OLD FRIENDS..

A friend from way back in the day..junior high and high school..college and afterwards..got in touch recently and was going to be in Maui with his wife for vacation.  We haven't seen each other for 42 years !!! Steve agreed to fly over to Kauai with Nancy and spend the night.  The day they flew over happened to be a last minute doctor's appointment with a breast surgeon for Jane at Kapiolani on Oahu..but we flew over in the morning and got back to Kauai for dinner with Steve and Nancy...and then were able to spend the next day with them until their flight back to Maui at 7pm.  Other than the fact that we looked like two old fucks, it was like 42 years never happened.  It was really wonderful catching up..meeting Nancy for the first time...and renewing a friendship that never really ended..just got set aside for four decades...

 old friends...

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Steve then (iphone image from 42 years ago) and now

HONOLULU...AGAIN

The results from the MRI assisted biopsy came back positive for invasive lobular carcinoma..Of the 3 areas probed, one area came back positive but the radiologist advises one of the other areas be removed too.  We met with the breast surgeon on Kauai and she referred Jane to a breast surgeon on Oahu because she thought that plastic surgery might be needed and Kauai doesn't have a resident plastic surgeon.  On tuesday, we went to Oahu to Kapiolani Women's Center to meet with Dr. Laura Peterson.  Jane felt very comfortable with her and also liked what she had to say about the amount of tissue that needed to be removed..so maybe no plastic surgeon needed..we are waiting for Kapiolani to call to let us know when the surgery is scheduled...maybe as soon as monday...we need to stay on Oahu for 4 days even though the procedure is out-patient.  The doctor wants Jane close by to monitor for bleeding and infection and also to be around when the lab results of the tissue removed and lymph nodes removed come back..Jane has a positive attitude and is a fighter.  Our friend, B.C., reminded us of what I told her 17 years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer: FUCK CANCER !!!!  I had forgotten that sage advice I gave to her, but passed it on to Jane...We have a hell of a next few months....

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waiting for the appointment with Dr. Peterson

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this time it is OK to have a glass of wine with lunch at Jane's favorite restaurant, Mariposa

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leaving Oahu.. Diamond Head below

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arriving back home on Kauai for sunset..long day

HONOLULU..

We have been back and forth to Oahu the last couple of weeks...more specifically, Kapiolani Womens Medical Center for breast MRI and MRI assisted biopsy.  I hate Honolulu and Waikiki.. and going there with Jane for medical tests and so forth made the visit even worse..Oahu is a mess..a big, crowded, dirty. grid locked city that really should just get it over with and somehow be towed to the Mainland..that said, the medical facilities are very good and those of us that live on the neighbor islands pretty much have no place else to go for testing and treatment.  We are hoping that everything tests out ok and we don't have to go back...ever.

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Kauai airport bar waiting for our flight to Oahu

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big city from our hotel room

 the day before the MRI assisted biopsy..no alcohol

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lunch at Mariposa after the procedure..water only

Honolulu Internationa Airport flight back to Kauai

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TAVERN...

....With a view:

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iphone photo from the Tavern

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iphone photo from the Tavern

LANDRINO LAID TO REST..part 2

The funeral service on was saturday... and the little church in Kilauea was overflowing with people.  Landrino lived his life the right way..always cheerful with a bright smile for everyone..and always willing to help...and now hundreds of his friends and family were in attendance to show their love and respect to a wonderful person.  After the service,  The ride to the cemetery was long and sad...cars were parked all up and down the highway with almost all of the people that attended the church service standing in the hot sun at the cemetery waiting to say a final goodbye to Landrino..We each put a flower on his casket..and a tear from me.....

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LANDRINO LAID TO REST...part 1

Some of the boys that worked with Landrino over the past 20 years or so, and Randall from the ranch, and some family and friends were at the cemetery on thursday to dig the gravesite for the funeral on saturday.  After the mechanical excavator did the heavy digging, some of the fellas rode the bucket from the excavator down into the hole to tidy it up..I am pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing..if Landrino (affectionately nicknamed "Sarge" from his days fighting the muslims in the jungle strongholds in the Phillipines and his take charge by the book way of doing things) was here with us he would have his tape measure out to make sure everything was perfect...all the rocks out of the hole and nothing left imperfect or out of place...

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Jerrold laughing at the fact that he didn't want Landrino to visit him in his sleep about the hole not being perfect..

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PAU HANA SUNSET FROM THE LANAI

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