What a crazy few months – from having fun last fall to dealing with cancer this year

Usually I don’t have to spend much time figuring out a title for this blog but I have had a range of emotions from one end of the scale to the other from last fall to today.

Rock crawling in St George, Utah

Rock crawling in St George, Utah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were doing our usual rock-crawling thing last October and November in St. George, Utah and then Elephant Butte, New Mexico with the FMCA 4-Wheelers. Then in early January my life dramatically changed when diagnosed with prostate cancer, more about this later.

So we left off last time with the passing of our sweet Sassy the Corgi – we still often think of her and dearly miss her.  She was a very special pet and can never be replaced but after only three days, I couldn’t stand it any longer and we called the breeder in hopes of getting another Corgi as soon as possible.  Jamie was very understanding and we made the 120 mile trip to the Austin, TX area and looked at two possible doggie candidates to add to our family.  Jamie had Sarah, nine years old that she was willing to part with and then Luna, a three or four year-old female that Jamie was going to breed.

Sarah and Trekkie

Sarah and Trekkie

They were both sweet dogs, Sarah and I hit it off right away and Luna took to Jane.  We would have picked Luna since she was much younger than Sarah but she wasn’t going to be available for several months while she had and raised a litter so we left with Sarah as our newest family member to attempt to fill the void that Sassy left. Like people or even identical human twins, dogs have a distinctive personality and we quickly realized that Sassy and Sarah while Corgis on the outside were completely different on the inside.

Sassy loved to play fetch, Sarah not at all.  Sassy was always plastered right next to Jane while on a couch but Sarah is happy just being nearby.  Sassy was good off-leash and we could walk her off-leash on the ranch but unless Sarah is on a leash, she will immediately head for the nearest pile of poop for a quick snack. Differences aside, we love Sarah and have no regrets about bringing her home.  Oh, one thing Sarah likes to do that Sassy didn’t is riding in the Jeep.  Sarah is perfectly content to be with us while banging and crashing in the Jeep – Sassy hated that!  Jane and I have been toying with the idea of perhaps adding Luna to the family as well so Sarah can have a doggie buddy.

After a very fun fall we headed home for the winter but unfortunately winter beat us home and we had an extreme cold snap with several days of lows 20-25F mid-November.  This was hard on the antelope and we lost three or four babies and at least one adult, very sad to see an animal die especially a baby.

Atlas PV-10P lift

Atlas PV-10P lift

On a lighter note I made a major addition to the shop – a vehicle lift like you would see at a garage.  I enjoy doing all of the maintenance and upgrades on the Jeep and since it has a hard life (and I need to trust its performance) all of the fluids get changed every winter.  It’s not a simple engine oil change – I also change the differential and transfer case fluids and this year the transmission fluid.  While I enjoy the work, my body doesn’t and I couldn’t take lying under the Jeep and attempting to work on it any longer so I looked into buying a two post vehicle lift – drive the Jeep between the posts, position the lifting arms under the frame and push a button to lift the Jeep.

After quite a bit of research I decided to purchase and install an Atlas PV-10P 10,000 pound lift from Greg Smith Equipment in Austin, Texas.  Jane and I drove there, picked out a lift and accessories, had it loaded on my big trailer and off it went to its new home.  Installed it in about a week and immediately started using it- wow and wow.  It’s wonderful to stand under the Jeep and work on it now, so much easier and it is a bunch more fun.

Then the hammer fell.

I had a scheduled annual physical with my primary care provider at the VA and he noticed my PSA had risen from the high 3s to a low 4.  A PSA of 4.0 is generally considered a trigger point for further investigation, the Doc did a digital exam and said the prostate felt hard on one side and a urologist confirmed that.  Soon after I had a prostate biopsy and not so good news – cancer.  Mostly a low grade (Gleason 3+3) cancer but there was a lot of it on the left side.  Talk about a life-changing event – this was it for me.  Never in my life have I been confronted with such a serious health issue and even though I’m a Christian who believes in the gift of eternal life, I was worried and scared.

Fast-forward past research, investigation, wondering and worrying we were given a name of a prominent Urologist at the world famous MD Anderson Cancer center in Houston to consult with. After discussing the various options with John W Davis, M.D., we decided on a robotic assisted radial prostatectomy.  This consisted of Dr. Davis sitting at a console and remotely manipulating the tools at the end of the robot arms of the da Vinci machine for 2.5 hours.  Most prostates are small, about the size of a walnut and excising the gland is very difficult since it has critical nerve bundles on both sides and the urethra runs right through it.  (I’ve learned more about the prostate this year than I ever cared to know.)

Dr. Davis has performed over 2,000 of these procedures in the ten years or so the machine has been approved so thanks to his skill and experience he was able to spare some of those critical nerves.  Now begins another waiting game.

If subsequent PSA tests show a zero PSA, then the cancer is gone, if not I have some residual cancer cells left and I would most likely need a series of radiation treatments.  So we aren’t necessarily finished with the cancer beast, I pray so but time will tell.

For those who have prayed for me during this most difficult time, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I know for a fact prayers work and they did in this case.  Please continue to pray for me that I will have a zero PSA in the future and Dr. Davis excised all of the cancer.

Demolotion of the old carpet and tile

Demolition of the old carpet and tile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If all of this wasn’t enough to deal with, we made an appointment many months ago with Ernie Eckberg Remodeling and Repair in Weatherford, Texas to get all new flooring installed in the coach for the last two weeks of February.  Ernie is booked a year in advance so I wasn’t about to give up my appointment slot with Ernie even considering my prostate surgery – we would somehow make this work.  So we took the coach to Ernie and I stayed there for a week helping Ernie pull up the old carpet and chip up the old tile and then had to leave to make pre-surgery appointments at MD Anderson.  Since travel is still somewhat difficult for me, Jane and a girlfriend drove up to Weatherford yesterday and Jane will drive the coach home today – can’t wait to see it in person.

New flooring - driver's area

New flooring – driver’s area

All finished!  Beautiful!

All finished! Beautiful!

Our Corgi Sassy, 12/13/2002 – 9/10/2014

Rest in peace dear, sweet Sassy.

She wasn’t quite herself for a few days while we were winding up our five week stay in the Montrose, Colorado area but we thought she was having a re-occurrence of altitude sickness since we’ve had her at 13,000 feet elevation while Jeeping in the San Juan mountains.  We returned home September 9 and she seemed okay and was eating.  On September 10, she had breakfast, was a little lethargic but still managed to jump up the five steps up into the coach.  Jane noticed she was having labored breathing and made an appointment for the vet late in the afternoon.  After lunch Sassy was much worse and we sped her to the vet (25 miles away) and Sassy passed away about ten minutes before we reached the vet’s office.

She had a good checkup in April and seemed healthy, for her to expire so quickly was (and is) a shock to us and the veterinarian.  The guess as to the cause of death was some kind of cardiovascular problem, she might have thrown a blood clot.  The good news in this situation is that she didn’t suffer and had a great, full and happy life.


Sassy loved to play fetch and John made it a point to play with her every day after lunch whenever possible, she loved to play so much she would keep it up until her tongue turned purple.  Sassy loved the water and would never miss an opportunity to jump into a swimming pool, pond, stream or one of our water troughs we keep for the ranch animals.

Sassy was the breeder’s (Overo Pembroke Welsh Corgis) first champion (and an international champion) and had more accolades and accomplishments than many members of congress.  She was our “kid” and like all kids she required a lot of ‘maintenance’ and was naughty at times (like rolling around in deer or rhea bird poop) but she gave back ten fold in companionship and love.

Please enjoy along with us the many, many fond memories of Ch. Overo Finished With Style, PT CGC (Sassy.)


Sassy's championship moment

Sassy’s championship moment

 

This is right after we brought Sassy home

This is right after we brought Sassy home

Sassy in bluebonnet flowers

Sassy in bluebonnet flowers

Sassy exploring in the San Juan mountains

Sassy exploring in the San Juan mountains

Sassy, John, and out good friends Ruth and Lester in the San Juan mountains

Sassy, John, and our good friends Ruth and Lester in the San Juan mountains

Sassy looking for food or something to play with

Sassy looking for food or something to play with – either one is plenty good

John & Sassy in the high tundra

John & Sassy in the high tundra

John & Sassy in Silver Basin, San Juan mountains

John & Sassy in Silver Basin, San Juan mountains

Sassy in the Freightliner waiting room

Sassy in the Freightliner waiting room

Sassy about five years ago

Sassy about five years ago

Sassy & Golda having a community event together

Sassy & Golda having a community event together

Sassy doing what she loved

Sassy doing what she loved

Sassy the water dog

Sassy the water dog

Waiting room at the Grand Junction, CO Cummins Dealer

Waiting room at the Grand Junction, CO Cummins Dealer

Animas Forks, Silverton, Colorado

Animas Forks, Silverton, Colorado

Sassy in a mountain stream

Sassy in a mountain stream

Spring and First Summer Update of 2014

After no appreciable rainfall since early October 2013, beginning this May the rains started in earnest and to date we have been blessed with almost 11 inches of rain (year total.)  Before the rain, the grass on the ranch was completely brown and we were afraid that more drought stress on the trees would push more of them into dying.  Just when we thought it was going to be another horrible year with no grass for the animals, God opened up the heavens and sent us what we almost constantly pray for – rain, glorious rain.  The pastures are green and the animals are looking very healthy and fat.

So that’s the big news of the month for us, there’s actually lots that have been going on with us and the critters, so let’s dig in…

We went to a nearby RV get-together with our San Antonio-based Winnebago club on a

3-23-2014 - baby Sunny is born!

3-23-2014 – baby Sunny is born!

mid-March weekend and returned home on a Sunday.  We were putting things away from the trip, looked out to the front pasture and there’s a BABY DONKEY.  WHAT?  We were wondering if the jenny was pregnant or just way over weight and thank goodness she wasn’t way overweight.  That’s the good news.  The not so good news is the baby is a boy and we will have to get it gelded later this year, oh well, we had a 50-50 chance of it being a jenny and not a jack.  But oh my gosh he’s cute and soft and literally growing like a weed.

Today we had our veterinarian make a ranch call to give the adult donkeys their booster vaccines, immunize the baby (“Sunny”)  for the first time and to worm all three.  Even though the donkeys were in a small pen, the Doc and I had our hands full trying to get a noose around the adults and then to grab and hang on to baby Sunny (the ‘baby’ is probably the size of a Great Dane dog but stockier).

Sunny is three months old here

Sunny is about two months old here

While we were trying to catch Moonpie (the yearling), I was standing with my arms outstretched trying to cut off his avenue of escape and he ran over me and knocked me to the ground, I got up and then the jenny ran me over about five seconds later and knocked me back down to the ground.  Good grief donkeys, calm down.  Doc, the donkeys and I were thrilled when the event was over and I could release the donkeys from jail, this was worse than trying to herd cats.  (They were penned up for a little over two days and the three of them ate an entire bale of hay, holy cow guys!)

So then in late April we point the coach/Jeep/us to the west and head for Moab, Utah again for an FMCA 4-Wheelers rally.  We’ve gotten to know lots of the people and really enjoy the

John on an overlook in Moab - it snowed on us (this is early May!)

John on an overlook in Moab – it snowed on us (this is early May!)

camaraderie and how well everything is organized and managed.  I’m now the club’s webmaster so I appreciate the confidence they have in me.  The club is growing at an exponential rate, we seem to add 20-50 new members every few months and the total membership now

Two desert flowers, Jane and the other kind!

Two desert flowers, Jane and the other kind!

measures about 400.

This is what a totaled custom Jeep looks like after a big oopsie

This is what a totaled custom Jeep looks like after a big oopsie

There was quite a bit of drama this year at Moab with three rollovers on the trails, well, actually one of them was a pitchpole backwards.  John Cox was climbing a very steep grade on the hardest trail in Moab and was backing up to reposition for another try and he went backwards down the grade, hit the bottom and flipped backwards (check out this video, he’s near the end.)  I know John and he’s an excellent driver, had an extremely well built and capable trail rig but things happen.  John only had a bump on the head and he’s okay but his completely custom built $100k 4 door Jeep is not okay.  The flip actually broke the Jeep’s frame and I just heard the insurance company totaled the Jeep, so John is having another Jeep built – I hope to see it this October when we return to St. George, Utah for more wheeling.

Me going down Wipe Out Hill

Me going down Wipe Out Hill

Then another guy (I know him fairly well) made a mistake on a hard trail (before the rally officially started) and wound up on on his roof.  Yikes.  He has no roll bar (bad mistake)

Pier rolls over but he's fine

Pier rolls over but he’s fine

– you can’t see from this picture, but the passenger side of the windshield is almost completely flattened.  Fortunately his wife was not with him or this situation could have resulted some serious injuries for the passenger.  The other rollover resulted in some relatively minor damage, I just talked to the Jeep’s owner and he expects to get it back from repairs very soon.

Here’s one video of me doing a couple of difficult obstacles:

On a less exciting note, I’ve been getting into some arts and crafts projects with the new

My copy of a cat made from sheet steel with a plasma torch

My copy of a cat made from sheet steel with a plasma torch

plasma torch (a Hypertherm Powermax45) and some other new tools (a midi lathe and scroll saw – a man can’t have too many tools.)  I’ve made some metal art from sheet steel and I’m having fun making whirligigs from some plans I purchased.  This fall and winter I’ll be crankin’ up the tools and will be making many more of each.

One of the whirligigs I made

One of the whirligigs I made

We head out early next week for the summer, first stop is Amarillo to have a fun July 4th with some dear friends, then we point the bus north to Forest City, Iowa for the Winnebago Grand National Rally, then we are going back to Montrose, Colorado for about five weeks to run around the San Juan mountains with our Jeep club there.


God Bless, do good work, and be kind to everybody (oh, and pray for our country – it needs it desperately!)