Why did the turkey cross the road?

Woody got up early this morning and went to work for four hours. He did walk a bit at work today, as he had some business to take care of in another building on the base. He came home and picked me up and we headed to Vanderbilt around 10:20am and we pulled back into our driveway around 5:50pm. Not a short day, but not as long as some have been.

We had a fairly uneventful day at Vanderbilt on Day 22 of Cycle 2 of Woody's double blind chemo drug study. His potassium is still slightly low and his red blood count is slightly low...but his white blood count continues to be in the normal range. All appointments happened on schedule...the main hold-up was for the CT scan...he has to drink some contrast and then wait for at least 45 min. They called him in right at the 45 min. time and he was back from the scan in less than 15 min.

We did do some questioning of the research nurse today as to what would determine if he would continue with the drug study. He will probably continue the study, if his CT scan shows no further progression of his melanoma or if it shows that the melanoma places are getting smaller. If his melanoma has progressed some, then they will evaluate the percentage that it has increased since the scan at the start of the study...there is a certain criteria in the study that says at what percentage the study has to stop. So...time will tell.

Dr Sosman and the research nurse will evaluate the scan in a couple of days and then call us at the end of the week to tell us if Woody will continue with the study or not. Whether he continues the study or not, we will be going to Vanderbilt next Tuesday (Labor Day is Monday so no appointments that day.). If he continues, he will start taking the chemo and the study drugs that day and be given another daily diary sheet to fill out. With cycle 3, Woody will only have to go to Vanderbilt once a month...not once a week. If he doesn't continue, then they will do the final paper work for the drug study with Woody on Tuesday.

Here's the answer to tonight's title question: (This picture is clickable so you can see the reason better!) (If you click on the top picture and scroll over to the right, you will see another turkey by the metal post...so that makes a total or 17 or 18 that we could see in this rafter of turkeys.) (I'm sorry that I didn't have my telephoto lens on...but that is how it goes when I'm taking pictures...seems like I never have the right lens on for the picture that I want to take...a memory of my father!)

Day 21, Cycle 2

Today puts Woody 3/4 through with the second cycle of the trial drug study. We both went to Sunday School and taught our respective classes. We came home, ate lunch, relaxed, and then decided to take a walk. We walked about three miles. Woody has read and relaxed this evening.

On our walk today, we found this oak tree just laden with acorns. Looks like there will be plenty of fodder for the rascally squirrels this winter. Last year due to our drought, there were hardly any acorns and supposedly squirrels starved during the winter. Looks like this year will make up for last year with a bumper crop. It is rather dangerous to take steps in our yard or on our sidewalks, as they are already so covered with acorns.

We head back to Vanderbilt tomorrow. Woody will have lab work, see Dr. Sosman and the research nurses, and then have a CT scan done...so our day at Vanderbilt will most likely be longer than the last two visits. This CT scan will determine whether he will continue on with a third cycle in this trial drug study.

Day 20, Cycle 2

Sort of a typical Saturday...Woody got up early and walked 8 miles, he went to the library, and he has watched a couple of DVD's. We both walked the Tullahoma Greenway this afternoon. It stretches between our public library and Tullahoma High School...we parked at the library and walked over to the high school and back...a total of 3 miles. I, of course, took my camera. Here is one of the pictures I took. I think that I will call it: "Beaver Dam Monet." Aren't the reflections great! It was a really pretty walk. After we got back, Woody did some more mowing.

Day 19, Cycle 2

This is the picture that I was heading out to take yesterday, when I caught Woody sawing up trees again. Can you see just the hint of a Fall brushstroke on the dogwood tree? I think that we will have beautiful Fall foliage this year since we have had so much more rain than in the past several years...lots of years our leaves start turning...but it is due to dryness not due to God's timing for Fall coloration of leaves...and those years just don't seem to have the breathtaking color that our wetter years have...guess time will tell about this year...but the hint of Fall is here!

Well, today I did the grocery shopping once again...that decision was made due to the fact that "the flu" seems to have gotten to Tullahoma and Woody probably needs to stay out of places like WalMart, Kroger, etc. So I got up, got the grocery list ready and headed out to run errands and grocery shop. Then, when I got home, I put away the groceries and decided that I would go on and cook our supper with some of today's purchases. After I did that, I was rather worn out so I took a nap while Woody mowed and then we ate supper.

Woody got up early as usual, went to work, walked at lunch, came home and headed out quickly to mow (before the next band of rain/drizzle got to us), then came in cooled off a bit, ate supper, and has relaxed and read the rest of the evening.

It has attempted to rain most of the day here...but we never got very much wherever I was...either that or I was in stores while the showers came and went. I took my umbrella...but it was really more an encumbrance than a help...as I never needed to open it...just had to make sure that I didn't forget that I had it and leave it hanging on a shopping cart! We did have a short shower while we ate supper and Woody did get drizzled on off and on while he mowed.

Day 18, Cycle 2

I went outside to try to take a picture of one of the dogwoods that is starting to change to Fall colors and look who I found busy with his saw once again. This time the top of a dead tree had toppled down due to too much weight from vines that had twisted around it. So Woody sawed it up and took it out to the brush pile. The vines made this a bit of a challenging job...he kept getting his feet tangled in them...and he doesn't need to fall on his left arm!

Woody has had an almost normal day minus his walk at lunch...he got so busy that he just worked through lunch. Then he came home and did some more mowing and also sawed up this tree. When I went downstairs just now to check with him about what he had done today, he was emptying the dishwasher.

Day 17, Cycle 2

Oops...I'd better jump in (like this squirrel) and post...time has gotten away from me this evening.

A pretty routine day once again...Woody got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, mowed a little after he got home from work, ate supper and has read and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Day 16, Cycle 2

After yesterday's "ugly" creature, I thought that I should put up one of God's "beautiful" creatures. Is there anything much prettier than a monarch butterfly? We spotted this one on our walk on Sunday. I got a picture of him with his wings closed then waited for him to open them...Woody told me when I needed to snap the picture...good team work!

We are having a wind-down day after yesterday's trip to Nashville. Woody got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, came home mowed a little, ate supper, and has read and relaxed the rest of the evening.

The thing that I am noticing about going to Vanderbilt every Monday...it is like Monday disappears from my week...the rest of the week I always seem to be a day off.

Today is a very special day in our family. Our oldest grandchild is 16...my how days and years have flown by since we were heading to Nashville to see her at Baptist Hospital for the first time! Happy birthday, Erin Elizabeth!