September 18, 2025 Years ago when our county elementary schools were thrown together into that scary, hormonal infested world called Middle School, I met lots of kids. I was a misfit. Socially awkward. Always have been. Never fit in anyplace.…
When your spouse dies, your last anniversary was your last anniversary. You don’t know when you are celebrating that last one. The number of years you were married just stops. The goal of making it to 30, 40, 55 years…
Bad week is me understating this week’s magnitude of misery, confusion and sadness. Found a cute little non birthday-birthday cake. It said for two. Two hours? Two days? Pretty sure they just misspelled ONE. Here’s to me not being normal…
Lyrics from a song but a constant question I ask myself is how long does a heart break. How long does it take to adapt, adjust, accept? There isn’t an answer. Everyone is different. I found myself in a dark…
I have been having trouble making sense of my thoughts. Focus is fleeting. I am usually able to put things into words once I set to work writing or typing them. For the past few months, this ability has escaped…
It is the first NFL preseason game tonight, and I am missing your excitement over the football season getting underway. Here’s to a good season and to you having the best seats. Rise up, Dirty Birds!
Since I will be writing a travel book about mediocre trips abroad, here is a snippet of one chapter I am working on called What in the Actual Hell Do You Mean You Don’t Have.. and that title probably needs…
Self-explanatory if you have a disorder like me and can spot them anywhere.
Since England and Wales are the only areas we visited in the UK, I can only speak to the parking in these. There is little parking. None of it is free. None. Of. It. Everywhere is paid parking unless there…
Money is interesting. We used tap to pay credit cards where ever we went and never had a real issue. Most of the gift shops and restaurants required a signature and some asked for ID to verify. I got a…
I felt David with me throughout the trip. Whether it was real or just my wanting so badly to believe he is still with me, Before he died, he promised if there was a way after he was gone, that…
After Adam picked up us at Heathrow and drove us to Birmingham, we visited some shops near our hotel for snacks the tepid water I would come to loathe. One shop was called Poundland and it was a cross between…
I am fascinated with signs, and in the UK, it was a treasure trove of different signs. I was forever asking Adam what did this or that sign mean. Motorway signs, store signs, street signs, so many different interesting signs,…
June 2, 2025 Five months today since we saw David for the last time. The irony of this being leaving day isn’t lost on me today. I didn’t mention the date to the kids. We were all there..at the end.…
June 1, 2025 Today we got up and jumped on the tube at Paddington and went back to Baker Street to visit the Sherlock Holmes store. We missed it by a few minutes yesterday. After riding the train and arriving…
May 31, 2025 We got up and headed over to the Tower of London this morning. The Tower is located just steps from the Tower Hill station. This is the one thing I really looked forward to seeing. We each…
May 30, 2025 SL & Adam met Adam’s mom for a late breakfast while I finished packing up. We checked out in Birmingham and headed to London. It was a 2-hour drive into London and was just motorway so nothing…
May 29, 2025 We had planned to visit Warwick Castle today, but we all were so tired Adam suggested walking down to the Longbridge Station and hoping a train to Birmingham City Centre. This is basically a big train station…
May 28, 2025 Back on the motorway. It is 1pm. Adam wouldn’t let me put Steven the Seagull in the boot (trunk), and I am feeling some kind of way about it. We stopped off at one of the service…
May 27, 2025 Today we did a few things. SL shopped a little this morning in Llandudno. Then we went up to the Great Orme, a Headland in Wales and saw some lovely sheep and limestone that has been there…
May 26, 2025 Helo o Cymru! (Hello from Wales) Today we drove into Beaumaris, Anglesey for a planned boat ride to see Puffin Island (Ynys Seiriol)and some puffins. We used Seacoast Safaris and enjoyed the trip back and forth. We…
May 25, 2025 We checked out of Birmingham and headed out to North Wales. I was most excited to see another country on this trip and interested to see a coastal town. It was about 2.5 hours to Llandudno Wales…
May 24, 2025 Today, we couldn’t decide between driving to Stonehenge or doing something more local and since Adam seemed to be very tired from all the driving he was doing and I was still feeling meh from the migraine,…
May 23, 2025 I went to sleep last night and woke up with a nauseating migraine I have not experienced in several years. Maybe the stress of travel. The stress of doing different stuff. The stress of grief. The stress…
May 22, 2025 Today we headed out to Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. This was the most charming little town and we got to see the house where he was born in 1564 along with the house his…
May 21, 2025 Today, we slept in a little and tried to catch up on some sleep before heading over to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory in Bournville Birmingham. We didn’t actually go through the factory tour but raided the shop…
May 19 & 20, 2025 SL and I are doing a huge thing… for us. We set off from Atlanta’s Hartfield Jackson at 10:15 pm on 5/19 bound for London Heathrow to visit Adam, SL’s fiancée, and meet his family.…
May 2, 2025 Dear David, I don’t know what to do with this blog. You wanted me to keep it going and keep talking about you. I have written but posted nothing. It is hard to be venerable and so…
March 17, 2025 Today is David’s birthday. He should have turned 50 today. He should have been here when I turned 50 three weeks ago and when SL turned 20 three days ago. Here we are at another one of…
February 14, 2025 Dear David, I dreaded today. Another first without you. The day for sweethearts and lovers. Those that have one. It wasn’t ever a huge deal to us because we had each other. You did have your romantic…
February 4, 2025 Dear David. I enjoyed scrolling through today’s social media memories. You still make me smile years later. love-d
February 2, 2025 Dear David. The heart can withstand a tremendous amount of breakage. There was no way, in my anticipatory grief, to have ever prepared or comprehended how much I would miss you. I miss you more than I…
January 25, 2025 Dear David. Is it still January? It has only been three weeks, and it feels like three decades since you have been gone. A friend asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with her and…
January 21, 2025 Sometimes I have ideas about things to write about and other times I just sit down and start pecking out words in no order just because the silence here is deafening now. Just putting all the thoughts…
January 17-19, 2025 SL, Adam and I decided to take a quick trip up the cabin in Blue Ridge where David and I spent so many wonderful days and made the sweetest memories doing everything from exploring the towns, light…
January 15, 2025 Today the tub faucet started to leak. The cold side it seemed. You taught me how to do this before and after the diagnosis. I didn’t want to know how or think about ever having to do…
January 14, 2025 Dear David, My writing is helpful to me, but it seems to be upsetting people who are able to read it. I don’t think people are comfortable with raw emotions. I write what I feel. I had…
January 12, 2025 (I had no idea what day of the week it was) Showered and brushed my teeth Put on clean clothes Washed a load of laundry. Folding it will be another day. Fed the outside birds and watched…
Nobody told me grief would feel so much like fear. – A Grief Observed C.S.Lewis
Nights are long and difficult. Nights are when time hangs heavy. I used to live for getting on my pjs and jumping into bed between the cool sheets and warm blanket and snuggling up next to David whether he came…
January 10, 2025 Whenever I asked David for advice or I was in the throws of some hand wringing situation, he always said “just concentrate on doing the next right thing and that is the only thing you have to…
January 9, 2025 What do I do when I have a gazillion things I want and need to tell David all throughout the day because that is what we did. We talked about everything and nothing. All day long. What…
January 9, 2024 Signs are everywhere telling us where to go or what not to do. People say there are also signs sent to us from loved ones that have transitioned to that other plane. Some say God sends signs…
January 7, 2025 Well David, even cheering from heaven, you and the big guy couldn’t make them Falcons win on Sunday. But it was at least close and as you have said for the past seven years since we last…
Mr. William David Gassett age 49, passed away on January 3, 2025, at his residence. Memorial services for Mr. Gassett will be held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 2:00 PM, in the chapel of Fletcher-Day Funeral Home. Rev. Ted…
January 2, 2025 The first dose of morphine and Ativan was given, and after an hour, it was clear it had not had much effect. JP arrived and another dose was given. We watched him closely for another hour while…
December 30, 2024-January 1, 2025 The start of the week found David struggling a little to speak. He was sleepy and it was difficult for him to stay awake. On Monday, he ate a really good breakfast although he had…
December 29, 2024 We saw numerous doctors and consultants and heads of departments. David was poked and prodded and drained and filled with fluids. We survived may sleepless nights and days. Three Emory oncologists reviewed his entire record including digging…
From 12/20 to 12/24, David’s WBC continued to rise with one day seeing it decrease only slightly. His feet and legs continued to swell and Lasix and Aldactone were added to the broad spectrum antibiotics he was receiving. Dsvid continured…
December 20th ish 2024 Been up since Monday morning. Will have to update later tonight. No more steam left in the tank. The needle on the gauge broke off three days ago.
December 19, 20024 David slept most of the day but he did have a little bit of confusion and agitation today. His ammonia level is high and that can cause a number of things to happen including hepatic encephalopathy which…
Some December 18, 2024 and every early morning minute of December 19, 2024 We managed that shower but not in that fun couple way because that doesn’t exist anymore. Cancer takes everything. I say “we” because I looked as though…
December 18, 2024 I am not lying when I say I have no idea what day it is. Honestly. I just had to look at the calendar and still had to think to figure it out. David’s WBC is up…
About 20 minutes later David had soaked his sheets, pillow and hospital gown with sweat, left a rather noxious stool sample in the bathroom, and had one of his IVs blow out. He also started on the first unit of…
Dr. W came in this evening to say David’s WBC was elevated much more so that the “normal” it was on Friday at Dr. B’s office. This could indicate infection. He ammonia level was elevated. This could indicate infection. His…
We had a scary weekend and a scarier Monday morning. When we got up today, David was disoriented and having trouble getting out his words. He was having trouble holding things like a water bottle or his phone and kept…
December 14, 2024 On Tuesday evening, 12/10, David’s temperature started to spike again. We went back and forth with acetaminophen for a few hours but did not call the oncologist on call. David and I both felt like this was…
December 6, 2024 We got to URMC right at 7am on this balmy 28 degree morning. Man, it was cold! We went right in to the treatment room and got started with the preliminaries. Guess what? Nurse said right off…
December 5, 2024 We went to URMC today and got the type match done for the blood transfusion. It didn’t take long for registration and to run down to the lab. He got his red wrist band, and we went…
December 4, 2024 David had a telehealth therapy appointment this morning. He has not been back to in-person since his WBC was so low just as a precaution. He doesn’t like the telehealth as well but he likes not having…
December 3, 2024 I had asked to speak to one of the dieticians from Piedmont concerning David’s dietary needs since he lost a few pounds between visits. I was able to make contact today and we discussed more protein, high…
December 2, 2024 Between work and playing nurse, I managed to get the Christmas tree up, find out some of the lights were out and string together a few more to make it work another year. I also managed a…
November 29, 2024 We had the funeral for my Dad today. David was not feeling up to coming to visitation, but SL brought him in time for the service. It was a nice service as far as funerals go. Lots…
November 27, 2024 Today another day of Etoposide so another short day. We ate our snacks and basically watched the clock tick down before we were back on the way home. The funeral home said Dad was ready to see,…
November 26, 2024 I got up early for a grocery pick up and stopped at the pharmacy to refill my anxiety meds. Those are working overtime today. I also took a ride to the cemetery where my dad will rest…
Monday, November 25, 2024 It was a short night. Not much sleep for me, but we got up and got going with some breakfast and a shower to make it to Fayetteville by 9. David was moving slowly and having…
Sunday, November 24, 2024 My Dad died today. He was 78 but it was unexpected. I wasn’t ready. It is an immense loss yet to be quantified. I am standing on the verge of intense grief but at the same…
November 20, 2024 David had a CT scan of his liver today. We met with Dr. K (Interventional Radiologist) to discuss the outcome of the Y90 treatment. David’s liver is worse. There are more tumors. The Y90 was not effective.…
David sleeps most of the day and night. We have only had one or two temp spikes and they were low level around 100. He woke up sweating this past Saturday morning while napping and had to change his shirt…
After some sort of confusion about who was going to discharge and then not receiving the discharge order from the hospitalist before he left and being told we would have to stay, the doctor reached out to David personally by…
November 11, 2024 Looking out through the glass separating us from our home planet, there is much unusual life on this planetary dimension called hospital. Beings seem to come and go freely while we two continue to be mired in…
November 10, 2024 We slept much better last night because the nurse and tech didn’t have to come in as much and because we basically passed out from extreme exhaustion. We got up every two hours for David to pee…
November 9, 2024 Do you know what they don’t cover in patient chemo education? ANY OF THIS! It did not get better this morning after I had been awake for nearly 28 hours. Sure it was the stress and anxiety…
November 9, 2024 We headed over to Fayetteville this afternoon for the oncology labs and appointment. We were scheduled to see the NP today and not Dr. B. When the NP came in, she said David’s hemoglobin was 6.6 and…
November 6, 2024 This morning’s surprise was David moving slower than usual and almost as if he were in slow motion. I took his BP and it was 94/54 which was very low for him. He could not stay awake,…
November 4, 2024 I just keep getting more anxious and worried about we are supposed to do with these temp spikes, so I messaged Dr. B today via the patient portal to update him on the weekend developments. I uploaded…
November 3, 2024 David woke me up at 1am this morning and said he was sweating. His tshirt was soaked around the neck. I took his temp and it was 101.5. He took some Tylenol and went back to sleep.…
November 2, 2024 David got up this morning with a temp of 101.7. I gave him some rapid release Tylenol and he took all his other morning meds. Knowing we are supposed to call the oncologist’s office for temps over…
October 30, 2024 David felt ok today but not quite as good as yesterday. He had some pain that he wasn’t sure was gas or regular pain, and we both seemed to be moving through Jello trying to get out…
October 29, 2024 David got up feeling pretty good today. Remembering back to last year (by looking through my journals), chemo days were some of his best days. It is the recovery weeks that weren’t so nice. He said he…
October 28, 2024 We drove over to Fayetteville around lunch to make his 1:00 therapy appointment. It was cloudy and overcast and we felt the same. We did enjoy the changing color of the leaves along the way though. The…
October 25, 2024 We had a call this morning to go over the protocol and side effects of the upcoming chemo. Like before, David will receive Dexamethasone and Akyenzeo prior to each chemo IV in an effort to minimize the…
October 24, 2024 The nurse told him he didn’t have to have his port accessed today and could opt for a regular blood draw. He jumped at the chance to skip the port. He is so tired of having it…
October 10, 2024 David saw one of the PAs at Dr. B’s office for his appointment this morning. He had labs as usual and she asked him how he felt he was doing since the Y90 on 9 He said…
David received a call from Piedmont saying the CT scan on his liver will be on 11 This scan will determine effects from the Y90 procedure.
September 30, 2024 We made it through Hurricane Helene unscathed but our Georgia neighbors to the south and east of us and some of the Tennessee and North Carolina mountain areas were not so fortunate. It has been distressing seeing…
September 29, 2024 This made David happy. That is all. It was worth its own post.
September 26, 2024 David had an early oncology appointment this morning with one of Dr. B’s NPs. This was the first time meeting her and she quickly caught up to recent events. We brought along the labs from Tuesday, and…
September 25, 2024 I checked in with Dr. W’s office around 11am this morning to see if there was news on an iron infusion. A nurse called back to say he had been working on the insurance since 8am this…
September 24, 2023 We saw Dr. W this morning, and we mentioned the paleness and the other symptoms. He agreed he was pale and his heart rate was elevated in the office. His temp was normal. Chest and lungs sounded…
September 19-23, 2024 On 9/18, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. This past weekend, we went up to Blue Ridge for a few days. David has continued to be very tired and unable to do very much. The 3 hour…
On the way to David’s appointment today, he got a call regarding the next part of the Y90 procedure. He is scheduled for Monday, 9 We will be back at Piedmont Fayette at 7am. This part of the procedure will…
September 9, 2024 Today we went to Atlanta to meet Dr. J, the supportive medicine doctor, in person. He explained that when prescribing opioids, the doctor is required to see the patient regularly and in person throughout the usage to…
September 7, 2024 We are 12 days post Y90 procedure. A few days after the procedure, David ran a bit of a fever (99-101.7). It never got over 101.7 and didn’t stay at that level for long. He has experienced…
August 26, 2024 David’s Y90 procedure was scheduled for 11am this morning, so we had to be at Piedmont Fayette at 9am. David was in a good bit of discomfort during the night and was quite restless so neither of…
August, 20, 2024 It has been 4 months since David finished radiation and it was time for a follow up visit with Dr. W this morning. He was very glad to see David and commented that he thought he looked…
August 19, 2024 We saw Dr. B this morning. He walked in asking why David did not have an appointment yet for the y90 procedure and wondered what the hold up was on Dr. K’s end. David told him he…
August 16, 2024 We are so tired right now and David is asleep in his favorite spot on the couch. I decided to update the blog journal while it was still fresh and I was still processing it and I…
August 15, 2024 David has a PET scan at 7:45 on Friday morning at Piedmont West in Atlanta, David wanted to stay in Atlanta tonight so we wouldn’t have to be up so early and get caught in Atlanta traffic…
August 14, 2023 We headed over the Fayetteville early to get the prescription. David did not feel like riding but he felt bad about my going over by myself, so he decided to go with me. He slept most of…
August 13, 2024 We left a message on Monday with Dr. J’s office as he asked reminding him to call Dr. B about the pain medication change and did not receive a call back. I called Dr. B’s office on…
August 12, 2024 We were at Piedmont Fayette this morning for the y90 mapping procedure. We had planned to have some ablation but Dr. B wanted to wait before having another procedure until the PET scan on Friday. We got…
August 9, 2024 David had a video visit with Dr. J, Palliative Care (Supportive Medicine) physician this afternoon. Dr. B referred us to him after we asked if such a visit would be beneficial. Dr. J is based in Atlanta…
July 26, 2024 We saw Dr. B today. David is up 7 pounds from the last visit and we joked that he could stop eating for two now with surgery off the table. He always wants to be at fighting…
July 17, 2024 Dr. N called David today and explained that the tumor board did not recommend additional liver surgery. He said they looked at the scans and recommended going back to chemo and looking at clinical trials. We never…
July 10, 2024 We went to sleep last night with extreme scanxiety and woke up with the same. So much so, I asked for thoughts and prayers for David on FB this morning of all things. I NEVER do things…
The CT scan Dr. K ordered for David’s liver was already scheduled and Dr. N’s office called and spoke to the Imaging department at the hospital to try to get a lung scan done at the same time. They said…
June 19, 2024 We rolled up to the stop light on the square in Zebulon heading to Piedmont Atlanta this morning. There were cars in front, behind and to the left of us. We were in the right lane and…
June 14, 2024 David saw Dr. B today for blood work and discussion regarding the recent PET scan results. They flushed his port while we were there also. The longer the port goes without use, the harder it seems to…
June 12, 2024 We had to be at Piedmont Newnan this morning at 6:30 am for David’s Liver Ablation procedure at 8 am. They let me wait with him in pre-op until they came to take him at 8:30. We…
May 31, 2024 David had a PET scan today at Piedmont Imaging in Atlanta. He was called back and given the Dotatate tracer just as he was for the PET in February. He went into the little room to wait…
May 16, 2024 We met Dr. K and his PA today. Both were very likeable. Dr. K explained two options to attempt to manage the disease in David’s liver. Like we read previously, one option is a guided ablation and…
May 9, 2024 So David and I took off on our PCB road trip today and didn’t look back…well I did when I backed up. SL had finals and wasn’t really feeling like making the trip with the dorky parents…
May 8, 2024 We had planned to make our annual beach visit in the next two weeks but after seeing Dr. B on Monday, we decided to move up the trip while we were waiting on an appointment. We always…
May 6, 2024 David and I have had a weekend of sadness. We tried to stay busy with things around the house but the reality of the scan last week is hard to cope with. It is forefront in everything.…
May 2, 2024 We got up and felt like we were just moving through Jello to head over for the appointment with Dr. C to discuss the surgery we have wanted for so long and now expected to be off…
May 1, 2024 We went over to Piedmont Fayette today for a rectal and abdominal (liver) MRI. The imaging office called this morning to say they would need to combine the two separate appointments into one scan because he would…
April 30, 2024 We saw Dr. Wa today for a 4 week follow up visit after radiation. Dr. Wa was very encouraging regarding the CT abdominal scan on April 2. He showed us a side-by-side comparison of the tumor and…
April 4, 2023 David had a CT scan today to check on the fluid around his liver that showed on the last scan. This scan was ordered by Dr. N so it was scheduled at Piedmont Atlanta. If the fluid…
April 2, 2024 David had an oncology appointment today with Dr. B. He had labs done and numbers look pretty much the same as they have been. His CEA was down to 5.9. Not very reliable in his particular case…
March 28, 2024 Last day of radiation. David had his final treatment, and we also got to see the doctor for discharge from treatment. Dr. Wa was not in so we saw Dr. G. He said there was a 4…
March 25, 2024 Boy were glad to see the start of the final week of radiation. We got to the office and noticed more people in the waiting room than usual. We waited a bit and then one of the…
One of our very good friends wanted to hold a fundraiser raffle for David and asked me about it. We were touched she wanted to do this but also apprehensive for it to sound as if we were begging for…
March 18, 2024 4 weeks down. 2 weeks to go. Another Monday another start of a week of radiation. We saw Dr. Wa today. David told him he didn’t feel very well this past weekend. He was also experiencing a…
March 17, 2024 Today is David’s birthday. He was born on a mild March Monday on St. Patrick’s Day in 1975, and while there doesn’t seem to be any ancient Celtic or Gaelic legends about St. Patrick’s Day babies being…
March 15, 2024 After treatment this morning, David had the cone down scan to prepare for the radiation boost that will start on Monday 3 He said it was similar to the first planning scan he had when he was…
March 13, 2024 Today we saw Dr. B for labs and an appointment. Both PAs were out of the office so Dr. B was left on his own and was running behind thanks to the schedulers who he said had…
March 11, 2024 Week 4 of radiation and it is Monday again, so we saw Dr. Wa after treatment for a weekly check-in. We discussed David’s pain level and the upcoming in office cone down scan for the radiation boost…
March 4, 2024 Day 11 of Radiation Camp and Mondays are see-the-doctor-day. Since Dr. Wa was out of the office, we saw Dr. G. He checked in with David about symptoms he is experiencing including urinary issues and increased pain.…
I saw this today and thought it was so very accurate for any cancer patient and those who love and fight right along beside them. Here’s to all of us….
February 29, 2024 David had another PET scan today at Piedmont Atlanta Imaging. When we last saw Dr. N for the post op checkup on February 13, we received the pathology on the two tumors that were removed from David’s…
I started and stopped this entry so many times due to the humor. Some days I can find the humor in everything and other days, I just feel so defeated and sad. Sad isn’t a big enough word but that…
Since we got home from the hospital, David has been walking up and down the driveway throughout the day to keep moving and keep potential blood clots at bay. He is eating when he doesn’t feel like it. He is…
February 13, 2023 David saw Dr. N today for his post-op follow-up appointment. Dr. N said the incision looked good and was healing nicely. He told David it would be healed up just in time for bikini season. He advised…
February 8 & 9, 2024 On 2/8 we saw Dr. B the Med Onc. We discussed the best time to begin the radiation/chemo treatments. Because chemo can stop the healing process, it was decided by Dr. B and Dr. N,…
February 7, 2024 David said he felt pretty ok today. He slept most of the night. He had some initial trouble getting on and off the couch this morning but he figured it out. Remembering he can’t bend down to…
This is a large hospital in the middle of downtown Atlanta. It is the oldest hospital in Atlanta. I took some pictures when I walked down to grab dinner one night. Older parts of the hospital are still there but…
Day 3 A.S. February 5, 2024 Right off, very early this morning, we started hearing chatter that we might get to leave. How is it that everyone in the hospital knows before the patient? Even the housekeeper said she thought…
February 4, 2024 David and I did some more walking around the halls this morning and noticed these 10 ft markers on the the baseboards. We guessed they had something to do with measuring how far someone walked, but I…
February 3, 2024 Day 2 A.S. – Evening We had not slept well the night of surgery, so I went over to the hotel late morning and slept for about an hour while David tried to snooze back at the…
February 4, 2024 Day 2 A.S. – 6:30 am Lights in the room won’t go off completely due to some issues with the switch. So, we have been “sleeping” like the sun was on. So last night we got them…
February 3, 2023 Day 1 After Surgery (A.S.) If you have ever stayed at a hospital resort with a loved one well you already know how the night went. What kind of Valerian Steel are the hinges on the doors…
February 2, 2024 After surgery-afternoon/evening Where did we leave off? Oh yes…me having to pee. So, the recovery nurse called to let me know the room number and what I heard was “5 South 81”. I said can you repeat…
Finally had to get up before my water broke. Packed up my stuff. Got my well organized bag together and headed to the restroom. Nurse called. She said in this order and I quote… Hi. This is Nurse D and…
How many years have passed since 3:30 this morning and is it time for dinner yet? Why does this hospital look like an airport? What are the people in scrubs sitting around talking about? What day is it? If I…
Post-Op Recovery-12:00 pm Nurse Brittany called to say David was doing ok and relaxing. She said he told her he just “felt a little sore”. I advised her of his self proclaimed fantastic humor. She said mmm-hmmm. She said she…
Post op-11:24
February 2, 2024 Surgery-10:30 Dr. N came out and sat down next to me. I am sitting right at the door where the surgeons leave. My first thought when I saw him out of the corner of my eye was…
Surgery Day-8:56 am I got a text saying, “patient is doing well”. Surgery began around 8:07. It is expected to last around 3 hours. His gallbladder will be removed because it sits in the way of the liver plus, he…
February 2, 2024 Surgery Day Morning We slept pretty well considering. We were up before the chickens around 3:30 am to shower and head down to the hospital. When I got out of the shower, he was sitting on the…
February 1, 2024 We are back in Atlanta today for pre-op. I spent last night packing bags and unpacking bags not knowing what to bring. I used different bags for his things he would need in the hospital room. Things…
January 30, 2024 Today, David saw Dr. Wa to discuss radiation following the liver resection surgery. Personable and enthusiastic as ever, Dr. Wa agreed that we are on the right path. He said once chemotherapy becomes less effective it is…
January 27, 2024 CT-Lungs David and I went for his lung CT early this morning. We were thankful that Dr. B’s scheduler was able to get him in so quickly. It was a quick scan without contrast just to check…
January 26, 2024 We saw Dr. B today. He confirmed what we already read from the scans. The last two rounds of chemo had less effect than we had hoped. Dr. B explained that sometimes refractory disease occurs during chemotherapy…
January 24, 2024 David had an appointment with Dr. N today at Piedmont Atlanta to discuss the liver scan. He confirmed there was indeed a second lesion as he had previously noted with the scan on December 6. Dr. N…
January 23, 2024 Rectal MRI David had the second MRI today. This one lasted around an hour. Results will tell us what effects the most recent rounds of chemo may have had on the tumor. He said he got to…
The Care Bears and I go way back to the 1980s but I never quite mastered both parts of the sharing thing that Share Bear tried to teach. I mean, I shared my toys when I was little, I share…
I caught a wave tonight that I couldn’t handle, and it took me under. Since this started, I find myself being angry much of the time. Thinking about unfairness and why David. Why us? Why now? And just plain why?…
January 5, 2024 New year. Same Cancer. Back at Chemo today. We were not in the mood to do this today. We grumbled all morning. I think sometimes we just want to be angry and sad and irritated and maybe…
December 22, 2023 Another chemo day. We saw the PA for this visit and labs. We really like seeing the PA just as much as Dr. B. He is so patient. He listens and answers every question we have even…
December 8, 2023 David had a scheduled appointment to meet with Dr. B to discuss the rectal scan part of the MRI. On the way to the appointment, David received a call from Dr. N saying surgery had been cancelled.…
December 6, 2023 David had two MRIs at Piedmont Atlanta. He was in the machine for 2 hours and 45 minutes. He said it was very long and very exhausting. This was David’s first rectal MRI scan so that was…
David had chemo on October 16th & 30th and November 13th. On the November 13th chemo appt, the PA told us that he was scheduling additional chemo appointments “just in case” they were needed. If the scans returned something unexpected,…
October 11, 2023 David was referred to a surgical oncologist at Piedmont Atlanta. Dr. N and his PA were both very personable and took plenty of time discussing options and answering our questions prior to sending David over for his…
October 2, 2023. David began a 4 course FULFURINOX Chemotherapy. His labs were good and he was cleared to start. We reported to the treatment infusion room at Piedmont Cancer Institute following an appointment with Dr. B. The nurse assigned…
September 29, 2023 David had a patient education appointment that provided lots of information and what to expect with chemotherapy. It was a lot of information to absorb and we have a ton of reading to do. A LOT OF…
September 28, 2023 David reported to the hospital to undergo the procedure to implant a port in his chest. The procedure went fine and David was ready to go home shortly after lunch. PORTAL (-d) In hindsight, albeit unbeknown to…
September 22, 2023 Pet Scan After work on Thursday, we went up to Atlanta to stay close to the imaging center so we wouldn’t have the stress of getting up so early and then fighting ATL traffic. On Friday, we…
September 20, 2023 David went to Dr. Wa today for a diagnostic test that targets the area for radiation therapy. Radiation is set to begin on September 27. He will have a total of 25 treatments once per day Monday-Friday…
September 12, 2023 Dr. Wa’s office scheduled an appointment for a diagnostic appointment on 9 This appointment will get David ready to start radiation therapy. We also got work from CVS Specialty pharmacy that the insurance approved the chemo drug…
September 6, 2023 David saw the medical oncologist (Dr. B) and his PA-C (C). We discussed history with C before seeing the doctor. Dr. B explained the process and confirmed any of the same things we had heard during previous…
August 25, 2023 We saw our PCP again. In preparation for the upcoming vist with the medical oncologist, Dr. W. ordered some blood work and prescribed iron supplements since David’s iron is still very low. He wanted to be sure…
August 22, 2023 David saw a radiology oncologist (we will call him Dr. Wa since our PCP is also Dr. W).The nurse went over past history and asked many questions and then explained how radiation works. She said it would…
August 15, 2023 After a long and nearly sleepless night, we arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am. We checked in and sat down to wait. We had already been told that I would not be able to go with…
August 14, 2023 David had to go over to the hospital to have his blood cross matched for surgery. Since his hemoglobin and iron counts were still low, this was a precaution in case blood was needed during surgery. Because…
August 8, 2023 David went for a CT and MRI scan. He previously picked up the contrast he had to drink prior to the test and the day of the test. He said the CT went fine and the MRI…
July 24, 2023 We met with the colorectal surgeon (Dr. C). He ordered an additional CT scan as well as an MRI. He believes he can safely remove the part of David’s colon that contains the tumor and after a…
July 18, 2023 We arrived for the colonoscopy at 12:30. They took him back for the procedure at 1:11. They called me to come to recovery at 2:05. David was pale, irritated and in discomfort when I got there (he…
July 17, 2023 David (and I) suffered through colonoscopy prep. Whew! CLEANED OUT (-d)There are words for this, but not words that I’m really willing to write about this. If you’ve heard stories, they’re most likely true. If they seem…
July 7, 2023 David had more blood work and then had an appointment with a gastroenterologist (Dr. G). We discussed the abnormal lab results and abdominal pain. He noted from the CT scan mild mural thickening of the rectosigmoid area…
June 29, 2023 David had a CT (COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY) (CAT scan) with contrast at our local hospital. Dr. W called with the results and explained the scan showed some thickening of the colon wall along with some diverticula. Proctitis was…
June 28, 2023 David had a blood transfusion with iron at our local hospital. He received two units of blood and one unit of iron. After the first unit of blood was flowing for around 30 minutes, the nurse started…
June 27, 2023 David went to the local hospital to get blood crossmatch testing for a blood transfusion. This is done to ensure the donated blood is a match for the recipient. All blood has the same parts but not…
On June 26, 2023, David saw his PCP (Dr. W) because he had been passing blood and had pelvic pain. He had also become intolerant of certain foods which was odd because he has always been able to eat anything.…
A little about what it is…. David and I have been together for 32 years and counting. Nearly 25 of those years are recorded in marital “bliss”. Like many in long lasting relationships, we have been through just about everything…