Update on The Millionaire

July 28, 2015July 28, 2015 / sainteliz / 2 Comments

Typical Tip O’ Texas Evening Sky #GodsBeauty

We are in Dallas again and as I type this Dave is undergoing a fascinating procedure called chemoembolization. Liver cancer is clever. As it grows in the liver it gathers to itself arterial vessels for nourishment. Clever doctors, therefore, have discovered how to send chemotherapy directly up these very arteries through catheters. Finding the smallest vessel possible that donates a blood supply to the tumor, they maneuver a catheter through it, and then inject the tumor with microbeads which deliver a timed release dose of chemotherapy. Simultaneously, the little beads gather at the ends of the arteries, blocking them and disrupting the flow of blood, and thus the nourishment, to the tumor. He has two tumors roughly one inch in size. (The doctor called these small – YIKES!)

I find it amazing how advanced medicine is, and of course by extension, God. By spot treating the tumors in this fashion, the usual side effects of chemotherapy are avoided. Dave will not lose his hair, have nausea, or many of the other negative chemo effects.

Those clever tumors can, however, despite the chemo attack, eventually draw other vessels to themselves and resume their malicious growth. It is their nature. There is also a chance that the tumors will not respond at all, if they happen to be of the super-aggressive persuasion. We pray that is not the case.

Chemoembolization is the first choice tactic in this case in slowing or stopping tumor growth as Dave awaits a transplant. I received official notice just today that he has been placed on “the list”. Depending on who we talk to, this could mean a wait of anytime between 6 months and 12 months, though we’ve been told it can happen sooner.

Meanwhile, we’ll return in six weeks for scans to see whether the chemo is effective. At that time, depending on the results, he could go through this procedure again.

Meanwhile, on the farm (in the desert, at the hanger):

goofing off

waiting at the bank

aftermath of a microburst

This is what they do while Dave and I are out of town.

Belle and Babs swimming in the canal

repairing a damaged well

hangin’ at the hangar

Our Father in Heaven, we love You, we trust You. Amen.

Dallas and JFK

July 8, 2015 / sainteliz / 4 Comments

I had not planned to travel this month at all. This past Spring I’d been to Midland, Houston, South Texas, and North Texas/Oklahoma. It took forever to get my garden planted, and once my plants got started I had finally settled into a comfortable routine of watering. Knew I didn’t have to travel again till August. But last week Dave, the Millionaire, got a call from the hepatology department. Lesions were detected on the left lobe of his liver, so now we are in Dallas where he is undergoing the testing necessary to qualify for a liver transplant. He qualified. The surgeon estimates the transplant will take place 6 to 9 months from now, as long as the growth of the lesions can be subdued.

Having finished the day’s course of tests and meetings, we drove into town to explore Dealey Plaza and the 6th Floor Museum. We were impressed. I was grateful that a few months ago we had listened to Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The book provided an excellent preparation for the museum tour with it’s compelling background study of Lee Harvey Oswald and detailed unfolding of events on that fateful assassination day. We started out by parking under Old Red. We should have parked at the School Book Depository where the museum is located.

Old Red

The museum presentation was impressive. There were very few items on display. Instead, the tour focused on audio and visual storyboards and it was effective and moving. High points for me were the corner window from which Oswald shot JFK, one of the videos consisting of a montage of the day’s events (which brought a tear), and, surprisingly, a gorgeous photograph of a memorial Mass held for JFK in Japan, attended by the Japanese King and Queen (Emperor?).

These mosaics were created from little individual photos of JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy.

The Grassy Knoll (well, actually it’s to my right)

Us. Obviously. The 6th Floor Museum is in the building behind us. On the 6th floor.

One more day of tests and meetings, and then we’ll fly home and I will gratefully return to my watering routine. The animals will be grateful, too. I hope to always be grateful to God for everything. His thoughts are so far above my thoughts. I defer to His wisdom and His care for us, and I trust in His plan. Amen!

August gone? What happened?

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014 / sainteliz / 2 Comments

Dear Friends,

Of course I have resolved to post more often. Of course I haven’t. What do they say? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I doubt I’ll go to hell for not blogging regularly. I may, however, slide down that way if I do not follow through on my spiritual resolutions. At the very least, I will weaken, as I’m sure I have, little by little, without being cognizant of my state. Which is why I will be attending (FINALLY!) the Spiritual Exercises later this month. It is important to me to attend once a year as it keeps me striving and alert, like the ten wise virgins. It really does consist of exercises for the spirit – much like physical exercises which keep your body in shape. I recommend them for anyone who wants to go to heaven. I am referring, of course, to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which in this case have been sort of squeezed into a weekend. As to how these priests are able to take 30 days and concentrate it so, I don’t know. It is brilliant though, considering our contemporary lifestyles in this country and people’s reluctance to attend retreats. Find out more here: http://www.mileschristi.org/en/activities/

Now to important stuff! What happened in August? Well we had a wonderful visit from the Ariss family! Was it fun? I let you decide:

Girls & Snake

Honorary Cowboy

Mr. and Mrs. Jeepers

Frog man.

Make-over

Riding with Mr. Santos is a WHOLE lot better than riding with Mrs. Santos and Mommy.

Look. We found a baby in the desert.

Beautiful!

He didn’t drive for very long.

Approaching Carlsbad Caverns

In the Caverns. After which we saw the bats fly out of the Caverns. (How’re yer legs, Dear?)

Yall done good comin’ here to visit! We love havin’ ya! Now the rest of yall can see how much fun it is . . . so come on over.

Other news for August: Dave, the Millionaire, and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary with a quick vacation to Ft. Davis, TX, a very quiet place. We sat on the veranda of our B&B and visited for hours. Next day we went to Alpine, TX where we happened upon a gun show, and I got me a shotgun! Yahoo! Happy Anniversary!

Lovebirds

My brother told me to go see his rain lilies. They were stunning, but when I tried to get nice pictures of them, Mesquite the dog and Claudio the rooster wouldn’t leave me alone! Finally Claudio perched on a boulder in front of me and stayed put till I left. Vanity!

Brat!

Claudio: Handsome, debonair, romantic

Finally.

Lovely Girl

Becky and Matt are fully entrenched in school now, and thank goodness no shooting for September and October, except for dove hunting. I am going to certification training in archery with Becky, then the Spiritual Exercises at the end of the month. Lady still makes milk but less now with the pregnancy. (And she’s been very ornery.) The pigs are getting fat and look delicious. So does Tri-Tip! It won’t be long before we send them off to freezer camp! Sarah is also in school and working two jobs. Motivated!