Fall

 

Clouds Rolling In

Larry and Sharon at Sprague Lake

Wine Racks Are Finished

Exploring the Cache La Poudre River

 

Another Month!

A month has gone by since my last blog post, time to catch up. We have gone from summer to fall here in Longmont and I have had to give up shorts and sandals and switch to wearing jeans and socks and shoes. Bummer. I do enjoy summer! We are i8n a spell of cloudy weather with rain and fog and darn little sun. We usually seem to have sun every day and we have only had a couple of sunny days in the last week or so. I’ve had to put off plans for trips to Rocky Mountain National Park to fish and see fall colors and elk gatherings, and now there is snow on the ground there. On our last trip to RMNP Sharon and I left Longmont hoping to escape to smoke that had been swallowing us. We were feeling the effects of fires in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, and Colorado. Turns out the smoke was not as thick above 9,000 feet bit it was still there.

During the past month I have been busy in the basement. I have the dust control system installed and working, I am arranging the workshop and have built three shelf cabinets. We moved two book shelves from Glen Ellyn that I had built. They are now on the wall in the basement and filled with an overflow of kitchen items. The new shelves match those in style and are storing shop related items. It is good to be making things down there and to be almost organized.

We finished the month with a visit from Lee and Peg. They had a wedding in Boulder and spent the weekend with us. We had a very nice visit, it was good to see them. Lee gave me some very good ideas for the basement and I now know how I am going to do the ceiling in the Booze Room. If that works out I will do the same in the TV room.

I have been feeling strong except for having two colds this past month. I have to be more careful when I am out in the world. No immune system means I can catch what is out there. I have to be especially careful with flu season coming on. Alcohol wipes, hand washing, face masks are all required.

Sunset enhanced by smoke

 

Smoke in the background

     

Gotta have a cat picture

 

Lee and Peg entertained by the kitties.      

Avery and Anika go back to school

 

Three Month Followup

 

This week I had a three month followup PET scan, blood tests, and Oncologist visit. That three months is three months since my Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant - Stem Cell Transplant.

The news is generally good but Dr. Kamdar did have issues with some lymph nodes in my abdomen showing too "bright" in the scan. The remainder of my problem lymph nodes were smaller and not as "bright" as they once were. My spleen has reduced in size to now be a normal size. I didn't know my spleen was enlarged. My blood work is all good. Dr. Kamdar says I am doing better and recovering quicker than her other transplant patients.

We have agreed to have another scan in three months and make decisions based on the results of that scan. It could show no change, reductions in lymph size or "brightness", or growth. We could do nothing or it could mean going on a long term maintenance Rituxan regime - meaning Rituxan every two months for two years. Or, it could mean further treatment which could be CAR T clinical trials - which Dr. Kamdar is running at CU.

Bottom line, I am feeling very well. My energy levels are increasing, I am eating (and tasting) everything. I am riding my bike, I am fishing, I am getting the shop back together in the basement. I am doing much better than I was back in December when this lymphoma started to really hit me. And, I am positive I can lick this.

The last photo on this page is the Leanin Tree Western Art Museum. This was a private museum in Boulder but is now history. It contained an exceptional private collection of western art, but it is being dismantled and sold by the owner. I went twice and Sharon was able to visit once. I took John and Averty and Anika when they were here. 

 

The Pond At One Year

 

We Have Little Shubunkins

 

Eclipse Party

 

Even The Kitties Eclipsed

 

Colby Eclipsing

 

The Big Thompson in Moraine Park

 

River Rocks

 

Longing To Go Out

 

Weekly Bath Time

 

A Last Look At Leanin Tree Museum

And More Guests!

The day after the Jordans left town, the Knox team arrived. We went to Celestial Seasonings for a tour - a repeat of the one we did with the Jordans but we learned me facts on this one - different host. We visited RMNP again which is OK by me because I never tire of that place. Brady enjoyed sitting and drawing what she was seeing in the park. At the Alluvial Fan she drew the waterfalls and the river. She and Sharon later put her sketches into a book. Brady got to visit several of our local parks and playgrounds and had a great time.

On Monday we took Kevin to the airport and on Tuesday Kathy and Brady flew away. It is quiet at Nueva Casa Jordan for the firs time in over two weeks! We won't know what do do with ourselves, though we had a neighbor over for dinner last night and this morning Sharon came downstairs with an arm full of kitchen towels and announced that we were now ready for our next round of guests. 

Celestial Seasonings Tour

Brady Sketching

Isn't It Time For An Update?

I continue to heal and I feel better all the time. Hair is growing, energy is returning, and I am more myself every day.

We enjoyed a visit from the Jordans of Redmond Oregon this month. We had a good time together taking in the sights of Rocky Mountain National Park and Bounder and Longmont. Avery enjoyed visits to The University of Colorado and Colorado State University. I put John and Avery to work around the house and we accomplished most of he heavy lifting work I needed to get done. Everyone pitched in to help while they were here. Anika and Sharon cooked up a storm. Lots of baking! We made tamales, smoked ribs, ate a lot and had a great time. John, and Avery, and I made it to RMNP for a day of fishing. And while Avery is the only one to catch a fish we all got to see plenty of them. It was a fun, relaxing day though John did his best to do me in with walking more than I knew I could do. We got up close and personal with a herd of elk that seemed to follow us across Moraine Park right up to the Big Thompson River. They are impressive animals.

Shelby in charge

The Jordans come to visit.

John & Kristie

Avery

Top of the world ma! Rocky Mountain National Park.

Avery, Kristie, John, Anika

Fishing at RMNP

The elk followed us to the Big Thompson

Our local squirrel helping dispose of sunflower seeds.