Over the last few weeks Brian and I have taken several wonderful drives. We finally made it to Astoria, where we drove up to the Astoria Column and enjoyed the beautiful view. With my friend Kelly, we drove to Detroit Lake. It was a sunny and warm day. Kelly and I chatted and Brian smiled listening to all the stories. This week found us on Highway 99 driving through beautiful Amity and the surrounding area. We ended up taking Highway 47 through Carlton, Gaston and some other tiny towns to Forest Grove. I got the great idea to take Highway 8 to Banks thinking it would be a short cut. Next time I will consult the Thomas guide I had left on the kitchen counter. We drove about 40 minutes out of the way and West of Banks. It was all farmland, so we enjoyed the cows, wheat fields and farm equipment on the road. We tried making it to the Siletz River again but had to turn around because we ran out of time. We left a little later than we had hoped and made it to Corvallis, where we decided we could not make the trip in the time we had allotted. The Mackenzie River is still on our radar screen but we have yet to try. I feel comfortable with a 6-hour drive but the Siletz and Mackenzie are closer to 9 or 10 hours. Last August, when we purchased the van it had 11,191 miles on it, today it has 24,896 miles. The family who owned the van before us purchased it in 2002 brand new. In less than a year we have more than doubled the miles. I have to say Brian and I like to be on the go.
The first Saturday in August was a big day for Brian. His Neurologist Dr. Goslin made a house call. He was very excited. She spent about an hour here talking with Brian, checking on his vitals and answering questions. It was really nice of her to come to us. Going to the doctor’s office is hard both physically and emotionally.
The communication device is working wonderfully. Brian is using it all day and it is great to be able to understand him. So far, no hard drive problems, scanning issues or blips.
Our third hospice nurse is very nice. Hospice is a wonderful program. The Chaplain visits every week, the nurse calls on a regular basis and visits every week and the social worker is available anytime and visits often. We feel supported and cared for during this difficult time.
Not much to report on Brian’s current status. Just about the same since the last journal entry.
Today the sun is shining and it is hot. We have the air conditioning on and Brian is under an electric blanket. He is always cold but the girls and I are sweating. We came up with a compromise and it seems to be working.
Thank you, to everyone for your love and support. We feel the prayers and happy thoughts that come our way.
