I'm new to blogging so please bear with me while I learn. A few facts about us....We are both 65, been married for 45 years, and both retired. We have two wonderful children, our daughter Melissa (Missy) is 43 and our son Ricky (Rick) is 40. They each have a boy and a girl and both their spouses have 2 children so we r blessed with beautiful grandchildren. My husband worked for a railroad maintenance company for 33 years before retiring in 2009. I worked as a property manager for housing for elderly and disabled for 14 years before retiring in 2006. I retired at that time to give my full attention to my two aunts and one uncle, the last of the older relatives I had. Both ladies had Copd and my uncle had Parkinson's and Alzheimers. He passed away in 2006 just 4 months after I retired. Both aunts passed away in 2009. For anyone out there who has ever done it, u know that caretaking is a tremendously stressful and tiring time of life but also the most rewarding. It is sad to see those u love deteriorate before ur eyes but it's good to be there for them. We all need someone or will before we die. It's a good feeling to know that u can do something to ease the pain, stress and fear at the time of life when it's needed. Within a few months of my aunt's passing I experienced some medical problems which went into spring of 2010, at which time I found that the breast cancer I'd had 15 years ago (and thought I was cured of) had returned, this time in my bones. Unfortunately there is no cure for this but the wonderful medications available now help not only to extend our lives but also ease the pain. I'm blessed with a wonderful doctor who has a very caring team at the Kirklin Clinic in Birmingham, AL. We travel there once a month for tests, doctor visit and Zometa infusion. We decided that was the proper time for us to start traveling since no one is promised tomorrow and with this diagnosis I had an urgent need to get out and see the world. We bought an Allegro Bay and started taking small trips in between doctor visits. Now that I'm able to go only once a month, it is possible to travel 3 weeks out of 4. We haven't actually been able to do that just yet but that is the plan. I will see my doctor tomorrow and I'm hoping to be able to see her every other month which will give us more travel time. My sweet husband has become the caregiver and is taking wonderful care of me. No one could ask for or get a better husband....I've always said he's such a giving person because he's the oldest of 7 children. He has a loving caring family in Pennsylvania that we love to visit every opportunity we get. We are considering fulltiming which would allow us to divide our time between here and PA. I could receive my treatments there also. There is a lot to think about and decide but that is where we stand now. I hope many of u will follow along and I'm especially interested in anyone who is traveling with a disability. It's a little different but certainly not impossible.
We would love to hear from anyone out there on the road and hopefully meet some of u when possible. We were fortunate to meet some fulltiming friends when they came thru Montgomery several weeks back, Pidge and Don Winter, The Frugal Travelers. Wonderful friendly folks, looking forward to seeing them again, possibly later this year.
So, come along with us and enjoy this beautiful country that God has given us. Every day is a gift, look for and u will find something special and precious in each one.
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