Been WAY too long since I've written anything! Most know what's been going on, but let's do a recap here.
Mom was brought back to Colorado at the end of March 2012 by her 3 brothers, my uncles Stuart, Steve and Jim. It was very heartwarming to have them work together to bring mom to her final home. We moved her into an independent living facility in north Denver where she has settled in pretty well. She complains about the food and service in the dining room (which from what I understand from others has declined in recent months), but otherwise seems to like it fine. I wanted her here so myself and my brother could spend more time with her; however, I seem to be doing most of that which is OK. We go out for breakfast at least one morning on the weekends, shop for food or other things that she wants and just hang out together. She gets tired easily, so it lasts about half a day (if I have time, I take a nap after we are done as well). I try to get mom to take little trips into the mountains or other places, but she is reluctant to do so - she had a somewhat difficult time re-adjusting to the altitude; heck, it's been 25 years since she lived here last. We are traveling to Eaton next weekend to hook her up with an old family friend, Jan Holmes. Her husband Roger recently died in a fight with a tractor; the tractor won. I went to school with their daughters, Kim and Yvonne whom I haven't seen in years; I look forward to re-connecting with them myself.
As for me, I left Lennox the beginning of March, just shy of 8 years. I had fun there, but wanted more and wasn't going to get that with the current management. No doubt, I would've kicked butt had the opportunity been present, but I am a BIG believer that things happen for a reason - I just wasn't meant to stay there. Now, I work at the Denver Business Journal, fulfilling one part of my dream to work in downtown Denver - I absolutely love it! Being just a block off of the 16th street mall, spring, summer and fall offer so much to do, even during the work week. Summer time is the best, with weekly concerts, food truck rodeos (we're not talking the old catering trucks of yesteryear - this is the cool, good food!) and mall entertainment.
Aside from just working downtown with the new job, I have met some of the most fascinating people - even a couple of local celebrities with whom I have become friends. Every one of them just wants to be successful and enjoy what they do. My job allows me to travel across the city, attending events, workshops and seminars where I talk to people and teach them how to look at the DBJ as not just a news source, but a business lead resource. My friends know how much I like to meet new folks, but now I get paid to do it and get to keep them when I leave :)
Those are the two major things in life that have changed. Right now, I'm contemplating a new side venture that will hopefully take full shape by summer's end. I'll divulge more about that as time passes. No matter what, I promise to write a little more so that y'all know what's going on in Colorado!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Mom Update - June
From Mom's friend Eli:
Hi everybody,
Last Saturday we went to the hospital for Rebecca to have bloodwork and cat scans on her 60 day follow up, and today she had an appointment with the oncologist to get the results. I'm glad to report that the news is all good. The medications she's taking for pain haven't had to be increased for several weeks now and the amounts seem to keep the pain managed pretty well. Each morning she takes a morphine tablet and again just before bed, and if she starts to feel it during the day, she has a choice of vicodin or aleve (the Dr. prefers that she take the vicodin over the aleve to cut down on any kidney damage) whenever she feels she needs one or two of them.
The CT scans looked good - the cancer doesn't seem to have spread since the scans from 60 days ago which means the daily "cancer" pill - the hormone inhibitor - seems to be slowing down the growth and doing what it's supposed to do. She will continue to take the monthly injections to keep her bones from softening as quickly. Her breathing has improved tremendously and he didn't hear any fluid in her lungs - much better than when she went into the hospital in March. The one area that has changed is the left arm lymph nodes where the breast cancer originated - they seems have had some changes and growth - he plans to continue watching that area. She'll go back in 60 days (August) to be x-rayed and have blood work again. I'll let you know immediately when we get any results.
The bloodwork, overall, was good too. The red and white blood counts still indicate the cancer is there but in 60 days it hasn't dropped by a large amount - very small decrease and he was pleased with that too. He encouraged her drink lots of water to keep her body flushed out, to keep walking as much as possible and not rely totally on the wheel chair in order to try to keep her strength up (she's been doing better at pushing the wheelchair until she gets tired, then riding the rest of the way). This afternoon, she walked all the way from my car to the front door of the living center - further than she's been able to for a while.
Overall, the reports were all good - and she is very relieved about it. I think we were both a little worried at what we'd hear. Lots of prayers have been sent up for her for healing and it seems to be working - keep it up :)
Hi everybody,
Last Saturday we went to the hospital for Rebecca to have bloodwork and cat scans on her 60 day follow up, and today she had an appointment with the oncologist to get the results. I'm glad to report that the news is all good. The medications she's taking for pain haven't had to be increased for several weeks now and the amounts seem to keep the pain managed pretty well. Each morning she takes a morphine tablet and again just before bed, and if she starts to feel it during the day, she has a choice of vicodin or aleve (the Dr. prefers that she take the vicodin over the aleve to cut down on any kidney damage) whenever she feels she needs one or two of them.
The CT scans looked good - the cancer doesn't seem to have spread since the scans from 60 days ago which means the daily "cancer" pill - the hormone inhibitor - seems to be slowing down the growth and doing what it's supposed to do. She will continue to take the monthly injections to keep her bones from softening as quickly. Her breathing has improved tremendously and he didn't hear any fluid in her lungs - much better than when she went into the hospital in March. The one area that has changed is the left arm lymph nodes where the breast cancer originated - they seems have had some changes and growth - he plans to continue watching that area. She'll go back in 60 days (August) to be x-rayed and have blood work again. I'll let you know immediately when we get any results.
The bloodwork, overall, was good too. The red and white blood counts still indicate the cancer is there but in 60 days it hasn't dropped by a large amount - very small decrease and he was pleased with that too. He encouraged her drink lots of water to keep her body flushed out, to keep walking as much as possible and not rely totally on the wheel chair in order to try to keep her strength up (she's been doing better at pushing the wheelchair until she gets tired, then riding the rest of the way). This afternoon, she walked all the way from my car to the front door of the living center - further than she's been able to for a while.
Overall, the reports were all good - and she is very relieved about it. I think we were both a little worried at what we'd hear. Lots of prayers have been sent up for her for healing and it seems to be working - keep it up :)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Mother's Day Trip
24 hours isn't a lot of time to spend with your family; however, having not spent a Mother's Day with my mom since I was in my teens warranted just an occasion.
I have to say that taking a flight on stand-by is a little nerve wracking when you have limited time. Luckily, this trip I was able to get on both of my flights OK, although it looked like it might be a little dicey there on the trip home. In addition, flying on small planes that hold 50 people are somewhat uncomfortable at best - however, can't really complain when I'm able to save some $$ on my trips. The next trip should have me in Dallas the 3rd week of June.
Mom is doing OK for now. The doctor took a second blood test as they apparently weren't sure the first results came back correctly - but they came back the same. Her general health has overall improved; however, the cancer is still trudging on in her body. Mom's right shoulder gives her the most amount of pain; she lays on her side to relieve that pressure so not sure that she sleeps all that well. She is on Oxycodone and morphine pills; says the pain relievers don't work. However, within an hour of taking the Oxycodone, she felt good, little to no pain so it must be working. She's afraid of becoming addicted to the drug; my mantra of "don't chase the pain" doesn't seem to be working really well right now; however, I think she's starting to see the value of that.
We spent my time there pretty much talking which we've typically not had much of a chance to do in many years. I'm not one to talk a whole lot as I think what I have to say isn't all that interesting, so she told me some family stories from when she was in her late teens/early 20s. I have a lot of info I really want to gleen from her, so I'll be recording stories the next time I see her. We also went through a lot of pictures (which I think is a mere fraction of what she has) and some valuables that she has, including an old "IKE" pin that was given to her by my grandfather. It's still in great condition - she had me take that so I can keep it safe somewhere; think I better invest in a safe deposit box soon.
For Mother's Day, mom's friend Eli made some little gift packets for the ladies staying at the facility from Avon samples that she has acquired being a rep. She wanted to get them out of her house into the hands of those that can use them. Eli put them in these nice little colorful plastic wrappers and then into a basket lined with an old lace curtain (or maybe it was a tablecloth). She put a sign on it that said it was from my mom and her "Avon friend." The ladies really appreciated them and mom actually met more residents; she's been there for 5 weeks and hasn't really ventured out to meet anyone besides those that are at her assigned table in the dining room. I always find it very fascinating to learn about the lives of these folks; their tales of the depression and jobs in their early years are interesting to hear.
If you haven't had the chance to send mom a card or letter or call her, I encourage you to please do so. She sees a lot of her local friends, but said she hasn't heard from much family yet. You can send mail to the following address:
Rebecca Allard
c/o Dayspring Assisted Living
6400 Cheyenne Trail #220
Plano, TX 75023-3774
If you need her phone number, feel free to email me and I'll send it to you.
I have to say that taking a flight on stand-by is a little nerve wracking when you have limited time. Luckily, this trip I was able to get on both of my flights OK, although it looked like it might be a little dicey there on the trip home. In addition, flying on small planes that hold 50 people are somewhat uncomfortable at best - however, can't really complain when I'm able to save some $$ on my trips. The next trip should have me in Dallas the 3rd week of June.
Mom is doing OK for now. The doctor took a second blood test as they apparently weren't sure the first results came back correctly - but they came back the same. Her general health has overall improved; however, the cancer is still trudging on in her body. Mom's right shoulder gives her the most amount of pain; she lays on her side to relieve that pressure so not sure that she sleeps all that well. She is on Oxycodone and morphine pills; says the pain relievers don't work. However, within an hour of taking the Oxycodone, she felt good, little to no pain so it must be working. She's afraid of becoming addicted to the drug; my mantra of "don't chase the pain" doesn't seem to be working really well right now; however, I think she's starting to see the value of that.
We spent my time there pretty much talking which we've typically not had much of a chance to do in many years. I'm not one to talk a whole lot as I think what I have to say isn't all that interesting, so she told me some family stories from when she was in her late teens/early 20s. I have a lot of info I really want to gleen from her, so I'll be recording stories the next time I see her. We also went through a lot of pictures (which I think is a mere fraction of what she has) and some valuables that she has, including an old "IKE" pin that was given to her by my grandfather. It's still in great condition - she had me take that so I can keep it safe somewhere; think I better invest in a safe deposit box soon.
For Mother's Day, mom's friend Eli made some little gift packets for the ladies staying at the facility from Avon samples that she has acquired being a rep. She wanted to get them out of her house into the hands of those that can use them. Eli put them in these nice little colorful plastic wrappers and then into a basket lined with an old lace curtain (or maybe it was a tablecloth). She put a sign on it that said it was from my mom and her "Avon friend." The ladies really appreciated them and mom actually met more residents; she's been there for 5 weeks and hasn't really ventured out to meet anyone besides those that are at her assigned table in the dining room. I always find it very fascinating to learn about the lives of these folks; their tales of the depression and jobs in their early years are interesting to hear.
If you haven't had the chance to send mom a card or letter or call her, I encourage you to please do so. She sees a lot of her local friends, but said she hasn't heard from much family yet. You can send mail to the following address:
Rebecca Allard
c/o Dayspring Assisted Living
6400 Cheyenne Trail #220
Plano, TX 75023-3774
If you need her phone number, feel free to email me and I'll send it to you.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Another Trip
I'm headed down to Dallas to see mom for a quickie Mother's Day trip - leave Saturday afternoon, come back on Sunday evening (hopefully - if a seat is still available or I get to wait until Monday). Not much to report right now; doctor did some blood work last week, but couldn't get solid results, so took more blood on Friday - guess they'll know more this week about what is going on. Mom said they talked about putting her on some mild chemo or doing some small doses of radiation to hopefully help with the pain she feels in her shoulders. I'll report what I learn after this weekend.
It's been a busy week or so - finishing off papers and studying to take finals so I can close out two of my classes; then I'll have 4 certificates to obtain that will show how much closer I am to that degree. I have debated about taking at least one class during the summer semester, but I'm almost afraid to take on anything right now - I'm carrying such a great grade point average that I don't want to put it into jeopardy with all of the distractions. So, I'll probably wait until fall but even then will be kind of a crap shoot. I hate not being able to make a plan - as soon as I get everything put into place, a monkey wrench gets thrown into everything. Patience will just have to preside for now.
It's been a busy week or so - finishing off papers and studying to take finals so I can close out two of my classes; then I'll have 4 certificates to obtain that will show how much closer I am to that degree. I have debated about taking at least one class during the summer semester, but I'm almost afraid to take on anything right now - I'm carrying such a great grade point average that I don't want to put it into jeopardy with all of the distractions. So, I'll probably wait until fall but even then will be kind of a crap shoot. I hate not being able to make a plan - as soon as I get everything put into place, a monkey wrench gets thrown into everything. Patience will just have to preside for now.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Goodbye to Grandma
My dear grandmother, Juanita Mescal Daugherty, passed away on Sunday, April 17th. I was at a Rockies game with some friends; when I saw my uncle Jim calling, I knew what had happened. I spent the rest of the game pretty melancholy; although you know something is going to happen to someone you love in the near future, it doesn't make it any easier when they actually pass.
I flew out on Tuesday where my cousin Brett picked me up. There had been some rough, rainy weather before I got there, so the highways were a little backed up. We took some back roads and a state highway to finally get back into Cincinnati. We headed straight to my aunt Connie's for a beans and cornbread dinner - I was so happy for that meal. Grandma always fixed that for me whenever I visited; guess I'd call it a "signature" meal within the Daugherty side of my family.
That night, we rode out a pretty severe storm system that had tornadoes, hurricane winds and heavy rain. Brett's house is about a block from a fire station where apparently the tornado warning sirens are located; that was definitely a noisy night.
The services for Grandma were nice, although I could do without the open casket - I know Grandma didn't care for that much, either. She didn't look like herself when looking straight at her; they always seem to distort the mouth when they glue it together. I saw so many family members that I hadn't seen in years; we definitely had a full house. We went to uncle Stuart's house afterwards and chatted with people for hours. Their church provided enough food to feed an army, I swear! Being with my family was certainly the most calming thing for me.
I spent time with my aunt Barb (uncle Jim's wife) on Thursday; she had just lost her mother about 3 weeks before, so it's all pretty hard on her. She's been staying at her mom's house since her aunt Helen is in town until July; so I fixed breakfast for everyone and we just hung out and laughed for a couple of hours. We went back that night with pizza's and my cousin Tammy and her family came to visit with us. It was great to spend some quality time with them - if it weren't for the humidity, I would live much closer to all of them. But this dry climate person just doesn't handle the atmosphere there very well.
Now that it's all over, guess I'll concentrate on finishing my classes and mom. I'll send out some updates on her shortly.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Grandma says the Darndest things
From my cousin Brett: "I got such a kick out of this. I visited Grandma on Saturday and listened to her complain about everything, especially the food (she's 95 and in a nursing home). I didn't go back Sunday with Mom and Faith. Grandma is having trouble with her foot, no circulation, so quite painful. The nurse came in Sunday and was checking her foot out, then commented what she needed to do. Grandma said, "you know what would make my foot feel better? A big pile of bacon." Go Grandma!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Dallas - Trip #1
Arrived Saturday at 1:30pm. It was a nice day. Mom and Eli picked me up from the airport; we went from there to an extended stay hotel to check in as apparently mom wanted have me close. When we got to the hotel, I put mom into a wheelchair; she just cannot walk very far, she is so weak. Once we got to the room, I put mom's things away and we left her to rest - where she promptly parked herself into a chair and turned on the TV.
After we got mom settled in, Eli and she showed me the first of two assisted living facility not far from mom's apartment; it was nice, astetically pleasing both inside and out. She showed me the main areas (there was one) and a room that would work for mom. Nice, but seemed a bit impersonal.
We then went to mom's apartment. I knew I was walking into a mess; Eli had gotten a lot done, but there was so much more to do. The bathroom is pretty much unusable; there are tons of boxes and plastic storage bins in all shapes, sizes and types you could think of, stacked everywhere. We moved a few things, took out some trash and a box of books to donate and left. I went out and got mom and I something to eat then went back to the hotel to hang out for awhile. After talking with mom about furniture, I left for a bit to investigate beds; she decided that she wants an adjustable bed so I went on a search for that, a wall power source for my iphone and a battery for hers. Pretty uneventful.
Today, mom was going to go to church but didn't feel up to it so I went with Eli. Its held in a middle school and mostly for people "ages 50 and better" (that's what the church info says, I swear). There were probably 50-60 people there; nice bunch of folks. Met the pastor who reminds me of my cousin Tammy's huChand Jeff with hair combed in a slicked back way and tall (but older and grayer, of course). Eli is holding a dinner at her house tomorrow night with us, the pastor and a few friends from church to pray for her health. That ought to be interesting.
So anyhooo, after church we grabbed lunch, took it back to mom and then got her up and out to check another facility; it was started by a church and is completely
After we got mom settled in, Eli and she showed me the first of two assisted living facility not far from mom's apartment; it was nice, astetically pleasing both inside and out. She showed me the main areas (there was one) and a room that would work for mom. Nice, but seemed a bit impersonal.
We then went to mom's apartment. I knew I was walking into a mess; Eli had gotten a lot done, but there was so much more to do. The bathroom is pretty much unusable; there are tons of boxes and plastic storage bins in all shapes, sizes and types you could think of, stacked everywhere. We moved a few things, took out some trash and a box of books to donate and left. I went out and got mom and I something to eat then went back to the hotel to hang out for awhile. After talking with mom about furniture, I left for a bit to investigate beds; she decided that she wants an adjustable bed so I went on a search for that, a wall power source for my iphone and a battery for hers. Pretty uneventful.
Today, mom was going to go to church but didn't feel up to it so I went with Eli. Its held in a middle school and mostly for people "ages 50 and better" (that's what the church info says, I swear). There were probably 50-60 people there; nice bunch of folks. Met the pastor who reminds me of my cousin Tammy's huChand Jeff with hair combed in a slicked back way and tall (but older and grayer, of course). Eli is holding a dinner at her house tomorrow night with us, the pastor and a few friends from church to pray for her health. That ought to be interesting.
So anyhooo, after church we grabbed lunch, took it back to mom and then got her up and out to check another facility; it was started by a church and is completely
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