We are so sorry we were unable to attend "Dad" Strahan's funeral service up north in Friendship, NY on Monday. "Dad" (Raymond James "Jim") Strahan passed away on August 12, 2011 at the Highland Healthcare Center in Wellsville. Please know Martha and I were there with you all in love and spirit on Monday. We are thankful for Dad Strahan's 90+ years of life and the wonderful, loving family he leaves as such an important part of his legacy. We are confident he is enjoying a glorious reunion in heaven now with his daughters Lucinda and Kathy, Grandpa and Grandma Brown as well as many extended Strahan family and friends angels. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Mom Strahan and her family during this difficult time.
Some of you may have heard we made an unexpected trip to the ER Thursday evening ... five long hours in the ER from 11:00 pm until 4 am (ugh!). My oncologist had requested a drug substitution the day before and apparently it caused me to spike a small fever. No biggie, just precautionary. Blood work proved negative for infection ... good ... just a "known reaction" to the new drug! Part of our "new normal"??? My blood platelets rebounded nicely during the past week so we were able to receive Round 7 of chemotherapy this morning at CHOC (Charleston Hematology Oncology Center). This was my first round without Carboplatin (the tough chemo drug relative to side effects) so we're hoping to rebound quickly this time. We're in maintenance mode now as my oncologist calls it ... chemotherapy every 3 weeks, with a CT scan every 12 weeks "for the duration ... or until something changes". Medically speaking he doesn't expect any additional shrinkage in the tumor so "a victory" will be defined as "no growth" ... but hey he's just the quarterback and WE TRULY BELIEVE the HEAD COACH has a much more positive game plan in mind for us!
Lindsay arrived safely last evening for an 11-day visit and some well deserved vacation! We are looking forward to spending some quality and fun time with her ... including getting back to the beach, a Charleston "Riverdogs" baseball game, trip to Old Charles Towne Landing, watching Julie play dodge ball tonight (!), and I'm hearing perhaps a trip to the Edisto Island "Sepentarium" (!) in preparation for Grandson Jack's (and his parents) visit in October so we're educated about native reptiles (?). It's great to see her again and thrilled to share her exciting news that she has been offered (and has accepted) a full-time special ed teaching position at The Mary Cariolia Children's Center beginning in September! Congrats Lindsay ... well deserved! We're so very proud of
you!
The new house continues to progress well. We're discussing landscape, driveway and sidewalk design so I think we're getting close ... end of September (?) ... Builder Greg still won't commit which frustrates the *&^% out of Martha! Stairs, hardwood and tile floors are in ... awaiting sanding, sealing and grout. Cabinetry and granite to be installed the end of this or next week. And most importantly satellite dish to be installed (on the elevator
shaft ?) soon so Martha can watch her beloved Buffalo Bills on TV this fall!
All our love .... Dan and Martha