Mission Possible -- Badwater

Mae Martinez & Jim Murray are on Don's Team !

Looks like Mae is bringing out the big guns to help support Don in this fight. She is standing in front of the Battleship Missouri. Apparently, she  tried to get a Don's Team T-Shirt for the ship, but couldn't find enough material.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Mae and Jim are sending their Aloha from the USS Arizona Memorial

Well, You Wouldn't Want It To Be Easy

Hello Everyone,

Well as you all know, Don took that 7 to 10 day hospital stay and kicked it right down to 4. He's been looking at this as an ultra, and is racing in good form. It seems though that this will be a longer race than we had hoped. Apparently, this cancer has decided that it likes the HURT motto " we wouldn't want it to be easy ". We got the pathology tests back yesterday and there are still cancer cells in 2 of the 14 lymph nodes in that area. If your going to have it, 2 is a good number though, and the doctor is very optimistic. It does mean that he'll have another round of chemo to deal with and this will pack a bigger punch. So it looks like Don and Mike Muench will look like twin sons of different mothers. He'll have an appointment Thursday or Friday, and we'll get all the info, so look for that at the end of the week.

Thank you all for your support and love. That was a very busy hospital room, and each and every beautiful smile that came through the door, was the best medicine he could have possibly gotten. Please give me a call if you need any additional information, 247-4144, and be sure not to miss an opportunity to tell someone close to you that you care.

Love to All,

Heather

Don is homeward bound!

Don's going home!  Don called me and left a message that he is checking out of Kaiser and heading home today to rest. There will be more info later.   

Sat. p.m. Update on Don

Don has been doing wonderful and enjoying lots of visitors. We heard he had a full house on Friday evening. He certainly has a great room--it's a single room and has a great view, plus it is towards the end of the hallway so is fairly quiet.

Barbi and I stopped by to visit him today and his surgeon was in to check on him. Don and Heather were viewing his operation on a laptop as the surgeon recorded the entire operation. Pretty fancy stuff these days with medicine. The great news was the surgeon said they might send Don home on Sunday!! And it's not because he's been chasing the nurses, he is just doing very well. Of course, don't expect him out running the Triple Trek next Saturday, however his recovery is going smooth.

Ernest also stopped to visit while we were there. Here's a couple of photos.

New Don Update and Humor ????

From what I hear, Don had several visitors today and is doing great. We are so glad to hear that.

However, the humor seems to have sparked something in a guy we know who sometimes has the word pizza associated with his name. Then there is someone that has occasionally been referred to as Conan contributing to this as well. These guys have too much time on their hands. I thought you should see the progression. It gives you insight into the minds of Mr. Pizza and Conan.

Read on...if you dare!! I post with hesitation. Don, I apologize!

Huddy is on Don's Team

Rod Huddleston spent some time recently up in the Portland area visiting friends and family as well as running a little race that runs up Mt. Hood.

This shot shows Rod lounging in the snow something us Island folks typically avoid. :-)

Rod heads our Friday for a race in Colorado. Best of luck Rod and keep us posted on how you do.

Post Surgery Report

Very Happy to report that Don's surgery went very well. I talked with Cheryl around 5:30 p.m. or so. Heather and her were in great spirits. Don had just gotten out of surgery and was in the recovery room. The doctor told them that he thought he had gotten all of the tumor out and that Don had done very well. According to Cheryl (which as you all know, some of this may not be true), Don was awake and looking at getting up and chasing the nurses around in his hospital gown. Now for those who may forget, here's some hospital gown humor. I pity the nurses!!
Nah, Go Get-em Chief Crazy Hair!!!

Bob Murphy and Kathie Lang are on Don's Team!

Nether Lands

Aloha My Wonderful Friends !

(some more lyrics from Dan Fogelberg):

High on this mountain

The clouds down below

I'm feeling so strong and alive

From this rocky perch

I'll continue to search

For the wind

And the snow

And the sky

I want a lover

I want some friends

And I want to live in the sun

And I want to do all the things that I never have done

Nether Lands / Dan Fogelberg / 1977

Nice song from an exceptional musician and a talented artist. I miss him, but I'm very lucky to be able to enjoy his gift of music.

In a few hours, at midnight tonight, the pre-surgery process begins with the clear-liquid diet and follows tomorrow morning with  supposedly around four hours of pre-surgery testing (I'm assuming that's what they will be doing). Late tomorrow afternoon will be the ol' gallon of salt water concoction to clean the pipes out tomorrow night, followed by surgery Wednesday morning...likely very early. Over the next few days after surgery, I plan to watch a bunch of the Olympics, until they close on Sunday. At least my timing for the hospital stay worked out great. Not only do I get to watch the Olympics, I get to watch the Olympics "commercials". One in particular caught me as very funny: You may remember it: "Gas Pumps Hate Us"....where a car pulls up to the gas pump...the driver walks off and the gas nozzle sneaks in through the window of the car...and changes the channel on the stereo to a rap station and turns the volume way up...then sets the car alarm...the driver returns to the car, gets in, turns it on and all hell breaks loose ! Too clever ! Ya, gas pumps DO hate us !

Today I received a surprise greeting card from two old friends from Canada, Joany Verschuuren and Mark Tamminga. Joany and Mark are close friends of my special friend, Monica Scholz, and they graciously put up Vernon and Evie Char, Jim Ballard and Kathie Lang and myself at their gorgeous home in Ancaster, Canada back in 2004, when we went there for the Sulphur Springs 100 miler. Mark even paced me for the last 12.5 mile loop, stopping to throw me over his back to stretch mine several times along the way, while I was having another back pain episode. In their card, they mentioned my "bent-over tenacity", which reminded me of a story about Joany, who had pushed herself to exhaustion toward the end of a 100 miler and then somehow "rose from the dead" to amazingly finish the race, running like an antelope to the finish ! Somehow, my back story seems pale by comparison. Anyway, it really made my day to get their wonderful card and their words of support and to remember that special occasion.

Speaking of support...what more can I say? All that anyone needs to do is to spend a few minutes or a few hours, on this blog, and you will clearly know what I'm talking about. There's just one wonderful story or picture after another ! I go back regularly and re-read the posts and re-view the pictures and re-live the moments, and every time I do, I'm amazed at all of you...all my wonderful friends. All of you are too, too much !

So, on Wednesday when they roll me into the operating room, it will be the most crowded operating room in the history of rectal cancer. Not only will Neo the port, Baby Huey and Heather be there, but all of you will be there with me, too, in my mind, watching out for me. The room is going to be REAL crowded, but that's exactly how I want it ! I can't wait !

Speaking of crowded rooms, this is your official invitation to stop by and see me at the hospital, anytime they will let you in. For info, call Kristy at my office, 247-4144, as she should know the room number and visiting hours, or you can just stop by Kaiser Moanalua and look for the cage with the sign "Please don't feed the animal". Please just ignore the sign.

You guys have really made something that normally is very tough and unpleasant to endure, relatively easy...and please believe me, it's all because of all of you ! I thank you from the bottom of my heart and am already excited to see each and everyone of you very soon. Gotta run...my Kleenex just ran out.  Aloha ! Chief Crazy Hair

Ben's on Don's Team

From somewhere in the Middle East, Ben Cavazos is on Don's Team!