Another Memorial and a Task From Maj

One memorial down and one to go... The event last weekend was very nice - my approximate count was about 75 attending, mostly local friends, astronomy club members, and my workmates from the Mirror Lab. Unfortunately not many of Melinda's nursing co-workers attended, but my sister Linda from Morrison, IL and her husband Lauren drove down to spend a few days with me! It was followed by a reception at her favorite Mexican restaurant, where we all ate and chatted for a few hours (I'm finishing the last of the leftovers tonight!). Our neighbor Susan even had the energy to come play some background piano (she is also getting cancer treatments).

One of tonight's subjects is the memorial for our Illinois family and friends. My sister transported her ashes back to the Midwest, so she is already in Illinois! The memorial will be at Malone's Funeral Home in Geneva, Illinois, at 3pm on Saturday, 15 October, with a rosary read at 2pm. A reception at Malone's will follow. Her obituary is already listed on their website, and you are free to submit remembrances and images there.  I'll be flying up next week, so hope to see all our friends and family there...

One of the tasks sis-in-law Maj left me
was a religious pilgrimage... Melinda wore a Miraculous Medal on a gold chain that she never removed. That original is going to niece Kathy, but she also carried a spare medal in her wallet. Two days after Melinda's passing, I took Maj down to San Xavier Mission and as she sorted her jewelry later, she wanted me to return to pin the medal on the hem of Mary's garment at the Mission. So today was the day for that journey! The Mission, shown at left, is quite spectacular, and undergoing some interior and exterior renovations... The medal is shown at right. Around the border is the wording: "O Mary! conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!"



Shown at left is the statue of Mary in one of the niches of the Mission. There are a couple things to note - there are already a number of medals attached to her hem at the bottom of the image. Also on her garment is the "Man in the maze" image, a very common image on the Tohono O'odham reservation. Shown in close-up at right, it represents the decisions made in your life's journey. When you eventually reach the center, you pass on the next world.



It took just a few seconds to pin the medal on her hem, make a silent prayer and take a few images to record the deed for Maj. At left is the close-up and a little wider shot at right showing some of the other attached medals. The Mission was hopping for a Thursday afternoon, and folks were queuing up for a chance, so I moved along, moving outside for the wide exterior shot shown above. My quest finished, I returned to town to the mundane tasks of changing insurance, banking account mods and dealing with disability and life insurance claims. A trip to the local Social Security Office tomorrow, and the light at the end of the tunnel approaches...

3D anaglyph of San Xavier from Southeast

3D anaglyph of San Xavier from Southwest

And, full disclosure, as usual, I took a few stereo pairs of the Mission. Time to get out the red/blue 3D glasses! These are hyperstereo images - the separation was typically a meter or two - much wider than normal eye separation, amplifying the 3d effect for architectural studies. At left is a view from the SE, and at right is a similar view from the SW. I also took some stereo pairs from inside, but perhaps will save them for another day. Enjoy!

Melinda Tribute!

Rather surprisingly, Youtube accepted the slide show I put together for Melinda to be shown at the memorial today and in 2 weeks for the encore in Illinois. Without further ado, here is a combination of family photos off her phone, my collection off the blog, and little ditties she collected that meant something special to her. Music is also at her direction. Enjoy!

Melinda Obituary and Tucson Memorial Plans

Hi All-
Thanks for the outpouring of love and affection for Melinda you have all shown to us here and on Facebook. Included here is the obituary that will appear in the local paper on Thursday. Note also that this also appears, and you can download photos and memories on the remembrance page of the funeral home at this link. We hope to see all her Tucson friends on Saturday. For those looking in from the Midwest, we're aiming for Saturday the 15th of October at Malone's Funeral Home in Geneva for a memorial for her Illinois friends and family.
-Dean

Melinda Jo Ketelsen (née) Johnson, 60, entered into eternal rest September 22, 2016 after a 3 year battle with lung cancer.  Born in St Louis, the family relocated to Aurora, IL in 1967.  Melinda entered her life’s work as a nurse specializing in the NICU, spending 30 years at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, IL, and 5 years at UMC in Tucson, AZ.  Her compassion and caring is revealed by the multitude of former patients, parents, co-workers and friends that love and care for her dearly.  She is survived by her beloved husband Dean in Tucson, her sister Mary Alice “Maj” (Jeff) Williams of Sugar Grove, IL, nieces Robin Johnson and Kathy Pelanek, nephews Trés Johnson and Rick (Susan) Pelanek, and numerous nieces and nephews and relatives by marriage from the Ketelsen and Johnson family, and many dear friends and former co-workers.  She was preceded in death by her parents Richard L. and Alice Mary Johnson, her brother Richard L. Johnson Jr. and her sister Susan Mary Charles.  A memorial will be held at Abbey Funeral Chapel, 3435 N 1^st at 1pm on Saturday, October 1, followed by a celebration of love at El Saguarito Restaurant, 1763 E Prince Road.  Charitable donations may be made in her name to your local animal shelter, or to Hope Animal Shelter, PO Box 1996 Cortaro, AZ 85652.

The Week To Forget That I Will Always Remember!

It was difficult to write the post about Melinda stopping treatments for her cancer. It is even harder to have to tell you of her passing night before last. She died right at 11 pm on Thursday, 22 September after only 30 hours at the in-patient hospice... While it was tough to watch her decline so rapidly, she was surrounded by friends and family and all are relieved that her pain is over and the rest she craved is finally at hand.

Some might want to know some of the details of her last days. After deciding to stop treatments on 15 September, we got a referral to Casa de la Luz hospice and a nurse from the facility came by for evaluation the next morning. She talked to us about policy and services and about how it all works. We were a little concerned that they wouldn't permit her fluid infusions, that had always perked her up and made her feel better. Since they were considered "extending life" they wouldn't be permitted under hospice care. Because Melinda already had an appointment for fluid infusion on Saturday, 17 September, we held off signing up.

Our hours at the cancer center were very nice. After our 3 years of regular visits there, all the nurses are like family. Knowing that Melinda had stopped her cancer treatments, the weekend crew all came by and talked to her and made her as comfortable as they could. It will be hard to not see them in the future now that Melinda has passed.


We got thru thu the weekend just fine. After the fluid infusions, you would expect a lot of peeing going on, but evidently with her disease progression, it showed up as edema in her arms and legs - little to no use of the commode.  We signed up for hospice on Monday morning, they delivered a hospital-style bed, went thru her meds, discarded the ones she didn't need (all of them!), and were supplied morphine drops for her pain control. We started that Monday night (19 September), and man, they worked great - no pain, but zonked her out big time. The next morning, I panicked when I almost couldn't wake her up. I ended up calling her sister Maj and told her if "she wants to have a conversation with Melinda, she better get here soon"! She jumped on a plane and came that night! Luckily, I caught our nurse friend Erica at work that Tuesday - she would stop by after she got off work at the medical center and sit with her while I picked up Maj. Fortunately the initial exposure to liquid morphine does really knock you out, and she got a little more clear-headed thru the day. By the time Erica arrived at 8pm, she was still pretty chatty. Things were good enough that Erica even took a photo of the two of us before I left to the airport. At left, I licked her cheek to make her smile as the photo was taken. Maj arrived, and man, the party started - talking excitedly into the already-late evening hours. I finally turned into bed about 1:30 and warned the girls in the slumber party to get some sleep, and "no talking about boys"!

The next morning (Wednesday, 21 September) another surprise! Our "mother-in-law" Betty stopped in! Now Betty is the mom of my first wife Vicki. You would think family dynamics would have stopped that relationship cold, but Betty and Melinda hit it off like gangbusters and we're still one big happy family. Ninety One year old Betty left Columbia, SC at 7am to pick up her daughter Susan in Dallas and get to Tucson by 11:30. They walked into the house about 12:45, and man, did that bring a smile to Melinda's face! I had a meeting with a lawyer scheduled so had to leave for an hour or two, so that is how I left the house - full of happy women.

Upon my return at 3pm, an emergency had occurred. Melinda had been hungry (the first time she expressed hunger in weeks!). They were feeding her a pear snack pack when she vomited (not particularly unusual for her), but this time she aspirated some of the fluid/stomach contents. Turns out that is a bad thing - stomach acid in your lungs will get you with pneumonia pretty quickly if your immune system is weak. We called the hospice nurse (not allowed to dial 911). Melinda was making gurgling noises, and breathing with difficulty. It sounded like there was something in her throat, though in reality was much lower. We tried sitting her upright and lying on her side with no effect. The nurse finally arrived, and after evaluating called for oxygen delivery, and checked on an in-patient room, which was available. Oxygen and patient transport arrived the same time and before I knew it, I had an empty house that felt very hollow...

I fed the livestock (our 8 cats) before getting up to the hospice about 6pm that Wednesday. She was tucked into a comfortable bed and looked pretty peaceful. She still had the labored breathing that sounded gurgly, but was surrounded by Betty and Susan, friend Donna from Phoenix, Roger, Maj and myself. She was still speaking with difficulty, and always shook her head when queried about pain. Late into the night everyone eventually left, as did I for a while. After about 45 minutes of sleep, I got a call from the nurse at hospice. Maj had thought there was a change in her breathing. I showered to wake up and went back in. She seemed about the same to me, but getting a response from her required "getting in her face" and speaking loudly. The last words I under stood were about 3am on the 22nd... I somehow wanted to record the moment - her sister and I at her sides, holding her hands. Maj was sound asleep when I took the left image, and I one-handed a shot at right with my hand in hers. I didn't record her face, as her features had changed from the beautiful woman we all knew...

As night changed to morning our friends returned to keep us and Melinda company. The nurses rotated in and tended to Melinda's needs and patiently answered our questions. Betty and Susan left for the airport to return to Dallas at 11. When informed of their departure, Melinda opened her eyes and made eye contact for the last time...

After that it was just a matter of time. The breathing always seemed difficult, but the gurgling stopped. Around 10pm she started skipping breaths, and right at 11 she breathed her last and the nurse came in to confirm her passing. We didn't stay for transport to the funeral home, but the attendants who saw her off on her earthly plane (Maj, Donna, Roger and me) left for eventual sleep among lots of hugs...

We're making final arrangements - tentatively narrowing in onto Saturday afternoon, 1 October. Tough to make arrangements on weekends, so can't confirm exact times, but will likely be at Abbey Funeral Home's chapel, and are thinking of a reception afterwards at el Saguarito restaurant at Campbell and Prince afterwards. It was her favorite local place to eat when she had an appetite, and they've agreed to do it for us.

I put an announcement on Facebook and the emotion and testimonials have poured in from her hundreds of friends. If I can, I may read some out loud at the memorial service, though it seems I choke up pretty easily when trying to talk. But what I've taken away from those expressed thoughts is that Melinda brought out the best in everyone. Tuesday afternoon her primary doctor made a house call (!), unusual enough, and just sat and talked to her for 30 minutes. Even her home health care nurse that had stopped by once a week the last month stopped by the hospice for a visit. She didn't need to, but knowing Melinda made her WANT to. I know that over the years she has brought out the best in me too. I know I am a better person for knowing and loving her. But from the outpouring of emotion I see from across the country from people who know her, they are drawn to her and are made better...

So what did she get from me? She always told horror stories of her first husband, whose marriage lasted less than a year, and ended just as we started dating. I can hardly believe some of the stories, but evidently I'm better than Ralph... Perhaps it was the astronomy I exposed her to that provided a "big picture" of her place in the universe. I'm going to close with a video that just today appeared on Phil Plait's "Bad Astronomy" blog. It is an amazing video and the quotes from the interviewees while being filmed under dark skies is really why we continue to share the views and look skyward. So think about Melinda, what an incredible person she was, think about how she affected you. Feel free to comment if you would like. And keep looking skyward and be amazed...


Infinity ² from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

The Battle - Winding Down...

We've been a little mum on Melinda's cancer battle front. Her last PET scans in June showed continued progression of the disease. She had some radiation therapy which helped relieve some of her back pain, caused by the tumors in her spine. The relief was short-lived, however, and her oncologist got permission for her to get Opdivo - the new miracle drug that works with the immune system. However it has not been approved for small-cell lung cancer and Medicare refused to cover it. More delays and finally Bristol-Meyers Squibb agreed to cover the costs and she was to start last Thursday.

But meanwhile, the cancer just was sapping her energy and one of the side effects of nearly any chemo is extreme fatigue, and she couldn't imagine another battle with chemo side effects. So when we consulted with the oncologist, she agreed that stopping treatment was a reasonable decision. She had fluid infusion to perk her up and we got a referral for a local hospice to assist with her care. So there we are - you are now up to date!

We've contacted family and our local circle of friends, so most everyone is aware of her decision. We signed on with hospice (Casa le la Luz - house of the light!), and instead of the Vicodin that we've been using (mostly effectively) to control her pain, we've moved to an alternative because of the toxic dose of acetaminophen she was getting. Her first night on liquid morphine drops went well, so that concern has passed. Hospice aims to keep the patient at home, so I'm here full time now taking care of her. Sister Maj is returning soon and will give some relief. At left from a week ago, Mia made herself at home on Melinda's lap while she napped. It seems to be where Mia wants to park, so lately we've been keeping her in her bedroom so as not to bother her...

While I've never seen her back away from this battle, she is just too exhausted to continue. We've always done what the oncologist had suggested, so she can't be faulted for finally getting a break. Three years and 5 weeks, spent fighting cancer every day is a long struggle and she deserves her rest. I'll keep you updated on any changes, but for now she is at home, with her beloved cats and friends around her. And she is at peace both with her decision, and with us to stop pressing her to continue the fight.

Monsters at the Door!

Late Summer is prime time for observing our other "little pets" - the gecko colony in front of the house! I've posted about them last year - you have to be quite observant to see any of them - they are quite shy and retiring. Walking up to the house when arriving after dark, you might spot one or two behind the glare of our porch light before they scurry off. I had to go to great lengths to capture the family portrait at left - do NOT go out the front door, but rather out the side gate from the back yard, walk around the car parked out front, and sneak close enough to take a flash picture. But I was rewarded by capturing 10(!) of them! My previous record for visual spotting was 5. You can play "where's Waldo" by clicking the left image to view at full size before going to the labeled version at right where they are all marked. They can penetrate quite narrow cracks, so have plenty of places to hide around the eaves of the front door, and will all disappear in seconds as they are approached.

I also mentioned in the above post that these are Mediterranean House Geckos - not native to Arizona. They are evidently imported for the pet trade, and after escaping or being released, set up shop in the urban areas, like in front of my house, feeding on insects attracted to exterior lighting. At left is a wide shot of another before he scurried away for the nearest opening. The eave vent hole at bottom is about 2 inches in diameter, providing a bit of scale - these aren't large at all, topping off at about 5" long or so. Because they are so shy, I've never been able to observe their hunting technique. While they were all running for cover, this little fellow paused at the rear end of a Moneilema gigas - a cactus longhorn beetle. I can't tell if it was considering taking a bite of it, or was attempting to hide behind it, but he continued scurrying away after taking the photo at right.

Anaglyph 3-D - get your red/blue glasses!

Anaglyph 3-D, get your red/blue glasses!

But fortunately for me, when they hide in the latticework of our security door or look out from one of their hiding cracks, they seem secure, allowing me to ease in for some close-up images. Of course, you know me - one of the things I go for are the 3D stereo images! With a subject quite still and used to me taking flash images of it, I took a pair of images from slightly different vantage points. Presented as anaglyph images here, you need your red/blue glasses to see the 3-D effect. In these extreme close-ups, they lose a lot of their "cuteness" and appear much more reptilian! Both of these 3-D images are from the same image pair, but with different crop factors. The left image is displayed at full camera resolution, and the image at right made from a larger section of the image. The eyes are quite amazing - instead of eyelashes, they have a row of inclined scales that can be spotted in the closer version. They evidently don't blink, licking their eyes to keep them moist, though I've not seen that action...


Their feet and pads are equally amazing. While the local lizards we've had the privilege of imaging close-up have little fingernail claws - like the horned lizard shown here, these geckos seem to have little scale-covered fingerlets. This effect is shown in close-up at left, showing one of his front arms from shoulder to toe-tips. This is a 3-frame focus stack to extend the zone of sharpness over the full image...   Similarly, the image at right used 10 frames, all with a slightly different focus point, combined to make a sharp image.


I'm closing with one of the favorite photos taken this week - a 6 frame, hand-held image stack in close-up of a gecko hiding in a crack about a quarter inch wide between our security door and adobe bricks. The detail in the eyes and head are quite amazing, taken with pretty simple equipment - my nearly decade-old Canon XSi, plus a few cm of extension tubes with the 100mm macro lens and on-camera flash. I'd use the newer 6D, but I don't have a flash unit for it and it doesn't sport the standard on-camera unit... It would be nice to get this close to all of them w/out them hiding from me, but themz the breaks! We love our little bug-eating reptilian monsters, and I like the challenge in catching them in photos!

A Spectral Two-Fer!

Here in Tucson, our Summer rainy season is winding down - right on schedule! You can usually start planning on astronomical observing opening up again in mid-September after the rain starts (and threatens most every day) around the Fourth of July. Our "monsoon" season provides a nice break during the hottest (and most humid) time of the year, so we don't have to worry about fighting discomfort of warm temps and bugs that seem to wait till then to "bug" you!

Yesterday the weather forecasters were saying there was a 50% chance of possibly severe storms, and the next week looked to be a drying trend as weather patterns changed. True to their word - clouds thickened and threatened after lunch. We found ourselves watching from the second floor of the Cancer Center, where Melinda was getting her occasional topping-off of fluid. With the desert dryness and depending how she feels, it is tough to drink enough, so the liter of fluids on about a weekly schedule is welcomed. While we used to enjoy the view of the mountains and the employee parking lot in years past, we now enjoy the mountains and the construction zone as the treatment center expands.

Yesterday, even the mountains disappeared as storms moved in from the southwest. It never rained more than sprinkles at the Cancer Center as they moved around us, but the conditions were fine for rainbow formation! The thing to note is how low the rainbow arc is in the sky. Of course, if you know how they are formed, you know that they appear at a constant angle of 138 degrees from the sun. Since it was about 2:30pm, the sun was still high in the sky and as a result, the bow peaked out at a low angle, just clearing the trees around the construction zone. With the sun higher in the sky, the bow would be even lower - I was on a winter bike ride when we ran into showers and the bow didn't clear the horizon! Of course, you can make your own "rainbow" with a garden hose at high noon and you can see the nearly full circle of the bow around the shadow of your head projected on grass. The close-up at right shows the acute angle it forms with the ground...

A few hours later, after we got home, another band of intense showers moved over us again and the process was repeated. This time, just 45 minutes before sunset the sun was much lower and correspondingly, the rainbow appeared much higher in the sky. At left is shown a panorama-mode image of the rainbow, taken with my IPhone 6S from our back yard. The shower was intense - about the hardest I've ever seen it rain for all of about 2 minutes! But as soon as it passed, the sun appeared, so I knew there was likely a bow... In the close-up at right, you can also spot a fainter secondary bow outside the main one. This second bow is caused by a second reflection inside a raindrop, instead of just the single reflection that causes the main bow. Note also that the colors are reversed - in the outer secondary bow, the red color appears on the inside - on the primary rainbow, red is on the outside! Rain and rainbows are rare enough in the desert that a simple comparison of the heights of the arc are difficult to come by, so it was neat to see this pair in the same afternoon.

And right at sunset about 6:30, some more dramatic lighting appeared - direct sunlight bathing the clouds in sunset-colored clouds while the gibbous moon and shadowed dark clouds also remained in the view. Nice contrast, nice colors, but tough to underexpose enough to not saturate the highlights. Will have to re-read the 6S manual again!