SPRING HILL PARK and MORE

Last Saturday, we moved from the fairgrounds in Raleigh to Spring Hill RV Park.  Spring Hill is in a very rural setting, closer to Carrboro, North Carolina, than Chapel Hill, its mailing address.

Down this graveled road...

...to the office...

...to our site...

...nestled in the trees.

If you are looking for a high-end resort, this is not it.  There are no amenities here -- zero, zip, nada -- no laundry facilities, no bathhouse, no swimming pool, etc.  However, the cable is great, my Verizon aircard and phone work great, the sites are graveled and level and the wildlife is good -- birds, squirrels and deer.  We no longer have to travel 5 lanes of traffic to reach Duke...most of the way is back roads, which we prefer.  And the owner is very friendly, always working and will help you in any way he can.

This used to be a mobile home park and still has several mobile homes.  It is very shaded, which I'm sure those who are here in the Summer appreciate.   With no leaves currently on the trees, we were still able to get satellite, so we have the best of both worlds -- cable TV with local channels and our normal satellite stations.  

Another plus is the quietness -- it is very quiet -- no highway noise, no airplane noise, no trains.  We have been sleeping like babies.    This morning we woke up to three deer right outside our window.  We love seeing and watching them.  We also have been trying to walk every day.  It's a good place to walk -- we calculated our normal route and it is about two miles.  We want to keep up the walking throughout my treatment.  


Here are a few things we have seen on our walks:

A pair of red-headed woodpeckers

Red birds are in abundance.

White-tail deer -- they blend so well with their surroundings they are difficult to see.

Alan is always looking for various wildlife signs, especially Bigfoot...LOL.

Could these scratches be from Bigfoot?

Can you see them?

How about these clumps of fur?

And a hawk's nest

After my last post about the two separate sessions I had with two entirely different positions, my doc called and said after studying all the pics from both positions, they had determined that the supine position (on my back) was the best way to go.  I have to admit I was bummed.  I am not a medical expert by any means, but it seemed reasonable to me that in the prone position on the pink breast board would be the best way to go, as it separates the diseased breast from the rest of the body and would/should protect the heart the best.  However, Dr Blitzblau explained that because of where the tumor was -- near the chest wall and ribs -- that when the breast was separated downward, the heart followed.  And it also had to do with the dosage -- my heart could possibly get a bigger dose in the prone position than the supine.  That's probably way too simple an explanation but the best I can do at this point.  There comes a time when you just have to trust the professionals and move on.  I know they have worked hard to plan my sessions.  My first appointment to begin the planning stage was on the 9th.  Finally, on Monday, the 23rd, I will start Monday-Friday radiation, so in essence, it has taken two weeks of planning to ensure I receive the best possible results from radiation.  Of course, I am not their only patient.

I returned to Radiology Oncology yesterday for a "trial run" and more pics and additional markings.  I was told everything was perfect, my breathing was great -- taking a deep breath and holding it helps move the heart up and out of the way as much as possible.  So, I start the daily sessions on Monday at 12:30.  I can't tell you how much I am ready to get on with it and get it over with, so we can move on with our life.  Yesterday, seeing other ladies in various stages of hair re-growth, I almost felt guilty I was not also having chemo.  Even though chemo was offered, I declined.  Why you ask?  Stage 1, Grade 1, non-aggressive, no node infiltration, clean margins -- thus no need for chemo.  I am so blessed and thankful.  

One day last week we visited a mall.  The Crabtree Mall in Raleigh is very nice for shopping with a great variety of stores.  It was very busy, although these pics do not reflect that.  

No matter where we go parking lots are full -- the economy is apparently pretty good here.

We are looking forward to the weekend.  Our daughter is coming tomorrow and we plan to check out the RV Show at Raleigh's Convention Center.  It's always fun to look.  Her husband and the boys are hunting, so she's hanging out with us!


As always, thanks for stopping by -- have a great weekend and may God continue to bless our voyage, as well as our family and friends everywhere!