On our way to Seattle I called the VA hospital just to make sure which department we were supposed to be going to. We got an automated call confirming our appointment for 1:30 but it didn't say where, just the Seattle VA. The operator told me the appointment was in Hematology! Well, all the way to Seattle, Gator and I tried to figure out why the heck he was going to Hematology. He said; "I suppose now their going to tell me I've got Leukemia!?" They said where we had to go was the East wing...it turned out to be the same place Dr. Grim (the oncologist) is located! Whew! Another scare...
Gator with Dr. Grim.........and with Ellen!
(They didn't recognize him when they first saw him!)
Anyway, Dr. Grim told us that he does think we have a good handle on the cancer from the neck down and that the spots in Gator's brain were probably very slowly growing and not a new spread. He doesn't think we need to begin chemo right now and he say's it's not his department but he doesn't think we need to do whole brain radiation right away either. He still thinks we should hold off on that, but he leaves that decision up to Dr. Quang the radiation oncologist. In 30 days Gator will have another MRI & CT scan to check on the lungs and brain then we'll go from there. All in all it's been a great day!
We are leaving in the morning for Oregon to visit with family and friends... and then to Spokane for more of the same! We are taking a 3 week break!!! On the road in the Beamer with the top down!!
Gator says: "Life is Good!"
8-5-09
Wednesday
Drove to Coberg Oregon today....beautiful weather, we travelled all the way with the top down!
8-6-09
We spent the day with Karyn and the grandkids....Karyn and Allie washed our car for us!
Tanner and Grandpa
For Gator's birthday (before we left home) I called Billy Ray, and Roy and a few other old trucking buddies of Gator's (he drove truck with them over 35yrs ago) and asked them if they could put a surprise party together for him. I told Gator that we had to go see Billy Ray Friday night and that Billy's wife Vickie wanted to cook us dinner for Gators birthday. It worked out great because Vickie called while we were at Karyn's house so I pretended to ask her if she minded if Karyn and Kevin (Gators son) came with us...she already knew they would be there but Gator was listening! LOL
8-7-09
Gators birthday...
A very rare picture of Karyn cooking breakfast and another of her washing dishes!
Poor Princess! LOL
We went to Marathon with Karyn's cousin Mike (in orange), Gators son, Kevin (white shirt), and Grandson Tanner.
We got to check out Lil' Kim's bus. I guess I should say we got to check out the "coach" those things start at $150,000!! Very cool...
This one isn't li'l Kims coach... it was inside and camera's weren't allowed inside.
Friday night we headed to Billy Ray's with Karyn and Kevin, and their Uncle Mike following. On the way I was talking to Gator about why I thought they shouldn't have come with us. I told him we were just going to see Billy and that they wanted to listen to old trucking stories. Gator fell for it and was saying "yeah, it's just gonna be me and Billy and our stories might not be as entertaining as they think they should be...but they are for us, we need to catch up on what each other has been up to!" He didn't want to disappoint the kids and was feeling the pressure! I know it was mean but it really worked...He had no clue! We turned the corner into Billy's drive and there stood about 15 of Gators old friends out on the porch! He was so suprised...He said "Wow! What's this?" It was very cool.
Kevin, Roy's sister-in-law Kimberly, Karyn and Mike
Vickie BBQ'd for everyone, made a bunch of food and there was a cake....it was awesome!
Billy Ray, Gator, Roy and Alec
Billy Ray & Vickie, Me and Gator
Gator & I with Alec and his wife Deb
Alec was so tired!...He got up in the wee hours of the morning, drove truck all day and then drove about an hour to be at Gator's party.
Harley and Jeff Patterson
Karl
Before we left home we bought a little digital voice recorder that I told Gator I just had to have... we turned that thing on and put it in Gator's shirt pocket and recorded some of the stories that were told that night! Gator said that a few times he had to put his hand over his pocket before he could let the person in front of him speak! I'm not even gonna ask...
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