After a 1 year pause - because of Covid and my Prostate Cancer problems, we returned in mid-Nov to Fortuna de Oro RV Park and Resort in Yuma, AZ.
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| Our site with rig getting some special attention from Benjamin's |
While we have been going there to escape the winter cold, this year the trip had added significance.In March of 2021 I underwent a Radical Prostatectomy to remove a cancerous prostate gland. Post surgery PSA revealed that surgery did not get it all. The option now became radiation therapy. I contacted Yuma Oncology and after they reviewed my PET Scan results, took me on as a patient. I began my treatments in early December. 5 days a week for just shy of 9 weeks. 44 treatments in all. Quite an experience. Two plusses out of it: 1) when done my PSA was a negligible 0.2. 2) My supervising Physician/Oncologist, Dr Richard Levy. He was super. Wednesday of each week during treatments I met with him to review status, discuss problems, and other times to just plain talk. It was during one of these sessions that I learned of the book he had written - "Ride The Wave, Lessons of Life On A Road Less Traveled". A great book and one I highly recommend. Needless to say we discussed this frequently.
Pickleball was another highlight of the Yuma trip, although this year not so much. The radiation treatments knocked the snot out of me. No energy to do much of anything. Especially pickleball. But I still enjoyed it, even if it was just watching.
It wasn't until 3-4 weeks post treatment that I felt able to play. My neighbor Bob was very sympathetic to my situation and would go to the pickleball courts with me in the afternoon to just hit shots and get back "into it". One day doing this had a strange experience. Bob pointed out a guy in the next court who had machine out and was hitting shots, and told me he was from NH. Afterall we were in Yuma, AZ. Not exactly just down the street from NH. Immediately interested I asked the guy where he was from and he replied Walpole. I told him that I had once worked in Bellows Falls, Vt which is just the other side of the CT River from Walpole. He asked where I had worked. I told him St Johnsbury Trucking and he said so did I. At that point we exchanged names and confirmed that we did in fact work together. Although like 30 years ago. We commiserated, shared some stories, and both left the pickleball courts shaking our heads at what a small world it was.
Friends are another reason we enjoy Yuma, and especially FDO(Fortuna de Oro). Christmas found us sharing a table with old friends Tim and Vickie, who call Great Falls, MT home. Lot in common with this couple. Tim is originally from Northfield, Vt and Vickie is undergoing treatment for cancer.
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| Our friends Tim & Vickie |
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| A view of the Hall |
Bob and Paula and I can't forget Maks their dog, from York, ME were our neighbors in the park. Paula introduced me to the author Louise Penny when she gave me one of her books. 18 books later, I have read the whole series. I gave one to Mary and suggested she might like reading it and now she too is hooked and on her way to reading the entire series. Bob was a great guy to talk to and have for a neighbor. His puzzle project was something special. One of their kids took a photo of Bob and Paula and their son standing next to their RV and had a puzzle made out of it. And I got hooked into helping him with it(along with anyone else that happened to walk by).
I don't remember them telling me how many pieces were in the puzzle but it had to be in the thousands. At least it seemed like that.
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Lexie in her spot
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| Cruisin the Park |
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| The owners of this 5th Wheel left the Park for a week. When they returned they found their rig all wrapped in crime scene tape. Prank of the week award. |
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| Awesome! |
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| Seen around town.... |
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| Yuma Sunset |
We couldn't come to Yuma without touring the farms and vegetable crops. It still amazes us as to the scale of the farming. Easy to understand when they say 90% of Lettuce consumed in US in winter comes from Yuma and neighboring Imperial County in CA. We wonder about their near total dependence on Colorado River water and what will happen if that water source dries up. Which it is close to doing.
With the end of March came my final visit at Southwest Oncology. PSA test results were good, however my bladder issues had my Dr concerned. So much so that he referred me to a Urologist friend in Phoenix. 3 days later I had an appointment and we were headed to Casa Grande to keep it. I guess my appointment didn't come anytime too soon, as examination determined that my bladder opening was almost completely closed due to scar tissue from initial surgery. He scheduled me for surgery 2 days later to remove blockage. Surgery was successful, and he put me on a routine to keep it open until I saw him again in November. So far so good.
So early April found us back in Lakewood, where we both got caught up with Dr appointments and settling in. In June we would be on the road again.
