Gus in Redmond May 16, 2009

Gus arrived in Seattle Friday morning and immediately looked around for a golf course. Imagine that.

Gus spent his week-end watching grandson Grayson play baseball, visiting friends and relatives, and golfing with T.J. and Gary, his friend from Nebraska. Gus has been limiting himself to nine holes of golf each day just to make sure he didn't overdo. But on Sunday, he unleashed his full power and played 18 holes. Rumor has it his son beat him on the golf course for the first time ever and it was quite a significant difference. It wasn't fair that T.J. threw in those "birdies" and "pars" to keep his score down. Gus was very pleased with his score when he played in Spokane. It was the best he had played for years.

Gus enjoyed his time so much in Seattle, but this morning he and Gary headed south to Oregon. They will end up in Roseburg, OR for a couple of days before heading home the Columbia River Gorge route. I asked Gus if there were any golf courses along the Columbia and he just laughed. That could explain why it is going to take he and Gary three days to drive what Gus and I used to drive in several hours.

Golfing with Gus

Gus is now on his long awaited vacation. The weather hasn't been great, but that hasn't dampened his joy on the golf course in the least. He golfed in St. Regis, MT on Monday, Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday and today he is golfing in Spokane. Tomorrow he golfs in Ellensburg, WA.

A year ago, Gus proposed to the Montana Historic Society in Helena drastic measures in order to win a grant for restoring our old barn. He wanted to dismantle the old part, pour footings and walls, then rebuild using as much of the original material as possible. We were awarded the grant based on Gus' aggressive plan. Two weeks later, our world fell apart and Gus got sick. There was no way he could do the work. I couldn't accept the grant, yet I refused to let it go.

A friend of ours who is also a co-worker of mine offered to help us see it through. Brian met Gus last June, two days before we flew to Seattle, and Gus shared his ideas and goals for the barn. Throughout these past 10 months, Gus was a part of the work days on the barn whenever he felt well enough. He was active enough to still feel a part of the project. The first part of April, Brian and his volunteers had finished the hard part and all that was left was to put the walls back up and finish the inside. At this point, Gus felt well enough to finish the project himself. He finished it on April 20th, 5 weeks before our deadline. These pictures show the "rustic" look and the "restored" look. You can see what Gus did with his spare time this spring and what Brian did with his days off for the last several months.

Before

The Finished Project

May 4th Update

We did meet with the main medical oncologist last Tuesday, April 28th. The CT Scan was clear with no signs of cancer in the lungs or liver. It even looked as if the tumor has shrunk since the CT Scan in January. Gus and I left the doctor's office feeling quite pleased with life right now. The doctor did not agree with our choice of no visits to Bozeman, however. He wants to see Gus on a monthly basis, so we are scheduled for a doctor's visit on June 2. That is still a huge improvement since last summer when Gus made the trip daily.

Gus had another CA 19-9 done last Tuesday and this time the number was 31. Gus feels so good right now and is getting so much accomplished. He is exhausted at night, but still the rewards of being out there getting dirty is balm to his soul. His hands are bruised and dirty just like the old days. Sometimes we almost forget the shadow that hangs over our life because of how good it is right now. One of Gus' hunting buddies feels Gus should be buying lottery tickets because of his ability to beat the odds.

Gus and Lane just headed to Dillon to the driving range at the golf course. They have been putting all morning into the little plastic cup at home and now they are ready for more excitement. Gus has not spent as much time practicing as Lane so it really is not a fair match.

April 23, 2009 Update - He is a blessing to everyone

No More Chemo!

Gus made that decision Monday when he talked to the doctor. He was scheduled for one more cycle starting this Saturday, but Gus deals with fatigue as well as other side effects when he is on chemo. Gus and I both want him to have the strength and ability to golf daily on his trip if that is his desire. Now this gives him three weeks of no treatment so he can build up his endurance.

Gus did have another CT Scan done last Tuesday. This was his seventh. We will meet with the doctor next Tuesday to hear the results. Neither one of us are concerned because Gus feels so good.

Gus did buy his new set of golf clubs and yes he has been borrowing Lane's plastic cup to practice his putting in the house. His new set of clubs are Adams Idea. Yesterday, he golfed for the first time this year and even birdied his last hole. Gus didn't like to discuss how he did on the other holes so we can all just assume not so good. He has no strength in his upper body and so struggles in driving the ball very far. There is not much flexibility in his shoulders, either.

When I look at my husband and acknowledge the fact that he has walked this path for over 10 months and during that time he has known the depth of despair, the pain of loss, and yet has found joy wherever he could, I am in awe. He is a blessing to everyone.

April 17, 2009 Ca 19-9 Update

Another Incredible Praise Report!

Gus' CA 19-9 is now 34!

Gus and I are both aware that one of these times we will see an increase in the numbers, but for right now we are cherishing every moment. I was in such shock when the doctor called yesterday that I even made her repeat what she told me. I would place a bet that my CA 19-9 is higher than Gus' now. We feel so blessed. Thank you for all those prayers.

April 15, 2009 Update

Gus' trip to Denver was such a blessing. As he boarded the plane in Bozeman in one of the worst snowstorms of the season, he knew that his dear friend (who was dying of pancreatic cancer) had slipped into a coma. It had been five days since he had visited with her in her home. I am sure Gus' tears flowed all the way to Denver. As Gus landed, he received the news she had passed away. His time with his mom and two sisters was exactly what he needed right then. They surrounded him with love and food in an environment that didn't center on cancer. He came home restored and he had gained five pounds in six days!

The doctors are so pleased with Gus' health. His one doctor considers him "practically normal" and she loves telling him that. We met with our main medical oncologist yesterday and he agreed to all of our terms . . . meaning an end to the chemo. Because Gus is doing so great, he only has to have one more cycle of chemo. Gus will take his final chemo tablets May 8th and as long as his report card remains great, he has total freedom from any treatment. They will monitor Gus by his CA 19-9 blood test. That will be done here in Sheridan every three weeks. Gus and I both felt after visiting with the doctor that he had never had a pancreatic cancer patient quite so healthy before.

Gus is scheduled for a CAT scan next Tuesday, April 21. The doctor admits the scan does not show the status of Gus' tumor, but the test will show whether or not the cancer has spread to surrounding organs. The test always makes Gus so uncomfortable before and after that it is not one of our favorite days.

On the recreational side of life, Gus has decided to purchase a really good set of golf clubs before his golfing trip to Seattle in May. In my ignorance, I felt the ones he purchased a few years ago were sufficient. Lane has been outside for a couple of months practicing his driving skills. As long as his dog accompanied him, the dog would retrieve the ball from the snow and Lane wouldn't lose the golf ball. If Lane was not outside driving the ball, he had his putter inside practicing with a plastic cup. That is partly why I cannot understand Gus' desire to spend money. All you need is one driver and one putter, your dog and a plastic cup.

Gus and his horse...