A Visual

Time is speeding by and yet this September seems to have gone on and on.  Maybe because so much has happened.  Experiencing all the seasons in less than 30 days maybe made it long for me.

We never had a gas fireplace before.  The fireplace works very slick and I like it very much.  Now that it turned "fall cool" we have put it on a couple of times.  Not sure what I thought a gas fire place should be like but today, with the cool wind, I noticed that the cool air come in via the fireplace.  Hmmm.  The wood fireplace was like that but the damper kinda blocked a lot of the cool air.  Loved the wood fire place.  We warmed ourselves at least three, nooo four times by having a wood fireplace.  First we dragged the dead trees out of the bush to a spot to be cut up with a chain saw.  Another day we loaded them into the front end loader and took them to the yard to be split.  At the end of this era we even had a hydraulic splitter.  We made a large pile with the split logs.  Another day we loaded them again into the tractor bucket----over and over, then went over to the "wood shoot" with the tractor and heaved the split logs into the basement wood bin.  When a fire was wanted we took our canvas log carrier downstairs,loaded it up and took the logs up to the family room. Then, we could burn the logs and SIT down and warm ourselves in front of the fire.  Wow, feel warm just thinking about that process.  Should have been simple to stay slim!!!!!  Oh yeah and then shovel the ashes into a bucket and take them out!!!!

Bob was to see the oncologist this week and we are very encouraged.  The drugs are working well.  The kappa free marker, that is one of the markers they follow, has come way down.  Platelets are 122, creatine 79, the kappa/lambda free ratio is 5.78.  Praise God all of these numbers speak of the cancer in different ways and the numbers have all gone down.  Bob is now back into a 3 week regime and the nurse is suggesting that they may cut down the prednisone for the next regime.  That would relieve some of the side affects.  Bob is walking without the cane which is great.  Neuropathy is still a problem.  It is up to the knee on his right leg.  The pain is down a lot and that makes a huge difference.  Please keep asking the Lord for healing or new combinations of drugs that could be tried later on.   We are so thankful to our God for His care and mercy.
The chart shows what happened when the drugs were changed.

Remembering September

The other day I was thinking about what Sept. means in our lives.  The one thing that comes to mind is harvest.  Living in the city one doesn't often think about what is going on out in the country.  Bob sees farm and ranch land on the days that he goes to work but I can go for months and not realize that the rhythm of rural life continues on.  That rhythm continues whether those of us who don't see the change.  So I began to reminisce a bit about fall.  

A big thing is back to school.  The best deal that I could find on lined loose leaf this year was ten cents a pack which is great.  I had to buy one----well...............just because it is fall.  Over the coming years I am sure we will use up all the packages that we have.

This is also the month we dug up all the root crops in the garden.  I can still smell the dirt as you dig for potatoes.  The big deal was pulling the plant up and seeing how many potatoes stayed attached and how big they had grown.  We would usually start digging with a fork but would pierce to many potatoes, so then out came the spade.  The potatoes that were pierced or cut by the spade went in one pile so we would use them up quickly.  The small potatoes in another pile.  Now these small potatoes, that often were tossed over the fence, bring top dollar-----at least in the grocery stores.  The rest of the potatoes for keeping over winter in another pile.  Let them dry off and then we put them into grain sacks.  We loaded them on the kids' wagon and away to the basement to be stored.  The air was usually brisk with yellow/golden leaves falling---ah fall!!!  Then of course we had carrots and beets and even some parsnips make it into the house.  We would also make sure the onions dried down by pushing over the green stems to stop the growing and start the drying.  In my garden it was more stomping over the green than pushing over.  One year my mom-in-law braided all the onions together and we hung them in the basement and to use them ---- just break off the bottom one..

Fall also was time to combine the grain.  This could often be a very tense time of year depending on the weather.  There is nothing better than on a sunny, bright day to watch the combine hum along the rows and rows of swathed grain.  The grain would be a steady stream into the hopper.  These days had everyone smiling.  The part I liked was packing lunch or supper and taking the kids out to the combine.  The guys would stop and we would have a picnic together.  The kids and ladies stayed longer as the guys usually ate and went back to work quickly.  The nights that had no dew and the moon was full our guys often combined through the night. That was so pretty and so satisfying.  Perhaps I am romanticizing it a bit, looking back.  So,,,, Bob often said:" well, of course it doesn't break until you are using it".  We also had our fair share of breakdowns.  The kids and I would drive to town with a broken something to get a new something.


Take a sniff and use your imagination.  Can you smell the fire?  All the leaves have been raked and a few dry logs of oak are added and just like that, a bedtime wiener roast with everyone in parkas or wrapped in quilts.  To be truthful we only raked what was needed for the fire as we didn't have a lot of forest in our yard.  Now Gerry, well he raked and raked----using the grass picker upper attachment.  Gotta say Gerry and family had great fires!!!!!!

Oh Oh, I didn't mention corn.   Corn-- anyway you like to eat it--boiled, roasted, on the cob, off the cob with that wonderful butter dripping down your arms,--- yum.   This was of course after you beat the raccoons to the corn.  A radio out in the corn? For sure.  After a while the raccoons get use to the talking  and choose their own channels, usually country music!!!!!!  This too is fall.

Often times fall is very different.  Case in point: this year 2014 before the leaves even changed color a snow storm came through southern Alberta.  Sept. 5 and 6th we had almost a foot of heavy wet snow in our part of the city.  Lots of trees damaged by the sheer weight of the snow, power lines were down all over the city.  The newspaper claimed this was the earliest snow in a century.  Today is +25C. and the temp will be warm all week--way above average.  The poplar trees are a beautiful deep yellow and the catoneasters are turning red.  A different fall for sure.

The year 2004 also had a very different fall for us.  This was the month that we were leaving the farm for the very last time.  It took a lot of time and effort to empty barns and shops and garages and our house.  We sold 45 tons of scrap metal from Bob's storage pile  "may need it some time".  We had bought a house in Brandon with possession the beginning of Oct.  Bob already had clients for his handyman business.  I was still working at the school in the Hutterite Colony.  I had a wonderful ideal of what living in the city would be like, could hardly wait.  We were going to live with Gerry and Claire until Oct but were first of all heading to Calgary to visit Tim and Barbie and the kids.  They had made the big move from Thunder Bay in August and we hadn't gone out to see their home and new surroundings.  Tim and Barbie wanted to be in Calgary for the beginning of the school year, Colton going into grade 2 and Aston to grade 1.  Emily had another year at home before kindergarten.
I came home from school that day, Sept.23, and Bob quickly ran from the shop to meet  me.  He was upset and looked awful.  My first reaction was "oh no the sale of the farm fell apart".  Bob hugged me and said "Tim fell at work and is in the hospital".  West Jet was hiring later in the fall and with the flying hours Tim had, he was pretty much assured to be hired.  In the mean time he walked down the block and got hired on as a framer building houses.

I didn't or wouldn't allow myself to think it might be really bad.  I was sure that by the time we arrived in  Calgary all would be well or almost well.  Bob seemed to grasp how serious it was for Tim.  Barbie cried and cried when we spoke with her.  I assured her over and over all would be well.  Sept 26 was the possession day of the farm so we worked like mad to get everything finished.  On the 25th of Sept we left for Calgary about four 0'clock in the afternoon.  We went straight to Foothills Hospital and the reality of Tim's situation and the situation of Barbie and the kids became all to clear.
This is the 10th anniversary of that horrible life changing fall.  Life changing for so very many people.  For Tim and Barbie, Colton , Ashton and Emily their lives were impacted in ways that are still unsettling and make me cry.  We have no idea this side of heaven what truly happened to each of them.  Perhaps this is not an anniversary of celebration but maybe one of reflection of the events, feelings, attitudes, goals and dreams, the good and the bad.  How will we go on now ten years older?
Shamus who is now 5 years old, starting kindergarten this fall.  Shamus is the picture of his daddy.  Shamus and the futures ahead for the big kids give hope for the times ahead.

"For I know the plans I have for you",says the Lord.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11

In the face of everything that fall of 2004 brought into Tim and Barbie's life that verse can seem callous to their situation.  Yet that is the very verse Barbie choose to take them through that beginning time.  I have learned that the future and the hope that Jeremiah speaks of is only found in knowing Jesus, really learning to know Him through reading His word  and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us what He desires us to know.  We can then know the hope and future.  We can discern what the Lord has for us each day as part of those  plans.

Fall is a lot of different things for us in a number of different seasons of life. 

September/Fall/Peace

Labor Day Standard

Labor Day---when we were farmers we thought that labor day was when everyone was working!!!  As I am typing this I am looking out my window, and now, I think labor day is when all the various shapes and sizes of campers are coming home.  Then again, we left Staples without printer ink today because the line ups were so long with those harried parents purchasing school staples for their school kids, like for tomorrow.  That is maybe what labor day is all about.  We are watching football--the labor day classic!!!Edmonton is playing in Calgary.  Hooh Ra go Stamps go!!!! That is really what labor day is all about.  Hmmm

We enjoyed having our three little ones from Edmonton with us.  They kept us hopping but were great kids and we had a lot of fun and really full days.  Once mom and dad picked them up to go home, Bob and I slept for two days!!(slight exaggeration).  A 1 year old a 2 year old and a 3 year old are very busy people.  This weekend we had Shamus stay with us.  He is 5 years old and starts kindergarten this coming week.  We enjoyed our time with him and I think he liked staying with us too.

A new concern for us, about our family, is for Michael.  He had bad chest pain on Fri. night that wouldn't go away so he went into emerge at the hospital.  After tests and such the doctor in emerge believes Mike has angina.  He is to try and have less stress!!!!! and walk more.  Then of course to see his family Dr. and if the pain comes back to high boot it to the hospital.  Mike and Cori were planning to head down to Arizona again, this time with all the proper paper work!!!  At the end, it didn't happen.  Mike has so much work in Canada now, that they really felt that God closed the door.  Now with this health issue for Mike, we as parents, really can see God's Hand at work keeping them in Canada.  Right now Mike is in need of someone to be "in the office" to answer calls and dispatch the guys.  Do you know a young fella in Saskatoon or Edmonton needing a job?  Mike is 40 years old now.  The right age for those heart attacks to happen to the young guys.  Say a prayer for Mike, please.

Bob saw Dr. Neri,one of the oncologists, on Wed..  Oh!!!!, Dr. Neri, things must be looking up because it isn't Dr. Bahlis.  The protein numbers have come down a long way, saying that the new mixture of drugs is working.  Bob is taking cyclophosphamide,prednsone, and pomalidimine.  The following numbers are for those few medical people who know what they mean!!!! The total protein in the chemistry dept is  64.  Kappa free is153.  Lambda Free is17.10  which puts the ratio at 8.95 down from 12.43.  As I look over the print out most everything else is within the alloted range.  The pain in the hip is somewhat lessened but is still severe.  Altho, some days Bob gets around better than others.  A number of you live with chronic pain, so you understand how it affects your daily life in every area of your life.

So for us this labor day isn't classic it is the standard that we should recognize by now.  The drug regime will work for a while and then things will get tense again, then a different drug regime will be tried and it will work and on and on.  We always live with a hope that a cure may be found so we will continue to try all these different regimes.  Please pray that Bob will continue to handle the drugs as well as he does.  Pray that I will continue to appropriate the Lord's grace, love and care.

Back to school and routine everyone!!!!

WHAT!!!!

What!!!  Bob just called home.  He is not a happy camper right now.  Bob just spoke with his oncology nurse.  Marcie told him that yep the pain in his hip is coming from a cancer tumor near the hip joint.  Marcie said that they weren't going to do anything other than the chemo protocol that he is now on.  We hoped that maybe radiation would be used.  "WHAT" Bob answered "nothing??"  No, just take pain meds.  Bob told me he went and took 3 double strength Tylenol.  Bob really doesn't want to use the Oxy.  

Bob's big concern is how long will they want him at work, as there are a lot of stairs to go up and down in the course of his day.  Please pray that the pain will be minimized and he can hang in a little longer with his job.  We had hoped that he could work until he was 67 but that is a ways away.  In the mail today we received notice of his next appointment with Dr. Bahlis which will be on Aug.27.  

Instead of going to look after the kids at Mike and Cori's house, the kids are coming here which I think will be easier for us what with the awesome park on our doorstep.

I read this quote in a novel that I was reading this summer, just fluff,  but this struck me as being so true.  It is a long process to learn, but totally realistic as I see it in Bob and desire to be unselfish too, as we deal with the limitations.

"True love is not the helpless desire to posses the cherished object of one's fervent affection; true love is the disciplined generosity we require of ourselves for the sake of another when we would rather be selfish."

August 2014

Hard to imagine that this is the August Long.  I hadn't been aware that this is the most sought after weekend, in the whole year, for vacation time.  Even more than my birthday!!!!!!! December 26 in case you didn't know or even Jesus' birthday on Dec. 25.  We often celebrate together!!!!!!!  This long weekend we are at home celebrating the long weekend --a little bit here and a little bit there.....  Trust that you are able to spend some time outside this weekend and have time away from the regular routine.

Bob's brother Gerry and his wife Claire were with us for a few days.  They parked their motor home in Okotoks and commuted in and out of the city with their very cool car.  They tow the car so it is a bit of a train when they are on the road.  We were able to have that camp fire experience one evening and enjoy a camping bar- b-que.  We had a very nice visit with them.  We also celebrated Claire's birthday even tho it was a bit early.  They are now off to Claire's family gathering.  Thanks for taking the time to visit in Calgary.

 All of our immediate family except for Bob's dad have now been here this summer to check us out, as well as our new home.  I am thinking that they all agree we are doing great in our new surroundings.  The fact that we are in a condo blows some minds but they have returned home  assured that most of our grey brain cells are working and we have chosen wisely.  God is good.

Our neighbors from Elgin Place have not returned home........nice summer long vacation so I am still watering their few plants and checking the house.  My reaction is that God totally used this time to wean me from our old house and yard.  When I look at it now it seems almost foreign.  I know that sounds odd but it does.  The feelings have gone and it is a yard that perhaps the owners need to do a little trimming in, but whatever it is their yard.  Soooooo I got to thinking that perhaps that is how God want us to begin to look at the things of the world that we live in.  It really is a foreign place for us, we are travelling through and stop and enjoy some things that this world has for us but our eyes should be focused on the life ahead, the one that we will have one day with Jesus.  I am still working on what that looks like for me, each day, but am learning.  I thought that by my age I would have life figured out but it seems that is not the case.

Bob's visit to the doc etc. becomes very unremarkable and yet it always is remarkable simply because of the science behind each visit and how the Lord chooses to use that science.  There is "something" that is showing up on the PET but Dr. Bahlis will wait for the report from the radiologist.  The hip is not any better and requires the use of the cane to make the support better so that Bob doesn't have a fall.  Our worry is that with the weakened bones from the cancer a fall would cause a break and open up a totally different pandora's box.  The pain is horrible-----Bob explains that it is like the back pain from six years ago.  Bob has only taken the Oxy one day.  That drug is horrible with the side affects so not sure what will happen as we go forward.   

Today Bob started a new protocal  continuing to use the pomalidimine but now adding in prednsone, rather than the dex, and cyclophosphamide.  This time Bob will loose his hair again (but bald is the rage) and continue on with the many other side affects especially being very tired.  We are trusting the Lord for His mercy for Bob and that the side affects will be very minimal. 

We are going to care for Mike and Cori's kids next weekend.  We are looking forward to it, however please pray for strength and energy for us and a very special time to bond with the kids during grandparent only time. 
Next long weekend------back to school  YIKES.

Lazy Summer Afternoon

What are you doing on a Sunday afternoon?  Are you having a nap, visiting, reading or just keeping cool?  The past three weeks have been so very hot here in Calgary.  Mind you, I am not complaining after the long winter we had and then the wet, cool spring.  The flooding in the eastern prairies was horrible.  Hard to imagine battling that surge of water two years in a row.  Here in, the city of Calgary, if there was any flooding it was minimal.

We now are residing in our third floor condo, up the hill from the river so trusting we will not flood.(ever) but never say never!!!!!!  We are all moved in, now comes the relocating and organization of how we want things to be for awhile.  My sister Donna and brother-in-law Murray were here for a week.  Donna's goal was to get pictures hung.  She and Murray did an amazing job.  Fortunately, she didn't find them all!!!!!  Sometimes less is more.  The pictures did make things feel way more comfy and homey.  Thanks guys.

July 5 saw us out in Cochrane for our niece Jody's wedding to Jason Ferguson.  It was fun and special to share in their day.  Donna and Murray left for home and my mom came to stay with us for a week.  My brother David and our sister in law Betty were over at different times, on a few days, but had "in law accommodation."  The room that I call my office has our wall bed in it so we are still set up for overnight company.

We are getting use to condo living.  It is different from what we know but a change is as good as a rest so the saying goes.  Once the house sale was settled and we drove by I was much more settled.  I loved how the buyers had a swing out on the front patio and chairs and table and umbrella on the back deck.  There were flower pots lined up by the garage so I thought "good someone to care for the yard and enjoy it."  Now, you gotta realize I wasn't stalking the house or them!!!        but     you can see a lot when you know where to look  =} .  There were even ladders on the outside hangers Bob had put up and used!!!!   Cough, cough, we are looking after our neighbor's house next to our old Elgin house so we will pop over tonight to check the house out for Bob and Michelle (their house, not their new neighbors).

To me living in the condo is like being at a resort.  We overlook the fountain park so it is pretty much a block across the park to the boulevard.  We have some nice, getting to be 3 storey tall, trees in front.  During the day we can hear and watch kids playing in the fountain, in the playground and shooting hoops.  Families have picnics and it is a really neat atmosphere.  Kinda like the times we use to spent at Clear Lake minus the campfires.  The ice cream truck even happens by regularly.  

Bob is on his final week of this course of chemo.  He has had a fair bit more pain lately, mostly in the one hip.  It seems somewhat better right now but Bob is using his walking stick a lot.   Bob now says that the hip feels it is bruised--not black and blue though.  Altho last week we took mom up to see Mike and Cori and kids and guess what grandpa did??  He went down the waterslide with Maksim.  We are really hoping that is the cause of the sore hip.  Bob's blood sugar seems to be staying higher for a longer time  on the dex days.  Bob bought a new tester that connects to the computer through a usb port.  Bob is checking more often and will have a better record to share with our GP.  It mostly comes to doing enough activityso today we went shopping,   Ahhh come on that is walking!!!!!!
On July 30 Bob will have a PET scan and see Dr. Bahlis afterwards.  It will be interesting to hear what he has to say about my dear hubby.  I promise to do a short post afterwards.

Enjoy a new week of summer before it is gone.

Changes

We made our trip to Niagra Falls and had a lovely Easter celebration with dad and Reta and their church family.  It truly was a blessed time.  So good to spend that time with the two of them.  Dad had celebrated his 91st birthday in Feb. so this was once again a cause to celebrate.  Dad has now had the cataracts done in both eyes so should be good to drive a few more kilometers.

Bob did well on the trip and saw the oncologist on May 7.  The doctors were very pleased with the first month on the new drug combo.  The cancer has slowed down and the markers that the doctors follow have recovered reasonably well.  Dr. Nehri who is also a myeloma research scientist, oncologist and the wife of Dr. Bahlis sees Bob most times now.  Bob is atypical so both of the docs watch his results and consult about what should happen.  Dr. Nehri has another drug ready to use when this combination fails.  She also thinks that in the next eighteen months another new drug for multiple myeloma will come on line.  That will put Bob two years down the multiple myeloma road and then we will see what comes next.  Bob would like to continue working for two more years.  He really likes what he does and the folks at Exploron have been very good to him.

OK back to the atypical patient, Bob.  The protein numbers and the ratios have always been very low even when the lesions (tumors) show on his bones.  The plasma in the marrow was also low so the thinking is that the cancer shows itself more on the outer side of the bone rather than in the marrow.  Hence the PET scans and MRIs are how to track the cancer more accurately.  When these three months are up, I believe he will getting the imagery done again.  I like the fact that Bob is monitored carefully.  God knew that we  needed to be in Calgary for several reasons.  We have amazing medical people caring for Bob.

When we returned from Ontario we were thinking that we should BEGIN to consider moving into a condo.  This would be a no outside maintenance and a one level dwelling.  Bob's thinking is that it would be better to make the move before it became something we had to do.  One day my hubby was in the bank and decided to see how we should plan to go about this purchase.  The major thing that stuck in his head, from what the banker said, was that it would be best to buy while we are still having an income.  Long story short we own and are in possession of a two bedroom condo in the Prestwick part of McKenzie Towne.  It is only a block to Tim and Barbie's house and all the gardening and handyman projects that we may choose to do.

Our new address is   303-25 Prestwick Drive  T2Z 4Z1.  We don't live there yet but it is ours and we will slowly begin living over there in the next two weeks or so.  Our house is now for sale along with a lot of furniture.  Our white kitchen table, chairs and china cabinet, couch, bedroom furniture will be for sale after the house sells.  The only piece of furniture that I am attached to is Bob's roll top desk.  We also have a Smart Car and a Freestar van for sale!!!!!  Pray that we will be patient in waiting for the Lord to sell our things for us.

Lost my train of thoughts so will end for now and trust you will enjoy hearing....the rest of the story......