Sunday is the Couch Day.

Hey everyone. I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted some exciting info to the blog. Sometimes things are just overwhelming and by the end of the day I'm exhausted. It is really funny how the week starts out normally, full of strength and activity and over the course of the week my body gets tired and I run out of energy. I'm glad that the radiation group gives me the weekend to recharge my batteries. It is funny though how many life activities are weekend focused and how hard it is to still complete them when in my mind the perfect weekend is full of wonderful couch time. Ah the couch, my favorite do nothing and rest location. While it is funny it has taken me almost all of my treatment time to get this figured out, it is great to pass this bit of info along to anyone who is getting this same treatment or just anyone who has a long and exhausting week. I'm looking forward to completing the treatment soon and to be given a break from the chemo pills, since they wrote the book on nausea. Having some fantastic time to have all my body parts return to normal or to the point at which they were before this whole thing started. Whew! Anyway thanks to everyone that is still helping, praying or thinking of this whole situation. I know that Hallie, Hunter and I are so thankful to have such a wonderful group of family, friends, and strangers who are helping to make some of these things right. Thanks again and God Bless.

Germs = Bad News!

Well I'm happy to have returned to feeling normal and able to make a blog entry and share some new information. If you all remember from the last one, Hallie had just returned to normal following some bad feelings and germ conservation. Well as Saturday was going I felt a little funny for a while but that seemed to quickly pass. Nothing bad was what I was thinking. Sunday arrived and I found myself at the Pinewood Derby for most of the afternoon. Fortunately for Hunter he was able to finish first among his Bear group and was lucky enough to get third overall from the whole pack. Pretty incredible or amazingly lucky. Anyway while I was there I started to get the chills and found myself shaking. Some also thought that I looked what was called "not the best". I'm fine I thought. Well once we arrived home I had the worst chills and was so hot. So there I was under the bed covers sweating and having the chills. Well Hallie was able to contact the City of Hope who gave her some info and after the OK, Tylenol was consumed. I was feeling much better. It is funny how that very non-overwhelming germ was able to keep me from less than 100% until yesterday. On Monday they did some extensive blood work to make sure that nothing bad was deep or hidden in my veins. Well fortunately all was good or otherwise they would have kept me at their facility until I was all better. A comforting feeling to know that I am well taken care of, but I really feel at home in just one place, my house.

Hair Loss & Germs!

I just wanted to apologize to everyone who has checked over the last few days and noticed that I have not put in an update! Sometimes many things happen all at once. On Tuesday I finally noticed that I was losing some hair. It was interesting that I started to lose the part that is under the surgery seam and over the left ear. Well now it is almost totally clean. A little funny that I have a bald triangle on my head and the rest is totally fine. Personally I don't care that the hair is missing as I know that somehow bald men are everywhere. I know that this would be much more overwhelming for a woman to show the bald triangle to everyone. While some would be upset I know that this is a wonderfully small and tiny gift from my treatment. Secondly on Thursday Hallie started to feel some throat discomfort around noon. The day went on and in as few as six hours she was looking and feeling horrible. Suddenly a potential germ manufacturer was living at the house. I have to say that she was so overwhelmed with the potential of giving me her new germs that she called City of Hope to get the answers. While I did not like the new plan I have to say that she has done incredibly well to sleep in a different room for two days as well as work so hard to take some OTC meds and sleep to get better. I know that she is really close to being back to normal. Even though my last white blood cells were in the normal range they were a little smaller than my first test so she was really concerned about the ability I had to stop the new germ collection. A great and fantastic woman, though those of you that know her will know this is not a new statement or a surprise. Anyway things are going well as I am almost at the halfway spot. I have had a fantastic time with my extended family at the RFD continuing to come and get me for the transport to the City of hope. I am also amazed at how crazy traffic has been. Some days we are early and some we are right on time. Incredible. Fortunately if we are early I have found a great place to get a morning burrito. It totally stinks that I can't get one, but I am happy to know that their stomachs will be full for the ride home which will probably put me to sleep.

The Routine Returns

Hooray! The old pre-Chirstmas routine is coming back. Some get school, work for others and a regular radiation routine and schedule are just around the corner. I have had 10 days of the radiation with many misses due to the various holidays and I'm really looking forward to getting on a regular routine of Monday through Friday so I can continue to stop the bad cells that still remaining in the super brain. I have been taking the chemo pill everyday since this whole procedure started on December 19th. I am excited to tell everyone that so far I have no onset of bad stuff. All of the things that the doctors must encounter routinely have not set themselves inside of me. I can only say that I have just a very little redness on the scalp near the healing which is possibly from the radiation procedures. I am looking to the next 23 procedures to complete this healing procedure. I mostly feel badly for all the really sick and ill people that I see who are also attending the City of Hope. Other than my big healing scar I don't act with the same losses as most of the people that I encounter.

Lastly I would like to thank everyone for checking the blog to see how I'm doing. It has been wonderful for me that so many of my friends and extended family are keeping my health and success in their heart. I know that soon the regular schedules get busy but I will still continue to post my story so that all will be able to see what is new whenever it is a quiet moment in their schedule. Thanks again and happy new year.

Finally 2008 is Here!

Well happy New Year to everyone! The year of 2007 which was either tremendous or less than exciting is finally over. A brand new year is just starting to evolve. As we all look to the future this 2008 year is hopefully that fantastic year which is loaded with success, accomplishments and the completion of all those potentially positive events we are hoping to complete. I had some great events in 2007 and some surprisingly bad events so I am ready to put all of that behind me and work hard to keep the positives coming this new year. I wish everyone good luck at all of those important events that may arise this year. Anyway it was great to be here at home with my family last night as we watched the ball come down and Dick Clark on the television. It was amazing to see a guy who was struck with a stroke still sitting in his chair on the most significant evening to complete those things he wanted to be included in. It was one of those things that lets me believe that regardless of the injury you are in total control of your position in life. I hope that everyone had a great day watching the parade or football. As we all get back to the routine known as regular life I wish each of you a great year filled with joy, success, and your family.

Happy New Year!