Experiences in Houston

The main thing we are here for is radiation treatments. There are three technicians who I see regularly for treatments, and I have learned a little about them. They figured out pretty quick I am a KSU fan, probably because I have been wearing my Powercat watch. I mentioned in the last blog one who grew up near Enid, OK. Another is a basketball fan and we have chatted about K-State's basketball team. He said he filled out his NCAA tournament bracket and picked K-State to beat KU in the championship game. Unfortunately, that can't happen now. The third is from Baton Rouge, LA, graduated from UT, but is an LSU fan. His father is battling rectal cancer.

One of the most interesting things we've experienced is meeting other people going through cancer treatments. We've talked with people from several different states, and seen license plates from lots more. Thursday we talked with a man from Knoxville who had recently learned he had Pancreatic cancer. After hearing my story, he said I was an inspiration for him. That afternoon we were sitting outside enjoying the sunshine, and I spoke to a woman with an extremely cute little black dog. (The dog was a Pomeranian with a "teddy bear" cut.) Turned out the woman lives in Bartlesville, but was born in Emporia (in the same hospital where Vicki was born), and lived there 14 years.

Friday evening, with me in a Kansas State shirt and cap, we headed out for a walk with Willow, and met a Texas pickup with a poodle bouncing around the front seat, coming into the RV park. Of course we waved at each other. We continued on our walk and the same pickup pulled up beside us on the street. The woman was disappointed that my shirt was Kansas State (she had seen only the Kansas part) because she was wearing a KU shirt. They had obviously seen our truck and recognized the Montgomery county tag. Her husband is originally from Coffeyville! We even know some of his relatives from church. It sure seems like a small world.

The unfortunate part of this trip is that I have progressively felt worse and more tired. I'm not trying to complain, but it has kept us from doing more things. I just don't feel like getting out. We still meet and talk to people who are worse off, so I count my blessings. Vicki has gone without me to a few stores that she enjoys.

Except for a little rain on Wednesday, the weather last week was beautiful. Down in the 50's at night and around 70 during the day. That has made it easy to get out and walk. The area is fairly nice, our walks are mostly past apartments, houses, and schools.

Over the weekend we got the same weather system that brought snow back in Kansas. Saturday it was raining and the high was in the lower 60s, but the temperature was dropping all day long. The wind started blowing, and the night time temp dropped into the mid 30's. Brrrr! Sunday was sunny, 60, and really windy. Not a nice day to be out. Today has been in the upper 60s, with a calm wind, just a beautiful day.

Seems like almost everyone here has a dog, many with multiple dogs. Several people have talked about having left some pets back home. One couple we met are living in a small trailer and have 3 dogs - a Lab and 2 chihuahuas. Willow wants to bark at every dog that walks by on it's way to the "recreation area".

Friday we took Willow to Petsmart for something different. Little kids kept wanting to pet her but she cowers from them. She will timidly check out some adults, but if they move suddenly she jumps back. I don't know what Willow thought of the outing, but I suspect she didn't get as much out of it as we did.