June 29, 2008

A Cancer Update

Many of you know that I have been fighting cancer since January 2006.  Well, I received the news on another CT Scan and once again I am cancer free.  Thanks to each of you that have encouraged me with your friendship, your prayers and your many kindnesses too numerous to mention.

Thanks too to all of my blogging friends that have encouraged me and helped keep my spirits up with a joke, a wisecrack or a really wicked pun. 

Thanks to my wonderful wife Norma, and my beautiful daughter Jennifer and her Hubster Mike.  Now that Jennifer will be presenting me with a grand-baby in late December or early January, you can best believe I'm going to spoil that child rotten.  And I'm going to enjoy many, many years of it.

Thanks also and especially to God for keeping me in the palms of his hands.

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February 24, 2008

Tony Snow on Cancer

My fellow cancer sufferor Tony Snow has some great words for anyone suffering from cancer, for anyone who loves someone suffering from cancer.

Thanks and a Tip O' The GM Derby to Macsmind via the marvelous and incomparable Larwyn!

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August 18, 2007

How Canada's Health System Gets By

A Canadian couple received more blessings than they originally expected.

Woman has rare identical quadruplets
HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- A 35-year-old Canadian woman has given birth to rare identical quadruplets, officials at a Great Falls hospital said Thursday.

Congratulations! ...but, wait. Where were the children born? Why?

The Jepps drove 325 miles to Great Falls (Montanna) for the births because hospitals in Calgary were at capacity, Key said. "The difficulty is that Calgary continues to grow at such a rapid rate. ... The population has increased a lot faster than the number of hospital beds," he said.

So, that's how the Canadian government health care system gets by. It's because their citizens come to the U.S. for care when their system fails. The expectant mother drove 325 miles to a U.S. hospital because Canada's hospitals were at capacity. I'm surprised that this fact even made it in the news, although it did, barely, as a side item.

If we ever expect to have quadruplets (no chance), you can bet that it won't be in Canada. And, Canadians just need to plan their heart attacks so that they have time to make it to our land of timely and private medical care--while it lasts.

Want to read more? more...

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July 31, 2007

ABC's Robin Roberts: 'I Have Breast Cancer'


Cancer! Such an ugly word, I know, I heard it from a doc some 18 months ago and to be honest, it scared the stuffing out of me, but after the first hour or two, I resolved to beat that beast down and so far, I have. Today, Robin Roberts of ABC's Good Morning America announced that she will be undergoing treatment for breast cancer in the very near future.

I never thought I'd be writing this. … I have breast cancer.

It all started a few weeks ago. We had gotten the news that our dear colleague and friend Joel Siegel had passed away and we began preparing for our special tribute show for him. I did a piece about Joel's courageous battle with cancer, reporting on the way my friend had lived his life and been such a successful advocate for the importance of early cancer screenings.

That very night when I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump.

At first I thought, "This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman." Nevertheless, I faced my fear head on and made an appointment to see the doctor. Much as I was hoping the doctor would say it was nothing, she did a biopsy and confirmed that the lump I'd found was indeed an early form of breast cancer.

"I never thought I'd be writing this. … I have breast cancer," boy, does that ever sound familiar! In January 2006 I wrote:
This is not a post I ever wanted to write. In fact, I don't think it is a post that anyone, ever, anywhere, would want to write. But I have a number of faithful readers and a number of irregular, but delightful readers and I think I owe them something. Thursday, January 26th, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Talk about a kick in the teeth."
I am so damn sick of hearing about this disease, and yet, if we don't talk about it we will never defeat it. And defeat it we must! So, Robin, I'm adding you to my prayers, my thoughts and with this notice, to the blogosphere and to the world at large, you have joined a club that no one in their right mind wants to join. But sometimes we don't get to make choices. Sometimes we have to deal with what is handed to us, and from what I know about you, you will do fine in that regard.

One of my earlier posts on this disease was specifically about overcoming fear, and that is the first hurdle.

George Patton once famously said: "Do not take counsel of your fears." and nothing could be truer. You can be afraid, but if you act on that fear, you imprison yourself and you feed the future a diet of failure and despair. If you act anyway, despite your fears, you may not survive, but you will have faced the future [and the fear].

For many, many years, when people have asked me how I am, I answer "Alive and well, fat and sassy - not necessarily in that order." I find that to be just as good an answer today as it was before all this cancer stuff started.

To be honest, I hope this post gets picked up and carried worldwide Robin, for a couple of reasons, some to let people know that there is hope and that what was once an absolute death sentence, no longer is. The other is to let people know that they are not alone in this fight. Several months back, taking a page from Glenn Reynolds book "An Army of Davids" I started a blogroll blog called An Army of Bloggers:
Cancer is no respecter of race, religion, social status, income or profession. It is an insidious disease that robs people of a quality of life and too often, of life itself.

Robin, I'm hoping that you too will become an advocate of early screening, aggressive treatment and active research. I suspect that you will. I send to you, advice that was so generously shared with me by Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary.

First, enlist as much love and support from friends as you can, and don't be shy. One of the great distinguishing characteristic of Americans is that they always want a chance to do something good. Many are doing good things for you right now, many completely unknown to you. Some people are afraid of admitting to cancer because they worry that others will treat them like freaks. A very few people will; most will rally in wondrous and surprising ways. Give them a chance to help. They'll come through for you.

Second, talk to other cancer patients. They have street cred others don't. For instance, you're probably now noticing twinges and random pains in far-flung parts of your body. This sort of stuff has been going on your entire life, and you have paid no heed. Now, however, the mere threat of cancer has you wondering whether the killer cells have fiendishly relocated to some unusual part of your body -- from your toes to your earlobes, along with every viscera and soft tissue in between. I remember thinking at one point that pressure in my forehead must have been a sure indicator of brain cancer. Instead, I just had sinus congestion. This sort of panic is normal: I don't know a single cancer patient who hasn't experienced it in one way, shape or form. I finally called my internist and informed him that I was going nuts and needed some sort of stuff to calm me down. He prescribed Xanax. I took exactly one -- conversations with doctors and other cancer patients managed to calm my nerves even better than drugs.

Third, learn as much as you can -- ignorance is your enemy -- but don't get too hooked on internet sites. Many of them are idiotic. Better to consult with your MD Anderson trained doc, who can steer you to stuff that might be helpful. Look especially for success stories. You'd be amazed at how far medicine has come in the last 15 years, and how effective the meds are.

Fourth, keep the fighting attitude. A friend of mine -- a survivor of simultaneous lung, breast and armpit lymph cancers -- described sitting in meetings with fellow breast cancer patients. Some just looked defeated, even though each one of them had far less severe cases than she had. Not one of the defeated-looking patients made it. You'll find that it's surprisingly easy to remain combative once you've begun to shuck aside some of the fear. Just think about the people you love and the things you want to do with them in the years ahead. That should be all the inspiration you need. Furthermore, you'll find that your attitude will change (likely for the better) the moment you get into treatment. It's like going from pre-game jitters to the game. Once the game is on, you don't have any choice. You have to play. So play to win.

Fifth: Realize that fear is a complete waste of time, even though it will creep up on you from time to time. Your full-time job now is to get well. Blogs are nice, but living is more fundamental. The most important part of the aforementioned fighting attitude is to set fear aside and get determined about getting well.

Sixth, relish and embrace your faith. I kept a file of what I called "healing verses," many of which had been forwarded through well-wishers. You can find them sprinkled everywhere in the Bible; Psalms and Proverbs are especially rich sources. Prayer is an amazing thing, and the healing power of prayer -- something I always suspected before getting cancer -- is palpable and real. You've seen the responses already on your site: These people are pulling for you, as are hundreds or even thousands who aren't writing. There's no greater honor than having somebody you don't know asking God to help you. Somehow, the word trickles back, and it will make you stronger."

When Mr. Snow's cancer returned, I sent this back to him, and since then, I know that others have sent it to friends of theirs who are fighting the good fight, so I implore you Robin, join me, Tony Snow, Elizabeth Edwards and so many others; don't quit, don't hang up, but with faith and love hang on and fight hard, fight back and Fight On!

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June 19, 2007

& Then I Had A Lump In My Chest

No, not me, but a new friend. It turns out that the lump was a something else, but he blogged the whole process. It was and remains a scary trip and the blogger "Duke of DeLand" tells the story in a straightforward manner. Great reading, drop by and give him some support.

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June 03, 2007

National Cancer Survivors Day - Spread The Word



June 3, 2007, my SECOND National Cancer Survivors Day. Wow, how delightful to be still here with my beloved family and all my friends, blog-brothers and sisters, and all of my readers.

Cancer touches way too many people, and it is a scourge that truly can be beaten. 75 years ago, cancer was almost always a fatal diagnosis, today, with all the advancements in cancer science many, many more people are surviving and thriving. I know, I'm one of them. Chris Muir, has his Day By Day crew celebrating and acknowledging the day as well.


060307.jpg

To help fight cancer, I've started a blog called "An Army of Bloggers" to enlist the blogosphere in the fight. If you are a blogger, please consider joining, if not, go there and support the cause anyway. Every bit helps.

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May 18, 2007

An Army Of Bloggers, Fighting Cancer

Slightly more than 15 months ago, I announced on this site that I had lung cancer and that I intended to fight it down to the wire. I did and I'm still here, still fighting and still bouyed up by the prayers and best wishes of my wonderful readers, fellow bloggers and by my family.

Two weeks ago, I had a CT scan which has become part of my routine now-a-days... quartely blood tests, CT Scans, and visits with my oncologist. When I met with him last, shortly after my CT scan and just before my daughters wedding, we talked about some new findings on my scan. It seems that there was a thickening on the adrenal gland of my left kidney and one of the more common sites for lung cancer to metastisize to is the adrenals. Well, talk about another kick in the teeth. But, being an absolutely incurable optimist, I was pretty sure, as was the doc that it was either inflimation or perhaps another cyst of which I have several. No big deal right? Wrong. Any one who has had cancer will tell you that a "change" is worrysome and the tendency is to check it out ASAP and make SURE that you will still be in full remission.

I got the follow up PET scan on Monday the 14th of May and a clean bill of health on the 17th. No evidence of metastisis anywhere. Whoosh!!!

But, the whole ordeal got me to thinking. My fellow cancer sufferor Tony Snow and Elizabeth Edwards, and many many more have also had recurrances and this is a problem that just won't go away. So more is needed, more in terms of research and more in terms of money to support that research. Some how, some way, we must find a way to beat that scourge.

And then it hit me, sort of a confluence of ideas that had perhaps been circulating around in my brain for a while, and in part, perhaps because I'm of an age where Eric Erikson has stated that we reach "middle adulthood" or between the ages of 40-65 years, in a stage that Erikson calls "Generativity vs. Stagnation." The idea, according to Erikson is that we reach a stage where we want to give back something that will outlast us (generativity) or we stagnate (reaching the miasma of "what's it all about, why was I here?"). You see this in middle aged individuals joinging clubs such as Lions, Kiwanas, Knights of Columbus and the Masons - contributing back to society as it were.

Well, I'm a blogger (along with a few other things) and I know that there are millions of us out there, blogging away, hoping to make a small difference in someones life, whether we blog about politics, art, technology or family. Whether we are voluntary firemen or soldiers or law professors, we blog, we care what we blog about and we are just narcissistic enough to think our thoughts are worth reading by others.

I also recalled reading "An Army of David's" by Glenn Reynolds, the esteemed Instapundit and was impressed with the concept that (from a review)

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when large companies and powerful governments reigned supreme over the little guy. But new technologies are empowering individuals like never before, and the Davids of the world-the amateur journalists, musicians, and small businessmen and women-are suddenly making a huge economic and social impact.

In Army of Davids, author Glenn Reynolds, the man behind the immensely popular Instapundit.com, provides an in-depth, big-picture point-of-view for a world where the small guys matter more and more. Reynolds explores the birth and growth of the individual's surprisingly strong influence in: arts and entertainment, anti-terrorism, nanotech and space research, and much more.

The balance of power between the individual and the organization is finally evening out. And it's high time the Goliaths of the world pay attention, because, as this book proves, an army of Davids is on the rise.[If you haven't read the book by the way, I strongly encourage you to do so]

And so it is with this effort, my thinking is that we cannot depend on government to do things that we ought to be doing ourselves. To this end, I have established a new blog that will have one purpose, and one purpose only. Fighting cancer! The new site is called An Army Of Bloggers and, despite me being conservative, this new site is not political at all but an effort of one little David to help slay the Goliath that is cancer.

As a cancer survivor I know full well the pain and suffering that cancer victims face, sometimes daily without cease for years and years. I have been lucky, perhaps far beyond what I deserve, but lucky none the less. People I've never met, and probably never will meet have wished me well. Those who know me say that they admire my pluck, but to be honest, it's not so much pluck, as it is incurable optimism that I can make a difference but I have to be around to do it.

I don't know if my cancer will come back, I don't know if I will have months yet to live or years or decades. I do know that regardless of what the future holds, the past has been glorious for me. I've lived a full and wonderful life and I'd like to see cancer cured in my lifetime.

I'm asking that each blogger go to the An Army Of Bloggers blog and consider joining the fight with me. But, whether one blogger does, or a million bloggers do, this fight is not over, and will be won someday. I'd like to be part of that victory as I know you would too. So, sit down to your desk, write out a check to your favorite cancer charity and get it in the mail. If you are a blogger, join the cause and get your blog listed on the blogroll. Imagine the difference we can make by raising a couple of million dollars to further research into a cure for cancer.

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March 27, 2007

For Tony ~ Fight On!


FightOn 4.jpgTony Snow's Cancer has returned.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Presidential spokesman Tony Snow's surgery to remove a small growth showed that his cancer has returned, the White House said Tuesday.
Snow, 51, had his colon removed in 2005 and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with colon cancer. A small growth was discovered last year in his lower right pelvic area, and it was removed on Monday. Doctors determined that it was cancerous, and that his cancer had metastized, or spread, to his liver, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

She said Snow is resting comfortably after his surgery and has pledged to aggressively fight the disease with an as-yet-to-be-determined treatment course.

"He said he's going to beat it again," Perino said in an emotional morning briefing with White House reporters. "When I talked to him, he was in very good spirits."

Ahh, nuts! I'm heart-sick hearing of another good person with this damned disease. Back in January of '06 when I announced on this site that I had lung cancer, I received an e-mail from Mr. Snow encouraging me to fight on and have faith. A portion of that letter:
First, enlist as much love and support from friends as you can, and don't be shy. One of the great distinguishing characteristic of Americans is that they always want a chance to do something good. Many are doing good things for you right now, many completely unknown to you. Some people are afraid of admitting to cancer because they worry that others will treat them like freaks. A very few people will; most will rally in wondrous and suprising ways. Give them a chance to help. They'll come through for you.

Second, talk to other cancer patients. They have street cred others don't. For instance, you're probably now noticing twinges and random pains in far-flung parts of your body. This sort of stuff has been going on your entire life, and you have paid no heed. Now, however, the mere threat of cancer has you wondering whether the killer cells have fiendishly relocated to some unusual part of your body -- from your toes to your earlobes, along with every viscera and soft tissue in between. I remember thinking at one point that pressure in my forehead must have been a sure indicator of brain cancer. Instead, I just had sinus congestion. This sort of panic is normal: I don't know a single cancer patient who hasn't experienced it in one way, shape or form. I finally called my internist and informed him that I was going nuts and needed some sort of stuff to calm me down. He prescribed Xanax. I took exactly one -- conversations with doctors and other cancer patients managed to calm my nerves even better than drugs.

Third, learn as much as you can -- ignorance is your enemy -- but don't get too hooked on internet sites. Many of them are idiotic. Better to consult with your MD Anderson trained doc, who can steer you to stuff that might be helpful. Look especially for success stories. You'd be amazed at how far medicine has come in the last 15 years, and how effective the meds are.

Fourth, keep the fighting attitude. A friend of mine -- a survivor of simultaneous lung, breast and armpit lymph cancers -- described sitting in meetings with fellow breast cancer patients. Some just looked defeated, even though each one of them had far less severe cases than she had. Not one of the defeated-looking patients made it. You'll find that it's surprisingly easy to remain combative once you've begun to shuck aside some of the fear. Just think about the people you love and the things you want to do with them in the years ahead. That should be all the inspiration you need. Furthermore, you'll find that your attitude will change (likely for the better) the moment you get into treatment. It's like going from pre-game jitters to the game. Once the game is on, you don't have any choice. You have to play. So play to win.

Fifth: Realize that fear is a complete waste of time, even though it will creep up on you from time to time. Your full-time job now is to get well. Blogs are nice, but living is more fundamental. The most important part of the aforementioned fighting attitude is to set fear aside and get determined about getting well.

Sixth, relish and embrace your faith. I kept a file of what I called "healing verses," many of which had been forwarded through well-wishers. You can find them sprinkled everywhere in the Bible; Psalms and Proverbs are especially rich sources. Prayer is an amazing thing, and the healing power of prayer -- something I always suspected before getting cancer -- is palpable and real. You've seen the responses already on your site: These people are pulling for you, as are hundreds or even thousands who aren't writing. There's no greater honor than having somebody you don't know asking God to help you. Somehow, the word trickles back, and it will make you stronger."

Mr. Snow, I send that right back to you because I know that when faced with additional bad news concerning the self, it is easy to forget what wonderful advice you have given to others.

Mr. Snow, as you think of all the thoughts that will have to go into your fighting back, please take time to remember the sage words that you sent me.

Right now, I'm in full remission, in part because I followed your advice to the letter, in part because I had great docs, great nurses and great faith. Please return the favor and remember that there are many, many good folk out there winging prayers to God in your behalf. Fight the good fight, don't give in and don't look back. Fight back, fight hard and Fight On!

UPDATE: Linked by the Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds. Thanks Dr. Reynolds, and people, please, PLEASE, PLEASE consider sending a check to the American Cancer Society, if we all band together we can beat this damned disease. So much has been learned, so much more can be learned through research!

UPDATE 2: Craig Hildreth M.D., who writes The Cheerful Oncologist (and one heck of a nice guy) has some good information on Breast Cancer and Mrs. Edwards. Include her in your prayers as well.
Dr. Hildreth has this on his blog which I think is priceless:

"Courage and cheerfulness will not only carry you over the rough places in life, but will enable you to bring comfort and help to the weak-hearted and will console you in the sad hours." -Sir William Osler
He also has an update on recurrent colon cancer. This is a must read folks, Dr. Hildreth writes better than any other site on cancer and related subjects.

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January 27, 2007

A Precious Year Of Living!

January 26, 2006 a full year ago I received a diagnosis of lung cancer. I posted on it here: "Thursday, January 26th, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Talk about a kick in the teeth." A kick in the teeth, "Indeed!" as Glenn Reynolds would say!

A full year has indeed passed, and your's truly is still here, still kicking and fighting the good fight. When I posted about the diagnosis, I sent an email to Dr. Reynolds and he was kind enough to link to my Fighting Cancer post. As a result, I received over 100 comments and something like 300+ emails. All, without exception wishing me luck, saying prayers or some similar comment. The response was overwhelming and sustaining like you wouldn't believe. I received comments and emails from other cancer victims encouraging me to beat it like they had. I received emails from families of cancer victims that had not "made it" and those were supportive as well. In all, I was blessed by an outpouring of care and concern the likes of which I've never before experienced.

I got the diagnosis on the 26th, had surgery on the 6th of February and started chemo-therapy a little over three weeks after that. And through it all, with some 17 additional posts on cancer (the archive for those posts is here) I continued to get well wishes and prayers. Those too have sustained me in this fight. On my birthday (Sept. 20th) I was at the oncologist's office awaiting results of the most recent C.A.T. scan and P.E.T. scan and got the word that I was cancer free. What a birthday present that was!

I have to tell you a story. While I was in intensive care, this nice young man came in and introduced himself as Dr. Lazo. "I'll be your oncologist," he said.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I don't mean to be rude, but you look like you are still in high-school." Dr. Lazo laughed and noted that he heard that a lot. I saw him the other day for a routine checkup and he still looks like he belongs in high-school. But he is a great guy and one hell of a Doc and I am lucky to have him in my corner.

Throughout this entire ordeal my family has been by my side. My beautiful and wonderful wife Norma, my daughter Jennifer and my two younger brothers Bert and Doug. A greater family no man has ever had! I've also had the support of a whole bunch of crazies that I associate with in several google and yahoo groups, notably The Wide Awakes, Wide Awakes Radio and South Park Republicans a nicer (but nuttier) bunch of friends cannot be found anywhere. Would I have made it without them? Possibly! But they made the struggle easier.

I have also been lucky enough to blog about the experiences, posting on such wildly divergent (well, maybe not) topics as fear and the Joy of Living and each post has garnered comments that have touched me deeply. And for that my beloved friends, I thank you.

This has been a tumultuous year, with periods of quite thought, a little fear, a lot of joy, the uncertainty of not knowing what the future holds, and the sublimeness of living in the moment. Of sharing a hug with my wife and saying good bye to a friend as I returned home from a visit. A year of surgery, chemo induced nausea and determination to survive. And survive I have, thanks to Almighty God, the love of my family and thanks to you, my readers and dear friends, because of all of you combined, I've had another precious year of living.

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January 05, 2007

Important Information About Prostate Cancer


FightOn (3).gifTo change course to an important topic, there is a drive to provide men and their loved ones with information on prostate cancer--from detection to treatment. One out of every six American males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in men after skin cancer. The good news is that advance screenings provide early detection and diagnosis, and prostate cancer is virtually 100% curable if diagnosed early. Men over fifty and black males are at the highest risk. Learn more about the disease and early detection. Here are a few helpful links:

Emory University Healthcare Clinic - Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Foundation

Introduction to Prostate Cancer (pdf file)

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September 21, 2006

The Big Six Zero


Fight On.gifThis will be, God willing, my last cancer post. No, not because I won't be around, but because by all appearances I will be around a while longer.

In January of this year, I announced here that I had been diagnosed with Lung Cancer, the Big C:

Thursday, January 26th, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Talk about a kick in the teeth.

The diagnosis is obviously freightening, but at the same time, it has given me a new resolve. And that resolve is to fight this son-of-bitch right down to the wire and I have every intention of winning."

I had surgery to remove the tumor, six months of chemo therapy that for sure beat me down as bad or worse than anything I have had physically happen to me and then a follow up CT scan that showed no tumors present. That occurred on August 11th and I posted on it as soon as I received the good news. My oncologist said, however, that a P.E.T. scan needed to be also done to detect if there were any new tumors starting somewhere too small for the CT scan to pick up.

With some trepidation, I had the P.E.T. scan on the 11th of September and yesterday, September 20th I had another appointment with the Oncologist to get the results. As I sat in the examining room, all sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind. "Will he tell me good news or bad?" "Where is he, why is he taking so long?" and especially, "Maybe he doesn't want to tell me the bad news even though he has had to tell plenty of others in the past."

Soon, the good doctor did however come in, sit down and "GRIN."

"The P.E.T. scan came back negative, you are cancer free."

Yesterday, the 20th of September was also my 60th birthday, what a really neat birthday present that news was.

And so, this catagory "Medical" is officially retired, the "Fight On Ribbon" has been moved to the right side of the post and I thank each and every one of you for all the good wishes, prayers and thoughts that you have sent my way. Thanks and God Bless!

Update: Welcome o' ye readers of Glenn Reynolds, the esteemed Instapundit.

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August 13, 2006

The Battle Is Won, The Fight Continues!


In January of this year, I posted about receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer, the big C, the dreaded Ca, the smoker's bane. Glenn Reynolds, The Instapundit was gracious enough to pick it up and share it with his readers and friends of mine from around the blogosphere and friends I didn't even know I had were gracious enough to leave over 100 comments as well as over 300 e-mails from people around the world telling me that they were pulling for me, not to give up and offering prayers, advice and best wishes.

I also met and have corresponded with Dr. Craig Hildreth, the Cheerful Oncologist who has been a source of knowledge, attained wisdom and support.

I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of grace, of gratitude and knowledge that despite the problems in the world involving cultures, countries, politics there was still room for care about a given individual.

Nine days later I had major surgery, not knowing if I would wake up from the surgery, not knowing if the disease was too advanced to treat surgically, not knowing if the disease had spread to my lymph nodes, or anywhere else; but having a trust in God and in my docs and the knowledge that regardless of what happened, I was truly loved, and truly blessed. I gradually came out of the anesthesia, saw my wife and daughter and dear brother-in-law standing by with smiles but concerned looks on their faces and the news was, at that point good. No mestasis in the lymph nodes, my upper lobe of the right lung and indications that the cancer had been sucessfully removed from my body. A week in the hospital, a week at home with increasingly onerous cabin fever and I was ready to go somewhere, anywhere just to get out of bed and out of the house.

The following week, a meeting with the surgeon, with the oncologist and I had the opportunity to meet the fine nurses at the South Texas Cancer Center (Special Thanks to Dr. Lazo, Gilbert, Amy and Estella) and begin a 6 month ordeal of chemo-therapy. Each friday for three weeks, sitting in a chair, wondering about the future, sleepy from the Benadryl, trying to ignore the poisons being pumped into my body, but greatful for the advances in chemo-therapy none-the-less.

Each week the side effects grew cumulatively worse, then a week off in which to "recover" before starting the next series of three. Each week my beloved wife would say 17 to go, 16, and eventually down to "1 to go hunny bunny" and that ONE was Friday, August 4th. On this immediate past Friday I had my 2nd post surgery CT Scan and the results were the same as the 1st., "...NO EVIDENCE OF METASTATIC DISEASE..." The battle has been won, the war will go on until I have been 5 years cancer free and can then count myself a full fledged member of the cancer survivors network.

Regardless of what the future brings, know that I am a fighter and I will Fight On!. I have the support of friends, family and Almighty God. I have the courage to face what ever comes. Cancer has caused them to throw the worst at me and I have come through with determination to see this thing through to what ever conclusion comes.

So the watch word remains fight on, Fight On, FIGHT ON!!!

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May 30, 2006

The JOY Of Living ~ Even With Cancer!


Sun-up came like a shy child, sneaking the eyes around the corner to see who was there. As the sky lit up, the world came alive and reminded me how great it is to be alive, even if you are recovering from cancer.

Before sun-up I arose with my bride and made coffee (with a little bit of chickory for a kick) while she got dressed to go to work. I walked her out and kissed her good bye, poured my coffee and sat on the patio to await brother sun. On time and in glory brother sun arose after making sure I was settled on the patio with a book and my morning cup of java. I stared up at the sky, listened to the wind in the trees, sniffed at the fragrance of flowers in the early summer air and listened at last to the gentle cooing of white-wing doves.

I wish I could share that feeling with the world, but I can't and more's the pity.

It occurred to me during that second cuppa that I really do enjoy living. I enjoy sitting with my arms around my bride, or kissing my daughter goodbye after she comes for a visit. I enjoy the interchange of ideas as found in blogs and in reading what others think. But most of all, I enjoy that quiet bit of solitude that I share with God in the morning.

Back in January when I announced on this site that I had cancer, I had absolutely no idea what my future held, other than I intended to fight this evil bastard down to the wire and I intended to win. I still do if you are curious. I received over a hundred comments on that post and well over 300 emails from folk wishing me well. One can share that, but one cannot truly understand the buoyancy to the spirit unless it has happened to you. And one thing I know, deep within my heart-of-hearts, it is not the only thing that has kept me going, but it sure has helped.

The other week, I went to church and got to announce a "Joy," that my CT Scan had come back clean. The congregation applauded and several people walked up after services and announced that they "knew" that things were going to be OK. How did they know? We have lost other church members to disease, accidents and the like, how did they know I would do OK? I don't have an answer, I don't know why some are, like me spared, and others, good people all are not.

I do know that a large part of this is truly the Joy of Living - even with cancer! Nothing that I can imagine would cause me to despair and give up. Nothing that I can think of would make me say that the illness and weakness brought about by chemo-therapy and having part of a lung removed would tilt me towards giving up and giving in.

So, as the sun has risen high in the sky, it is time to bring this little bit of posting to an end, to let you, my faithful readers, know how very much I love all of you (even the lefties out there) and how much you have touched this old guy.

Thanks for being my friends, and Thank YOU God for taking care of me during this phase of my joy filled life.

And friends, be assured that no matter what, I will fight on and beat this thing.
Fight On!

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March 27, 2006

Under the weather

Blogging may be slow for a day or two... don't give up

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March 18, 2006

The Cheerful Oncologist - What A Guy

One of the circumstances of getting a cancer diagnosis AND having a blog is meeting some of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with. One of these folk is Craig Hildreth, M.D. who writes the blog The Cheerful Oncologist. Dr. Hildreth is a saint among docs. Being an Oncologist is probably one of the absolute toughest jobs in medicine, yet, Dr. H. goes about it with a smile, a word of encouragement and a caring for his patients that just seems to flow from everything he does. When I first posted about having cancer, Dr. H sent me an email and we have been corresponding ever since. Today, I clicked on his blog on my sidebar and read something that is absolutely beautiful. If you don't go read it, you will have deprived yourself of a true bit of written gold. A Green Light That Burns All Night Drop by, say hi and tell him GM sent you.

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