Hello Everyone:
We hope that you are enjoying the summer even though this year seems to have delivered a somewhat “mixed bag” of temperatures, humidity and rain. Likewise, for those in the southern hemisphere, we hope that winter is proving to be manageable. Gary and I have been pleasantly surprised at how moderate the summer temperatures have been in LA although we believe that being reasonably close to the ocean has a lot to do with this. On the other hand, we continue to have minimal rain creating increasingly dry conditions for wildfires.
We had a great week at a timeshare in Flagstaff, which is a 2 hour drive north of our Arizona home. With a late check-in, we decided to take the longer, scenic drive across the large plateaus and over the mountain ranges. The city is located at an elevation of 7,000 ft and adjacent to the largest Ponderosa pine forest in North America. Needless to say, the summer temperatures are wonderful and the smell of fresh pine after a rainfall proved to be a delight to the senses – no reminders needed for deep breathing. We did learn that the summer months are when most of Arizona receives its annual rainfall with “monsoon” rains dominating some of the week in areas closer to Phoenix. In Flagstaff, we could see the clouds forming during the morning so that most afternoons, there was a passing shower with lightning and thunder accompanying the rain.
With the Grand Canyon on Gary’s bucket list, we decided to head out early one day to tour the South Rim of the Canyon. I had already visited the North Rim many years ago with memories of the incredible views and intense heat, as it was during the summer too. The South Rim has numerous viewing areas on your drive along the rim. The views of the Canyon were magnificent with different colours highlighting the numerous layers of rock formations. The depth of the gorges that have formed over the years created interesting dimensions with some having trees and bushes which have managed to grow in crevices or on some of the flatter surfaces. At some of the stops, you are able to see the Colorado River winding its way through the canyon as it makes its way through Lake Mead to the Hoover Dam and continuing its journey south to Mexico and the Gulf of California. The majesty of the views are difficult to capture on camera and thus will remain embedded in our memories. At our last stop, we could see the dark clouds forming over the north Canyon and were treated to the sound of thunder reverberating across the Canyon. Great timing as the rain caught up to us on our drive back.
Last Tuesday, we met with Dr. I to start my 9th chemo cycle. We discussed a slight setback as the results from the last two tumour marker tests had gone up slightly and Dr. I felt that these were early indications that the cancer cells may have now gotten used to the combination of drugs I have been receiving. Dr. I changed the cocktail by removing two of the drugs and replacing them with two different drugs. While not totally unexpected when one considers that bacteria have gotten used to the antibiotics we use, likewise the cancer cells would, over time, react in a similar fashion. This not only makes the disease challenging but makes it important for the treatment protocol to contain a number of different drugs which can be varied when needed. I will likely stay on this new regimen for a minimum of two cycles as we monitor my progress.
Joining us for the afternoon session in the chemo suite was LJ, who was accompanied by his wife, Debbie. LJ had lost a lot of weight and being around 6′ 4″ will need to focus on regaining his weight. While it required a change in mindset when we started thinking of ways in which LJ could “beef up” as we’ve spent most of our lives trying to keep our weight in check, we were able to come up with some good suggestions for LJ to incorporate into his daily eating routine, taking into account that he is borderline diabetic. Ed, who was with us at the last cycle, had also told us that he had been given a prescription by Dr. I which helped to increase his appetite and Debbie confirmed that they had just gotten this for LJ. Gary and I, being seasoned hands at the routine and familiar with most of the side effects, were able to share a lot of information with Debbie and LJ, both of whom felt somewhat in the dark. They did not realize that they could ask for copies of their bloodwork and the infusion “orders” for the day to be able to keep track of progress. After Gary showed Debbie my file and how to understand the information, Fay and Joan, the chemo nurses, were able to provide her with the back copies for the past cycle, which happened to be LJ’s first full cycle.
We were then joined by Michelle, a tall blonde lady who was having post-surgical chemo. Michelle told us about a local support group that provides many different programs and left us with the website. She has been attending some of the lectures and programs and has found them to be excellent. We had not explored this avenue too much as we thought that being Canadian, these programs would not be open to us and of course, not really knowing how one will be feeling on any given day, makes it a bit difficult to commit to a program. Michelle advised that the program is open to all cancer patients with most programs set up as “drop-in” probably for the very reason that participants don’t really know until the last minute as to whether they will feel up to attending. The good thing is that it is not too far from where we are located so Gary and I plan on attending one of their orientation programs. They offer Tai Chi and Qi Gong both of which interest us.
Even though I had more fatigue during the last cycle than normal, Gary and I continue to take our daily walks around the neighbourhood. There is still a wide range of colour on display in the gardens – hibiscus in red/yellow/white/pink, bougainvillea in various stages of flowering, jasmine, roses, geraniums and numerous flowering shrubs and trees – one which looks like a lilac but without the scent (unfortunately). We walk past a huge avocado tree with the avocados starting to ripen but alas, I am sure the squirrels and birds will be at them soon. On one of the other streets, we noticed two very old fig trees which had been cut back, and with the new growth we see a nice crop of figs. These two trees are on the sidewalk so I am hoping to be able to reach up and enjoy a fig over the coming weeks – if the birds don’t beat us to it!
As we bid you adieu, we leave you with you a quote which a good friend shared with us:
“End is not the End; in fact, E.N.D. is “Effort Never Dies”. And If you get NO in an answer,
then remember NO is “Next Opportunity”. Always be Positive!!”
Thank you for all your support. Your friendship, love and prayers provide us with so much inspiration as we continue this journey together. Take care and stay strong.
Maureen and Gary