Road trip, day 3

Okay, first I must apologize to the palm trees that I called “mutants” yesterday. I also apologize to anyone who has tender feelings towards them. I found out today that they are actually tree-sized yucca plants. Their true name - Joshua trees. :)

We had breakfast [not as good as yesterday’s] in a casino, of course. Then we headed for Death Valley.



Here is an indication of what Death Valley is like - the Visitor’s Center is called “Furnace Creek”. Here are some pictures of the drive into our first destination:

Here we are at Sea Level:

We arrived at our first destination, Golden Canyon Trail, around 9:00 a.m. and it was 95º. It was a 2-mile round trip walk up a canyon. It pretty much all looked like this:

This is one of 2 green plants that we saw - it is called Desert Holly:

It was so hot, we turned around and came back without even getting to the end!

Our next stop was Badwater Basin. This is the lowest point in North America - 282 feet below Sea Level. We actually walked out onto the salt flats a bit. Here are some pictures:

This place is called the Devil’s Golf Course because “only the devil could play golf on such rough links.”

Our last walk of the day - 107º! We walked around this boardwalk. It is called Salt Creek and in the winter it has water and fish in it.

The fish are called Pup fish and they are about ½” in size. I’m not sure where they go in the summer! The plant around me is called “Pickle Weed”. I thought that was appropriate for the briny surface it lives in!

We spent the night in Mammoth Lakes, CA. It was a beautiful forest and the temp was in the 70s! We went for a nice walk, bought ice cream for dinner and watched for bears. We didn’t see any, of course. [I have a history of not seeing the mammals in any park we've been to - no matter how many signs claim they are around! ;)]

Road trip, day 2

This was the BEST day I have had in a very long time! First of all, it was the first Thursday in 18 weeks that I didn't have to go in for a chemo treatment. Awesome! The rest of the day just got better. We started with a delicious breakfast and then set off for Great Basin National Park.

We stopped at the Visitor’s Center to get maps and most importantly, Kent’s National Park card - at last! We got the maps, but they didn’t have the cards [sigh]. I got this cool bookmark, though [I’ve been using a Walker’s receipt!]:


These flowers are something like Bee Mustard - I thought they were beautiful - see the big bee? ;)



We drove on to Wheeler Peak Campground and then went on a 4-5 hour walk/hike in the woods. Our destination was the Bristlecone Pine, view area. There are Bristlecone pine trees that are dated back to 1100 B.C.!

Here is my fearless leader leading me up the trail!

Amazing sites along the way:




These were all along the path:

I loved the green middles!


Here are the Bristlecone pines





This is a dead one - the tree not the people! :)


On our return we stopped by this lovely lake:


We also had the most amazing/unexpected/probably never repeated experience as we were walking back to the trail head. We met a couple who were originally from Lebanon - and they are Druze!!! Druze are an offshoot of Islam that began about 1,000 years ago. Kent has been to Lebanon so he & they could talk about familiar places there. Also, when Kent and I lived in Jerusalem, we spent 2 weeks each semester in Galilee. The area has quite a few Druze living there and we’ve visited some of their sites.
All four of us were so excited to meet each other in this out-of-the-way place!

The other amazing thing - I made the entire walk on my own! I am so proud of myself. It was so nice not to feel sick and too tired to enjoy things! On our way out of the park, we stopped at the Visitor’s Center at Lehman Caves and Kent was finally able to get his National Park card - yay!!!

We had lunch in Ely, Nevada at a Subway. According to the cute “kid” who made our sandwiches, provolone cheese is the choice of the elderly! I got it anyway. :)

Our drive for the remainder of the afternoon was through the Nevada desert. It was amazing how many loooooong straight stretches of road there were. We measured one that was 21 miles before it curved! It was much more interesting and beautiful than either of us anticipated.

Here is a picture of some kind of mutated palm tree! Of course, what do you expect from the place where they tested nuclear weapons?




As we began this drive there was a sign that said “Please use headlights, next 89 miles”. This entire area is bordered by a military airbase. We are wondering if the headlights are like saying, “Hey, we’re friendly, please don’t shoot us!” ??? :)

We spent the night in Beatty, Nevada. It is just outside of Death Valley.

Road Trip

Day 1 - Wednesday, August 31, 2011

This was such a great day! That morning Kent and I decided to go on a trip until the following Monday or Tuesday. First, however, I went to a luncheon at Jan Kunz’s house - in my honor. Any of the sisters in the ward, who could come, were invited. They wanted to celebrate my last chemo treatment. I was so touched - I find it unbelievable that they would care so much!! There were about 10 of us there and we had such a good time. We laughed and laughed and ate REALLY good food. The best part about the food was that most people brought salads. SALADS. Do you know how long it has been since I’ve been able to eat a salad!!! Oh, man, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Here are a couple of pictures of the sweet ladies. Love you all -- Julie, I'm sorry I only got your arm in the picture! ;)





Kent and I didn’t get off until about 2:30 or so that afternoon. We arrived in Delta, UT 2.5 hours later and had dinner at McDonald's - we’re so trendy. :) Actually, our next opportunity for a meal wouldn’t come until we arrived at the Nevada border - where we spent the night. So an early dinner was more to our liking.


Here is the luxurious motel we stayed in:
I’m really not complaining about the motel - it was clean and it had a bed and bath - that’s all you need! Actually, it would have been nice to have a good Internet connection. Poor Kent spent the entire evening trying to find a room for us for tomorrow night. [For those of you who know how well Kent usually plans out a trip - not having lodging for each night is quite remarkable!] We’re getting quite adventurous in our old age! :)

The motel was, appropriately, called “Border Inn”. The motel was in Utah and the restaurant/casino was in Nevada. We slept in one state/time zone and had breakfast in another. Great beginning to a great trip!

Tattoo Day

So, I went in for my "simulation" appointment this morning. It took about an hour and was pretty painless - even the tattoos.
One of the radiation therapists, Gary, took me through my upcoming radiation visits. I don't have to check in each day - I just go change and wait in a little waiting room for the therapist to come and get me. He showed exactly where everything is so I will know where to go.
Then he took me into an x-ray room. He showed me how I will lie on the table each treatment and what sounds the machines make and what the table feels like when it moves. He wanted to make sure there are no surprises when I start radiation.
The x-rays, CAT scan, and tattoos took about an hour total. I have six little permanent freckles now. Actually, on top of the freckles I'm covered with dots, x's, and lines drawn by the therapist and the doctor to take all the measurements for accurate radiation. They assured me it washes off!
Fortunately, according to Gary, I have "good skin" so the pokes for the tattoos were tiny and quick. Whatever makes "good skin" - I'm grateful for it.
I begin radiation next Monday. So, the next stage begins.

Medical Update

Hi, all - I realize that it has been quite a long time since I posted. I'm fine - really! In fact Kent and I just returned from a 6 day road trip. Before I tell you about the trip, let me give you a medical update:
I met with Dr. Rich, my oncologist, on Monday the 29th. Here is what we covered:
1. I have a little neuropathy in my feet. That means that my toes are a little numb and sometimes tingly. Hopefully, it will improve and not get worse. It is a side affect of chemo.
2. My fingernails are partially yellow - also a side affect of chemo.
3. My Vitamin D level is just under normal. I will be taking a Vitamin D pill daily and in 8 weeks I go back and see if my levels have improved. Why is this an issue?:
My cancer is estrogen positive. That means that estrogen helps cancer grow. Now that I am through with chemo I need to take some kind of anti-estrogen pill for the next 5 years. My choices are:
a medication that blocks estrogen receptors. The side affects of this med - hot flashes; possible blood clots; increased chance of getting uterine cancer.
The second option, and the one both I and Dr. Rich prefer, a medication that blocks the production of estrogen. The side affects of this med - hot flashes; bone loss; stiffness in my joints - usually worse in the mornings.

So now back to the Vitamin D issue. I have osteoporosis, so losing bone density from this medication is not a happy option. Dr. Rich had me go in for another bone scan the day after our appointment. He wants to see how my bones compare to last year. I haven't yet heard from him on that. So I need to continue taking my calcium and increase my dose of Vitamin D. I think Dr. Rich is also going to prescribe a bone thickening medication as well. Please keep my bones in your prayers.
5. Since my chemo is finished, I don't need my port anymore. I can't get in to see Dr. Tittensor until after September 22, so I don't know anymore than that at this point.
6. After radiation, I have follow up visits for several years. I start by going in every 3 months for a couple of years, then every 4 months etc. then once a year for a few years. As we discussed this part I think Dr. Rich could see that I was feeling a little discouraged about my future life. He told me - "Don't let chemo control your life. People who go back to normal activity and keep busy, recover much quicker and better than those who lay around watching soap operas and wishing they felt better. :) That is what I intend to do. In fact, I came out of that visit feeling lighter and more optimistic than I had in quite awhile. Thank you, Dr. Rich.

If I could ask another focus on your prayers, please - tomorrow I go in for my "simulation" appointment before I begin radiation. I'm nervous about the tattoos! :( Your prayers would help.

I will post again soon about our fabulous road trip!!