We are back from the clinic again. It was a beautiful drive up and back, and we had a good book to read which makes the time go more quickly; The Forgotten 500. A riveting story detailing the bold and daring rescue of over 500 Allied Airmen shot down over Yugoslavia during WWII and cared for by the Serbs right under the German's noses. Another piece of history of which we were unaware.
Leland's blood work looks great, he needs to increase his vitamin D3 as it is low, and he is trying some Wisconsin Gensing on Dr. Sweet's suggestion to see if it helps his energy levels. I love the way she really pays attention to these matters, and always has good suggestions for solving problems we run into.
As I said on the last post, the bone scan is mostly good, however, there are two new metastatic bone lesions and while his PSA is down to 4.19, lower than it has been since this began, it is still high. I have been in e-mail contact with another cancer survivor who volunteers with PCAI, a Pca List-Serve I joined, and from which we have learned much more that one can ever find out in a doctor's office. Chuck is a volunteer, and a real researcher who loves sharing his knowlege. He pointed out a couple of things we need to check into, and when I asked Dr. Chen about it, he was not knowlegeable about it at all. Chuck then sent info about an Oncologist specializing in Pca who practices at OSHU at the Knight Cancer Center, and on the website they were discussing the very problem which Leland may have-adaptive pathways which allow Pca to grow in spite of hormone treatment. So on Monday I will make an appointment there for Leland, if they are accepting new patients.
We found out today that the Chronic Disease Fund will be unable to assist us with co-pays in 2014 due to lack of funding, but they suggested another place, which I called and applied to this morning. We will hear from them this next week, and find out for sure and what the amount of the grant will be. We will be very grateful for whatever they can help us with.
Earlier in the summer I went to have a small lump on the side of my nose near my eye evaluated. Three doctors and one CT scan later, it was determined it should come off, and was most likely benign. The pathology report came back malignant to everyone's surprise, a rare cancer called a Micro Cystic Adnexal Carcinoma. In 25 years of looking at all kinds of cancer I had never heard of this one; I am pretty sure the pathologist had his books off the shelf researching this one before settling on the diagnosis. It arises in sweat glands mid face usually, primarily on women and there are only 300 per year world wide. They spread locally, but are rarely metastatic. Now I have to go back and have the incision removed, the bone scraped, and all tissue surrounding it cut away until the margins are clear. There is no way to know how extensive it will have to be until they actually do it, but hopefully it will be fairly small. My surgeon is also trained in plastic surgery, so the scars should not be too noticeable after it all heals up. The surgery will be Monday the 28th, and we will be glad to have it resolved.
I will post again after my surgery and let you all know how it came out and how large the excision had to be.
In the meantime, we are really enjoying the beautiful fall weather and gorgeous colors, and thankful for all the blessing we enjoy.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
October 4, 2014 An Anxious Day
Last Thursday, 9 days ago Leland went for his bone scan. We knew we would not get the results until at least Wednesday, but surely by Thursday. Thursday came and went with me carrying a phone everywhere, even out into the garden to harvest where we were working to clean it out and harvest the last of the tomatoes.
When I called the clinic this morning the girl who is the "gate-keeper" tried to tell me scans are not discussed until the next visit. I informed her that was incorrect, and I wanted to speak with someone who could help me, not leave another message which might not be answered until Monday. One just has to get assertive in the capacity of a patient advocate. I hope I was nice but firm; at least that was my intent. Anyway, long story short, I finally got to speak with a live person, who told me Leland's scan had been discussed in the team meeting and would be again today, and Dr. Sweet would call today by the "9 O'clock hour" 9 came and went, 10, 11 and 11:45. I called again, very anxious with my imagination working overtime. Another promise Dr. Sweet would call. I extracted a promise it would be TODAY; she promised me it would be.
Around 12:30 Dr. Sweet called, and told me the Bone Scan looks really good! The bone lesions are regressing (Yes!!) the Kidney Nephrosis has resolved (YES!) and there are no lesions in his right hip and leg which have been giving him pain. ( Yes!) There are two small very faint new lesions in his upper right arm, and they want him to have his PSA done earlier than usual to check on that., but she said they are just very pleased with his progress.
Leland had to take the truck into The Dalles this morning to have some work done on it, and was gone all day. We had had a new steering mechanism put in-very expensive- and it did not work properly, when he took it in to have it checked they determined the part was defective, so at least we did not have to pay again, which was a relief. It was just as well he was gone because I was not very good company waiting for that phone call!
After imagining the worst all morning, I felt much better, and very grateful. Leland usually works outdoors a lot during the summer months, and is stronger by the end of summer. Last summer of course was very different, but this summer he has done a lot outdoors and accomplished a lot. However, rather than getting stronger, he has less endurance than he had at the beginning, and back pain which he has not had before. Now, just a little bending over causes pain, and he tires more easily than 2 or 3 months ago. We have been concerned about this, which was one of the reasons I was so anxious this morning.
I think perhaps the weakness is the price he is having to pay for the Zytiga and Lupron. Fatigue is one of the side effects of Lupron and muscle weakness is one that comes with Zytiga. So we will have to adjust our expectations accordingly, and he will have to pace himself more gently. Perhaps we will just have to hire out some of the jobs he does. Otherwise, he feels well, just needs to rest more.
We have a pleasant weekend ahead, Jerri and Leslie are here, staying with Del and Chuck. We are invited there for Sabbath dinner, and they will all come over here for Sunday brunch. We always love spending time with family and getting caught up on each other's lives.
Our next appointment with the clinic is the 15th, and I will post again after that.
The above picture is one of the projects Leland worked on this summer, just after we finished putting in the bark dust. I don't seem to be able to control where it gets placed.
When I called the clinic this morning the girl who is the "gate-keeper" tried to tell me scans are not discussed until the next visit. I informed her that was incorrect, and I wanted to speak with someone who could help me, not leave another message which might not be answered until Monday. One just has to get assertive in the capacity of a patient advocate. I hope I was nice but firm; at least that was my intent. Anyway, long story short, I finally got to speak with a live person, who told me Leland's scan had been discussed in the team meeting and would be again today, and Dr. Sweet would call today by the "9 O'clock hour" 9 came and went, 10, 11 and 11:45. I called again, very anxious with my imagination working overtime. Another promise Dr. Sweet would call. I extracted a promise it would be TODAY; she promised me it would be.
Around 12:30 Dr. Sweet called, and told me the Bone Scan looks really good! The bone lesions are regressing (Yes!!) the Kidney Nephrosis has resolved (YES!) and there are no lesions in his right hip and leg which have been giving him pain. ( Yes!) There are two small very faint new lesions in his upper right arm, and they want him to have his PSA done earlier than usual to check on that., but she said they are just very pleased with his progress.
Leland had to take the truck into The Dalles this morning to have some work done on it, and was gone all day. We had had a new steering mechanism put in-very expensive- and it did not work properly, when he took it in to have it checked they determined the part was defective, so at least we did not have to pay again, which was a relief. It was just as well he was gone because I was not very good company waiting for that phone call!
After imagining the worst all morning, I felt much better, and very grateful. Leland usually works outdoors a lot during the summer months, and is stronger by the end of summer. Last summer of course was very different, but this summer he has done a lot outdoors and accomplished a lot. However, rather than getting stronger, he has less endurance than he had at the beginning, and back pain which he has not had before. Now, just a little bending over causes pain, and he tires more easily than 2 or 3 months ago. We have been concerned about this, which was one of the reasons I was so anxious this morning.
I think perhaps the weakness is the price he is having to pay for the Zytiga and Lupron. Fatigue is one of the side effects of Lupron and muscle weakness is one that comes with Zytiga. So we will have to adjust our expectations accordingly, and he will have to pace himself more gently. Perhaps we will just have to hire out some of the jobs he does. Otherwise, he feels well, just needs to rest more.
We have a pleasant weekend ahead, Jerri and Leslie are here, staying with Del and Chuck. We are invited there for Sabbath dinner, and they will all come over here for Sunday brunch. We always love spending time with family and getting caught up on each other's lives.
Our next appointment with the clinic is the 15th, and I will post again after that.
The above picture is one of the projects Leland worked on this summer, just after we finished putting in the bark dust. I don't seem to be able to control where it gets placed.
Friday, September 20, 2013
2013, September 20
This week made more than 20 trips to the cancer center. Leland has been a patient there for a full year, and what a difference it has made in his overall quality of life! We were remembering this trip how very sick he was the first time we went, wondering if they would be able to give us any real help, wondering how it would all turn out. I remember feeling how unreal this all was, walking into a cancer clinic with Leland, hardly able to believe this was really happening, feeling really scared about starting chemo-even low dose, and unsure whether or not we were doing the right thing. And yet, there seemed nothing else to do, no where else to go. We had prayed earnestly that God would open and shut doors and lead us to an effective treatment; this was the only door that opened.
The previous treatment had clearly not worked at all, in fact it had allowed the cancer to spread considerably, in spite of the assurances otherwise.
So now we know, this cancer will never be cured without a miracle. However, a good partial
remission has been achieved. Meaning his quality of life is quite good in most respects, although he does seem to be experiencing an increasing lack of energy. The present protocol he is on has been successful , so according to Dr. Chen and Dr. Sweet, we stay the course for now. They are very pleased with his progress, Dr. Sweet calling him a "Poster Boy" for Integrative Care.
Lab test results were good, PSA slightly up from 4.5 to 4.52. Dr. Sweet told us it is very usual for tumor makers to go up and down within a small range, so they are not yet concerned. They are concerned enough about some new pain in his hip and leg to order another bone scan, which is entirely reasonable as it has been a year since the last one. We need to know whether the pain is being caused by arthritis (possibly from some of his meds), bursitis or the cancer. That will be scheduled soon, within the next week or so, and when we get the results, I will post them here
We are once again in Portland with Cherilyn, Todd and Phoenix. We have had the fun of looking after him again while his parents work. He is such a joy, sitting up now, grabbing everything within reach of his little hands, smiling all the time, and laughing out loud when we play with him. Tomorrow we will take him to church with us, then in the late afternoon we will go to Mark and Tina's for dinner. We will have our two grandsons together, so it will be a good opportunity for pictures, and a good family time.
The previous treatment had clearly not worked at all, in fact it had allowed the cancer to spread considerably, in spite of the assurances otherwise.
So now we know, this cancer will never be cured without a miracle. However, a good partial
remission has been achieved. Meaning his quality of life is quite good in most respects, although he does seem to be experiencing an increasing lack of energy. The present protocol he is on has been successful , so according to Dr. Chen and Dr. Sweet, we stay the course for now. They are very pleased with his progress, Dr. Sweet calling him a "Poster Boy" for Integrative Care.
Lab test results were good, PSA slightly up from 4.5 to 4.52. Dr. Sweet told us it is very usual for tumor makers to go up and down within a small range, so they are not yet concerned. They are concerned enough about some new pain in his hip and leg to order another bone scan, which is entirely reasonable as it has been a year since the last one. We need to know whether the pain is being caused by arthritis (possibly from some of his meds), bursitis or the cancer. That will be scheduled soon, within the next week or so, and when we get the results, I will post them here
We are once again in Portland with Cherilyn, Todd and Phoenix. We have had the fun of looking after him again while his parents work. He is such a joy, sitting up now, grabbing everything within reach of his little hands, smiling all the time, and laughing out loud when we play with him. Tomorrow we will take him to church with us, then in the late afternoon we will go to Mark and Tina's for dinner. We will have our two grandsons together, so it will be a good opportunity for pictures, and a good family time.
Monday, September 2, 2013
2014 September 2 Home Again
Home Again
Actually we have been home for a few days, but they have
been quite busy getting caught up from our trips.
Our trip was perfect,
we had a great time with everything we did, and everything went as
planned. The family reunion was
wonderful, Crater Lake was rainy but still beautiful. But best of all we were
with Del and Chuck as well as Judy and Norm.
Lorinda (Chuck’s sister) and Frank came for the day and we dashed
through the rain all together, very fortunately finding a place over the lodge in a large mostly empty
room fitted with tables and chairs to have our lunch out of the rain. The next day’s weather was much better and we
all enjoyed a long bike ride around part of Diamond Lake.
After the family reunion we picked up Grant in Bend, then
met Chaunda at the Boise airport and we
proceeded to Yellow Stone, the Grand Tetons and Craters of the Moon. Part of the time at Yellow Stone and Grand
Tetons we also had the pleasure of Judy and Norm’s company, as we enjoyed the
beauty together.
We especially enjoyed the geysers and the bison-who own
the roads there; huge magnificent creatures who block traffic without a care in
the world.
After Craters of the Moon, we dropped Chaunda back at the
Boise airport, drove to Baker and toured the Oregon Trail Museum, well worth an
afternoon. Spent the night in LaGrand
then headed for home. We unpacked the
trailer, spent one night at home then were off again to take Grant home, then
head for Seattle and Leland’s treatment. Then it was back to Portland to spend
three days caring for Phoenix while Cherilyn and Todd had to work. He is growing so fast and learning new skills
every day. Of course he is absolutely adorable.
It has been a little frustrating to have to wait so long
for the results of Leland’s blood tests. Usually we have them done before the
appointment so we have them in hand, but this time it was not possible, and the
clinic has been unusually slow getting them to us. I finally called on Friday, 8 days after the
appointment, and was told the PSA was up a little, 4.5 this
time, up from 4.3 last month. He is
feeling and looking well still, so we will wait until next month and see what
the trend tells us. Dr. Chen told us a
couple of months ago that a 5-10% rise will call for reevaluation.
We have been
really grateful for the good summer we have been able to have and for the
blessings of Integrative Medicine, especially when contrasted with last
summer’s almost constant illness. We were counting today, and it has already
been a year and a half since the diagnosis which turned our world upside
down. Sometimes, for just a little while
I can almost forget that cancer has
ravaged Leland’s body, because in many ways he seems so normal. He is much more at peace with this than I
am.
Our flowers really burst into bloom while we were gone,
the strawberries and tomatoes did very well (thanks Del and Chuck for picking
them and saving some for us) so we were expecting on Friday morning to go out
and pick another gallon or so of strawberries. But the Bald Faced Hornets are back, and they
are eating all the berries. Even if we
can beat them to it, it is not worth risking a nasty sting, so I guess we are
done with berries, even though the strawberries will bear until frost, or until
it gets too cold.
This picture was taken in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; Lower Falls in the background.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
2013 July 25 Clinic visit and Phoenix
This busy month has been flying by. A wonderful Sabbath afternoon visit with our nephew Ryan, his wife Shanna and their darling little boy Asher, was a delight. They are on their way to assignment in Alaska-a real switch from southern Texas!
Mark and Tina were here the same weekend, so we were all able to visit with Ryan, Shanna, Kathy and Dan, Kevin and Charles, as well as Kathy's brother and sister-in-law. We enjoyed Mark and Tina's visit, and appreciated Grant's help as Leland finished the retaining wall in front of the garage. It looks great; now to find some deer resistant plants for full sun-
That same week, we took Grant home on Tuesday evening, then went to Cher and Todds so we could care for Phoenix for two days, as the regular day care provider was on vacation. We enjoyed every minute of our time with him. He is so much fun, smiling, laughing, learning to grasp small things-including his toes. Of course we have lots of pictures!
Sunday evening of this week, we were off to Seattle again. We spent the evening with Chaunda at Dash Point Park on the Sound. It was beautiful, and she had fixed a lovely picnic.
Then it was off to the hotel, and Leland's appointment on Monday morning. His blood work looked good, except for a small rise in his PSA, which did not worry Dr. Chen, but it did worry me! He said it could be a difference in machines, as we had had it done at Portland Adventist last week while we were there. Dr. Chen ordered another PSA done to confirm, and on their equipment, the PSA showed a drop to 4.3! That does not seem like much from 4.71, but we celebrate every drop in that number! Especially after a long conversation with Dr. Chen regarding the next step if the PSA continued to rise. Another drug, or possibly chemo again. I am so very glad we are not facing that just yet.
We left Seattle for Portland and another day of caring for Phoenix. What a pleasure and a privilege it is to be able to spend time with him. We love every moment.
Leland just finished making a new small cupboard for our trailer. He spent a lot of hours on it, which I will really appreciate when it is time to load up for our trip in a week or so.
We will be gone most of the month of August, so I will not be posting here until we return, and have gone to the next appointment on the 22nd. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the family reunion on the second weekend.
Mark and Tina were here the same weekend, so we were all able to visit with Ryan, Shanna, Kathy and Dan, Kevin and Charles, as well as Kathy's brother and sister-in-law. We enjoyed Mark and Tina's visit, and appreciated Grant's help as Leland finished the retaining wall in front of the garage. It looks great; now to find some deer resistant plants for full sun-
That same week, we took Grant home on Tuesday evening, then went to Cher and Todds so we could care for Phoenix for two days, as the regular day care provider was on vacation. We enjoyed every minute of our time with him. He is so much fun, smiling, laughing, learning to grasp small things-including his toes. Of course we have lots of pictures!
Sunday evening of this week, we were off to Seattle again. We spent the evening with Chaunda at Dash Point Park on the Sound. It was beautiful, and she had fixed a lovely picnic.
Then it was off to the hotel, and Leland's appointment on Monday morning. His blood work looked good, except for a small rise in his PSA, which did not worry Dr. Chen, but it did worry me! He said it could be a difference in machines, as we had had it done at Portland Adventist last week while we were there. Dr. Chen ordered another PSA done to confirm, and on their equipment, the PSA showed a drop to 4.3! That does not seem like much from 4.71, but we celebrate every drop in that number! Especially after a long conversation with Dr. Chen regarding the next step if the PSA continued to rise. Another drug, or possibly chemo again. I am so very glad we are not facing that just yet.
We left Seattle for Portland and another day of caring for Phoenix. What a pleasure and a privilege it is to be able to spend time with him. We love every moment.
Leland just finished making a new small cupboard for our trailer. He spent a lot of hours on it, which I will really appreciate when it is time to load up for our trip in a week or so.
We will be gone most of the month of August, so I will not be posting here until we return, and have gone to the next appointment on the 22nd. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the family reunion on the second weekend.
Friday, July 5, 2013
2013 July 5 47th Aniversary and Baby Birds
Friday night and it feels sooooo good to sit down! We have been attempting to catch up with our outdoor work which has included building a small retaining wall in front of the garden shed, which can be seen out the kitchen window. We still have some finish work to do around the edges, but it is a huge improvement over a small bank covered with wood chips and perennial weeds always a step ahead of us.
It has been hot by mid-day, so we have been arising by 5 or 5:30 am, pulling on our clothes and dashing outside to get as much done as possible before it gets too hot. Leland has also been working on a larger retaining wall by the driveway pad in front of the garage; a much larger project. He has the gravel foundation done, the first layer of block down, and the ends nearly done. I assist him in these project by driving the tractor and little trailer after more materials, then unloading at the job site. It is wonderful to be able to work hard and accomplish goals once again.
Wednesday was our 47th Aniversary. We worked outside for a couple of hours, then cleaned up and drove to Hood River where we had a very nice lunch at the Big Horse Brew House. We had a table on the balcony 3 stories up with a very nice view of the Columbia River and Gorge. The food was really good. Then it was off to Mt Hood and Timberline Lodge. We spent some time there, then decided to find the Alpine Slides. We took the the ski lift up, and the little cars down the track-something new for both of us, and a lot of fun. We drove back to The Dalles where we stopped for supper at Water's Edge Bistro, then headed for home; a completely enjoyable day.
We had a little family of juncos move into a basket on the wall under the breezeway and right outside the back door. The adults made a nest, then laid 4 eggs, all of which hatched. Within 2 weeks, one of the babies was sitting on the side of the nest, and by the next day they were all out and fluttering around. They were so cute, we hated to see them go so soon. The parents were very anxious every time we used the door and must have been very glad to get the babies out and away. It was a charming experience, and one we will always remember.
Leland's next appointment with the Cancer Clinic is July 22, after which we will have the pleasure of caring for Phoenix for a couple of days. His day care mom will be on vacation, both Cherilyn and Todd need to work, so we will stand in. We are looking forward to it!
It has been hot by mid-day, so we have been arising by 5 or 5:30 am, pulling on our clothes and dashing outside to get as much done as possible before it gets too hot. Leland has also been working on a larger retaining wall by the driveway pad in front of the garage; a much larger project. He has the gravel foundation done, the first layer of block down, and the ends nearly done. I assist him in these project by driving the tractor and little trailer after more materials, then unloading at the job site. It is wonderful to be able to work hard and accomplish goals once again.
Wednesday was our 47th Aniversary. We worked outside for a couple of hours, then cleaned up and drove to Hood River where we had a very nice lunch at the Big Horse Brew House. We had a table on the balcony 3 stories up with a very nice view of the Columbia River and Gorge. The food was really good. Then it was off to Mt Hood and Timberline Lodge. We spent some time there, then decided to find the Alpine Slides. We took the the ski lift up, and the little cars down the track-something new for both of us, and a lot of fun. We drove back to The Dalles where we stopped for supper at Water's Edge Bistro, then headed for home; a completely enjoyable day.
We had a little family of juncos move into a basket on the wall under the breezeway and right outside the back door. The adults made a nest, then laid 4 eggs, all of which hatched. Within 2 weeks, one of the babies was sitting on the side of the nest, and by the next day they were all out and fluttering around. They were so cute, we hated to see them go so soon. The parents were very anxious every time we used the door and must have been very glad to get the babies out and away. It was a charming experience, and one we will always remember.
Friday, June 21, 2013
2013-June 21 Back from Seattle Again
We are back from our 17th trip to Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center. It was a good trip, fairly good weather except over Snoqualmie Pass and down the other side for quite a ways; it was pouring rain going both directions with a lot of vehicle spray almost obscuring the road at times and very heavy traffic for most of the distance on Hwy. 90 between Ellensburg and Seattle.
Leland continues to do well, his blood work is all very good and his PSA remained at 4.7. I was hoping for continued lowering, but at least it is still stable, which indicates the cancer remains under control. It is almost surreal going into the clinic now, because he seems so normal in so many respects. When we remember how sick he was when we went on our first visit, and compare it with how well he is doing right now, it is definitely cause for rejoicing.
Each visit now he gets his blood drawn the day before, and his port flushed, which has to be done once monthly for as long as he has it. They weigh him, take his temp and blood pressure, then we see the Medical Oncologist, Dr. Chen. Afterward we see the Naturopathic Oncologist, Dr. Sweet. The two of them go over his blood test results, examine him, ask a lot of questions and answer ours. The clinic staff including the doctors have become more than just staff, they have also become our friends. They all consider Leland a "poster child" for integrative medicine. And we consider it a huge blessing.
Last weekend we celebrated Father's Day at Ft Stevens near Astoria with Chaunda, Cherilyn, Todd and Phoenix. We had a wonderful time visiting, playing with the baby, riding bikes and doing a little sight seeing. We also had the pleasure of Larry and Coni at our evening meal and campfire both Saturday and Sunday nights. On Sunday Larry brought his inmaculately restored 1948 Silver Streak Pontiac out, and gave us all rides. What a pleasure
it was for us to go riding in a beautiful car that garners so much attention!
Thanks, Coni and Larry, you made a special weekend even more so with your car, the yummy pizza, the extra firewood but most of all your good company.
We are grateful for each good day, and there have been lots of them over the last few months. I am especially grateful personally not only for Leland's good quality of life and the enjoyment we can share together with our family, but also for God's relentless love. He never let up on me even when I did not speak to Him for months except to tell Him I was angry with Him. He was still there, waiting patiently for me to return to Him, after all, where else could I go? So thank you to all of you who faithfully pray for us. It is working- and thank you too Darlene, for all the help you have been to me, and to the Philip Yancey books you recommended which have helped so much.
PS, I am not sure how the pictures and the text got intertwined, but at least they are all there : )
Leland continues to do well, his blood work is all very good and his PSA remained at 4.7. I was hoping for continued lowering, but at least it is still stable, which indicates the cancer remains under control. It is almost surreal going into the clinic now, because he seems so normal in so many respects. When we remember how sick he was when we went on our first visit, and compare it with how well he is doing right now, it is definitely cause for rejoicing.
Each visit now he gets his blood drawn the day before, and his port flushed, which has to be done once monthly for as long as he has it. They weigh him, take his temp and blood pressure, then we see the Medical Oncologist, Dr. Chen. Afterward we see the Naturopathic Oncologist, Dr. Sweet. The two of them go over his blood test results, examine him, ask a lot of questions and answer ours. The clinic staff including the doctors have become more than just staff, they have also become our friends. They all consider Leland a "poster child" for integrative medicine. And we consider it a huge blessing.
Last weekend we celebrated Father's Day at Ft Stevens near Astoria with Chaunda, Cherilyn, Todd and Phoenix. We had a wonderful time visiting, playing with the baby, riding bikes and doing a little sight seeing. We also had the pleasure of Larry and Coni at our evening meal and campfire both Saturday and Sunday nights. On Sunday Larry brought his inmaculately restored 1948 Silver Streak Pontiac out, and gave us all rides. What a pleasure
Thanks, Coni and Larry, you made a special weekend even more so with your car, the yummy pizza, the extra firewood but most of all your good company.
We are grateful for each good day, and there have been lots of them over the last few months. I am especially grateful personally not only for Leland's good quality of life and the enjoyment we can share together with our family, but also for God's relentless love. He never let up on me even when I did not speak to Him for months except to tell Him I was angry with Him. He was still there, waiting patiently for me to return to Him, after all, where else could I go? So thank you to all of you who faithfully pray for us. It is working- and thank you too Darlene, for all the help you have been to me, and to the Philip Yancey books you recommended which have helped so much.
PS, I am not sure how the pictures and the text got intertwined, but at least they are all there : )
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