Buffet

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 68 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy skies, windy

It looks as though Janie is not going to help her big brother by pulling the RV with the truck for us. I thought I was starting to sway her, but apparently not. It's not like she doesn't have a husband to take care of or a job that she likes a lot. Oh, wait. That's probably why she won't do it. Her husband Wayne is a great fellow, but is a homebody who doesn't like to travel. plus, she is a paralegal with many years of experience. Dadgum it, as Bobby Bowden would say.

I took another short walk this morning, in the ongoing attempt to build myself back up somewhat. I was going to walk again in the afternoon, but my temperature spiked again, as a result of the pacemaker being installed last Tuesday. It was easier to recover from the spike this time, since we knew what to do to bring the temperature back down. After an hour, it was barely above normal, and I felt much better. It is so important to have a person to help me at times like this, and Carolyn is a tireless taskmaster when it comes to getting me to do what I need. Thank you, Dear.

At lunch, we went to a local buffet for lunch, where I couldn't find anything on the buffet that tempted my appetite. Looking on the regular menu, I found a small sirloin steak with a baked potato that worked just fine, especially with the restaurant not putting any salt on it. So, that was what I had, being able to eat about half of it. I brought the rest home for another time.

Janie will be going home tomorrow, unless we can find a way to keep her here. She has been great company for us, and we enjoyed catching up with what's happening in her life. She has a fantastic attitude about life, and plans to work as long as she feels that she's useful. I can never see Janie not being useful to her employer, so we'll see how long she does it. I expect to be around for her retirement party, many years in the future.

I have to have lab work performed tomorrow in Athens, at which time I will try to see my doctor to firm up my appointment to see an Amyloidosis specialist at Emory University in Atlanta.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - New Paltz, New York: The Heart Of Ulster County

Not all who wander are lost.

Small Crisis Last Night

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 80 degrees, partly cloudy skies, breezy

I'm still working on convincing Janie to pull the RV with our truck, as we travel and see the country. It seems like a perfectly logical thing for her to do for her big brother, but she still resists the idea. However, I do sense that I'm wearing her resistance down. The only problem is that she's leaving Monday, so I may run out of time. Maybe I'll at least plant the seed of acceptance for down the road.

Speaking of Janie, Carolyn took a picture of Janie and myself. I don't know if you can tell or not, but I have had a lot of weight loss that I'm trying to stop. Another consequence of Amyloidosis.



Here's the latest picture of Janie and Carolyn. I'm surrounded by good looking women, and on top of that, they are good people. I love them dearly, as I do the rest of my family.

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After I posted the blog last night, I began having a fever with chills and pain. The fever was high enough that we called my niece Traci, who is trained as a trauma nurse. She said I needed to start walking in the house, take a pain pill, wash my body with a cold wash cloth, and drink fluids. Along with all that, I called the emergency number that I was given to call if any of the things I listed above occurred. Unfortunately, it took about three hours to get a call back from a doctor, and by then the fever had lowered somewhat, and the pain had eased. He told me that I probably had an infection from the surgery earlier this week. His advice was to continue all the things I had started, and if the temperature went back up, he would call in a prescription for antibiotics for me. Traci was a great help to me, even if it was over the telephone.

After a relatively easy night, my fever was gone, as was the heat around the incision. I woke up hungry for breakfast, which Carolyn prepared for me. It was the most I had eaten in quite some time, and I've decided that I will try to eat as much for breakfast as possible to make up for the lack of appetite later in the day. It seemed to work today, and I feel much better than I did last night.

I went for two short walks in the neighborhood today, and Janie went along to keep me company. The total distance walked was probably just under a mile, but I'm grateful for anything I can do. My goal is to keep doing the short walks in an effort to build myself up enough that when I seek further treatment for the disease that I'll be a viable candidate.

Tomorrow, we'll be going to a buffet in Athens for Easter lunch. I'm looking forward to trying several different dishes in an effort to find more food that I can eat. Wish me luck.

I still have anther day to work on Janie about pulling the RV. As I said, I think her resistance is wearing down.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hood River, Oregon: Wind Surfing Capital Of America

Not all who wander are lost.

Pain Medicine

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 61 degrees, high 79 degrees, partly cloudy skies, windy

My sister Janie is staying with us a couple days during her visit to north Alabama. Judy brought her over just after lunch, and we spent most of the rest of the day getting caught up with what's happening with each other's life, including our children. And grandchildren. Don't want to forget them.

I had a rough night from a sleeping standpoint because my arm and shoulder were aching from the pacemaker implantation. Today, we went to town and had a prescription filled that should take care of the pain tonight. I don't like to take pain medication, but I can't get by with no more sleep than I got last night.

I have been steadily receiving e-mails from the Amyloidosis support group that I joined yesterday. Every message has been a positive expression of support, which is important to receive. And, many of the messages offer suggestions for treatment options that we didn't know existed.

The nurse for my doctor in Athens called today, and said that she had gathered all the records on my case in order to be able to send them to Emory University in Atlanta, where I expect to be going in the near future for further evaluation of my case. Thank God I have medical professionals here who are taking such an interest in my case. I was not happy at all with what happened a couple weeks ago in Birmingham when I saw the doctor there. I may have gone down there for the wrong reason, which was to make it more convenient for family. Future care will be based on what's best for me.

Traci mowed our yard today, so it doesn't look like we need to get a herd of goats to eat it down.

We ate supper tonight at Ruby Tuesday's, where I found a meal that only had about 200 mg of sodium. I'm not going to say it was tasty, because I couldn't taste it. I ate what I could and brought the rest home, where I'll try to eat more tomorrow.

Since I can't drive for another eleven days, Janie drove into town in my truck. She had never driven anything as big as that, but she did good.

Hmmmmm. I wonder if she would be interested in pulling the RV down the road?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Vicksburg, Mississippi: Red Carpet City Of The South

Not all who wander are lost.

Surprise Visitor

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 54 degrees, high 66 degrees, cloudy

Even though I woke about every two hours last night, I felt that I slept pretty well, compared to the past few months. I didn't have to get up and stay up, being able to sleep on my back as well as my right side. Sleeping on my back is an obvious improvement that the pacemaker seems to have made.

While I was in the hospital, I was restricted to a heart healthy diet, which apparently didn't scrimp on the sodium. As a result, I gained more than four pounds of water weight in two days, which I am now in the process of trying to remove. Carolyn is cooking like I need, with low or no sodium, so I should see a difference in the next few days.

My activity level was low today, as I recover from the hospital stay. Tomorrow, I will start trying to do more, including walking within reason.

I had a huge surprise this afternoon, one that would be difficult to outdo. My baby sister Janie lives in Florida, and imagine my surprise when my sister Judy brought Janie to see me. She flew up for the weekend, and will go home on Monday. I've written many times about how important family is to me, and it was reiterated to me when Janie showed up. We had a very good visit, and she will be coming back tomorrow to spend a night or two with us. Great surprise!!!

I continue to hear from people who have us in their thoughts and prayers, and I want to say it is all appreciated.

Janie was kidding me that I needed to mow the yard, since it is a little ragged looking. That's just another indication of how badly I have been feeling. I'm hopeful I'll be feeling better soon so I can take care of it. I enjoy working in the yard, but now now.

One of my greatest pleasures now is browsing through some RV blogs that I follow on a routine basis. I'm living vicariously through other people's adventures, but I guess that's okay, since I hope that my blog has helped other RVers.

I joined an amyloidosis support group today in an effort to find information on what treatments are working and where I should go. My mailbox is already receiving messages, so it will be interesting to see what I can find out. One thing positive I found out is that Shand's Medical Center, a branch of the University of Florida, is active in research and treatment of the disease. One more resource I didn't know about.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Georgetown, Texas: Sincerely Yours

Not all who wander are lost.

Back Home

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 63 degrees, high 72 degrees, cloudy, showers

I had the pacemaker installed yesterday, and the most immediate effect I noticed was that I was able to sleep for about five hours in the hospital last night. Plus, I was able to sleep on my back. It has been months since I could do that.

The doctor who performed the procedure said it went well, and he thinks I will notice an improvement in how I feel as I heal from the procedure. It seemed as though my appetite was better after the operation, but I noticed at lunch that some things still don't taste good that used to. Maybe that will get better with time.

I have to go back to Birmingham in six weeks for a followup. Several restrictions have been placed on what I can do the next two weeks, including no driving. I'm still optimistic about my future going forward. That was enhanced some today, when my doctor in Athens who found the disease called me at home. A biopsy sample was sent to Mayo Clinic for further refining of what type of amyloidosis I have. The doctor received the results today, and wanted to share them with me.

There are three basic types of amyloidosis: primary, AL, and genetic. The biopsy shows that I have the AL strain, which my doctor says gives more treatment options than the primary type does. He will be gathering information for the next two weeks on possible treatment plans and facilities. I will be seeing him at the end of that time, when we will discuss what to do going forward. That is the most encouraging thing I have heard since I was diagnosed, and gives us hope that something is going on that will benefit me.

In the meantime, we would like to thank all the folks who have been keeping us in their prayers and thoughts. You don't know how much it means to us.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chattanooga, Tennessee: Gateway To The South

Not all who wander are lost.

Back In Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama

Weather: low 41 degrees, high 71 degrees, mostly clear skies

We spent a little time this morning preparing for the trip to the hospital in Birmingham, then took off. As I noted, the weather was good, and traffic was not too bad. Near the Tennessee River, we saw the biggest fields of red clover that we had ever seen. Red blooms stretched across fields that had obviously been planted as a crop. Too bad we couldn't stop and take a picture.

The great RV migration north must have started today. We passed literally hundreds of RVs of all types. It was fun to imagine where they might be headed. Alaska? Nova Scotia? New England? Points unknown? I wonder how many of them are heading to their summer base after a winter in the south? How many of them are just following their noses? That sounds like fun to me.

We got into Birmingham and checked in at our hotel, within easy walking distance of the University Hospital. After a late lunch, we made sure we knew where to go in the morning. The last thing I want to be doing is trying to find out where to go and only having five minutes to get there. No problem with that now, and we might even be able to get a shuttle from the hotel to the hospital.

I have to be at the hospital at 0600 hours in the morning, which means we have to get up at 0430 hours. Ouch! That brings back memories of when I was working. But, I'm hopeful the pacemaker that is being implanted will help me feel better. Once I've recovered from that, we're going to evaluate what to do next in an effort to find more relief from the disease. With all the information I'm receiving from people who are helping me look, I should be able to find some possibilities that have promise.

I don't know if I'll be able to post tomorrow, but I will be back for sure once we get home late Wednesday afternoon.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Birmingham, Alabama: The Magic City

Not all who wander are lost.

Cold This Morning

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies

Brrrrr! Did you notice the low temperature last night? I sure felt it when I got out of the warm bed this morning, and the warmth from the gas log felt good. Could this be the long awaited Blackberry Winter?

In all the stuff going on with me being sick, I don't think I've given enough credit to Carolyn for helping me with it as she has. She must have been a medical person of some sort in a former life, because she seems to have a sense of what to do to help me when I'm having a difficult time. In addition, she helps me maintain a healthy sense of optimism. And I haven't even mentioned how hard she works to prepare foods for me that are low sodium, healthy, and taste good. That's a trick in itself. This morning, she heard me getting up. By the time I was dressed and came into the kitchen, she had prepared fresh fruit, eggs, and a real treat for me, two slices of low sodium bacon. Total sodium content for the meal: 170 mg. That's really good for a meal that was tasty and healthy. I have limited myself to less than 500 mg of sodium a day, so that left plenty to stretch over the rest of the day.

Thank you, Dear, for all that you do.

After breakfast, we lazed around until about 1100 hours when we planted some annual flowers that Traci gave us. The flowers were placed in a large planter that we can move wherever we want it, including the screened porch. While we were at it, Carolyn trimmed the roses that she planted about three weeks ago. The roses had some dead blooms on them, and trimming should promote more blooms.

My brother Terrell called this morning, and we had a good conversation about all sorts of things. Kathy is back on the chemo, and it is giving her fits. We really feel for her, and hope she can get a break from it soon. She needs to gain some weight. Eat up, Kathy!

Then, my baby sister Janie called. She sent me a funny greeting card last week, which I really appreciated. Another good telephone call from one of the people that are important in my life.

We will be going to Birmingham tomorrow so we can spend the night there in a hotel. Then, we have to be at the UAB hospital at 0600 hours Tuesday morning to have a pacemaker implanted in an effort to relieve some of the strain on my heart caused by the amyloidosis. If everything goes well, and we expect it to, I should feel better with more energy and strength. Once I'm over the procedure, we will be evaluating what steps to take next in my fight against the disease.

Judy and Roger are going with us to the hospital, and we appreciate all the help they have been during this time of illness. It is so nice to have family around at a
time like this.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Grants, New Mexico: Uranium City, USA

Not all who wander are lost.