It's been a long day.

We saw Dr. DeMeester, the surgeon, today at USC Medical Hospital in Los Angeles.  He has ordered an Endoscopy with Ultrasound and a Bronchoscopy.

Dr. DeMeester wants to do the test himself and see exactly what he is dealing with.  As Paul puts it.. " I hope I "ring" well and my "pipes" (think ... church organ) are not too rat-infested "   So we will be returning to USC on Tuesday March 5th.

Dr. DeMeester will be talking with Paul's Oncologist to set up 8 - 10 weeks of Chemotherapy including half dosage Radiation Therapy for the same period.   Thankfully, the Chemo and Radiation can be done close to home.  

Some time in the next few weeks Paul has to have Pre-op Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram.  After the Chemo and Radiation therapy is completed the surgeon will probably do another endoscopy and would wait about four weeks to do the Esophagectomy at USC.

A whole lot of big words which means we are moving forward and onward.

See ya'll later! 

Jo and Paul

Being prepared

With the visit to the surgeon tomorrow, I'm finding myself a bit more scared than I thought I would be feeling.  Paul and I have got all our questions ready, map with directions to Los Angeles printed, and we are ready to tackle the next step.

We have had some talks and decided that with all the challenges we have faced in our life together, this is just one more.  We've already faced the following ....

Taking grandchildren on a tour of Washington D.C 

Building Thomas the Train with the smaller Grandchildren

Hiking the Arizona desert and finding unusual rock formations.

Finding our way in and out of the Belize Rain Forest.

Climbing to the top of a Mayan Temple.

Being eaten by a Giant Redwood Tree.

Survived family gatherings ....

And more family gatherings ....

And even more family gatherings!

Being baked at 117 degrees

 Not having heart attacks by unexpected surprises

Smiling in the attempt to cheer up an unhappy grandchild

 Making fools of ourselves in public.

 Spending three days with a teenage Granddaughter.

Having to "dig-out" our brand new RV.

... and ... MUCH MUCH MORE!

So after conquering all of the above, we can easily take on this Cancer and beat it!

Thank you all for the prayers, well wishes and the never ending encouragement.

We will keep you posted .....

Jo and Paul

A New Road to Travel

It has almost been a year since we last posted anything on this blog.  Where has the time gone?  What have we been doing? Well.....

We are both still working at Caliente Springs Resort and loving it as much as when we first started.  Summer of 2012 was a busy one....  Paul covered as Assistant Manager for both Sky Valley Resort and Caliente Springs Resort.  I had taken on learning a bit more about the job of Front Office Clerk and Billing Clerk.  We also did a bit of traveling.  A trip to London for a visit with Paul's family. This included his brothers and their wives,  his daughters and grandsons.  It was a wonderful visit.  A lot of time spent reminiscing, sharing stories of where life has taken us all and it gave me a chance to get to know Paul's family a little bit better.  Our trip over the pond included a small side trip to Paris.  I had wanted to experience something I had never done before and Paul is always willing to help me do that!  Monet, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, a boat ride on the River Seine, and seeing so many great sights and tasting delicious foods, made my dream of "something different" come true.

Family visits were also on the agenda for me as we helped my oldest sister celebrate the wonderful experience of turning 70!  Somehow that doesn't seem possible.  Where have the years gone?  Wasn't it only a few years back we celebrated my mom's 70th?  One thing is for sure ... Time waits for no one.

We made a few small trips: a visit to my cousin celebrating her birthday in Las Vegas, spent Thanksgiving in Arizona and had visits from my daughters.

Now our new road ... Paul's and mine.  This journey is turning in a new direction, and I want to use this blog to share that journey.  This blog will become my way of communicating news to our families and friends across the world as we travel the new road that life has laid out before us.    

Here goes ....

In November 2012, what started out as a doctor visit  for me with severe vertigo, leading to the discovery of me having Meniere's disease, has now ended up on February 1, 2013 with Paul being told he has esophageal cancer.

Funny, not the ha-ha funny, how things happen.  While we were in the doctor's office for the follow-up for me, being told that I needed to see an ENT specialist for testing,  I mentioned Paul's indigestion and not feeling well.  The fact that sometimes his food suddenly won't go down and he throws up while eating.  Doctor thought it may be GERD, gives him some medicine and says "Call me in a week" 

From there it seems everything happened so fast and yet sometimes not fast enough. During that week I was able to see the ENT, get tested and given the diagnosis of Meniere's. I was told to limit my sodium (salt) intake to less that 1000 milligrams a day, given instructions that if it becomes severe to call immediately and that the sudden hearing loss that I suffered may be permanent.  The hearing loss did not surprise me, I've been wearing hearing aids for years so being hard of hearing was not something new, but the thought of being deaf frightened me. Do you have any idea how much sodium is in a bowl of cereal?  Too much!   We have changed our eating to freshly prepared meals and try not to eat out if we can help it. I have medication as a stand by for the vertigo and a follow up to be retested in April.

My answers came quickly, Paul's would take a bit more time. 

12/06/12 Follow up.  Medicine given not helping and he was given a referral to see a gastroenterologist. 

12/13/12 Gastroenterology doctor appointment and consultation done.  Endoscopy ordered.

12/28/12  Paul had an endoscopy.  Doctor reported to me "Some blockage, hard to push through, dilated the throat, should be fine now"  Given different medications to help with the problem.

01/08/13 Follow up with Gastroenterology doctor.  Vomiting continues, now feeling that something is stuck in the middle of the chest.  Doctor ordered Barium swallow X-ray videogram to get a better picture of what is going on.

01/11/13 Barium swallow done.  Radiologist jokingly says "Did you swallow lye?"

01/15/13 Follow up with Gastroenterology doctor.  Possible cancer mentioned and he ordered a CT with contrast.

01/15/13 Blood work and CT done.  (Yep, we were lucky, no wait on this one)

01/21/13 Follow up with Gastroenterology doctor.  Blockage is 2-3 cm.  in the middle of the esophagus.  He ordered another endoscopy.

01/23/13 Endoscopy with biopsies taken.  I complained about Paul losing weight and please recommend protein shakes as Paul thinks I'm overly worried for nothing.  17 pounds lost in 2 months which, in my book is a lot for a guy who stands 5'10 and weighed 165 pounds.

02/01/13 Follow up with Gastroenterology doctor.  Pathologist report: Squamous cell carcinoma. CT report: lymph nodes do not look enlarged.  Referred to an Oncologist.

02/11/13 Oncologist ordered a PET scan to be done on 02/15/12, and blood work. Suggest surgery in Los 
Angeles at the University of Southern California (USC) or at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.  There is no doctor in the Palm Springs area who can perform this type of surgery.  

02/19/13 Oncologist office called with PET scan report.  Looks like the cancer is only located in the esophagus lining.  Not outside, not inside.  

We have an appointment with the surgeon at USC for 02/28/13.

I have an appointment on 03/01/13 for a follow-up with my Primary Care Physician (PCP).  I still suffer from vertigo, but have managed to keep it from becoming unbearable by keeping my sodium intake low and knowing when to slow down. I have to sometimes remind myself to move slowly when bending down or turning my head.  I find rapid movements tend to make me feel like I'm in a fishbowl.  Through all this my main concern is Paul and beating this cancer.  

To all our family and friends, I'm doing this is to make it much easier for me to share news.  The 10 to 20  individual communications becomes very draining and tire me out to the point of total exhaustion and that has only been to immediate family members. Please bear with me and soon this blog will once again become a place to share in our travels.  I'm looking at all this as a small detour before we get back on the Interstate highway again :)

Thank you for stopping by.

Jo

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be!

Motorcycle Conflagration

Motorcycle Conflagration

Great stories from my son Kevin.

First birthdays, baby chicks, and geocaching ... oh my!

February was a month of celebrations, family and fun.

Hugs for my Grannie!

Yes, there was the old stand-by Valentine's Day, Presidents Day, and of course Groundhog Day, but more importantly, we gathered together to celebrate my grandson Gage's First Birthday.  First birthday's in our family have always been a milestone not to be taken lightly.  I think it has to do with the fact that my grandparents came from Poland in the early 1900's and a child reaching their first birthday meant that they made it through the the hardest point of survival.  I can only imagine the hardships that newborns faced in the late 1800's.   Having reached their first birthday probably bought relief to a mother's heart in knowing that their child would survive for years to come.  We celebrated Gage's birthday with an old tradition of placing six objects in front of him to see what his future would bring.  This tradition has been part of my family for as long as I can remember.  This traditions includes the following items and represents many different things: A Shot Glass: Outgoing (Great socializer, people-oriented), Money: Prosperous (Ambitious and drives, business-oriented), Rosary: Religious (Spiritual, awareness-oriented), Book: Intelligent (Actively pursues knowledge, wisdom-oriented), and Bread: Healthful (Sound in body and mind, nourishment-oriented). We added a Pen; Expression of self  (Great communicator, self expression).  Gage had picked the Rosary and the Pen which foretells that he may become a Philosophizer! Now, mind you, the only Rosary I have is a crystal one which I'm sure caught his eye as the light reflected off it and made it very alluring.  He is already a great communicator using sign-language for the word "milk" to let us know when he is hungry or thirsty.  It was a wonderful visit with the family.

If I peel back a little bit, I can sneak a peek!

Gage with his Mom and Dad

My daughter Coren has taken delivery of four beautiful baby chicks.  She is living her mother's dream of raising chickens for fresh eggs.  She lives in Menlo Park, California which is a very up scale suburb of San Francisco and I was very surprised that they would even allow chickens.  Roosters are not allowed but it seems chickens are less noisy.  Upon receiving her shipment of chicks she became aware of all the noise coming from  the box. Imagine her surprise when opening the package there were not four, six or even eight baby chicks, but twenty-five!  Now, how was she going  to explain this to her skeptical husband who was worried about the noise level of four chickens much less twenty-five.  In her state of astonishment she called the company only to find that they could not ship four lonely baby chicks this early in  the season so they shipped twenty-five to generate enough heat among themselves to survive the trip!  After her shock wore off, she called the area feed stores and located a wonderful home for twenty-one adorable, soft, fluffy yellow chicks.  We are wishing her luck on her new endeavor and looking forward to fresh eggs for breakfast on our next visit!

Coren and the unsuspecting Ajim

The "Cheeps" on their first day out!

We attended the 1st Annual Hi Desert Cache Bash.  This took place at the Yucca Valley Boys and Girls Club. It was great to meet some local cachers and some cachers who are visiting the warm desert area for the winter.  We walked a couple of miles and picked up nine caches, logged a few Travel Bugs, some big, some small and some that have traveled for hundred of miles.

Try fitting this one in a cache!

Geocaching in Yucca Valley we made a discovery that shocked and fascinated us.  You know how all the movies about Superman show his fortress out in the bitter arctic cold, far from all civilization?  Well, while walking long a desert road, this is what we found.  Look at the picture and tell me, isn't this more likely the place Superman would be?  Behind these Fortress walls, I'm sure Superman was sitting, waiting and listening with his super hearing, for our call to him that we were stumped and could not find the cache so that he could come with his x-ray vision to make the find!

With the end of February around the corner we are looking forward to the warmer temperatures of Spring.  Not that we are complaining.  Who could complain with winter temperatures in the 60's and 70's?  While we may not be looking forward to the summer heat of 100's, it still beats the snow and ice of the Northern tundra.  While driving to the high desert, the landscape becomes filled with Joshua Trees.  The Joshua Tree got it's name form the Mormon pioneers who thought the tree reminded them of Joshua, from the Old Testament of the Bible, a prophet who was waving them on to the Promised land.  The unusual Joshua Tree  is a member of the lily family and can grow for 200 years. It grows in arid desert with elevations from 2,000 to 6,000 feet.  The Joshua Tree is only pollinated by the Pronuda Moth.  The moth is commonly called the Yucca Moth.  This moth evolved special organs so that it is possible to pollinate the Joshua flower.  Both depend on each other for their existence.  Both people and animals have relied on the Joshua Tree for survival.  The Indians would remove the rope-like centers form the limbs to use for as canisters for nuts and berries.  They also used the lightweight bark for dishes and bowls.  A far back as 1883 the pulp of the Joshua Tree was used to make paper for the London Daily Telegraph.  During WWI, the U.S. government used the strong wood as splints for injured soldiers.  The pioneers used the Joshua Tree as fence posts, and roasted parts of the tree and gave it to children for a sugary treat.

I've always loved the way a Joshua Tree looks.

As always, thanks for stopping by and sharing our journey.
Jo

Motorcycles stories

My Mom, the first female rider in the family.
Steven Point, Wisconsin.

My son Kevin Moore started a website about motorcycles, friends and the open road. It is mostly funny stories about people and bikes.  Here is the Blog:  http://www.bikesandbuddies.com

Kevin, heading out for the open road!
Heading out from California

If you  would be so kind as to subscribe to the email updates, that would be a help. Why? Kevin has a book written and an agent. The roadblock to getting publishing houses to take it on as an on-line audience. They  see this as a “built in audience.” that will buy the book. The book is done and he needs the support of a website with considerable followers and it will be published.  There will only be one simple update every 3-4 weeks when a new story is posted, so you wont’ get a bunch of garbage.

Me, a long time ago in the Arizona desert.

My daughter Elizabeth, riding in Hawaii

The riding continues to a new generation
My Grandson Gage on his first Harley!
Where will his travels take him?

Thank you,
Jo

Whitewater Preserve

Where are we going?

The Whitewater Preserve is 2,826 acres surrounded by the Bureau of Land Management San Gorgonio Wilderness and includes the year-round Whitewater River ... in the desert!  The canyon is an important wildlife corridor between the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains. It's on the Pacific Crest Trail that runs all the way from Canada to Mexico.

Friday was a beautiful sunny morning beckoning us to hike, explore and maybe pick up a few geocaches along the way.  Last week we drove to the Whitewater Preserve and tried to find the Canyon Loop Trail which is described as a 3.5 mile moderate hike.  One problem ... we could not find the Northbound trail to the Pacific Crest Trail from the Ranger station.  We followed the trail-head only to be stumped at the two places it led us to cross the Whitewater river. All our searching found nothing more then a few stones in the river and none of them big enough to get across.  A foot bridge was mentioned in the trail guide but, not specifically marked, and to us was impossible to find!  This time we decided to outsmart the trail and start off the South road where we had spotted a trail marker.  With sufficient water, a snack lunch, windbreakers and GPS's in hand, we headed up the trail to do some much needed hiking and maybe, with luck, find a few geocaches.

Heading up the trail

The trail was more of a foot path, not wide enough to walk side by side, and in some places, nothing more than a worn away marking from those who had gone before us.  There weren't many markers along the trail, but it was easy enough to follow as long as you didn't venture too far of the trodden path.  The geocaches were in close proximity to the trail so, there was no fear of becoming lost or losing sight of the trail.

A furry little guy

We stopped often to marvel at the beauty of the hills and mountains that surrounded us, enjoying the wind that kept us cool in the warm sunshine.  Knowing that the dryness of the desert air can dehydrate a person quickly, we drank our water frequently.  Even though we didn't spot any bears or Big Horned Sheep, we did spot a tarantula, and were greeted by hawks flying low overhead.  The tarantula was a small one, measuring approximately 2 inches in length.  I wasn't about to poke him to see if he would move, but I did manage to get a picture of him.

We made it to the top!

At the top, 2750 feet, we rested before making our way down the other side which was filled with switchbacks and even narrower paths. We met other hikers and laughed at the "traffic jam" along the narrow trail.  As we side-stepped for one couple to pass, they informed us we were going the wrong way.  We didn't mention that we couldn't find the trail-head last week and thus started in the middle of the loop! Based upon the terrain that they started with, we decided we were going the RIGHT way :) We had an easy way up, and an easy way down the switchbacks.

On the way down

We ended up finding thirteen geocaches, some tougher then others but no DNF's (Did Not Find).  It's amazing how many rocks you can overturn before finding the right one.  We did eventually find the wooden foot bridge to cross the river, but would never have seen it from where we were last week.  As we sat in the car enjoying our lunch of cheeses, turkey slices and dill pickles, we talked about the adventure of the day. The trail is two and a half hours long, but it took us four hours. You know why? 1) because we geocached along the way, 2) we just kept on stopping to admire the views, not because of tiredness, and 3) we also just stopped to admire Nature at our feet ... the myriad of different plants and insects, the variety of stones and rocks, the diversity of the plants we saw, especially as we climbed higher and higher. Different ecosystems, even within a few thousand feet.

We have missed our hiking and geocaching more then we realized.  We've missed the quiet sound of nature which seems to clear the mind and feeds the soul with a pleasant feeling of completeness, escaping from the hustle and bustle of everyday living. Time to sit and really look at the world around us.

It was a great day, thanks for stopping by and sharing our journey. We certainly had a lot of fun, exercise, and a better awareness of the wonderful world we live in.

Jo

First Week of January

It has been a busy week.  More and more people are coming in from the North to stay for a couple of months and  travelers staying from overnight to a couple of weeks as they make their way farther South.  We have a variety of people coming into the Resort, a lot of Canadians, Washingtonians, some from Oregon, Northern California and Idaho, and a handful from the United Kingdom, Germany and even Russia!   It is a delightful mix of people and I enjoy hearing the stories as they share their adventures.

With the Christmas Holidays behind us it is time to "take down" Christmas.  We have spent some time at Norb and Barbara's taking down the Christmas lights, packing up the tree decorations and talking about the joys we had with visiting family.  It's also time to box up our small Christmas tree away for another year.  As I wrap each treasured ornament carefully with tender loving care, reread each card received  I feel a small twinge at the heart strings when I "put away" Christmas.  The memories of the celebrations lingers and fills my heart with a touch of sadness knowing that our families are so far away in distance.

This past week we had a  Music and Comedy act here at Caliente Springs.  The entertainer was "Lee Fugal".  He brought a delightful mix of music and comedy that had us laughing loudly and tapping our feet to his wonderful blend of music.  We've never seen someone play a Garden Hose or a Bicycle Pump and his other contraption .. a Baseball Bat Guitar!  He went on to play the microphone stand and his own invention of three trumpets rigged together.  It was amazing to hear his "Ten Fingered Fireworks" as the played the "Bumblebee" on the piano in triple time!

   

Balloon Powered Bagpipe 

Three trumpets!

The Weatherman has said it has been unusually warm for this time of year with the temperatures in the high 70's and low 80's.  We are not complaining as we enjoy the sunshine and the longer days of the new year.  It seems that a lot of the country is experiencing the same phenomena in warm winter temperatures.  Who ever thought those in the Mid-West would be having Spring weather in the middle of Winter!  Is this a sign of Global Warming or just another hundred year shift in the weather?

In the coming weeks we hope to do a bit of Geocaching and hiking up the foothills behind the Resort. We'll keep you posted on that adventure!

Thanks again for stopping by and sharing in our journey of life.

Jo and Paul

An Irish Blessing...

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow.

May the soft winds freshen your spirit.

May the sunshine brighten your heart

May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.

And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.

Happy New Year

My grandson Gage's First Christmas.

As the New Year approaches I find myself doing things that remind me of my childhood.
My mom and dad had us kids clean house on New Year's Eve.   The beds made with clean bedding, grocery shopping, floors washed, cupboards cleaned and stocked, laundry washed, ironed and put away.  All in all the whole house cleaned.  I can remember my dad putting a penny on the window sill.

So as the New Year approaches, my wish for all...
May you always have a warm, sheltered place to lay your head when you need rest,  may you always have food in your cupboards to satisfy your hunger, may your closet hold clean clothing for any type of weather,  may good fortune always put a coin or two in your pocket and may you be blessed with good health, laughter, peace in your heart and love!

2011 had many moments that have brought laughter into our life.  There have also been times of sadness with the passing of loved ones and dear friends.   We continue to take life "one day at a time",  make new friends, cherish our old friends, and take joy that you have joined us in this journey we call life.

Below you see some of the wonderful moments that filled our 2011 with precious memories.

Celebrating Elizabeth's birthday

My new Grandson, Gage Moore born in Berkeley, California  

 St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner in Bethel Island, California

My birthday celebration

Jennifer's Flute recital in Spring Arbor, Michigan

 A Mother's Day celebration in Menlo Park, California

 A Tram ride up to the top of San Jacinto Mountain, Palm Springs, California

A visit to Yosemite National Park

Hoover Dam, Arizona

Jennifer's college graduation, Spring Arbor, Michigan

Saturday Pancake Breakfast, Sky Valley, California

Water Volleyball at Caliente Springs Resort, Desert Hot Spring , California

Norb and Barbara Kabuss, Palm Springs, California

Family gathering together in Spring Arbor, Michigan

Kevin on his way to Sturgis, South Dakota

Becky came to visit sunny California

Kevin, Elizabeth and Gage

  

A visit with my very good friend, Keith.  Park Forest, Illinois

Family visit to New Lenox, Illinois

Long ago advice: "You need 4 hugs a day to survive"

Sharing happiness

Make room for the new addition to the family!

Barbara and Ginny, life long friends.

Remnants of an old volcano near Amboy, California.

Hoping to "Win Big" with Mary and John in Laughlin, Nevada

Chile Cook-off contest, Caliente Springs, California

Playing in the park with my bud!

Picking pumpkins in the pumpkin patch 

Nothing fills the heart more then visits from family who live far, far away

Fancy Christmas Dinner celebrated with friends at Caliente Springs Resort

A Merry Christmas hug

Discussing work at the Employee Christmas party, Caliente Springs, California
NOT !!

Christmas Caroling

Let the feast begin!

Christmas group hug

A very proud Grandma

From  Emmanuel's Book II - The Choice for Love

You live a lifetime.  At the end of it you say to those around your deathbed, "What a long life!  Why, I lived ninety whole years.  Do you know how much I did?"  And then you die.

You wake up and ask, "How long was I gone?"  The Being of Light who is with you answers, "We hardly noticed you were gone at all.  You just sat down and dozed off for a second and here you are again.  What kind of dream did you have this time?

  

Ninety years...so long, so short.  

Happy New Year

Paul and Jo