Quick Update on Pam

We got some great news a few minutes ago I wanted to pass along.  Pam completed radiation on Friday and we just got a call from the doctor’s office that she doesn’t need to do chemo!

So that means we are done!

That is about the best Christmas present we could have!  Thanks be to God!  He is sovereign and we give Him thanks!  And thank you all for your prayers and concern.

I have trouble remembering what happened when so I jotted down a summary of the last 8 weeks: 

October 

• 18  - Mammogram
• 23 - Ultra Sound
• 28 - Biopsy

November

• 1 - Met with Biopsy Doctor and Nurse Navigator discuss results and plan
• 6 - Met with breast surgeon (Dr Reed) - identified as Stage 1
• 7 - Genetic Testing to determine if close relatives at risk (they are not)
• 13 - Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting (discuss surgery and aftercare
• 14 - MRI
• 18 - Surgery (lumpectomy)
• 25 - Follow-up with Dr. Reed
• 29 - Radiation appointment with Dr. Williams

December

• 4 - Met with Dr. Reed to insert internal radiation device (catheter into her breast) 
• 5 - Met with Dr. Williams/ MRI
• 9 to 13 (Mon-Fri) - 8:30 am and 2:30 pm; radiation treatments 2 x a day
• 13 - Remove catheter after last treatment
• 19 - Follow-up with Dr. Reed/remove stitches from where the catheter was.

BTW - the catheter was quite an interesting device.  Friday after we were done, we talked with the nurse (Janette) who was in on every radiation treatment.  She answered all of Pam’s questions each day and showed us what the device looked like that had been in Pam’s right breast for the last 10 days.

Janette said the one she showed us was a little bigger than what was inside Pam, but not much bigger.

As I said -- this whole encounter has been very smooth and Pam has had very little side effects.  It just all went exceptionally well.  

It gives me an extra sense of gratefulness.  I know our experience is far different than those who have life-threatening (or worse) situations.  Thank you once again for your prayers.

Thanks for checking in today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Change of Plans - Nov 2019

We were planning on tent camping in Florida for 6+ weeks this winter (Dec-Jan).  We even bought a few supplies including a tent and screened in canopy.  My USAF training told me we wanted to do an “Operational Test and Evaluation”, so I  set it up in the back yard to check it out.

We made reservations at Pinellas County Campground at Fort DeSoto and at Key West for some tent camping.  And we accumulated some supplies and equipment for our next adventure.

Meanwhile we have been also fixing up the house with one project after another and throughly enjoying it.  And watching Pam’s amazing garden grow and product a never ending supply of jalapeños, and some kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, carrots, lettuce, and collard greens.

And we’ve enjoyed some house guests recently and always have fun with the boys.  It is such a delight to see them and spend time with them.  It is really great to be able to drop by their place or have Kelly and Jon and the boys swing by for dinner or dessert or hang out time.

And we’ve been catching up on doctors appointments and such.  One that we’ve been “getting around to” finally, was Pam’s yearly isn mammogram test.  She got it scheduled for October 18 and things have been happening pretty quickly since then...

Rather than belabor the point -- testing (subsequent ultrasound then biopsy) confirmed she has breast cancer.  Stage 1, estrogen positive, HER2 negative, invasive, ductal carcinoma.

Ugh.  OK -- With that news though we have plenty of good news from the testing and are very encouraged by our hope of a successful outcome.

Here’s how we got here and where we are at the moment.

• Mammogram/results - Oct 18/21
• Ultrasound/results - Oct 23/24
• Biopsy/results - Oct 28/Nov 1
• Appointment with the surgeon - Nov 6
• Genetic Testing Appointment - Nov 7
• MRI appointment scheduled for - Nov 14
• Surgery date scheduled for - Nov 18

After surgery (lumpectomy and probable radiation), it will be sent off for further testing.  There are a number of treatments possible with different chemo and depending on the risks, % and likelihood of re-occurrence, they may proceed with some kind of chemo.  

If that occurs (and with the possible loss of hair) Pam adamantly let it be known she will not be wearing a wig.  🙂

How is Pam doing? She’s doing well and handling it all admirably.  Kind of makes her head spin with the news and all the followup with the doctors and such.  But she is positive her faith is strong.  Still - this could kill you and something that will weigh on her I’m sure.

It’s a little weird being the object of other people’s concern, or sympathies (or whatever you call it).  Sometimes it is very uncomfortable “being out there” but we have to remember to let other people help us even if we may not think we need it.  It that makes any sense?

Our overall take is that God is merciful to us. Pam’s life/our life is in his hands. We don’t want to be over dramatic about this -- but this is serious stuff.

At the same time we are quick to remember so many people who have suffered greatly and for a long time with this disease.  In that way it is far different for us.

We have much to be thankful for:

• Detected early
• Small (6mm)
• Slow growing 
• Stage 1 
• Not in her lympnodes or spread anywhere else
• Great care/top notch doctors and nurses
• We are not on the road RVing somewhere 
• We are settled into a home base
• Have an excellent small 100 church (people or so) that is wonderful
• Surrounded by a supportive and helpful group of Christian friends
• Our daughter Kelly is right here and a big help
• Prognosis is very good.  
• There are many treatment options vs “being a mystery or something they have never seen before...”  

I wanted to let our larger “family” of friends and acquaintance know what’s happening (with Pam’s concurrence) since many of you would like to know.  Feel free to reach out and ask anything you like.

In summary, more camping adventures to Florida can wait.  We cancelled our reservations at Fort Desoto and Key West. We need to be here this winter and take care of this.  We have a terrific network of family, friends, neighbors, and church folks.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner(less) Chronicles

Back in Virginia Beach for the Holidays

We arrived back in Virginia Beach on Friday about noon.  We drove about four hours from an overnight stop in Selma NC at RVacation.  We called ahead and found out they had propane so we got our tank filled before we checked in and drove over to the campsite.

About the same time we pulled up we noticed a strong odor and thought it might be a gas leak somewhere.  Not to be taken lightly, we checked the stove and the propane tank connections.  The detector was not reacting but we were still uncomfortable with leaving things the way the were without getting someone to check it out.

Fortunately, Terry from Atlantic Coast "Onsite" RV Repair and Service was at the campground.  We called him and he was over at our campsite in a few minutes.  We had all the windows open and the gas line to the three burner stove exposed.  Terry had his sensitive handheld detector and he slowly moved it all around the stove.  No leak.

Next he went outside and checked near the propane tank, the hot water heater and gas furnace.  In each case he came up empty and after about 20 minutes said we definitely did not have a gas leak.  The odor / smell was something else.  That was good news.

He gave us his card and number (919)889-4257.  Now, it has been a few days and we don't have the smell anymore.

We got off I-95 near Emporia and drove through Suffolk en route to the base and our campground.  We got a site on the older section of the campground up against the sand dunes.   We thought a tree next to the pad might pose a problem for our satellite dish but it wasn't.

The next order of business was fill the clear water tank about 1/2 full.  But the water faucet was frozen.  The site next to us was not, so I connected three hoses together to reach over to ours and filled the tank. Then I brought out two mechanics lights to put in the bottom of the wet bay just to keep in warm down there.

Though it got near freezing nothing froze up on us, so we were glad for that.

Can't beat walks on the beach which is right across the dunes from our campground.

We are glad to be back and stay still for a few weeks.  This time though it will be for a few months.  We immediately got into the doctor appointment routine.  I saw the retina specialist again.  Things checked out good.  Next, we got refills on all our prescriptions and got blood work done.  Check check.
Another semi-annual visit to my rheumatologist and that's done for a while.  Eat better, exercise more and we should be in good shape for a while.

Now to finish up the Christmas shopping and enjoy family and that little grandson over the next few days.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Another Eye Update

More good news on the eye.  My second followup with Dr. Patel happened earlier today and it went well.  He said, "At this point, it couldn't look any better -- it's coming along very well".

Wow -- that was great to hear!!  All along this 7 week journey I have tried to marshall my emotions and have not elevate my expectations unrealistically.  I will continue to do that, but we are pleased and relieved for things to be moving along well.

The past 8 days since surgery to reattach my left eye retina, I have adjusted my sleeping and movement per doctor's orders.  I usually get 2-3 hours of uninterrupted slept and about 5-6 hours per night.  Since I was required to be mostly in a face down/ on my right side, I slept on the sofa.  It proved to be quite manageable.  Not my favorite but workable.

Today, the doctor stopped three medicines to my eye and continued only one.  Restrictions on eyes down/face down were likewise withdrawn.  I can read, use the computer and watch TV per normal. Limitations that remain include no laying on my back (face up) and no exercise or lifting for a couple more weeks.

My vision is returning.  Today I measure 20/80 and could actually read (after I worked at it) some letters on the charts.  Pain in my eye is gone, swelling is way down and almost normal.  There is no infection and only a little redness.

The current sensation is looking through liquid -- like a glass of water.  And the bottom half of view I look through the air bubble which is gray.  The liquid in my eye moves around a bit so the sensation is like a watery eye that needs to be drained.  But that will come in time.

The last couple of days have had a lot of improvement and I expect the next few to continue in the same fashion as the air bubble decreases.

I expect I will begin blogging again and recalling some of the great Oregon Coast we have seen in recent weeks.  And noting some of what we have learned as we visited some of the Lewis and Clark sites at the convergence of the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River.

So - we continue to be thankful for His healing and for the doctors and nurses along the way.  And for Nurse Pam, who has no equal...

That's all for now on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Reflections: Lessons Through My Left Eye

Some things happen in life that cause one to stop and take time for contemplation and reflection.  It has happened to me that last few days while here at the foot of the Sierras.  Pam and I have traveled over 3,000 miles in the last month and it was time to park the Roadrunner and catch our breath. We are at a nice campground called The Lakes RV and Golf Resort.

While running an errand I had an episode with my left eye.  It was a bit scary and I pulled over and tried to clear the cloudiness and blur from my eye. But it didn’t really work.  There was no pain, but my vision immediately started cloud up and get blurry.  Right then and there I started getting used to just looking out my right eye.

I was concerned but last April a similar incident happened.  Then, the cloudiness cleared up day by day and pretty much resolved itself over the course of a few weeks.  We were in Virginia Beach at the time and I when to an eye doctor to see what was going on. He basically said to keep tabs on it and not worry about it.  So I didn't.  Until it happened again last week.

That was on Thursday afternoon.  By mid-morning on Friday I decided to call around to get hold of an optometrist who would take my TRICARE insurance.  I got in to see him a little before noon and we didn't leave until almost 4 PM.  

I described what happened as liquid spurting in around my eye that made me think of oil pockets.  After about 30 minutes it settled and it was like I was trying to look through a mix of dish soap and dark brown smears.  Like clear/brown dish soap on a glass.  (Later I found out this was the result of the hemorrhage.) 

The bottom line was I couldn’t see very well.  I could make out general images.  But when I took the first eye test, I was 20/20 in my right eye and 20/200 in the left.  I think that is basically blind.

Now when something like that happens, one can get pretty philosophical about things.  I contemplated the long term loss of my eyesight.  With only one eye, it complicates things, but I know that a lot of folks have only one eye and they adapt.  So I decided I will too — regardless of the prognosis.

The optometrist said I had a hemorrhage and maybe a retina detachment or tear.  That possibility was serious business.  He tried for a couple of hours on Friday afternoon to get me into see a retina specialist.  But the best we could do was a Monday appointment at 1:00 in Fresno.

The retina specialist was quick and efficient and put some incredibly bright lights into my eyes after the pupils were dilated.  He also did a ultrasound on my eye (yes - just like the one they do with pregnant women!).  He confirmed I did not have a tear of retina detachment.  

He prescribed the following treatment:  No lifting heavy objects or exerting strain. Stop talking baby aspirin, sleep with a pillow or two. Gravity is my friend.  I am not to put my head down for long periods of time.  

Sadly — there is nothing definitive that we can point to for the cause.  I don’t have diabetes, high blood pressure.  I haven’t had a heart attack or had a blow to the head.  I don’t have the 4-5 diseases the doctor questioned me about.  I read 7 people out of 100,000 ever get an eye hemorrhage. That is interesting but I would like to know why this is happening. (Isn't that one of the universal health questions?)

But the fact that I had no tear or retinal detachment is great news!  I have hope. And the fact that the murkiness in my eye seems to get a little better each day was another positive item.

But after a week now, I have very limited vision in my left eye.  Progress is slow.  A week ago it seemed as if I was looking through dish soap an inch thick.  Now it seems as if it might be 1/8 of an inch.  This is all what it ‘seems like’ because in both cases we’re probably talking about millimeters of substance.  But the bottom line is that I still probably have 95% loss of vision in that eye at the moment.

I really believe I will regain it all back — but it will take time.  

So in the meantime I am learning (or at least I try to remind myself):

• To try to quickly get perspective.  Get a grip.  This is not life and death. Its an inconvenience and may get worse but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  Worst case might be we have to change our lifestyle and get off the road.  We’re not there yet, but it is a possibility.  If that happens, its been a great ride.  Wonderful. Glorious. Fantastic.  But we’re not at that point.  
• To use my one good eye.  It gets mentally tiring, but every day it is easier and easier.  Sometimes I forget about ‘the cloudy eye’. Other times I find myself closing it and just using the good one.  More adjustments will come I am sure.
• I am grateful for many things:
  • The one good eye
  • Overall generally good health.
  • Strong wife who is helpful but doesn’t get too easily shook up over these things.
  • Living to be this age.  I am very aware my dad had heart disease and didn’t live to see his 63rd birthday. These days it is all a bonus.
  • That it wasn’t worse — like a detached or torn retina.
  • Hope — at any stage of life and when addressing serious issues one needs hope.  And I have that and am thankful for it.
  • Good timing. This happened after we had already traveled 3,000 + miles in the last month and are taking a two week hiatus.
  • Supportive team.  Our son reminded me his father-in-law is an optometrist, so I sent him the report from the first doctor.  He concurred and echoed many of the same questions, concerns, diagnosis and treatment.  Good to have a second opinion.
• To try not to be too self-focused.  Really?? (this whole post is just about that…) But at the same time, I am trying to just relax and do things I normally do.  And reach out to friends like always to see what they are up to.
• Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.  Neither is this life-style we love so much.  I don’t think so, but if they eye doesn’t ever get any better, do we want to continue to drive around the country?  Maybe.  Maybe not.
• Patience.  This will take time.  Maybe a month or two or longer.  After an initial followup in a few days, we will be seeing a recommended specialist for more follow-up in a couple of months.  
• God is sovereign.  Like all things that happen in life, I believe this happened for a reason. This is no surprise to Him, so talk to Him about it.
• To do what I can and not worry about what I can’t control. Enjoy what I can.  Never complain.
• Don’t bother feeling sorry for yourself.  I see so many people disabled and without the use of limbs.  Others I know are fighting for their lives.  This could be worse. Be a good example.  
• Tell your family soon when you realize it is serious.  Bad news doesn’t get better the longer you wait.  They can handle it.  Don’t exaggerate. Don’t minimize.  Just tell them what you know and they can process it.  Call them.  Talk with them.  This is one of those things our daughter said is “Not Textable” as in “Do not send me a text like this - I want to talk to you".  
• Your friends would want to know, so if it appropriate, let them in on what is really going on.
• Dwell on those things that keep you thankful.  I heard this once, “I complained about growing old until I remember those that were denied the privilege”. 
• This is like the Roadrunner.  Once we got the Roadrunner, I have told myself early on and a hundred times since, “It is all going to break sooner or later.  Don’t act so surprised.”  Aging will eventually take its toll.  Thankfully I am in otherwise pretty good health.

Every day I think and ponder new things this is teaching me.  Hopefully I will make good choices and this will run its course and the eye will heal itself.  I believe it will and am ‘looking' forward to more adventures in the Roadrunner.  This is a pretty special time in our lives and we are cherishing it.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! 

Getting Fixed Up

Pam and I have been a little bit overdue on physicals and those periodic medical appointments.  One of the specific things we decided a few months ago was that we were going to get caught up and 'fixed up' if necessary on our medical and dental needs.

Six months ago we made appointments for when we expected to be here in Virginia Beach.  And we have systematically checked them off.

• Pam got a mammogram done and then a few days later had a follow up.  We did a different test and they took another look and now issues - everything is as it should be.

-
• Next were our physicals - both were scheduled the same day and again we both are healthy 61 year olds.  

• We have missed our dental exam last year and it was time for cleaning and a check on cavities. I am always at a disadvantage when I get my teeth checked.  Pam is diligent, regular and thorough at cleaning and flossing.  It's hard to fake it when your mouth is open and the dentist asks, "Do you floss?".  Well no, not much and it showed.  He said I should do it and that failure to do so causes heart disease...What??... I had no idea and am not sure he is right, but really, I need to step it up and get with the program.  Too many of my friends at my age are losing their teeth.  Enough said - better dental hygiene is underway...
• Next stop was everyone's favorite -- a colonoscopy.  First Pam's then mine.  It was 10 years since her last and 11 years for mine.  We picked up the prep stuff and she soldiered through it with no problems.  They put her under so to speak, but she was talking a bit and semi with it during the whole procedure though she could feel no pain.  I like the way Sentara  has their system set up.  We have Tricare military healthcare were in and out in about 3 hours.  No issues.  Everything looks good. After being on a liquid diet for 24 hours, we celebrated with lunch at Chick-Fil-A.
• I didn't want to miss the fun, so a few days later it was my turn.  The challenge is the prep for the procedure.  How in the world am I going to get down 17 gallons of that stuff?? OK it might have only been one gallon.

•  I drank half the night before my appointment.  The good news is the anti nausea pill that we had in order to get the 'oral solution' down.  No doubt about it, its a challenge.  They say to get it down as fast as you can.  So I did and 6:23 minutes later I got it done.
• I had a 7:30 AM appointment so I was up at 3:30 AM for my pill and then again at 4:30 AM to drink the rest of it.  I almost got it all down. Then over to the appointment and into the procedure room at the hospital.  The last thing I remember the doctor saying was, "I am going to give you some magic juice".  Then the nurses were saying, "Wake up, we're all done." The doctor said, "Do you have any questions for me?"  I thought like---Who am I?, Where am I, etc etc...?
• Good news no issues.  They removed 3 benign polyps. Come back again for this fun in 5 years... To celebrate, we went over to Waffle House.  Bubba Watson, the pro golfer who has won 2 Masters Championships - went to one after he won this year.  

• I thought I'd try it out.  I haven't been to one in 40 years. Ugh - there's a reason I haven't been there in so long... It  got the job done.  I had a cheese omelet which was fine but

So much for our checkups and exams -- probably more than you wanted to know but its a major item on our 'To Do' list while here in Virginia Beach.  We are in good shape and nothing to worry about.  This lifestyle suits us.  Just need to keep up the exercise (and flossing) and eating more of Pam's great food and we should be OK.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time...

Alan Colmes and the Toronto Star: For The Love Of Meghan

We got an email from Adam two nights ago saying he was going to be on Alan Colmes' internet webcast program. Who knew Alan Colmes had such a program?

His program is called~ "strategyroom - the Alan Colmes Project" and it is more than news and politics.  Apparently he had read about Meghan and Adam and was interested in finding out more.  So at 1 PM yesterday, we all logged on an waited.  Sure enough ~ there they were...

You can see a video clip of the interview by clicking on the link at the center of the page.  Be warned, it takes a few minutes to load.  But it is worth it.

For the Love of Meghan

Alan is quite the pro and did a great job of leading the conversation and bringing out the main events of Meghan's life with cancer the last two years.  He also asked how they met, why he stayed with Meghan during her illness, why he moved to Michigan, what Meghan's list of goals were, how long Adam was going to be working on the 'list', how he was going to pay for trips and how far he has gotten on the list.

Next weekend which would have been their wedding ceremony for friends and guest at Meghan's grandmother's cottage in Tobermory, Canada.  There will still be an event at that time but nothing formal.  We will all be there for a gathering and time of remembrance.  In August, Adam will take a train ride across Canada.  Meghan and Adam had planned the trip for their honeymoon.  In September he will go to India and teach for three months at the Merasi School which is partnered with a non-profit out of Manhattan.  While Adam was in NYC a few weeks ago, he met with the founder of Folk Arts Rajasthan to talk about volunteering at the Merasi School.

Alan was very well prepared and knew of Meghan's blog:  The Bee's Knees and her story and her goals.   I have new found respect for Alan and am grateful to him and his staff for devoting significant time on his show for Adam to talk about his plans and to share more about Meghan.

Later, I spoke with a friend who called and told me about how much she appreciated Meghan though she never met her.  She felt as if she 'knew' Meghan because of her blog.  Breast cancer killed my friend's mother years ago and she wonders if she will have cnacer one day.  Some of her own thoughts go to:  how she would deal with it?  --the chemo, or radiation or God forbid breast surgery/mastectomy?  She said after reading how Meghan handled it, she has new confidence and is far less anxious about her future.

Later, after the interview, Adam forwarded me a letter from a man from India who saw the article  about Meghan on the front page of the Toronto Star.  Her story impacted him and his friend.  Read what they had to say:

This is incredible to say the least.

Hopefully, their story will be an encouragement and inspiration to others.  Their story (together and individually) needs to be retold.  Maybe others can be helped by the way Meghan handled her initial diagnosis, her rediagnosis and how Adam has dealt with losing her, how he has been motivated to move on with out her.  A lot of other people saw the article on the Star and went to her blog with comments of their own.  

We will be sharing the Bee's Knees with our friends.  Just last week we found out a good friend from 25 years ago has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Maybe there is something there that can help her somehow.  I hope so.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Happy belated Canada Day to my Canadian friends and happy 4th of July to all ~ be safe!

Thursday at Haas Lake

It was a beautiful day a Haas Lake RV Park Campground.  We had to be at the doctor's office at 9:00 AM so we left at 8:15 AM.  We arrived in plenty of time.  Huron Valley - Sinai Hospital Women's Center is a very nice facility.  The doctors we have been seeing are in a medical group uses this hospital and we are very happy with it.

Pam had a followup mammogram and ultrasound from her initial one earlier in Galveston.  Everything was fine so we are good for another six months.  One of the things we wanted to do was get all checked out while we are here in Michigan for a while and we certainly have seen a lot of doctors.

I will be glad when Pam finally gets to feeling 100%.   She will be too. We are almost there but she still doesn't have energy like she did a month ago.  We'll be patient and take it easy though.

We came back to the Roadrunner for lunch.  We stopped by at the Campground Registration Office and checked our mail and said 'hi' to Linda.  While we were at it, we paid our campground fee for the next few weeks.  It turns out is will be cheaper to pay for a month even though we will be heading out on July 8.

Surprise!  We got our first electrical bill and it was for $81.39 for the first two months.  I had forgotten we had to pay for electric so that jumps our daily rate up some.  We are still under the $25/day budget but I hate those surprises.  We probably heard about it when we checked in but after paying each month and not getting one, it was a shock to have one as we start month three.

Next, I went over to the bank and got a debit card so I could do some online banking with Bank of America.  We have had accounts for a long time but we got rid of the debit and credit cards long ago.  But you need a debit card account to transfer money online so we ordered those.

Nearby, I stopped at the Home Depot to pick up some hardware for our next project:  a canopy for the sofa bed.  We are trying to find a way to make some privacy and/or darkness over the bed for whomever sleeps there.  I know Adam would appreciate it, so we will probably work on that today.

We set the traps again and our mouse is not tempted yet.  So far he's ahead.  I heard him in a new place but have a hard time believing he is really up in the roof or the front vents?  (He is taunting me.  I hear him as I am writing this and have no idea how to get at him.) Sooner or later he will make a mistake...

I went running in the late afternoon.  It was hot and sunny and beautiful.  Just gorgeous these last couple of days.  I had another good run and am enjoying it.

Most of the activity of the day was watching parts of the US Open at Pebble Beach.  Who would have guessed BOTH Phil and Tiger would fail to get a single birdie yesterday?  My hopes are still with Phil.

And I am not really a Kobe Bryant/LA Lakers fan but I don't follow anyone on the Boston Celtics enough to root for them.  Anyway ~ glad basketball is finally over.   It always seems like a winter sport and here we are in the middle of summer.

It was a beautiful sunset.

That is all for today on the Roadrunner Chronicles, thanks for stopping by!

Beautiful Monday

First, Welcome to new 'Followers' to the Roadrunner Chronicles:

N&J

Jessica

and our new friends

John and Judy 

who sold their house a few days ago and will be full-timing in the not-to-distant future. Congrats!

Thanks to all for joining us on our adventures!  Looking forward to your comments and hearing from you!

Yesterday started off with a beautiful sunrise.  I was up early (4:30 ish) after our first comfortable night back in the Roadrunner.  I guess while we were gone, there has been some nasty weather here in the campground.  But yesterday was a beautiful morning to get some coffee and hang out by the lake before everyone got up.

Shortly after breakfast I headed out for a brisk 45 minute walk around the campground.  We have some good walking roads around the area and very little traffic.

After that, I concentrated on some computer work.  I am finishing up expenses for the month of May and taking a look at the how we did on the budget for our first full year of full-timing.  I will be publishing that soon and redoing the budget.  It needs some tweaking to be a little more realistic.

Yesterday I was reading one of the blogs I follow, and saw that John and Sandy did a better job of setting up there budget and it needs no adjustments.  Check it out:  Mothership RV - Our Travel Adventures  In fact they came in at a whooping $743 under budget last month.

In addition to reading my favorite blogs, I made a few calls to see about next year's TV service and internet service.  We cancelled a portion of our Direct TV movie options and saved ourselves $36/month.  Then I called Autonet Mobile and asked if we save money by paying our $29/month all at once.  Nope on that, but good to know there is no price change this year.  I also asked them about a booster antenna and will likely get one in the next few weeks.  My bandwidth is fine now but can anyone have too much bandwidth?

After lunch we went to a followup appointment with my cardiologist.  I had a very good report on the angiogram from 3 weeks ago.  She had one more EKG done and it looks like the other two I have recently done ~ abnormal EKG.  But the angiogram is more conclusive and she was not concerned.

My goal is to get with the exercise and aerobic activities so I can lower the bad and increase the good cholesterol in a couple of months.  I have heard that before, so it is time to get with it.  That way I can stay off more meds.

One of the neat things since our stay here at Haas Lake has been Pam's flower box garden.  She wanted to grow some basil and yesterday it was ready to harvest.

She cut some, washed it and put it in a blender with some olive oil so we could have pesto pasta.  It smelled great and tasted even better!

I think a baseball game was on last night but don't remember it.  I dozed off before I got up and went to bed.

That was our beautiful Monday.

Glad you joined us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Only 90 more to go...who will be the next one to 'Follow'?  Let's keep it going...and thanks!

A Few Days with SJS

First, I'd like to say WELCOME! to our latest Followers:

David and Sheila

Thanks for joining us for our latest adventures on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

And now~
Thank you all very much for your kind words and encouraging responses to our latest challenge!  Pam is home from St Mary's Hospital in Knoxville where we spent the last few days.  The doctor was pleased with her progress and released us late yesterday afternoon.

We have never heard of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and now we can say we'd rather not see it again!  I don't want to alarm anyone over this (especially our kids who are reading this) but SJS is worse than your 'reaction to an antibiotic'.  I remember the allergic reaction to Penicillin when I was 10 years old.  I got hives and was uncomfortable for a couple of days.  This is different.  It attacks with avengence and then slowly goes away.  Way too slowly...

But Pam is making progress every day and is eating more and more.  The sores in her mouth are healing.  The confluence is regressing back to a light rash (instead of really red when it started) and it is working its way out of her system.  In the process, her face, nose and eyes are sensitive but those are getting better too.  This is not going to be a quick recovery.  So we'll settle for steady progress.

She had a good night's sleep last night and has been more active today and enjoyed some time under the shady tree in Joan and Mike's backyard today.  If things continue to progress we may head back in a few days to the Roadrunner (our RV) in Michigan where we left it parked.

Pam has plenty of help and care with Joan today, so I spent a few hours mowing their lawn.  Then I drove 25 miles into Halls (the nearest WalMart) and picked up Pam's prescriptions.

Last month we both had yearly physicals in Michigan and Pam will followup with that same doctor on Tuesday.  We want to get her take on Pam's progress.  We may also get appointments with an opthamologist and dermatologist just to play it safe.

One of the hardest things about this past week has been trying to reassure Adam and Kelly that things are OK.  There is a balance:  this is bad but it is getting better.

As full-timers we knew things like this could happen; things like being in the hospital and our kids hundreds of miles away from us and each other.

But we have to trust that the same Lord that is going to comfort and give US strength ~ will do the same for them.  As parents, we'd love free our kids from stress or issues in life, but I know they can handle it.  I just wish they didn't have to.

That's about it for us today ~ hope your week is going well and thanks for stopping by the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Another Night with Stevens Johnson

Last night in the hospital wasn't too terribly bad.  I was glad to be able to spend it beside Pam's bed in one of those bed/recliner things.  I'd say it was probably a typical night.  We dozed on an off throughout the whole night and were awakened at shift change, IV change, BP readings, temperature readings, meds, etc.

The doctor came in around 1:30 PM this afternoon took a look at Pam.  This doctor is on call during the day and she was not ready to release her.  She wants to be sure that the steroids continue to reduce the swelling and redness.  If it situation isn't arrested and reduced things could get real bad.  Right now it is not something to mess around with so we were not terribly disappointed to hear we are staying another night.

Unfortunately Pam has a full fledged case Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS).  The ER doctor said she was at stage 1 (and it has four stages).  The doctor on call agreed it was SJS.  Looking back, Pam developed the classic symptoms which can be attributed to about seven thousand maladies:  fever, chills, nausea, aching, lack of strength etc.  Sometimes coughing, vomiting and diarreha.  The good news is that  Pam doesn't have any of that.

 On Friday night she thought she was coming down with a bladder infection.  She had one a year ago and it was no fun, so we searched out an Urgent Care doctor near our RV campground in New Hudson MI.

She started taking the antibiotic BacTrim and the bladder infection appeared to go away.  She continued taking the antibiotic but by Wednesday evening she was experiencing flu-like symptoms (and symptoms associated with a reaction to the drug).  She slept late on Thursday and made the 9 hour drive from New Hudson MI to Maynardville, TN.

On Friday, she thought she was just tired and didn't feel that great.  In the afternoon she started to develop a faint rash.  By Saturday morning it was all over her face and chest and back.  That is when I brought her into the ER.  The doctor on duty mentioned SJS but thought better of that diagnosis and attributed her illness to the reaction and we went back to Joan and Mike's.

By Sunday the rash had spread to her legs and her chest, back and arms were now one big red, sensitive area.  It was confluent with some first degree blistering where the skin had come off (sloughing) in one place.  Additional blisters are in her mouth, lips and nose which are a cause of lots of discomfort.

Here are some photos of the progression.
- First the rash

- Then it worsens, gets redder

- then confluence ~ it joins together.  In Pam's case, her torso, both front and back were almost solid red.

These are not photos of Pam, but they could be.  It looks a lot like her case of SJS.

She is getting a lot of IV fluids and is eating an all liquid diet.  The blisters in her mouth are still very painful as are her lips which look like a bad case of sunburn.

Hopefully we will see some progress in the coming days.  It is slow going though.  She is feeling a little stronger each day despite the sensitivity to touch on her skin.  They are doing their best to take care of her.  The doctor said she wanted to see that the rash is changing and getting better before she gets released so we'll be her another night at least.

That is about it for us here at the hospital.  We are looking forward to getting this behind us but for now God is teaching us patience and we are trying to learn it.  More later from that hospital...

For now, thanks for viewing and checking in on us at the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Note to self:  add Bactrim and all sulfa drugs to Pam's allergy list.

Hospital Time on Memorial Day Weekend

It seems like we spent most of the weekend in the hospital at Mercy Medical Center - St Mary's Hospital in Knoxville.  Saturday I took Pam in to the emergency room (normal TRICARE procedures) to see a doctor.  They agreed she had a reaction to the Bactrim antibiotic she had been taking for 10 days to fight a Urinary Tract Infection.

Between the UTI and the rash - she has had a miserable couple of days.

She broke out with a rash, had a temperature and just felt bad.  When they got the right antibiotics and steroids going (along with a couple of IV's) she started feeling better and we went home.
This morning she woke up feeling better but the rash had gotten worse.  It moved from a rash to confluence. ? Not sure I used the word correctly there.

Basically it looks like she has a sunburn, hives, measles and a rash at various parts of her body.  When a small area of skin came off like a blister, I brought her back for the doctors to take another look.  They said it takes a little while for the steroids to take effect and wanted to admit her for overnight observation.  So that is where we are.

Thankfully she is getting stronger and she had no blood pressure issues, no breathing problems or the irritation of the rash is decreasing.  And she is on a diet of fluids which help with the sore throat.

We look forward to progress tomorrow and going back to Joan and Mikes for a couple of days before we head back to the Roadrunner at our campground in Michigan.

We will keep you posted.  Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Medical Monday but I'm in good shape

Don't really know what to call yesterday, but I arrived at the hospital on time for my 9:30 AM angiogram.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but the hospital is in an area that is a little run down.  But you can't judge a hospital by the way it looks like on the outside.  Inside, it was great.  People were very friendly, the hospital was bright and clean and up to date.  It had been renovated and it was a 'new hospital' on the inside.

I checked in for my angiogram and waited about 30 minutes before I got taken back to the prep room.  The procedure wasn't scheduled until 11:30 AM so we had plenty of time.  I didn't take anything but my ID card and my phone.  I was told to leave all my valuables at home.  No camera so I don't have any pictures or 'before and after' results.

Speaking of results, I came out with a very good report.  Very minor blockage in two arteries.  Since I have a family history of heart disease (my dad died at 62 and my mom at 80) and my brother had a triple by-pass a couple of years ago, I thought it was a good idea.  I don't have a lot of symptoms except abnormal EKGs,  a left branch bundle block and pre-hypertension.  My cholesterol is around 200 ~ all of those things don't speak to anything serious but they are a little suspect...I wanted to check it out.

Bottom line:  I don't have any blockage (well some, but it is minor) and I should be fine with more exercise, losing some weight, watching what I eat and maybe some medication.  At 180 lbs, I am not obese, but I am not in shape either, so I need to get with it and be consistent.  None of this is really new but confirmation that things are OK is new, so it was worth it.

Back to the angiogram.   Carrie (one of the nurses) got me all fixed up and ready for the procedure and said it would probably be a catheter through the groin although sometimes they go through the wrist.  Wrist?  I have never heard of that..

The hardest part was waiting for the procedure and it took the doctor about two hours to get to me.  About 2:15 PM he showed up and went into action.  This team knew what they were doing and didn't skip a beat so to speak.

I was awake through the whole thing and it was fascinating.  They went in through my wrist and it was  over in 15 or 16 minutes.  He said things looked good and no cause for worry or concern.  It took them longer to get me cleaned up and wheeled back into recovery than it did for the procedure.  Amazing.  I was very pleased.

The nurse put on a radial wrist, hard clear plastic band that had a small inflatable bag over the incision.  The band was secured with velcro.  The very small bag was initially inflated to apply a lot of pressure over the incision, then every couple of hours, the nurse reduced the pressure.  About 7:30 PM she was satisfied the incision was healing and closed properly.  She removed the radial band and put a very light splint over 3 x 3 inch clear plastic bandage on my wrist and put a light splint on the back so I wouldn't bend the wrist.

My hand is a little blue because that is the color of the antibacterial soap they use these days.  They no longer use the orange/brown iodine soap.

We watched a movie, "The Morgan's"  and I had a couple of naps.  Finally, we talked, signed some release forms, then I was discharged.   I am to followup in 7-10 days with my cardiologist to finish up.  All in all, it was a great day and I am glad I had the angiogram done.  Now I know how things are with my heart muscle and it is in good shape.  But I need to stay on top of things.

On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's for a sundae and then got back to the RV in time to watch some baseball before we went to bed.

It was a good day and the weather here continues to be terrific.  Today is supposed to be the same.  Hope is it summer where you are!  Thanks for following the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Follow Up and My Brothers

Yesterday was a regular kind of day with not a whole lot going on.   I was going to post some pictures of Wal-Mart where we went grocery shopping but thought better against it...  :)

A highlight had to be going to see our new internal medicine doctor ~ Dr. Yuzon.  She seems very analytical, attentive, concerned and thorough.  My physical three weeks ago showed an abnormal EKG which was followed up by a stress echocardiography last week.  I went to talk to her about the results yesterday.

I know from long ago not to get a false sense of security from good results on stress tests.  How many people do we all know that had issues (like dropping dead) shortly after a stress test that didn't provide any clue?

Besides a left bundle branch block that was identified, there is a need to get to the bottom of this so I will add a followup to the cardiologist to the calendar next week.  As what has become familiar, the cardiologist said on the phone, 'I don't want you to be real concerned about this, we just want to figure out what is going on.  It doesn't look like there is a huge cause for worry."

Ok, good.  I won't.  But I am going to follow through on this and name it and treat it if possible.  There is some abnormality, there is some funny business going on, so let's find it and fix it.  Meanwhile, I feel fine with no symptoms that jump out.  No clogged arteries (at least from what they can tell) no shortness of breath, no weakness etc.

So that was the event of the day.

Except for a nice long call from older brother Marty.  He retired a couple of years ago from the corporate business world after his last stint with Levi Strauss in San Francisco.  He is currently building a Professional Business Coaching practice aimed at helping dentists.

It is interesting to see how he is going about it.  Little by little he is getting there and I have no doubt he will build his business and help folks.  He is already helping some clients.  He is driven and he will succeed.  His business is called, "What is YOUR Pain Point?".

My other brother Reid owns and manages a cleaning business (commercial janitorial) in Albuquerque called:  Environment Control - Albuquerque.  Third brother Brad is an Architect in Fort Worth with Cameron Alread and Associates.

I usually talk with each of them every week or two and recently saw Reid and Brad.  We have always gotten along well and have high respect and love for each other.  So it was good to catch up with Marty for a few minutes.

Pam and I plotted our strategy for a nice day and it looks like we are off later to the Henry Ford Museum in nearby Fairborn, MI.  We are looking forward to some sunny and warm days and the weather folks said some is heading our way.

Hope your week is going well!  And thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!

My Heart and My Sad Heart

Yesterday it rained some more and it is raining some right now, the fourth day in a row.  I have not been out much the last few days.  Maybe that has something to do with things...

Two days ago I got out to do a stress test.  I want to get a handle on what is going on.  Last week's physical showed an 'abnormal EKG'.  No surprise there.  I had a very similar EKG last year before we hit the road.  Even though the doctor was not real concerned then, I felt I should follow up.  

The follow up to last weeks abnormal EKG was a more thorough 'stress EKG'-- a stress test.  It took about 90 minutes and they found something but don't know what to make of it -- 'Left Bundle Branch Block- LBBB'.  

• Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is a cardiac conduction abnormality seen on the electrocardiogram (ECG).  In this condition, activation of the left ventricle is delayed, which results in the left ventricle contracting later than the right ventricle.  
• LBBB is a condition in which ventricular contraction is not completely synchronized due to a block in conduction of an electrical impulse to the ventricles

Wait - before anyone gets excited, it is NOT a block as in an artery blockage-- it is an issue in the electrical impulses.  Sometimes no treatment is necessary, sometimes there is.  Right now I am not sure what it means.  My doctor is on vacation this week so I will follow up and find out more next week.  I know sometimes people do fine on the stress test and have troubles soon after.  We will see.

I don't have any symptoms other than I notice my heart beating.  It is not racing--just beating.  I have no numbness, no weakness or other helpful clues.  If fact, when I did the stress test, I surprised the technician on how long I was able to keep up and continue to 'run' on the treadmill.  He said most only are able to go 6 to 9 minutes.  It started getting tough at 12 minutes and I lasted a little over 13 minutes.  Regardless of how in shape I feel, he said that put me in the top 5%.  That's good.

They said the heart looks good, no funny business on the lining of the arteries (no buildup) and if I were on the verge of a heart attack or something--it would have shown up here (so they say...).  I think a healthy dose of skepticism is useful.  I want to believe that but....we'll see.    We'll check next week and have more to say after we see the doctor again I'm sure.

Now to the emotional side of my 'heart'.  This morning I am feeling a bit sad about some friends.  But I don't like being sad, I am mostly a positive person and don't often dwell on unhappy things.  But that is the nature of life.  To ignore it is not realistic.  As was read at Meghan's funeral:  it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (from King James' Version):

1. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

'...there is a time for everything...'  

I believe that and for whatever reason--it seems like there are a lot of my friends that are hurting out there at this time...

As you know, we lost Meghan April 27.  Grief is a strange agent--and affects us all differently.  It affects us, it affects Adam, our daughter Kelly, Meghan's parents Marg and Bill and Meghan's many many friends--it can be tough.

Yesterday I was reading Froggi Donna's blog and she mentioned that same thing.  There is a lot of death and dying going on.  Friends Mike and Pat are heading to Tucson from Northern Arizona to be with their daughter in law.  There son Mikel passed away Tuesday night in his sleep at 55.  A few years ago (2008), they lost their other son Scott.

And this morning, my friend Maggie Ragle said on Facebook,

"In need of prayers for a FB friend of a friends daughter, Audrin King and her family. Today her two year old daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. If you see this post, even if youdon't know her, please post this to your profile for 1 hour, say a prayer for her little girl and give everyone you know the opportunity to do so. Prayer is energy..."♥

In spite of the all this, we try to live our lives as if things were 'normal' and we do what we can for our friends.  For now, it is to pray for them.  And that is no small thing.   We know.  We have been the recipients of hundreds and hundreds of people, "praying for Meghan and her family.' It helps.  It continues to help.  Thank you.

You may be wondering why I would write about these things.  I guess I want to be a realistic about what it is like out here on the road in 'RV land', as I like to say.  As 'Full-timers'.
Even though we are still very excited about living our dream and we love this lifestyle, real issues in life come up.  And we deal with them...and by God's grace, we are able to move through them.

Thanks for checking in today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  If you have been reading and are not yet a follower, give it a shot--click on 'Followers'.  And thanks for the comments ~ keep them coming :)

A Good Roadrunner Day

I usually get up early and do some reading and such.  I always put on a pot of coffee and for now, have been turning on our little but powerful Pelonis ceramic heater.  Then I check emails and see if anyone knows we're out here...or if I have any responses to answer :)  Yesterday I was looking for some free firewood and a few responded to that inquiry.

I also get started on my blog post for the day and maybe check Facebook or read some other favorite bloggers I follow.  Then I load pictures and see what I can use for the day's post.  My assumption is most want to see pictures rather than just read my commentary.  I have read others who mostly write with very few pictures and they write VERY well...  Two come to mind:

Nick Russell whom I have followed for a couple of years on Nick's Blog and also of the Gypsy Journal fame and 

Connie and Tracy of who write Gypsy G'Mas.  (We met these two women at the 2009 RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville, Texas.)

Yesterday while sitting at my computer near both windows, we saw our little furry friend who lives nearby.

He looks like a 'Ralph' to me, so I will call him Ralph from now on.  We watched some early morning Fox and Friends.  Then Pam got started on the laundry and I decided to give myself a haircut.  A reader asked how I do that:

I get my stuff set up, then start with a #2 on my beard, then switch to a #8, then a #5 and #4 a few places, shake out the loose clipping and 20 minutes later I'm done!

I got the clothes lines set up first for Pam and as I was washing the Roadrunner, she hung the clothes out.

They dried for a couple of hours and I think this washing and drying clothes this way is going to work out fine.

Then I started washing the RV - I connected my three hoses and attached the spray valve before I dragged it up onto the top of the roof.

Then I filled the water bucket and put in some soap and scrubbed away.

It sure was dirty. I made my way around the back and sides and finished off the front area.  That took me about 90 minutes and I put a squeegee on the front windshield.  I'll have to do the rest of the windows.  It is supposed to rain the next few days so I'll do the rest of the windows after it quits and think about shining up the Roadrunner with The Solution - my cleaner of choice.

We stopped by the office here at Haas Lake RV campground to talk with Ruth about painting some picnic tables and volunteering.  She said the painting wasn't going to work out because of liability issues with non-employees.  But she did offer to let us help them put together their spring mailing of 7,000 postcards.  We signed up to help on Monday.

The rest of next week is shaping up:   On Tuesday, we secured positions volunteering with Habitat for Humanity - Oakland County and will be looking forward to working at the construction site all day. On Wednesday, Adam is off and he'll be at Meghan's again.  We may go see here for a couple of hours - we'll see.  On Thursday, we have doctors appointments to check out a few things.

We made a trip to the Wal-Mart nearby for some vegetable seeds and also got a couple of brackets for hanging a water hose in the tank bay.  We also found a Red Box movie dispenser and picked up 'The Informant'.

Then we cooked chicken on the grill and watched the movie.  It was not as good as we hoped although I really like Matt Damon.

That was our Roadrunner day -- thanks for viewing!  Hope you have a great weekend.

Using TRICARE in Galveston

Yesterday Pam and I went to a doctor her in Galveston.  She has been having some blood pressure issues so we decided to find a doctor and see what's up.

Becaue I retired from the military, we are members of the military medical health care system - TRICARE.  TRICARE is grouped into three regions across the country:  East, South, West.   Galveston is in the South Region and our home of record (Sioux Falls SD) is in the West Region.   It also has two plans:  Standard and Prime.

The way TRICARE Standard (vs TRICARE Prime) works, is that we look up the region we are in - TRICARE South - and choose a doctor from the list.  With TRICARE you pay a yearly fee to be enrolled.  We also have a deductible threshold with TRICARE Standard of $300/yr and a medical payment threshold of $3000/year.  In the event we have a number of doctor visits or are hospitalized, those costs are the most we could have to pay except for the co-pays.

We found a doctor and scheduled an appointment in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) here in Galveston.

They had to verify our insurance and call our home office in the TRICARE West region.  Sioux Falls SD, our home of record, is in the West Region.  Sure enough we are on the rolls.  UTMB made sure they had the right information with TRICARE West to arrange for billing.  

Pam liked the doctor who seemed to be attentive and very interested in her history.  We copied off some medical records and other information from her doctor in Virginia that Pam will take to her doctor here.  She wanted to confirm some things and may prescribe some additional items.

AFter the visist, we stopped by Wal-Mart with the prescription and picked it up later in the afternoon for $10.  So far so good and we'll see how it all works out.

Other RV full-timers have other doctor arrangements but that is ours.  How to find a doctor was one of the big mysteries we contemplated before we got on the road.  A year before we left Fairfax, we switched our coverage from TRICARE Prime to TRICARE Standard just to check out the process and see if we liked it.

 With TRICARE Prime, you choose a medical treatment center.  In our case, it was Bethesda Military Medical Hospital when we lived in Virginia.  We were assigned a primary care doctor there and we could call and schedule an appointment when we needed to.

One of our fellow NOMADS, Paula, is a nurse and lent us her blood pressure cuff and we will be monitoring things the next few days  morning and evening until we get one of our own.

Meanwhile, my back is slowly getting better.  We made it to the work site but there isn't a whole lot to do at the moment.  It is still very stiff and I don't want to aggravate it.  Midway through the afternoon, I decided more could be gained for me by getting a heating pad on my back so we left early.

On the job site, we are finishing up some small sheet rock jobs while we wait to get the electrical wiring in the house inspected.  We notified the inspector we were ready and are waiting until he comes by.  Hopefully that will be done today.  We could use a sheet rock lift for the ceiling pieces, so Norm built one.   That will speed things up for us once we get rolling on it.

The requirement from the inspector is to leave the entire ceiling alone and one side of each wall so he can see where all the wiring is.  After Hurricane Ike, so much damage was done to the house that the entire wiring had to be redone.

The plumbing also has to be redone and it is being contracted out.  We watched some of the results of their work yesterday.  It is very common in Galveston to have plumbing and water pipes showing on the outside of the house.

Kelly went back to Dallas about mid-morning and Adam called in the early evening.  The weather has gotten significantly better and it was another beautiful day in Galveston.

Thanks for viewing today.  And thanks for taking the time and effort to leave a comment.  We appreciate  that too on the Roadrunner Chronicles...