Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Some Bright Spots in the Rain

Charlottesville, Virginia

 

As I’m sure you’ve noticed from “Where is Winnona Now” that we’ve been back in the Charlottesville area now for over two weeks.  The time has been spent doing fairly routine things that we all seem to do if we return to our “home towns”-visiting friends, our known mechanics and doctors.  I’ll do a quick catch up, a week at a time, of the highlights and leave the seriously mundane in the shadows of history.

 

 

Monday October 7

 

Our take off from Williamsburg goes well until about 30 miles in to it, it starts to rain, seriously.

 

We know this route up Interstate 64 very well so I am not as nervous as I usually am.  Although at times the rain comes down in torrents.  I really don’t like driving in the rain or in the dark.

 

Monday to C'ville 003

 

 

We arrive safely, leave Winnona in town and drive Ruby out to the farm to see what needs to be trimmed from the 3/4 mile drive in order to bring Winnona out.

 

 

Monday to C'ville 006

 

 

 

As it turns out, trimming is the least of the problems. 

 

The farm road is in terrible shape due to all the rain so Winnona will have to stay in town until it can get graded and graveled.

The road is terrible but the farm looks fine and the sunset is gorgeous.

 

 

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Friday October 7

 

It has rained for the past five days, every single day since we’ve been back.

 

 

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The grading  and gravel can’t happen unless it quits raining.  We can’t do any of the things we stopped by here to do.  Other than the doctor appointments of course.

David had all of his other doctor appointments when we stopped by here on our way to New England in June.  Dentist, optometrist. You know the routine.   I have 5 medical appointments lined up for the next 7 days. Oh fun!

 

 

 

 

 

But the big medical news is  David’s myeloma check up which he passed with flying colors on Tuesday. 

 

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Many of his blood numbers aren’t normal but they are “normal for him” given that he is on daily revlimid which seems to keep white and red counts down.  The even better news is that his main doctor at Moffitt in Florida and his doctors at UVA and at Dana Farber in Boston agree that he can stop two of the drugs he is taking. 

They also are going to try cutting revlimid back to every day for 3 weeks out of 4 to see if his blood counts might improve.

 

 

 

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The GREAT news is that one of the drugs he will no longer be taking is Zometa which is the one he has to be at a cancer treatment center for since it is an infusion.  This will make our ability to travel even easier.  Now all he has to do is have blood tests once a month and a serious check by a myeloma doctor every 3 months. 

So who knows where we might go for the summer this year.  All we need is a myeloma doctor in January, April, July and October.   Not an easy thing to do but not impossible and LOTS easier than monthly infusions.

 

 

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Those are  big bright spots in an otherwise rainy and cloudy week.  And to top it off, Carrie comes tonight.   Surely the sun will shine tomorrow for that.

31 comments:

  1. Sorry it has been raining so much for you, but it seems that it has still given you some wonderful sunsets. The farm looks beautiful.

    Congratulations on the great news about David's numbers and the fact that he can stop a couple of the drugs and that it frees you up to do a bit more traveling which is what you have been wanting to do so much.

    Ruth
    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  2. Oh Sherry, that is wonderful news about David! You must be dancing for joy. Who cares about rain when that great kind of news comes along. :c)

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  3. Great medical news!:) Hope you can repair the road soon.

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  4. Whoops. I do most of my blog reading on my phone, so I don't get to see "Where is Winnona Now," but had an idea that you headed to the farm after Williamsburg.

    Great news on David's medical reports. I so hope this news will give you more freedom with your travel plans.

    Hope you are not overwhelmed with the farm chores. The sunsets are beautiful and having Carrie come home is a gift.

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  5. That's fantastic news about David's tests. So, if that was on Oct. 7, almost three weeks ago, what's up now?

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  6. I'm so happy for David that his medical reports are so good. Hope your doctor appointments go well also. Your farm looks absolutely gorgeous. What I wouldn't give to have that much nature all around me!

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  7. Yippee!! I love hearing good news from you two :) So glad that the sunsets are glorious after the rain. Wish you were coming to CC too :(

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  8. Oh, those are great sunset pictures at your house, it looks so inviting and homey!!! AND such good news about David!! Wonder where you will go now???

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  9. yay! that is terrific news ... those sunsets are just stellar...

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  10. Happy to hear David had great news. Many adventurous travels ahead for you guys.

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  11. So glad to hear Dave's numbers are good. I bet your dreaming about where you can go this summer! Dream big!! I'm sure you already enjoyed your time with Carrie!

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  12. Excellent news about David!!! We're doing the happy dance for sure! And those sunset shots are stunning!

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  13. Wonderful news for David! Your farm house just glows in those sunsets. Bummer about all the rain and lack of work that needs to be done. Maybe you'll make it west next summer. I hope.

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  14. Whoop, Whoop.... David's great news has me doing the "Happy" dance!!! Time to make a plan and so you can take us on along on a great adventure out west;o)) So glad Carrie was able to come for a visit and share those beautiful sunsets with you!!!

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  15. This is the post I've been watching for (although I've thoroughly enjoyed the trip through Williamsburg)! So glad to hear David got a good report and your "tether" has gotten a bit longer. Hope all your appointments went well also. We have survived round one, but there is only one word to describe it and I think you well know what it is. Thankfully, Bill is in his "recovery" period and other than being very tired, is o.k. We start round two on Monday! Hope the rain has stopped and the grading/graveling can begin. I'd hate to have that wonderful farm to come back to and not be able to enjoy it!

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  16. Nice picture of those mts, sure is pretty...

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  17. Excellent news on David. The farm sunset looks beautiful.

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  18. Woohoo...back at the farm, looking lovely as ever. So happy news so promising for David! Enjoy your visit with that sweet daughter...I'm feeling oatmeal pancakes :)

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  19. Fantastic news about David, hope your appointments went well too. Too bad about all the rain, we went through a lot last summer in VT, hope you get a chance to get the drive taken care of. I see you're staying another week in VA hope the weather eventually warms up for you and you can get the driveway taken care of. We should be in CO Springs today, with 60's and sunshine, can't wait. I'm sure you enjoyed your visit with Carrie and friends, beautiful sunsets love all the color in the sky-finding more of that out west than in the north east.

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  20. Great news about David. Can't wait to talk to him! We don't like driving in the rain or dark either - hit a deer just this week in the dark - it happens. Nice pictures of the farm and awesome picture of the sunset.

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  21. That sunset is almost unreal! Gorgeous :) I wish I'd seen one like that when I was there, but no...too cloudy. Oh well. Great news about the numbers and the change in necessary drugs. Yippie! So glad he has such good care in multiple places amd they seem to work together. Also grand that travel will be easier :)

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  22. Such good news about Davids test results. Now maybe you can do some traveling without having to be so tied down for the infusions.

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  23. That is such great news! Have fun planning your travels.

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  24. Rain....not a good thing. David's test results....a very good thing!

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  25. Good news about the medical stuff, and what a beautiful farm! That sunset photo is gorgeous.

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  26. Congrats on the good numbers! Our best friend didn't have all those medications 16 years ago. Maybe his passing was a step in the direction of your husbands success. I am very happy for you! The C word is very scary and sounds like you are handling it well.

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  27. Thank you all so much for sharing our happiness. It is wonderful to see your comments. It is what keeps me writng. If I have not commented on your blog it is possibly because you are G+ only which is its own little club and prohibits those of us who will not join. I hate reading without commenting but I hope you will understand. I also hope you'll stay in touch here. A big welcome to Flowergirl as a new commenter. Cancer is very scary you are right. We are doing the best with can with it and although he will never be totally free of it we are lucky he has such good care. It definitely teaches you you'd better live every single day mindfully.

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  28. very thankful for your good report. . .sunset at the farm looks beautiful!

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  29. I'm really happy about my good numbers too and can't wait to get back on the road again.

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  30. robinkwalton@gmail.comOctober 31, 2013 at 10:16 AM

    David..I can't tell you how happy we are about the news..I thank God very day since you told me. I hope my hug to you can express how much you mean to me and how much you are loved. Ernie was so happy about the news he was sorry he was not able to join us.
    The farm house is beautiful,I love the color and the sunsets are such no words can come to mind but gorgeous!
    It was good to see you both and enjoyed seeing you Sherry. I think the last time I saw you was when I took that fall at Norah's first birthday. You both looked wonderful and happy. Thank you again for all you do Sherry for David. Those photo;s are priceless.

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  31. Wow, what great news about David. You both have come such a long way since I first found your blog. I still admire the "savor every moment" philosophy you live your lives by. I am always amazed at how calmly you approach all things. I probably would have driven right onto the road and gotten stuck. Rich was more like you and David, and probably saved me from a lot of disasters in life. LOL

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