04-20-2012

No call from UT with the test results and the other doctors haven't received copies yet. I'll take this as no news is good news, either that or they haven't had time to review and read the results yet. I'll find out next week I think when I return to Dr. Rathfoot. I think it stays in the back of one's mind "what if ". Meanwhile I will continue to live each day like it is the last as one day it will be. Enjoy, relax, and find peace.

  
Oh, did I mention the Sign is back, right exactly where it was. How cool is that... Headed from Knoxville to here, right before the Sevierville exit in a field on the right, between 2 hills. 

04-19-2012 Dr. Panella Follow-up

  We went to UT again today, done a chest X-Ray and then headed up to Dr Panella's office for a follow-up. There was a doctor that was training there, nice fellow, they asked if he could see me too. I have no problem with that. He came in and checked me out, looked up some stuff on the web before he started talking or checking me, but didn't look in the chart. He felt a lump in the side of my neck the tumor was on, except way back. After he left out Dr Panella came into the room and he showed him the lump area, Panella checked but wasn't too concerned. He had me open my mouth and with a light showed him the back of my throat and the deformity the Radiation had left. I guess that is normal for radiation and apparently visible. Now I've been told I have a fowl mouth but never a deformed one. :) The blood work and X-ray results weren't back, but he told me if anything was wrong they'd call me. He said he was calling me in Remission!!! That sounds great to me. He did say that the throat could be stretched and talked about that, but I'd rather Dr. Rathfoot make that call since that is what he does. I don't have to go back until October if the tests are clean. I looked in the Chemo Hut, but they've changed people and I didn't see any that was there when I went. Ruth was off too.

  We headed to Sams while we were in Knoxville and picked up a few things. We came home and I planted the Tomato Plants, tilled and leveled the area for peppers, squash, and watermelon. Denise planted 44 Pepper Plants and Megan planted 12 Squash (I thing). The signs aren't right again until late next week to plant again. If it don't rain we will get the rest out plus the Okra, Beans, and Corn. A friend of mine, Dale, already has his out. He grows a beautiful garden. He works his like we do. Keep the stuff we need and give away the rest. We worked until it was getting dark, plus American Idol was on, then Swamp People. It has been another good day. I could get use to that. Best of all, no engagements, appointments, of need to go here or there, so I get to get dirty.  

Annie Getting Pinned

Annie got her Nursing Pin tonight at the Pinning Ceremony. Megan is working on a flick and I'll put that up as soon as she is done. Annie is our middle daughter. Congratulation Annie!!!

Helping Janet

  David gave a link to a little girls' site, Janet is her name. I had not heard of her before. Her website is at http://www.helpingjanet.com I looked at the link below and there is a young man too in need.

She is well collected inside on this video, as many cancer patients are, but inside, it's not this cool and calm always. The second one shows what is going on inside. Please pray for this girl and help her if you can. 

04-13-2012

  I spent most of the day at some friend's house, hopefully I didn't overstay my welcome. I worked with Don at Pet Dairy for a little while and we both, years later, ended up at UPS where Don eventually became one of my bosses. In an email he says his wife Barbra has been diagnosed with cancer and they would like for me to visit. I love Don and Barb like family and they have taught many people, myself included, just what marriage and love is just by silently watching them. They probably don't read this blog and hopefully I hope they don't mind me mentioning them. Barb has throat, lung, and liver cancer and I ask that those who read this pray for them and why I think it is important to call their names.

  We teased Don when he was at UPS while quietly we admired the love they have between them. Even today they held each others hands while I was there on and off, which was nothing unusual for the pair. After 40 years of marriage. Barb would pack Don's lunch when he drove and even when he went into management, usually accompanied with a little note. We laughed and remembered crazy things we'd done while working together all those years, talked some serious stuff in between, told some jokes, and talked about the world things that seem nuts. For years I ran the route where their house is and would stop in the heat for a glass of cold water. The best though is when Don would be on vacation and I'd stop the Package Car and blow the horn. When Don would come out I'd point to the logo and tell him not to think about work, lol. They are in good spirits and are ready to fight the battle they face. These are good, honest people who have worked hard all their life and it doesn't seem fair and it isn't. Then again, life never is fair.

  So I ask those who read this please stop and take a moment to remember them in their prayers and thoughts. You would love these two as I do if you knew them.  

04-10-2012 Chest Pressure

  The year is flying by. Over the last week or two I've had some pressure in my chest but nothing major. Friday night we ate at Captain D's and I love crispy, so I ate the crispy Denise didn't want. It was either a bone or just a really hard edge and I didn't chew it properly, swallowed it and it felt like a razor going down. Oddly enough though it never stuck. I could feel my throat swell immediately. Maybe that added to the persistent chest infection that I can't seem to shake, and I had pressure again, only lots of it. It increased until the point I got a bit worried and reach for the Nitro. I have the spray kind instead of the pills, so I dosed myself under the tongue. The pain went away. Minutes later it came back and even harder. I thought about waking Denise but decided not, so I dosed myself again. Problem solved itself slowly. For added insurance I turned on the O2 machine and started doing the oxygen. It slowly went down.

  Saturday I stayed mostly in the chair and slept late, weak from the event and throat still swelled. Sunday the drain in the Denise's bathroom clogged, so we ended up heading to Lowes to get pipes and fittings and replaced the pipe. Matt, Misty, and the grandkids came over and we ate at mom's and gave them their Easter Baskets. I didn't get to enjoy them like I wanted, still weak. Josh & Brandon stayed the night though and Megan played with them and me and Josh watched some TV. We went to Denise's mom and dad's house, his 83rd birthday was yesterday. I like to visit with them, good, smart people.

  Monday we went to UT Speech & Hearing to get Megan's new Ear Molds for her Hearing Aides. I came back and crashed again. Today I slept late again but I finally got out and stirred, more spun my wheels than accomplishments. The air is cooler though and it eased my throat. Maybe tomorrow night I'll drop the Predisone back to 5mg, since Friday I've been doing 10mg as Rathfoot had suggested. I'm finally building some strength back and no pressure in my chest. I played with the new truck, working on stuff the other guy didn't or did wrong. Got it titled today too. I got a deal on it but for a reason, needs work, but it dumps. :) 

  This is the month rather than last month for a follow-up and X-Ray with Panella. I think he will tell me what I already know, drop the weight. It is in the back of my mind though what the outcome could be with the lungs. I remember the follows the tree speech. I'm not sure what route I'd take if that comes around.  I think that bears on the mind. I got a letter on a Seminar on T Cell Lymphoma, but I won't go. Right now it is raging and I have to turn that around. I haven't worked on it in a while. For a moment I considered going to see Zic and Greer at Vanderbilt again, but I think not. They are great doctors and the hospital is good but the next level of meds I still will not do even though the last few days the itching and burning almost make me give in, almost.

  I've had some weird dreams the last little while. This last one I looked from a distance at a Covered Bridge and told I could go in it. It was over a beautiful river with bright water, sparkling and as blue as they sky. Where I was standing was a fog behind and all around me. I went and played (strange) like a child in the bridge. Then I was told I could go and see on the other side of thew river. So I did. The most beautiful green pastures on rolling hills. No trees, just lush pastures. I walked into a village or small town where the streets were stone, but like a marble, with buildings made of stone. People walking around, sitting and playing checkers and some just looking around. Everybody was friendly and seemed to be happy. Nobody had any troubles and all looked to be healthy, all ages, all sizes. Nobody I actually recognized like the last dream, but everybody seemed to be familiar, and I to them. Clean and neat as a pin. Then Denise woke me up. I had unhooked myself and went into the couch in my sleep. I woke with freezing. Not cold but freezing worse than even I remember working in the Ice Cream Room at Pet Dairy where it was 30-40 below zero. The other dream a while back was like that and just the same as before I woke up so cold I hurt, yet happy and peaceful. Both times I wanted to stay, and both times had a profound impact on my outlook of life. It took covers and a blow dryer blowing under them plus about 15 minutes to stop freezing, yet inside the joy and peace they brought continues.      

03-31-2012

  Been a little rough sailing the last week or two. I think it's the Pollen but I seem to have sinuses and bronchitis. I hate to take meds for it because that always brings about a yeast infection. So far I've made slow progress taking a lot of Vit D. I also finally saw what Mark was talking about when he said the dentures could make a sore in the mouth. I take them out when I'm home and put them back in when I'm out. Also discovered the Polident thing, glue them babies in where I can sink my teeth into something and still keep them in my mouth. :)

  Between the down days I managed to break the lawn mower, fix it, then mow both yards and break the ground where the green beans and corn will go. Done that all in a day, then crashed a couple of days. Got a butt chewing from Megan last week when I took off on the bike. I felt good enough and just wanted to ride it up town. She thought I was hurt laying somewhere. All the vehicles were here but she never checked in the garage for the bike. Sometimes it's just night to cruise.

  Me and Denise went to Unicoi today and I bought what I call, Bigger Uglier. The guy wasn't totally honest on a few things but close enough. Tonight I placed Big Ugly on Craigslist, just as promised. I've worked on and off on that truck and it has never let me down yet, hate to see it go. This one though has a 16 ft bed, all steel and it dumps! That was my intentions for Big Ugly but this truck will carry more weight. It will take more work, money, and time to get this one though as good as Big Ugly. With a long driveway here and the farm I can't shovel the gravel and can't afford to pay to have them delivered. This will, or at least should, take care of that, plus pull the hay floats if we need to bring hay in. It's automatic too so we all should be able to drive it. It's just a little bit longer, ok, a lot longer. I thought about selling Blackie instead but the kids said no, too many memories.

  Man I hope this chest and bronchitis stuff clears before my next visit in April. Wouldn't that be a bummer. I finally get a dump truck and don't get to dump anything with it, lol. For the record, Mary hit one already. I'll be worrying what it will cost to fix a truck up and if I paid too much for it.