Spring Fever and Sick Yard Woes

It's March and time for Spring. So where is it? This past weekend has been cold, windy with enough rain that made Saturday just flat unpleasant to be outdoors.

My backyard is in desperate need of a total make over. I talking the need for heavy machinery and muscle. Both of which I am unfortunately lacking. Browsing through old photos from 2006, I came across a lovely pre-hurricane photo of my backyard. It's so sad that we lost such wonderful large trees and plants that made this a green pretty yard at one time.

Today the two trees in the picture are gone. In fact the one behind the birdbath was dead and I hired a couple of guys last fall to take it down. They didn't have the proper tools (or the know-how) for the huge job. Even though the tree is down, the ugly stump is left and some of plants at its base were smashed. The so-called "tree-men" also didn't have a tool to cut a level slice off the top of the stump and left it a jagged eyesore. In the background, the other tree also had those tuffs of pale green tall "monkey grass" plants. They came up and out with the tree. In its place was a huge hole which we filled in with some sand and topsoil. Weeds have grown over it, the circular area is still slightly sunken in from the hole.

Even though the hurricane messed up the yard by taking out my beautiful trees, our other problems are because we're just not good yard people. The plants along the back fence are overgrown and surrounded with weeds making it overwhelming to even begin the clean up. I need a work crew to come in and clean it out, but it would cost a fortune to have that done. So, its me and my little tools on the job.

When winter finally ends and the sun comes out again, I'll hit the backyard and try to clean it up. It takes me twice as long to work in the yard as most any man or yard crew because I'm short, out of shape and have problems with arthritis. It's just plain hard work that I have a very difficult time doing. What I picture in my mind and what I can actually accomplish are two totally different things.

Maybe before too long, I can get out there and at least get started. I think I'm going to have to buy some new plants. The freeze we had this winter also killed a lot of the vegetation in the back yard. So I'm prepared to just weed, clean out and throw a lot of brown, dead stuff away.
Flowers would be nice too.

Come on Spring! Bring it on, I'm ready!

Journey interrupted

After 57 years, there have been a lot changes along life's journey. That is an understatement, but true, nonetheless. Change is happening every second of every day and there is nothing we can do to alter that fact. Some days or weeks may seem to go by without a lot of alternate planning. However, just when we get comfortable, settled in our little habitat, feeling good about where we are, content with where the road is leading; it happens. We hit a bump. Right there in the middle of the road, positioned smack dab in the way, a bump jolts us off track. The change of plans must be dealt with in order to get back to our journey.

This time our change happened when Kim had some medical exams. He had a routine check-up a couple of weeks back. The kind that's a hassle to schedule, but you do and hope that it doesn't take long because you have play rehearsal and a symphony board meeting and really don't have the time, but you need to do it. That kind. Initial doctor's report as Kim came out of anesthesia were good. Doctor saw a little something in the EGD. She sent a sample to pathology, but otherwise all appeared good. Back on the path and Kim would go to see the doctor again in a week for the other tests report. A week passes by and Kim returns to his doctor.

The doctor said the pathologist reported lymphoma in part of his stomach. What? Lymphoma? Cancer. I read the report for myself as Kim proceeded to tell me that his doctor had already called MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for him to go in and talk to their doctors. MD Anderson? That's sort of big isn't it? Change was insisting that we yield. We both took off work to go to MDA in two days.

We drove into Houston expecting to talk to doctors and see what they thought Kim should do next. Kim registered, had rights read to him, signed permissions for treatment, studies and his next of kin. A nurse assigned just to Kim explained that a team of personnel, especially assigned to him, would be talking to us. A social worker/counselor gave her card to Kim and explained that she could help with questions the doctors may not know. A cancer studies person came in and asked Kim if he would give permission to be included in studies since MD Anderson is a research hospital. Then, the doctor's assistant, a very capable Asian man not much older than our oldest son, came in to explain what had been reported to them about Kim. Finally, Kim's doctor, who looked all of 25 years old, came in and talked in a most professional, knowledgeable manner. She explained that there were 45 different types of lymphoma and that a very large amount of Americans were living with it now. It has a high success rate of cure.

The doctor also explained that further tests would help them see if they agreed with the initial tests prognosis. We would speak to a scheduler who would go over the times and dates for the tests. Then, the doctor told us to take a break, have lunch and then come back. Come back? We thought we were just talking today. Come back? Oh, did I mention that Kim had only planned on a half day substitute for his class? Now it was apparent that he would have to call his school and tell them to keep the sub all day. We were told not to plan on half days. Change was standing its ground and not budging a bit.

So, we had lunch and came back. Then, we met with the scheduler who already had Kim's itinerary of tests printed out for him with special instructions for some of them. Kim's nurse told him to wait to be called back for his blood test. Tests already? After that, he was given another place to go for a chest x-ray. Really? Another test? That was the first day. A day full of change and surprise, but one that was very informational. We felt that our veer off what we thought was the route for the day, was worth the detour to learn that Kim was in good hands at MDA.

Over the next two days Kim had 3 more tests run. He has 3 tests this week also. Everything has really moved fast. This Thursday, a week from the day we learned about lymphoma, we will hear the test results from Kim's doctor. I am fervently praying the change won't be too drastic. That we will be able to navigate whatever detour comes along with minimal inconvenience.

Life is like that isn't it? Detours, bumps in the road, changes like roadblocks, can not be avoided. We learn to adjust, take alternative paths and pray the new route will soon have us back on our journey.

Please keep Kim in your prayers this week as he continues tests and awaits the results. Pray that the changes for Kim and me will be easy to navigate with God as our protector.