Imerman's Angels

In the course of our constant research, we came upon an organization called Imerman's Angels that works to connect a cancer patient with what they call a "Mentor Angel" -- someone who has close to the same diagnosis as you (male or female, any kind of cancer).  It is a free service.  They take your information and then match you up with a Mentor who then calls you and the two of you help each other.

We signed Marshall up a few weeks ago and this week he was hooked up with a guy named Jack who lives in Ohio.  They talked for quite a bit.  Jack is an 8-year survivor of prostate cancer, so it was a very good conversation.  They found that they suffered pretty much the same side effects during their treatment.  As you know, Marshall has been having severe hot flashes.  They really knock him for a loop.  His Mentor - Jack - said that when he had his flashes (in the wintertime), he would just go out to his garage and sit in the cold until he cooled off!

Anyone interested in Imerman's Angels, the website is:  www.imermanangels.org.  Jack also told Marshall to get on Lance Armstrong's site for very helpful and free support:  www.laf.org.  All good stuff.

On Thursday, Marshall went to visit his motorcycle (or should I say motorcycle parts?).  It is progressing slowly but surely.
 

New exhaust pipes for the Harley

Marshall ordered new pipes for the Harley and they arrived today.  They are designed to look like Gatling Guns coming out from the back of the bike and they revolve like they are firing every time you pick up speed.  They are SO cool.  Now he has to wait a whole month till he gets the bike back to get these installed.  Oh, the patience that's going to take.....

Marshall with his Gatling Gun exhaust pipes

Another prostate cancer blog

I know there are some men following this blog who are also suffering from advanced prostate cancer and we have enjoyed hearing from you and talking to you and following your progress.  I would like to suggest that you subscribe (if you haven't already) to the blog of a guy named Dan Zenka, Vice President of Communications of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.  He was diagnosed with Stage IV Prostate Cancer in 2010 and he started a blog called the New York Minute.

Today's blog was awesome and kind of speaks to Marshall's plans to help veterans and how much that will help him as well ... some excerpts are below:

"I remember my wife once lamenting how, between my current status as a Stage 4 cancer patient and my job at the Foundation, there is just no way I can ever turn off or escape from thinking about cancer. Anyone reading this knows she is right. Try as one may, cancer lingers day in and day out as a nagging thought that can only be brushed aside like an annoying fly that insists on continually returning. Even if that fly does take a short hiatus, there’s always any number of side effects that willingly stand in for the reminding role."

"Recently, much of my evenings and weekend free time has been focused on helping some students and families get a teacher back. I have to say, the diversion has been a powerful therapy. For the past week, my outlook has been brighter and I smiled ear to ear driving home last Friday evening as I realized the source of my lightness–a 7-day vacation from that annoying fly! It’s astounding what a good cause can do, not to mention the new community bonds and acquaintances that have been made."

"This new focus has been very good for me at this point in my journey. I believe I will find myself telling other patients, if they are physically able, to find a diverisonary cause. It can do a patient a world of good."

Colorado Wildfires

It is still unbelievably hot down here in Westcliffe.  It's hard to function.  And Marshall's continuing fatigue is even worse in this heat.  But we've still managed to get out and do things.

The many fires going on in Colorado have made us revisit our exit plan in case we are ever faced with an evacuation order.  And with the lack of rain and everything being so dry it doesn't take much to start a fire. So we spent a bit of time on Sunday going over the steps we would take in case of a wildfire.

Today we bought a lovely china cabinet to use as our display case in our booth at the Marketplace Shops and we went over to the shop today to set the case up and get locks put on it.  Here's more photos -- it is a darling store and both Marshall and I are having fun.

My real job -- working with Fred Bartlit -- is still going well.  I keep my Blackberry with me and the Bluetooth in my ear and no matter where I am, I am able to receive work emails or phone calls and deal with them.  It is so perfect and gives me a sense of normalcy in this whole new life we are living now.

And on another note, we actually had a spinach salad tonight with spinach from our very own greenhouse.  It was a tiny salad, but we made a big deal out of it!


Front of the store

Marshall putting a lock on our case.

Dabbling in Retail Again

Marshall and I (and our friend Janel McGuire) have decided to dabble in retail again.  Especially since when we left The Spotted Pig we still had a lot of inventory left.

A new shop is opening called The Marketplace Shops (731 Main Street, Canon City, CO).  It is going to be darling with outside seating for people who want to just visit, as well as inside seating and iced lemon water available on these hot summer days.  The shop will be arranged with "streets" and street signs.  Our shop will be 102 Main Street.  Baskets of flowers will hang along the "streets."

This store is in the old downtown area of Canon City which has a lot of traffic and Canon City, of course, is a huge tourist area (Royal Gorge, fly fishing, white water rafting, camping...).

The three of us spent today building out our booth and we'll spend the next two weeks putting product in the booth.  The Grand Opening will be July 6th!  If you are in the area, please stop by.  There will even be an official ribbon cutting at 4PM.  After that, our presence at the shop won't really be necessary except to spiff up our booth and add new stuff.  Marshall will probably be selling fishing gear and knives and maybe baseball hats and more and I will be selling jewelry, notecards, postcards, knitted items, etc., things that I love to make in my "hobby" time.  And Janel makes the most gorgeous things out of recycled denim and old horseshoes.

Marshall stayed fairly energetic all day today, resting when necessary.  The three of us had a great time.

We are calling ourselves Two Chicks and A Hick.  This will be fun.  And when Marshall gets his Harley back, he can ride over there and check the store out frequently.  The owner of the store is from the West Virginia area and she and Marshall have tall tales to tell!  I don't think she knows what she's getting herself into.....

Marshall bringing in supplies.



Marshall and Janel sharing a drill.

Janel reloading.

Janel begging for the drill.

TWO CHICKS AND A HICK!

Harley

In my post (below), I almost forgot the most important bit of news.  On Friday, we took the Harley up to Pikes Peak Harley Davidson in Colorado Springs and dropped it off.  They are going to dismantle the bike and deliver all the appropriate pieces to the artist, Tom Stack.  Marshall and Tom are working on a stunning design for this bike which will include the Vietnam wall, and other patriotic representations from Marshall's unit in Vietnam.

If it looks even half as breathtaking when it's done as we are imagining it, it will be such a showpiece.  Tom needs to keep it approximately 5 or 6 weeks, so Marshall will be chomping at the bit waiting for it.  I'm sure there will be a number of visits to Colorado Springs to check on the progress.  :)

Heat Wave

This past week has been unbearably hot up here in the mountains.  We aren't doing much moving around because it's too gosh darn hot.  Westcliffe has been in the high 90s and if we go to Pueblo, it's in the low 100s.  The plus to going to Pueblo is that we are in an air conditioned car!  And we get to go to Starbucks!  (Thank you, Jim and Liz ... And Catherine!)

Not much news on the "Big C" front.  Marshall has pretty much decided to decline the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial.  He's been doing very good with the treatment he's been getting so far, so why ripple the waters?  My cousin in Minnesota, who has been battling cancer for a number of years now and who has done tons of research, called and suggested to Marshall that rather than get involved in a clinical trial to help others down the road (as generous as that would be), this is the time Marshall should probably be thinking mostly of himself and what makes most sense for him (Thank you, Tom!).

But the fatigue and the hot flashes are sometimes debilitating and he is trying to learn to live with taking lots of naps and knowing when to sit down and rest.  As far as the hot flashes, the oncologist prescribed a very mild dose of an antidepressant; supposedly that has worked with many men to banish hot flashes.  We went and filled the prescription, but he is still trying to decide whether or not to take them.  A glass of red wine before bed seems to have a good effect on the hot flashes (not fair, that certainly didn't help with mine!), so he's going to stick with that for a while.

And I would like to complain that Walmart has a deplorable lack of motorized carts (smile).  We get a lot of giggles from me pushing him around in a wheelchair, but it limits our ability to shop separately.  Yesterday, the little latch on the entry door to the wheelchair came loose when I was trying to maneuver a very tricky about-face and one of those center displays almost bit the dust.

The wildfires, even though they aren't near us, are providing a whole lot of smoke to our area.  Our beautiful mountain view from our deck is now a very smoky mountain view (see photo).

Our "smoky" Sangre de Cristo Mountain View

The greenhouse is doing beautifully, even in this intense heat.  We've got two fans out there and the temperature usually hovers around 100 and so far the plants are still thriving.  Time will tell.  Marshall is having a 12x12 deck built for me behind the greenhouse so I can have a little garden getaway.  A neighbor came up last week (thank you, Dave!) and worked with the tractor to make a level spot to put the deck.  That can be very difficult to do with all the solid rock we have here, but he worked miracles.  Now we are just waiting for the guy to finish making the deck.  Pictures below are of the beautiful plants and the leveled-off area where the deck will go behind the greenhouse.

Zucchini, green pepper, cantaloupe and Swiss chard



Green beans



Cucumber, strawberry plant, blueberry plant

 

Oregano, Basil and Parsley

Future home of my 12x12 deck