Delayed Return

Once again, we have learned that life is unpredictable. Last week, which was intended to be our last week in Maine, I went to see a hematologist to check to see if maybe we might check to see if I had any particular bleeding or clotting factors which would have helped explain my brain bleed in March or my blood clot in April. She thought I probably didn’t have such factors, but she did some blood tests just to check. Luckily, she also ordered another ultra sound to check on the status of the clot in my leg, just to see how it was progressing. To make a long story short, the clot had grown, probably because of the long drive to Maine, and was now all the way up my leg into my lower abdomen. Up to now I had not been on anti-coagulation drugs because of the brain hemorrhage. I had no pain or swelling and felt fine.

Now, my condition was life-threatening because of the danger of a pulmonary embolism if a piece of the clot should break off and go to my lung. So, last week I had a filter installed in my vena cava vein, in my abdomen, to prevent such an event. I saw a neurologist who approved me going on Coumadin for anti-coagulation. This will, over time, dissolve my clot, and prevent it from growing in the meantime. It’s possible I could have the filter removed within the first 41 days, but that depends on how fast the clot dissolves.

Needless to say, we have opted to stay in Maine and get this taken care of before returning to our home in Mexico. So now we are relaxing and enjoying a bit of Maine summer heat and grateful that I went to see the hematologist. I am forbidden to drive back to Mexico, so Pixie will be driving the car back; several people have offered to fly up and help her make the trip. But for now we are just recovering from the drama of the last week.

Here are a few more photos to share:

Last week we went to Reid State Park with our daughters Wendy and Cassie. Reid is a beautiful beach framed by the typical Maine rocky coastline.

And here are Wendy and Cassie, enjoying some sister time at the beach. They don't get to see each other as much these days, since Cassie lives in Providence and Wendy in Maine.

We met our friends Kevin and Judy Simpson at one of our favorite Italian restaurants a week or so ago. They are about to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

We went up north to Solon, a small town north of Skowhegan, to scatter Pixie's Mom's ashes. We met at Chet and Barby's (Pixies aunt and uncle). Chet is an interesting man who has lived his life in rural Maine. He loves vintage cars and trucks. Here he poses with a 1954 Solon fire truck he bought recently. He's got it running and in good shape.



My dad is a lifelong watercolorist. As an eye surgeon, he always needed something to exercise his left brain, and chose painting. He has, if I say so, become an excellent artist. When he is in Maine, he goes once or twice a week with his group of friends to a painting/critique session. I accompanied him on a recent outing and was pleased not only to see him paint, but to appreciate the high regard his fellow artists have for him.




Finally, here is my annual photo of my dad and stepmom, Joy, on their porch in Waldoboro.