THE DRUGS WILL KILL YOU

That was the opening statement during my first meeting with the oncologist.

Okay?!

So, chemo-therapy begins this coming 28th. Mu;tiple pills everyday and IV treatment every 2 weeks.. Many side-effects, including an advertion to cold. Cold temps. Cold drink. Cold food.

There will be 12 treatments over 24 weeks.. Nausea loss of appitite, etc. are also part of what I can expect.

Internet searches say I have an 83% chance of recovery. The doctor says maybe 60%, if lucky, but probably closer to 50%.

Boy, thats encouraging.

Looks like I have a lot to look forward to over the next 6 months. Yippee!?

On a sidebar, the incision is healing nicely but I have contracted a yeast infection in that area. Hopefully the powder I've been given will do the job. I didn't know guys could get a yeast infection, LOL.

Social Security still continues to deny my disability claim. That fight continues.

So, the odds are that I will get to see this Christmas but I shouldn't really make any long term plans beyond that.

SIGH.

Please bear with me as I relate whats happening. I know it will be boring to some and upsetting to others but I am going to try and keep it real.

I am still working on my review of television and should have that posted tomorrow or Monday.

Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

TOO FUNNY TO IGNORE

Later today I will write an update about what is going on with my health issues. Some good news, some not so. Oh, well. Life marches on.

I am also working on a critique of the current state of television, and some shows in particular. Hope you can come back by and leave a comment as to whether you agree with me, or not.

Love to all and a big MAHALO for your generous donations.


"Let's all be careful out there!"

HI, EVERYBODY!!

I have been home from the hospital for a week now. In some respects it seems longer and with the Vicodin, a good portion of the past 168 hours is lost in a purple haze.

To summarize what occurred:
I started feeling bad about the middle of February, pain in the lower abdomin, etc. Thought I had somehow incurred a hernia. Being the stuberon bloke that I am, I thought I would just endure the discomfort. Bad move. The pain kept increasing until I could barely walk in my house, let alone anywhere else. Finally, on Friday, March 6th, the pain becazme unbearable and I called 9-1-1 to get to the hospital. At this point, the details begin to fade. What I thought was a hernia was actually an appendicitus attack. The appendix had perforated the abdominal wall and developed a cyst around it. When they opened my up, it was discovered that I had colon cancer also, I wasn't aware of this until a week later, and a large potion of my large and part of the small intestine were removed.

After surgery, I was taken to surgical ICU at the hospital. Of this I remember very, very little. Just some very vague incidents. After the weekend, I was transferred upstairs to a regular hospital room. Naturally I was attached to pumps to suck poisons from my surgical wound plus multiple IV connections. I had almost as much external plumbing as I do internal (LOL!!).

Recovery has been slow but is in progress with normally associated complication of a post surgical nature. The abdomin was opened by a cut from just below the diaphram on my right side and that extended down to my groin. I would guss about 7-8 inches long (14-16cm).

I am working on getting an appointment for chemo-therapy but the surgeon thinks she exorcised all the malignant crap and could not find any evidence that it had spread any firther or to any other organs.

This unexpected detour really screwed up the money making plans that I was developing. I have only half of this months rent.. Ain't life a bitch? The doctor told me today that the wound is not healing as nicely as she had hoped for and there will be one huge ugly scar left behind. I'll take her word, since I can barely see the damn thing. But it is definitely deep. At the bottom end, it is almost two knuckles deep.

I'll write more in a couple of days. The Vicodin really screws up my mental ability.

I'm putting the donate button back up and if anyone can assist, I'll be truly grateful and thanks to everyone who assisted earlier.. I am literally existing on a hand to mouth basis. Still waiting for disability to be approved, and waiting and waiting, etc.

Anyway, I have missed all of you.

And a big special thanks to my love, Alissa, for keeping everyone aware of what was going on this past month. I love you, my Angel.

"Let's all be careful out there!"