Grandma Ree's letters

 Dear Friends,     I'm sorry for having been so negligent in keeping in touch, but I'll try to write one of these general-type letters at the end of each month in order to keep you informed about my progress in using just one leg.      The first thing is, I came home from the hospital to a beautifully remodeled home, thanks to the efforts of my daughters and church members who volunteered their time and services to create a truly beautiful, comfortable place for me and my daughter True to enjoy. True left her home near San Diego to live here and take care of me. I am receiving excellent care from her and we enjoy one another. She, having been a fitness trainer in the Army, is quite capable of helping me shoujd I fall, and not only makes my bed, but lifts up the matress and switches it around whenever she thinks it needs it. She also keeps me clean with sponge baths and washes my hair, and does it up once a week. She does the laundry, fixes three good meals ...

  My dearest loved ones,     I wish I had a funny tale to relate this month, but nothing of that nature seemed to occur this time. One odd thing though was  that within the space of just two hours at night in bed, myself and everything around me was sopping wet with sweat, when I wasn't evn warm. How did that happen? "Quien sabe"     Anyway, our month started out with several wildfires burning in our little valley, some within 30 miles of Grants Pass, which made us anxious and wondering if we should prepare for evacuation. And the smoke from these various fires made the air so heavy and dark that we didn't dare go outside. But, thankfully, by the end of the month they were well contained and things were pretty much back to normal again.     I know it was only recently that I shared with you anything at all about my leg, but now it has come to the point where all of you should know what is happening there. The melanoma has been in my lower rig...

 Dear Friends and Loved Ones,     Assuming that you are somewhat interested, my letter this month will be to inform all of you of my current physical condition.     The PET scan of April 14 revealed that the melanoma cancer is still active in my lower right leg, but has not progressed to anywhere else in my body. So, that was good news. And now my doctor plans to go ahead with the treatment recommended by those in Portland, which involves using infusion of the immune system with a certain chemical by means of slow intravenous injection, once every three weeks, beginning May 13, for four times until completed. Then they will determine how successful the procedure was. I hope it will be good.      The scan also showed the #10 rib had been fractured, but was now healed. I'm sure glad that ordeal is over. Knowing that if it happened once, it could happen again, however, I agreed to subscribe to 'Lifeline', and thus put my family ad neighbors more at e...

 My Dear Ones,     Wow! What a month March has been! Don't you agree? The devastation from the Coronavtus is universal and so contagious that everything has shut down, and we are ordered to are all ordered to stay home and not mingle with other people. There's never been anything like this before, but Americans are strong and resourceful, and will come through this okay. It's just too bad that so many have to die, before this is conquered. I do hope that you do not get infected and are able to stay healthy and strong until it is over. And I do hope you have enough money and supplies to see you through this crisis.     I thought it was funny how quickly the stores were depleted of toilet paper, as if that were the most precious thing in the world, even more so than food. Since we have been reminded that other paper products are not to be flushed down the toilet, my daughter, True, has gotten creative and made soft flannel wipes that can be used, then washed, and ...

 Hi Folks ...      Just checking in for February to let you know that for me, it was a pretty full month.     Full of doctor visits, that is. Yes, much as I hate to talk about it, the melanoma of years ago has returned, along with an ulcerated sore in the same spot (lower right leg) that will not seem to heal. So, I have been seeing a dermatologist, woundologist, and an oncologist, each trying to determine the best thing to do to keep me alive and walking. In fact, they seem to be pretty much out of ideas and solutions right now, so they're sending me to a melanoma "expert" in Portland on March 5th to see what he can do for me. So, we'll see what comes of that. It should be interesting, to say the least.     I don't mean to alarm any of you, because it's not grave as yet, since I am so hale and hardy otherwise. I am still driving, and riding my three-wheeled bike in good weather, still attending my exercise class for an hour three times a week, an...

 MERRY CHRISTMAS --- My Dear Friends     Like most years, 2019 was a mixture of good and bad. Grants Pass has had very pleasant weather, while other places have been struggling with hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and fires. Yes, we are definitely blessed here.      Even though I just turned 92, am stooped and use a cane to steady myself, I feel that I'm not really old inside this aging framework. I attend an exercise class for an hour three times a week, ride my three-wheeled bike, and drive my little car any place I want to go.      Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to fly with my daughter, Linda, to my sister Carol's home in Utah and spend almost a full week with her and my other daughter, True, who flew up from San Diego. It was a glorious time. But it was dampened, somewhat, by what happened to Linda just as we were about to leave for the Medford airport.  Somehow, she stretched in a certain way and pulled ligaments in her rig...

 Buenos Dias, Amigos ---      WOW! Where did October go? It was kinda busy for me, but first of all I'd like to assure those who expressed an interest in my hand, that it is ok, except for a little twinge in my thumb that sometimes makes my writing jerk, so I decided to try using the "hunt and peck" method on the keyboard this month, which will convey the same message to all those to whom I send a little money and a note on the first of the month, and relieve me of some duplicate writing. Thus, my (first) "epistle" follows ...     On the 5th and 6th of October, I was able to watch and enjoy all the sessions of General Conference from Salt Lake City. President Russell M. Nelson feels very strongly about NOT using nicknames, such as Mormon and LDS, when referring to the Lord's Church, but to always use, instead, its full, correct name, as given by Christ himself, which is: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yes, it's long, but definitely shou...