Seawall on the Day of Hurricane Ike

Here is some video I shot from 14th Street and Seawall (1/2 mile from our house) on 9/12/08. This is about 12 or 13 hours before the storm made landfall. This is the first place that Qua'nisha and I went. The police came and yelled at us on a bull-horn to leave because "the Seawall is closed and it is dangerous!" Qua'nisha is not in the video.

Qua'nisha's Video on the Day of Hurricane Ike

This is Qua'nisha's video she has been pestering me to post for over a month. We braved the dangers of being on Seawall Boulevard as Hurricane Ike was coming on shore to bring everyone a live update of what the conditions were like 12 or 13 hours before the landfall of the storm.

The police actually came and told us to leave the Seawall because it was very dangerous and closed at the the first place we went so Qua'nisha, the determined reporter that she is, made me drive her down Broadway to another spot so she could shoot her video. (She's very bossy sometimes, but she does such good work!)

A trip to the dentist

Mum notes: Today we went to my dentist at 7 am as Selena's temporary cap had fallen out. It turned out that she needed a root canal and antibiotics as she had a severe abscess. So she had the first half of a root canal, the rest to follow after antibiotics do their thing. Soo sore mouth and all we went to Target, the family's favourite store for her drugs and refills of other pills. We also perused the sale racks and found a great blouse for her for $3.

Tonight we dined on halibut, cheddar cheese biscuts, noodles and fresh spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, yum!!
The bathing suit Selena ordered from Tyler came so now we can go to the pool and jacuzzi, perhaps tomorrow.

Bradenton Bulletin

Mum Notes: Well Selena arrived safe and sound on Saturday. She was able to bring me most of my "stuff" left behind in Galveston. I was glad to see my checque book and other bits.
Selena was tired and achey on Sunday. Monday same but she was able to sit up and watch TV and visit with me. Tuesday we had an appointment with yet another new oncologist. Br. Brian Berry. He was found by Dr. Basile in Tyler, Texas and also recommended here by my dermatologist and a cancer nurse I know. We both liked him. He was kind and thorough. He spoke with Dr. Basile and they were worried about Selena's ongoing peripheral neuropathy and decided to hold/stop chemo and offered the following choices:
A His recommendation - Stop the paclitaxel and have surgery now. Then complete the last 6 chemo treatments.
B Second choice - Stop the chemo and wait a week or two and then start another type that would be less toxic to the neuropathy BUT much more toxic to blood cells and general malaise/aches.
C Least recommended - Stop the paclitaxel and wait a few weeks and then resume carefully monitoring for neuropathy.
Selena is pondering but favors C. She wants to consult with Dr. Markoweiz so we are going to see where he landed after IKE and see if we can get dr's M & B & B to all confer and put the pieces together. Each seems to have part of the puzzle.
Meantime Chris is still in Mineola and today has become "officially middle aged" as he had the big 40. We had apple tarts in his honour here without him. sic
We are planning a small birthday party and a "meet Selena" at my condo on Saturday. Sandy Luse, my dear friend and fellow nurse will be 61 but we won't tell her. She thinks she is 39 and I must admit she is holding pretty well, considering she's Irish. I did order a turtle cheesecake for the event. Have asked several of the nurses to come.
Today I made a Sam's run for essentials and Selena did a stint on the computer. Now she is listening to the McCain-Obamma debate. I figure I will be hearing about it for several days as TV and radio digest and interpret it so...
Another issue is Selena's temporary crown which fell off. My dentist is going to see her tomorrow and see what it needs. We have no idea where the previous crown is as it was ready at the dental office in Galveston, on Broadway, AND was paid for..... so we have a 7 am apt. I am sure you can imagine we are both excited about an apt at that time but she was squeezing her in so we have to be grateful, I guess. I'm working on it.
Guess that's all the Mum news but I did want to tell Joel hello and how much I enjoy his comments, so Joel consider yourself told.

Day by day

Yesterday I had my ultrasound and chemo- everything went well. I took Chris with me (I drove) since he had been driving all night to get here. He brought a lot of moms stuff that I am taking back to her today when I fly to Bradenton.

Dr. Basile has found me a doctor in Bradenton who will take me and keep me on schedule, just have to call on Monday.

I kind of hate to leave here, everyone has been so supportive and welcoming. Pat, Carolyn and Chris set up Matthew's old bedroom as a TV lounge for me and the whole family has been beyond, beyond, good to me. I can't even begin to express my gratitude. I have felt loved here.

Plugging along

I saw Dr. Basile today - Lori took me- and the following happened:

1. She is not happy about my liver enzymes and has scheduled me for an ultrasound tomorrow.
2. She is not happy about me leaving to go to Bradenton on Saturday. She is concerned that my treatment will be interrupted. She took down numbers and will make calls on my behalf.
3. She examined me and says my largest lump is now the size "of a bean" Yipee.
4. She is not too concerned about my peripheral neuropathy (tingling in fingers) and says that Because of the results I am scheduled for chemo tomorrow.

Afterwards Lori and I went to Chick-Fil-A and bought some cards in a dollar store. Chris is supposed to be coming back here to take me to chemo tomorrow - I miss him.

Sorry sucha downer...

I've kinda been waiting for good news... Sorry- ain't gonna happen.

• Chris has a hotel room, paid for by FEMA in El Campo, about 2 hours from Galveston and 5.5 hours from here (Mineola) Other than free Playboy channel it has little to recommend it. It's the closest he could find.
• Yesterday, Chris was in an auto accident - he's fine, just a bruised leg and head. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and checked out, his heart and asthma. The car may be totaled.
• I'm starting to get tingling in my fingertips - a side effect of the chemo "peripheral neuropathy' that may set my treatment back. We'll see if the doctor let's me do chemo this week.
• My school started back today an I'm not able to be there -no work no check.

Here's my mother's update: Oct 6 Well I thought it was time to share the latest with all of you. I have been home in Bradenton since Sept 15 and haven't been back to work yet. Still don't know if I have a job or not?? Selena and Chris are based out of Chris's parents home in Mineola and Selena has been receiving her chemo in Tyler, TX, about 45 min away. Chris has been given a FEMA motel room about 2 hours away from Galveston instead of the 6 hours to Mineola. The rabbits remain in Mineola. Based out of there he has been working to make the house livable. FEMA has agreed to pay for a generator due to Chris's severe asthma so he can connect up fans+++ and try to dry out the house. He has been able to determine that the water in the office/computer room at the back of the house was from below (it really looks as if the water was right up there at the floor level and the few wet areas are from wave action and less than watertight construction.) In that room the Sheetrock does not appear to have wicked up. The next door ranchstyle house was totally submerged and those folks lost everything.Salvation Army drove thru and fed folks dinner yesterday. Chris said it was good to have hot cooked food. The Mosquito Cafe just catycorner on the corner was also totally submerged and destroyed but plan to reopen again. Selena will fly over here to stay with me on Sat Oct 11 and plans are forming for her to continue her chemo here. She started to have neuropathy (nerve tingling in her extremities - hands) yesterday so... who knows if and or when. That is evidently a side effect of her chemo, along with the flu like symptoms she gets for three-five days each week. That's the news as I know it today. Hope you all are well.

Sorry for the negative tone, but things pretty much suck right now. Please keep sending prayers, good karma - whatever ya got!