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Trip/Home/Summer/cough
By Margot | June 25, 2008
Me and the Three Wild Indians at Bandelier
Sam and Charlie on Grandpa’s tractor
Sam guiding on the river. I dropped the throw-away camera in the water -thus the spots. Good thing I didn’t bring our good camera on the river.
Andy guiding on the river
Andy jumping at Bandalier
Sam climbing up to the caves
Grandpa reading to the boys
Boys turning Grandpa and Charlie upside down on the hammock
New Mexico Sky
We had a wonderful trip to New Mexico. I had a guy friend in college who used to call me the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce. The boys were busy. They all rode horses – even Charlie who kept saying “Mom, I’m on beeg hoas!” He didn’t want to get off. I got Sam and Andy to trot a little and they loved it. I definitely got my exercise. Sam’s favorite part of the trip was river rafting. It was a fantastic day and we had a guide who was great with kids. He let both Sam and Andy be the guide for a while and they loved barking out “Backwards paddle! Forwards Paddle.” It was fun. Andy’s favorite part was climbing in the Indian Caves. Both Sam and Andy made it all the way up to the big ceremonial cave with Grandpa. I stayed below with Charlie and I heard a huge yell from Andy when he got up there, “Dude, this is awesome!” Everyone who came down from the cave while the boys were up there said, “Your boys are funny.” The hike was two miles round trip and Sammy got a little tired. Andy ran ahead with Grandpa and Charlie and Sam and I took our time. Charlie fell asleep in my arms on the way back on the hike and Sam and I read all the signs posted about the wildlife and watched the squirrels.  Hard to explain but it was very special to be walking through the woods by ourselves with Charlie sleeping in my arms, talking with Sam about things and hearing Andy’s exclamations way ahead with Grandpa. My mom and my cousin Darby (who is 23) came up on Friday. The boys loved Darby and played with her all day for two days. She was so great with them.  I inluded the picture of Grandpa upside down on the hammock because I think it’s pretty representative of how he and Stevie must have felt when the Three Wild Indians came to town. The damage report from Hurricane Hutchison was considerable. We had a trip to the hospital but it did not involve Sam. Andy climbed up very high in the juniper tree and Stephanie went out to help him down. She had him in her arms when the branch she was standing on broke and she fell back with Andy in her arms onto a rock and broke three ribs. Not really how she was expecting to spend her summer (recuperating). We hope she’s feeling a little better now, it’s almost impossible for her not to try to take care of everyone, I hope she’s taking care of herself. Charlie colored on the couch, Andy broke my Dad’s computer desk door, we lost the sprayer for the garden. Anyone want some house guests this summer? ;-) My dad got me a back massage for my birthday and the very nice woman, Melissa, who works with my dad came to his house. After I got my massage Andy walked up to her and said, “Don’t I get a massage?” So she said she had some time and she gave both Sam and Andy back massages on her massage table.   Grandpa walked into the room when Andy was getting his back rubbed and Andy said, “Could I have a little privacy please?” My dad thought that was so funny since Melissa is a very pretty lady. The last day before we got on the plane we had breakfast with Erin and Stein Johnson and their beautiful family. Their daughter Maddie is an NB survivor. She is Andy’s age.  Erin has been a huge help to us when we are in New Mexico and when I told her Sam might need blood she called St. Vincents and arranged everything for us and told us to call her any time day or night and she would come down to the hosptial and do the tranfusion. She is a flight nurse. It was odd because we discovered at breakfast that we went to high school together and graduated in the same class (a little creepy if you think about it in NB terms). Erin told me there is another girl we graduated with who’s daughter had rabdo and then a brain tumor. To say that hasn’t had some affect on my psyche over the past few days is a lie.
Neil had a relaxing time after he got back from Vermont and said he had a very good meeting with a lot of good ideas in the works. I called him on Friday night and he said, “I’m relaxing. I’m at the Catamaran with a glass of wine, some short ribs ordered and three cancer books and a ton of cancer papers to read.” I thought that was kind of funny. He did watch Will Ferrel’s Semi-Pro, which he said was the best Will Ferrel movie so far (for all you Will Ferrel fans out there). That’s a good one to watch without me 😉
Sam felt pretty good though I think he was slightly anemic on Thursday. We took him in for counts on Monday morning after we got back and he was at 9.5 so just coming up. His VMA/HVA from last week was VMA 9 (down .5) and HVA 14.5 (down .5). He starts chemo again tomorrow. We went in to the orthopedist on Monday afternoon and got more x-rays. His growth plates are still wide from TM and Dr. Chambers chastised me for letting him play basketball. Neil and I decided that we will take him off of TM permanently (we had lowered the dose and only given on certain days)  so that we don’t keep closing and widening his growth plates (Dr. Chambers said they’ll eventually stop growing). If we knew that TM was the magic bullet, we would keep him on it but we’re not willing to take away sports, one of the things that gives him the most joy for something that isn’t a sure bet.
Sam is still coughing but his lungs sound clear to everyone who has listened to him. Charlie came down with croup again last night and he and I were up walking outside in the middle of the night to give him some cold air to breathe. I think it’s just gone around in a circle. Charlie had it, gave it Andy who gave it Sam, and now Charlie has it again. Sam and Andy just got it in the form of a cough. Everyone seems to feel fine and they’re all running around as usual. Sam is just coughing every once in a while and we’ll have to see what happens with Charlie in the next few days. Â
The boys have been in the pool quite a bit since we’ve been back and yesterday we went to the beach with the Storch’s.  Natalie and Sam get along really well (you’d think they were a couple if they weren’t in second/third grade). Neil and I took the boys down to the pier last night and it was beautiful. They love running down the pier and watching the surfers. Â
Our schedule is filling up so I hope to have everyone back in good non-coughing health soon.Â
Eeks. Sorry for the long post.  I think you are up to date now. Â
Please check in on Max Mikulak and Mashed Potatoes for Breakfast and leave some birthday messages for Max. He is turning seven this weekend.  http://www.mikulak.blogspot.com
Margot
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Topics: Progress Reports | 2 Comments »
June 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I’m very impressed with Sam’s taste in baseball hats….it looks, and sounds, like you had a great and busy trip to see your parents. I’m glad everyone had fun other than the broke ribs of course.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Oh Margot how I have missed your posts when you are too busy enjoying life! I feel like I went on vacation. Thank you.
Hurricane Hutchison is welcome to N. Minnesota any time. We have lakes and need a new couch any way.
Love!