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Goot eefenink..oops er goot mornink...30 minutes into the new day...Saturday...still working on supper for Friday...had the hairbrained idear of making stuffed cabbage! ! ! Even used mah trusty ol Betty Crocker Cookbook, and all to no avail...rice never got done, and the whole thing needed something besides salt and pepper, just dont know what. Tried garlic, rochester sauce...now I'm too tired to give a care...so, what have we learned? Dont try this at home kiddies, I'm a professional....no animals were harmed making this dish, well, cept maybe the ground chuck...That ol boy chuck, sure catches hell dont he! ! ! !

I even went to the store for three onions, and they only cost 62 dollars...and I had a coupon...well, not for onions, but for the orange juice...got other stuff too that we needed. Dang near ran out of strawberry preserves to go with the 55 gallon drum of peanut butter I got at costco....and just had to have cake and Blue Bell ice cream...I give lessons in grocery shopping...NOT...

Now here I sit, waiting for yesterday supper to cool down so I can chunk er into the icebox...guess I oughta chunk er out, cept I hate wasting food. I guess you can call the meals I fix, dinner...My beloved fell asleep waiting for supper. Man, did I mess up or what ! Oh well, Diane has gone to bed, and she offered to clean up for me...NOT ON YOUR LIFE, I MADE THIS MESS, SO I'M BOUND AND DETERMINED TO CLEAN IT UP ! ! !

While I'm waiting for it to cool down, thought I'd comment on the Crowe reunion...I tell you what Jackie, with all that you are going through, you have still managed to look as beautiful as ever, and of course what a beautiful family you have....Charles is still the handsome young man he's always been...and also too a beautiful family, and thoughtful and caring to help Jimmie Lee and Charles with unloading all their possibles from their sojourn into the big H...

Keeping a steady "mind vigil" for Jackie and Charles and respective families! ! !

It was mentioned a few posts back, about a bucket list ! I have had buckets, and lists, and with all the lists I have filled out, I guess I could have put my lists in a bucket, or set the buckets on my lists. I have had flat sided buckets, and buckets with holes in them. big buckets and little buckets, but I never knew what a bucket list was until that movie came out. I never saw the movie, since they dont have closed captioning at the theaters, but it didnt look all that interesting to me.
Anyway, getting back to a bucket list, I never had one, nor a wish list, cept maybe just to get from one day to the next. Kinda dull and boring huh! Oh, I've wished for the usual "million bucks" that we always wish for..."I wish I had a million bucks", you know that old wish! "oh man, what I couldnt do with a million bucks"! ! ! Yeah, thats the one I'm talking about!

I've pretty much gotten everything that I've ever wanted and worked for from a short list of things, such as a Corvette; that one was at the top of the list...now that I've had one, dont care if I have another unless it is a 1953 through 1963, but that aint gonna happen because those bad boys are solid gold in price! Oh, and I got my Juke Box, and now, ready to move on from it... Got a Harley, never thought I'd ever have one of those...Never really wished for any of those, just wanted...

Got a nice house, and hopefully a much nicer one with a view, but if it's not to be, then ok, no harm no foul! Really just wanted to make it from one day to the next with as small amount of trouble as could be! Sometimes it was good, and sometimes not so much, but at least I am here, wherever here is! That would be HERE, in the middle of the night, waiting for my experimental Frahnkenstein meal to cool down. Then what? Well, if it doesnt get out of the pot under it's own power, and howl at the moon, guess I will find a tupperware bowl, or pyrex bowl to store it in. Now there's two names everyone is familiar with, eh!

Dont want to jump out of any perfectly good airplanes, been there done that...fallen both down and up stairs, drove a perfectly good lawnmower into the cement pond...rode the surf at Waimea, Sunset, Pipeline, and smaller surf at Waikiki, and in southern California...the water there is too cold for me...they kept telling me I would get use to it, but never did, just turned smurf blue! ! !

Been through the rocky mountains, the tetons, and the blueridge and smokey mountains, and down hwy 7 in Arkansas...visited the smithsonian museums...thats one place I'd like to go back to. Diane and I just loved it...we were in heaven with each other in that place...Like a couple of kids in a toy store.."Diane, look at this, look at this, oh man, you gotta see this"...And Diane saying the same thing to me, "Beau, come look at this, you gotta see this..." etc...lots of civil war battlefields...crossed "old man river" hisownself numerous times...fished for rainbow trout in the famed White River in Arkansas...even got to experience first hand, the whip cream fog coming out of the White River Valley...Wow!

Thought we heard union and confederate soldiers at Pea Ridge....that place was eerie...Never dreamed of going to all those places, just happened...of all the places I'd like to have gone, would have been pre WWII Europe and Great Britain...Ireland and scotland...but unless I can invent a time machine, that one isnt gonna happen! oh, would have liked to gone to Casablanca, to "Rick's"! ! !

Never had a dream to travel to far off exotic places, or actually to anywhere, cept maybe Oshmans, Grant Ilsings (sp), and Holts, all sporting goods stores, and to the Foleys downtown to visit the 8th floor, sporting goods and toys combined. Oh, and the now defunct Sears toy store at the store on North Shepherd. Seems I made it to all those places, a time or twelve. Oh, and Jack Roach ford over off Buffalo speedway just south of what is now HWY59, to see all the stuffed animals Jack had slew. Not really into that kinda stuff anymore. Of course if he hadnt killed em, they would have eventually died of natural causes, so see there, he did em a favor.

Even made it to the far off exotic places, sometimes good and sometimes not so much. I'm really just a homebody ! ! ! Anytime I did any traveling, most of the time I was thinking of home, and how soon I was gonna get back there. Guess I'm sort of a homing guy...eh what! Dull and boring ! ! !

Bucket list? Hmmmm, let me think about that for a minuet...Ok, I got some stuff for a bucket list...that Jackie and Charles get as healthy as they were in 1964...all our classmates enjoy good health and wealth...oh, and for me, that maybe I'd hurt just a tad less than I do now...although I did take a couple of T3, and had some Wild Turkey American Honey and I'm feeling ok...so see there, one O me bucket things happened...and soon the other aforementioned items will take shape.

For those of you that like an adult beverage, the above mentioned wiskey is just superb over ice...wow, best I've ever had....Diane even likes it, and she doesnt drink alcoholic beverages, so see there, thats good stuff...Of course, when we got married, she didnt drink coffee eyether, now she steals mine if I dont get her a cup when I get mine!
I just love sharing things with her, and others...if I cant share, then whats the point of having stuff...I like seeing the joy on peoples faces when they are happy, especially if I had anything to do with it...I guess thats kind of selfish isnt it! But it's a fact of life I suppose. Kind of human nature, to want to be responsible for someones happiness, if you can! Oh, not for personal gain, other than just a good feeling.

Maybe thats why folks like weddings...so much joy and happiness on that special day! Wouldnt that be great, to experience that kind of joy and happiness everyday? Well, maybe not all of us getting married every day, but you know what I mean!

Having pondered all the above on "bucket lists", that and wishes and goals, are very important to the human spirit. It's good to dream!!!! So dream on mine fine waltripines...Hmmm, dreaming about some pie...

Hey Jan, went down Hewit and thought I smelled some fresh baked pies...hmmm hmmm hmmm...and looked for your special tree...think I found it, but gonna continue to look anyway...Oak Forest is sure beautiful, but is changing so fast now...all the original small homes now look out of place beside the behemouths they are building...and lots of folks are having swimming pools put in..."youll be sorry"! ! ! You know what company is putting the pools in? "Goodwater"! ! ! Their office is in the old barber shop there on 43rd street next to Mitiburger, next to firestation 13 at TC Jester! ! ! They must really have some sales, or salesman, cause their sign is up everywhere...

Ok, time to sign off and put the food away...I guess it has cooled sufficiently...Hope all are having a good 4th 5th and 6th alll the way to infinity...We had hotdogs with lots of mustard and onions to celebrate the 4th...then took a nap...

keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride...
your frien and brother JabberWrocky

07/06/13 04:12 PM

#5755

Bj Brady '65

My dear Jabberwrocky-

That was one fine "bucket list" I read and enjoyed every word of it. Made my day !! BJ

07/06/13 06:19 PM

#5756

Beau, appreciate your putting Jackie & Charles' recovery on your bucket list. I can attest to Jackie's beauty staying the same - Charles and I had dinner @ Cavatore's with her and Barbara Porter before we left for home. Besides her physical beauty staying the same, I truly believe her inner beauty shines out through her body to keep her physical beauty on display as a beacon of hope for all those who need it. As for Charles, he has lost some hair - make that all his hair. But he truly tries to keep a smile and a kind word for everyone he sees.

Maybe we could all compare our "BUCKET LISTS" and see how many duplicates we have and team up to accomplish those bucket list items together - before we get too old to do them.

07/07/13 01:39 AM

#5757

Lynell Carapezza (Johnson)

Hello mine fine fellows and fellowettes...
First I would like to comment to mine fine friend Kay...I know somethings are suppose to be private...The things you say to good friens for encouragement...hoping you can at least be some kind of bolster to their aching broken hearts...and not add to their heartache with well meaning words that dont help...
I have put things on this site, private things, that well, maybe should have stayed that, private....what if someone else sees it, hears it?? But having come from a family where EVERYTHING was private and unspoken, I just feel the need to never let things go unsaid no matter the cost....what's the harm in saying things that you mean to people, that you love them, that you admire and respect them, and wish them health, wealth and love??? What does it cost you?

It only costs what you are willing to lose...your love, your heart, and a few words...maybe folks will respond in kind, maybe they wont...maybe they dont know how...

Dear Kay, you have suffered the unkindest cut, the worst kind of tragedy, one in which, I dare say, most of us could not and would not bear with even a modicum of sanity...but look at you! You have triumphed and succeeded where most folks would be lost...There isnt a day goes by that I dont think of you and the burden you carry...no one should have to suffer that, yet they do...you did and you do...

What would have been hard for me in years past, to say whats in my heart, seems to have disappeared along with the years, and my hair and teeth, hearing and eyesight...maybe I should stay silent...nah, I dont think so...Kay, you are the embodiment of rock solid character...in the face of the tragedy that has befallen you and your family, there you stand, straight and true, a beacon, a light for others to look to and follow...you are a shinning example of just what a fine human spirit can be...

Even after my vain weak attempt to comfort you, to bolster your heart, I still fail miserably at what only God and you can conquer...and with your spirit and character I say you have done just that...

Hmmm, it is now Sunday...what happened to Saturday? Oh, I gnow...worked right through it...
Tried to salvage my experiment in the fine culinary art of...of...solyent green...You know, my mom believed that movie! ! ! Bless her heart, she has made reference to that movie ever since it came out..."well you know, we are gonna be like that in the future"...MOM ! MOM, IT'S JUST A MOVIE !!!!!

I unwrapped the cabbage from around the innards, and added mustard, but that didnt help, so then I added katsup/catshup...tomato, tomahto, patato patahto...anyway, I added what goes on french fries...still missing something...I have put "Igor" to bed, and will try again tomorrow...told my beloved I think I will add peppers and onions tomorrow, er, today...she has been a trooper throughout my experiment in dungeons and dragons, and the preparations thereof...Even after all the trials and tribulations of this supper gone sidways, there she stands, my beloved, ever faithful, never waivering...ever hungry...

The "stuff" will probably get green and fuzzy before I figure out how to make it more palatable...maybe I should just add salt and pepper! ! ! Now there's a novel idear! ! !
In the meantime, I have fixed a traditional "southern" breakfast, cheesburgers and fries...no no, not for breakfast, in addition to breakfast, for later on, lunch lets say...

Me and the little woman went into the backdoor Pizza at Hegar Road and old 290, and I ordered Hotdogs from the menu..."we dont have hotdogs" the girl from behind the counter said..."Hmmm" says I..."but your menu clearly states HOTDOGS" I insist..."Hey Mel" she shouts, "you didnt take the hotdogs off the menu, and now some rube wants them"...I havent been called a "rube", since I worked at a carnival at Mission Beach California back in the 60s...anyway, ol Mel comes out, and crosses the hotdogs off the hand held menu, and then takes the letters down off the marquee, turns and looks at me and says..."now, we aint got no frickin hotdogs"..."Well ok", says I, "I really didnt want a hotdog, so how about a hamburger and fries"? Good Ol Mel looks at me and says, "good call einstein"...

I dont understand how anyone could be out of and not serve hotdogs anymore...of all fast food items, they are the easiest to cook and prepare...if I ever have a restaurant, you can bet I'M GONNA HAVE HOTDOGS! ! ! And I'm changing my name to MEL...

Ok, what time is is now? why its a young 1:15 AM in the morning...well duh, when else would AM be other than in the morning...I allus thought AM meant "after midnight"...guess it could a meant "another morning", or "aggitated Mel"...Hmmm, I'm hungry...maybe some coffee and cake? Yeah, thats the ticket, coffee, cake, and ice cream...I bought some of that "fat free, sugar free" Blue Bell ice cream...what a terrible thing to do to ice cream...maybe if they had some "free range organic" ice cream, that would work! ! !

Keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride...
Wishing good health and wealth to all...especially to Jackie and Charles, and Kay...
Your frien and other brother...Beaucephus the JabberWrockey

Post Script: Hey BJ, good to hear from you, glad you posted...Hey Burge ??? Come on in, the water's fine...I hear tell we're suppose to be getting about 5 inches of rain tomorrow...I hope so...Got .8tenths of an inch thursday...that was a good thing, but we need more ! ! ! ! !
An itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout...

07/07/13 09:00 AM

#5758

Well, guys, looks like we should have a reunion at the MD Anderson. I was there at the same time (in the Mayes Clinic) Charles and Jackie were getting my followup from my breast cancer surgery May 22. When Charles comes back we will have to get together! I will be starting my chemo in about 2 weeks and it will go to January then radiation. Yuk ! Not a fun way to spend the holidays but beats the alternative ! ! ! Glad to hear Charles is better and JAckie you look great every time I see you ! We need to have a Survivors table at the reunion ! ! LOL ! Stay positive and pray often ! Lynell

07/07/13 09:20 PM

#5759

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Okay beau,

here is my over share moment from memory; I had a huge crush on Charles in eighth grade. My family went to Virginia for the summer. I had a great time with a cute rich boy who taught me to play golf and tennis, but I kept writing to Charles. He finally wrote me a letter late in the summer. Typical eighth grade boy - dear pat, it was raining today so I couldn't play basketball so I decided to write you back (or something equally smooth). I was so thrilled. I think I kept that note until I lost it in a move when I was in my twenties.

My bucket list is short. I want to see Jerusalem. I have been planning to go since 1973. We had house guests over a long weekend and he had been leading tour groups for many years. His name was Archie Boone. He and his wife, Margaret were from Nashville. He was pat boone's dad. Wonderful man. I still remember the stories he told us about Israel. Hope I get to go this next year but we will see.

07/08/13 11:56 AM

#5760

Good Morrow mine fine waltripines...(hold on, gotta pull the monitor closer to my eyes...even have mine glasses on. Guess it's time to get another thickness eh what)...Ok, Much better...now where was I? hmmm...oh well no matter...glad to hear from you Lynell...So sorry you have to go through such treatments, but glad they are there to help us heal!

I know I've told this story zillion times, but I will be brief this time...Diane, my beloved for those that are just tuning in, and for those of you that know her, well ok...Jeeze, writers block, brain freeze...
Anyway, Diane is a survivor of Ovarian cancer of 26 years and is still clean! The two major surgeries she went through, the total transfussions X 2, collapsed lung, etc etc...and then chemo that lasted an entire week every month for almost a year...semi-permanent-temporary subclavian catheter, (long since removed)...the chemo was so bad, it had to be brought to the room in a light proof bag and administered in a darkened room...that lasted all day, and then it took all week to recover from that before she could go home...the numerous closed MRIs she had to endure...out of all she had been through, not a murmur or a moan, she was a trooper...

They did a laproskemy (sp)???? where they insert a camera in through the navel, and explore around...they saw endometriosis (sp)??? and that was all. That was in April of 87. They scheduled surgery in July, july 10th to be perzact, and thats when things went sideways...What was called minor surgery to get rid of extra stuff you dont need, turned into two major surgeries in the same day! After the first, they failed to secure some bleeders, and she was bleeding internally....they rushed her back into surgery, where she recieved two transfusions, and died on the operating table...

Obviously she came back...but one of the surgeons came out and said that she had died, and that someone in surgery mentioned that "she's in Gods hands now", and everything stopped and got quiet, the surgeon said, then all of a sudden, Diane heaved a big sigh, and started breathing and got the heart monitor going full steam ahead, and they said the flurry of activity was at fever pitch...I shudder to think what my life would have been like if the doctor had come out and said that there was nothing more they could do, and that she had died....I didnt think about it then, too numb, but I sure do now, and COUNT MY BLESSINGS, BOY DO I! ! ! !

I know I was gonna make this short, and you see what happens! Anyway, the rest is history, and Diane remembers nothing of any of it, except the chemo...Got down to 80 pounds, which wasnt too bad for her, cause she is a small person...

My long point is, that even through all the bad things, there is always hope, and you never know how something is gonna turn out...Fortunately for Diane, and her family, and the kids she has taught for the last 26 years of her life, God had other plans...Praise Be! ! ! ! ! I felt so useless during all the goings on...what could I do...too numb to pray initially...tried to be as supportive as possible, well who wouldnt be ? I kept thinking, that I wasnt such a good person, and that it would be alright if God would just transfer all that pain and suffering to me, and let Diane be ok and continue on with a full and healthy life...there I go again, trying to play God...but everything turned out ok...again, praise God...When all this started, we had been married for only 3 years...now look where we are, 30 years, and still happily married...well except for my cooking! ! !

Her worst thing about it was she would be unable to have children, and she lost her beautiful thick red hair...But even at that, she was very instrumental in raising my two, our two boys, and her hair grew back...my ex and Diane got along so well, that they went shopping for wigs and scarfs for her, and even did her hair when it grew back. Dolly, my ex, now deceased a year, from inoperable lung and brain cancer, was one of the best hair dressers on the planet...

She was such a good friend to all her customers, that when some of them passed away, she even went to the mortuary and did their make up and hair...I asked her about being able to do that, and she said that she would just work on them and talk to them, and sometimes cry, but always did a remarkable job...that woman was a rock...hard to believe she has been gone now a year this past July 1st. I only mention that because I thought of our boys, and how devastated they were over her death. She was one of those people that you thought would live forever...

I sure do go on dont I ! Anyway, just trying to help those out there that are going through hard health times...Charles, Jackie and Lynell, and anyone else....THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE...

To my way of thinking, we are all where we are suppose to be ! God willing, things will turn out for the better...we have a large network of folks to join in and help with that prayer list... I believe it is from coast to coast, border to border...Thats one of the things that helped Diane...there were people all over the country praying for her...thank goodness! ! !

Ok, guess I will shut the heck up...Oh hey Pat, great story...I was in love with almost all the girls back then...never wrote em any letters though...rejection as a teenager was just devastating...so, it was nothing ventured, nothing gained...I did meet a girl named Gloria, down at the music hall where Robbie and I and our band were playing. She reminded me of Tuesday Weld, of the Many loves of Dobie Gillis...I think it was in the spring of 65... I fell so much in love with her, oh my how my heart would just ache when she was near...she was just a whisp of a girl, and I remember being back stage and her pressing against me in that thin soft cotton dress she was wearing, and kissing me....she put a smile on my face ajax wouldnt wash off...then I left for the service...I wrote her a half dozen or more letters, and never received an answer...I allus wondered what happened to her...I do hope she faired well....as I hope all do...

I believe I was gonna sign off wasnt I...Just call me "windy"
Keep the sun at your six, and the Son in your heart, and ride boldly ride...
your frien and other brother...Windy Jabberwrocky

07/08/13 12:59 PM

#5761

Reminder!!!

Houston Gang - Next Fuddrucker gathering is tomorrow Tuesday, July 9, 2013 - 6:00 p.m.

Fuddrucker's the 2nd Tuesday of each month -- join the fun! Starting at 6:00 p.m. or whenever you can get there. 290 feeder road between Pinemont and Tidwell (13010 Northwest Freeway - 713-462-2639) call if you need directions. No reservations necessary - just show!

07/08/13 01:04 PM

#5762

Thanks for all the sweet compliments and encouraging words! Words cannot express the feeling I have in my heart for all of you!!! You are the best!!! Love you all and God Bless!

Charles, Lynell and I and any others that are suffering health problems will conquer them because of the strength, love and prayers you have sent our way.

Love and hugs,

07/08/13 05:10 PM

#5763

Hey Jackie...wish you could come to fudds! ! ! We will all wear masks! ! !

Along with the prayers, you could have some of my cooking...that stuff will either cure you or make you sick...I finally figured out what my stuffed cabbage leaves Igor, was missing...HOT SAUCE! ! ! Yup, the ever magical Schlotskys hot sauce...that stuff is the staff of life...it is all natural, cayenne peppers and vinegar, guar something or other, and the ever healthful yellow No. 40 and red No. 5, or verse vicea...but it's all free range, and organic etc...That stuff will set you free for sure...! ! !

Ok, gonna have roasted chicken and boiled crookneck squash with onions, maybe a salad with stuff...maybe by the time I'm older, I will have gotten this cooking stuff down! I'll bet many of youse youtes can cook like Betty Crocker, many more and others too !

We need to have a cooking reunion, maybe, well, maybe not, too much worke eh...I know, cook something before hand, take a picture of it and bring it to fudds and or the next reunion place!

I make a really wonderful traditional southern breakfast, and breakfast tacos....chocolate chip cookies, meat loaf, hamburgers, and hotdogs! ! ! Although hotdogs are hard to get just right, plenty O mustard, onions, sweet relish, cheese, and just a tad bit O chili....hmmm, making myself hungry!

Well, ok, see ya, gotta go try another experiment...Dont be late, supper will be in a few hours, and dont forget to wash your hands..."Roger"

your frien and other brother...chef Beauyardee

07/12/13 11:03 PM

#5764

Scotty Croom

hi gang...missed fudds this week due to bad arthritis foot attack...getting over it now...celebrating lola's birthday tonight,tomorrow and sunday...will see everyone next month at clay's...

07/13/13 11:20 PM

#5765

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LOLA...That arthi is the meanest one of them ritis boys, no doubt...hope you are feeling better...have some cake and ice cream, I hear tell it does wonders for you...if you wonders ! ! !

07/14/13 05:52 PM

#5766

July 14, 2013 - Update on Charles

Since we’ve been home, Charles has seen his cardiologist who gave him an EKG and said everything was fine. Charles has been having hydrating IVs about 3 times a week since he’s still not eating or drinking as much as he should because of pains in his esophagus. His internist arranged for a pic line to be put in so the IV sessions don’t require IV needle insertion on every visit, which takes about 30 minutes.

Last Thursday, we drove to Houston and Charles had an afternoon appointment with his Supportive Care doctor who made some adjustments in his medications. Friday morning he had all of his blood work done and then met with his Coumadin NP and found out his count was really low. Then we met with Dr. Simon’s NP and found out his hemoglobin level was extremely low . She also explained to us that he should expect one month’s recovery for each week he had radiation (7 months). We had expected a much shorter recovery time, so now we understand Charles’ pain and tiredness. Dr. Simon talked with us for quite some time and explained Charles’ chest pains are from everything still healing from the radiation and that he’s anemic from the low hemoglobin level and that’s the reason Charles stays so extremely tired. Dr. Simon decided Charles should not get his chemo that day, but should get a unit of blood and take another week to get his strength back.

Because of a mix-up with labeling in the lab for a blood match (yes, more blood drawn – twice) and because blood transfusions take much longer than chemo transfusions, we didn’t get out of the medical center until around 9pm. We had checked out of our hotel and knew there weren’t any vacancies, so decided to drive to Huntsville for the night. We called and our regular hotel chain was full in Huntsville as was another we called (what the heck was going on in Huntsville when school was out?). About that time as we were driving through the rain in a dark construction zone, Charles saw a hotel, so we got off the highway and finally found our way across the freeway and got something to eat @ a fast-food place and headed to the hotel, only to find there was no entrance from the feeder road, so we had to drive back several miles to a cross-over and start over, but we finally got to the hotel and they had a vacancy (Yea!). Finally got our stuff into the room around 10:30 and crashed. For all our relatives and friends who are asking: “Why didn’t they call and stay with us?” – believe me, you wouldn’t have wanted us with you that night, we didn’t even want to be around each other that night. Things were better the next morning and we had a safe trip home arriving around noon.

We’ll be going back to Houston next Friday for blood work, meeting with Dr. Simon, and hopefully afternoon chemo treatment. Depending on when Charles finishes his treatment, we’ll decide whether to stay overnight or drive home (we’ve already made hotel reservations for both nights – no chance of Friday’s fiasco again).

07/15/13 03:29 PM

#5767

JL and C,

Thanks for update - what an ordeal!!! Between the appointments, blood transfusion and trying to get home and not finding a hotel until LATE! Whew! wore me out! Do you know what MD stands for in MD Anderson? "MOST OF THE DAY"! I've had a few of those!

Glad you are prepared for the next trip in, hopefully it will go smoother! Please keep your humor, good attitude and Faith, and know that everyone is sending their love, prayers and support your way - this will get you through.

Hugs and love,

07/15/13 03:38 PM

#5768

Lola C hope you had a great birthday on Saturday!! And Lynn B - Happy Birthday today!!! Hugs, J

07/15/13 06:35 PM

#5769

Teddie Jordan

Jimmie Lee, thanks for the update on Charles and it definitely sounds like progress. I cringed when I read your account of the late Friday night getaway from MDA and the search for a motel room in Huntsville. I can only imagine how tired and frustrated you two must have been at that point.

Your attitudes and fighting spirit and our collective love and prayers, and God's love and grace, will get you through this.

07/16/13 06:14 PM

#5770

July 16 – Latest update on Charles

Sunday evening around 9pm, I leaned over to touch Charles’ forehead (he can’t stand my touching him with my cold hands – actually, he stays cold all the time now). He seemed very hot. He had a temp of 101.2. MDA had told us that while he was taking chemo, any time he had a temp over 100.4, we should take him to the ER. Since he hasn’t had chemo in a month, I decided to call his internist in Plano. By that time, his temp was over 102. The doctor on call said to take Tylenol and if his temp hadn’t gone down in a couple of hours to take him to the ER. He took Tylenol and began to sweat out the fever during the next couple of hours and it didn’t go over 100 the rest of the night .

Monday morning, I called his doctor’s office and they said to bring him in. The doctor looked over all his blood counts, records from MDA, etc., and did an exam. She asked whether he had been coughing – yes, that’s been going on for a while, but he was told that’s normal with all the radiation he’s had. She sent him for blood work and a chest X-Ray. She said to just watch his temp, take Tylenol and call if he couldn’t keep his temp down.

While Charles was getting his hydration IV that afternoon, the doctor called to tell him he has pneumonia and sent out some antibiotics. I called MDA and finally got to speak w/NP early this morning. She said pneumonia is normal with Charles’ condition. She explained it’s kind of like a petrie dish: everything sloughing off the tumor during all the chemo and radiation collects at the bottom of the lung (where they saw the pneumonia). She assured us this will not knock Charles out of having his next round of chemo, it will just be postponed until July 29. They will schedule him for 7am that morning for his blood work, appt. w/Dr. Simon and then the chemo and we should be out of there by afternoon (we’ll see). Jackie is "spot on" about the MD in MD Anderson standing for “Most of the Day.” We believe her.

07/17/13 06:07 AM

#5771

John Burgess Webb

GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU:MAY YOUR MEMORIES AND THOUGHTS BE PLEASANT AND REWARDING,NO MATTER THE TROUBLES.

BURGE

07/17/13 04:23 PM

#5772

Gloria Hornick (Walker)

So sorry about the challenges and delays so many of you classmates (Charles, Jimmie Lee, Jackie, Lynell, Lola, Beau and others) are facing. Just know that we have you all in our thoughts and prayers. Thanks for the updates you post so we can keep up with you.

07/17/13 07:23 PM

#5773

Teddie Jordan

Burge, what a beautiful scene. Looks like Texarkana in the summertime hey?

From the brush to the bay, last week was an interesting one and one of contrasts for sure. Fran and I and Gus went down to Freer for the weekend and Monday morning I was making the rounds with friend and state wildlife biologist, Daniel Kunz, doing a browse survey when we encountered this six foot rattlesnake with 14 rattles. Then on Thursday morning I was fishing in the bay near Corpus with my grandson Will and a friend when we caught this 45 inch long redfish, and later a nice mess of trout. The fight with the red lasted about 15 minutes and was very exciting.

The snake was DOA from lead poisoning, but we CPR'd the redfish ( caught, photographed, and released ) and he swam off tired but healthy and happy. Reds that large and that old are really not that good to eat, but we grilled some of the trout Sunday afternoon and they were delicious.

Sorry about the snake picture but once more my tech ignorance has stumped me. As I have asked in the past please just tilt your head a little to the left.

07/18/13 08:09 AM

#5774

Teddie, the best part of all your photos is the big smile your grandkids have inherited from you and that you inspire those smiles with all the great activities you're providing for them. Great Memories!

07/18/13 12:27 PM

#5775

Wayne Lake

Teddie, when I die I want to come back as your grandson and be treated to free, guided hunting and fishing trips. Maybe you could turn your little South Texas ranch into an annual rattle snake round-up for all those weirdO’s that like to catch’ em live and eat’em. After all, you need to make sure the IRS approves the write-off, don’tcha? Do you think the removal of nearly all of the top of the chain predators have caused an increase in snakes?

I have traveled 1300+ miles North to escape Texas summer heat and guess what – it’s hotter here than League City – go figure – no snarke now.

I have said this before but it’s worth noting again; Isn’t this forum a great way to stay in touch and share our thoughts? Through the forum, I am continuously amazed with the entire group that I went to High School with. Not only their success’ in life such as family and careers, apparent strength of character, resilience to failure, intelligence and writing skills but mostly the way people truly care about each other and openly share their ups and downs. With a group like this one compassionately offering best wishes for each other, we are all better off and I for one am very glad to be a part of it. So keep on keeping on.

I’m headed to Trinidad again next week to replenish my stock of my favorite sweet nectar, the ‘demon rum’ and a few Cohibas for over indulgence.

From the shores of gichee gumee and Lake Wobegon,

wtl

07/18/13 01:17 PM

#5776