Wednesday, February 1 thru Saturday, February 4, 2017

Wednesday, 2/1, We went out to look at a subdivision called Twin Rivers.  We met with the developer’s representative to learn about the subdivision and what lots might be available; then we visited one model home and discussed a custom-built house with the owner.  Things are looking a little more promising.

Thursday, 2/2 – We went back to the Twin Rivers subdivision to see a second model home by a different builder.  He, too, was very encouraging.  Today’s builder said he would have a real estate agent who sells in nearby Foxbrook subdivision give us a call.  Next step will probably be to get JP and Kellie to take a look at the models over the weekend.

Friday, 2/3 – We drove to Moffitt Cancer Center for them to draw some of Rick’s blood.  I worked in the office the balance of the morning.  We talked to the real estate broker that the builder had referred to us.  And then, received an e-mail with information about 44 lots for sale in Manatee County.  In the afternoon we went to the boat for the weekend meeting Ken and Jackie for supper at the yacht club.

Saturday, 2/4 – We went to JP’s in the morning.  While I stayed with Emma, Rick followed JP to a local garage to drop his car off and bring him back to the house so that Kellie could sleep.  Kellie got up earlier than expected so the four of us discussed our plans for a new home to share.  We returned to the yacht club for the afternoon and evening.

Sunday, February 5 through Saturday, February 11, 2017

We left the boat early Sunday, 1/5.  After church, we packed up the car and drove north to Ocala, stopping to visit with Dad and delivering to him a box of candy that he asked me to get for him to give one of his aides who just turned 21.  We stopped by the cabin to pick up his mail and then proceeded to Edward’s arriving about 5:00.  We watched the Super bowl before turning in.

Monday 2/6, Rick and I moved some things around in the house in preparation for the cleaning team to arrive.  Once here, they told us to relax while they worked – aah Heaven!  About an hour after they arrived, Rick and Edward went out running errands. 

Tuesday, 2/7, the cleaners arrived at 9 a.m. and set right to work.  They first tackled the “addition” where Rick and I have been staying.  One entire wall is a built-in bookshelf which had lots of “knick-knacks” which needed to be dusted.  Needless to say, it took all three of them a while to finish.  Next, they cleaned the pool patio and then they cleaned the bedrooms upstairs.  They left at 5 p.m. saying they would stay as late as necessary tomorrow to finish everything.

Wednesday, 2/8 – the cleaning service finished the house today, leaving around dark. 

Thursday, 2/9 – Rick and I drove to Ocala this morning.  While I went into town to visit with Dad, Rick bought some lumber and began to repair the shelter around the pump at Dad’s place that was damaged in a storm.  He said that Dad’s friend, Nick Krupa, stopped by to say hello and check on Dad.  We returned to Ormond Beach in the afternoon and were happy to see our nephew/Godson, Mat Butler, arrive around 5 p.m.  He left Knoxville last night after getting off of work.

Friday, 2/10/17 – Today would have been Rick and Edward’s mother’s 92^nd birthday.   Our family, J.P., his wife, Kellie, and their daughter, Emma arrived this afternoon.  The extended family (including Mom’s sister, Delores, and her three sons and their families) went to Mario’s Restaurant (one of Mom’s favorites) for supper tonight.
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Saturday, 2/11/17 –  Rick and I spent the early morning making preparations for tonight’s celebration.  Mat went surfing and then stopped at the store to pick up some last-minute things that we needed.  We went to the beach to visit with JP, Kellie and Emma for a short while.  Then we all pitched in to complete the preparations to receive about 35 guests for Mom’s Celebration of Life.  We were blessed to have in attendance her sister, two of her sisters-in-law, her two sons, her two grandsons and one great-granddaughter as well as many nieces and nephews, neighbors and friends.  The picture below shows the group toasting Geraldine Hoffmeister.  It was a wonderful tribute to a well-loved woman.

Sunday, February 12 thru Monday, February 20, 2017

We said goodbye to Edward and Mat and drove to Ocala Sunday morning.  Dad was so pleased to see Kellie, JP and Emma along with Rick and me.  He had not seen Emma since she was just a few month’s old.  After a short visit with him, we returned to Palmetto.

We drove to Moffitt Cancer Center on the USF campus in Tampa on Monday morning for Rick to have bloodwork and CT Scan, meet with the doctor and then have his second infusion of chemo under the clinical trial.  On Tuesday, Rick made reservations for us to fly to Compass Cay to spend 10 days starting on February 21.  Today was Valentine’s Day.  Rick gave me some beautiful red roses. 

We watched Emma in the evening so JP could take Kellie out to dinner.  I had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon on Wednesday morning.  An examination showed all was well and I go back to see them in 3 months.  We went to see a model home by Bruce Williams, but the lady that JP and Kellie talked to last Monday was not there, so we go back over the weekend.  We stopped in the development office and got more information on the homeowner’s restrictions as well as the required setbacks for building.  He promised to call us just as soon as the lot we are interested in comes back on the market.  We had lunch with Bill and Ruth, then I got my hair cut and then we went by JP’s to fill him in on what we learned from the developer.  Our new bug spray service man came on Thursday morning.   This new home had tubes in the outside walls.  This allows the spray to be administered from the outside and they never come inside, unless you call about a particular problem.  He also swept away all the cobwebs around the eaves and windows including knocking down a wasp nest.  That alone made the service worth it for me!  Rick went to the boat to get some things that we need for our trip to the Bahamas next week while I did some housework.  Just like last month, Rick was sick today – 2 days after receiving the chemo.

We drove to Moffitt on Friday morning for Rick’s bloodwork.  When we left, he asked me to drive as he was not feeling well.  I drove to the cabin in the Ocala Forest and then we both went into town for a short visit with Dad.  Rick didn’t feel well enough to get out of the car.  I drove us back to Palmetto and he went straight to bed.  He hasn’t been able to hold anything down today.

Rick was sick again on Saturday, but he managed to keep it under control long enough for us to go to the drugstore to pick up some medicine that he needs for our trip.  Then, we met JP, Kellie and Emma out at the model home to talk to the builder’s rep about sketching some plans for us over the next two weeks.  Kellie took pictures inside the model home.  We all felt that it was a successful visit.  When we returned home, Rick tried eating a little bit of chicken noodle soup before resting in the afternoon.  Rick was feeling better on Sunday. We went to the boat to get some more things that we need for the trip and then had lunch with Bill and Ruth at the yacht club.  When we got home, Rick went to bed and didn’t wake up until about 2 a.m.

I checked the weather for the Staniel Cay/Compass Cay area (found on the right side of this blog – scroll down past the list of postings) to see that it might be a little cool while we are there – ranging from 70 to 75 with a couple of days of rain and some good winds.  Rick decided he needed another pair of jeans, so we went shopping.  When we returned home, I did a final load of wash before packing my suitcase.  We plan to leave around 7 in the morning.

Sunday, January 1 thru Saturday, January 7, 2017

Last night, our friend, Jackie, fell at the New Year’s Eve party tearing her hamstring.  She was in so much pain, she went into shock and was taken to the hospital via ambulance.  She was released from the hospital and they returned to the yacht club a few minutes before midnight to retrieve some things from their boat before going home.  So, we had a chance to start the New Year with them after all. 

On Monday, we drove to Moffitt for Rick to receive his 5^th infusion of Keytruda, but were surprised to hear that the appointment had been rescheduled to Friday.  We received an e-mail from our daughter-in-law, Kellie, showing Emma at her first day of pre-school.  She looked very happy. 

I did some house cleaning on Tuesday, while Rick ran some errands.  He also put all of the Christmas decorations in the attic at the new house and was very happy that there was a set of pull-down steps.

Wednesday morning, I started organizing the office.  That effort led to another shopping list.  So, we joined Bill and Ruth for lunch, did our shopping and returned to the house mid-afternoon.

Thursday morning , we drove to Bradenton to the 21^st Century Oncology office near Blake Hospital for me to receive my first radiation treatment.  As soon as I was done, we went to Moffitt for Rick’s scheduled CT Scan.  When we got back to the house, I laid down to take a nap.  While I was napping, Rick went to the boat to get some of our “winter” clothes as we have a cold front coming through on Saturday.  He brought supper home from the club, so I wouldn’t have to cook tonight.

Friday, 1/6 – We drove to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa where Rick had bloodwork done and then met with Dr. Tan, his Mesothelioma specialist.  Dr. Tan showed us the CT Scan taken yesterday and compared it to one taken in October.  His cancer continues to grow in the left lung.  It is now significantly pushing against his esophagus.  There are also a couple of spots in his right lung.  Dr. Tan told us that the Keytruda does not seem to have helped, but we have other options.  Before the morning was over, Rick had signed up for a different clinical trial; had additional blood work done; and met with the doctor in Internal Radiology who will administer the new drug cocktail through a catheter into an artery near the aorta.  This gets the medicine closer to the area of concern rather than having it go through his entire system through his veins, as his previous chemotherapy has done.  Therefore, he should have fewer side-effects than he did with his original chemotherapy.   Rick tried to get into this clinical trial last year, but they only have 5 slots and they were full.  Thankfully, there was an opening today.  When we left Moffitt, we drove to Ormond Beach to stay a couple of nights with Rick’s brother, Edward.  One of the things we needed to do on this visit was finalize the invitation to their mother’s “Celebration of Life” which will be held at Edward’s home next month.  We had sent out a “Save the Date” e-mail soon after she died, letting people know that we expected to have this gathering near what would have been her 92^st birthday.  The day after she died, in October, Hurricane Mathew hit the Daytona Beach area – after hitting Andros Island in the Bahamas.  Since we have relatives living in both areas, and Edward’s home was damaged by the storm, we decided to put off the gathering until family members could recover from the storm as well as to give others, from out of town, a better chance to plan to attend. 

Sunday, January 8 through Saturday, January 14, 2017

We drove from Ormond Beach to the Ocala Forest on Sunday morning in the hopes of selling Dad’s jeep.  Unfortunately, when the fella looked it over, he found too many things needing repair.  We drove into Ocala for me to have a short visit with Dad and then continued home to Palmetto.

Rick had a dentist appointment first thing Monday morning.  I worked in the office a little more today.

On Tuesday, before driving to the Bradenton Yacht Club to attend the monthly power fleet dinner meeting, we received notification from our attorneys that the VA had reversed their previous decision and had awarded Rick 100% disability as of April, 2015.  We spent the night on the boat.

We worked around the boat Wednesday until after lunch.  Rick got a call from the clinical trial coordinator telling him that he was accepted in the trial, “A Phase 2 Study of Transarterial Chemoperfusion Treatment with Cisplatin, Methotrexate and Gemcitabine in Patients with Unresectable Pleural Mesothelioma”.  His first infusion will be next week.

I had my second session of radiation on Thursday, 1/12.  Rick bought some shelving units for the garage and spent some time putting them together in the afternoon while I rested.

We took a day trip up to the cabin in the Ocala Forest on Friday.  After checking Dad’s mail and messages, we went into Ocala for a short visit with him.  The weather was nice, so I brought him out to the patio where Rick could join us.  He doesn’t go inside the rehabilitation center, so as not to be exposed to illnesses that might cause him a lot of trouble.

Rick went shopping for a grill again on Saturday morning while I got some housework done.  In the afternoon, we drove to the yacht club where we met Ken and Jackie for dinner and stayed the night on the boat.

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Sunday, January 15  – Saturday, January 21, 2017

We ate a delicious breakfast at the yacht club on Sunday.  While Rick was napping, we got a call from Loan Rolle.  We spent a lot of time with Loan while we were staying on Compass Cay in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas.  He told us that he and his friend were in Ruskin (not far from us) and we agreed to meet at our house in an hour.  Since our friends, Ken and Jackie, have met Loan, we called them to let them know that he was stopping by for a short visit.  The six of us spent a couple of hours at the Blu Mangrove catching up before they left to continue their trip south. 

Monday morning Loan called from Miami to say how much they enjoyed their short visit.

On Tuesday, 1/17 – Rick went to the local VA office in the morning and we went to Moffitt in the afternoon.  He had to lay flat for two hours after the procedure was finished and within 15 minutes of sitting up, he was throwing up. L  We arrived back at the house around 9:30 and he went to bed.

On Wednesday, Rick was feeling good.  He was supposed to rest for 24 hours, but we met Bill and Ruth for lunch and then went shopping for a vacuum cleaner.  We finally found what we wanted at the Sun City Center about 12 miles from here.  Rick also wasn’t supposed to lift anything heavier than a half-gallon of milk, so I put our purchases in the car and we left the vacuum in the garage until tomorrow when Rick can resume his normal activities.

Rick took me to 21^st Century Oncology for my third and final session of radiation therapy on Thursday morning.  While I was resting Thursday afternoon, he went to Harbor Freight and bought a workbench.  After putting it together, he joined me resting – saying that he thought he might have “overdone” it.

Rick still didn’t feel good on Friday.  He remembered that when he was getting conventional chemotherapy, he would get sick on the third day after treatment and thinks he must be experiencing the same thing now.  He was in bed most of the day in between bouts of nausea.

We were supposed to stay on the boat Saturday night and attend a wine tasting at the Bradenton Yacht Club, but by noon it became obvious that Rick was not going to be comfortable drinking wine tonight and we cancelled.

Sunday, January 22 thru Saturday January 28, 2017

On Sunday, Rick was still feeling “puny”, but on Monday, he was feeling better.  He took me to a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon. We met Bill and Ruth for supper at a favorite Mexican restaurant and Rick was able to tolerate the food.  We did a lot of running around on Tuesday.  I made chili for supper, but, unfortunately that didn’t agree with him.  I had a follow-up with my oncologist on Wednesday morning.  She told me that I needed to heal a little more from the radiation and scheduled me to return in three weeks.  Then we drove to Ormond Beach to spend a couple of nights with Rick’s brother, Edward.  Thursday morning, we went to a nearby hotel and made reservations for JP, Kellie, Vanessa and Emma to stay when we have Mom’s “Celebration of Life” in a few weeks.  We went to Sam’s and then one of the local grocery stores to buy some of the food and drink for the Celebration.  The three of us had collaborated on making a bookmark to be given out to the attendees.  We took a picture of one of her favorite elephant pieces and combined it with a nice saying.  We also went to Office Depot and had them print, laminate and cut them.  We met with a cleaning service and hired them to come to the house at the beginning of the week of the Celebration to give it a thorough cleaning from top to bottom.  They estimate that will take at least three whole days.  As if our day hadn’t been busy enough, we met our cousins (the Vigliotti’s) for dinner and had a very nice visit.  I think there were 12 of us at the table.  Friday morning found Rick and me back on the road driving to Ocala.  We picked up Dad’s mail and then went in to town for a short visit with him.  We stopped in at the Moffitt Cancer Center on our way south to Palmetto where they drew blood from Rick (part of the new clinical trial he is participating in.)  We stopped at JP’s house where we planned a morning trip next week to go and look at a couple of houses in the “NextGen” style.  It is basically two houses under one roof.  The smaller of the two is like a “mother-in-law” suite.  If we like what we see, we’ll get Kellie to join us in further pursuit.  Saturday morning, Rick and I went shopping.  He needed some new long-sleeved shirts and belts and jeans, as everything he had was getting too big for him.  We went to the boat about 5:00 p.m. and prepared to attend the Commodore’s Gala.  We sat at a table for eight with Past Commodore Bill Baker and Ruth; Past Commodore Deborah Ross and Richard; Past Power Fleet Captain Ken Sosville and Jackie.  Rounding out the “pasts” was Past Power Fleet Captain Rick and me.  We had a very nice time.

Sunday, January 29 thru Tuesday, January 31, 2017

We had Sunday breakfast at the yacht club with Bill and Mary Beth Westbrook and enjoyed having time to catch up.  Rick took a nap on the boat after breakfast then we drove home.  I took a nap at home while he went to Lowe’s and bought a barbeque grill.

I did housework while Rick worked on the boat Monday.

On Tuesday, 1/31, we met JP in the morning and went house hunting with his friend and real estate agent, Val.  Today we looked at specialty homes called NextGen or Multi-gen homes.  But, they would not change their floor plans to suit our needs, so we will continue to look.