Today is L and L tomorrow NBM

It's almost here!  Kidney out day is tomorrow, today was laxatives and liquids and lots of trips to the bathroom!  Tomorrow will be nothing by mouth!
I will be so glad to have this over with.  I know my "travel companion" will be also.  Even though I may be a little uncomfortable for awhile at least the scourge of cancer will be gone for now.  It has been a two year  trial to guess what will happen next.  I also realize that two years isn't all that long for some people have real long struggles with this disease!  But like my Aunt Irene use to say, "Getting old is not for sissies" and she was right!

Nothing is constant but change!

Okay nothing is always what we at first believe it will be.  Apparently, the kidney was hiding a cancerous tumor after all.  I have surgery scheduled to remove the right kidney and the ureter tube that empties into the bladder.  The surgery will be Feb.19th in Scottsdale.  Once the kidney is out the doc says that the cancer is self-contained and I will not need chemo or radiation therapy.  Once it is gone it is gone and that is really good news!
My travel companion has been very helpful and supportive.  She likes the surgeon and has confidence  in the decision.  Now I just can't wait to have it over and be able to play with the kids when we get to Oregon!
In the meantime I drink lots of water and try and stay healthy.

First week in AZ

We have only been here a week but already we have been to dinner at two of our favorite places, played golf, played poker twice, played pinochle one night, went swimming twice, and saw the movie  "Lincoln".  Tonight we dance!  Wow!  I also visited my urologist and found that I can keep my kidney after all as the tumor was lasered off by my doc in Indy.  Must have more tests but glad that the cancer seems under control.
The weather has been beautiful!  It has been in the low 80's during the day and 50 at night and no clouds.
Spoke to Ken and Evie will have surgery Tues.
More later!

We are in Arizona!!!

We finally made it!  We aren't in Apache Junction yet but at least in the state of choice!  All is well!

Off and Running, Soon

Will the 26th ever get here???  We are leaving that day if there isn't snow on the roads!  I got a little nervous the other day when the grass in front of the condo got white with flakes falling from the sky!  Fortunately, they melted quickly and it got a little warmer.  I am so looking forward to sun and warm weather!

I am also looking at more surgery in AZ.  Apparently, I have kidney cancer and will consult with a urologist in Scottsdale to see what my options will be.  The doc here has shown me three options, going up through the bladder and trying to reach the spot in the kidney and removing that spot, or going through my back and removing the spot and be in the hospital 2-3 days with a drainage tube, or remove the entire right kidney, ureter, cut a little hole in the bladder and remove ureter from bladder.  That option is about 5-6 days in the hospital but like he said it's like donating a kidney to myself.  Lots of people live long lives with just one kidney.  We will see.

We decided to have surgery in AZ because it will be nice to recoup where the sun is shining and it is warm instead of in the cold where it is gray and snowy!!

Back Home Again!!

Sounds like a song doesn't it????  We are in Indy for about two months.  We arrived in Sept., a little earlier than we had originally planned.  We have been able to visit with friends and relatives and catch up on the news! 

I go back in the hospital Oct. 15th and hopefully the stints will be taken out at that time.  The doc here wants to look at my kidneys and be sure that they are clean.

I may not have much to share until we are back on the road.  We plan to head South after Thanksgiving and arrive in Apache Junction on the 1st of Dec.  Hopefully, we will avoid all snow!!

St. Regis, MT Campground

While traveling East we stayed at a truly unique campground in Montana!  Although this camp is not too big it has some very interesting additions.

The artist that sculpted these animals did an incredible job of using the stumps of trees that had been cut down.  I found them very interesting!

Here is another!!

 

Off and Running Again!

This is our last day in Paradise!  We are heading East and hope to arrive in Indy Sept. 24th.  We are stopping in South Dakota for a week then on to Indy!
This last week has been a little different as I had to have a kidney stone removed.  When the doc was in the kidney he also found a tumor and removed it.  He installed two stents in the tubes between the kidney and the bladder so I can pee.

Owen and Grandma on the Willamette

Sunday afternoon Owen and I went on a jet boat ride up the Willamette River from just North of our RV resort to the McKenzie River.  We then traveled on the McKenzie for a short distance then turn around and came back.  It was a two and a half hour trip and was enjoyed by all. 
The boat was a seven passenger jet boat but only two other people and the captain were on board for this trip.  We saw a bald eagle, an osprey nest with bird, several blue heron and miles of beautiful beaches.

The river is rather shallow at this time of the year.  The captain said if we fell out just stand up as the water is only 3-9 feet deep and in most places only 4 feet deep.  At one time, long ago, the river was used as transportation from Eugene to Corvallis but with the additional railroad lines the river was not used.  It is now used for quiet rides in canoes, kayaks, and inter-tubes.

The current is rather swift and Captain Mike said it was running about 5 miles an hour. 
As you can see both Owen and Grandma were having a GREAT time even when Captain Mike made "donuts" with the boat and got us all wet!

Summer in Oregon..FABULOUS!!!

Much to my delight I have been the "official driver" for my grandchildren's Summer activities.  It began early and then began to pile one on top of the other...but this week I got a break and they are just doing their regular camp and their Mother is driving them on her way to work and back.  Being the "official driver" also allowed me the opportunity to be the "official  photographer" too!

The first camp was a week long daily horseback riding camp.  Both Owen and Chiara enjoyed this week!  I would drop off Robbie at his regular Summer camp and then take the other two to horseback riding from 9-3pm. 

The folowing weekwas Karati Camp for Owen!  He really enjoys the sport and does very well.  He also was tested for his blue belt and got it!!!  He is all business when he is in class.

Then on to soccer camp!!  That was also a week long with all three kids involved. The only problem with that was that the youngest child could only camp from 9-noon and the older two until 3.  So I would go to the house at 7 when Mom left for work take kids to camp at 9 and return to camp in Corvallis at noon to pick up one child and then take him somewhere for three hours them back to the soccer field at 3.  Maybe next year he can stay all day!!!!!!!!!!!

In two weeks library camp!!!!!  Whatever that means!!!!!!!!!!!  YEAH!!!

Love this Sign

Every time we go North on 99 from Harrisburg to Albany we see this sign and it makes me smile every time!

Someone had to have a sense of humor to install this road sign!

25 Jars of Jam on the Wall

I have started my annual jam making in Oregon! So far I have 18 jars of Strawberry Jam and 7 jars of blueberry. All adult family and friends get jam for Xmas this year! I plan on picking blueberries Weds. And canning again Thurs. while my travel partner is playing bridge. So far the taste is wonderful! The jam tastes just like fresh picked berries.

Horseback Riding Lesson

Today I had the pleasure of joining my granddaughter at the stable.  I picked her up at her house and off we went!

She ride a big stallion who if very gentle and seems to respond to her voice commands pretty well.  They start out with the horse(Casey) walking around the stable and my granddaughter getting her balance.  She then  beginnings trotting around and then reversing the direction and trotting.  Once she is comfortable on the horse  she will go into a canter.  He rides real easy and she is very good with him.

They then practiced going around the barrels.  She seems to be enjoying herself... I'm not so sure about the horse!

New email address

My new email address is, nwhightsel@gmail.com. Please send me an email so I can add you to my new address book. Sorry for the problems.

I've Been Hacked!!!!

My hotmail account has been HACKED!!  I can't get in my account and now my IPAD is frozen!  I will be seeking help at the Apple store or the nearest communter store today!!  I am NOT in the UK and do not need money to get my passport back!!!!!

Of course if you want to send money send it to ME not the hacker!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Youngest Grandson's birthday

We had the youngest grandson's birthday party at ChuckECheese!!  Hopefully, it will be the last time we have a birthday party there!! Fun for the kids but painful for the adults!  Six years old!!!  WOW!

Of course his mother, the blueberry farmer, made the cake and we all enjoyed it!!  Delicious!  The cake had his favorite Pokemon character on it.

He and his brother had a great time playing the games!!  In fact I am sure they will have nightmares tonight with all the stimulation the games provide!!  The competition was ferocious!

5th grade graduation

It didn't sound like a big deal to grandma but 5th grade graduation is a BIG DEAL to the participants!!  There must have been over 200 people crammed into the gym at the school and they were all happy to see their loved one graduate.  A good time was had by all.

What a good day!

Today I spent the entire day with my grandchildren.  After baking banana bread with Chiara, we went to the movies and saw "Brave".  I think the kids enjoyed the movie and the popcorn and the candy and the drinks.  In the middle of the movie, Robbie says, "Grandma my tooth came out."  It was the first tooth he had lost and he was pretty excited.

All in all a good day!

We Made It!!

Here we are in beautiful Oregon!!  For me it is beautiful in many ways....My youngest daughter's face, my three grandchildren's faces, the mountains, the warm sunshine, the soft mist in the mornings, the lush green trees...ahh Oregon!

The trip was fun and uneventful as far as repairs were concerned.  The first night out we stayed at the fabulous Grand Canyon National Park! We stayed two nights and rode the s
huttle bus all along the Southside of the Canyon.  What a site!!  It is too big to take a picture of and get it all in focus.  I bought postcards to remind me of the colors.  The reds and yellows and browns all together and then layered one on top of the other for a mile down!!!  WOW!

We then drove to Las Vegas and met with a friend there and had a delightful dinner and conversation.  On to Death Valley and the desert surrounded by barren mountains. On and On and On we drove.  It seemed to take forever to reach Reno!! 

Then all of a sudden there was a little green here and a little green there and a tree here and a tree there and a mountain with trees and we arrived in Susanville, CA. at an interesting RV campground! The camp was in the woods with a creek running down the middle of it.  It had old motor homes staying there and they looked like they had been there for a long time.  Next to us parked a cute little "A" frame trailer that was interesting.  A young couple were staying in it and when they got ready to leave watching them take it down was fun. We are glad that all we have to do is push a few buttons.

We had dinner with the "kids" the evening we arrived and then golfed the first full day here.

OK It's Hot Enough Now!

Today it is 108 degrees in Apache Junction, AZ!!!  I realize it is a dry heat but it is still HOT!!  We are staying inside in the afternoons and reading lots of books!!  Much like what we would do if it was 20 below 0!!!!

We are learning a new game that can be played inside in the heat and outside when it is cooler.  It is called pickleball and is a little like tennis with a smaller court and smaller paddle and a wiffle ball.  Generally it is a four person game and we have meet some new ladies that are patiently teaching us.  We are not as fast on our feet as we once were!!!! 

We have also learned pinocle and have enjoyed playing with some of the ladies here at the resort then yesterday we went out to lunch with my cousin and his wife to lunch and back to their house for a game of pinocle. 

My travel partner is leaving Fri. and flying back to Indy for a week of cool weather!  She is also attending her grandson's graduation and 18th birthday party.  Should be fun.  I will stay here with the animals!!

At least here I can watch the 500 mile race on TV!!!