Surgery tomorrow!

Hi all.  I am set for surgery tomorrow at Phoenix Baptist.  I have a great surgeon and I will do well.  Carol will post on Facebook my progress. 

We have had a great time since my last blog post.  We had a safe RV trip here. Tammy Haley helped Carol with the driving.  We were blessed to have her volunteer to help.  The really good news was that Tammy had a good time visiting with friends and family for two weeks after getting here.  

Good dinner at LaPosta in Las Cruces New Mexico!  It took us 2 whole days to cross TX!

What a great welcome home banner!  Thanks to Badges-r-Us Susan Cox and Dorothy Loll !!!!!!!

Wonderful friends welcoming us back and having a party for us!

Tammy hiking with Donna Albee and Carol on Supersition Mountain!

Carol, Tammy and Alberta Hohn at the Pickleball Nationals!

Us with Micki McCormick, Janis Monice, Chris Hummer and her niece, Cynna, and Ruth Ann Power!

Laughing with Ruth Ann, Sheri Gingerish, me, Vicky Frank, and Carol

In Quartzsite with Ruth Ann, Pat Parker, Rita, Vicki Para, Cathy Atkins, and me. 

Carol on our ATV!  Stored out at Quartzsite with Cathy and Vicki (they weren't stored -- just the ATV !)

Carol, Sheri, me, and Vicky in Cave Creek, AZ.  All riding our motorcycles there.

Check out this crystal at a store called Rare Earth.  Many huge crystals and other precious stones. 

Up in Cottonwood for Dianne Saba's Birthday!  Dianne, Carol, me, Cathy Garrett, Linda Holcolme, and Janis Chernoff.

Our friend Carol Miller from Indiana is a full time solo RVer.  Came to visit for our early Thanksgiving.

Today our friend Nancy Powell from Indiana came to visit with our other friends from Indiana/Goodyear AZ.  Nancy, Alberta Hohn, Judy Meyers, and Diana Berty.

Carol and I are blessed to have such great friends and chosen family to love us and pray for us.  Thanks to everyone of you!  I will try to post in another 2 weeks or so.  Love you all - Nancy

On the Road Again!

I am a little late writing this blog but I wanted to wait until Sunday when we started our trip back to Arizona. So now it is 2:34 PM on November 3rd and we are driving south of Effingham Illinois.  As most of you know, Carol and I are often late to everything but especially when moving the motorhome.  Today was no exception.  Fortunately we ended up only 45 mins late meeting Tammy Haley and Tammy Hanson.  The good news is that part of the reason we were late was because I had found the winner lottery scratch off I had been given at a Fever game.  I originally thought it was just for $5.00 but when I read it this morning I discovered it was really worth $25.00 so we had to stop at the Flying J to get my money.  Thanks so much to Linda Webb and Mary Roelle for giving me this WINNER!

Wow!  I was so glad to get my last treatment 2 weeks ago.  Again a lot of fatigue and neuropathy in my feet but nothing I could not tolerate with the help of Tylenol and Tramadol.  Carol was a wonderful caretaker and massaged my sore feet everyday for several days.  It really helped.  It also helped to get a special gift from my friend and TSO3 co-worker Diane Gosser.  She sent a ball jar filled with some candy and 50 cut and folded statements about "What she likes about Nancy".  I was so touched by her kind words.  Carol says she obviously knows me.

Getting ready to leave and seeing family and friends was a whirlwind.  It also has been cold and rainy much of the last two weeks.  Thanks to Connie Kelley for loaning us her heater that looks like a Franklin stove so we could stay warm.

My cousin Howard (Jerry) Smith and his wife Ann took us out to dinner at Seasons 52.  We had great food and a wonderful visit.  

In my last blog I told about my family friends naming their baby Opal after my mom.  I was so excited and pleased!  So I got to go see her.  Hear is a photo of my friend Marilyn, me, Opal's mom and Opal Raine. Look at all that dark hair!

Tammy Haley and Tammy Hanson helped us load our motorcycles and car.  What a job!  We are so greatful.  Tammy Haley is also helping Carol drive us to Arizona.  Fortunately she has friends and family in AZ to visit so she is staying two weeks before flying back to Indiana.  Poor Tammy Hanson has to stay home and work.

After we packed up last week we moved down to our old campground on the southside for our last week in Indiana.  

I finally got to gather with my friend and former hairdresser Cynthia Lex for breakfast earlier this week.  It was great catching up on her happenings.

Carol and I were forced to buy some new Colts gear for us and the dogs before leaving Indiana!

We had dinner in Shelbyville with Edie Adams this week.  Another great visit.  

Jean Ditzenberger met us for lunch in Plainfield.  Hope she comes to AZ to visit.

What a surprise I had when I met another retired VA nurse for lunch.  Francis Lind hand knitted me a special potato chip design multi-pink scarf.  What a very thoughtful gift. 

We met Samantha Perkins and Cindy Lidester in Avon for dinner.  I am so glad they both love their new jobs.  And wow, they are running and doing fitness training!  They look fabulous.

Friday night we went to browns burg to visit Linda, Stan, Clayton, Luke, and Dane Ritchison.  Linda and I worked together at the VA years ago.  In fact Clayton was still a baby when I retired and he is now 17. He looks and sounds so grown up.  We got to meet their two new 10 week old German Shepard puppies.  So cute and so smart.  We also visit Linda's parents nearby and ate Halloween candy.  Just what we needed!

Cathy Moore and Medie Myers met us for breakfast Sat morning at Seros in Cumberland.  This good little resturant is near the KOA campground where we stayed in all summer so we ate there several times.  They had good liver and onions that Carol insisted I eat every week.  

Last night I served chili I had cooked on Friday.  Only thing I cooked all summer! I made it for our trip and to celebrate 3 birthdays as well as saying goodbye.  We had a full RV with the birthday girls - Chris Paulsen, Pat Minnick, and Sherry Miller as well as Deanna Medsker, Connie Kelley, and Trelia Craft.  Everyone brought something and we had a great meal.  A special thanks to Connie for the orgasmic carrot cake!

We finally got our old photos ready and took them into be scanned.  I had appropriately 1300 photos and Carol had 2200.  We got back the DVD with all 3500 photos, and for inquiring minds, it cost us $700.00.   Just think we have one DVD instead of our original 12 boxes.  It is an RVers dream!

I have an appointment with the breast surgeon on November 13.  After that I will know when my surgery will be scheduled. I will let you know in my next blog and on Facebook.

FALL in Indiana

We are enjoying a beautiful Indiana fall.  The turning leaves are so pretty.  However we will be glad to get out of here soon so we don't get too cold.  So far the lows have only been in the upper 40s but the 30s are coming. Luckily our friend Connie Kelley has loaned us her small franklin stove electric heater to keep us warm and we do have our flannel sheets and down comforter.

Our plan today is that we will be leaving Indiana headed to Arizona on November 3. Of course that could change but we hope not.  I get my LAST chemo treatment this Monday so I should be ready to travel by the 3rd.  We are so greatful that our friend Tammy Haley has agreed to help us load up and travel to AZ.  We are glad she will be able to visit with her family and friends while out there.  Carol and Tammy also plan to go see the some of the Pickleball Finals that will be in Buckeye Nov 11-17.

Carol and I are both almost cross eyed from going through our many boxes of old photos.  We are each down to one box and hope to get them wittled down some more and then digitalized.  Some we are taking pictures of on our iPhones but we certainly cannot do that with the slides.  It has been such fun going down memory lane!  

Here's one of my favorites:

Nancy and her Mamie dog and the old hound dog that also lived with us. 

Mamie (my border collie named after Mamie Eisenhower) was quite a herder. When we first got her and I was 5 my mom found that I had little bruises on my butt.  She watched us out playing in the yard and when I headed toward the road, Mamie would nip my butt to turn me around.   She was a wonderful dog!!!!!!!!

Carol wants me to share this great picture of her with her Mom:

Then of course we have a bunch of old photos of us two old broads.  Here is one of our favorites:

I know one thing for sure.  I have gotten more sleep the last 2 1/2 months than I have had for the last 2 1/2 years.  I guess I needed it.  Luckily the fatique, sleeping, and hairloss have been the most side effects of this poisoneness chemo.  The pains with this newest chemo are controlled with medication so I really do not have anything to complain about.  Thankfully!!!!!!!!!!  That said, I slept though much of the first week after my last chemo and I already shared a photo of what that looks like.

Fun was had by all at Carolyn Collins COLTS party a couple of weeks ago.  Everyone enjoyed seeing her lovely new home.  Best of all the COLTS won!!!!!!

Carolyn with Scarlet in the background

Me watching Sherry dance with Connie, Scarlet and Deanna in the background

Happy Deanna and Connie

We also were glad our friend Edie Adams who has moved up to Greensburg from Texas came to visit.

Edie and our gracious host Carolyn.

We also got a chance last week to go back up to Americus for more catfish with my friends Jane and Ron Ehersman.  We had much fun visiting, sharing old pictures, and playing with their new dachshund puppie - Sadie.

Jane, Sadie, and Ron

Carol's selfie with Sadie!!!!  Check out those big eyes - on both of them.

We have had campfires twice recently.  Once with Connie and then with Connie, Deanna, and Chris.  The best was Deanna, Chris, and Connie brought dinner the night they were here.  Um Um good!

Color added by Carol.

Marti Burcham on her 65th Birthday!!!!!!!  Glad to have Medicare and frustrated with old iPhone 4 we gave her for her birthday.

Carol with Marti's frieind J Wine.  They rode motorcycles up from Cincinnati and then we rode our motorcycles with them to Shelbyville for lunch.

Our RV park neighbor that made us our yellow knitted caps also made us this fun balloon halloween hanger.  

Jennifer and Dean Dye met us for lunch at Granite City.  We had fun visiting and hearing about their two daughters.  Jennifer and Carol used to work together at St V Carmel.  

Virginia Walter and I have been friends for years since our time working together for our nursing organization SGNA.  Virginia is from Farmington, MI and just retired last year from the U of Michigan. 

Virginia had gone to Chicago for the weekend to visit family and then drove down on Monday to see us and have lunch.  I was so glad I had us go to one of my favorite places, Benihana, since Virginia had never been to a Japanese steak house  Luckily our chef was good and entertaining.  It was fun hearing about all of Virginia's happenings especially her upcoming trips.  She is off to Ireland later this month. 

Susan Logsdon also came over one night for dinner.  Carol cooked good!  Another great visit!

What a great surprise this last week when my family friend Marilyn Turner called to tell me that her grandson and his wife had a baby girl and named her after my Mom and Marilyn's Mom - Opal Raine.  My Mom and Lorraine were lifelong friends.  Marilyn and her daughter Carmen and family are like family to me.  I know Opal and Lorraine are as pleased as Marilyn and I am!

Opal and Lorraine (wish it was a better pic)

As you can see from most of this blog, we spend a lot of time going out to dinner either at a restaurant or at friends.   Just last night we were invited to Linda Thornton and Irene Stevens for dinner and movie night.  They served a great meal and althought challanged by a bad DVD we had a great time and saw a good movie -Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

Now we are going to dinner tonight with my cousin Jerry and his wife Ann.  Will have pics next time.

Me and my girls this morning! 

So I close by wishing you all health and happiness always!  Love you, Nancy and Carol

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we started the month off great with our friends Samantha Perkins and Cindy Lidester.    They arranged a team of friends to walk at the Hendricks County American Cancer Society Walk today.  Our team was named Breast Buddies.  Since my Hemoglobin is still low I tire out quickly when walking and have to rest before continuing so the girls took turns pushing me in a wheelchair.  I decided it was better to not be vain so I could be with my friends.   I did start the walk with the Breast Cancer Survivors.

Note our belief that I am going to be a SURVIVOR!  One of many I know personally and one of more than 2.8 million in the US.  There were several of us "survivors" currently bald and going through Chemo.

Hopefully many of you will be either walking or donating to walkers this month to support Breast Cancer Support and Research.  But even more importantly I hope you will focus on your personal 

breast awareness.  Go to the following link to learn or remind yourself of what you can do to prevent breast cancer.

http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content_Binaries/ENGLISH%20-%20Final1.pdf  (Just copy the link and paste it into your browser.)  

Wow, I am so excited I only have two more Chemo treatments!  This means we are getting very close to being able to head back to Arizona.   Do not get me wrong, we are really sad about leaving our very supportive Indiana friends.  We love them and will miss them.  However we are excited to leave before it gets cold here and get back to all our Arizona friends especially our second mother - Ruth Ann!!!

My last treatment should be Oct 21 so hopefully we will be ready to go early in November. 

So here is what else has been happening the last two weeks:

Nancy Powell is an excellent cook and host.  Homemade Chicken Enchiladas!  We visited her on Sunday Sept 22.  We had fun watching both the Fever and Colts win.  

At my Chemo on the 23rd, I was very pleased to find out that my Hemoglobin was finally slightly up instead of down!   Then it was off for Carol to play Pickleball with our buddies.

On Tuesday after my Neulasta injection, we rode to Greencastle with Deanna Medsker to attend Pat Minnick's Dads funeral viewing.  He was 93 and luckily lived alone until going in for emergency surgery a

few days before his passing.  

Then the bad days began.  The neuropathly really got to me this time. But fortunately it was only a few bad days and our dogs and the cat try to help me!

Cathy Moore and Medy Myers had us over for a cookout later in the week.   We enjoyed the great pork chops, euchre, and key lime pie as well as a fun visit.  

We are being invaded by Stink Bugs!  They are constantly trying to get in our RV.

We throw them out or wrap them in a plastic bag since everyone says we will be sorry if we kill them.  Now we need to find some sticky traps and insecticide.  We don't want to take them to AZ.

Last weekend we had a very fun time on Morse Resovoir at Nancy and Paige's home and on their pontoon.  Carol had a great time riding their waverunner but her chemo brained partner forgot to take her picture.  

Yes, we continue to go through our boxes of old photos.  What a nostalgic task.  One of Carol's favorite old photo of us - I think it was in Hawaii 2001.  As Carol said, look at all that hair!

Between going almost blind sorting old photos Carol also had our girls helping her relax.

Our RV was extra messy when we had to have our kitchen plumbing replaced.   Everything (a lot) under the sink out for a week!  The repair guys also repaired our rear furnace so we won't freeze before getting back to AZ.

Dixie Emler surprised us with a visit one day.  She rode her beautiful BMW over.   We had a good visit and hopefully we will find a time for all three of us to ride our motorcycles somewhere before we leave. 

We did ride our motorcycles to southern Indiana to meet Marti Burcham at the Ceder Grove Tavern for lunch one day this week.   What a fun place.  It is a small tavern attached to a house in a tiny town.  What was the most fun was that they have an old four lane bowling alley.  Remember, Marti and Carol are my buddies that shaved their heads in my support.  

OMG, Connie Kelley had another moving sale this weekend and fortunately she is getting rid of a bunch of stuff.  We are helping a little but not much because of other plans.  We have sold some of our stuff and whatever is left over we are all donating it to someone/anyone!

Our "Friend Ruth Ann" flew to Sacramento yesterday and is staying with Chris Hummer and Janice Monice.   She took our FLAT photo in her carry on and sent us these photos.   Sure fun to join in on the fun!

They are all going to the RVW Convention in Sacramento.  We sure miss being there with everyone but we know they will all have fun and perhaps our FLAT selves can join in .....................