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September 21, 2006
Health Update
Dave has posted two photos from the Race for the Cure breast cancer fund raiser on Sunday. Almost 50,000 people participated and it was encouraging to see so many survivors in pink shirts and caps as well as the thousands of supporters in white. The walk only took an hour, but we waited to cross the starting line for an hour before that because so many were joining in near the beginning of the race. The weather couldn’t have been better; cool during the walk, and sunny and warm afterwards.
Saturday was also a gorgeous autumn day for Wil’s first soccer game. They played in Colton, a very small town about 30 miles away. The drive was beautiful, our team played well and won, and Wil got to play at least a quarter of the game. On Tuesday they played a really tough team and lost, but kept the opposition from scoring at all in the second half. And today they played again in slightly wetter conditions. Dave and I weren’t able to be at that game, but it ended in another win for Damascus. Wil has been fighting off a cold this week but seems to be on the mend now.
Dave and I were able to visit Dr. Alex on Monday and Wednesday. He’s doing well and managing to get around better with a walker. The toxic effects of the chemo hadn’t started bothering him yet. Another friend, Lana, was in a room across the hall. She has leukemia and was in because her weakened immune system wasn’t able to fight off an infection without antibiotics.
I had chemo today. The good news is that my hemoglobin is back up in the normal range for the first time since starting chemo. That means I am no longer anemic and consequently have more energy. The results of the Muga scan were good too. I’ll have another CAT scan Oct. 12 and when I get the results of that will know what’s happening in my liver. After chemo two weeks ago I really felt yucky for a few days. I’m glad to report that I feel a lot better tonight. That’s good since I leave for a Women’s Retreat tomorrow! It will be good to enjoy fellowship with other women from the church, including one who has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the same illness as Dr. Alex. I’ve been studying up on their form of blood cancer.
The bad news is that I’ve got a toothache! I was able to get in to see a dentist yesterday and he reckons I need to have a crown and root canal replaced. That means going to an endodontist and I can’t even get in for a consultation until next Wednesday, so I’m on pain medication until the work can actually be done.
Posted by David at 9:26 PM
September 14, 2006
Race For The Cure
This Sunday is the Portland area Race for the Cure, a fund-raiser for the breast cancer association. I’ll be doing the 5 k. walk with my neighbor JoAnn and some of her family. She is the one who has given me a number of day lilies and as we’ve talked I learned that she had breast cancer years ago and since then has participated in the walk. I’m not sending fundraising letters or emails to friends, but if any of you wanted to support this cause, let me know and I can send a copy of the email which has a link to the website where you can make a donation on line.
Please continue to pray for my oncologist, Dr. Panutich (his first name is Alexander, so if it’s easier to pray for Dr. Alex; the Lord will know who you mean). He now has a rod in his leg from the hip to the knee (because the tumor broke the femur), has been through radiation, and will start chemotherapy at the hospital near us on Monday. Besides dealing with multiple myeloma himself, his wife Elena’s mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer and she has returned to Belarus (the part of the old Soviet Union nearest Poland) to visit. Elena has struggled with the very different level of medical care and concern there. Their background is Russian Orthodox, but they were involved with a Russian Baptist church when they lived in Minneapolis. We are trying to link them with Russian Christians here since they haven’t become involved in a church locally. I believe Dr. Panutich’s faith is strong, but I’m concerned about their need to be part of a supportive church community right now. His goal is to get back to work within six months because if he can’t, his medical benefits will end at that point.
With the school year and fall church calendar well underway, our diaries and calendars are quickly filling up. Most of the activities are at or near church, so involve walking rather than lots of driving. We’ve had a good summer and enjoyed a colorful flower garden and productive vegetable garden. I’m sorry to see leaves turning brown, feel the nip in the air, and accept that things won’t be as pretty for the next few months. But sedum, dahlias and chrysanthemums are still providing lovely color, at least until we have a frost. We’ve dug our potatoes and harvested the last of the corn. Bugs got more of the cauliflower than we did, but most of the other vegetables have done well.
Posted by David at 12:39 PM
September 5, 2006
Labor Day Weekend Update
We had an early Labor Day Weekend get-away at Pacific City on the Oregon Coast. Ron and Eilene Roecker, dear friends from church, invited us to their holiday home up on the hill overlooking both the coast and the mouth of the River. The view was spectacular, the coast very sandy, and the weather record-breakingly hot on the Friday (91 degrees). But on the beach there was an off sea breeze making it cool enough to wear a jacket and windy enough to fly kites, even Wil’s trick kite. Wil’s friend Seth went along and he and Wil spent many happy hours skim boarding. I’d never even heard of skim boarding, but both boys were very proficient after two days of skimming along the beach on the thin film of water left by receding waves. On Saturday afternoon the mist came in and the views were transformed but still beautiful. Dave and I walked on the same beach we’d visited the day before, but this time saw it through the mist. We ate well, slept well, and enjoyed the warm fellowship and break from the garden.
Dave and Ron both had responsibilities at church on Sunday morning, so they started back early and the rest of us made it in time for the second service at church. We were glad not to be on the highway at times of heavy holiday traffic. But on Monday I went with my friend Ginny to the Swan Island Dahlia Show in Canby, Oregon, the largest dahlia growing business in the world with acres and acres of different dahlias. We were equally indecisive in choosing our favorites, but did order some for next spring planting.
School starts for Wil on Wednesday. So its back to an earlier morning routine for us all. We have several church missions committee meetings coming up this week and a ministry fair at the church on Sunday morning. Then the monthly fellowship of Filipino pastors on Monday the 11th, an evaluation meeting for the Asian Youth Congress, and Bible studies starting. Today I canned more tomato juice and tomato sauce today and have chemo again on Thursday, so life continues to be full for all of us.
Posted by David at 5:20 PM