GIST or That

On Tuesday, I went to Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston to get a second opinion on this GIST/Lyle thing. First, what a nightmare to drive from East Sandwich on Cape Cod to Boston. My appointment was at 10:00 a.m. We left at 7:15 that morning. We got to the doctor's waiting room at 9:56 whereupon I was promptly called back for vitals and then taken to the examination room. At one point along the way, we saw a traffic sign that said Boston was 16 miles away and that it would take 60 minutes to get there. Seriously. The drive to Manhattan earlier in the month was easier. 

Second, as it turns out, this doctor -- as well as the Sloan Kettering doctor, according to TSO anyway -- isn't sure whether this tumor is a Lyle or a GIST. Good grief. I thought that was settled. Anyway, the Dana Farber doctor suggested that, in six months, I should have another endoscopic ultrasound rather than a CT scan. I like that idea because this little whatever-it-is cannot be seen on the CT scan, but it could be seen and measured during the ultrasound. So, if it grows even just a little bit, the doctor will be able to measure it during an ultrasound. The doctor also will be able to do another biopsy, perhaps a core biopsy next time rather than the simple needle biopsy. That should provide a definitive answer as to what type of tumor is in my gut. 

The Dana Farber doctor also was very good about explaining the significance of GISTs of various sizes, which I appreciated, and he provided me with lots of information in general about them, as well as Lyles.

Hopefully, in six months, I will know exactly what this tumor is and that it has not grown.

Howler Protection Program

Since that first day we moved here, there have been a few storms, but nothing like the Remnants of Hurricane Ian on the first few days of October. I recall that, on that first evening, while Lou and TSO a/k/a Liege Man of Life, Limb, and Love were returning the U-Haul, the wind was so fierce I was afraid that the howlers and the bay would come crashing through the line of French doors that comprises the entire beach-side of this house. Well, there was no need for such fear, as Liege Man and I learned a few weekends ago, by happenstance, that those doors come with retractable storm shutters.

The owner of the local real estate company from which we leased the beach house was here fixing the television, which, of course, one of us cannot live without. While he was here, he just happened to mention the storm shutters, and then proceeded to show Liege Man how they work.

Real Estate Guy Rolling
Down Storm Shutters We
Knew Nothing About

So now, the next time we have a bad storm, we can listen to the howlers thrashing themselves against the storm shutters. I wonder what sounds of horror that event will make. Of course, the storm shutters won't prevent them from rearranging the chairs on the deck.

The Latest Howler Furniture Placement

Leaf Peeping

This past weekend was a beautiful one, so Jim and I planned to do what they call "leaf peeping" here in New England. I think that phrase is unique to this area of the country. I don't recall ever going "leaf peeping" in New Jersey. We'd go on "fall foliage" outings.

On Saturday, we went to Chatham for "Pumpkin People in the Park," which is a display of people made from pumpkins doing various things.

Jim & Wheelhouse Bike Co.
Pumpkin Cyclist

My favorite was the Chatham First Night display.

First Night Chatham

Look at these little cuties!

Happy New Year!

We ended our day with dinner at the Wild Goose Tavern, a very special place for us. We refer to our grandchildren as The Goozers, which is short for silly gooses. That's right -- from Penny down to Joey, they are all very goozey! When we first vacationed on the Cape in 2015 with Christina, Lou, and Penny and Michael (at the time) and visited Chatham, we saw the Wild Goose Tavern and, in honor of The Goozers, just had to stop there for lunch.

512 Main Street

Two Goozers at the Wild Goose Tavern
July 2015

Just Us Chickens
October 2022

On Sunday, we met Christina and the children in Lexington where we had a picnic lunch on the lawn of the Lexington Visitors Center. What a great place! In addition to offering clean bathroom facilities, the center has a gift shop with interesting items for sale. We bought an informative booklet detailing the history of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. In addition, a walking tour and trolley tour are available. Best of all, the Center has an expansive lawn with Adirondack and other types of chairs and a variety of outdoor games to play, such as corn hole and croquet. There was even a small trampoline for young children to enjoy.

Lexington Visitors Center
1875 Massachusetts Avenue

We have been inundated with leaf peeping reports on the evening news, including maps showing the "peaks" in various regions of New England. The colors range from green (early) to deep red (late). This past weekend, the route from Lexington to Concord was orangey-red, meaning peak. The deciduous trees were weird, though. Many continue to have green leaves. Some have already lost all their leaves. Still, there were enough bright yellow, orange, and red trees to satisfy us, although the bursts of color seemed somewhat tempered by the summer drought.  

Changing Leaves in Lexington

After a very quick picnic lunch, the children were off and running -- playing catch with Michael's football, testing their skills at cornhole, and jumping on the trampoline.

Grandpa Doling Out Lunch

Mary on the Trampoline
(Actually, she is off the trampoline)

Grandpa and the Boys Playing Football
(The ball is in flight)

When it came time to take a picture of the Goozers under the tree, well, that was a challenge.

Herding Cats Under the Tree

Herded Cats

Our oldest grandchild, Penny, had a prior social commitment scheduled, so she did not join us for our happy little outing. Still, we thought of her and missed her throughout our time together.

After our time with Christina and The Goozers came to an end, Jim and I headed to the Lexington Battle Green, which is across the street from the Visitors Center. There we saw the statute of a very attractive Minute Man. (Note: He was not as attractive as my dear HubCap.)

Minute Man Statue

From there, we went to the Belfry Hill Park, where Jim climbed Belfry Hill and took a picture of the replica of the belfry. Today, the belfry marks the beginning of Patriots Day every year when it is rung at 5:30 a.m. This is the time that the bell tolled on April 19, 1775 to signal to the Minute Men that the British were a mile or so away and called them to the Green where the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War took place.  

The Belfry

Patriots Day, by the way, is a state holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as five other states, including Connecticut and Maine. It is observed on the third Monday of April and commemorates the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy. (On their way back to Boston from Concord and Lexington, the British were greeted by various militias waiting for them in Menotomy.)

After our time in Lexington had come to an end, we drove to Concord for more leaf peeping. Although the bulk of colorful tees lined the side of the highway on our way from East Sandwich to Lexington, we found some beauties along the road from Lexington to Concord.

On The Way To Concord

Also On The Way To Concord

When we arrived in Concord, we parked near Holy Family Parish, which was built in a very New Englandy style.

Holy Family Parish

Autumnal Glory

Next to the church was a cemetery. There, the beauty of the season shone in hallowed rays of sunshine despite being surrounded by death.

Holy Family Parish Cemetery

Jack-O-Lantern-Dotted Graves

We ended the day with a visit to the Old North Bridge in the Minute Man National Historical Park.

Old North Bridge

It was a great weekend here on the Cape and Inland. We have so much to be grateful for, especially the men and women who fought to win our freedom.

We Will NOT Be Back

Throne, Glorious Throne!

Years ago, my brother-in-love Joe dubbed me, on his brother Jim's behalf, Mi Reina (my queen). It was all in good fun, but, hey, the fact that I refer to my husband as TSO, a/k/a The Sainted One, certainly plays into that narrative.

Speaking of TSO, a/k/a Liege Man of Life, Limb, and Love, he custom cut and affixed felt "Magic Sliders" to the legs of my chair and ottoman so that they don't scratch the hardwood floors. He also arranged to have the air conditioner units removed from the windows in this house, including the unit in the window next to the chair and ottoman. 

Now, I truly sit upon a glorious Starfish Throne with beams of heavenly light illuminating my countenance, as I hold court with my subjects, a/k/a my books. (Never mind the construction workers next door staple gunning and hammering all day. Serfs.)

It's Good To Be The Reina

And, yes, I am officially obsessed with this stupid thrift store chair and ottoman!

 

Discoveries

Our beach house living room is sparsely furnished. There is a sofa and two chairs. The chairs are not comfortable. Indeed, my feet barely touch the floor when I sit in them.

One of Two Uncomfortable Chairs

Last Thursday, on my way back from urgent care, I passed a garage sale taking place on the side of a back road. A white book shelf caught my eye, prompting me to turn around and go back. When I checked out the book shelf, I realized it wasn't right for me. However, next to it was a smaller sized wing back chair upholstered in hunter green fake velvet. It was $20, and I, like an idiot, didn't buy it.

When I returned to the beach house, I formulated a plan to find the next best thing among the wares for sale at the local Sandwich flea market, as well as a few thrift shops in Sandwich. I went to the flea market on Sunday and yesterday. Both visits were a bust. I went to two thrift stores, neither of which sold furniture, although I did pick up a beautiful leather bag at one of them -- never mind that it smells like it spent the last 50 years in grandma's musty basement. I have a box of baking soda sitting inside it right now in an attempt to eliminate the odor. Unfortunately, my internet research tells me that the best way to get rid of the smell is to use the bag. Ew. I digress.

Anyway, the kind ladies working at both non-furniture-selling thrift shops suggested that I visit Cape Abilities Thrift Shop in Yarmouth, which, they assured me, had a great selection of furniture. 

Cape Abilities Thrift Shop
West Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The ladies were right! This morning, I decided to drive to Yarmouth to check out Cape Abilities and another thrift shop. I never made it to the second thrift store on my list, as Cape Abilities not only had  the perfect chair but also the perfect matching ottoman.

Starfish Chair and Ottoman

OK, so I paid a little more than $20, but I also got much more than an ugly dark green fake velvet chair, no ottoman. Plus, I have the perfect reading nook. I am thrilled, and I highly recommend Cape Abilities, which has lots of great items, in addition to furniture!

On another note, I have to say that there isn't much in the way of flora and fauna where we live. Oh, sure there's sea grass and various plantings meant to keep the dunes from eroding away, but they are nothing look at. Today, however, I walked out the front door and noticed a single beach rose in bloom. It was beautiful.

Beach Rose

I'm not so sure the rose will be there tomorrow as bad storms are rolling in tonight. The Howlers arrived this afternoon just to make sure we knew things were about to happen. It's OK. The past week has been gloriously warm and sunny.

Settling In

We've been in East Sandwich now for 10 days and have made a lot of progress in terms of settling in. By Saturday, we had gone from this

to this

Christina, Lou, and our six grandchildren came for a visit that day. Although, in my opinion, a lot more could have been done to make everything perfect, in the opinion of the Grands, it was all perfect enough to give them the satisfaction that comes with walking in and immediately setting about the task of tearing everything apart. I was awestruck by Michael's innate ability to zone right in on a book that Jim had purchased as a birthday present for him, which Jim had hidden, albeit in plain sight. (Michael's birthday is in late November.) I was terrified as they all tried to run up the spiral staircase to the loft at the same time and as fast as they could.

Of course, they loved the fact that our house is on the beach, and 5 of them spent quite a bit of time there with Jim collecting rocks and the small amount of shells they could find.

The Pied Piper of Sandwich

Number 6 and I watched from behind the screen door.

Granny and Joey

Soon, it was time for lunch, and everyone sat down to eat. There was sand everywhere. Everywhere.

Bedlam Comes to Cape Cod

We had dinner at a local restaurant. Afterward, Christina and Lou and 5 of the 6 went home. Catherine spent the weekend with us, collecting more rocks and dragging in more sand with the Pied Piper until we took her home yesterday.

This morning, I set about getting the house in total order while I did 10 days' worth of laundry.

Ode to Land o' Lakes

TSO and I explored a little today. We checked out the Sandwich Farmers Market. Today was the market's last day of the season. Boo! While there, we shared a small charcoal fired Margherita pizza, bought some EVOO and honey from a man who splits his time between Cape Cod and Greece, picked up some fresh produce, and treated ourselves to some freshly caught scallops.

We had a delicious dinner this evening.

Scallops Cooked in Bacon, Butter, and Italian Herbs
With a Side Salad

Life is good.

 

 

Bye, Bye Buoy

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Environmental Police have gotten back to me. They are coming to pick up the Ukrainian buoy today. I am sad.

Bye, Bye Buoy!

Here Comes The Sun

The weather broke just before noon yesterday. The sky turned a crisp, clear blue, and the water transformed from an angry, gray ocean to a calm blue-green bay. The air was warm and -- best of all --  still.  October is finally happy, and so are TSO and I.

Blue Sky, Blue Water

In late afternoon, TSO decided to grab a chair and go sit on the beach. I stayed inside, as I had caught a terrible cough when we were in New York and just don't feel very well. (Covid negative so far.) Yet, when I saw TSO take off his jacket and hang it over the back of his chair, I couldn't resist. I grabbed a chair of my own and went down to the beach and joined him.

It was glorious. The sun felt warm and healing. Some people were on the water in their boats. Others were simply walking along the beach. The birds, mostly seagulls, returned as well. 

In addition to the partial staircase that I had come across when I went down to the beach the other day, there was now a good bit of flotsam and jetsam that had washed ashore. One item looked very similar to Wilson from the movie Cast Away. There also was a brightly colored buoy not too far from our sand-covered steps. The colors were Ukrainian-flag blue and yellow. My instinct was to keep it, but something told me that doing so was probably illegal. I later learned from the google that, yep, it is illegal. According to one Massachusetts municipality's website, "[t]here is a $500.00 fine for tampering or removing fishing gear. The gear belong to a fisherman and should be retrieved by them regardless of the condition of the lobster pot or buoy." Yeah, right. When was the Ukrainian lobsterman going to come to the United States to claim his lost buoy? Still, like a good girl, I called the Massachusetts Environmental Police Dispatcher to report the buoy. I was hoping the person on the other end of the line would tell me to just keep it, but he didn't. He said that, when one of his guys gets to the Sandwich area, he'll send him over to pick up the buoy.

American Man With Ukrainian Buoy

The seagulls were an interesting lot. A flock of them gathered by the water's edge, not too far from where we were sitting. They weren't eating or searching for food. They appeared to be just hanging out. A very chubby one separated himself from the group, however, and parked himself not too far from us.

A Flock of Seagulls, Minus One

I didn't think much of it until something spooked the birds at the water's edge. Most of them flew away, at which point our seagull got up and waddled down to the abandoned shoreline. I wondered whether he was some kind of outcast. 

While we were enjoying the awakening of our beach, we noticed a ship not too far in the distance. TSO, being the curious person he is, grabbed his binoculars and saw that the ship's name was "Empire State." It turns out to be a training vessel that can be tracked on the internet. We watched the Empire State complete some maneuvers. Later, while we were eating dinner, it dropped anchor and settled in for the night. As I write this post, close to 5 a.m. on Friday morning, it's still there.

The Empire State

Today is supposed to be even lovelier than yesterday. I plan to plop myself on the beach again, this time facing the sun.

Now, THIS is what October is supposed to be like.

Thor and Zeus v. The Howlers

The Howlers a/k/a Beach House Banshees continue their radio silence. I suspect the rain is getting to them, too. According to the local news broadcast, it rained about 2 to 3 inches yesterday with another 2 to 3 inches expected today. 

Here on the Cape things didn't get rolling until just before dinner when the heavens finally opened, and down came the rain. Suddenly, lightning appeared, accompanied by a soundtrack of roaring thunder. I don't understand what is going on. It's October. The temperature is in the 50s. Thunder and lightning belong to summer, not autumn. And, where oh where are my Howlers?

As for winter, I read today that AccuWeather speculates that "New England is one of the only areas east of the Rocky Mountains where snowfall could end up being above normal." Woo. Hoo.

I am slowly getting this house in order, as evidenced by the photo below.

L. O. L.

I fear that, by the time everything is organized, our lease will be up.

Rain, Howlers, and This Thing in My Gut

It continues to rain here on the Cape. Yesterday afternoon, we left for New York City -- in the rain. The howlers were carrying on as per the usual. Although we seemed to leave them behind, the rain followed us all the way to the City and then back to the Cape tonight. It is now raining harder than it has since our arrival on Saturday, with a little thunder and lightning thrown in. No howlers though. They must have worn themselves out.

Why'd we go to New York City? Well, I had an appointment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with a surgical oncologist who specializes in GISTs. I set out to make this appointment almost as soon as the doctor who performed the endoscopic ultrasound told me I had a GIST, that it needed to come out, and that I basically couldn't have that done just any old place. I definitely wanted to see a different doctor after the doctor who told me it was a GIST changed his tune and said the tumor could simply be surveilled every 18 months. 

I loved Sloan Kettering, and I loved the doctor I saw. He was patient, kind, and informative. My pathology slides had not yet been delivered, so the Sloan pathologists have not confirmed the findings of the local hospital in the Great State of South Jersey. However, the doctor and his surgical fellow did explain the South Jersey hospital's pathology report, which, even though it is MY report, that hospital will not post it to my patient portal. 

Anyway, according to that report, I have a gastric leiomyoma that's benign. Leiomyoma is quite a mouthful compared to GIST. Therefore, I've decided to call my leiomyoma Lyle. The doctor said that, given its size, Lyle the leiomyoma likely can be surveilled via CT scan. After our appointment, I had a CT scan at Sloan, and I'll have another one in 6 months. If Lyle doesn't grow, then the CT will be repeated in a year, then 18 months. I think the doctor said -- I'm not sure -- if Lyle doesn't grow during that time, the CT scans can be spread out even more. In addition, I'll start seeing a GI doctor at Sloan.

Here's the best part. The CT scan I had today was done with contrast, which meant that an IV had to be placed in a vein in my arm. I am terribly allergic to adhesive tape. Paper tape is a problem as well. When the tape is removed, it literally takes my skin with it. This allergy is noted in all my medical records, but it seems to make no difference. I had abdominal surgery in late 2015, and I made a special point to inform the surgical staff that I was allergic to tape. I was taped anyway. Below is a picture of a very small part of my abdomen after the tape was removed.

The Aftermath of Tape

I am taped over and over again, whether it's surgery, blood draws, IV lines. Not today, however. The nurse who removed my IV line covered the hole with gauze and then affixed it by wrapping a self-adhering ace bandage around my arm. Genius!!!! No tape in sight. 

Be Careful What You Wish For

One of the reasons why TSO and I wanted to take a winter rental on Cape Cod was to see whether we could stand a winter in Massachusetts. Given the nature of this experiment, Cape Cod was an odd choice, as I understand that winter here tends to be more temperate than winter on Mainland Massachusetts. 

We arrived at our beach house on Saturday just after 3 p.m. It's now Monday morning; it's nowhere near winter; and the experiment is suggesting that the real question is whether we can even stand an autumn in Massachusetts. 

As predicted, the remnants of Hurricane Ian kicked into high gear on Saturday, just as we pulled our U-Haul and car into the assigned parking spots for our beach house. As we stood outside the U-Haul, in the pounding rain and what felt like gale force winds, I couldn't help but feel somewhat Joad-like, minus Grandma in her rocking chair on the roof of the truck, as we literally faced several inconvenient facts about our beach house, which we had previewed via Zoom, as the rush to get our house ready for sale precluded a trip north for a proper showing. 

A Very, Very, Very Fine House

First, we learned that our dwelling is located atop a dune that reminds me of Ski Mountain, which was the hill (elevation 120 feet) where I learned to ski as a child. 

Ski Mountain

Second, we learned that a lot can change between the time a house is shown and the time one moves into it. The agent told us in July that we could access a path (only on move-in day) on the side of the house to "pull right up" and unload our stuff with little inconvenience. As we stood in the street facing the beach house at the top of Ski Mountain, we noted that there was no path to the right. Therefore, it must be on the left. We were wrong.

Not a Path Anymore

Well, we weren't exactly wrong, but, what had once been a path between houses is now a construction site. I do remember her mentioning a house being built next door, which would be finished on the outside by mid-October. (As it turns out, there are two houses being built next door, and neither will be finished by Mid-October.) OK. We were now faced with finding an alternate route. To the right of our house was a different way, but it would not be easy. It was not a path, and we could not pull right up to the house.

We were able to pull right up to the bottom of Ski Mountain, directly next to some steps that lead to a ramp that leads to a boardwalk that leads to the beach house.

The Steps 

The Ramp

The Boardwalk to the Beach House
(Note U-Haul in the Distance)

It took Jim and our son-in-law, Lou, hours to haul all the bags and boxes from the truck up the steps, the ramp, the boardwalk, and more steps into the house. My job was to unpack and organize, which will take me days!

This Scene Reminds Me of the "Before" Shot of Our Garage

All through the move and all day yesterday, the rain pounded, and the wind howled ferociously. The bay was filled with whitecaps as far as the eye could sea. Closer to shore, the sea curled, broke, and crashed onto the beach, reminding me of summers at the Jersey shore on the Atlantic Ocean. The chairs slid across the deck as though being re-arranged by ghosts who wanted a better view. No pictures, or even videos, can capture the fury of the mere remnants of Hurricane Ian that were passing us by.

This is Cape Cod Bay

On Saturday night, Jim and Lou went to Hyannis to return the U-Haul. It was dark, and I was alone. I could no longer see outside, but I could hear the wind continue to shriek and bellow. It was as though a group of very frustrated demons were encircling the house in a rage because they couldn't get in. Meanwhile, the crashing surf sounded like it was getting closer and closer to the point where I feared water and demons would burst through the deck doors and end my retirement -- and me -- on Day One. 

Jim and Lou eventually returned, and we all survived the night. Yesterday morning, after mass, Jim took Lou home, again leaving me here alone. I could now see what was going on outside. Apparently, the ghosts just couldn't be happy with their re-arrangement of the deck chairs. In their frustration, they must have thrown them against the railing. The howling was even louder, and now it sounded like things were being thrown at the house. 

I decided to go down to the beach and try to capture the fierceness of my surroundings. It was difficult accessing the beach because the stairs were covered in sand. With each step, my shoes filled with more and more granules of summer goodness. LOL!

 

Where Are The Stairs?

The wind wrapped its way into the hood of my jacket, throwing sandy mist in my face, as it tried to convert me to a human sail and carry me away. I realized almost immediately that being outside was a dangerous proposition, as I thought of a news story over the summer about a woman who had been impaled by a beach umbrella that the wind had ripped out of the sand and thrown into her chest. Did I really want to die on Day Two of my retirement at the hands of a beach umbrella -- or worse?

I'm Glad I Wasn't Here When
These Stairs Landed
(Note Bent Over Sea Grass)

I decided to return to shelter. As I approached the still-intact stairs leading up to our beach house, I bent over to pick up a pretty green stone. When I did, the wind whipped up under my jacket and pushed me forward. I don't know how I didn't fall over or get swept up into the vortex of invisible moaning banshees.

By evening, the sky began to clear, and Jim and I looked forward to a calmer Monday.

Blue Skies Peeking Through Dark Clouds

We shall see....

By the way, Jim estimates the elevation of our beach house at at approximately 20 feet above sea level. It still looks like Ski Mountain to me.