by Judy Handley | Jan 29, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 82, Year 7: Living Vicariously
Date: Sunday, January 29, 2012
Weather: More Sunshine, High in the Upper 30’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
I spent much of my evening reading blogs of friends who are out there living the life. Our friends Jon and Heather on Sailing Vessel Evergreen stopped here on their way south in late October. After installing a new engine in Miami, they are now in the Exumas in the Bahamas, headed for the Pacific. As I read their blog entries about diving and snorkeling, I felt myself being pulled into the sea. For the first time in six years, I was seeing the world through someone else’s eyes instead of my own. But living vicariously isn’t so bad. I’ve started learning about a place we had never planned to sail to but a place that now might be accessible to us. It is going to be three years before we can stray very far away, but we’ll study the Bahamas carefully to see just where we could travel and still get back to Boston for check-ups every three months. Probably not next winter, but possibly the winter of 2013-14 could be spent there. And then I went on to read our friend Patsy Decker’s blog about her birding trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. She’s seeing the birds, not us, but through her blog entries, I felt I was right there with her. And where she, as an experienced birder, sees twenty birds, I would probably only have seen three or four. So through Patsy’s blog, I am learning more about our fine feathered friends that I love so much.
This morning Mark and I went to Heather and Jed’s to take our morning walk. It was very windy here in the cove, and I thought there might be less wind inland. Wrong. But it was a good choice for a walk. Jonah went with us and we walked down to the cranberry bogs. There were lots of water birds—Canadian geese, mallard ducks, sea gulls, and trumpeter swans. The bogs are currently partially flooded, so these guys were floating on a feast. Cranberries left behind after the fall harvest are floating on the water in abundance and the birds are helping themselves. Mark also saw a muskrat swimming in the water. We then came back to H & J’s and I played in the backyard with the boys while Heather and Jed put the second coat of paint on the bedroom walls. Sam and Jonah were digging in the garden and I was munching on arugula left-over from the summer and wild land cress that is a pesky weed in the summer. It has been such a mild winter that some of the lettuce from summer is still edible. Unbelievable. Then Mark and I took the boys to the playground at the local elementary school. I pulled Jonah in the wagon and Sam rode his wooden balance bike. It has no pedals as he uses his legs and feet for propulsion, but he can fly on it. By the time we got home, the second coat of paint was on and it was time for lunch. In the afternoon we worked on getting new curtains hemmed, but that job got only partially completed. Slowly during the week we will all pitch in to get furniture moved from one room to the other . . . unless Heather decides she wants to paint the other bedroom before moving their furniture in. I have a feeling that might end up being the plan, so we’ll have to see how much we can get done before Mark and I leave for the Carolinas next weekend. Heather and Jed make a great paint team and don’t need Mark and I to help with the painting. But they need someone to watch the boys so they can get the work done and that is what grandparents do best. We ended the day by going to watch the boys ice skate at the arena. Jonah went out but came back off the ice very quickly. There are so many kids and almost all of them bigger than he is, so I think it is just a bit overwhelming. But Sam had a good time and is getting better and better at skating without the help of a milk crate.
Mark goes to Boston tomorrow for more medical appointments, but I will stay here and do my granny nanny thing with Sam and Jonah. And maybe I can actually get those curtains hemmed.
by Judy Handley | Jan 28, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 81, Year 7: Painting Day
Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012
Weather: Back to Sunshine with High in the 40’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
It was a good day. Everything took longer than anticipated, but that’s
always the case. By the time we got to Heather and Jed’s, they had moved
all the furniture in their bedroom to the middle of the floor and were ready
for us to get the walls prepped for painting. They had to leave to go to a
birthday party for one of Sam’s classmates and by the time they got back, I
had cleaned the woodwork in the room, Mark had taped the down plastic drop
cloths to protect the floor, and I was halfway finished washing the walls
down. We all took a lunch break and then I finished washing the walls while
everyone took a nap. I’m just not a daytime nap person, so I worked folding
laundry and making sure everything was ready to go when Sam and Jonah got
up. Sam made us promise not to start painting without him and he was
actually very good at using the paint roller. Jonah liked sliding his
roller sideways through the wet paint, so we were all relieved when he
decided he’d rather go play. I ended up playing with Sam and Jonah while
Heather, Jed, and Mark did the actual painting. The no VOC (volatile
organic compounds), no odor paints are amazing. There really is no odor at
all. How things have changed since the last time I did a home painting job.
The no VOC paints are safe for pregnant women and safe for babies, so
Heather was able to paint. She is the best edger in the group, so we were
glad she was on the painting team. We’ll return tomorrow morning, do the
second coat of paint, and then start moving furniture. Sam, Jonah, and the
new baby will occupy the newly painted room while Heather and Jed will move
into the room that has been Sam and Jonah’s. The newly painted room is
larger and can accommodate all three boys, so that is the reason for this
project.
Other than the paint project, the other notable thing about today was that
the daffodil shoots in Heather’s front gardens are suddenly three inches
tall. We could still end up with a cold February, but to date we have only
had one period of really freezing weather and one good snow storm.
Otherwise, the weather has been extremely mild. Last winter here was very
cold and snowy, so both Mark and I are glad that we chose this winter to
return home.
by Judy Handley | Jan 27, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 80, Year 7: TGIF
Date: Friday, January 27, 2012
Weather: The Sky is Falling!
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
Some weeks are better than others. This one has been a tough one, so “Thank
God It’s Friday.” The weather today didn’t help. It has been pouring rain
most of the day and at times there were torrents of water falling from the
sky. The temperature during the day was in the 50’s which is way too warm
for this time of year, but tonight it is down in the upper 30’s which is a
little more seasonal. It was a tough week mostly because of the bad news
about my sister-n-law Conda’s situation. Our thoughts are with her
constantly. And I think both Mark and I were thrown off course a bit when
we realized just how involved his next six months of chemotherapy will be.
And more than that, the check-ups every three months for the next three
years are just a little overwhelming. It is going to require a bit of
creativity on our parts to figure out a sailing plan that will accommodate
this schedule. But we have a project to occupy our minds this weekend, so
all should be fine. We will head to Heather and Jed’s in the morning to
prepare the upstairs master bedroom for a paint job. Once the painting is
done, that room will become Sam, Jonah, and unnamed one’s bedroom and their
room will become the new master bedroom. Hopefully the paint job will go
smoothly.
The highlight of today was a great telephone conversation with Justin and
Jo. Things are going great in New Mexico. The weather is warmer than when
we were there and they are not having torrents of rain. But now it’s late
and I’m tired. Hoping for sunshine tomorrow, but I think we will just get
more rain. Great for the plants, not so good for one who wishes for
sunshine.
by Judy Handley | Jan 26, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 79, Year 7: Appointments and Reservations Finalized
Date: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Weather: Sunny AM, Cloudy PM, Rainy Evening, Temps in the 30’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
Much of today was spent finalizing plans for our trip to the Carolinas to
see my sister-in-law. This required coordination between family members,
the resetting of one medical appointment and the scheduling others. We were
on the phone a great deal, but in the end all was successful. Again with
the help of the most cooperative physicians and medical assistants
imaginable, all of Mark’s appointments have been arranged and his oncologist
appointment here on the Cape rescheduled. We are constantly amazed at the
Mass General physicians and assistants who go out of their way to
accommodate our schedule and the efficiency with which they do that. Mark
knew he needed to go to Mass General in Boston on either Monday or Tuesday
of next week to meet with his urologist and sign the consent forms for that
upcoming surgery. Once that appointment was set for Monday, Dr. Kwak, his
oncologist at Mass General, became aware of this and arranged for his C-T
scan and a genetic cancer test to be done on Monday as well. She is also
trying to arrange to have the port necessary for chemotherapy to be
“installed” at the same time as his upcoming surgery. And add to that the
fact that she talked to him personally three times this afternoon. We have
tried for months to get our primary care physician here on the Cape to call
us with no luck. So once again Mass General gets a huge round of approval
from us for their caring, efficient service.
And then there is the amazing fact that both Mark and I can fly to the
Carolinas and back for less than $200, with both flights being non-stop.
Unbelievable. I don’t know how or why Spirit Airline has these cheap
flights to a few designated cities, but since Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
and Fort Myers, Florida are two of the places, we like it. My sister lives
near Myrtle Beach and Mark’s brother and two sisters live near Fort Myers.
So if we watch carefully when we fly, we can actually afford to fly to visit
family more often. Two of my nieces that live in Massachusetts are going to
be flying with Mark and me on this upcoming trip. We will fly to Myrtle
Beach on Saturday, February 4 and spend that day and night with my sister
Patsy and her husband Joe. We hope to see our friends Lee and Lynda Kaufman
while there. They just bought their second sailboat and we can’t wait to see
it. Wade and Nora Hickam also live near my sister and we always look
forward to seeing them when we are there. Wade was a very close friend of
my brother’s. So Wade, if you are reading this log, try to fit us into your
schedule. It will be a jam-packed Saturday, but one we look forward to, and
then on Sunday, Patsy and Joe will loan us their van and we will drive the
four hours to Charlotte to my nephew Tommy’s home to spend a few days with
my sister-in-law Conda. February is not even here yet, but with the trip to
the Carolinas and all of the medical appointments, I think it will be over
before we know it.
Things are falling into place and we are looking forward to the short trip
south.
by Judy Handley | Jan 25, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 78, Year 7: Phone Calls, Appointments, and Reservations
Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Weather: Another Beautiful Day, Temps in the 40’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
Our day started with a lovely walk through the neighborhood. We walked
about a mile to see our friends Dick and Claire Wiklund, and then walked
home from there. It is the first time Mark has been out for a good walk
since early December when he started having shortness of breath when
walking. That is gone now and he feels “good to go.” By the time we got
back to Windbird, it was time to head out to pick up Sam and Jonah. In
between all of this, we were getting calls from family and calls from
doctors setting up various appointments. Mark is so excited that he is
going to get to have the “roto-router” surgery on February 13 before he
starts chemo. If this procedure works, we will no longer have to
self-catheterize six times a day. Dr. Kwak, the oncologist we met with
yesterday talked with Mark’s urologist and they decided that this surgery
should happen sooner rather than later. They miraculously found an opening
in the Mass General OR schedule and called with the February 13 date. The
oncologist here on the Cape also called and made an appointment to see Mark.
So things are rolling along. But then much of the rest of the day was spent
trying to find a way to for us to fly to North Carolina to see my
sister-in-law Conda. I mentioned in last night’s log that she has had a
couple of set-backs in the past few days in her battle with cancer and we
have decided that we would like to fly down to visit with her. In order for
Mark to go, we are going to have to see if he can move the oncologist
appointment for February 6. If not, he will stay home, but I will be
flying south next Saturday, February 4, for a couple of days. My
sister-in-law is in Charlotte, North Carolina staying with my nephew Tommy
and his wife Marilou. Flying there is expensive, but I found flights to
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina much cheaper and will fly there and borrow my
sister’s van and drive to Charlotte. That way I will get to visit with my
sister and her husband as well as see my sister-in-law. Figuring all of
this out took most of the evening and is still not set in stone. But,
fingers crossed, it will be by mid-day tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Jan 24, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 77, Year 7: Chemo, Here We Come
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Weather: Beautiful Day, Too Warm for a Coat
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, N Falmouth, MA
When we first emerged from Windbird this morning, our first sight through
the foggy morning air was a startled Great Blue Heron who left his perch on
one of the dock posts to glide across the cove. What a beautiful sight and
a reminder of just why we choose to live to on a boat. Breathtaking moments
like these happen often. Then as we walked up the dock, we realized that it
was a very high tide and the perfect time for me to be able to pull our
dinghy up out of the water and onto land. We should have done this when we
first arrived here in November, but for one reason and then another, the
dinghy stayed in the water. Now she is safe on shore until spring. We were
actually on our way to the clubhouse to take showers, but then we realized
that it was very warm out and that we should seize the moment and hook up
our hose to fill Windbird?s water tanks. By the time this was done, we
decided to stop and have breakfast, then take showers, and then head to
Boston for Mark?s 1 pm appointment at Mass General.
After having lunch at Mass General?s caf?, we met Dr. Eunice Kwak, Mark?s
oncologist. In addition to being a vibrant and very engaging physician, she
is an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School with an MD from Duke,
a PhD from Stanford, a Residency at Brigham and Women?s, and a Fellowship at
Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Kwak spent a great deal of time with us
making sure we understood what would be involved in Mark?s treatment.
Because the cancer was found in four of the sixteen lymph nodes removed,
Mark?s cancer is Stage III. The standard treatment for colorectal cancer at
that stage is FOLFOX– twelve chemotherapy treatments, one every two weeks
for six months. This will begin sometime in the next month. Dr. Kwak
talked to us about our preference of having the treatments in Boston versus
having them here in Falmouth. We were unsure, so she is making an
appointment with an oncologist here that she has worked with in prior cases.
Dr. Kwan doesn?t think Mark will lose that head of hair of his and she
thinks he will keep his beard as well. Since he?s had it for the last 45
years and we have only been married for 37 years, so I have obviously never
seen him without it. I have always told him I?d have to leave him if he
shaved off his beard, so if Dr. Kwan is right, our marriage is saved! We
then met with Dr. Patricia Sylla, our candidate for surgeon of the century.
Dr. Sylla is also an Instructor at Harvard Medical School with an MD from
Cornell, a Residency at Columbia, a Fellowship at Mt. Sinai, as well as
having just the perfect mix of caring and expertise to be the perfect fit
for us. She thinks Mark looks great and is fully ready for what he has to
face with the chemotherapy. I told her I was a bit concerned that he has
lost eleven pounds since the surgery, but she explained that she removed
five of those pounds with the transverse section of colon and the
surrounding fatty tissue that had to come out to make sure she got the lymph
nodes. I have no idea how we could be so lucky as to get two such beautiful
people as Mark?s physicians, but we did and we are most grateful. Dr. Sylla
reassured us that having the chemo treatments executed here on the Cape
would be fine. Both doctors pointed out that if Mark should have any
problems, particularly an infection, it would be very beneficial to have a
doctor here on the Cape to deal with that immediately. So we will meet Dr.
Victor Aviles whose office is only 1.5 miles from our location here at
Fiddler?s Cove Marina and make final decisions from there.
After leaving Mass General, we walked the couple of blocks to Whole Foods to
do some food shopping, stopped at IKEA on the way home to pick up some items
for Heather and Jed, and got invited to have dinner with the Goldstones when
we delivered the goods. We had a wonderful mushroom risotto with salad and
got to spend time with those two beautiful grandsons.
I?ll end by sending our love to my sister-in-law, Conda. She is having a
battle with brain cancer and has had a couple of setbacks in the past week.
Conda, stay strong and know that we are thinking of you and sending you our
most positive thoughts.
