving up to the RV, knowing how much we have enjoyed the lifestyle, and wanting to be on the road now. The RV looked lonely sitting there by itself.

We got the RV hooked up and moved without any problems, other than that it took about three times as long as it should have because of my illness. While we were there, we checked inside, but didn't see any issues. I got up on the roof (over Carolyn's objections) to check the roof for caulking or other issues. Again, no problems found. Telling the RV bye, we headed back home.

For some time now, I have had no appetite, and never seem to get hungry. I know I need to eat, but most food either has no taste, or tastes bad, as in much different from what I remember. Here's how bad it has gotten: hamburgers taste awful. Now, that's the ultimate bad, considering how much I like hamburgers, especially those made at home.

In an offer to find food that tastes halfway decent, I have been trying different things. Such as eggs and grits, which I seem to do okay with if I eat them for breakfast. At lunch, I didn't want anything, but Carolyn talked me in to trying her corned beef sandwich. It wasn't too bad, but the Claussen pickle had so much taste it knocked the bad taste right out of my mouth. But, I can't live on pickles.

Tonight, I decided to try some Wolf Brand chili with a few kidney beans thrown in. The taste of the chili was so strong that it seemed to mask the bad taste, so I ate a bowl of it. Can't live on chili, but at least it's one more choice for the time being.

Stay tuned to see what I try next.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Daytona Beach, Florida: Way More Than A Beach

Not all who wander are lost.

Trip To Lowe's

2011-03-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 50 degrees, high 72 degrees, clear skies - the beautiful weather continues.

At this time of the year, Carolyn starts getting the urge to dig in the dirt. That urge probably comes from spending years as a child on her grandparents farm in south Georgia. The urge is only scratched by putting something in the ground to grow, or working in a garden or yard. Since we don't have a garden, the yard has been getting a lot of attention from her, and me when I've felt like it.

It was decided a trip to Lowe's was in order for this morning. Carolyn wanted to look at plants, plus a few other things that she has been thinking about getting. About 1100 hours, we arrived at the store to find the parking almost full, and the store aisles teeming with people buying almost anything in the store. Apparently, a lot of other people had the same idea as Carolyn.

We started out in the nursery, where Carolyn bought three nice shrub roses to put in an empty area of a flower bed. Of course, you also need fertilizer and tools, so that stuff was added to the cart. Then, we picked up some nails, stain for a couple of unfinished pieces of furniture, a brush to put the stain on with, steel wool, and a couple of other things. By the time those things were found, I was starting to drag a little, so we cut the expedition short.

On the way home, we stopped and filled up with diesel. We were only down to a half tank, but it still cost $72.00 to fill up at $3.79 a gallon. I can only imagine what these high gas prices are doing to people on a limited budget. It's probably only a matter of time until the prices begin to affect in a negative way the little bitty economic recovery that is allegedly occurring.

After lunch, I watched some of the NCAA basketball tournament, enjoying an excellent game between Florida and UCLA. Florida won the game 73 to 65 and moves on to the Sweet 16.

While I was watching basketball, Carolyn had been doing some house cleaning, so I helped by polishing mirrors. The house is not a lot of work, but Carolyn has a set routine she likes to follow, whether it's dirty or not. The rest of the day was spent with some organizational work in the shop, making it easier to put tools and other stuff away. Just a nice day enjoying the great weather.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Dublin, Texas: Irish Capital of Texas (Also, where the original formula for Dr. Pepper is still used)

Not all who wander are lost.

Gibson's Bar-b-que

2011-03-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 52 degrees, high 75 degrees, clear skies

It was another beautiful day in the Tennessee Valley, the kind that a chamber of commerce loves to tout as being typical. It sure is a nice change from the cold weather of the winter.

Lori and her family left bright and early for Texas this morning. It was a nice change for us in having them here for the second time in three weeks. We enjoyed having them here, and they seemed to have a good time. As they were leaving, they said they would see us in June. All right!!

At lunch time, we decided to try a bar-b-que restaurant that we hadn't been to before. We're getting leery of the bar-b-que up here, but are game to keep trying to find a restaurant that we'll like. So, today it was the turn of Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Que.

Gibson's has been in Decatur for over 75 years, and we figured if they lasted that long, they must be doing something right. Plus, in watching bar-b-que cook-offs on television, we noticed that they seemed to do well against teams from all over the country.

The first thing we noticed when we drove in to the parking lot about 1230 was that the parking lot was almost full. The second thing we noticed was that their sign by the street was welcoming The Food Network. Hmmmm, must be pretty good.

When we walked inside, only a couple of tables were empty. We were seated and the server took our orders. Both of us ordered the regular pork plate. The sides for Carolyn were potato salad and baked beans. The sides for me were cole slaw and a bag of potato chips. Why did we get those sides? because that's all the sides they had. No garlic toast or french fries, or anything else.

The pork was not pulled, but chopped in to coarse pieces. There was no seasoning on it that we could tell, and both of us agreed that it tasted as though it had been boiled, instead of cooked over a fire. The beans tasted as though they came out of a can.

The service was efficient, but I wouldn't call it friendly at all. Carolyn's take on that was that the servers had been trained to get people in and out as quickly as possible, especially at lunch time.

Would we go back to Gibson's? We wouldn't go to get the pork, and with the limited number of sides, I'm not sure we'll go back at all. In watching the television shows that Gibson's team competed on in bar-b-que cook-offs, we got the impression that the pork was their claim to fame. If so, either a lot of people have no idea what good bar-b-que tastes like, or they have the wrong idea of what it should taste like.

Why is it so hard to find good bar-b-que outside Texas? And Mexican food?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Decatur, Alabama: Home Of Meow Mix

Not all who wander are lost.

Nice Day

2011-03-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies, breezy

The weather was nice enough today that I spent some time in the garage, watching the birds build nests and people mowing and fertilizing their yards. Great weather, and it would be nice to have it like this all year.

The morning was uneventful, as Lori and the grandkids lazed around the house. At lunch time, they went to Huntsville to have lunch with John's mother. We were invited, but by that time I was starting to drag, so Carolyn and I stayed at home.

While Lori was gone, we did some minor housekeeping and clothes washing. In addition, we talked about what we would do once I'm diagnosed and treated for what's been wrong with me. Both of us want to take a road trip, but we're tempering what we want with the idea that it might be a little while yet before we can do that.

Supper was getting all the leftovers out of the refrigerator and using them up. I love leftovers (usually), but they didn't taste any better than any thing else I've been trying to eat. At least the refrigerator will be empty when Lori leaves for Texas in the morning.

I watched Florida play in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament this evening. They easily beat the University of California, Santa Barbara, and are waiting to see who they will play in the second round on Saturday. If the Gators continue to play as well as they played today, they have the potential to beat anyone. Of course, I've seen them play when they stunk up the gym, so it remains to be seen how far they go.

Lori and the grandkids are going back to Texas tomorrow to get ready for school and work after spring break. It was nice having them here, and they are already talking about coming back in June after school is out for the summer. I hope I'm feeling better by then so we can get out and do some exploring.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Butte, Montana: Mining City

Not all who wander are lost.

Back To El Olmeca

2011-03-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 43 degrees, high 57 degrees, clear skies

The weather today was in marked contrast to yesterday: clear, calm, and slightly warmer. Tomorrow is forecast to be even a little bit warmer. Okay!

Lori and the grandkids were out until almost 2200 hours last night as they visited with John's mother in Huntsville. As a result, everyone but Lori slept late this morning. I think Lori got our early rising genes, as she always seems to be up bright and early.

After lunch, we went to my sister Judy's house to visit with her and and her husband Roger and daughter Traci. In Monday night's post, I said that Lori and the grandkids went to visit them that day, but I was mistaken. However, we did go visit them today, and it was the first time Judy and Roger had seen the grandkids in over three years. Needless to say, a lot of growth had occurred so they were amazed at how grownup the grandkids had become. It seems like you blink, and they are no longer kids. At least, in the sense of being small kids.

After a good visit, we headed back home, taking a route Lori had never been on before. They were able to see some different countryside, and get a feel for the different terrain in the county.

Tonight, we went to El Olmeca Mexican Restaurant in Ardmore for supper. Carolyn and I had been there before, and liked the restaurant. Of course, that was before my taste buds and appetite got messed up so bad with whatever is wrong with me. Everyone says the food was good, but I'll have to depend on their judgment for that. I could taste very little of mine, and only ate about a third of what I ordered. This is really getting old.

My doctor's office called today to see how I was doing and to let me know that they were still working on getting me in to have further tests performed in Birmingham. It's taking longer than expected because the doctor I'm supposed to see down there has been sick. I have an appointment with my doctor next Tuesday, and they are hopeful that they will have an appointment by then. It can't come too soon for me. I'm ready to be over whatever it is affecting me.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Natchez, Mississippi: Timeless Beauty…Ageless Fun

Not all who wander are lost.