October 2, 1991 Orem, Utah

Dearest John; Roy, Patrice, Emily & Timothy; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:

I guess it's a very good sign when I keep so busy I hardly have time to write my letter - I can't believe it has been two weeks since I have written!!! It's still dark outside this morning but both Daddy & I have been awake for a long time so I decided to get up and write to you because we want to go to the cabin today.

I'm going to start from when I wrote last - on September 17th. Roy & Patrice had made all the plane reservations for my trip to Little Rock and I was SO excited about going and my tickets came on the 18th. On the 19th we went for Daddy's regular checkup with Dr. Brown (the oncologist). Daddy had gone in the week before for a bone scan and blood tests so they had the results of those. He met us with "Jessie, your cancer is spreading like wild fire and that is not good news". He showed us the x-rays and it has gone more into the ribs and also there is a spot at the top of his head. Daddy said that even his hair was hurting. I was REALLY surprised because he hasn't seemed any different to me - the worst I have ever seen him was when he was building the cabin three years ago and he has improved so much since that time I was convinced he was cured. Dr. Brown said, "the next step is for you to have chemotherapy to see if we can slow it down or stop it". Daddy said, "Well, that's okay but not before this weekend is over because I'm going on my second elk hunt".

Daddy, Bob & John left on Friday about noon to go back to the "Bookcliff Mountains". They met their Lehi buddies on the way. Bob had rented a pop up tent trailer and they were all equipped in case it rained again. Well - they had absolutely gorgeous weather without even a cloud in the sky. They had a wonderful time but all they could say was "Why couldn't it have been this way for Roy". They found a five point buck elk on Sunday morning and John shot it at 350 yards and hit it right where he wanted to and knocked it down. Daddy has relieved both the hunts a million times and as he looks at the pictures and laughs I know that has been the biggest highlight of his life. I believe Bob killed the elk with a knife and in the process he broke his finger but it was so huge it's lucky he didn't get hurt worse. They got home about 10 o'clock Sunday night and they were hardly even dirty-after the last hunt I was ready to just burn everything because it was as if they had buried their clothes, the car, the four-wheelers and everything else in mud.

Daddy went over to Lehi on Monday morning to help cut up the meat. His friends over there are SO nice and really need the meat - John & Bob tried to get Daddy to let them have it all but he wouldn't so we have the locker full and our freezers full - we will share it with all of you throughout the year. I really like the hamburger and sausage and that's what most of it is. Some of John's friends left yesterday to go elk hunting somewhere in the Uinta Mountains but Daddy doesn't think they will even see any.

Monday afternoon we went to see Dr. Tudor - the chemotherapy man. He explained everything to us and said that it could be effective or could not be - sometimes when the prostate cancer goes into the bones it isn't as effective as if it goes into the soft tissue like the lungs. That surprised us. He also said that Daddy had an excellent quality of life now and chemo would change that for a little while - he gave Daddy the choice. I didn't hesitate and said, "We'll go for it". He said, "I didn't ask you - I asked your husband". Daddy didn't hesitate either and said he wanted to try it. He scheduled it for the next day, Tuesday September 23rd. I told him I had planned to go to Little Rock and asked him about that and he said, "He can be sick with or without you - this is not life threatening". We both knew that John would take good care of him and Ann was close if he needed her. I didn't dare tell Roy because I was afraid he wouldn't let me come - I guess the bottom line is that I REALLY wanted to go to Little Rock.

Tuesday we both sat in the chemotherapy clinic for seven hours while the "stuff" went into Daddy's veins. His veins are so very tiny that it took that long. We were both very comfortable though and the doctors and nurses are SO nice.

I left early Wednesday morning for Little Rock. That's the only time I have ever flown alone except for when I took Aunt Marvel back & forth from Utah to Arkansas and that trip would hardly compare to this one. The flight was wonderful and Roy met me at the airport - I hardly recognized him because he had a heard but he looks good with it. I got to their home about 5 o'clock and Patrice had a delicious dinner all ready. Little Emily was expecting me and we had such a good time together.

Thursday morning Patrice took Emily to the doctor for a checkup because she had a cough and I stayed with Timothy for a little while. When they came home I went to see Dorothy - she had invited me for lunch and she had a delicious lunch prepared and we visited like we had never been apart. Dana brought he children over for Dorothy to tend so I got to see them too - I believe Dorothy does this all the time. Dana has three: Justin who is 6 and he is being taught at home, Corrie who is Emily's age and then Shawn who is 7 months. Dana & Nick are very active in their church, Bible Fellowship. Terry has just moved back to Chattanooga, Tenn. And is at odds with her parents - Dorothy could hardly talk about it. Carol is in her final year of law school and the pictures of her show her to be a real professional. I got all the neighborhood gossip - John Robert and Kay just about separated but are back together now. I went in their backyard so I could get a good look at our old home and our yard doesn't look very good - Dorothy said it has never been as pretty as Daddy and believe it.

After I left Dorothys, I went to visit Jeannette Barbee. She is 83 and has just sold her home and is moving to a retirement home in Philadelphia so she can be close to one of her daughters. She has not changed one bit and I loved my visit with her. Then I went to visit Pete and we talked a mile a minute - her sister had just passed away and I remembered her and it was good for Pete to tell me about that. Do any of you remember the Blackwell family that lived right next to the Dennis family - the mother, Annette, is Ad & Martine Funk's daughter? Anyway, their oldest son, Mike, just died and he was only 30. That was sad. Pete hasn't changed one bit either. Then I went to see Bobbye & Tom Dennis and I could have stayed there for hours. Bobbye gave me a cookbook that was written by her mother and it has one of my recipes in it - her mother use to come see me when she visited Bobbye. They are the very same as they always were. They told me that Mildred Harper is not doing well though and they are kinda' disappointed that Janice doesn't come very often.

After I left Bobbye it was getting dark but I wanted to go to the Dillard's mall. I had taken a birthday gift for little Timothy and it was size 12 months - I don't know where my mind was because he hasn't been in a 12 month - I don't know where my mind was because he hasn't been in a 12 months size for six months at least. I thought I could exchange it at Dillards but I couldn't. While I was in the mall I had promised Daddy that I would have fried okra at Ludy's cafeteria so I did that and that was fun!

I got back to Roy & Patrices about 7:30 and the children were just finishing their baths and ready for bed. Roy & Patrice were to leave the next morning so I visited with Patrice about their schedules and everything and then went to bed. I had tried to talk them out of putting the children in school on Friday but I couldn't so Friday morning I took them both to their school - it's that Trinity Methodist church school off Mississippi on Evergreen and it is very, very good. Emily really needs that.

Then I went to get Chris - we had planned to spend Friday together while the children were in school. I visited with Marc for a little while and he is the same but he didn't look very good to me - he has a difficult time walking and is pasty white. They had just come home the day before from a vacation in Idaho. It was wonderful being with Chris. We drove to Maumelle and took some pictures (with your Polaroid, Roy) of some homes there and then she took me to lunch at the Purple Cow in Little Rock. I had the Caesars chicken salad and it was the best I have ever eaten (she salad that was Marc's favorite). Then she took me to "Et Cetra", a darling gift shop close by Roy & Patrice's home.

I picked up the children about 3 o'clock and we had a fun time together that night. Joy Geisler came over to visit about 8 o'clock and stayed until midnight - I kept thinking, doesn't she know that Emily gets up every morning to watch the sunrise - Ha!! Jot is doing good but I can't help but feel sorry for her - her daughter Judy just runs her ragged. Judy has six children and her husband doesn't even have a good job.
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