THANKS

This will be my last real entry.  All I have left are doctor visits, scans, and all that boring stuff that people already know about.  So this last entry, I wish to express my love and appreciation to all that have helped me along the way.  I am not even going to try and name you all personally, because I don't want to leave anyone out.  I will just say this...

To my friends, both old and new, thank you for fighting with me.  I love you all!

To my wonderful family, I could never express how grateful I am for all of you.  The service, encouragement, sacrifice, and love you have given through this time has been nothing short of a miracle in my life.  I love you all with all my heart, and am so grateful that we are all sealed together, and will be a family for time and all eternity.

Now, I will single out one person, and I am sure that you all know where I am going with this.  Miranda has been the rock that I have built upon.  She has been the glue that has held me together.  She has been the support when I have fallen (both literally and figuratively), and the crutch when I have begun to walk again.  She has been the breadwinner and nurturer.  She has been my nurse and caregiver.  She didn't plan on this any more than I did.  But she passed through it with grace that I have come to expect from a person as wonderful as she.  I have heard stories of people diagnosed with cancer that had to also suffer the abandonment of their spouse.  Whether or not that was ever a thought to Miranda or not, she never let it show to me.  I always knew that someone would be there with me.  She truly has been the heroine in this journey.  It was for her that I fought, and because of her that I can still fight!

2009

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To my sweetheart and companion I say with all the love, admiration, and respect that I possess, "Thank you."

I am completely Human again!

yeah, that kinda sounds weird.  But when you have had a piece of plastic and metal in your chest for over a year, you will feel the same way!

 


Today my mediport came out.  The mediport, or power port, was inserted into my chest so that I didn't have to take the chemotherapy drugs intravenously.  How grateful I am for it.  During chemo, they would just stick the needles in my chest and away I went.  After a while, I would notice that some of our friends who didn't have ports would have to get needles in their feet or legs, or any other place the nurses could find because the veins in their arms and hands were shot!  So this piece of equipment was definitely appreciated!  So much so that I tried to keep it, but they wouldn't let me! :(
But today wasn't without entertainment.  One of my side effects from heavy sedation or anesthesia is that I break out into song!  That's right, the nurses and doctors get a free concert!  My artists of choice always seem to be Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Jimmy Buffett, or someone like that.  Quite odd!  But, from what I am told, it gives the nurses a great laugh, so I am happy about that.
So this being the last staple of the constant journey against cancer, I now consider myself fully on the road to recovery.  Definitely not normalcy.  That will never be the case for me ever again.  Every time I look in the mirror, I will remember this experience.  But I am on my way!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

The prednisone is now a thing of the past!  I can't tell you how grateful I am that I done with that stuff!  Yes, I am grateful that it has kept me alive for so long until my body decided to wake up and function on its own again.  But I am so grateful that now I can start dealing with these nasty side effects and make progress.  No more mood swings, weight gain, sore joints, and all that has come with this drug.
It's quite a sobering thought that I would not be alive without this drug.  I am grateful for modern medicine and what it has done for me.  Because of that, I will accept what it has done to me.

Another Doctor to the List

I went and met with an endocrinologist today, Dr. Wheaton.  She was very nice, but still didn't have any more answer than we already had.  So that means more blood work, more tests, and more waiting.  I am satisfied to say that my whole problem is "adrenal crisis."
I tell you, prednisone makes my chemotherapy treatments feel like a walk in the park!  Dr. Wheaton wants me to stay at 5 mg of prednisone until we figure stuff out, and then have me go down 1 mg per MONTH!  Yes, that is right...MONTH!!!  How much does that stink?

The Fun Never Ends

So tonight was Fabriena's family birthday dinner.  At dinner, I was feeling okay.  Then all of the sudden, I begin to feel nauseous.  Miranda and I walk outside, and I just about pass out!  So we all know where our thoughts run...passing out and throwing up, and emergency room again.
Luckily, I stayed conscious, and was able to make it through.  But man did I feel horrible!
I can't wait to be off this medicine in two months!

For the Beauty

Last night was Fabriena's birthday surprise party down in Sandbridge (VA Beach).  We had it at a beach house.  Today after church we went back down to clean a little from last night, and then spend the rest of the day.
Miranda and I just watched the water on a clear blue sky.  It was amazing.  What a gift from the Architect and the Creator of the world.  The words of the song echoed in my mind...

"For the beauty of the earth...
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise."

I am grateful to be here to experience the beauty of the earth.  A little bit more vibrant and majestic than it used to be to me!

Dear Family, Dear Friends

Miranda and I went to Washington to visit Sandra and Josh and listen to Sandra sing at the Washington DC Visitor Center.  It's always fun to listen to her.  And I love sitting next to people as they just gasp over her and how good she is, not realizing that they are sitting next to her brother!  It's pretty funny.
Anyway, Miranda and I had a chance to speak with President Lamar Sleight, a member of the Temple Presidency.  He and his dear wife have been some of the most supportive and encouraging people to Miranda and me during our fight with cancer.  What is even more amazing is that they support us, when they need support.  Sis. Sleight is struggling in her own fight against cancer.  As we spoke and exchanged reports, Pres. Sleight told me that Miranda and I have been on their minds a lot lately, and they didn't know why.  But they had been praying extra hard for us.  Hearing about my recent battle with prednisone put the pieces of the puzzle together for them.
How grateful I am for people like Pres and Sis Sleight.  They listen to the Holy Ghost and act.  They pray for others, and think of others before themselves.  What an inspiration to me!