Spring Fever

  My wife and I are prepping our house for sale. We live about 15 miles south of town in the upper Hood River Valley. Our home is tucked into a remote corner of the county. Private timber company land and a Forest Service seed orchard adjoin us to the west and south.  Deer, elk, [...]

Dex in Wonderland

Monday morning I awoke at 3 am. I dressed, brewed a cup of tea, and left the house. A full moon lit the way, casting long shadows across the path to my truck. Out east, the horizon bristled with silhouettes of fir trees. I drove to my youngest son’s house. Isaac and his wife also [...]

Blue Collar Cancer

Recently, I visited family in San Francisco, my hometown. My roots are urban, but 40 years ago, my wings carried me to more rural environs. I was born at Children’s Hospital on California Street in 1946. My parents worked hard providing their five kids with the basics: bikes, baseball mitts, and a safe home. I [...]

Unremarkable

Recently, I met with my oncologist, Dr. M. His practice is located in Portland, OR. Each Thursday, however, he travels 60 miles up the Columbia River Gorge to Hood River. Here, he spends the day attending to cancer patients in our small community. He commented that my disease continues to be in “complete remission.” His [...]

First Chemo

I’m sure that many of you reading this blog have experience with cancer as either a patient or family member, and the scenes we describe are old news. Let me just say that I have the greatest respect for all who travel this road. We see courage displayed on a daily basis at the Seattle [...]

4th of July

I have been off all medications for three weeks. I feel good. My energy level has risen. I no longer need frequent naps. I walk everywhere and feel strong climbing hills. The numbers representing those changes are clear in my blood labs. My hematocrit, which measures the percentage of red blood cells, is normal. I [...]

SCCA & The Pete Gross House

I’ve been on a drug regimen of thalidomide and steroids since January. (Yes, THAT thalidomide) I also take a blood thinner to counteract the tendency of these drugs to cause blood clots. For those who know me, this is a unique experience. I’ve always enjoyed good health. I’ve never, until this year, required medication other [...]