Life is like a roller coaster

Finally - It's time to return to posting on my blog!

Life has been like a roller coaster since the week following Easter.  Sharron and I enjoyed an awesome time with our family as we drove to Charlotte to celebrate our grandson - Jordan Bolder's birthday.  We then flew to Orlando and had a vaction of a lifetime with Stephanie, Josh, Alyse and Breeley at Disney World.

We returned from that trip on April 21 and planned to spend a few days celebrating Sharron's birthday and catching our breath from the hectic pace.  That plan changed quickly as we received a phone call from Sharron's 84 year old father informing us that he was scheduled for surgery in Niagara Falls, Canada on Wednesday April 25.  We departed Raleigh on Monday the 23 to drive to Canada and be there for the surgery.

 The 6 1/2 hour surgery for Sharron's father went well. He was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in his bladder. The surgery was called a cystectomy. The procedure consist of the removal of the entire bladder, nearby lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy). The prostate was also removed. A surgical complication was due to a previous surgery. The bladder was adhered to a portion of the bowel. The bowel was perforated during the procedure and a colostomy was preformed. Though the intital time in the hospital was to be 14 to 17 days he was in Niagara Falls hospital for almost a month and then transferred to the hospital in Ft. Erie, Canada.

Dad is finally out of the hospital however, Sharron remained in Canada to serve as his caretaker.  I returned to North Carolina and lived like a bachelor for an extended time. On Wednesday June 27 Sharron was cleaning her dad's home and suffered a fall off a step ladder. She was taken to Urgent Care in Buffalo, NY.  The x-ray of her foot indicated a small bone in her right foot was broken in two places.  On July 1 I traveled to Canada and we drove back to NC during the week.  Sharron sat in the back seat with her foot elevated (a true back seat driver). We have made the necessary adjustments to our schedule and she is recuperating at home.  Finally, my life schedule is starting to slow down and I can return to my blog. I am looking forward to filing some of the "blanks" over the past 3 months on my blog.  Check back soon for another posting.