by Judy Handley | Jan 24, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 96, Year 9: Some Good News, Some Challenging News
Date: Friday, January 24, 2014
Weather: Sunny and COLD . . . again
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
The good news is that scans of all parts of Mark’s body show that cancer has not spread beyond the small growth in the fatty tissue of the abdominal cavity that was found in October. The other good news is that the growth has shrunk ‘a bit’ as a result of the chemotherapy he has just gone through. The challenging news is that it didn’t shrink enough to make surgery a safe bet at this point, so it looks like he is going to have to undergo another round of low-dose chemotherapy along with radiation treatments before surgery can be considered. Oh me, oh my. We will return to Boston next Wednesday to meet with Mark’s oncologist and a radiologist to discuss all of this. We don’t know why we weren’t told earlier that the location of this growth would make surgery a problem. Evidently the surgery can be quite tricky due to its proximity to arteries and blood vessels. So Mark’s colon cancer surgeon would probably not be the surgeon and we didn’t know that. We had an appointment with her on Monday that has now been cancelled. So obviously we have way more questions than answers. For once in my life, I am stymied. I don’t even know what to look up to learn more. When Dr. Kwak called Mark just a few minutes ago to tell him she had arranged the meeting on Wednesday, he asked her what terms could be used to describe the growth he has. Her only answer was that she believes it is the result of a cancerous lymph node that was not removed when he had the colectomy in January of 2012. I hope to have more information after Wednesday’s meeting, but I have the feeling the only thing we are going to know is more detail about the now upcoming radiation treatments and low-dose chemo. This will have to be done in Boston and all we know at this point is that it could be anywhere from 10-12 days to weeks. This means Mark will have to live in Boston and that in itself is most challenging. But we’ll wait until Wednesday before we panic and try to figure out how we’ll do this at this time of year. A very selfish worst fear is that we might have to cancel our trip to Puerto Rico in mid-February. It was Dr. Kwak, the oncologist we met with today, who told us to book those reservations. But that is when we thought we were scheduling surgery for the end of February. The radiologist might have a different opinion. If he feels the radiation must start immediately, then we’ll do what he says. But we’re sure hoping that is not the case.
On our way to Boston this morning, we called our friend Steve Macek who underwent colorectal cancer surgery last Wednesday at Mass General. We talked to him on Friday and we thought he should be home by now, but we called so we could visit just in case he was still in the hospital. Well, he is still in the hospital and he, too, has more questions than he has answers. We need a whole lot of positive energy flowing this way, to both Mark and Steve, so start sending those vibes.
But we will put all of this on the back burner and get ready for Sam’s birthday party tomorrow. And I have to report with glee that my early birthday present arrived today. I am now the proud owner of a GoPro camera with underwater housing. Now I just need to be where the water is warm enough to get into!
by Judy Handley | Jan 23, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 95, Year 9: Cold and Colds
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2014
Weather: Sunny and COLD
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
The extremely cold weather and kids sick with colds dominated today. Heather and Mark took off early this morning for their trek to Boston, Jed took Sam to school on his way to work, and I stayed at Heather and Jed’s with Ollie and Jonah. Both boys have a cold and had fevers yesterday, so Jonah stayed home for the day. Knowing Jonah might have to stay home, I took a bag of tricks to help the day go smoothly and we had a great day. Unfortunately when Sam got home from school, it became evident that he now has this cold as well. Sure hope he recovers quickly as he has a birthday party on Saturday. Tomorrow Mark and I drive to Boston to get the results of today’s scan and the plan at this point is that we will take Ollie with us. Hopefully Sam and Jonah can both go to school so Heather and Jed can go to work. So I’m heading to bed early to recharge for tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Jan 22, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 94, Year 9: Sounded Like a ‘Bombogenesis’
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Weather: Snow with Freezing Temps and Gale Force Winds
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
It has been fun to watch the debate over unfamiliar words entering the weather discussion. The last snow storm introduced ‘polar vortex’. This storm introduced ‘bombogenesis’. These are terms meteorologists have been using for years, but they have not worked their way into the language outside their specialized world . . . until now. Whether this was a true bombogenesis, I have no idea, but it sure ‘sounded’ like a BOMBOGENESIS! Around 7 am the wind increased to 40 plus knots, somewhere between 45 and 50 miles per hour. The sound of the wind in the rigging, the straining lines that hold us to the dock, and wind’s effect on Windbird’s plastic cover were downright scary. This continued for at least two hours, but then things settled down just a notch. The sound of 30 knots sounds relatively calm. We ventured out to meet the storm face to face and found it . . . well, cold. Tonight the temp will dip down to almost zero but at least the wind is down to just 10 to 15. So another storm has dealt its blows and we’ll prepare for the next. We stay in this deep freeze until sometime during the early morning hours of Saturday when the winds start coming from the SW causing the temperature to rise. We’ll have temperatures in the 30’s on Saturday and then Saturday night the wind will clock back to the W and temps will drop into the 20’s. It looks like it is going to be that kind of winter.
Mark and I stayed on the boat all day. We talked to Heather early on to find that Ollie and Jonah both had temperatures and weren’t venturing outside. But Sam was outside playing. There’s not usually as much wind inland as there is here on the water, and without the wind, the cold would have been bearable. Tomorrow Mark is off to Mass General for his CT scan. He is going to drive with Heather as Thursday is now her day at WGBH in Boston. And Ollie and I (and maybe Jonah is he still has a temperature) will stay at home and have a quiet day inside.
by Judy Handley | Jan 21, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 93, Year 9: Sam is 7—Happy Birthday
Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Weather: Overcast with Snow, Temp in the 20’s F, NNE Winds 25-35 mph
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Light snow started falling this morning and continued off and on all day. The temperature was in the 20’s, not terribly cold, but the strong NNE winds add a biting chill. Unfortunately Ollie has a full-blown cold (and Jonah, too) so we stayed tucked away inside all day watching the “no” fall through the windows. When Sam got home from school he was very excited about his birthday. He immediately got dressed up for dinner in a shirt and tie and he even picked out a shirt and tie for Jonah. Heather calls Sam her little Republican. None of us knows where he gets his sense of dress, but he loves nothing more than to wear a shirt, tie, and pin-striped vest. Unfortunately when he tried to put the vest on tonight, it was way too small. He seems to get a little taller each day.
The forecast called for the snowfall to increase after 7 pm, so Heather and Jed decided to let Sam open presents before dinner so we could eat and run. Jonah and Ollie had their Little Brother presents as well as Sam’s birthday gifts, so it was like Christmas all over again. Heather and Jed got Sam all sorts of project presents—things he will have to build or put together. Jed’s parents, whom the boys call Papa and Grammy, fostered Sam’s artistic side with a sketch book and pastels. They also included an envelope with eight $1 bills in it (seven and one to grow on). I wish they could have seen his face when he opened the envelope. It was true excitement. And then he got very serious and examined and counted each bill. So Sam. Jonah and Ollie loved the books they got from Papa and Grammy and Jonah was over the top excited about a Preschool Workbook that Heather and Jed for him. She called it his Homework Book. He has been begging for homework in the evenings so he can be just like his older brother. So now he has an official Homework Book. We went with Legos for Sam and Jonah and a drill for Ollie so he can work like his big brothers. Sam loved his Coast Guard patrol set and he and Jed immediately went to work putting it together. We got Jonah a Lego Coast Guard diving boat. He was head over heels with the little diver who comes equipped with a dive tank, dive mask, and fins. Granddad helped him put his kit together and then Sam and Jonah played so cooperatively. Sam had the big ship, but Jonah had the little dive boat and his diver could get in the water and check things out for the crew on the bigger boat. Of course, Ollie wanted to be in on the action as well, and they invited him to join them. The Coast Guard would have been proud!
The birthday dinner was fantastic. We had pulled pork which is one of Sam’s favorites and then we sang Happy Birthday and Sam blew out the seven candles on the cupcake cake. The cupcakes were simply laid out in the shape of the number seven.
I don’t know where Heather got the idea, but it was perfect. I think Sam had a very happy birthday and when he got the news that school has been cancelled for tomorrow, I’m sure he was even happier—an extra little birthday present. He’ll have all day tomorrow to do projects with his new gifts.
School was cancelled because the snow is expected to continue falling until mid-day tomorrow and the wind will continue to blow at 25-35 miles per hour. Then tomorrow night the temps dip down to near zero. Thursday and Friday will be precipitation-free but bitterly cold. But Saturday looks like it could be a decent day with temps in the 30’s. I guess you adjust your expectations. When temps in the 30’s look good, you know you’re not thinking straight.
by Judy Handley | Jan 20, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 92, Year 9: Return of the Polar Vortex
Date: Monday, January 20, 2014
Weather: Partly Sunny, Still Windy with Temperature Dropping Overnight
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
I don’t really have any idea that the current weather is being caused by a polar vortex but it sounds good! What I do know is that we are headed into another deep freeze with snow. Tomorrow is Sam’s birthday and on the day he was born seven years ago, it was cold and snowy. So I suppose it is fitting that we will have a repeat of that weather tomorrow. The overnight with Sam and Jonah went great and they got to enjoy the last day with temps above freezing. Sam got up early, as usual, but he quietly played Sudoku while waiting for Jonah to get up. When Jonah woke up, Sam was in the bathroom, so Jonah called out, “Is anybody awake?” This was our cue to get up and start the day. The boys ate a huge breakfast, played outside on the boardwalk, went for a walk with Granddad and later with Oma, and then came back in to have lunch. We watched the second half of ‘Planes’ during lunch, and then it was time to take them home to meet up with friends for play dates. I have no idea when parents started calling getting together to play a date, but that is the current lingo.
Tomorrow Mark and I will be with Ollie all day and then on Thursday Mark goes to Boston for a post-chemo scan. On Friday we will take Ollie with us to Boston to meet with the oncologist to get the results of the scan. And then on Monday, we’ll go back once again to meet with Mark’s surgeon to set a date for surgery. We’ll have to watch the weather carefully and adjust plans as needed, but I know we made it to Boston for a scan on the day Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, so I suppose a little snow should not deter us.
by Judy Handley | Jan 19, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 91, Year 9: Focus on the Patriots
Date: Sunday, January 19, 2014
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Very Windy, Temp in the 30’s but Felt Much Colder
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Heather called this morning and invited us to come watch the Patriot’s football game with the boys. Sam and Jonah were really hyped about the game and Heather made t-shirts for them that looked better than any I saw in the stores. The Patriots couldn’t pull this one off and Sam was very disappointed. But it helped when he listened to what Tom Brady said in the Post Game Show. Basically he praised the Broncos and their quarterback and simply stated that both teams are great but today the Broncos outplayed the Patriots. That made sense to Sam so he got over his sadness. None of us really follow football, but the elementary school Sam attends had a special Patriots Day on Friday and that got him into the spirit.
Heather and Jed had a party to attend this evening and had to leave home at 5 pm before the game was over. Sam and Jonah wanted to stay and watch the rest of the game, so we kept all three boys, watched the end of the game, ate dinner, and then headed to Windbird. Sam and Jonah are sleeping over and H & J picked Ollie up on their way home from the party. So I had better get to bed so I’ll have the energy to deal with two boys in the morning. They rise early and play hard!
