Journal entry by Tom & Mad
Today is the fifth anniversary of my nine hour esophagectomy. I just went back and read the blog postings Mad and I wrote in 2015 between then and July 17th, when I finally got out of the hospital. What a ride! When we walked in to the hospital at 5:30 am on that Friday morning, little did we know that we would not be finished with it for eight weeks. In my optimistic as usual mind I figured no longer than ten days and I would be convalescing at home. Thankfully, there is a lot about the tribulations of those two months that I don’t remember. I must admit that going back through the mists of time leaves me a little bit daunted about what I had to go through. Rereading it, although somewhat uncomfortable, reinforces the gratitude, the joy of life I feel today. Aside from the usual aches and pains of which septuagenarians complain, I feel great.
And I don’t have any news for you. Last post I mentioned that my April CT scan had been postponed until May due to Coronavirus concerns. Well, now it has been postponed until next month. And so it goes in these uncertain times. So my next scan is set for June 8, with consultations over the next few days, so you know that you may be hearing from me if there is any news after four months.
Having nature close at hand is my balm for the isolation of the Covid pandemic. Well, to be strictly honest, it always has been a passionate interest, never mind the pandemic. It does make enduring the fact that I must stay close to home a lot easier.
Are any of you birdwatchers? I understand a lot of people have taken it up as an avocation during their forced isolation. It’s amazing how many birds you can identify in your own back yard. I have been at it since my early teens when my mother helped me earn my nature merit badge and birdwatching merit badge, among others, to become an Eagle Scout. It never ceases to be interesting, in spite of the fact that I might see the same birds over and over. We feed birds year round and just now a lot of showy migrants are blowing through, sharing our feeders with the resident woodpeckers, chickadees, juncos, Stellar jays and siskins. We both love the Rufous hummingbirds.
When I walk over to the river, as I often do, I hope to see a great blue heron, but have not been lucky the last month or so. The last one I saw was back in early March and on that day I also saw a Bald Eagle. The Dipper is a drab but most interesting bird that I usually see on my walks along the river. Not as common is the beautiful Kingfisher, but I got a great look at one yesterday. What else did I see over there? Hmm, let’s see. Mallards, Western Tanager, Black Headed Grosbeak, Yellow Rumped Warbler, McGillvray Warbler, Song Sparrow, Western Kingbird, Grey Flycatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Mountain Bluebird, Dark Eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove. Ahh spring!
Have I bored you completely with mundane stuff? I worry about clogging up Caring Bridge with inanities. I am gradually getting my web page going at (www.tomlandis.com). There is a lot of old stuff on it, but all the Caring Bridge posts are moved over there and I hope to be posting some of my ongoing but more mundane current thoughts on that blog, with the hope of establishing dialog with some of you on a more consistent basis.
Today is the fifth anniversary of my nine hour esophagectomy. I just went back and read the blog postings Mad and I wrote in 2015 between then and July 17th, when I finally got out of the hospital. What a ride! When we walked in to the hospital at 5:30 am on that Friday morning, little did we know that we would not be finished with it for eight weeks. In my optimistic as usual mind I figured no longer than ten days and I would be convalescing at home. Thankfully, there is a lot about the tribulations of those two months that I don’t remember. I must admit that going back through the mists of time leaves me a little bit daunted about what I had to go through. Rereading it, although somewhat uncomfortable, reinforces the gratitude, the joy of life I feel today. Aside from the usual aches and pains of which septuagenarians complain, I feel great.
And I don’t have any news for you. Last post I mentioned that my April CT scan had been postponed until May due to Coronavirus concerns. Well, now it has been postponed until next month. And so it goes in these uncertain times. So my next scan is set for June 8, with consultations over the next few days, so you know that you may be hearing from me if there is any news after four months.
Having nature close at hand is my balm for the isolation of the Covid pandemic. Well, to be strictly honest, it always has been a passionate interest, never mind the pandemic. It does make enduring the fact that I must stay close to home a lot easier.
Are any of you birdwatchers? I understand a lot of people have taken it up as an avocation during their forced isolation. It’s amazing how many birds you can identify in your own back yard. I have been at it since my early teens when my mother helped me earn my nature merit badge and birdwatching merit badge, among others, to become an Eagle Scout. It never ceases to be interesting, in spite of the fact that I might see the same birds over and over. We feed birds year round and just now a lot of showy migrants are blowing through, sharing our feeders with the resident woodpeckers, chickadees, juncos, Stellar jays and siskins. We both love the Rufous hummingbirds.
When I walk over to the river, as I often do, I hope to see a great blue heron, but have not been lucky the last month or so. The last one I saw was back in early March and on that day I also saw a Bald Eagle. The Dipper is a drab but most interesting bird that I usually see on my walks along the river. Not as common is the beautiful Kingfisher, but I got a great look at one yesterday. What else did I see over there? Hmm, let’s see. Mallards, Western Tanager, Black Headed Grosbeak, Yellow Rumped Warbler, McGillvray Warbler, Song Sparrow, Western Kingbird, Grey Flycatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Mountain Bluebird, Dark Eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove. Ahh spring!
Have I bored you completely with mundane stuff? I worry about clogging up Caring Bridge with inanities. I am gradually getting my web page going at (www.tomlandis.com). There is a lot of old stuff on it, but all the Caring Bridge posts are moved over there and I hope to be posting some of my ongoing but more mundane current thoughts on that blog, with the hope of establishing dialog with some of you on a more consistent basis.
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