Mid Ohio Vintage Motorcycle races..July 07

I looked forward to this race all year but ended up at Cleveland Clinic instead. We got home on Friday and Mike went over on Saturday. He and Chad met up with cousin Rod McElfresh! It ended up being a really hot weekend and probably best that I wasn't there. Chad, Keri and Mike got lots of pictures for me! I need to find one of Chad suited up and on his bike! He had a great racing weekend in his home state!

I'm having a great time uploading pictures! Let me know if there are any you would like to see. I have to get ready for the football game but tomorrow I'd like to share the Wings Over Coshocton Air Show and the Light the Night walk

Suzy's Visit (pre-Baby Porter)

This is a group of pictures when Suzy came for a visit just weeks before her delivery. We all walked down to Grandpa & Grandma Hood's (my parents). Grandma Hood made baby Porter a beautiful blanket. Madison, Grace & Andrew climbed into the tree while we sat on the swing visiting. I love these pictures!


Val & Suz
Grandma Hood, Suzy & Grandpa Hood
Grandpa Mike walking down Clay Street with Madison.
Suzy & Grace...best friends.
Andrew...never too old to climb a tree!
Madison
Madison perched and Grace hanging out!

Meet Chloe

These are pictures of our spoiled cat! She is beautiful and mean! She never just lays down...she is always in some odd or peculiar position!

I actually uploaded these pictures to the blog all by myself!!

I'm going to go back now and see what other pictures I want to share with everyone!

I'm counting down the days to "stint removal!" (10 to go) Hanging in with bladder spasms and backaches...trying not to complain!

Okay....I'll be back with more pictures!
love to all...
Leslie & Crazy Chloe

Chile story...

I don't have lots of stuff to write today but I had to share this little story before it leaves my memory!

We went to Coshocton yesterday to attend the Wings Over Coshocton air show. We met at Matt & Val's where we enjoyed Matt's chile before heading to the airport.

Matt told me this story....he and Madison had gone to the grocery that morning to buy all the chile fixins. He was going down the list and he told Madison they needed kidney beans and she said...."Dad, are these for Grandma's kidney?"

Do they really have to grow up?

Pastor Jeff's sermon today was wonderful and the choir song....beautiful. Life is good...God is Great!

Praying this week for an answer regarding the children's choir and the Christmas musical. My heart wants to do both but I'm not sure I have the energy right now. Thank you to those who have offered to help me. Maybe we can take turns! I'll decide this week.

Have a wonderful week.....
love,
Leslie

Saturday morning Sports Talk...

It's Saturday and Mike is again pacing the floor with his paper and coffee in hand! No sleeping in this morning. I woke up to him standing over me (7am-ish) reading the stats of last night's Tri Valley football game. I was there with him!! I know the stats!

Somebody has got to start meeting this man for coffee and sports on Saturday mornings! I think he woke up the Lewis and Hood families and he interrupted Rich at an all day seminar.

He is so funny! Somebody call us to set up this Saturday morning Sports & Coffee Talk!

I've had a good week. I called the Clinic because my medication didn't seem to be working very well on this bladder pressure. They increased my dosage. (Did I already tell you that?)

Nurse Lynn....my bladder medication is Ditropan. I do find myself very tired and having no desire to do big projects....like dishes, laundry, sweeping & polishing (nevermind, I didn't feel like doing those things before ditropan!)

I ended up knitting a purse this week. I still want to make the sling purse out of the pillowcase.

Repeat....I craved those darn caramel creams again this week. I ate 2 bags...yuck! I'm now officially sick of them!!

Speaking of sick....Mike and Valerie both got very sick this week. And let me tell you...it was like a "high" for me taking care of them both!! I was driving to Coshocton and back home (singing Frank all the way! ) I was giving medication, fixing soup, refilling water glasses, taking temps, fixing tea....it was WONDERFUL! Unfortunately, they are both better...just kidding!

Son, Chad sent me a 3 cd set of Frank Sinatra music this week! Wow....I am in "blue eyes" heaven! My favorite song is still "Time After Time." Another favorite was always "Young at Heart" and it wasn't on my Romance cd but it's on the new set!

I have more rambling to do but we are heading to Coshocton to the Air Show. Mike is ready and pacing behind me....still with coffee and the sports page!


Go Tri Valley Dawgs, Go TarHeels and Go Bucks! (We are enjoying the Indians and trying to stay faithful to our Browns....they don't make it very easy!) Great golf on this weekend too! Solheim Cup with the women (love love love this match play golf) and Tour Championship for men! The Tevo is working overtime to tape everything for us!

It's a beautiful fall day in Ohio....I feel blessed to be here and enjoying it!
love to all...
Leslie

My tests results & 1st Pics of baby Porter!

This is our little precious Porter Lynn Barnhart (Just 2 days old) in her coming home outfit! This was the baby shower Mom and I were able to attend after Mom's original surgery was moved. Suzy has been a big part of our life for 13 years and she is family to us! It is so exciting!
She is so alert....an overacheiver already! We can't wait to get our hands on her in a month! Sorry, I tried to move these photos under the paragraph mom mentioned her in....but they won't move!

I had a great appointment with Dr. Austin on Tuesday. My weight was still 35 pounds down (I was down 11 pounds in May) My blood pressure was great 127/74, I think (it was 178/118 in January)

I talked to him about this constant bladder pressure and he was pretty sure it was from the stint. It looks like the protein in the urine was probably the result of obesity (Oooooh, I hate to even type that word!)

I actually called the clinic this week to ask about this pressure and my back pain. It seems to be getting stronger. They told me it was normal with the stint to have this and she increased my bladder spasm medication.

I have also developed some terrible itching. Again, it gets worse at night. They are a bit baffled about it. It would usually be caused by a reaction to medicine & I would have a rash but I'm not on anything new & no rash. I wonder if my body is starting to react to these stints or something they are made of. Anyway, she told me I could take Benedrl for relief and I'm to call my family doctor if it keeps up

I am on and off with sleeping so I'm pretty tired some days. Last night I went to bed at midnight and was back up for several hours at 2am. I watched Conan and Baby programs on Discovery Health channel until around 5:30am.

We got pictures of baby Porter Lynn Barnhart (aka, Chris & Suzy's daughter!) She is absolutely beautiful! Val, will you post a couple of her pictures. Suzy sounds great....so happy and fulfilled at being a mommy. I'm always so excited when someone experiences the miracle of a baby!

Mike and I went to Andrew's soccer game last night....Coshocton vs Riverview. We won which continues another undefeated season for our Jr. High Redskins. They are fun to watch. Then we went to the Sports Zone for a light dinner and over to the beautiful Coshocton Town Square to the final "First Friday" of the summer. A friend of ours was performing with his band at the gazebo. We didn't stay at anything too long....I was feeling a little miserable by 8pm and couldn't stand for long.

I found a KCA (Kidney Cancer Association) forum online this week. It is so nice to read the posts and know that others are going through the same thing...most of them worse than me. Kidney cancer makes up only 3% of the cancers. There is no known test to find Kidney cancer which is why it is usually found in later stages at appointments for other problems. Because it is not one of the major cancers, it does not have major funding for researching causes & cures. I find that very sad.

Most of the people posting on the forum tell what stage they are in, whether it has spread, their medications and treatments and the type of tumors they had. I never asked about any of this. Dr. Novick had better be ready for my next appointment! I've been studying! I am guessing that I was at a stage one which was the stage for most tumors under 4cm that have not spread. I am waiting on responses about the 5 year survival rate. It seems like most of the people posting have experienced reoccurances of their tumors in their lungs, bones, pancreas and other kidney. They also seem to agree that the doctors know that reocurrance rates are high for KC but they don't tell us. That will be on my list of questions too.

It was comforting to see the Cleveland Clinic recommended as one of top KC hospitals in the world. It was in the top 3 listed!

I have ordered a couple of dvd programs that aired on pbs all about kidney cancer. They should come next week. Sign up for class! I'm hoping to learn a lot and I will pass it all on to you!!! I think I will absorb it better in dvd form rather than reading. My memory is mush these days.

Happy 50th Anniversary to my Aunt Carol & Uncle Don! My parents celebrated their 53rd anniversary while I was at the clinic in August! I owe them a gift & card!


Our sympathy to Mary Hunter & her family on the death of Mary's dad. Mary is the one who made me the beautiful blue quilt! She is the closest thing to an angel on earth to all of us who know her. We love you Mary!

Happy Anniversary to niece & nephew, Dennis and Angie! They have moved back to Ohio from Vermont! I know the grandparents are happy to be closer to granddaugher Emerson! And she now has lots of babysitters!

Son in Law Matt installed a spotlight on the driveway for the late night basketball games! Val said it glows on their driveway... as well as the next 2 driveways! Maybe, if you look up in the sky, you will see a glow coming from Buena Vista Drive in Coshocton!!

I think Miss Bella has a 7th birthday coming up! She needs to tell us what she would like to get for her birthday (and Christmas )! I also want to hear about school and dance and anything else she is doing! Email me Cary, NC family!!

I'm getting a craving for a new purse this week! I actually found a cute sewing pattern for a sling purse made from a pillow case! I'm still loving my Frank Sinatra love songs!(last week's craving) I sure am glad I haven't been craving anymore weird foods! I would like to lose 5 pounds in the next few weeks! As long as I'm craving music and new purses, I might make it!

Mike is standing over my shoulder asking me what I'm writing and checking to see if I wrote anything about him. He needs somebody to come over or call him on Saturday mornings to talk football. Really! He paces and talks to himself and just waits for people to wake up so he can call them on the phone to talk about the game! These are the days that he misses brother in law, Don Barcus, the most. Before Don died, they would get together on Saturday mornings and talk sports!

(this is Mike) I always like to call my sis in law, Ida, to ask her questions about stuff but she really doesn't know anything! ha! Logan, if you read the blog, be patient! I know it's been hard on you sitting out these football games. YOU WILL BE BACK!!!(and I can't wait)

I am waiting on Rich Robison to pick me up and go to Reynoldsburg to watch the game with his son Eric and daughter Cassie. Rich and I haven't gotten together for a long time. I'm telling my wife before I leave, be careful and don't fall (he always tells me this when he leaves) We don't need anymore stints moving up the wrong way! Okay, I'm done....thanks for letting me type on the blog!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Sunday is Grandparents Day! Call and tell them you love them and remember those who are now your Guardian Angels! I have the best ever memories of my grandparents! Make memories with your grandchildren and love them unconditionally!

Love to all....
Leslie (and Mike)

The Monster Stint....

I received a letter from the Clinic today. They want to remove the stint on Monday, October 1st, 8am. Then I am scheduled for an MRI on Monday, October 22, 11am, and a Dr. Desai appointment at 1:15pm.

I'm not looking forward to the stint removal....it has never gone smoothly and has usually caused complications. I'm going to give it to the Lord and take it off my shoulders! I'm tired of worrying about stints! Let Him carry it around for me!

I had a good appointment with Dr. Austin on Tuesday. I had not seen him since May 1st when he told me about the masses and scheduled me with Dr. Novick at Cleveland Clinic. I thanked him for being a part of saving my life and he told me most of the credit goes to Dr. Novick. He said only a few years ago, the solution to kidney cancer was removing the kidney. I would have been on dialysis for at least 5 years! This was something I didn't know! You have to be cancer free for 5 years before you qualify for a transplant. I always wondered why Dr. Novick never discussed transplant with me...evidently it wasn't an option.

Dr. Austin also told me the back pain I am feeling seems to be a symptom for many of his stint patients. It, along with this constant pressure to urinate, are certainly annoying but not intolerable! PTL. He is thrilled with my weight loss, still 35 pounds and my blood pressure in January was 178/118...Tuesday it was 127-74 (I think those were the numbers...whatever it was...it was great!) He had me do a 24 hour urine test and will check my creatin level and my protein. He really thinks the protein in the urine (my original problem) was OBESITY related! (ouch!) I guess these results will confirm that diagnosis. I will call the office tomorrow.

Enough serious stuff....my craving for this week...Frank Sinatra songs!!! I was driving to Coshocton to refill some perscriptions and I got this urge to hear Frank sing some love songs! I found the most awesome cd....Frank Sinatra..Romance..songs from the heart. The songs are as good as eating a great piece of chocolate anything!! Great music for anniversaries, slow dancing, letting someone know how you feel about them....yummy stuff!! I would love to find a karaoke version! Is that possible Todd Brown? Right now I have my cd repeating "Time After Time" the 2nd cut on the cd. I'm going to learn all the words to every song. I know most of them thanks to my mom's love of music but it's been a long time so I need refreshing! BUY IT!!!!! You will love it!

I'm also reading a fantastic book this week...a gift from a sweet friend. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOPE....A Guide to Beating Cancer in Mind-Sized Bites. It's one of those little books with big insight. Thank you Lynn!

Congratulations to Chris and Suzy who are the parents of Porter, born on September 3rd. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. We are waiting for more details as soon as Suz has time to call and fill us in!!! We are all so excited for them! We also want pictures!! Love you all down there in Raleigh and at Oak Island's Ivy Cottage!

I know there were more things I wanted to tell you but I've gone blank! I blame that on anesthesia! Parts of my brain are still asleep!

I'm feeling a bit sick to my stomach at the moment.....hmmmm, could be stint removal flu! I think I need a dose of granddaughters and a grandson! I'm heading to Coshocton this evening....the girls were actually supposed to come to my house (first time since June) to hang out while Andrew played soccer in Newark. But...the game got changed to Kids America in Coshocton! I'm going to head over there and either stay at the house with the girls or go to the game with everyone. I'll be back to the 'burg this evening! If you see me in the car, I will be singing "Time After Time" with Frank! I dedicate the words to all of you from me!

Love to everyone...
Leslie