Update on Brian

Brian saw his surgeon today and has been told that his melanoma is considered to be Stage IIIB ie it has moved from his temple into a lymph gland on his neck.  The good news is that the CT scan revealed no other potential sites of concern.

Normally, the next step would be to do further surgery on his neck, but that would involve cutting into muscle and perhaps limiting his neck and arm movement which would not be ideal.

There are other standard treatments for this stage, including boosts of the immune system and radiology.  His surgeon will be consulting with other oncologists and will meet with Brian in 6 six weeks time to start what will be considered the best route(s).

He has been extremely pleased with the surgeon as welll as the speed of action.  (While I was in the waiting room, I heard a receptionist tell a patient on the phone that even urgent CT scans took 2-3 months to schedule.  Brian got his in 9 days.)

So, things are well in hand and an good outcome is very likely.  I will keep everyone posted as things develop.  Thanks for all your good wishes--it is encouraging.

January 2019

Happy New Year Everyone!

To make things a little more predictable, I plan to publish this blog at the end of each month.  That way, you won’t waste your time wondering if anything is new or not.

2019 has started out extremely well this year, because we have only about 1/3 of the snow that we had this time last year.  More importantly, the temperatures have been much warmer, often slightly above zero in the daytime and slightly below zero at night.  Not hard to get used to at all.

Last winter featured a lot of fog (I could show you a nice white screen, but you get the idea….).   We still have days of it, with the added benefit of having beautiful hoar frost scenes in the aftermath.

On the other hand, we have also had many more clear days, with the unique position of being well above the fog in the valley, seeing very different landscapes.    The valley often looks like it has been filled with whipped cream.

With the clear days, there is a much better chance of seeing some spectacular sunsets.

Life on the mountain can be busy in the winter, featuring some more concerts at a building we call the Summit Centre.  Last week featured a nephew and uncle duo, folksingers and fabulous guitar pickers.  The Summit Centre can seat about 60 people, and it allows for a lovely coffee house feel with an intimate group.

I mentioned the Model Train Museum here, which required a second visit to cover things missed the first time.  The owners have puckish sense of humour, offering little scenarios that can be easily missed.  Keep in mind these figures are only an inch tall, so you can get a feel for the detail.

Lots of activities, such as an organized cycling race were featured…..

Smart Cars showed up here and there….

The whole thing is set in Germany, with the traditional oompah bands and outdoor feasts……

The creators seemed to enjoy dogs at fire hydrants, with varying levels of encounter……

Finally, there were a pair of hippies trespassing in a sunflower field.  And this is just a train museum?

Brian has encountered a health issue the last week of January:  he had a lump removed from his neck and it was determined to be melanoma again.  The medical profession has moved very quickly on this, and he has had some tests done within the week in preparation for a consultation with the surgeon on Tuesday, February 5.  I will keep you posted as to what is going on.