George and I had a perfect weekend in Portland. The purpose of the visit was so that I could see my doctor in person for the first time since September of 2019. Normally I have an ultrasound and a visit with him every 6 months. That has not been possible during the pandemic. I kept having my 6 month blood work done here in Boise. It remained stable and Dr. Madison and I have had a couple of phone visits. Our plan was for me to come see him after I was vaccinated and also have an ultrasound and CT scan at OHSU in the beautiful new building down by the river. As soon as we were both vaccinated, we made plans to drive over for a long weekend. The doctor's visit would be the perfect time to catch up with friends in Portland and, of course, with Scott.
So happy to report that my blood work has remained virtually unchanged and there is nothing remarkable on either my CT scan or my ultrasound. The cancer marker called Calcitonin is rising ever so slowly but the numbers are nothing to get excited about. The new plan is to have blood work in Boise in 6 months and see him again in a year. I am so thankful that this cancer is behaving itself. Again Dr. Madison reiterated that while I will die WITH this cancer, there is a good chance I won't die OF Medullary Thyroid Cancer.
Doctor visit done, we could then concentrate on having fun with Scott and friends.....and eating out way too much! FYI, I gained 2 pounds and George lost 1. There is no justice.
First we had a fun meal with Scott at our favorite pizza place, Pieology. I love these 'pick your own ingredients' pizza places. George gets the equivalent of his Barcelona favorite pizza, the Rodeo, which has a barbecue sauce and lots and lots of bacon. I enjoy a pizza with chicken and Gorgonzola and Scott sticks with the tried and true Margarita.
Speaking of Scott, he is doing so well. He got a new job working at a company that does restorations and renovations so he is learning lots of great skills! After about 5 years working at Starbucks he was especially excited NOT to have to get up several days a week at 3:30 a.m. to open. He is still coaching some soccer and working at a stable. In fact, he will be moving into an apartment at the stables in July. We are so happy for him and proud of how well he is doing. Seeing my 'horse crazy' boy spending time with his lifelong love puts a smile on my face!
We had two dinners with friends. Friday night with my walking buddies and husbands at a delicious Chinese restaurant and Saturday with our old monthly dinner group! Friday we were so busy talking that I forgot to take a photo but remembered on Saturday. I really miss our Lake Oswego friends.
Every Thursday for all the years we lived in Lake Oswego, George and his good friend Larry went to lunch at Burgerville in Wilsonville. Larry passed away last June and this was our first time back since his death. We stayed with Martha, Larry's widow, and did enjoy a Burgerville lunch in his honor.
George also did a few projects for Martha around her home. Unfortunately she has squirrels who are calling her attic home. George verified their residency but she will need to hire someone to evict them!
While George did projects, I attended a fun baby shower/lunch with my Kenya Keys friends. Judith, who is a Kenyan serving on the board, had a baby during the pandemic. It was a joy to finally be able to celebrate her little girl in Rinda's beautiful backyard .
I have always thought that there was nothing prettier than a sunny day in Portland with Mt. Hood, in all her glory, keeping watch on the city. I still think so.
No comments:
Post a Comment