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| Amanda & Rosemary with Oliver & Olivia |
When we returned home, we had a visitor. Amanda came to visit not us, but Olivia and Oliver. This sweet girl has fallen in love with our Shih Tzus. And they have fallen in love with Amanda.
Amanda was diagnosed with brain cancer last fall. Since then she has had to undergo radiation, chemotherapy etc., etc. But she has finished her chemo and is having an MRI today with the report coming tomorrow. Please join us in prayer for Amanda's healing! If this MRI is "clean," Amanda and her parents will not have to make the many and long trips o Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
It turns out that Amanda has had some care from our daughter, Holly. Holly is a Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist. What a small world.
This is our last week here in Brown County. We are looking forward to the new scenery of Allegan, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and then Wisconsin.
We will be back in Indianapolis for John's appointment with Dr. Michael Lykens, pulmonary specialist. If released, we are heading west!
I am keeping hopes up that John will be released, but I just do not want John to be disappointed. Last week, John started coughing. We thought it was allergies. But I had to call Dr. Lykens anyway.
A prescription for antibiotics and steroids was necessary. Not because John was sick, but just to prevent the cough from developing into something worse. As it turns out, the antibiotic was necessary. The cough is 95% gone, therefore eliminating allergies.
This concerns me. What if I miss a sign or symptom and John gets sick again. When I make these calls to the doctors, I feel as if I am being an alarmist. But so far, let me repeat.... so far, I have been right.
When we shop, I insist that John does not open doors for me, that we wipe down shopping carts in the grocery, that he not touch merchandise. I even wipe things down as I put them into the shopping cart.
I am hoping that when he gets his CPAP next week and begins to sleep better, therefore not being so tired all the time, that his resistance to viruses and bacteria will increase. I don't even know if that is a factor. Time will tell.
Tomorrow, we take the motorhome to be wired for the trailer to tow the Miata. After the wiring and we pick up the trailer, we will take delivery of our bicycles.
Now the next question John is pondering is how to transport the bicycles. Hopefully, he will have an answer tomorrow.
I am off to my spinning wheel! This is the first opportunity to spin since Christmas Eve.
Till next time..... God bless!
I think you both are very special to be able to grab this new life when under the stress of John's condition. I think I would be to afraid of leaving the area where you know your medical facilities etc. But then, everyone is so connected, I guess good care is always a phone call away.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying. At times, it frightens me. Our medical support team is excellent. What we are counting on is IF John has a bad spell, we will call our team here and they will refer us to a colleague from their past. Now that I have experienced John's progression from ok to respiratory failure, I know that I must err on the side of caution. I just don't want any overnight changes! I know that John will never recover from COPD and that it is a progressive disease. He wants to travel, I must support him. I have no idea how long he will be able to travel. We will live one day, one town, one campsite at a time. We both understand that we will have to settle someplace at some time. Part of our travels are to find the location that is best for John's health. We know that it is not Indiana with the high humidity in the summer and sometimes harsh winters.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're getting some cooler temps. Even after a good rain, the temps don't seem to go down much at all here in NC. I sure hope you get to go the UP and Wisconsin. :)
ReplyDeleteNan, I can empathize with Amanda and her family, to a degree. My little grand niece was diagnosed with Leukemia a year ago last May and has at least another year and a half of treatment to go. I always knew it was an awful disease, but just what treatment was involved had somehow escaped me until I saw my niece struggling to keep her little girl alive. She is on maintenance chemo, now, and steroids, and has one bad week per month. She has a rough time. Doesn't seem fair--such adorable little girls. Hoping for good results from Amanda's MRI.
ReplyDeleteAs far as John, Nan, I would call ANY TIME I had a question or I was worried about something. You're not being an alarmist. As far as living your life--live it as John and you want. Rich and I worried about friends of ours who were very ill. They are still alive and he is gone. I know what Rich would tell you, and it's the same thing I will tell you. Live and enjoy your lives. Travel and enjoy every moment together. If you stay home and worry, you are wasting time. Thank goodness we didn't because we were home when everything ended suddenly and unexpectedly. There was no warning. It was out of our hands, and nothing could have stopped it. All you can do is take the precautions you are taking, and keep a close eye on him. Hoping you have many, many happy years, together.
My sister and brother-in-law lived in Reno, Nevada. They do have a winter, but I've been there quite a few summers and you don't feel the heat like you do in the east, and the breeze starts up like clockwork at 3 p.m. They moved there to be near their daughter who was a truck driver with her husband. They were all over the country and decided to settle in Reno because of the weather. I don't know the best kind of weather for John, but I'm sure there are some RVers on some of the boards who have COPD that can suggest best places for them. Escapees, IRV2, RV.net, etc.
You can count on my prayers for Amanda. Breaks my heart when I hear of any child being sick and Amanda's is horrible.
ReplyDeletePrayers for John also! Need to keep those going.
I hope you had fun spinning!
ReplyDeleteLots of prayers sent your way for both Amanda and John. Hoping those reports for Amanda are the best ever. And I agree with hobopals - continue to live your life. You can sit home and worry or you can be on the road and worry. I would prefer to be on the road. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring so we will continue to enjoy every day the way we want to enjoy it. And let me tell you - the doctors we have used in AZ are just incredible. I worried about Jim's heart on the road but we have found a cardiologist in AZ that is better by far than what he had in Montana. Jim has COPD also, not like John, but enough that he uses his Spiriva and his inhaler when necessary and his CPAP when I can get him to wear it. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brave soul Amanda is; I'm glad she's made friends with you and your cute doggies. Sending good healing thoughts her way.
ReplyDeleteAm also sending good healing thoughts John's way too. He's got the best nurse in you and is lucky you're so attentive to his every need.
Safe travels and here's to good news when you return!