New Year, New Perspective

Howdy all,
Ok, I have some repenting to do coming into the new year.  I am sorry.  I am sorry, I have really sucked at posting on this blog, or any other blog, I even suck at posting on facebook.  I have a new (I don't want to say goal here) ideal about posting blogs.  The way I look at it, You all have stuck by me through all the bad times and the really bad times, and I have appreciated it more that I can express.  I have not given you all the opportunity you deserve to share in the good times as well.  I can justify it away by saying this was a venting, therapeutic way for me to distress, and allow myself to feel better about not posting, but that is a little cheap, and you deserve better than that.  So for the next little while I will be posting a catch up of the last few months mingled with some current goings on.  Some funny, some serious.  So...... Here goes.....

At our last scan ..... wait I have to read what I already posted.......wow that was pretty vague, sorry.

At our last scan we crossed a threshold of goodness.  We have reached the point that a lot of the 'tenyearers' get to (keep in mind, I wasn't supposed to make it this long.)  With this we are really excited, for those of you who don't know it, I have a daily goal of "ten years from today."  That's all I ask.  But for once in what seems like a long time, this is totally doable.  I still have one active tumor in my right lung, but its small and is just hanging out not doing a whole lot.  Prior to this latest scan the magic treatment size was 9 mm.  With the stability and the size 7mmX9mm so 8mm we are now looking at a different treatment trigger.    (Insert drum roll here)  We now need to see a 20% growth in the tumor between scans to trigger treatment, or ( and here is the catch) any new tumors showing up.  Those two thing will trigger treatment, or the new tumors by themselves will be a trigger.  So for the time being, press forward. 

My shoulder is healing up nicely, I still have some soreness, but keep in mind I had my bicep cut off and reattached.  I am surprised my arm is still cooperating. 

Christmas has come and past, as well as new years.  I made a change this year, I normally don't do resolutions, but I thought this year is a good year to start one I can keep. 

I thought long and hard on this and wanted a broad, but specific resolution.  I also wanted one I could write and put up in different places that wouldn't draw too much attention.  So here it is, "To take control of the things I can control."  This simple phrase allows me to focus on simple decisions everyday and give myself the freedom of not setting goals that I will likely fail to complete. 

Thank you for your patience and I will try to update a lot more often that I have been. 
Merry Christmas and have a lovely day.
Andy.

Good news once again

I can't help but feel truly blessed.  We received exceptional news on Tuesday.  We got the scan results, and they are good, once again.  No new tumors and no growth in the tumor I currently have.  I will post more later.  But the important news couldn't wait.
Merry Christmas and have a lovely day.
Andy

Welcome the the rest of your life

One thing that was said to me in my youth, I don't remember by who, but kinda stuck was "Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life." 
At the time I thought well that was dumb.  Of course its the first day of the rest of my life, just like yesterday was the same thing and tomorrow will be the same thing too.

What I didn't realize is that knowing this and understanding what it meant was empowering.  Every day you wake up and get going, is another day you have to make a difference, change your destiny, or just lay back in bed and do nothing.  By the way all of which are acceptable depending on the day and the reasons for doing each.

Today feels like one of those days.  The last week has been extra stressful coming up to the scans.  So far I have been able to dodge the cancer bullet, for having treatment.  Getting our news today was both concerning and refreshing. 

************* No new tumors and minimal growth in the active tumor I have!**************

So there is the news.  If that is what you wanted to know, you may quit reading now.  If you want the rest of the story, by all means, carry on. :)

The cancer has increased in size a little over the last four months.  It is now 9mmX8mm.  Not quite 1cm, that is the magic number where we start looking at treatments.  So another four months of no treatments.  WOO HOO!!!!!!!

There are some concerns about my thyroid which has given me problems in the past, but nothing a little hormone therapy wont help.  So more tests and wait to hear on that.

Obviously you can guess the refreshing part was little growth and no new tumors. 
The concerning part has to do with my heart.

I met with my cardiologist today as well.

My numbers didn't look as good as he wants, but due to my recent surgeries he will let it slide with a slight reprimand.  There are some concerns with my weight, which is over, and my numbers which are high.  So I need to make some changes and work harder at getting less plump.  (I know skinny will never be a word that describes me.)

So good news on the cancer front, and nothing bad, just concerning on the heart front.

Happy July!!!!!

Ok, I realize my posts are becoming less and less frequent.  But this is a good thing right?  We had a stellar, non-police involved Fourth of July celebration.  I love fireworks.  Funny story this year.  As some of you may know, Utah has legalized class C fireworks, like aerials.  Ok exactly aerials.  I love them!!!  Here is the funny story I mentioned.  I go and buy fireworks.  Not a whole lot but enough to have fun.  I lit them in the field behind my house that was recently watered.  Sending showers of freedom and independence into the air.  My family and friends on the other side of the hedge, squealing with delight (or so I thought).  What was really happening was they were screaming because the cardboard shrapnel from the awesome fireworks was raining down on them.  So I logically assumed that they were having the same amount of enjoyment as myself.  Therefore I kept on lighting the fireworks.  With each exploding aerial display, a holler of glee was coming from the backyard.  After the grand finally I glimpsed to the back yard and nary a soul was in it.  They had all retreated to the front yard for safety and good viewing purposes.  No one was injured or hurt and fun was had by all.  Next year will be bigger and badder, and farther from the house.

Ok, I had scans the other day and I realized something... I do have a reaction to the MRI contrast.  It makes me really tired.  Laying on the scan table for a few hours makes my hip not work properly too.  Hopefully there will be good news on Tuesday after I meet with my doctor. 

So until Tuesday, I bid you adieu and Merry Christmas and have a lovely day.
Andy

June, what a month its turning out to be.

June, the month named after the Roman/Greek God Juno/Hera.  It is also the month I married my beautiful wife Peggy.  (for those of you keeping track,  it is also the month after melanoma awareness month.  He he he.)

We have been married for 19 years.  Time flies when you are having fun.   In the nineteen years we have been married, we have managed to work at ensuring our posterity in trifecta.  With any luck they can find a way to avoid the ailments that have become the bane of my existence. 

I don't have an update for my cancer this month, but my shoulder is doing really well.  I have been told it will take a year to get my bicep attachment as strong as it will ever be, six months to get to 80%.  A lot of it depends on how I do my therapy. 

I have been doing my therapy everyday, and started walking.  Peggy is training to run a marathon, whether it happens, that's up to her, but she has been running every night for the past week.  I started walking with her, only slower and not as far.  She starts out with me until I get tired and have to slow my pace, then zooms off like a shot and when she turns around so do I, when she catches back up I walk faster for a little while then we cool down together.  So far its working well.  I haven't keeled over yet.

My scans will be around mid July.  My results will be a few days after on the 16th.  So for a cancer update, check back on the 16th of July.

May your June be filled with fun in the sun, with sunscreen of course and summer activities.

Merry Christmas and have a lovely day.
Andy

Happy belated melanoma awaremess month

As you all know, May is melanoma awareness month.  It is the beginning of spring/summer type activities.  I have been wearing my stupid looking cowboy hat out when working in the yard, yes I said working in the yard.  Now keep in mind that my version of working in the yard is mainly yelling at the kids to do something while Peggy gets all the work done and the kids and I just cause each other grief. 

But my shoulder is healing.  Slowly but surely.  I am up to 5 ish pounds I can do curls with.  If I am a good boy, I should be released around mid September.  Every once in a while I do forget and do something silly like reach for a closing door, or punch Caity in the arm.  Bad news for me on both of those. 

We are taking it easy on the cancer front, the out of sight, out of mind, attitude.  My next scans are in July.  So until then we just don't worry about it and keep planning for our future. 

It rained here today, as it has for the past few days, what a welcomed event!  The back field is sprouting forth some alfalfa.  The girls just cant wait to haul hay again.  Too bad for me I will likely be in shape to haul it next year. 

I am also doing a weight loss blog, not for the faint of heart, or weak of stomach, there are pictures of a really fat guy shirtless on that blog.  http://taleoftheshrinkingman.blogspot.com/ 

If anyone has a set of dumbbells they would like to loan me for a while (someone close)  I would appreciate it.  They need to start at 10 lbs and go up in 5 lbs or less increments.

Anyway, life is good, we are blessed, and sorry for the long spaces between posts, but that's a good thing right?

Have a Merry Christmas and a lovely day,
Andy.

Name that bird

So today, Sunday, we were sitting around minding our own business and whoosh, a flutter of grey and a flash of tail feathers and a bird is lodged in our back fence.  Upon first glance, I thought it an Eurasian collard dove.  A shoot on site kinda bird, and tasty too.  But like all good hunters do, I double checked because I wanted to be 100% of my quarry.  The first thing I noticed, looking through optics, was a curved beak, and big eyes, not very dove like.  So we watched and waited, oh and put up the gun.(no dove on the menu tonight.) Peggy broke out the camera and shot some film of the cute little bugger.  It was eating something it had caught, which we later found out was a small bird.  We tried to get a closer shot, but in the process of walking around (Peggy claims) my jogging pants made a swoosh swoosh noise that startled the bird away.  We think it was a sharp-shinned hawk, but let us know what you think. 

Bird Video

 

If you can't tell, it is Andy who is addressing you this day.  I am doing better, the pain comes and goes based on how much I do during the day.  Who would have thought that walking can make your shoulder hurt?.  I've been told I can start walking, so guess who is going walking more (Peggy is making me)?  Yep, it's me.  I don't really know what else to tell you.  I will let Peggy know I uploaded the video and hopefully someone out there can tell us what kind of bird it is.

Have a Merry Christmas and a lovely day.
Andy.