Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim. Dory in "Finding Nemo"

Over the weekend, Sam and I came to terms with a few things in this current chapter of our lives.  

1.  No more traveling (which is the most difficult.)

2.  Sam is extremely limited in things he can do for himself.

3.  No matter how excited we are about the new cancer drug, it is going to do nothing for the pain caused from the bone metastases.

4.  The pain from the bone mets is excruciating (my word for the day.)

5.  The bone pain (hips/pelvis/femur) is much higher priority than the pulmonary embolism, the deep vein thrombosis and the pulmonary tumors combined.

What to do?  The pain is wreaking havoc on Sam's quality of life and maintaining a good quality of life is extremely important to us.  

Thursday is the day for the VA home assessment.  There are temporary measures in place until this is done in order for us to continue living day to day best as we can.

Yesterday during our chat we both stated we feel this is not fair but it is what it is so we will make the best of it, no matter where it takes us.  

Unless Sam's health takes a major upward swing, which is entirely possible, we are both preparing for the distinct possibility of hospice sometime soon.  After last night's discussion, I think Sam might be waiting for me to make that final decision.  We are both slowly wrapping our minds around it. Just keep in mind, the whole point of hospice is pain management.  Sam is already taking pain meds of the most intense at the highest dosage without becoming completely loopy.  Any increase and there is a good possibility we will not have many conversations such as we did last night. That being said, hospice can last a long time.

I hope to write every few days now as my energy level is dwindling and I need to focus it on Sam, myself and work.  

I do have a favor to ask as well.  Several years ago, Sam's storage unit was broken into and he lost almost all his sports memoriabilia.  If you happen to have any photos (sports, school, whathaveyou) of Sam from throughout the years, would you please share them with us?  You can email them to me at joieevans@alumni.utexas.net and it will be greatly appreciated.

It is coming to the end of summer.  The only good thing about that is FOOTBALL!  My Denver Broncos are having a terrific summer camp (if everyone can stay out of jail, good grief!) and are looking forward to another awesome season.  I can hardly wait!

q'ua

Today we visited Dr. Chung, the radiation oncologist. At this point, there really is nothing he can do for Sam, although he did tell us about another new drug recently approved by the FDA for bone pain.  It may be at some point in the future, he will recommend for Sam to try it.  Forget what it is called, but I will remember eventually.

Several times today I found myself fighting back tears...cannot wait until I can go a full day with doing that.  Another one of those "eventually" things.

Sam also met with a respiratory therapist at the VA who gave us all kinds of information about using oxygen.  Things we never even contemplated, although most of it is common sense...like no open flame, meaning not being anywhere near candles, smoking, BBQs, wood stoves, gas stoves, etc., etc.  Sad thing is, that really rules out our camp trailer.  There is no way he would be able to negotiate the steps, anyway.  We are both quite glad I insisted on getting a lot of my site visits completed in May and June.  Gave us an opportunity to get out and camp.  So for now, we will have to find other lodging facilities which have handicap facilities and wheelchair access.

So, here we are, getting ready for Friday.  So glad the weekend is upon us!

q'ua

Tonight I am not going to write much.  Spent a major portion of the day at work, more than I anticipated.  Unfortunately, we are extremely busy and, unfortunately, we have yet to meet with the VA for a personal assistant for Sam - phone tag is the name of the game on that front.  Tomorrow we meet with the radiation oncologist for a follow up from the radiation on the femur a few months ago.  Dr. Chung always enlightens us with all kinds of information, so it will be interesting to hear his thoughts this time around.

I am driving Sam nuts, I think.  I keep seeing his eyes roll up into the back of his head.  Of course, I am looking at him from the side, so it freaks me out.  Even more so because his breathing is so crazy, so then I am asking every 5 minutes, are you ok?  Poor guy is just falling asleep, or at least trying to anyway.

We are both extremely tired this evening, so are off to bed early.

Thank you again to everyone.  More cards arrived today (Julie M...yours was one of several that cracked him up!) He kept repeating "Gray Bar" which made it even funnier listening to him.

Cathy D...thank you for the shower seat hints.  Very helpful and after the catastrophe last night, today he told me he needs it.

Sweet dreams everyone.

q'ua

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition. Martha Washington

Timing is everything as all of you know. Today we fully expected to say no more treatment, we will just see how it goes for awhile, possible hospice, whatever...instead we are ending the day feeling much more positive about the short term future than we did when the day started.

Recently the FDA approved two new drugs, both in pill form, one for Sam's exact type of non-small cell lung cancer with a specific bio-marker (EGFR) and the other a blood thinner, which means no more injections in the belly!  Because they are so new, the VA needs to order them so it might be next week before Sam gets started on the Gilotrif for the cancer and Xarelto for the blood clots.  We go back to both doctors in a month to see how things are going. Hopefully no more excitement like this past week.  

Speaking of which, Dr. Davis from the VA kindly explained to Sam what happened with the pulmonary blood clot, and is still happening until it completely dissipates.  Just to give you an idea of Sam's thought process now, this is the 4th time (minimum) someone has taken the time to explain this to him.  Dr. Davis' description, though, I think finally got through to him.  Basically, the blood clot in his right lung is at a major intersection and is spanning out in 5 different directions (just like fingers) all at once.  Sam responded with a "so I almost died" statement and the doctor nodded his head.  When we left, Sam continued to talk about how serious the situation not only was, but still is.  The blood thinner is mostly to prevent new blood clots from forming but also to (hopefully) help slowly dissolve the current ones which, as I have previously noted, could take a long while.  We also discussed Sam's oxygen level, especially since when we left home it was at 78%.  Any movement on his part causes massive pain and decreases his oxygen level.  The two go hand in hand. Therefore, the need to be on oxygen 24/7.  I just have to find a way to keep him from tugging the oxygen tubes off during the night.  This morning I suggested duct tape (it's the Alaskan way, don't you know?) but he did not seem to find that very funny like I did.  What is up with that?  Anyway, he is learning to adjust the oxygen according to whatever it is he is doing which is a continual work in progress.  Two things he will have for the rest of his life, oxygen and blood thinners.  

Had about an hour between appointments so enjoyed some
and fresh air at Valley of the Moon park today.

At the oncologist's office, we discussed many things.  First, Sam's pain level.  If he is sitting completely still, the pain is between a 5-6 in his hips/pelvis area.  Any movement, it shoots right up to a 10.  The meds help bring it down to a dull numbness for a few minutes.  The challenge is that the meds also make Sam very spacey.  We did discuss why hip replacement is not an option for Sam in that it would create more problems than he already has since there is nothing to attach it to as the pelvis is quite fragile itself from the cancer.  It is like there are lots of tiny little fractures throughout the bone and any additional stress would not be good.  The new cancer drug just approved by the FDA in the past week or so, Gilotrif, is meant to slow down the progress of the cancer, and help give Sam a better quality of life for the remainder of his life.  Unfortunately, as the doctor kindly reminded us several times, right now, there is no cure.  The most we can hope for is managing the growth.  

Many of you (ourselves included at times out of pure frustration) want to know how much longer do the doctors expect Sam to live.  Well, it is nearly impossible to even guess.  As of right now, Sam has lived almost 4 years longer than anyone anticipated when he was initially diagnosed with what we later found out was lung cancer.  Hearing the news today that there are 2 new non-chemo drugs on the market available for him to try raised our spirits enormously.  At the same time, we are dealing with the "new" normal, and that is his inability to walk and need for constant assistance.  As each day goes by, this is becoming easier for me to deal with.  I told one of my colleagues at work this morning that generally it takes me about 3 days to digest whatever is happening, and then I am able to wrap my mind completely around it, accept it, figure out how to deal with it and move on. 

Daily, I admit, I wonder when hospice will happen.  Not if, but when.  For now, though, we are entering another new chapter on this cancer rollercoaster.  Not very fun or exciting, if you ask me.  I am just so grateful Sam is still here with me.  Last week I was scared to pieces that he might not even get to come home.  I cannot thank all of you enough for everything everyone has done, and is doing, to make this transition easier for us.  You are our angels, that is for sure.  All the prayers, thoughts, notes, emails, cards, calls, texts, everything made such a huge difference.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

In the next couple days, VA will be assessing Sam's needs here at home to figure out how best to help him.  That will be the next step in this process.

Hugs to everyone and thank you again.

q'ua

Happy Birthday!

Seems Sam had a pretty good day today, several phone calls, lots of cards, and just general good wishes.  Thank you to everyone!  He wanted to write individual thank you cards, and I hope you do not mind, but I talked him out of it.

He took himself outside today for a bit of sunshine while I went to the office.  Apparently it took a lot out of him, much more than he anticipated.  This evening he acted like he would not be doing that again, but...well...it is Sam we are talking about here.

Tomorrow is the appointment with the VA primary physician in the morning and the oncologist in the afternoon.  He is still talking that he is going to say no more treatment.  We all need to keep in mind, though, that even if he says no more treatment for now, he could change his mind at some point.  It all remains to be seen. No matter what he decides, it will be the right decision for him and I will support it 100%.

As for me, Alaska is one big tinder box right now.  If you live in Alaska, please be very careful.  Today I received a report of a small fire on CIRI land along the Kenai River.  15 more feet and it would have been a disaster, made even more so because the area is located between Kenai and Soldotna.  Crazy thing is, there is no need for campfires right now anyway.  Daylight lasts until the wee hours of the morning and the temperatures are extremely high for us.  And remember...you will be found if you are the guilty party.  Be safe and be smart.

q'ua

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Walt Disney

Today proved to be a rather easy day.  We ventured out to Walgreen's for those special socks to help with the circulation in his legs.  Also ran into Fred Meyer for a few minutes.  The trip out felt good for both of us but caused great pain for Sam getting in and out of the truck.  Slowly we are developing a routine of how to travel with the wheelchair and oxygen.  We are both so grateful he does want to get out in the fresh air.

Late last night we discussed what the most important thing is right now and decided it is the pain in his hips, pelvis and leg from the cancer.  The pain is so great, Sam struggles to manage it with the pain meds.  When we meet with the oncologist on Tuesday, that will be the focus of our discussion - or at least that is the game plan today.

Tomorrow I will be going into the office for a couple hours in the morning.  That will be a challenge probably more for me than Sam as I will be worrying constantly about any issues he might have, such as twisting the oxygen tube around the wheelchair.  Oh boy!

And in case anyone is wondering, I am a member of the best book club ever.

q'ua

“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” ― Jane Austen

Sam is as comfortable as can be for now.  The pain in his hips and pelvis is almost impossible to overcome.  Every little movement seems to send pain shooting through his entire body and in turn, he struggles to breath even with the oxygen.

Today he enjoyed a great visit with our minister, Ron Myers, from First United Methodist Church in downtown Anchorage.  Come to find out those two have more in common than we ever imagined.  I let them chat and did my own thing, I think it was a nice break for both Sam and I.

Yesterday Sam received flowers, a balloon, and an adorable stuffed dog from his friends, Berna and Jovy, who live in the Philippines.  They were on Sam's staff when he worked at NetSuite in San Mateo, CA.  It was a wonderful surprise and certainly brightens up our tiny living room.

As for me, I am starting to think of the oxygen as background white noise so that I do not even hear it most of the time.  Yeah for me!  I admit, though, I am getting a little depressed about not fishing.  Just saw pictures of silvers caught on the Little Su, our favorite fishing spot.  Today was opening day and they limited out.  My goal is to get Sam strong enough that we can go out at least one more time camping and fishing, but as of right I just do not see that happening.  Might be able to get him to a cabin, although it will need to have electricity!

q'ua

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” ― Ashley Smith

It is now the middle of summer in Alaska and thank goodness Sam is no longer in the hospital, although I certainly could have used one more day to prepare for him coming home.  Because of the pulmonary tumors, the blood clots and who knows what else, oxygen 24/7 is the name of the game with a wheelchair as the primary transportation.

Last night I, for one, did not get much sleep.  He continually pulled off the oxygen in his sleep.  One would have thought he would be used to it after a week in the hospital with it, but apparently not.  Whenever it got pulled off, Sam started struggling with his breathing which, in turn, woke me.  Usually without waking him I was able to put it back on.  A couple times, though, he did wake, look at me, try to figure out what was happening and just go back to sleep.

Any movement at all causes Sam to lose his breath.  He probably spends a good 10 minutes each time he moves catching his breath before moving again.  This process is exhausting and Sam is finding many ways to avoid any movement.

Today we spoke with the VA case manager and the insurance case manager.  Next week an assessment will be made for Sam's needs but for starters, someone will be coming in 2-3 times a week for 2-3 hours each.  As to when that is starting, I have no idea.  Could be Monday for all I know!  Anyway, things are moving, which is good.  In addition, my book club friends are helping us by preparing some meals.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this.  It is awesome.  And yesterday, the neighbors all pulled together and moved our couch and coffee table out of the condo into the hallway.  WOW.  What a difference that made.  Sam did not understand why we needed it moved, but I think he is beginning to understand.  Now to just find someone to take it away.

The dumbfounding moment of the day was the oncologist's office calling to confirm Sam's continuation of chemo on Tuesday and follow up appointment with the PA (not the oncologist).  The look on Sam's face was priceless.  He politely said, no chemo and appointment with the oncologist only.  Neither of us can believe it yet.  Anyway, we will meet with him Tuesday afternoon at which time (as of right now anyway) and Sam is going to tell him no more treatment.  Personally I think the oncologist is going to be shocked when he sees Sam and the change in him since the last time they spoke.

Sam asked me to take him outside for a few minutes today.  It was pleasant and we took Rocky with us.

It is so difficult to see the tall athletic and energetic man I love slowly deteriorating.  It is even more difficult to not let him see my tears and hear my fears, even though there were several times this week while he was in the hospital when I just could not hold back any longer.  I am glad he is home with me because no one knows how much longer he will be.  

Thank you everyone for your support this week. I would have never made it without you.

q'ua

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Just a thought.  Sam's birthday is Monday.  If you would like to help him celebrate, how about a fun birthday card?

Sam Glass
1201 Denali Street #307
Anchorage AK  99501

Please note, this is a secured access building.

Big news.  The doctor just discharged him with the words of " you have a very special situation.  You need to be home where you are comfortable for whatever is the remainder of your life."  It was very kind.  We will be headed home in an hour or so.

Today the doctor decided Sam is to start practicing with the wheelchair to see where his oxygen levels are at and to see if he is ready to go home.  I think he needs the oxygen, Sam thinks he needs the oxygen, the doctor thinks he needs the oxygen, but as we all know, what we think and what the insurance thinks are generally two different things.

I asked the doctor point blank (out in the hall away from Sam!) if this is a hospice point and his response was "not for the blood clots but you should talk to the oncologist about the lung cancer" since that is what is really affecting his breathing.  The doctor believes the clot in Sam's lung is slowly dissipating and how he is able to tell that is beyond me.  He quickly qualified all this, though, by reminding me things can change on a dime (no duh) and we will just have to wait until tomorrow to see how things go.  The doctor also said that what they are doing at the hospital is no different than what would be happening at home...well...I beg to differ because right now there is no oxygen at home, no nurses to stay with him while I run into the office, etc., etc., etc.  I spent some time making calls to the social services department at the hospital as well as the VA so we could get things up and running. Personally, I want things in place before Sam gets home because once he is home, there will not be time to do all these things....like rearrange things to make it easier for him to get around in a wheelchair in our tiny little condo.  Does anyone want a perfectly good queen-size sofa sleeper which has been tenderly loved by the cats on the sides?

Just to give you an idea as to his oxygen level and his shortness of breath - when he sits up on the side of the bed, he needs to rest about 10 minutes catching his breath before he moves to the next position, regardless of whether it is standing up or moving into the recliner which is right next to his hospital bed.  And people wonder why I am concerned.

It is exciting the doctor is thinking about sending him home, but I do not want him here until the time is right.  I have said my peace at the hospital and I am not too sure anyone listened.  That will be determined tomorrow.  One thing is quite clear, I cannot discuss this in front of Sam.  He will make his symptoms disappear if he has any inkling I am concerned about him coming home.  It is odd, though, that I am at peace with the lung cancer issue, but not with the blood clots.  I have thought this through, but I am not ready to discuss it here yet.  Way too emotional.

Anyway, it is now 10:11pm and I need to go fold laundry and get other things done to prepare for him possibly coming home in the next couple days.  And all I really want to do is go to sleep.  Which I might do anyway and just ignore the laundry for now.

Happy Birthday to my mom and to our son, Alex, both of whom turned 21 today.  :)

q'ua

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Each day is a new day!  Today the doctor visit proved to be a bit more informative than we anticipated.  Yesterday and this morning the nurses focused on asking Sam about going home.  When I heard that, I about had heart failure myself.  Luckily, when the doctor showed up, he put a stop to it all in one sentence.  Sam is not to do any excessive movement due to the clot next to the right side of his heart.  Any excessive movement could cause a massive coronary and that would be that.  The right side of his heart is working hard to do what it is supposed to, only it cannot.  This leads to the left side of the heart needing to basically work overtime.  Hard thing is, the left side is dealing with pulmonary tumors which have more or less flattened some of the veins and arteries. Sam's situation is much more dire than either one of us imagined.  The doctor does want him to slowly begin moving, starting with just going from the bed to the bathroom and that is only if he can do it without losing his breath. The doctor does not want Sam (as of this morning anyway) to even think about going home until he is able to walk around PCU without needing to rest.  This might be a long haul.  Then again, he might get up tomorrow and be able to do just that.

I go from being scared out of my mind to being as positive as ever that he will be up and running in a few days.

Tonight Sam is complaining about a lot of pain.  He just told the nurse he experienced a wave of pain that shot through his entire body and felt like knives stabbing him.  Now the pain seems to be focused in the hip area and feels like pins and needles.  His pain level hovers around 8-9 which is rare for him.  Normally it is about 4.

For those of you wondering, yes, I am eating - probably much more than I should.  I also am getting out of the hospital for a few hours each day, continuing to work from Sam's room and then going home at night, returning early in the morning.  If you have never had the pleasure of a hospital experience, in order to be present during the doctor's daily visit, you need to get here early and then practice patience because you never know when he or she is going to show up.  No fault of their own since there are many patients to see, but this OCD person would sure appreciate a schedule.

q'ua

Well...you've certainly had all kinds of birthdays in your life. Sam talking to me tonight

No kidding (sarcasm at its finest!)  Sitting in a hospital room is certainly not what I have ever anticipated for my birthday.  However, I am not surprised because my dad has historically had his major heart surgeries around Thanksgiving.  My family has enjoyed several Thanksgiving meals in hospital cafeterias.  Anyway, I digress.  As usual.

The hospitalist who began his work week today finally understood about Sam's pain meds schedule and got things adjusted accordingly.  The weekend staff chose not to listen to what Sam said about his routine and attempted to wean him off of some of his meds.  Oh boy.  I am proud to admit I stayed quite calm during that discussion this morning.  His pain level, though, is continuing to fluctuate and he began complaining about the right side of his chest again late this afternoon as well as his right leg earlier today.

When I returned from lunch at the office, the social worker was here.  Caught me by surprise but her role is to help make sure Sam has what he needs when he gets home.  She is supposed to work with the VA on all kinds of things from a personal assistant (hey, I need one of those too!), a walk-in bathtub and a variety of other things.  We will see how that plays out.

Tonight his color is good and mood is ok.  His left leg is still quite swollen and his right leg is now starting to look that way as well.  Not good.  Sam's trying to walk using a walker but putting any weight on his left leg is completely impossible as of right now.  He needs to walk in order to get his circulation going.  Just a vicious cycle.

So...we are still here.

For everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday today (as well as called...Mom & Dad, Virgil & Mary), thank you so much.  Made the day much more enjoyable.

q'ua

Sam's pain is much better today, probably a combination of pain meds, blood thinners and whatever else he is being given. The swelling in his left leg seems to have gone down a bit and it is not as hot as it was yesterday. He says the knives which were pricking him in the chest have also decreased, but again, do not known if it is the meds or the painkillers or a combination of both.

The RN did give me a shock when he was in. Sam's blood counts are off and if they do not get resolved, it is possible he will need a transfusion. They will be doing full blood tests again tomorrow so we will know more then.  More than likely this is from the chemo, but as with everything else, hard to know for sure.

Sam's mood is much better than yesterday, too, for which I am extremely grateful.

Thank you everyone for all your kind words of support. They are greatly appreciated. Sam needs to get better because silvers (Coho) will be in soon and they are calling our names!

q'ua

Writing this from my phone so I apologize in advance for grammar and spelling!

Sam was admitted about 1 today to Alaska Regional. He'll be here for 2-3 days at least as they work through everything that is going on. Hia spirits are good but he is in a great amount of pain. They are doing what they can and are treating him very well. Also waiting for cultures to come back because there is also an infection as he has a fever which is quite rare for him.

Yes, in answer to those wondering, I have been home, showered, rested and am now back at the hospital.

The RN did get right down in his face to tell him what a lucky guy he was to still be alive. Not sure it got through to him because of his meds, but she is right...he is a lucky man.

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and support. Makes a huge difference.

q'ua

In a battle all you need to make you fight is a little hot blood and the knowledge that it's more dangerous to lose than to win. George Bernard Shaw

So much is going on, I am not sure where to even begin.  Nor can I remember where I left off.  As I  previously noted, Sam's left leg is giving him trouble.  One night a few weeks ago, he showed it his very swollen ankle.  Surprise!  Shortness of breath also became an issue, so much so last week we were in Seward for my work and he insisted I bring him back on the 4th.  Little did I know he planned to call 911...and what a shock I got when I decided to take advantage of coming home for a short bit to take a quick shower and find out as I am walking out of the bathroom wrapped in towels that he called 911 just before I got out.  Hello.  Admittedly, my first thought was, (my Anchorage girlfriends understand what I am saying here...) oh boy, AFD is coming to visit and here I am.  Quick!  Get dressed and comb out the hair!  Took me about 20 seconds compared to my normal 20 minutes and that is before the blow dryer comes into play.  Then I realized I probably should be worried about my husband, which of course, I was...but AFD was coming to visit!  The paramedics who showed up were so kind and gentle with Sam, it really did almost make me cry.  By the time they arrived, Sam's breathing had relaxed, so his vitals were actually quite good.  Because he did not mention his leg, they told him that the shortness of breath was probably a result of the progression of the cancer and that even if they took him in, there was probably nothing anyone could do.  Which, in the grand scheme of things, is very true.  Would have helped if he had told them about his leg!  And by the way, just because I am standing there does not mean I have permission to speak, don't you know?  Anyway, long story short, at chemo on Tuesday he finally showed the physician's assistant and the nurses his oxygen levels went crazy whenever he moved, lowering to the low to mid 80s.  Not good.  But...again...everyone continued to insist it is due to the pulmonary tumors in his lungs because he still does not mention his leg.  ARGH. If only I could have a few minutes with the staff....

Last night, after checking his oxygen content several times, and then asking me to wake him when I got up for work this morning, he promised to call the doctor and tell them everything.  So off to work I go, and in the middle of my 11:00 meeting, I receive a text...doctor appt at 2, need ultrasound first, have to check in at desk by noon.  Luckily, my meeting is close to home, I make it there in about 2 minutes flat, get to Regional in record time (all the while the back seat driver sitting next to me is telling me which route to take through Fairview to get to Regional the fastest, but please do not speed, ok?) We get into Radiology and I am watching the ultrasound and I am seeing what I expected to see...a blood clot.  Not just a little one, either. It extends from just above the left knee to just below mid-calf.  Sam is so very lucky.  I pray we caught it in time.  When he received the results, he said..."so it is true."  Twice a day he is to inject himself in the belly with enoxaparin for 10 days.  Tuesday, unless something happens before then, he goes back in for one final chemo treatment this round.  Monday, this chickie is calling the doctor and chatting with him because today he was told by the staff it is due to him sitting in the wheelchair all the time. HELLO!  The reason the wheelchair is even here is because of the pain he experienced when standing on the leg.  I do not know who to be more angry with at this point, Sam for not telling everything (but, in his defense, he is on heavy pain meds, so he is lucky to remember his name at times) or the staff for being so...so...so I don't know what!  Anyway, I am calling the office on Monday.  Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  Even Sam commented on the way back from the VA pharmacy that the blood clot might have been around for a couple months or longer.  No kidding.  Ok, the sarcasm is starting to show through, so I better get off this subject and talk about something else.

Tomorrow is Fairview's (our neighborhood) Block Party.  If Sam is up to it, we are going to head on over during our Saturday stroll.  This summer's weather has been amazing, even the week of rain we had.

CIRI property at Crooked Lake

As for me, work continues to be extremely busy.  Summer is field season and my job is to deal with land access matters, including educating everyone that CIRI is a private company which means CIRI lands are private lands, not public lands.  It is a common misconception that the ANSCA corporations, especially the regional corporations, are public agencies.  They are not, never have been, and never will be.  Everyone needs a permit to be on CIRI and/or its villages' lands.  Does not matter who you are or what you are doing, you need a permit.  They are extremely easy to apply for and relatively easy to get (unless it's a big project and those tend to take awhile). If you do not have a permit, you are in trespass...meaning even those people who believe Fire Island is public land.  Just putting the word out.  In a couple weeks CIRI's Land Department is beginning a huge public education campaign.  Even if we can get this message through to one person, we will consider it to be a success.  So Alaska friends...take note, please.

Did I mention AFD came to visit?

q'ua