End of full timing may be soon

[royl]

Had planned to full time until I died but didn't plan on my cancer returning so soon so we may be near the end of our adventures. I plan, as soon as they get my medications stabilized and warm weather arrives, to make my next trip from the Florida panhandle up through Ohio to visit old friends and then on to Niagara Falls, then over to Mt Rushmore. Then I am going down to the Grand Canyon or maybe over to Yellowstone Park and then down to the Grand Canyon. I know this sounds like an ambitious trip at this time and my health problems but these are the places I promised my wife I would get her to while we fulltimed and can not disappoint her. She is my rock, the love of my life and is being a real trooper about my health issues. She tells me that I am going to be ok and be around a long time but I know the truth. The reason I am writing this is to ask for any pointers, sites to see, problem roads or mountains and so on. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. I want her to never forget this trip.

[galtgirl]

I just read your OP so by now I hope you are on the road having the time of your life. I have had 3 different cancers, and am currently in remission from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. I feel the urgency to get on the road and start checking off my bucket list of places to go and things to see. I refuse to worry about what I can't control.
Have a wonderful time, take care of yourself and have no regrets.

[RVcrazy]

Sorry to hear of your health issues, but I encourage you to keep up the fight! As far as places to see, other than those you mentioned, I would plan on entering Yellowstone through West Yellowstone. See the Tetons if you haven't already. Definitely see the Natl Parks in Utah. They are beautiful and each is very different from the other. The other advantage is that there is lots to see without an inhuman amount of driving. Enjoy each day and don't push too hard to do it all. Take time to savor the time you do have and the sites you see and not worry about putting a check in each box on the to do list. Take care and Godspeed.

[djackman]

My husband and I took our trip of a Lifetime to Alaska this past summer from Massachusetts. While in Haines, Alaska for 7 weeks, we went to Kroschels Wildlife Center and learned about the GERSON THERAPY. Google GERSON CLINIC. If I found that I had cancer, you bet my RV trip would be to this clinic down in Mexico. You have to have an open mind to this. If you go onto Amazon, they are selling dvd's about the Gerson Therapy. I was so amazed by this, that when we got back home, I ordered a Nutibullet, and have already cut my meds by half for my fibromyalgia. It would take too long to explain on here. Order a dvd on Amazon and see what I am talking about.

Good Luck!

[JohnEM38]

I wish you the best and enjoy everyday.

If you go from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, pass through Utah and see Arches, Brice Canyon, and Zion National Parks. All of these are beautiful.

[2324delk]

Been to all the places you mentioned.

The only one I did not want to go to, was Niagara Falls. But the wife insisted so we went, she wanted to take the boat ride and I did not.

BOY AM I GLAD I DID.

So if you go to Niagara Falls try to take the boat ride.

All the rest are great stops and you will enjoy them all.

I wish you luck and hope I get to read about your adventures.

[RoadXYZ]

Get angry at the cancer and talk to it that it isn't going to beat you .. follow the medical plan and Go For It out on the Road .. the best of everything are wished to you ...

[bjcarpetguy]

Roy, I wish the best for you and yours. Just lost my wives aunt last month to lung issues.
Her mom has lung cancer and I am hoping she holds on and I can take her traveling
with us next summer. She is in Montana and we are in Wash.

Just enjoy the journey, Your wife is very luck to have you.

[ventrman]

First off, Prayers being sent up for you and your Healing. Just go out there and enjoy your Trip. If it were me, I do not think I would make a lot of Plans. I would just wing it.

[musicman54]

sry about your cancer coming back sounds like you beat it once dont give up but enjoy the time you have togther our prayers are with you

[RGar974417]

Mt Rushmore we stayed at Rafter J campground.Nice,full hookups,but if Custer State Park had electric hookups at the time,we would have stayed there.They do have electric now.While Mt Rushmore was nice to see,Custer was much more interesting.Take the wildlife loop and stop at the visitor centers.Also,a drive through the Badlands and a stop at Wall Drug are worth while.Badlands NP campground now has electric hookups so maybe you can stay one night there.Grand Canyon,we stayed at Circle Pines KOA in Williams.Full hookups under tall pine trees with indoor pool and hot tubs.While the Canyon was nice,we went south and stayed at Dead Horse Ranch State park in Cottonwood.Water and electric hookups.You are close to Tuzigoot,Jerome and Ft Verde Calavarly Post.Yellowstone,stay at least a few nights in park campgrounds to get a real feel for the park.I would plan on at lest 5 days at Yellowstone.

[loulou57]

Both hubby and I are sorry your cancer has returned. I know myself how it feels when you go in for another body scan and hope things are clear, the unknown is terrible but I can't possibly know how you are feeling.

We never know where our journey will take us, where the bumps are or the curves in the road. This is your journey and you alone can plan its route.

Take your time, enjoy every mile, every sunrise and every sunset.

[royl]

noplace2 wrote:
I type as a retired Hospice RN and a fulltime RV'er for 13 years who plans to die out here, somewhere on the road. (Hopefully not ACTUALLY on the road) Until you are absolutely forced to stop living the way you wish, don't. The most frequent regret that I heard expressed by hundreds of dying patients was that they gave up too soon. Finding a sedentary "place", curling up in a barcolounger and watching mind-numbing TV while eating huge quantities of largely ineffective drugs is an accelerated death sentence if there ever was one.

There are so many mitigating factors at play and everyone's circumstance is different. Bottom line for me is that, when life as I want to experience it becomes too painful, problematical or simply not fun anymore, I'm checking out, by my own hand, with my dearest wife and friend's blessing. Should my final event leave me incapacitated, she knows what (not) to do.

I hear you man, I feel the same way and that is one reason I have taken the steps I have up until now. My doctor basically has told me that if I attempt further surgery after having Radiation that I have a 50% chance of things going very wrong and me ending up just that, on a bed or couch with tubes attached or dead and I am not ready for either one. So I am going the drugs route and hoping for the best. I tried to convince my wife that if it got bad enough I would end it too but she flat out refused to allow it. I told her we were humane to animals in pain and suffering with no hope of recovery so why not me. That didn't work either.

[royl]

Bean1 wrote:
Sorry to hear about your Cancer returning.
My hometown is 20 miles from Mt. Rushmore and now we currently live 30 miles from Devils tower. We are an hour an a half from my hometown. So I will tell you, as long as you are at Mt. Rushmore, put Devils tower on your list to hit on your way to Yellowstone.
I will give you some ideas while you are in the area of Mt. Rushmore. There is an Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth AFB. Not the biggest Museum but interesting none the less. Make time before Mt Rushmore for some shopping in Keystone. There is an 1880 train that runs between 2 towns. Custer State Park, Badlands, and some Caves. Depending on how much you are wanting to see, I can give you more ideas for both sightseeing, shopping and eating.
Devils Tower area doesn't have alot of things near for tourists like in SD. But it is a sight to see and no pictures will ever give you an idea how big it is.
If you go to Montana, can give you some ideas for there also.
And don't forget the Sturgis Motorcycle rally is the beginning of August. I don't suggest being in the area during that time, unless you want to partake in it 🙂

Thanks, I had forgot about Devil's Tower. That is actually on her list too.

[royl]

CJ5 jeeper wrote:
Three years ago we were going to leave for a three month trip to see some of the eastern states, and two weeks before we were leaving I had a stroke, and it was bad. I would try to say something but I could not get it out. My wife got me a set of cards with the picture of an animal one side and the name of it on the other. I worked and worked until I got better. The first trip in the motorhome was to soon, and I do not know who I frightened worst, me or my wife. The year before last we took the trip we had planed, and last year we took a three month trip through the southern states. This year we are going to go up the east coast, we may see you at Niagara falls, then we want to see some of the great lakes and back west through the northern states. Kook out for a brown Rexhall motorhome. If we meet up I will buy you a drink.

Glad to hear things are getting better for you. That's a deal I will look you up for sure.