Catching up

How is that an hour can seem to last forever, while a week, month, or season can fly by quickly?

It is already October, and General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has already ended.

Where did the time go?

July 2026

July began with the annual BOG Campout at Heyburn State Park.  Van and I had a mishap with our trailer that thankfully resolved with help and prayers of our friends and fellow camping neighbors.  The RV site we chose was not at all level and had access to water and sewer but not in the order that works better for our trailer.  After a lot of trial and error, we finally managed to level and park the trailer. However, before disengaging the trailer, we neglected to secure the tire blocks and the tongue of the trailer thrust forward into the back of our truck bed and landed askew on the ground.  Stunned we assessed the situation and discovered no irreparable damage to the truck or trailer.  Then with the help, we manage to re-engage and right the vehicles.  However, that was just the first hiccup.  We also mis-set the hot water and didn't realize the error until the next day.

The remainder of the camping weekend was less troublesome until the day we departed when we had a misunderstanding creating hard feelings as we left.  Fortunately, we were able to repair the breach and moved forward with future plans for next summer.

July was also my first infusion with the dreaded Datroway medication.  I always seem to get worked up about these changes. The two nights prior I hardly slept due to stress and worry about how my body would respond to it. Exhausted, I sat in the chemo recliner room and fidgeted with my bag of props: a bottle of cubed ice, a squeeze ball, an iPad loaded with audible books and games, a blanket and fuzzy socks, and a change of clothing if needed. The Datroway protocol was new to my oncology nurse, and she was a bit anxious.  She informed me of each step and medication before administering it, as per protocol. Fortunately, Van was attentive and stopped her when she said Benadryll was next.  He stopped her informing her that I had a previous adverse reaction to Benadryl (anaphylaxis).  Dr. Chaudhry was consulted, and several minutes later the chemist concocted an appropriate alternative. I am so glad Van was there to speak up for me!  From there all went smoothly, and as reported in my earlier blogpost, the effects of the treatment were minimal. Heavenly Father watches out for me and keeps his promises.

This was our fifth season with the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre. I finally managed to coordinate tickets that didn't conflict with another summer activity (such as camping) or mixing up dates (oops). Our seats this year were fabulous...17 rows back near the center. The CDA Summer Theatre offers three musicals nearly each summer.  The cast consists of professional, semi-professional, and local talent. The performance quality is often outstanding.

This year we saw Frozen, Come From Away, and Titanic the musical.  Each show was engaging and carried its own crowd-pleasing style. Frozen - great family entertainment, Come From Away - blew me away with on-stage costume changes, minimal setting props, and fast pace with a new to me story of diverted planes to Newfoundland on 9-11. Titanic - was beautifully tragic demonstrating moving faster than required and disregarding warning signals all for show, can end in disaster.

August 2026

Wildfire season.  The Spokane Complex Wildfires consisting of three major wildfires: the Old Trails Fire (3,619 acres), the Autumn Lane Fire (3,351 acres), and the Fairview Fire (1,056 acres), all ignited on August 1, 2026, near Spokane. The fire was not fully contained until August 19, 2026.  Many additional fires in the Pacific Northwest contributed to 11 days of unhealthy air quality in our area.  However, for those, like me, who are sensitive to smoke, it was practically the entire month of August. I was prohibited from doing yard work or being out of doors with a few necessary errands. All the beautiful flowers planted in May were overgrown with Canadian thistle and grasses. If you look carefully, you can see hints of blue, purple, red, and yellow blossoms through the overgrowth.

Official report

On August 1, 2026, fire swept through the trees and neighborhoods of Northwest Spokane, WA. One of the fires was set by an arsonist, another was accidentally humanly ignited, and the cause the third fire has not yet been determined, but the conditions of high wind and dry conditions fueled the ignition that destroyed 900 structures and more than 7,700 acres of land and displacing 67,000 people in a single day.  Yet, the Spokane Complex Fire (Autumn Lane, Fairview, and Old Trails) was only a part of the 87 wildfire fires burning in the Pacific Northwest geographic region that day, with additional fires raging in Canada. Miraculously, not one life was lost.  Fire teams and volunteers from California, Oregon, and Canada work together to extinguish the Spokane Fire that was not actively contained until August 19, 2026, Hundreds of people were offered food, clothing, toiletries, and temporary lodging with other Spokanites.

September 2026

Van and I went on The Living Heritage Tour guided by Tom Pettit.  (Photos and info to come on another blog post).  

October 2026

Due to the tour, I delayed cancer treatment at week 5 rather than week 3.  What a ride that was!  The first two days were "normal" but the days that followed were NOT Normal!  Due to low energy, excessive napping, and reduced fluid intake, I became constipated. After five days without a bowel movement, I was at serious risk of a bowel obstruction. The next three days I received a Fleets enema, Dulcolax, Sennakot, and Miralax, along with Gatorade to maintain electrolytes. I took about 3 days to empty my bowels, two more days to produce "normal" stools again, and about 6 days in all before my appetite returned. Now I apparently have a UTI (urinary tract infection). Also, Orthoptics confirmed that I broke my right wrist when I fell in Far West, Missouri after taking a photo. Fortunately, there was no displacement, so I only have a splint.

Hopefully, my body will be restored to "normal" before the infusion treatment next Wednesday.

On the bright side, I was also back to 155 lb's. I love being in the 150 - 155 lb range, although 160 - 165 is a healthier weight for me during treatment.