Home, Sweet Home...

Friday morning I loaded the car at Candlewood and we headed to the hospital for Reid's blood draw.  That only took about 30 minutes and then we headed HOME!

Ashley and the rest of the cats remembered Reid.  So did the dog.  Ashley cannot understand why he's no longer allowed in Reid's room, but that's the rule for a while.  Reid is not allowed to sleep with any animals and he has to wash his hands or use hand sanitizer if he touches them.  So, Ashley stood outside his room and cried in protest.

Last night we had hamburgers and Reid topped his with lettuce and tomato.  It's funny how you really end up craving something when you can't have it for a while.  I remember when we lived in Sicily and I longed for American pizza.  It was one of the first things I had when we arrived home.  I guess that's why so many diets fail.  When deprived of something we crave it!

Tonight we had Roast Sticky Chicken.  It's one of our favorites.  I think we were all tired of eating frozen stuff that was zapped in the microwave.  Having real meals is enjoyable for everyone now.  If you've never had Roast Sticky Chicken give it a try.  There are many variations out on the Internet, but we enjoy the version I found on Real Meals For Real People a Yahoo newsletter group.  I'm not sure if you have to sign in to Yahoo to read the recipe, but joining Yahoo is no big deal and worth it for this recipe.  I didn't take a picture, but it tastes as good as it looks and makes the house smell real good for hours while cooking.

Tomorrow Keith heads back to Austin.  We will really miss him around here.  I can't help but think of how proud Jim would have been watching Keith and Troy step up to the plate to help their brother and me.  He would have been standing there smiling as Keith donated stem cells for Reid and then he would have been smiling as Reid received them.  He would have been laughing as we all learned to hook Reid up to an IV with shaky hands and do all the other things required of an "official" caretaker.

I hope as I get caught up around here and things slowly return somewhat to normal (whatever that is) I'll be able to catch up with E-mail and visit more blogs again.  Thank you for your prayers and support the last few months!

Time Marches On...

Time marches on and I'm home again until Thursday.

Yesterday was Reid's birthday.  On Saturday Keith brought a cake when he arrived to stay with Reid.  It was a delicious, moist, chocolate cake from The Cake Lady Bakery.  She always has really good cakes and we all enjoyed this tasty treat.

Yesterday when Troy arrived we ordered lunch from The Olive Garden and brought it back to Candlewood.  It was a nice change from the frozen meals we zap in the microwave.  We couldn't take Reid out for lunch for his birthday, but we did the next best thing.  Why didn't I remember to take a picture???

On Friday Reid had his regular appointment and saw the stem cell doctor.  The doctor seemed really pleased with the progress Reid has made.  He told him that his brother's stem cells are reproducing and his blood work looks really good.  In fact, his platelets are back to normal which is unusual at this point.  The PET scan that was done last Tuesday showed no cancer.  So, it was good news all around.  Reid can move home on February 15th as long as there are no changes in his condition.  We are all ready for him to move home and have things sort of back to normal again!

Reid has been playing lots of games with his brothers.  It helps pass the time.

I know the room looks full.  It's going to take us a while to pack everything up when it's time to move back home.

This end of the counter holds some of the medical supplies.  We've got more stashed in the closet.  We'll be glad when it's time to pack this all away...for good!

Doesn't everyone have an IV bag on the kitchen counter?

I try and take lots of pictures of Ashley...Reid's cat.  Reid wonders if he'll remember him.  I think he will.  He might be a little skittish at first since he was feral and usually dives under the couch when someone comes in the door.  Once he realizes who it is he'll be OK.

I was hoping to have the attic duct work replaced while Reid was gone.  Jim and I made temporary repairs to one spot a couple of years ago.  Then we decided to wait until we had the house leveled before replacing the duct work so nothing would be out of kilter.  I checked with Reid's doctor and was told we shouldn't have the work done for at least six months since it will put molds in the air.  So, that will have to be put off again for a while.  I still need to have the rest of the new floors put down when we move back home.  They weren't able to finish before Reid went into the hospital.  There's just so much that needs to be done around here now.  I've been thinking about moving, but just haven't gotten past the thinking stage.  Too much going on at once!

Thanks again for your warm thoughts and prayers.

More changes...

I'm home right now and thought I'd quickly post an update while I'm on my regular computer.  Typing things on my little Netbook at Candlewood seems to take me a lot longer, so I thought I'd take advantage of having access to my regular computer and post an update.

Reid is doing much better.  In fact, I came home for a couple of days and when I went back I could see a difference.  He's still very fatigued, but he's spending a good part of the day sitting up.  His appetite has also improved.  It's far from being back to normal, but he usually eats at least one half way decent meal a day.  And the shortness of breath is practically gone.  He coughs a lot less now.  I'm a little paranoid about all the flu this year, but he's not out in public and wears a mask when he goes to the hospital.  We've all had flu shots so hopefully no one will get sick.  I keep the hand sanitizer people in business!

Reid's got a ziplock bag full of medication.  I told him it reminded me of my father but about half of it is just medication he takes as needed.  Daily he takes the anti-rejection medication, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and probably one or two other things that I can't remember right now.  It's the anti-rejection medication that requires a daily three hour infusion to flush his kidneys.  We were going daily to the hospital, but they decided the infusion could now be done outside the hospital.  His blood work has stabilized and he will now only go two days a week to the hospital for a blood draw.  While he's there they'll give him the infusion.  He'll also see the stem cell doctor once a week during the infusion.
 
Meanwhile, we were given a pump and instructed on how to hook him up for the daily infusion.  I don't mind telling you that I find it a little nerve wracking, but hopefully in time it's won't be as difficult.  The nurses at the hospital all make it look so easy, but I feel like I'm all thumbs.  I'll be going back to Candlewood in a little while, but Keith will be starting the infusion this morning.  We're all doing it now, but Reid also knows how it's done and can prompt us when we have trouble.  We've got printed instructions to follow too.

I'll be staying tonight and then Troy will be arriving Monday morning to relieve me until Wednesday.  Meanwhile, Keith will be staying at the house taking care of the menagerie and returning to Candlewood to relieve me on Saturday.  Did you follow all of that?  Anyway, we do have everything covered so that Reid has someone with him 24/7 as required.

I was able to extend our stay at Candlewood until February 15th which is only five days short of the 60 days post transplant we're supposed to live down there.  The Houston Rodeo is cutting our stay short those five days, but I'm hoping the doctor will say it's OK to move back home at that time.

Thanks again for your support and prayers.

A little excitement...

Early Sunday morning (4 AM) Reid started coughing and couldn't catch his breath.  It went on for about ten minutes.  He told me he was dizzy and couldn't breath.  He could barely talk.  Finally, I asked if I should call 911 and he said yes.

The ambulance arrived in less than five minutes, but by then he was breathing much better.  They put him on oxygen and brought him to the ER. I got dressed and followed a few minutes later.  Fortunately, there aren't many cars on the road then and of course, I made a wrong turn and got lost.  However, I found my way and arrived at the hospital a short time later.

They decided once again that he does not need oxygen at home.  The saturation rate is good.  He only has trouble when he has a coughing fit.  So, after six hours in the ER we left so he could keep his appointment upstairs for the three hour infusion that he needs each day.  He is very fatigued, but he was after the last stem cell transplant too.  It takes a long time for the energy level to get back up again.  I've been using the valet parking at the hospital so that I can get him right in a wheelchair.  He can walk, but everything is pretty spread out at the hospital and he can't do that much walking.  So, we grab a wheelchair at the front door.

Last night went very well.  He didn't have a coughing fit, but he's learned to walk slowly and not jump up fast.  It's when he takes deep breaths that he starts coughing.  I think he also panics a little when he can't catch his breath which causes him to breathe faster and just makes things worse.

Today Troy came to stay with him and I came home.  I will go back down on Thursday and stay until Troy returns on Monday.  And Keith arrives tomorrow.  So, I have reinforcements now!  That is a big relief.  I hadn't been able to leave Reid to go to the grocery store.  Candlewood has a small pantry and I was able to buy a few things there, but before I left for home I went grocery shopping so Reid and Troy would have plenty to eat.  The little kitchenette only has a microwave and a two burner stove top, but it's sufficient and I loaded up on TV dinners and assorted junk food that I thought might appeal to Reid. He is able to eat now and hold things down, but he doesn't have a big appetite.

We were teasing Troy about this being his big test.  When Reid was little we went out one day and left him with Keith and Troy.  They were in high school at the time and got busy playing a video game.  Reid had gone roller skating with a friend, but fell and broke his arm.  He told us later that he heard it break.  Anyway, he came home and told his brothers that he had broken his arm.  It was a clean break and not visible, and they didn't believe him.  In fact, they told him to quit crying and to leave them alone.  So, he got some ice from the freezer and put it on his arm.  When we arrived home he told us that he had broken his arm and "Keith and Troy don't even care."  It's one of those family stories that we like to retell from time to time.  Reid and I are confident that Troy will do a much better job this time.

I better get back to vacuuming.  I'm trying to get the house in order before Keith arrives tomorrow.  I wasn't getting much done at all in the evenings when I got home from the hospital and the place is a mess.  I'm also looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.  If the cats allow I'll sleep a little later.

Lots Going On...

Reid's white count continued to go up and took a big jump overnight on Tuesday.  The doctor said he could be discharged on Friday.  This welcomed news took us all by surprise.  Keith wasn't returning from Austin to help me out until the 9th.  I couldn't make hotel reservations until I had an actual date and I thought there would be more notice.

Just my luck the hotel across the street had no rooms available.  I think a lot of people put off traveling to MD Anderson until after the holidays and made reservations to come after the first of the year.  I really wanted to stay close to the hospital this time, but had no choice but to quickly come up with a plan B.  I was very pleased with the place we stayed at last time, but it's a little bit farther away.  I called them anyway and was able to get in for at least 30 days.  The Houston Rodeo starts the beginning of February so we might have to leave then.  I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  The doctor had said he'd need to be close by for 60 days after transplant, but I'm kind of hoping that might change and we can go home sooner.

Reid was pleased to be getting discharged and then on Thursday had a nose bleed that wouldn't quit.  That's not unusual with low platelets and it finally had to be cauterized.  Then he continued to have shortness of breath and was seen by a pulmonary doctor to see if he'd need oxygen at discharge.  Of course, this now had the Friday discharge date a little up in the air.  However, on Friday they finally determined that he wouldn't require oxygen outside the hospital and said he could go.  We left the hospital around 6:00 PM.  He still has trouble catching his breath when he coughs, but his lungs have developed some scar tissue from all the radiation he had a few years ago. 

He now has to return to the hospital every day for blood work and infusions for at least the next two weeks.  This all takes around five hours, but he's still glad just to be out of that hospital room he called home for three weeks.  He's lost weight and is very fatigued, but is starting to eat a little now.

Troy has offered to come to Candlewood and stay with Reid from Monday through Thursday so I can have a little break.  He's able to work remotely with his laptop and take Reid over to the hospital each day.  I also think Reid will enjoy having someone else around.  Troy got sick and had to stay away from the hospital after the first week and Keith had to return to Austin on the 30th, so it's just been me lately.  I have some things I need to get done at home too. By the time I returned home from the hospital in the evenings I was kind of worn out and not much got done.  Keith is coming back on Tuesday, so I'll have even more help and will finally be getting a little rest.

I'll try and post updates as time allows.  Thank you for your support and prayers.  Betty

Saturday Update

Today is my birthday so Keith took me to breakfast at the Rotary House Hotel which is across the street from MD Anderson.  In fact, the hotel is owned by MD Anderson and managed by Marriott.  They have a breakfast buffet and I probably won't eat much the rest of the day. 

Reid seemed a little better today.  When we arrived he had already eaten some oatmeal which was an improvement.  For days he's eaten nothing but applesauce and pears!  He just hasn't had an appetite and has lost ten pounds in the last two weeks.

Today his white count went up a little and hopefully that's a trend we'll continue to see.  He sure would love to make that January 10th discharge date.

After we arrived he needed oxygen again for shortness of breath.  The doctors don't seem overly concerned and he had a CT scan yesterday which didn't show anything of concern.  It seems as if I have to do all the worrying around here.  :)

I better sign off now.  I told Reid I'd go get him a coke downstairs.  He's playing a game with Keith and the nurse is giving him Benadryl before a platelet transfusion.  He needs some caffeine to stay awake.

Christmas 2012

The recipient and the donor playing Pandemic on Christmas Day.  Taken with my phone since I didn't have the camera with me.  

We have to wear masks and gloves when we're with Reid.  (Try texting with gloves...it isn't easy.)  When he leaves the room he has to wear them.

The Latest...

Yesterday was not a good day for Reid.  He was miserable all day with the expected side effects.  It was the first day he didn't get out of bed and walk.  They like them to walk around the unit three times a day, but he was just too sick to leave the room.  The stem cell doctor had told him that he'd be sick around a week after entering the hospital and he certainly knew what he was talking about.

This morning didn't seem to start out any better.  In fact, when we arrived he was on oxygen, but they said his vitals were fine.  He was put on oxygen because when he would take a deep breath he would cough and then get sick.  The oxygen and a breathing treatment really helped.  He was also given a platelet transfusion and by late this afternoon he had really perked up.  In fact, he and Keith sat and played a game for a while which was really good because Reid needed to get out of bed and sit up for his lungs.  He also took a short walk around the unit.  The doctor said he needed to walk and sit so his lungs would expand.  It was good to see him finally feeling a little bit better.

Tomorrow they're having a pole parade.  They asked people to decorate their IV poles for Christmas and parade around the unit at 1:00, but Reid has decided to pass on that one.  (That's definitely not his idea of fun.)  We've decided we'll celebrate Christmas after he's discharged and feeling a little better.  Keith and I will go downstairs for the Christmas dinner they have for patients (who are able to attend) and caregivers.  Reid won't be able to go, but he really hasn't been eating much the last few days anyway.  The fatigue is really bad and he sleeps a lot.  He also complains about them waking him up all the time.  If they aren't taking vitals his IV pole is beeping.  Although he understands the necessity of it all...he'd sure love some uninterrupted sleep.

I did decorate Reid's room for Christmas, but forgot to take pictures.  It's mostly decorated in Dollar Tree  merchandise, but staff members that come into the room often comment.  I also added some lights and the little Christmas tree my sister sent.

The staff on Reid's floor won the Christmas tree contest.  I thought it was really cute and original.  It's a regular tree covered with net type material that's all bunched up.  It looks like Santa and must have taken a long time to do.

And every year we look for the gingerbread village.  I believe it's the Houston Racquet Club that donates it to the hospital and it's set up in the lobby.

My photos don't do it justice.  It's really huge and I've only taken pictures of a small portion of it.  It's hard to take pictures because there are usually people standing around looking at it.

I apologize for not answering E-mails or returning phone calls.  I haven't even been taking my Netbook to the hospital because of the difficulty connecting to their Wi-Fi.  With Keith here this week we're staying later at the hospital and there always seems to be so much too do when we get home.  We walk in the door to a chorus of meows from hungry cats and a dog that needs to get right out.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Quick Update

I'm having trouble connecting to the hospital's Wi-Fi.  Yesterday I tried on and off all day.  Today I finally went down to the first floor and tried a couple of different spots and was finally able to connect.  Then I came back up to the 18th floor and stayed connected, so I guess the trick is just to connect somewhere and then you're on to stay.  Just not convenient.

Reid is very tired, but still no awful mouth and throat sores.  The nausea has been kept under control so far, so that's good news too.  He's having cookies and applesauce for breakfast.  He needs something in his stomach so he can take some meds.  The hospital doesn't have meals at scheduled
times.  Instead they have room service and patients order off a menu and call in their order.  Really a good idea since it's more important for cancer patients to eat what they want when they feel like eating.  The food is delivered by someone dressed like a waiter and usually gets here pretty quickly.

Today is day -1.  Tomorrow Reid receives Keith's stem cells and that is considered day 0.  Then the following days are day +1, +2, etc.

Last night it took me an hour and twenty minutes to get home.  I think traffic is heavier because of Christmas.  I need to leave about ten minutes earlier today because it's getting dark so early and I have no business driving at night with my depth perception problems.  I wish I could stay longer.  If only it was summer with the longer days.

Keith will be coming back for Christmas week and I'm looking forward to having him here.  Today Troy is at the house waiting for the plumber and handyman.  Thank goodness because that makes it possible for me to be here as long as possible.

It got cold overnight.  Must have been quite a storm, but I slept right through it.  They said on the news this morning that some people lost power.  I should have turned off the A/C before I left, but forgot.  I might need the heat tonight.

We won't be at the hotel until Reid is discharged, so I'll be driving both ways until then.  We're required to stay near the hospital's ER for a while after discharge.  I think how long is how quickly his counts go up and if there's no problem with Host vs Graft Disease.  I hope it won't be too long because of the animals at home.  Keith will be coming to stay at the house for a while which will be a big help.  I talked to a lady a couple of days ago who told me that they went home when her husband was discharged and let them think they were staying nearby at a hotel.  They don't check and take your word for it. but I just wouldn't take a chance.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Change of plans...

MD Anderson called Reid a little while ago and told him that there are no empty beds.  So, he will not be admitted tonight.  They expect him to be admitted tomorrow and hopefully this will not effect the treatment plan.  He had chemo yesterday in anticipation of being admitted today.  They were not planning to give him chemo today, so I'm hoping they'll be able to stay on schedule with the chemo tomorrow and still be able to infuse him with Keith's stem cells on the 20th.

Since I now have a little extra time tonight I thought I'd post a few pictures and then get to bed early!  All of these pictures were taken with my cell phone because I forgot my camera.

This is Keith the day he donated his stem cells for Reid.

He had to keep squeezing that red thing  in his right hand so the blood would keep flowing.  It went through the machine, the stem cells were extracted, and the blood returned to Keith in his left arm.

He was a little uncomfortable because they had been giving his two shots daily for a few days so his body would produce more stem cells.  That caused the larger bones in his body to ache and gave him headaches.

He couldn't move his arms for three hours, so I changed the TV stations for him.  The stem cells are now frozen in a lab somewhere at MD Anderson.

The hospital is decorated for Christmas and they have a decorating contest.  Personally, I thought the 10th floor pharmacy went the extra mile with their decorations.

The staff dressed as elves and graciously posed for my picture.

The stem cell recipient and the stem cell donor got to pose by their tree.  That's Reid on the left and Keith on the right.  The tree was decorated with the staff's pictures, but you probably can't really see that in this picture.

One of the elves took my picture with Reid.  These are probably the only Christmas pictures we'll have this year.

They even had a fireplace.

They also had fake milk and cookies for Santa, but I neglected to take a picture.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Lots happening now!

This has been a very busy couple of weeks!

Yesterday Keith was finally ready to have the stem cells harvested.  He had been receiving two injections daily since last Friday.  (The shots left his with bone pain and headaches which was to be expected.)  He was hooked up to the machine with both arms immobile for three hours.  (I was kept busy changing the TV stations, taking pictures with our phones, etc.)  We got the good news today that there were over 6 million stem cells collected and only 4 million are needed to proceed.  So, everything is a go and Reid will be admitted to the hospital on Friday.  Tomorrow he has some chemo on an out patient basis and then will receive more when admitted.  This is to hopefully destroy any remaining cancer and also destroy his bone marrow so there is room for Keith's stem cells.

What is happening is pretty much the same thing Robin Roberts of Good Morning America has gone  through.  I've been following her story with interest on GMA.  It was very encouraging to see her a few day ago celebrating Christmas with her co-workers when they visited her apartment.  She is definitely starting to look better.

We do have to worry about infection when Reid's immune system is destroyed.  It will take time for Keith's stem cells to take over and there is a small risk that they won't.  He will also have to be carefully followed for any signs of host vs graft disease.  And he'll be more susceptible to infection for six months to a year.  But the big concern is just getting rid of his cancer once and for all.  He has a more resistant type of Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Reid is scheduled to receive Keith's stem cells on December 20th.  That will be day 0.

I'm sorry that I still haven't had time to catch up with E-mail or post some of the pictures I've taken the last couple of days.  When things slow down and I have a burst of energy I'll try and get caught up.

Thank you for your warm thoughts and prayers.

Busy, busy, busy...

I haven't been able to check E-mail lately, but might get a little time this weekend...we'll see.  I'll try and post updates here as often as I can.  We're busy all day and in the evenings I'm usually too tired to consider getting online.

They weren't able to get all the new floors down, so the hallway and computer room will have to wait.  The rest did get done, but taking up the brick kitchen floor made a mess.  It was far dustier than the slab work had been.  They had to grind to get some of it up and everything in the front of the house was covered in a fine brown dust.  I ended up sending Reid to a motel because we didn't think he should be breathing all that dust in right now.  Troy and Debbie came over on Sunday and helped me clean and dust.  We worked for hours, but the place is so much better now.  Just in time for Keith to arrive from Austin on Monday.  Thank goodness things were somewhat organized by then.

Reid's latest scan results were good!  The mass continues to get smaller and things are moving forward as far as the stem cell transplant goes.  Reid and Keith have been spending time down at MD Anderson undergoing all the remaining testing.  We spent all day Tuesday down there and today Keith is there for a half day and Reid another whole day.  I did not go today.  Reid assured me he'd be OK and he's feeling pretty good considering he had another infusion on Tuesday.

I've just been exhausted and Friday morning I will be going early with Reid since he's scheduled to have general anesthesia for the CVC.  That was his one request.  He wanted general anesthesia this time since they had trouble inserting it the last time and it was quite painful.

So far all the test results they've gotten back on Reid and Keith are good.  Unless we hear otherwise I'm still expecting Reid to be admitted to the hospital sometime before Christmas.

I need to get my butt in gear now and get a few things done around here today.  I only have so much energy and there's so much to do.  There's just so much going on at one time.

Thank you for your prayers.

Update:  Just heard from Keith.  He's been approved as a donor and will begin the injections to produce more stem cells on Saturday.  Hopefully, within a week they'll be able to harvest the stem cells.  Also, waiting on the last of Reid's tests, but assuming they're OK at this point.

MIA

I know I've been MIA for a while now, but there's been a lot going on lately.

Keith came to Houston on a business trip the second week of November and I decided to give him a ride back to Austin and stay and visit that weekend.  The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time.  I did manage to take a few pictures.

We went to a place called The Oasis which overlooks Lake Travis.  It was an overcast day, but still very pleasant.

I thought this statue was cute...

And this map of the United States made me laugh...

And Keith gave his elderly mother some apple juice...with brandy.  It's good for aches and pains.

And I had a nice visit with my grandcats...

Then I came home from Austin and didn't feel well for about a week.  Nothing got done around here for a while, but things are back to normal now.

Reid did have his appointment with the oncologist and his infusion that week and also saw the stem cell doctor again on the recommendation of his oncologist.  The mass had shrunk again, but it wasn't gone.  Based on that the oncologist felt he should now consider another stem cell transplant.  So, things are moving along in that general direction.  Reid is scheduled for another PT scan on the 30th and if the mass is still shrinking (and hasn't started to grow) he will probably be having a stem cell transplant using Keith's stem cells shortly thereafter.  They're talking about possibly admitting his sometime around December 12th.  Of course, all the other testing has to come through OK too.  He'll also be having the bone marrow aspiration on the 30th and Keith will have to come to Houston for more testing.  Then Keith will donate the stem cells and Reid will be admitted.

I believe he'll be in the hospital for around a month and then we'll have to live down in the Medical Center again for a while.  I'm not sure how I'm going to be doing all this with the dog and cats.  Last time Jim came home to let out the dog and feed the cats while I was at the hospital.  Keith and Troy tell me not to worry that they will help, but I do worry about EVERYTHING!

I did wrap Christmas presents last night and hope to get the ones out of state mailed this week.  Then I'd like to tackle Christmas cards.  I'd skip them this year except there are people that don't know that Jim died so I'd like to get them out.  There are lots of old friends that we only communicate with at Christmas.

On Monday the people will come back and finish the slab work (hopefully).  I called the flooring company and told them what's going on.  Hopefully, they can get a crew in to put down the new floor before things get any busier around here.  I'd like to get the house back in order.  Right now we have boxes piled all over the dining room.  And I need to take down the Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations.  I probably won't be putting up any Christmas things.  There's only so much time.

Reid and I drove to Brenham and met Keith for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Brenham is about half way between Houston and Austin.  It was a beautiful day and we had a very good dinner at a Brenham restaurant.  Then we found an empty table outside a closed coffee shop and played a game while we checked the Houston Texans football score on our phones.  What a game!  Reid and I listened to the rest of the game on the radio on the ride home and then watched the game that evening.  We had recorded it just in case the game was exciting.  It was!

I forgot the camera and took these pictures with my phone.  This is the empty table we found for our game.  In case you're wondering the game we played was Pandemic.

And this is Keith and Reid shaking hands the germ free way like Howie Mandel.  (We're becoming very germ conscious again with a possible stem cell transplant looming.)

I'll try and drop in from time to time with updates.  I just find myself kind of worn out in the evening and if I haven't had time all day to get online I just skip.  I've been doing that a lot lately.

I'm so tired of blogger and this new dashboard.  I had everything in this post evenly spaced and even though it looks OK once I hit publish it's all messed up.  I give up!

Some more busy days ahead...

It's official...Fall finally arrived today!  It was warm when I went outside this morning with the dog, but a few hours later the temperature had probably dropped ten degrees.  I actually had to turn off the A/C this afternoon.  Still don't need the heat, but it's so nice to turn off the A/C for a while.

The squirrels are running around gathering nuts for the winter.  I'm not sure why since we don't get snow and the ground never freezes, but I guess with all the pecans falling they're in a feeding frenzy.  They love to tease my cat.  I can see this tree from the computer room window and most mornings Baby is up there with the squirrels.  Yesterday there were three squirrels having a good time teasing him.  Of course, it was kind of difficult to get a picture because they all move so quickly.  If you look closely you can see Baby and two of the squirrels. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

Reid drove to Austin this morning to visit Keith and attend a convention.  He was going to go yesterday, but didn't feel well in the morning and decided to wait. Troy is driving over tomorrow for the day to attend the same convention.  I'm sure they will all have a good time.  Reid plans to drive back on Monday morning.

He had his infusion on Tuesday and spoke with his oncologist.  The mass continues to get smaller, but he's not in remission yet and because of that the oncologist now feels he should consider another stem cell transplant using Keith's stem cells.  He told Reid to at least speak with the stem cell doctor and see what he says.  We also found out that Reid's oncologist is moving to Sloan Kettering in January or February.  That was disappointing to hear since he's considered a leading expert on Hodgkin's, but the Fellow said that it's a wonderful opportunity for him and he deserves it.  So, I guess Reid will be seeing another oncologist in the clinic when he moves on.  It was kind of a mixed bag of information.  Good because the mass did get smaller again, but not so good because of a possible stem cell transplant and his doctor leaving.  I might have told you before, but there are many emotional ups and downs with cancer.

And Monday they begin the slab work on the house.  I think this is more a Texas thing, but the homes here are built on a concrete slab and we have a clay type soil.  Because of the clay the ground expands with moisture and contracts with drought.  Having large trees makes the situation worse.  Although we have soaker hoses around the slab and water all the time the large trees drink huge amounts of water.  Once again, the slab has cracked and our house has dropped off along the back.  So, on Monday they'll be coming in and tearing up the carpet in the den and the kitchen floor and adding some interior piers.  They come in with jack hammers and go through the concrete, take out wheelbarrows full of dirt, and then pour concrete piers to hold the house up.  The concrete will have to cure for two to three weeks and then they'll come back, open up some of the interior and exterior piers we already have, and officially jack up the house.  Then I'll have to get new floors.  Needless to say, I'm going to be busy for a while.  In fact, I've spent time this week packing up stuff in the kitchen and den and temporarily moving it into the dining room.  I'm just hoping I can get everything done before we get too busy with Reid's treatment.  This was all supposed to have been done last June, but I put it off until October after Jim died.

I'm going to be very busy in the coming weeks, but I'll try and post here once in a while.  And I'm planning to take pictures on Monday because seeing is believing!  Reid took the camera to Austin, but I got an iPhone5 last week and can always use that for pictures.  That reminds me of something and I'm hoping someone can help.  I downloaded the Blogger app but can't figure out how to read blogs with it.  It just takes me to the page where you write a blog post.  Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Lazy Weekend

Early Saturday morning we were all relaxing and taking it easy...

...when there was a knock at the backdoor. It was Keith! He decided to surprise us by driving over from Austin for the day. It's a 3 1/2 hour drive each way, so we were surprised.

I think he really wanted to see for himself how Jim was doing. Since he's been feeling a whole lot better lately we took Keith to our favorite German restaurant for lunch. (I wish I had remembered my camera.)

He left around 3:30 for the drive home. I managed to get Jim, Reid, and Keith to pose for a picture.

And then he was off!

May 31, 1969...HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH!

Today our oldest son, Keith turns 42 years old.  How time flies!  He was born in Naples, Italy while Jim was in the Navy and we were living in Sicily.

There were no newborn pictures taken at the Naval Hospital.  We flew home from the hospital when he was 2 1/2 days old.  I got to write first bus ride, first plane ride, and first car ride in his baby book for that day.

He now lives in Austin and works for the State of Texas.  He came for the holiday weekend and we celebrated his birthday on Saturday by going over to Kemah, Texas to eat.  If you click on this picture and enlarge it you can see how far we were from New York City.  (I found that interesting.)

We went to T-Bone Tom's since it's a place that Keith enjoys.  It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network and it looks like it will be on again on June 3rd.  Click on the show link for the time.

I had trouble getting a photo of everyone at once because it was a little tight and I would have had to stand on the table next to us in order to get it.  Here's Keith and Troy...

and Jim and Reid...

I took a picture of a shark egg and fried pickles.  The shark egg is actually a jalapeno pepper with crabmeat stuffed inside and then breaded and fried.  My family likes them, but I like fried pickles.  Talk about healthy eating!  (Note:  Edited...I had originally called them armadillo eggs, but Keith tells me they were actually shark eggs this time.  They've had the armadillo eggs in the past and they look the same.  The armadillo eggs have a jalapeno pepper stuffed with barbecue and then breaded and fried.)

 I had a steak sandwich and the steak was very, very tender.  Everyone raved about their meals. We all came home stuffed.

Here's Keith leaving T-Bone Tom's...

He opened presents when we got home.

Monday morning we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then Keith and his cats left for home...

Happy Birthday Keith!!