It's All About Me.

There was another item of importance I wanted to add to the post about my birthday. However, I decided this needed to be a posting on it's own. With all the birthday wishes, cards, food, money, and gifts, Did I say food, specifically cake, fudge and the candy Zach got me, along with the beef sticks Michael got me. I would have to say I was most impressed and humbled by an article written by a friend, Ann Marie Walker. She had written about my wife and myself as a tribute to my birthday. Let me tell you a little about Ann Marie. I do mean a little cause this is my blog and it is still my birthday month, so the spotlight stays on me lol. Sally asked me to put the lol part in so people will think I am kidding around lol. Well I'm not, like I said its my birthday month and I am still celebrating it lol(?). Sorry Ann, I am trying to be honest here.  Ann is a mother of 4,well  5 if you include her husband. She takes care of her elderly mother, a free lance writer for an on line publication called Examiner. She is the author of the Chicago Psychic Examiner as well as the NWI Frugal Family Examiner. She also decided to venture into college with my wife and drives my wife crazy because she pushes her way through school at a much faster rate then what Sally is doing. She makes Sally look like a slacker.  Sorry honey but it's true.

http://www.examiner.com/psychic-in-chicago/happy-birthday-bill-the-most-spiritual-man-and-family-i-know#comments is the article in which I feel resembles us very little but I am flattered for her thinking of us that way. We are just ordinary people facing an obstacle in life. I don't think we are different than most people because everyone has an obstacle or obstacles they are facing in their every day life. Whether if it's an addiction, a job you don't like, a problem child, a troubled marriage, loneliness, an illness,  financial trouble or like to watch people and make fun of them. That really isn't an issue except I really do like to to do that. That is more of an issue for the other person than for me. Unless you are not human everyone is going through something. I have a head that is bigger than most, but I deal with it.

Like I mentioned before, the main purpose of the blog was to update family and friends on my condition, then it turned into writings for my children to have in case something were to happen to and some how for the most part the blog has turn into amusing tales about my family's misadventures and attempts through life. I never had the intent to be the poster child for stage four colon cancer. Which is good because I am the furthest thing from it. As for many of you who follow my blog, I use a lot of humor. It's not an attempt to trivialize the seriousness of my condition or my feelings minus my bouts of rage. Instead, I approach the blog the way I approach life. Basically, what your read is what I really am like. I approach life in humor. I try to find the good and humor in everything. I learned and realize even in darkness there is always good or good that results from our darkest moments. I could never imagine going through life without laughter and having a wife who doesn't find humor the same way as I do. The day we got married I knew than she has a sense of humor.  I think that is one of the main reasons Sally and I get along well is because of our ability to laugh our way through life and at each other as well as the kids. 


I live life to the fullest based on my ability.  Of course if I had money, I would be doing many things that I am not able to do now.  However,  I would still live life the same.  Spending it with my family and enjoying the time I have with them.  There is saying "live life as if it's your last". I do not agree with that.  If you live today as if it were your last then what do you have to look forward to for tomorrow.  Eventually,  you would be exhausted trying to live every day as if it's your last. Rest is very important to my healing process, so that wouldn't be good. My advice is to do something you love each day.  It doesn't have to be something earth shattering.  For I find that often the simplest things in life are the most satisfying and most meaningful to me.  Whether it's sitting on the couch watching a tv show with Sally or cuddling up with the kids reading them a book, those are the times that mean the most to me and hopefully it's the things my family will remember.  I try as much as possible to create memories.  The memories aren't for me but  for my family.  They are something for them to hold on to in case I am no longer around.


One more quick note to Ann. I am proud to consider you a friend and have to say that this article was in my humble opinion your best effort to date. So good luck trying to top it.  What is better subject matter than me?


Here are the links to Ann's writings.  I encourage you to take the time to check them out.


http://www.examiner.com/frugal-family-in-chicago/ann-marie-walker

http://www.examiner.com/psychic-in-chicago/ann-marie-walker

http://livingafrugalfamilylife.blogspot.com/

Prayer requests and update on Bill

This is Sally. Bill is in bed sleeping since he is working the midnight shift tonight. I would first like to ask for some prayers. Since we have been so blessed with prayers I would like to see others blessed as well. The first person is Gerry. Gerry was just diagnosed with colon cancer. The tumor was so large the colonoscopy couldn't not be completed just like Bill's. Not sure when the surgery will be but prayers are much needed.

The second person is for Lynn's dad. Lynn is a friend of Deb who is one of Bill's devoted blog follower and our good friend. He was recently diagnosed with cancer in his lymph node and lung. He will be having surgery in the near future.

The third prayer request is for a friend. Just like when it seems it can't get any worse for her it does. She is in a lot of pain and has no medical coverage. Plus she is in financial hardship.

As for Bill, well I am happy and he is not. The CT scan and PET scan came out clean. He is still in remission. Thank God. However, there has been some misunderstanding and Bill was caught off guard today. I think one of the hardest jobs in the world is to be an oncologist, even just to work in that department would be difficult. His doctor is very upbeat which I know it's very important in the recovery process. However, his doctor paints a rosier picture and doesn't tell the entire story. I understand the reasoning for it. If he were to tell Bill from day one that he would have at least 3 years of therapy I think Bill would would have given up. It would sound hopeless. Telling Bill he had 12 rounds and then later options will be discussed sounds a lot better.

Bill had the 18 rounds and today the "options" were discussed but not to Bill's liking. Which I don't blame him. At least he has choices (sort of). The first choice is to do nothing. Usually that is what a lot of older people do but for Bill, it's not recommended. The second option is just to have the Avastin therapy. This also is not an aggressive treatment plan and is not recommended for Bill. The other choice he has is to do Avastin and 5-FU which is recommended to help prevent the cancer from coming back. The 5-FU is given to him during the treatment plus he has it in a pump in which he wears for 46 hours. Bill hates wearing the pump and was so looking forward to no more pump. The though about having to wear the pump was not good news to him. The other thing is that 5-FU can be infused to him on a weekly basis. This way there will be no pump. On the other hand though, the effectiveness of this way is not known. The doctors' believe the pump is more effective but there is no data to support it either way. We were also lead to believe treatment would be for another 3 months but was told today it is recommended for another year. After the year and if he is still in remission then he will just have to have the Avastin therapy.

So even though the results were good it was still a gloomy day for Bill. Plus, he had only 3 hours of sleep. It was a lot of information to digest all at once. I want the best possible out come for him but the choice is his. I do not have to walk around with a pump connected to me so I don't know what he is going through. I do know it is cumbersome for him and that it gets in his way when he is at work. The doctor and I both suggested to him to think about it. So he didn't have chemo today but rescheduled it for Monday. On the way home we stopped at one of his favorite places and he had a plate of spaghetti. We talked about his options. As of now I think he is deciding on the weekly infusion treatments and not the pump. When his department at work goes back to the 12 hour shifts he will go back to the pump because then he can plan the treatments so he won't have to wear the pump at work.

Almost a year ago he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. It didn't seem possible to get where we are at now. But by the grace of God, prayers and support of family, friends, and strangers he had came a long way. Maybe, it's not what Bill has hoped for but he will be fine after a good night sleep. He is a very lucky man.