by Judy Handley | Feb 22, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 106, Year 7: It’s a Wonderful World
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Weather: Another Gorgeous Day with Temps into the Low 50’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
Mark is still doing great. He has to be very careful not to get cold or to
drink or eat anything cold for the first five days after every treatment,
but other than that, life is going on as usual. He had a bit of a problem
with the chemo pump today. He was talking on the phone this morning and I
kept hearing this beeping sound. I thought it was his phone, but when the
phone conversation ended, I realized the beeping was coming from the fanny
pack containing the chemo pump. He unzipped the pack and sure enough, the
pump was flashing red saying there was no battery power. He called the
visiting nurse association and they called the company that supplies the
pump. They then called Mark and instead of having them come to us, we went
to their office in downtown Falmouth on the way to pick up Sam and Jonah.
Now we know where they are and we know the batteries are just plain old C
cells, so we can fix the problem if it happens again. Otherwise, he is
having no problems-no side effects, no lack of appetite, no lack of energy.
We are so happy to be able to report this and just hope things continue this
way. He spent his day working on his public radio consulting job. It is
great that he has that to keep him connected and that he can do the job by
phone and email. Perfect.
Tonight after dinner, I asked Mark to try and list for me some of the most
memorable highlights of our voyage around the world. I am trying to write
an answer to the most common question we get from people, “What was your
favorite place?” And I thought listening to Mark’s recap of memorable
highlights might help me. He started through his litany and by the time he
finished, I had tears of joy in my eyes. What a wonderful world it is and
how lucky we are to have seen it by sailing around it. We started talking
about the scariest times, the absolute worst experience we had, the tense
times (a little different from scary), the most exhilarating experiences,
the most surprising things we saw, the best cruising grounds, and any
regrets. Sounds like a book to me. I guess I had better start writing.
by Judy Handley | Feb 21, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 105, Year 7: The First Chemo Treatment
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Weather: Gorgeous Day Early, Turning Cloudy, Now Pouring Rain
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
We survived the first day of chemo treatment. Yeah!!! Mark has had no side effects as yet, and life is continuing as usual. We went together to the treatment center that is about a mile and a half from the marina. When the weather is warmer, we can actually walk there. But today we drove and arrived with a backpack of snacks to eat during the three hour session. I left two hours into the treatment to go back to the boat to check on something and to then go and pick up Sam and Jonah from school. I thought, but was not 100 per cent sure, that I had turned off the soup I was cooking when we left in the morning, and when I returned to Windbird, I found that I had, in fact, turned it off. Then I got back into the car and headed to Woods Hole. By the time I picked up the boys and got back to the treatment center, Mark was sitting in the waiting room ready to go. He had a big bag with him that contained the “box” of drugs that was to be infused over the next two days, but it wasn’t hooked up to him. A visiting nurse was scheduled to come to Windbird in the afternoon to do this. So we went back to Windbird and the boys and I did a little play fishing on the dock before heading inside. It was so sunny and beautiful that we spent a little more time pretend fishing from the deck and then we went below to read and take naps. In the meantime, Mark waited for the visiting nurse. She didn’t come at 2 o’clock as expected and it wasn’t until 4:15 pm, precisely the time the boys get up from nap, that she did arrive. It was still warm enough in the cockpit “sunroom” for me to take the boys up to play while the nurse hooked Mark up to the box of meds and filled out eons of forms for insurance purposes. If you have ever been to visit anyone in the hospital that is hooked up to an IV, you have probably seen the little electronic box that regulates the flow of fluids. Well, Mark now has that electronic box in a fanny pack that he carries with him. The meds are in the fanny-pack as well and are hooked to mark through a small tube that runs from the box to the port-o-cath he had inserted in his chest this past week. In two days the nurse will return and take all of this away. All that will be left will be the bump on Mark’s chest where the port-o-cath resides. When he goes in for the next chemo treatment in two weeks, they will reinsert a needle into the port-o-cath and hook him up again.
Mark is doing incredibly well. That is partly due to his determination and partly due to the way chemo is done these days. Along with the drugs that they inject to kill off any possible lurking cancer cells, they also inject an anti-nausea medication and a steroid that boosts the ability of the anti-nausea med and at the same time gives you an energy boost for a couple days following. This helps you “over the hump” of the third day slump. At least that is the theory. So we will have to wait until the end of the week to see how Mark is feeling then, but right now he is doing great.
Heather and Jed came over this evening to pick Sam and Jonah up. We had invited them to stay for dinner if everything was going along fine. It was, so they stayed. Jed hasn’t been here since we arrived in November, so he took both boys and went for an explore around the marina. We had a delightful evening together on the boat and we’re hoping we can make this a weekly affair. And we are just elated that life could continue as usual on this first day of chemo. Let’s only hope that we can say the same on the last day.
by Judy Handley | Feb 20, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 104, Year 7: Anticipation
Date: Monday, February 20, 2012
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Temps in the 40’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
Tomorrow is the day of Mark’s first chemo treatment. We don’t actually know
anyone who has gone through chemo for colon cancer, but we have read
everything we can find on the topic and we have talked to the oncologists at
length. Still, there is no way to know what it will really be like.
Everyone’s body reacts differently, but considering that, we like the
oncologists’ versions best. Both the oncologist in Boston and the one here
on the Cape have told Mark that he might be a bit tired right after the
treatment, but that he should be able to function normally. Because of one
of the drugs, he should not drink or eat things that are cold, but for Mark
that is not a big deal. I have to have COLD water to drink. Mark never
has. He prefers water at room temperature. He probably won’t be drinking
beer for a while, but if he did, drinking that at room temperature wouldn’t
be a problem for him either. Not being able to eat ice cream might bother
him more, but he will survive six months without it. A bigger problem might
be that he loses his appetite, but somehow I can’t imagine that happening to
Mark. We’ll just have to wait and see. Mark is ready to get this started
so we can stop anticipating and start dealing with the actual effects.
We started our day by walking up to the clubhouse to take showers. There is
also a laundry room there that I have never used, but I thought I’d give it
a try this morning. There was a sign that said to turn on the water for the
laundry and to be sure and turn it off when the laundry was done. But the
water switch would only turn slightly. Both Mark and I thought maybe that
was normal, so I proceeded to put the clothes in and push the start button.
Nothing happened. The water in the adjacent laundry sink was running, so I
had Mark go back to the boat and get a bucket. I filled the tub with water
and then it started working normally. I had to stay close-by and refill the
tub for the rinse, but at least I got the laundry done. Mark spent his
morning in the cockpit ‘sunroom’ reading while I worked on the computer
below. In the early afternoon, I heard Mark exclaim that his phone had
stopped working. It was in his shirt pocket and heated up so that he had to
take it out quickly. After that, it wouldn’t turn on. So Mark immediately
removed the battery and headed to town to the AT&T store and to do some
shopping for essentials. His phone is once again functional after they
replaced the battery with a new one, but no one is sure why the battery
heated up and died. If it happened due to some problem in the phone, it
will probably happen again. A better scenario would be that it was just a
bad battery. Mark is very much attached to his Android phone and I don’t
know what he would do without it. So I sure hope it was just a bad battery.
Heather came over this afternoon and we spent some time planning the
Goldstone 2012 garden. The ‘garden’ is slowly expanding to include various
areas in the front and back yards, so it was fun to have the time to share
ideas. I’m hoping to be able to use Windbird’s winter cover as a spring
greenhouse to give some of the garden seeds an early start. I have always
loved gardening, so helping Heather and Jed with their garden is such a
delight for me.
by Judy Handley | Feb 19, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 103, Year 7: Spring Fever
Date: Sunday, February 19, 2012
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Temps in the 40’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
In last night’s log I declared today a day of rest on Windbird. Well, we didn’t quite reach our goal, but we did have a quiet day at home. I spent a great deal of the day cleaning and rearranging our food storage. We’ve been gone so much since December that I couldn’t remember when I last cleaned the floors, so it was definitely time to get on my hands and knees and do that job. And I had totally lost track of what canned foods we have hidden away, so I went through the canned food storage area. We have continued our reading about the best diet for Mark while undergoing chemotherapy and I rearranged things with that in mind. Since I don’t need to prepare for a long passage, canned foods will not be a major part of our diet, so I was able to store some other things in that area. While I was in the cleaning mode, I cleaned the cockpit and put some things out on the deck so we can sit in the cockpit on sunny days and enjoy the warmth. It gets into the 80’s and 90’s inside the cockpit enclosure on sunny days if we keep it zipped up and now that we are going to be home for a bit, we can take advantage and pretend we are in tropics! Mark spent his morning on the computer doing our finances, answering emails, and doing a bit of work related to his consulting job. Then in the afternoon, we took a nice, long walk. So even though it was not a day of rest, it was a restfully quiet day.
Gardening catalogs are starting to arrive at Heather and Jed’s, so they are starting to think about warmer weather activities as well. We didn’t get together today, but separately we worked on garden plans. It will be fun to get together this week and see what we have come up. The management here at the marina has told us that we can stay here into May as the person who uses this slip won’t be returning from Florida until sometime later. So I’m hoping to take advantage of the Windbird’s plastic cover and turn the deck into a mini-greenhouse during March, April, and May. I can start a lot of the plants for the garden from seed in Windbird’s greenhouse and save a lot of money that would be spent on buying plants. And before we know it, it will be time to order the bees for the beehive we got Heather for Christmas. We promised to assemble and paint it as part of our gift. Well, it is assembled, but we need to get moving on the paint job. So even though the nighttime temperatures are below freezing, the days are so mild that it is hard not to have a touch of spring fever.
by Judy Handley | Feb 18, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 102, Year 7: Announcing . . . The Year of Grandbabies
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2012
Weather: Gorgeous Day, Temps in the 40’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
We didn’t see any Northern Right Whales today, but we did get fantastic news from New Mexico. We were sworn to secrecy until the 18 week check-up yesterday, but now the word is finally out. Ziggy is going to have a baby brother or sister in July. We are so happy for Justin, Jo, and Ziggy, and so excited to be having two new grandbabies in 2012. For Mark and me, grandchildren are the crowning glory of life. Watching our children rearing the next generation is a joy that can’t be described in words. Late this afternoon we had a video Skype call where Sam and Jonah got to see and talk to cousin Ziggy and Heather and Jo got to compare the size of their bellies. Heather won that contest hands down, but then she has only six weeks or so to go. April 10 and July 24, plus or minus a few days one way or another, are the expected arrival dates. We can’t wait.
The weather today was perfect for our drive to the outer Cape. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and although not warm, the temperature was in the 40’s and was not too cold. We went to two beaches in Provincetown in search of whales, but unfortunately none were to be seen today. But sand dunes and beach that seems to stretch on forever were beautiful sights. Sam and Jonah enjoyed playing in the sand. Sam took an old plastic boat that Heather and Jed recovered in the Gulf Stream on one of our sails north from either Florida or South Carolina years ago. Somehow this cheap boat is indestructible and today Sam ran in through the sand the whole time we were at the beach. Heather built sand forts with Jonah and I collected rocks. Jed and Mark assisted in these activities making it a fun experience for all. We had lunch in Provincetown and before leaving town, Sam and Jonah found a Right Whale on the dock that they could climb and sit on. Sam declared the day a success when we sighted this whale, and I have photos to document the “discovery.”
Ed and Lynne of Constance called us today, we got an email from Peter and Carla of Odulphus from their home port in the Netherlands, and we got an email from friends Pam and Dave of Jubilee, currently in the Bahamas. Ed and Lynne are headed to New Zealand and Australia for the next six weeks, Peter and Carla are surrounded by ice and Odulphus is covered with snow in the Netherlands, and Dave and Pam just recovered a glass ball float on the beach that was made in North Falmouth. It really is a small world. For all the mild weather we are having, Europeans are experiencing one of the coldest winters in years, and Peter and Carla are actually thinking about selling Odulphus and buying a smaller boat so they can afford to move to a land-based home. We also got an email from website friend Rich C. He attached a really neat video of a manatee visiting his boat in Florida. As always, it was great to catch up with cruising friends.
Tomorrow is Sunday and we are declaring it an official date of rest. Enjoy.
by Judy Handley | Feb 17, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 101, Year 7: Successful Day Trip to Boston
Date: Friday, February 17, 2012
Weather: Drizzle Early, Sunny Afternoon, Temps in the 40’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
Today was a success on all counts. We picked Sam and Jonah up early this morning and headed to Boston. I dropped Mark off at Mass General for his appointment with the urologist and then Sam, Jonah, and I drove to the Museum of Science which is just a stone’s throw from the hospital. It was a perfect day to visit the museum as there were very few big school groups there. The museum wasn’t empty, but there were fewer people there than any time I have ever visited and that made for a nice, relaxed day.
Mark’s visit to the urologist wasn’t particularly nice and relaxing, but it was successful. The catheter that was inserted after the surgery on Monday was removed. The question was, “Would Mark be able to urinate normally without the use of a catheter.” And the answer is . . . he could!!! They had him drink lots of water and stay around the hospital for an hour or so, go to the bathroom, and then they did an ultrasound to see how much liquid was being retained in the bladder. Then he walked to the Museum and toured the gecko exhibit with us. We all had lunch together and then he walked back to the hospital for a repeat performance. They did another ultrasound and then proclaimed the procedure a success. He will still have to self-catheterize once every day or two to make sure there is no retention in the bladder, but otherwise things seem to be working normally. I’m much more cautious than Mark. He’s declaring an out and out success. I’m so glad things are working but I’ll have to watch how things go over the next few weeks before making such a declaration. But so far, so good.
The gecko exhibit was fabulous. I got to see the leaf-tailed gecko that we didn’t see in the wild in Madagascar and it was just as other-worldly as I suspected. Sam and Jonah loved the Museum’s Discovery Room where Sam assembled the bones of a dinosaur with a Museum volunteer while Jonah and I went deep sea diving. We walked through a butterfly garden, watched bees at work in a giant display hive, walked up and down the magical musical stairs, saw space capsules and dinosaur exhibits, and even got to see a visiting 3-D printer make a castle. Sam and Jonah were so well behaved and seemed to really enjoy the day, so it was also a success.
Tomorrow was going to be a day of rest, but Heather invited us to go with them to the outer Cape in the hopes of seeing Right Whales swimming close to shore. They have been doing this in the past couple of weeks, so we will head out early and see what we can see. There are fewer than 500 North Atlantic Right Whales left, making them the most endangered large whales and one of the rarest mammals on earth. They have been swimming incredibly close to shore in the Cape Cod Bay so we are going to drive out and see what we can see.
