New Adventures in the Journey of Life, in case anyone asks

Life is always full of new adventures, some expected others unexpected and I've started down a new unexpected path.

But first some back story on how this particular journey started. About 6 weeks ago I decided to grill up 5 lbs of chicken I had sitting in the freezer. Many of the chicken breasts were freezer burned but not wanting to waste food I grilled them up anyway. Nice and crispy (burnt) I dug into a couple for dinner. A little hard to cut because the cooked breasts were dry I added some butter and some sauce to add a little liquid to moisten them up. I retired for the evening a short time later but was awakened later that night by a sharp pain just below my sternum. Rubbing the area I noticed a lump. My first thought was “great the dried out over cooked chicken has bound up my gut, this should be fun” and went back to sleep. The next day I was constipated lending credence to the idea my cooking skills were responsible. This continued for several days so I ordered an enema bag to flush things out. I finally began to see some waste movement and the enemas seemed to help (hurrah for Amazon and deliveries to the bootheel of New Mexico). I continued with the enemas on a regular basis and noticed no pain just some discomfort and a full feeling during the day while outside working. The owner had scheduled a visit to help me with some jobs on the estate and with his arrival we got to work finishing the installation of the new pool cover. I also serviced the pool's solar heating system in preparation for winter. But I was spending more and more time in the bathroom. The owners concern grew and he eventually wanted me to get checked out. Through the hard work of Marlenia Baska the P.A. at the Animas clinic which is now open 4 days a week, I was able to get checked out. She sent me to Silver City for an ultrasound. The Gila River Regional Medical is 2 ½ hrs away and the owner graciously postponed his return and carried me up there for the procedure. The only tip off I heard was a question about how much alcohol I drank, to which I responded “I don't drink”. They cut me loose after the ultrasound (which I saw as a positive) and we headed home. A day or so later it was back to the Hidalgo county medical clinic for results. The ultrasound revealed 2 large masses (7 cm in my left lobe and 10 cm in my right lobe) in the liver and was suggestive of metastatic liver cancer. Oops, wasn't expecting that one. Having walked this path before with the brain tumor I knew things were about to get exciting and messy. So now on to the next step, notifications. I let the owner know so we could start planning the transition to make sure guests were taken care of in my absence. Then then family call. I remember making this family call when I was in the hospital with the brain tumor, not the most fun call. My sister immediately said she and her husband would drive out and get me. I immediately responded yes, since I knew a plane flight would be mistake and driving back and to Silver City for treatment would be very difficult, so she and her husband Bob headed cross country to pick me up. After three days out and 3 days back I was ensconced in central Illinois. I hadn't been in central Illinois since 1987 when I finished my PhD at the University of Illinois in
Campaign Urbana. I then went to the emergency room at Springfield Memorial and handed over my test results and was admitted.

Since my symptoms were progressing my immediate goals were to 1. - have a good old fashioned morning poo. You know, after getting up and brushing your teeth and peeing followed by a hot cup of coffee nothing feels better than a morning evacuation of the bowels. 2. - a good meal. I'd not been eating much since it took so long to get stuff through my system and I had a good appetite, I just wanted a tasty meal.

After abdominal, pelvic, and head CAT scans with contrast the next phase was planned. I had a maximum of 3 options, 1. a bowel stint to open things up, 2. tumor resection, and 3. a diversional colostomy with primary tumor left in place. Well my choice was curtain number 1 but a lower GI test showed complete blockage. The extent of the disease showed the primary tumor in the lower colon, complete liver involvement, and evidence of metastases in the spine, lungs and omentum. This pretty much ruled out option 2 since the benefit derived would be minimal, so curtain 3 became the best choice. After a laparoscopic colostomy I was done, about 36 hours after walking in the door to the emergency room. Pain medications ranged from acetaminophen with codeine (helped with incision pain but nothing else) to morphine. I must admit a fondness for morphine, it washed all the pain away and allowed me to get a good nights sleep. I could also now eat and was craving bacon and eggs which I had every morning after the procedure as well as a variety of other treats. Unlike many other hospitals, you order your meals from a menu at your convenience and perhaps the best part of the morphine availability is, at least in my case, no risk of addiction.

So I have a place to finish up and some time to wrap up loose ends which is a good thing. Although I won't be able to get back to the valley, the farm here is not a bad place to be. I'm planning a photo essay of Hoblit Farms so I have something occupy my time and will try and post when I can.

One more sunrise over the Peloncillo Mountains

I wish everyone well and will miss the place terribly, but some new adventures can not be put off.