My cousin Cherie sends a family Christmas Letter each year. She shares the events of her life, big and small, from the past year. I always enjoy reading them. As I approach Christmas this year, I’ve thought back on the past year for us and it has been a doozie! I’ve shared a few things on this blog about the year, some I’ve kept to myself. If you don’t want to read all the details, just look at the pictures for the Cliff Notes version.
Last December I decided to get my motorcycle license after putting it off for many years. No new news there. I bought my first bike in February and have had a great time exploring the countryside of North Texas. I’ve ridden in near freezing to over 100-degree temps and loved it all. I bought a basic motorcycle and have modified it to my taste. My father-in-law brought his Harley from Mississippi, and we spent a few days riding together. I’ve not had a bad day on the motorcycle yet. So, the question I asked myself this year, what else have I put off that I should be doing now? I’ve wasted time worrying about what people think, or I’m too old or I’m too young or whatever. So no telling what the new year will bring.
Before we moved from Memphis it was discovered that I had two irregular cysts on my right kidney. These were discovered during an MRI to validate another issue was resolved. My doctor there wasn’t extremely concerned but said I needed to be seen in 6 months for another evaluation. So armed with a CD of my MRI images I went to see a urologist in November. Another MRI was done and now it appeared the cysts looked like tumors. On December 27th, two days after Christmas, I had surgery. The magic of robotic surgery and 7 holes in my right abdomen and I was ready to go home the next day. About 15-20% of my kidney was removed along with the tumors. Lab did indicate they were 2 different forms of cancer, both fairly non-evasive types. Results also showed good, clean margins removed. No follow up treatment was needed, and I just go back every 6 months for imaging. So far CT and sonogram show no reoccurrence. I’ll continue with this every 6 months for a few years.
Staying along the medical stories for a bit longer, I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis about 22 years ago. I struggled for about 10 years before that with pain in my hands and feet with doctors not knowing what was going on. I stopped my Enbrel medication at the beginning of COVID in 2020 because I wasn’t sure if it’s immunosuppressant qualities would make me more susceptible to COVID. My symptoms remained mild and at sometimes gone completely. After moving to Texas and establishing my new group of specialists, my new rheumatologist and I decided to just see what happened with my symptoms without Enbrel. It was interesting that she made an observation that my oncologist (not related to cancer) in Memphis made that it might be tied to high iron in my blood. Apparently, oncologists treat issues of the blood, news to me. My issue is hemochromatosis, a genetic issue that results in high iron levels in the blood. Along with the stabilization of my iron levels, my joint pain has disappeared. So much so that my rheumatologist has released me and said to call if I have issues. My iron levels have stayed pretty constant with only one phlebotomy session in the last 18 months so my new oncologist told me she would see me in a year. The human body is a very strange thing with systems that are so intertwined that it can be difficult to find the root cause of issues. But after 30 years of “arthritis” my pain and joint issues are gone. Maybe I am the real Iron Man!
On January 23, 2022, my son Joshua and his fiancé, Lauren, were scheduled to get married. First Lauren got COVID but looked like she might recover in time. So, we headed to New Orleans hoping for a wedding. However, as luck would have it, she didn’t recover in time and Joshua also got COVID. So, wedding delayed until April 3rd. Another trip to NOLA and their wedding was beautiful. Meeting Lauren’s family finally was great. Treva also got to experience a little more of my family by being included in wedding group photos and the whole event. I really celebrated, maybe a bit much. I’m glad any video of me dancing with one of the bridesmaids hasn’t leaked to the Internet, yet.
On April 22nd, Treva and I got married in a private ceremony with just a local pastor. Neither of us wanted a big affair. We talked about trying to have family with us but with our kids living in multiple states the more we tried to figure it out the more complicated it got. And our life together is not about complicated. We both want calm and simple. Now that doesn’t mean sit at home and do nothing. It means doing the things we want to do. That can mean together or apart. We each decide what our weekend plans are. Seem odd? Mine may be ride the motorcycle to a nearby town for a meal alone. She may have a project to do in our workshop or go to Wichita Falls to shop. Or we plan to go together to the Metroplex for a day of speed racing and shopping. Or go together to a movie and dinner. Or just stay home together and do nothing. Just calm, simple and without demands.
On our wedding day we found out after the ceremony that my stepfather, Glen, was in the hospital. I’ll pause here and say that I could write a whole series of blog posts about Glen and what he has meant to my mom and our whole family. I’ll write that post soon but for now I’ll stay focused on this year. Over the last several years Glen has struggled with dementia and congestive heart failure. As dementia goes, Glen could always remember my mom and always kept his calm outlook on life. For that I’m very thankful. His quick wit remained with him too to his last day. He would joke with the nurses even when it was obvious he wasn’t feeling well at all. However, after 91 years his mind and body just wore out. On May 16 he left this world to his much-needed eternal rest. I don’t know the ins and outs of what Heaven is like, but in my mind, Glen sometimes pulls his Bubba teeth out of his pocket and slips them in his mouth and then starts working a duck call. Again, I’ll tell the back stories on these another day. I’ll suffice to say that Heaven gained a great soul with Glen.
Treva’s mom, Jocelyn, was ready to move from where she was living in Memphis. The apartment complex ownership changed and the whole structure of support for the residents slipped away. After several discussions it was decided that she would move to Texas where we live. She didn’t want to live with us and wanted her independence but did want to be near in case she needed help with something. We had planned to move her the weekend of Memorial Day, but since we were in town for Glen’s funeral so close to then, we loaded a U-Haul and moved her when we returned home. Her apartment is “across town”. To put that in Olney perspective, across town is 5 minutes. Well 5 if you get caught at a light. Otherwise about 3 minutes. Since Treva and I both work for Air Tractor in Olney we are always close by. Being close by also allows us to take her to see her great grandchildren more than if she were still in Memphis. One of her great grandchildren lives about 3 hours north in Oklahoma City. She’s been able to go a couple times to visit. And with us making trips to see Treva’s first grandson, she’s been to see him.
Speaking of which, Treva’s daughter Taylor, had her first child, Xander, on August 4th, in Gulfport, MS. Treva was able to be in the delivery room to help Taylor and to see Xander being born. To say she was excited is an understatement. In general, Treva loves all babies. I have to remind her that random people in the restaurant don’t want strangers holding their babies! You can probably imagine how she is about Xander. We decided we would drive to Gulfport on Thanksgiving Day for a visit. Jocelyn also went with us. The drive both ways was an experience, but I’ll stay focused on the visit. I think the highlight of the visit was giving Taylor and Chris a break and taking Xander to our AirBnB for the afternoon on Saturday. Treva had the best time playing with, feeding and bathing Xander. I haven’t asked for details, but I think she really loves giving baths to babies. Maybe it is the clean baby smell. I don’t know. But Xander seemed to enjoy it as well. All in all, a fast, tiring trip. But the visit was worth the time and effort.
We had another surprise on May 24th. Jonathan and his fiancé, Jessica, got married in a private ceremony. To say it was a surprise really isn’t true. Jonathan has always marched to the beat of his own drum. And from what I’ve learned of Jessica in the short time I’ve been around her, she does the same. I was also fortunate to get to meet Jessica’s parents on one of my visits to Memphis. They are super nice folks. Having lived in Texas for 18 months, we haven’t gotten to spend much time with Jessica so hopefully we can persuade them to come for a visit next year.
In the last year Treva has had issues with numbness in her left hand. After consulting with various doctors, the suggested path was surgery to correct a suspected issue with her ulnar nerve at her elbow. It all seemed so simple and routine. The surgery on May 31 went fine but the numbness remained. Two weeks after the surgery, when the incision should be fairly well healed, it just came open while removing its dressing on a Sunday morning. When I say came open, I mean a 3-inch surgery incision completely open from end to end with a fair amount of blood coming out. I squeezed it shut with my fingers and after a half dozen or so butterfly closures later we are on our way to the emergency room. A few weeks later and it is healed but her hand is no better. After six months and a visit with another doctor a different surgery is decided on. On December 13, she had surgery again and is recovering well so far. Numbness still there but the surgeon did find a couple issues this time and thinks over time the nerve will heal and the numbness get better. Time will tell.
An eventful year it has been. There is so much more I could tell you. Little day and weekend trips we’ve taken. Fun events with family and friends. New job adventures. All the things that make life interesting. So, we’ll see what the next year brings. I hope for fun and more adventures for us and our families. And I hope the same for you.
Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!!
