Update on Connie, part whatever

A week ago Monday (October 14th), Connie had a treatment scheduled along with a visit with the Oncologist to discuss her two scans from the previous week of her full body and her brain.

As we've talked about before, chemo only works on the disease that's below the neck.  The scans showed very little progression, not enough to be concerned.  So the chemo has been working.  In the race for cancer to gain traction on my wife's body, right now the brain has taken the lead again.

The brain scans, however, showed "significant" progression.  His opinion was that the brain needed to be evaluated and we needed to go over things with our neuro oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic.  We got a "virtual visit" scheduled with them for today, Friday, the 25th.  He gave Connie the option of going through with the treatment or waiting till we've heard from the neuro surgeon.  She chose to skip the treatment on the 14th and 21st.  Basically, while keeping the body under check is necessary, if the brain gets too far ahead, it trumps the body.

It's really no different than the position we were in this past January, or the March the year before.

Met with the Neuro surgeon today via "virtual visit", and, similar to the last time, he can't tell if it's progression of the lesion or if it's radiation necrosis from past treatments.  We're going to do a month of steroids to reduce the swelling.  After that, around the week of Thanksgiving, we'll shoot new pictures of the brain.  We'll send those to Cleveland Clinic for assessment and do another virtual visit probably in the first two weeks of December.

Got Connie back on the chemo schedule a week from Monday, so she'll be resuming those.  We appreciate all the love and support.  While I don't answer everyone, please know that we're feeling the love.

Medical Update

Well, remember the epidural shot?  The pain was fixed-----temporarily. 😩

So now, we are back to the drawing board.  Doctor reviewed my scans again and thinks he sees what the issue may be.  Need to have another CAT to confirm.  Initial thought is that some of the cement from the kyphoplasty srayed and is very near to & impacting the nerve.

We will weigh our options once we get the results from the scan.

In the meantime, he has prescribed Lyrica and scheduled another epidural.  Unfortunately, my insurance would not approve the Lyrica.  So, we wait for an alternative.

Thanks for all the love and support.

Physical Therapy

Had my very first physical therapy visit yesterday.  Was very interesting as we reviewed all my issues and conditions.  Since the therapist was part of the Cleveland Clinic, he had my history readily available.

Learned a lot about how to continue to ease the pain and strengthen my back.  Also learned I should be sleeping with a lot of pillows.

A little sore and stiff today, but I do think this is going to continue to get better.

Thanks to all for the well wishes!
Connie

Pain Train Derailed

Went in yesterday for an epidural to help relieve the pain in my lower back.  The pain had been bothering me for quite some time.

We had done X-rays and scans in Texas.  Nothing broken, but the scan showed some new collapsed vertebrae.  We discussed with the doctor and decided we should meet with our Cleveland Clinic team to develop a plan.

Met with Dr. Savage, spine and neurological specialist.  He recommended an epidural and physical therapy.

Now that the first step has been completed, I am scheduled for physical therapy next week.  Pain decreased throughout the day yesterday and is almost entirely gone today.

Looking forward to the PT.

Thanks again for all the well wishes.  Truly appreciate it!

It Is What It Is.....

Phrase of the week.  Even guests on the Dan Patrick Show were saying it.

Let me explain why we are saying it.

A while back (May 5), we reported on the scan results I had.  As we stated then, the news was some good and some not so good.  At that time, all that meant was that we were not going to get a "vacation" from treatments.  So, we needed to make our travel back to Ohio in time to meet with my "new" Cleveland Clinic Oncologist.  We made the change in doctors to be more convenient for our location this year (Amherst - west of Cleveland).

I had my first appointment with Dr. Spiro at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center in Fairview Park on Wednesday.  Upon reviewing the results from Texas, he recommended that we go back to the more aggressive treatment from last summer.  <Sigh>.  It is what it is.

The increased chemo is necessary since there was some progression in the scans.  The brain is holding stable as are most of the bone mets.  The areas of concern are the lungs.

So, it is what it is and we will do what we need to do for now.

Tomorrow will be the first treatment this go round.  Will try and keep everyone posted throughout the summer.

Thanks to everyone for the love, prayers, and support.

Taking a break.......

No, not from blogging.  We've already done that.  Wow, last post was June 16th?  I'm sure all of you have been concerned.  No need to be, we've just been hanging in Ashtabula.

Connie met with her oncologist today who said that because there's no progression that's concerning him from her most recent scans.  Her treatment today was postponed and he's going to give her a month off from chemo.  We're very happy to say the least.

Which, of course, leads to our exit from Ohio back to Texas.  Dr. Aponte, who we had been seeing since the onset of her diagnosis in 2013, has left Corpus Christi and moved to San Antonio.  She's out.  We had been considering moving to a doctor who had a branch in Rockport, so now he's in.

Right now, we're in the process of sending him all the documents from the Cleveland Clinic so that he can make an informed decision as far as moving forward since he'll be calling the ball.  When to do that is the big question!  Do we travel now to Corpus knowing that we don't have anything here for a month?  Do we wait here until we meet with her Ashtabula Oncologist in a month?

Stay tuned!

New Treatment Day

The new treatment day arrived.  Started by getting up at 5:30AM!  I didn't even get up that Early when I had a"real" job.

Bethany was my ride to the Cleveland Clinic.  Had to be there by 7:15.  For those of you that know our daughter and how she is not a morning person, would have been surprised at how nice the ride was.  And, she hadn't had her coffee, latte, or whatever the caffeine of the day is.

She dropped me off at the Tassig Cancer Center, took Tucker to doggy daycare and headed on to work.

My day at center began with the standard lab work.  Was glad they were prepared to access the port for this meaning only getting stuck once.

After labs was the visit with Dr. Andresen.  We reviewed the new drugs that would be used.  They are:  Docetaxel (taxetere) and Perjeta (pertuzumab).  The third drug in the treatment is the same Herceptin that was used previously. He also revealed that the heart echogram showed a healthy heart, which allows us to continue with the new treatment.

Back downstairs to the treatment rooms.  Many of the rooms at the clinic are private.  Complete with regular TVs, and a bathroom that is shared with the next door room.  With the additional demand for treatments, they have also added 3 community treatment areas.  They try to use these mainly for short treatments which allows the to keep the private rooms available for those of us in for the long haul.

Premeds are required for this new regime.  First up - Benedryl.  Not sure what they do to this stuff when they push it thru the IV, but it sure messes me up.  Dizzy, leg twitches, drowsiness.  Don't like it, but guess it keeps the more severe side effects and discomforts of the bigger drugs at bay.

That was followed up by infusions of Pepcid and dexamethasone.

My nurse was excellent today.  She took the time to answer questions.  She also was very good to make casual conversation even though she had a busy day full of other patients.  Never felt rushed and that created a much calmer environment for me.

Since this was the first time for the Perjeta, it required an observation time to see if I would have any reactions.  Passed with flying colors.

We won't need the observation next time, so the treatment will not be as long (whew).

To summarize, all went well today.  Feeling good tonight and have been able to eat all day.

Hoping the next couple days are just as good or better.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming show of support and affection.  My room was filled with a full house of virtual guests.  It was so much appreciated by both of us!

Doctors, Drugs and Dogs

With the news from the latest CT scan, I made arrangements to fly back to Ohio to get things going.  I arrived late evening on April 5.

Being "homeless" can be quite scary - unless you have awesome friends!  Don & April picked me up from the airport and put me up for the evening.  Their 3 cockers were my welcoming committee.  Cassie must have known I was missing my girls since she kept watch and slept with me for a while.  Amazing how dogs just know how you feel.

On Sunday, our friend (my new landlord), Lenny came to get me.  Again, so thankful for such great friends!  Once back in Ashtabula, I was shown my room and I got unpacked.  Lenny's German Shepherd, Odessa, was very welcoming too.

My first doctor appointment was set for April 8.  The Ashtabula doctor had mentioned that they would need to order one of my drugs and it could take a week to get in.  <sigh>   That would just put me a week behind my normal schedule.

The following day, I received the call from the doctor that they would not be able to get the drug in until much later.  They recommended that I contact the doctor in Cleveland.

After going back and forth for two frustrating days, I finally was approved for a treatment in Cleveland.

So, I have now moved in with Bethany and James (and granddog, Tucker) for the week.  I will start out having an echogram on Monday.  Treatment day will be all day Thursday.

It was a frustrating week, but with everyone supporting me, I was able to stay calm.  Ready to get this new treatment started.

Thanks to all for the love and prayers!

They Will Tell The Good News Over The Phone......

The "not good news" requires a visit to the office.

On March 24th, I went in for a follow up CT Scan of the chest and pelvic area.  Doctor wanted to see how the new treatment was working.  Was to get the results on April 9th at my scheduled visit.  Blood work was all coming back good, so we were only going to be required to go every 2 weeks instead of every week.  Great since we were getting ready to make a mini road trip to see more of Texas.

Was able to enjoy a nice dinner (March 25) at Moby Dicks in Port Aransas with our Heartland Owners Coastal Bend group.  While there, I received a call from the doctor wanting us to come in the next day.

As we expected, the news was not good.  The cancer has progressed in the lungs (larger and more) and a new area was found on the liver.  The doctor is recommending changing the treatment again to be even more aggressive.

Options are to start the treatment here in TX on April 9th (and stay until June for monitoring ) or head back to OH for the new treatment there.  We chose the second option.

At this time, I am waiting for the doctors in OH to get the information and schedule the necessary visits and treatments.  I will fly back as soon as we have more details from the Cleveland Clinic.  Bob will be heading back solo with the rig.

We will be passing along information as it becomes available.

Thanks again to all our friends and family.  We certainly appreciate all the love , support and prayers!

More Doctors Join the Team & More Planning

Again, hard to believe it has been over a week since we posted.  Would love to say we have been busy running around, but just not the case.  Bob has been busy with our travel agency (that's a good thing).

I had lab work done on Tuesday in preparation for the recurring 3 week Wednesday treatment.  All went well.  Even felt good on the days after this time.

Friday had us off to Cleveland again to visit yet another doctor (Spine specialist - Dr. Krishnany).  He was concerned with the pain I have been experiencing and ordered a standing x-ray to gather more information.

The weekend came and went with nothing exciting to report.

A new week brought about new appointments (and even more doctors).   Started the day with another brain MRI.  Since we met with the brain doctor in the afternoon, we received the results same day. Word is that it looks good as there was no new growth.  So, time to move on to the spine.  All indications are that I will be a good candidate for radiation to the spine.

The procedure for the spine sounds very similar to the CyberKnife that was used for the brain.  But, with new procedures, comes new doctors.  This radiation (Stereotactic Spine Radiosurgery) requires not one, but TWO doctors.  Welcome to the team Drs. Angelov and Chao.

Both doctors "worked us in" on Monday so we would not have to return another day.  Even if it made the day extremely long (11 AM to 5:30PM), it was nice that they did that for us.

Each doctor had to explain the radiosurgery procedure at great length.  Next step is to have the mold made (again, similar to the mask that was needed for the brain).  That is currently scheduled for July 31. Once that is done, they will work on the "mapping" to pinpoint the radiation.  Probably will not get rolling for another week or so.


That's the latest.  The really good part of Monday was getting to go see Bethany's new office.  Then later heading back to the Davis house for the evening.  The dogs sure enjoyed playing together and we enjoyed visiting.

What a week....

Sitting in some church's parking lot two blocks from the Cleveland Clinic with the rig and the girls.  Thought I would reflect on the week passed.
We had nothing but rain and miserable weather the first part of the week.  Awful.  Zero good.  Don't think it ever broke 60.
On Tuesday, there was a little bit of a break, so I thought I would dump the water out of the raft and maybe take a little test.  Got just far enough away from the dock and the engine died.  Rowed myself back to the dock (which was a great cardio workout, by the way) and took a look at the engine, the line, the tank.  I couldn't figure out anything simple, which would have been all I could have dealt with.
Tuesday, I got up early and headed to the south of Ashtabula County (actually, into PA) and had a Nissan outboard guy take a look at it.  Turns out, our tank lid has a leak and there was tons of water in the tank.  He went in, cleaned some things up, and within an hour, I was back on my way.
I took Connie to Ashtabula Medical Center at noon, as she was scheduled to do some CT scans and MRI's.  After she was done at 4:30p, we headed off to our daughter's place to celebrate her 27th birthday.  Hardly seems possible.
My good friend Rich was in town at the airport for some business, and we were fortunate that he could join the four of us at a restaurant in Rocky River for dinner.  Great times as always.
While we were gone, the girls and Tucker kept themselves amused at Bethany's house and continued on after we got home.  Damn, that dog can play hard.
Wednesday, we headed back to Ashtabula and stopped at the Cleveland Clinic in Willoughby Hills for my blood work as I had an appointment on Thursday as part of my annual check up where they tell me I'm fat and need to change my diet.
Rained again on Thursday, so no packing.  We did however feel safe since we hadn't heard from any doctors saying to get Connie to the hospital making our reservation for the National Heartland RV Rally in Goshen, Indiana put on by the Heartland Owners Club.  A solid week of networking, meeting old friends, making new friends, hearing seminars from suppliers and what not.  We'd been holding off until what we thought was the last minute.

First trip for the bike!

Friday morning it let up and we could get the rig packed and head to the Ohio Heartland RV Rally at Scenic Hills RV in Berlin, OH (Amish country, Little Switzerland, etc.).  Sugarcreek, OH that we got the call we didn't want to get.  Our oncologist was setting up appointments for Connie at the Cleveland Clinic on Monday to see their radiation oncologist and gamma knife specialist.  Results from the CT scan weren't good.
It was as we were passing through
Nothing that was going to make us turn around that moment, but it was going to make us change our plans.  (more on that in a moment).

There were 8 couples at the Scenic Hills RV Park, all Heartland owners and 3 couples from Xenia -- about 17 miles north of where we both grew up (Wilmington) and 8 miles west of where I taught for my first four years (Jamestown).  Was a fantastic time, with eating and a campfire being the main attractions.
Our first meal on Friday night was at Mrs. Yoder's kitchen, a great buffet that was packed on a Friday night with both tourists and locals.  (The parking lot was the giveaway).

Saturday afternoon we took a drive into Sugarcreek (the park gave us a couple for a 1/3 lb. of free cheese at the Swiss Village Bulk Foods -- can't pass that up!).  They had samples of Homemade Chocolate Chip Cheeseball with graham cracker prezels that was awesome!
On the way back started looking for a furniture piece Connie had seen at the RV office which would be the answer for our dilemma of sitting in our recliners and not being able to put down our beverages.  Not only found that in a color/wood we liked, but also a "C" table that solved the same problem for our couch.  Wonderful!

Saturday night, we went to an Amish family's house for dinner.  Spectacular food!  We finished the evening around the fire (with hard woods supplied by the campground, which was outstanding).


Sunday, our change of plans took effect.  We were supposed to roll over to Bethany's in laws to celebrate his birthday and spend the evening with them on our way to Goshen, IN.  Once the Monday appointments took place, we called our friends Don and April, who have a church behind their house, to see if we could bum a night there.  Worked out well, generator worked well, good night of boon docking (or "coon doggling" which is a long, funny story I won't get into).
Got business done Monday morning and took off to the Cleveland Clinic where I dropped Connie off for her appointments, then found a large church parking lot where the cabbies are all sitting, waiting for their next fare.
The girls and I will sit here until after Connie's appointments.  If she has no further appointments the rest of this week, we're heading to Indiana from here.  If she has to come back this week, we'll go back to Ashtabula and have to scuttle plans to do the rally.
I'll be blogging either tonight or tomorrow when I know.

Family Time!

We packed up and headed to Bethany and James' new house on Tuesday.  I was able to see it when they moved in.  This was Bob's first time seeing the place.  I was very impressed with what all they had done with the place.  Looks great.  We both were very happy with the house and the neighborhood.  Nice job guys - so very proud of you both!


We joined up with my parents and Bob's mother.  The "kids" had a house full with all of us and the dogs.  They fixed a wonderful steak dinner for us all.  So nice to relax and visit with everyone.  And, the dogs were enjoying the playtime too.




Wednesday was treatment day at the Cleveland Clinic.  As much as I love my doctor and the clinic, I have to say I was not excited to see them all again.  But, the clinic is such a gem.  Just another thing we take for granted up here!

A quick visit/goodbye after the clinic visit and we headed back to Ashtabula.  Was so nice to spend time with family.

The clinic stuff went very well.  And, we found out that we can now do all the treatments in Ashtabula from now on.

No side effects of note today, so I was able to enjoy the beautiful weather - after working, of course.  Neighbors came over for a very short "happy hour".   So nice to be able to be outside and meet people.

Hoping the weather holds out for the weekend!

Wilmington and Ashtabula

We spent all day Thursday and Friday in our hometown of Wilmington (OH), actually outside of it about 7 miles in Caesar Creek State Park.

Thursday, we spent most of the day with our parents.  Mowed the yard, my first time in about 3 years.  Don't miss it.  Big moment was we went to Verizon to get my Mom a new phone.  

Thursday evening, we met with many of our friends from High School at McD's Pub.  Great to see everyone.   Amazing how you can pick right up with people you haven't seen for 30 some years.

Friday, was a miserable, dreary day.  Welcome back to Ohio.  Spent most of the day just reminiscing with our parents, though sadly, we did go to one of our friends' father's calling hours.

Saturday was a travel day.  We cooked a pre-Mother's Day brunch at the campsite, then got on the road around 11a.  Lunch at the Flying J north of Columbus, then dropped my Mom off in Cardington.  Still had about 3 hours to go after that.

Got into Kister's Marina around 5:30p, and set up didn't take too long.  Our daughter Bethany came over, as did our friend Lenny.  We then went over to Lenny's to see his Mom, brother and girlfriend.  Carmen and Sloopy got to see 'Dessa and Sierra, two litter mate 11 year old German Shepherds.  Carmen had a little too much energy for those two.

Sunday, we went over to Pickle Bill's in Grand River for a Mother's Day luncheon with Bethany's husband and his parents.  Great time.  So nice to have Lake Erie perch again, and catch up with James and his parents.  Cold, though.

Today was a back to work day, but I did take some time to do some work on the site.  We inherited an old DirecTV dish on a pole that we decided to take down and make into a hanging plant post.  

Neighbors said on Sunday that there were steps that people have left over the years that we were welcome to, so we grabbed a set.  Needs some tweaking, but we'll make it work.

Finally, there's plumbing.  I still hate plumbing.  Had a small leak from the hose so I cut into the hose and replaced the male end.  When I did, I realized we needed a new hose.  Also wanted to fix the sewage so it was more permanent for when we come back, and got all the pieces/parts from the bone yard except for a couple of elbows, but the pipe was old that no one carries it any more, so it didn't fit the elbows.  Tried to make it work, but it doesn't look that way.

The mower

Tomorrow, we'll head over to Cleveland, meet with our parents who are going to be dropping off a mower for Bethany and James new house, then Connie will have her first treatments and appointments at the Cleveland Clinic.

No more radiation treatments....

Yesterday was Connie's last whole brain radiation treatment.  Now, its just a sit back and see how much good we've done which we won't know for another couple of months with an MRI done probably in Cleveland.

When we're sitting at home here in Rockport at Copano Bay, you suddenly realize how much time those daily runs into Corpus Christi took.  We're now pretty much going to do weekly runs now, with the next appointment with the oncologist next Wednesday, and the last Texas IV treatment the following Wednesday on the 24th.  After a followup with the radiation oncologist on Friday the 26th, we'll be done with our spring Texas doctor visits.

Because she's not having to do the whole brain radiation and using the mask (that was molded with a full head of hair), yesterday was also hair cut day.  The hair was falling out pretty steadily so Connie got it cut all the way down and now we'll see (without the radiation) how much it starts growing back.  I know she's a lot more comfortable with no hair, than with hair falling out all over the place.

A Free Weekend; Our future plans becoming clearer

We had an up and down week this week.  Connie's treatments on Wednesday pretty much knocked her down until mid day on Friday, even though we had a couple of runs into Corpus for Thursday and Friday treatments.

Monday will mark the last "whole brain radiation" treatment which will be a welcome relief.  40 minute drive one way for a 15-20 minute treatment daily gets old.  Tuesday is a meeting with the radiation oncologist,  then a break until the following Wednesday when we meet with our oncologist.

With all that news came word that Connie's last treatment in Texas will be on the 24th of April, with her first treatment in Ohio at the Cleveland Clinic on the books now for May 15th.

We have friends who would like to come to Sandfest at Port Aransas on Sunday the 27th.  If they come, we'll probably leave for Ohio on the 4th of May.  If they don't come, we'll probably leave here on the 27th or 28th depending on when we find out they're not coming.

In the meantime, we're like last rig standing here at Copano Bay RV Resort.  The program lists 146 sites; the girls and I walked around with a counter Thursday and only 43 rigs, not all of them occupied were still here.  Wasn't like this in Portland at Sea Breeze RV Resort, but was like this in Tucson at Desert Trails.

Unfortunately already hearing of tire and mechanical troubles for those who have left, and those who are going home to snow.

Easter weekend...

Good Friday was a non treatment day.  Starting Monday, Connie will do daily brain radiation treatments (save Saturday and Sunday) through till a week from Tuesday.  We won't miss that daily ride into Corpus Christi.

Hope to get some clarity from those at the Cleveland Clinic this coming week about her treatments in Ohio.  That will help us make our return to Ohio plans a little more concrete.

She's been feeling well, being active, pretty voracious appetite and really not showing any of the side effects (other than some spotty hair loss from the Cyberknife).  Her chemo pills are two weeks on, one week off.  This weekend was pretty much "drug free."

Spent Friday night watching some hoops.  Went into Rockport Saturday to look at some of the shops, then came home to watch the Buckeyes drop out of the tournament at the hands of Wichita State.

Today we started our day with a special recipe for breakfast that Connie found in a magazine while doing treatments, watched a few hoops, then off to the Clubhouse for a great carry in Easter Dinner.

Most everyone will be heading out (if they haven't already) tomorrow, and we'll start back for treatments to Corpus.

Some Good News

So far this week has started off with good news from the doctor visits.  First, when we met with the radiation oncologist on Tuesday, she decided to start stepping down the steroids to twice a day.  Then, today, the medical oncologist stated that since the cardio results were good, the Herceptin dose can now go up to the normal dosage that only needs to be administered once every three weeks vs. weekly.  Yippee!  Also, today marked the last day of the initial therapy dosage of the chemo pill (Xeloda).  Getting a rest of 7 days before the next round starts.

With having both radiation and injection today, didn't do much else.  Felt good, but am starting to wind down as the day is coming to a close.

Not much else to report.  Will be contacting the Cleveland Clinic tomorrow to start the ball rolling for getting the appointments set up there.  That will also allow us to have more clarity on our plans to return to Ohio.  (Better get rid of that snow and warm it up!)

We know what we're facing, here's the plan.....

We met with Dr. Aponte Monday.  She did confirm that it was breast cancer, but that it was going to be a long haul.  Connie would be on chemo for the foreseeable future.  It's going to be in a pill form, while she'll receive Herceptin through an IV.  Her treatments back in 2004 did do some damage to her heart.  There is a risk that the Herceptin could further that damage.  We're going to have to add a cardiologist to the team in the near future to monitor that.

We decided that we would do our "first round" here in Corpus Christi, then transfer back to the Cleveland Clinic.  Not quite sure how that transition is going to be handled, but we've contacted Dr. Andresen's office in Cleveland, and both oncologists offices have been in contact.  Dr. Aponte requested all the 2003-04 records, while forwarding all the current records.

Connie and I decided the best plan of attack was to go back to Kister Marina in Ashtabula and stay the season.  Then, in October, we'll return to Corpus Christi to keep the continuity of doctors.  It's almost like we're snowbirds, but without a sticks and bricks house.  We contacted Kister's and they did have availability for a seasonal spot (May 1 through Oct. 15) and we sent our deposit in to hold it.

First, the brain masses which are scheduled for Wednesday and the Cyber Knife.

The blog takes a turn for the nurse.....

This blog has always been about Connie and I RV'ing and our travel experiences.  It's now about to take a turn.  To those of you who have followed our travels, our thanks.  To those friends and family just finding us, welcome.

I'm going to try and recreate the posts (I should have been writing) from the time our lives got turned upside down on February 22nd to the present, then keep up from here on out on Connie's progress and our "doings".  I've been doing most writing in third person, but Connie would like to add her thoughts as time goes on, so you'll have to watch for who is entering the posts.

Background info:  Connie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and treated throughout 2004 by the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Andresen.  This past Monday, Connie finally got into a local oncologist (Dr. Emmalind Aponte) who recommended she get some imaging done to explain the pain she was having in her shoulder and the headaches she was experiencing.  Because of her past history, she had had some X-rays taken of her chest earlier and some spots looked suspicious, hence going to see the oncologist.

We were approaching the "magic" 10 year mark of being cancer free this year, as well as her 50th birthday on March 1st, our 10th year in business and our 30th wedding anniversary on April 30th.

2013 should have been a wonderful year.

Too Busy to Blog!

Goodness, it's been a long time.  I've noticed since reading others' posts that when they go back to their previous home, they're just incredibly busy.  Now, we know the feeling.

Got in Monday to Kister's Marina and Campground, set up and off to visit our good friend, Lenny T. for the evening.

Tuesday, after a morning rain shower, we got the raft blown up, put in a slip and Bob headed out for golf for the afternoon with Lenny at Geneva On The Lake Golf Course.  First time out for about two months and it felt great.

Wednesday was a morning doctor visit to the Cleveland Clinic (one of the top four hospitals in the country, only an hour away, worth the drive!), then on to see our daughter and her new dog Tucker.  We met at the Lakewood Dog Park (a great place for dogs to meet and socialize).  Tucker is all boy puppy, and Sloopy is all Terrier.

That evening, we headed to the City Tap in Cleveland, then on to Progressive Field for a night of watching the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers with our daughter Bethany, and our soon to be son in law, James.

Thursday was finally a working day, then prep for Bob's 50 year merit badge (a colonoscopy) on Friday morning.

Friday, we finished up all of our Doctor's "things" at the Cleveland Clinic (Connie's a 7.5 year cancer survivor), met with our former Business Development Manager from Carnival Cruises Geoff and his wife Jan.  Capped off with an evening with Lenny and his mother Pat.

Whew!  Tonight (Saturday) we're off to Conneaut Boat Club for their annual Corn Roast, tomorrow our daughter and fiancee' are coming over for a raft ride and spend the afternoon.