Greetings from Mostert's Mini-Mansion on the Prairie.
We'll see if August is warmer, but we just had one of the coldest Julys on record for our part of Illinois. Plays havoc with using the swimming pool. We had a terrific thunder and lightning show during the night with lots of rain. I had to go out today and pick up the pool sun cover and its roller as the wind had blown it several feet and turned it over.
Here's a brand new picture of me...WITH HAIR!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
It's Swimming, Summer Time. I FEEL GOOD!
I feel terrific! Last Sunday I was able to sit through the entire three hour church block of meetings in our Champaign Ward. First time I have attended a church meeting in 7 months. Hooray!
The diarrhea which has kept me out of meetings has almost totally disappeared. It is wonderful not having to make a bathroom run every hour or even half hour as happened most of the 7 months I was receiving chemo-therapy. I am still weak, but that's to be expected when you lose one third of your body weight, including most muscles. I am down around 200 pounds for the first time in 20 years.
Went swimming this afternoon. really felt good in 80 degree weather. Looking to do that every week day weather permitting. It was been a wet and cold Spring so, although I got the pool ready early, I have only been swimming 4 or 5 times. Usually I try to go twice a day once it is warm enough. Great exercise. I usually try to swim 100 yards, different strokes, each time I am in the pool.
Tepa sat in the shade watching me swim. Tomorrow after her doctor's appointment we will try to get her in the water, if it is warm enough. I suspect it may not be. We'll see.
Had a wonderful talk with my sister today. She said it has been cool in Arizona, only in the 90s. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The diarrhea which has kept me out of meetings has almost totally disappeared. It is wonderful not having to make a bathroom run every hour or even half hour as happened most of the 7 months I was receiving chemo-therapy. I am still weak, but that's to be expected when you lose one third of your body weight, including most muscles. I am down around 200 pounds for the first time in 20 years.
Went swimming this afternoon. really felt good in 80 degree weather. Looking to do that every week day weather permitting. It was been a wet and cold Spring so, although I got the pool ready early, I have only been swimming 4 or 5 times. Usually I try to go twice a day once it is warm enough. Great exercise. I usually try to swim 100 yards, different strokes, each time I am in the pool.
Tepa sat in the shade watching me swim. Tomorrow after her doctor's appointment we will try to get her in the water, if it is warm enough. I suspect it may not be. We'll see.
Had a wonderful talk with my sister today. She said it has been cool in Arizona, only in the 90s. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Andre & Lymphoma
It has been a hectic Fall and Winter here at the Mostert's Mini-Mansion on the Prairie.
On November 14th, I (Andre) became very sick and Blaine Edlefsen, our LDS neighbor, rushed me to the Carle Hospital Emergency Room where they took most of the day to decide that I had a full blockage of my bowels and needed a tube jammed down my left nostril to drain out bile, etc, from my stomach. Later, following a CAT Scan, they were able to determine that I had a large growth down in my abdomen. A sampling was taken which showed it was Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. At first no one wanted to cut, they just wanted to go in and try to extract the growth, but ultimately it was found that the sampling had ruptured some segments of the bowels and so surgery was required.
The lump, described as everything from a grapefruit to a cantaloupe to a small football was removed by an outstanding surgeon camed Olliphant who looks more like a football offensive lineman, but has the greatest touch.
They learned about the rupture from a PET Scan I was given. Avoid those if you can, they are painful, but it may have saved my life. Several segments of bowel were removed along with the football and a lot of nasty, stinking stuff..
I came home on Thanksgiving Day and have been home since. There have been dozens of trips to the Carle Wound Center, where they have worked at closing a fist sized hole in my lower abdomen. Almost healed.
Early in January I started Chemo-therapy, which runs for 3 days every three weeks. There are preliminary labs and medicines the day before, the main day of Chemo and then a followup shot of something the third day. Two sessions down and four more to go.
I have been blessed by wonderful support from Tepa and all of our family members. Sherry, Mika, Kari and Gina have all spent time with us helping us muddle through. Gina was here for two weeks driving from and to South Carolina by herself. What a nurse she would have made. Mika has come over from Ann Arbour, MI several times. Sherry came down from Wisconsin and Kari came here a couple of times as he visited his Air Force Headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.
Our Champaign First Ward members have brought us evening meals, kept the house cleaned, and shopped for food for our table throughout thsi long period. We love all of them.
I am doing very well...according to all my doctors. I had my head shaved as the chemo was causing hair to fall out all over the place. So check out my "Bald" look. Tepa is about the same. Her Degenerative Arthritis continues to give her a great deal of pain making it difficult to be up and about. She rarely leaves the house now. I, fortunately, can now do the shopping and meal prepartion when it is not brought in.
Somehow Tepa had a birthday which turned her one year older than me, but on January 29th I caught up and now we are both 73 together.
Uncle Andy/Dad Mostert
On November 14th, I (Andre) became very sick and Blaine Edlefsen, our LDS neighbor, rushed me to the Carle Hospital Emergency Room where they took most of the day to decide that I had a full blockage of my bowels and needed a tube jammed down my left nostril to drain out bile, etc, from my stomach. Later, following a CAT Scan, they were able to determine that I had a large growth down in my abdomen. A sampling was taken which showed it was Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. At first no one wanted to cut, they just wanted to go in and try to extract the growth, but ultimately it was found that the sampling had ruptured some segments of the bowels and so surgery was required.
The lump, described as everything from a grapefruit to a cantaloupe to a small football was removed by an outstanding surgeon camed Olliphant who looks more like a football offensive lineman, but has the greatest touch.
They learned about the rupture from a PET Scan I was given. Avoid those if you can, they are painful, but it may have saved my life. Several segments of bowel were removed along with the football and a lot of nasty, stinking stuff..
I came home on Thanksgiving Day and have been home since. There have been dozens of trips to the Carle Wound Center, where they have worked at closing a fist sized hole in my lower abdomen. Almost healed.
Early in January I started Chemo-therapy, which runs for 3 days every three weeks. There are preliminary labs and medicines the day before, the main day of Chemo and then a followup shot of something the third day. Two sessions down and four more to go.
I have been blessed by wonderful support from Tepa and all of our family members. Sherry, Mika, Kari and Gina have all spent time with us helping us muddle through. Gina was here for two weeks driving from and to South Carolina by herself. What a nurse she would have made. Mika has come over from Ann Arbour, MI several times. Sherry came down from Wisconsin and Kari came here a couple of times as he visited his Air Force Headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.
Our Champaign First Ward members have brought us evening meals, kept the house cleaned, and shopped for food for our table throughout thsi long period. We love all of them.
I am doing very well...according to all my doctors. I had my head shaved as the chemo was causing hair to fall out all over the place. So check out my "Bald" look. Tepa is about the same. Her Degenerative Arthritis continues to give her a great deal of pain making it difficult to be up and about. She rarely leaves the house now. I, fortunately, can now do the shopping and meal prepartion when it is not brought in.
Somehow Tepa had a birthday which turned her one year older than me, but on January 29th I caught up and now we are both 73 together.
Uncle Andy/Dad Mostert
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Mostert/Wiltbank Family Reunion BIG Success
June 23-26, 2008, some 60 members of the extended Mostert/Wiltbank family gathered at Camp Nauvoo in Nauvoo, Illinois for their first joint family reunion since Dad Mostert's 80th birthday celebration in Orem in 1986.
With Trudy Mostert Wiltbank heading up the Wiltbanks and Andre Mostert Jr. the Mosterts, there was fun and activities for everyone. Many learned some new things about their ancestors as we divided into several groups themed around our ancestors who had links with old Nauvoo. We were able to do baptisms for the dead, initiatory work and endowments for many dead people. Brad Smith, who has received his mission call to West Virginia, received his initial endowments during our session on Wednesday.
Many young people had a chance to plow through mud and a part of the Mississippi river while pulling and pushing handcarts as one of the activities. There was plenty of mud, as the partially flooded Nauvoo welcomed two severe thunderstorms with a good deal of rain late Tuesday and late Wednesday evenings.
It was warm, with the temperature rising to a humid 94 degrees on Wednesday.
Thousands of pictures were taken, except by Timo Mostert who somehow lost his camera on the first day. Some of my pictures are linked to this page. A vast amount of talent was displayed during a lengthy talent show featuring young and old.
The food we brought and bought was plentiful and delicious. Especially the fudge from Nauvoo's own Fudge Factory.
I hope other members of our families will add their comments to this blog.
The Karis spent a week in Champaign prior to the Reunion, then headed south back to their South Carolina home. Mika and family, Timo and dad came back to Champaign for a bried visit with mom, who had to stay home due to health reasons. Thanks to all of you for the time in Champaign as well as in Nauvoo. We both loved seeing you. Erik was ill and so he, Mindy and family couldn't come. Troy had a heavy work load so he and Sherry had to stay in Wisconsin. Our next big Mostert Reunion is scheduled for some time in 2010 as we celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Hope to see you all here in Champaign then. Date to be determined. We were married on April 30, 1960 in england, but are open to suggestions for the best date for our celebration.
With Trudy Mostert Wiltbank heading up the Wiltbanks and Andre Mostert Jr. the Mosterts, there was fun and activities for everyone. Many learned some new things about their ancestors as we divided into several groups themed around our ancestors who had links with old Nauvoo. We were able to do baptisms for the dead, initiatory work and endowments for many dead people. Brad Smith, who has received his mission call to West Virginia, received his initial endowments during our session on Wednesday.
Many young people had a chance to plow through mud and a part of the Mississippi river while pulling and pushing handcarts as one of the activities. There was plenty of mud, as the partially flooded Nauvoo welcomed two severe thunderstorms with a good deal of rain late Tuesday and late Wednesday evenings.
It was warm, with the temperature rising to a humid 94 degrees on Wednesday.
Thousands of pictures were taken, except by Timo Mostert who somehow lost his camera on the first day. Some of my pictures are linked to this page. A vast amount of talent was displayed during a lengthy talent show featuring young and old.
The food we brought and bought was plentiful and delicious. Especially the fudge from Nauvoo's own Fudge Factory.
I hope other members of our families will add their comments to this blog.
The Karis spent a week in Champaign prior to the Reunion, then headed south back to their South Carolina home. Mika and family, Timo and dad came back to Champaign for a bried visit with mom, who had to stay home due to health reasons. Thanks to all of you for the time in Champaign as well as in Nauvoo. We both loved seeing you. Erik was ill and so he, Mindy and family couldn't come. Troy had a heavy work load so he and Sherry had to stay in Wisconsin. Our next big Mostert Reunion is scheduled for some time in 2010 as we celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Hope to see you all here in Champaign then. Date to be determined. We were married on April 30, 1960 in england, but are open to suggestions for the best date for our celebration.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Changes at Mostert's Mini Mansion on the Prairie
Lots of activity in and around the Illinois Mostert home in Champaign. New mattress came and has been broken in a couple of times..aaaah firm ... we can sleep again. The old mattress and box spring has been picked up and is now helping a friend's son sleep better. The heavy sofa bed in the cabana has been carted away by Salvation Army workers, along with lots of other things from our garage. Tepa has been out there moving things from here to there once again. New futon replacement for the sofa bed has come, the frame bolted together and this morning I hope to get the mattress out of its box and on the frame and all the cardboard boxes out front for Monday's garbage pick up.
I've got a doctor's appointment this afternoon to see if my planar fasciitis is doing any better. Still pains me in the heel when I get up from bed or from sitting for an extended period, but I can live with it. Does cause me to do less walking.
However, our Nutri-System regime is going well and the loss of some pounds over the next couple of months can't hurt I suspect. I don't know about Tepa, but I have been losing about a pound a day with the system. Food is not as bad as it was back in 1988/89 when Nutri-System helped me lose 80 pounds. I am hoping for a hundred pound loss this time. Who knows maybe there will be pictures down the line.
Should be in the pool soon, we finally are expecting some 80 degree days, although at noon today it is just 51.
I've got a doctor's appointment this afternoon to see if my planar fasciitis is doing any better. Still pains me in the heel when I get up from bed or from sitting for an extended period, but I can live with it. Does cause me to do less walking.
However, our Nutri-System regime is going well and the loss of some pounds over the next couple of months can't hurt I suspect. I don't know about Tepa, but I have been losing about a pound a day with the system. Food is not as bad as it was back in 1988/89 when Nutri-System helped me lose 80 pounds. I am hoping for a hundred pound loss this time. Who knows maybe there will be pictures down the line.
Should be in the pool soon, we finally are expecting some 80 degree days, although at noon today it is just 51.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Fixing the sewer
What a rough time we've had the past few weeks. The back bathroom toilet kept wanting to overflow when I flushed it. I tried everything...plunging, snakes, various kinds of drain cleaner, nothing worked. I finally gave up and called a plumber. He checked some things, ran his snake through the drain and went into the crawl space. Then said "I can't help you, call a sewer cleaner." He gave me a name, which I called. They came and cleaned some of the mess which had bubbled up in our front yard through the clean out. Ran their power snake into it and said. You've got mud in the sewer some feet into the yard. Call an excavator. Which I did. On a Wednesday morning at 7 am I hear a backhoe in our yard. The excavator, his brother, and his brother-in-law were hard at work. The boss was an artist with the backhoe and had a trough down to the broken tile within a half hour. They finished off with shovels and soon all the old tile was laying alongside the trough and a new PVC four inch pipe was installed, with a new clean out with a cap that screws on and off. He had to reach with the back hoe way under one of the bushes to get to the four inch cast iron main line from the house, but somehow he did it and the bush is going strong. He checked down the line with a probe and said he thought their still might be more roots coming into the tiles, so for an extra $125 dollars, they dugout another 10 feet, replace more old tile. Aafter a wait for the city inspector, they closed it off and were gone...by 10:30 am. Boss man called the sewer company and suggested they come and run their power snake through the line out to the street. Which they did..finding one more bit of roots, which they eliminated.
Now every thing works perfectly and we have used Pres. Bush's incentive money to improve the economy just as he wanted us to do. And we have the pictures to prove where the money went.
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