ALL BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE: October 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Weekend in Utah and Little Shop Of Horrors

We spent the weekend in Logan.
On Saturday we went to a matinee and saw Richie in
Little Shop Of Horrors.

Rich was excellent! I love seeing him on stage.

After the show we went to Richie's house and had a good visit.

Richie III, playing in the leaves

Richie lives right by the Logan temple. It is so beautiful.

At night, the temple looks especially beautiful.

Sunday at Dad's (Vosco) house.

Princess Sophia

Richie's beautiful family

(Four generations)

William Vosco, Richard Burleigh I, Richard Burleigh II, Richard Burleigh III

After our little picnic, we drove back to Idaho.

We stopped at the Call's Fort monument on our way home.

Anson's name is being carried on.

Dick's family, and now my family, come from Omer Call. Omer and Homer were twins.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Deacon to the rescue!

Dad and I went to the foot doctor yesterday. Dad had his ingrown toenail taken care of. He has a follow up appointment in two weeks. He was given a topical antibiotic. He needs to put 2 drops twice a day. I learned something new today. The topical antibiotic is Neomycin drops for ear infections. He said it works wonders to prevent or to treat toe infections. I found that very interesting. The doctor wants to make sure that his toe doesn't get infected because of his surgery coming up.

I saw the doctor too. He said that my ankles have been giving me trouble because I have tendinitis. I could never imagine anything could be so painful. I think it hurts more than childbirth. He told me that I needed a special tennis shoe, and explained what I needed to buy. He told me that he doesn't want me walking around barefoot anymore. Especially in the kitchen, since it is tile. I hate to wear shoes in the house so this will be very challenging for me.

When I got home I called Donnelly Sports and told the manager what the doctor said I needed. I told her what he recommended and asked her if she had anything like that. I also asked for her recommendations. She told me she would send two pairs of shoes home with Anson and that I could walk with them around the house before I decided which ones I wanted to buy. They were exactly like what the doctor had described. I am so grateful to live in a little town where stores will do this for you. There is so much trust in this area. Nobody ever asks me for an ID when I use a check or a debit card. Everybody knows you when you go places. Before Dad and I went to our appointment, I knew we wouldn't be out in time to get Aubrey from school. Both Brianna and Giselle were working. Travis was at his house but it was Deacon's nap time. I thought for a minute that Dick or I were going to have to leave our appointment to go get her and bring her back with us. Then I thought. What? No, I don't! We have dear friends that are teachers at her school! The librarian and the vice principal are good friends and they could watch her! Plus they are always asking if they can do anything for our family. I called her favorite teacher in the whole, wide world and asked if Aubrey could hang out with her until we got out of the doctor's. She said, "Of course!" I love our town! I love our good friends here. Especially when you feel like your whole world turns upside down, and you feel like you're drowning, we can always count on our friends to lift us up.

Today I was in a hurry to go get Aubrey from school. My foot hit a big, heavy chair. I experienced the worst pain ever! It really felt like somebody gave my foot an electric shock and it traveled all the way to the top of my leg. The pain was so intense that my left leg couldn't hold me and I fell to the floor. I started crawling to the kitchen because I couldn't walk, trying really hard not to cry because I didn't want to scare Deacon. I know I was making sounds like the ones you make when you're in so much pain. Finally I was able to get up and started hobbling. I was trying to make it to the bathroom. Deacon kept following me and kissing my calf. I felt so bad and kept reassuring him that I was okay, my foot was just hurting me. All of the sudden he took off really fast. I thought maybe I really worried him and he was scared so he ran away. I didn't want to go back to the TV room because I was almost to the bathroom and the pain was so bad, I didn't think I could make it much farther. When I get to the door of the bathroom, I heard him saying, "Mom, Mom!" When I turned around, he had Dick's cane. He wanted me to use it. How can a two year old put two and two together like that? He kept kissing my calf and was so concerned but so calm. After leaving the bathroom, I really don't know what I would have done without the cane. The cane helped me get back to the kitchen and to the car to go get Aubrey. What a special boy. I am so grateful to have him keep me company and have him watch out for me.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Ankle trouble and Fall Leaves

Today I could barely walk. Both my ankles are giving me lots of trouble, or should I say lots of PAIN. Dad has an appointment tomorrow with a foot doctor because he has an ingrown toenail. This doctor comes once a week from Pocatello and has been highly recommended. I hate going to doctors, but I was so desperate today. I asked if I could make an appointment with Dick tomorrow and luckily they could see me too. Last time that I went to see my family doctor, it was only my left ankle (the inside of it.) He said that it was a pulled ligament and that if it didn't get any better, that I should go in for a cortisone shot. The pain got worse and worse. Finally 2 days ago, it started feeling better (just a little) but my right one started hurting terribly. I couldn't even walk last night or this morning. I was in tears because I'm supposed to be taking care of Dad. How can I if I can't even walk? I needed to go get Deacon at Brianna's house so that I could babysit. I couldn't walk because of the pain, so Dad went to get Deacon.

They finally showed up like two hours after Dick left. They had gone grocery shopping. Deacon was holding a big bag of Cheetos, and when he saw me, he said,
"Hi Mom."

These two spent most of the day outside today. At one point I went outside to see what they were up to.
Dick was raking leaves with Deacon's help.

Dad would pile the leaves on a tarp.

Deacon would climb aboard.

Then Dad would pull the leaves and Deacon.

Ooops! Tight squeeze.

Deacon would get off.

He'd wait patiently while Dad dumped the leaves by the curb.
They did this over and over again.

Deacon kicking the leaves because everything in his life is a football game.

What an amazing man. He is a great husband, father, and grandfather. Even when he's not feeling his best, he never feels sorry for himself. He has always been a hard worker. He is already teaching his grandchild that hard work can be fun.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Surgery First

Yesterday Dr. Jones called. Instead of giving us the final recommendation, (chemo or surgery first???) he informed us that he wanted a third test done on the tissue that was biopsied. The reason is because he wanted to be absolutely sure that this was the same type of cancer that Dick had on his leg. I asked him, "Didn't two pathologist confirm this already?" He told us yes, but that there was different levels of certainty, and that this was the highest level. He has seen this type of cancer start in this area, but he has never seen it spread to this area. Because it is so rare, he wants to be absolutely sure. He told us that the test should be back on Wednesday and that we would hear from him then.

Today (Tuesday) he called and said that the test results were back. A day sooner than he expected. He told us that it definitely is the same kind of cancer. This type of cancer doesn't respond very well to chemotherapy. (Only about 30%) He also told us that chemo was a very high risk for a healthy individual, let alone someone with Dick's health problems. (His paralyzed diaphragm, diabetes, his heart attack, epilepsy, etc.) He, along with the rest of the sarcoma team, feels that Dick should have surgery first. Chemo would prolong his surgery at least 3 months, and if he is one of the 70% that chemo won't help, it would mean 3 months of the tumors getting larger, or the cancer spreading. Also, the chemo would make the surgery a lot more complicated because it would encapsulate the tumors, and cause many other problems. He also said that with surgery they could see with their eyes and feel with their fingers so much more than any type of scan. At this point we pray that it is contained because chemo doesn't sound very promising. He will still have chemo after he heals from his surgery. They will know definitely when they do the surgery.

Surgery, as of now, is scheduled for November 15th. Dick asked Dr. Jones if he could be in the operating room during the surgery. Our ever so kind Dr. Jones, even though he is not performing this surgery, will be in the operating room.

Dr. Jones was on speaker when he visited with us. That way Brianna and Giselle could hear what was going on too. Toward the end of the conversation, Dr. Jones asked Dick for a big favor. He told Dick that he has written a book, a book about his patients who have survived cancer, not only with medicine, but with their mental state. He asked if he could send Dick the book so that he could critique it for him before he has it published. Dick was very honored. I think that reading about these amazing patients who have survived cancer when all odds were against them, will help Dick throughout his next journey.

Today when the sun was hitting our big, yellow tree, everything looked so yellow!

We promised Anson and Aubrey that we would take them to the mall today. Anson went one way with his friend to find jeans, and Brianna went with Aubrey to help her find some shirts. Dad and Deacon walked the mall, and I found a chair to elevate my leg. Not only is one of my ankles hurting me now, but both.