We just got back from Dr. Rathfoot's office. He scoped me and looked around and seen no cancer... thank God. So that news was great. He is concerned that I am not far from a trach though because of the damage, the opening is still unchanged. He asked if I have a hard time breathing, which I do. Mostly though in hot or cold, lately if we build a fire and smoke comes out. That usually happens when we open the fireplace door. So we're still holding our own for now but he is worried that could change with the right event.
He wants me to do Hyperbaric O2 again. It did halt the progress of the damage and he is hopeful it will reverse it now that it has seemed to have stopped. The O2 at night was apparently not only for sleep apnea but to help with the swelling. It isn't helping with the swelling. We talked about swallowing too, which is remarkably better than it was, but not good still on some things. Rice is not a good thing. Anything too big which makes sense, but anything too small which makes no sense. He showed us on a diagram where the smaller things get stuck due to the swelling. He said time when the swelling increases I have to take an extra dose of Prednisone. I was kind of wanting to do away with it all together. Apparently that isn't possible.
I've some things to either get done or see that they get done yet from last year's storms, so I asked that we wait until the end of February if possible. Some things I can do and some I can't. Some things I can afford to pay someone for and some things I can't, so I do those myself. It just takes me a bit longer with the fatigue and breathing, probably related.
Now the good part. He felt of my neck and backed up in the chair and said I was solid! He said I had pretty big and solid muscles. I've been working on getting back strong, ways to go to what I was, but I'm slowly working on it. I told him yep but unfortunately my strongest muscle seems to be above my belt, my belly. I told him my right arm was strong too. All those fork curls, lol.
He also noted that I have some saliva glands staring to work. The dentures are partly responsible for that. Funny, my mouth has been so dry for so long that I get choked on it, and that is a good thing. In time I'll adjust.
Now the big news. Brandon has been doing therapy for years to help with his Autism. Professionals have worked and worked, until wits end. Misty had agreed to consider medication to help him get out of his shell and participate with public and in public. They seemed at a dead end. The church they have went to now, Misty said about two years, has done what the professionals couldn't do. Last night Brandon got up and sung solo and has been singing with the adult choir. We didn't get to go see it but we went that morning and he sung then with the choir. It is amazing what God can do.
We've went there a few times now and we've talked and will keep going there for a while. I'm not much on the modern churches or big ones. I think it is real and the people are real too. Nobody's flashy or trying to out shine the others. The preacher doesn't seem influenced by the "organized religion". He mostly preaches peace, love, working on one's self rather than others, kindness, and forgiveness. He reads something from the Old Testament and looks at it from a historical perspective and a lot of times in a different light than you hear out there. I delivered around it on and off for years, never paid much mind to it, thought it like the rest. I can actually feel something there.
So if you are like me and tired of religious dogma and fake acting, but missing something and live close by, it's well worth the time to check it out. Biggest thing you'll be out is an hour and a little fuel. I went to see Matt, Misty, and Josh be Baptized... but I've gone back for me. Denise is crazy about it and Megan don't mind it either. Megan says she senses something good there too. This is very similar to the way it was when I was young. The name of it is White Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Hamblen County. I even found a link. http://www.whiteoakgrovebaptistchurch.com Pretty cool, they have a website.
He wants me to do Hyperbaric O2 again. It did halt the progress of the damage and he is hopeful it will reverse it now that it has seemed to have stopped. The O2 at night was apparently not only for sleep apnea but to help with the swelling. It isn't helping with the swelling. We talked about swallowing too, which is remarkably better than it was, but not good still on some things. Rice is not a good thing. Anything too big which makes sense, but anything too small which makes no sense. He showed us on a diagram where the smaller things get stuck due to the swelling. He said time when the swelling increases I have to take an extra dose of Prednisone. I was kind of wanting to do away with it all together. Apparently that isn't possible.
I've some things to either get done or see that they get done yet from last year's storms, so I asked that we wait until the end of February if possible. Some things I can do and some I can't. Some things I can afford to pay someone for and some things I can't, so I do those myself. It just takes me a bit longer with the fatigue and breathing, probably related.
Now the good part. He felt of my neck and backed up in the chair and said I was solid! He said I had pretty big and solid muscles. I've been working on getting back strong, ways to go to what I was, but I'm slowly working on it. I told him yep but unfortunately my strongest muscle seems to be above my belt, my belly. I told him my right arm was strong too. All those fork curls, lol.
He also noted that I have some saliva glands staring to work. The dentures are partly responsible for that. Funny, my mouth has been so dry for so long that I get choked on it, and that is a good thing. In time I'll adjust.
Now the big news. Brandon has been doing therapy for years to help with his Autism. Professionals have worked and worked, until wits end. Misty had agreed to consider medication to help him get out of his shell and participate with public and in public. They seemed at a dead end. The church they have went to now, Misty said about two years, has done what the professionals couldn't do. Last night Brandon got up and sung solo and has been singing with the adult choir. We didn't get to go see it but we went that morning and he sung then with the choir. It is amazing what God can do.
We've went there a few times now and we've talked and will keep going there for a while. I'm not much on the modern churches or big ones. I think it is real and the people are real too. Nobody's flashy or trying to out shine the others. The preacher doesn't seem influenced by the "organized religion". He mostly preaches peace, love, working on one's self rather than others, kindness, and forgiveness. He reads something from the Old Testament and looks at it from a historical perspective and a lot of times in a different light than you hear out there. I delivered around it on and off for years, never paid much mind to it, thought it like the rest. I can actually feel something there.
So if you are like me and tired of religious dogma and fake acting, but missing something and live close by, it's well worth the time to check it out. Biggest thing you'll be out is an hour and a little fuel. I went to see Matt, Misty, and Josh be Baptized... but I've gone back for me. Denise is crazy about it and Megan don't mind it either. Megan says she senses something good there too. This is very similar to the way it was when I was young. The name of it is White Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Hamblen County. I even found a link. http://www.whiteoakgrovebaptistchurch.com Pretty cool, they have a website.
6 comments:
Great to see you've found a church you enjoy, Anthony. Also wonderful news about not finding any cancer in your throat!
Lastly, it is also great to hear about Brandon singing in the choir. He is certainly braver than I!
Thanks for the update and I hope things continue to look up for you.
Hello,
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Brotha, I know you've been there and back, and I know that people come back completely healed. So let me ask you this, are your ailments really necessary? I have faith in God, and believe that all things work out for the good for those who love him, but...sometimes... I mean, maybe you are serving some purpose, working off karma, etc. I don't know. But I'm going to ask, and suggest you do too. Is this cancer really necessary? Couldn't the job get done without it? Then put it in God's hands. Maybe you already did this. Just a thought...
Not sure what Fred's comments mean, but good luck with that. I hadn't checked in for a while, but the cancer free news is great! I hope the hyperbaric oxygen helps you...did you know they do that in Greeneville now (or so I heard.). Be careful with the rice! It's hard to imagine that something so small could cause such a problem but it can. And your pastor, John Turner, is that the JT that I went to school with?
David, Thanks. This church managed to do what his doctors couldn't do in years, nothing short of amazing.
Samual, Thank you.
Fred, I know what you are saying and I can say without a question I think the cancers and heart attack were/are necessary in so much as it was probably the only way to get my attention. To what end, I don't know, at this point I'm just here for the ride. He knows best. If one looks back Job and a host of others asked the same thing. Seems the strongest plants are the ones who fights adversity, they are also the softest ones to the touch. Humility now replaces pride. I would have liked to be woke up a little gentler, but truth is, it probably wouldn't have woke me up. If this is the price to be paid for my past, it's a bargain. If this is the charge of admission to get even a second of what I tasted in 05, let alone forever, best deal of my life. This is just life and nobody gets out of it physically alive. Before I demanded to be served, and I existed. Now I serve and am actually living. Can't beat that.
Kim, I didn't know that. I'll have to check and see if they have a chamber, I'm claustrophobic really bad and the small ones look like caskets. I crawled out of an MRI machine one time, drugged but apparently not enough. :) Rice is the one thing I can't swallow, actually anything small without choking. We set at maybe in March to star, he wanted it now but there is just too much to do, plus I really don't want to do it again. My vision changed, hearing changed, and I'm lazy(er), lol.
The crazy doc that was at St Mary's who ran it I think is dead, they found he was eat up with cancer after a shoulder surgery. God pays attention. Chad, one of the EMTs that worked there, to my knowledge is still gone. He was working for the kid doctors (can't remember the name) that moved from 401-403 McFarland to West Morris Blvd. I like Chad, nice guy, excellent at his duties there. Plus Knoxville is a looong drive. UT has one but it's the casket looking thing. They can stick me in one of those things when I die, but not now. :)
I'm not sure how old John Turner is. I haven't talked much with him. He looks my age or older though, but if he reads this no bad is meant by that. I don't think he does read it and if he ever does, just skip that part. :). I think I know the one you are talking about.
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