Eatin' good in the Neighborhood

The girls really racked up this Halloween, it was there first time really trick or treating; so I walked the on a short tour of the neighborhood on our first trip out (Rhonda stayed and handed out candy). The first trip was not enough to wear them out (I guess at this point they I was on a sugar high) so we went out on our second trip the extended tour of the neighborhood this trip yielded more candy but it also broke their will to search for new prey (aka candy, candy, candy). They were so tired I had to carry Ravyn's candy bucket up to each door, then she would take it to put in candy then hand it back to me so we could move on to the next house. I ended up carry Ravyn home and toting both candy buckets too. It was a good walk though I think most of the IV contrast is out of my system now, walked alot and drunk too much water.

IV CT Today

Got my CT scan today, I had a nice nurse a fellow cancer survivor who was empathetic to my aversion to not being stuck multiple times while having an IV placed in.

I will be drinking a lot of water today about 1 and a half gallons to get all the IV contrast out of my system. I will also be taking NAC pills for the next couple of days to help clear all the radioactive junk out. By the way I hate IV contrast because it tastes bad and burns your insides like fire when it is going in.

The lung cancer walk tomorrow morning, I am looking forward to it; I think we will make it a family event.

Trick or Treat tonight.

Slow Thrusday

Slow Thursday, not a lot going on it is my 3^rd day at home this week:

• Monday out sick with the girls
• Tuesday work
• Wed. out getting the carpet taken out and new floors
• Thursday still working on the floors

I have my CT in the morn. lets hope I don't see any freaky stuff if I happen to use shortcut #32 and cut through the Emergency Room

No Infection

So far I am staying out of the spa, the meds are working on the girls, I hope that any sickness will holdoff until I can do the lung cancer walk on Saturday. I also have to stay out of the spa because whenever I go in my wife goes shopping.

Sinus Infection

The girls are a little sick so, I kept them out of school and daycare today. I took them to the doctor today and they have sinus infections an immunosuppressed persons Kryptonite (or one of our Kryptonites WE HAVE MANY). I remember two years ago ending up in the emergency room because I got a sinus infection from the girls. I hope I don’t catch their latest bug, I hope the antibiotics work quickly… in the mean time I will increase my fluid in take to a gallon of fluids per day, daily and nightly nasal washes with sterile saline, wearing my mask at home, and Lysol spraying my desk at work…..

I ain’t going to the spa.

Busy Saturday, No Time for sickness

Fall Festival at the daycare.

What a busy day.

We got up early today to vote we got to the sub-courthouse at about 0742 CST. The wait was not too long I think we waited about 2 minutes. The girls voted with me I used the both with a chair so the girls could take turns selecting the candidates we liked (using the electronic voting machine).

The last soccer game Raegan played well, next year she will be dominating I will be stronger and able to run more and practice with her and little sister.

Boo At The Zoo, Let’s walk......

Another TGIF

I need to be in two places right now I really need to be hanging out on the block at WSSU’s homcomin’ with my old teammate telling lies, eating, and clowning folks until they start crying. I also need to be at Stanford University Medical Center right now for the 40th annual transplant reunion (to so the neighsayers that were against cancer transplant that performing the transplant was the right call).

Today is the last soccer practice and I am not sorry to see the season end, it has been a long season; Raegan is getting better now we have to get ready for basketball and spring soccer and possibly track and field in the early Summer.

I bought the tickets for boo at the zoo, I should be stronger and have more stamina this year, I plan to walk R³ into the ground (my feet don't hurt so bad anymore)

Gave Blood

Well they took my blood today, I let them use my left hand pretty soon I might start letting the phlebotomist (they need a nickname lets call them blood sucking leeches No that is what I call bean counters tax folks lets call the Medical Vampires (Vamps for short) ; I had orders from the transplant docs. and the endocrinologist. I also am rescheduling my CT that is scheduled for 10/31 to Harris SW rather than UT Southwestern (flash back to 10/31/06 my emergency CT scans) I am worried about switching facilities for my CT because each machine scans differently.

I am not technically challenged so I am making arrangements to go pick up another degree, back to SMU I will either pick up a Master in Software Engineering or a Masters in Security Engineering (I really want to do the Security Engineering it will take me back to my roots when I took off my football helmet and hung out with the rest of the CS majors in Data Structures class hacking away in the good ol' days of ftp Internet surfing..... I technically remanence).

More lab work again

Going to back to the lab on Thursday morn., as my prograf levels were high on last Friday. I also realized after the fact that I had forgotten to take my night time dosage of Prograf (the pill is so small it was just camouflaged at the bottom of my pill box for my Thursday pills).

I hope tomorrows labs go smoothly with the blood draw, orders arriving, and the results looking good.

Zoo

We did the zoo today, walking again this time it is to work out the soreness from the state fair. I am a little battered and bruised from some of the rides the main two that wore me out and worked me over were the Mouse trap (only because I had seen the bits and pieces of ''Final Destination 3" where the kids cheat death on a roller coaster); the other ride was a giant slide about 4 stories high (you had to walk up the stairs / ramp / stairs / ramp .....until you reached the top) when I got to the top I was tired as hell and needed a rest, wipe my brow let me catch my breath then I will slide.

Ravyn and I at the zoo Mom, Niece at the zoo w/ the Flamingos

State Fair & Soccer Pictures

Raegan and Grandma, (side note happy after a loss, there are no smiles in a loss, get angry)
What is wrong with Me, I seem to be happy after the loss too, it must be the medication.

The doctors tell me to watch what I eat as transplant patients have dietary restrictions, I am following their advice I am watching what I eat, COME HERE COTTON CANDY GET IN MY BELLY, YOU TOO PUSH POP
Look out fair R³ (Rhonda, Raegan, Ravyn), Mom, and Niece oh yea an guess who is working the camera
A truck like Daddies, except it is Pink
Let's eat the Girls went through 4 Corny Dogs this year.
Last year Ravyn was too little to ride this ride.
Of course we had to go look at the trains, the girls love trains

Tired

I think I bit of more than I can chew, lick, and digest... but it Taste good going down though. We took the state fair by storm and I made it through all 6+ hours that we were there this year. I pushed R² (Raegan and Ravyn) as they kept hopin' on and off the stroller (the same stroller that almost killed me this summer when I used it to give the girls a bike ride to school). I was alot stronger and successfully conquered the Cotton Bowl this year, "You can't break me I am still standing, I am still strong..." we did almost all of the rides ate too much the only thing we didn't do was play any of the games It was a good time. Everyone enjoyed the fair, we all left singing my feet hurt...



Oh yea I had blood work today, so I need to keep my levels in the acceptable range or else the doctors will want to see me, (take a picture).

Let the fun begin

Mom and niece made it into DFW with no problems so let the good times begin; Oh yea I am keeping my sickness or pending sickness at bay. I was hoping to add another event to the weeks itinerary but I am happily skipping the UT Southwestern transplant reunion of Friday 10/17/08. The medical team at UT Southwestern monitor and oversee my treatment right now but my loyalty will always be to Stanford and Dr. Weill as he and his team went out on a limb in transplanting a cancer patient.

Lazy Sunday

Soccer Yesterday, Raegan played well we just have to work on her hustling a little more.

Finally getting around to replacing (most) of the carpet in the house so I can cut down on some of the dust, dirt, allergens, mold that carpets hold which will damage my lungs.

I think I might be coming down with a little something, I don’t have a fever but everyone around me (work, home….) has some sort of cough and or sniffle, combined with my flu shot I might be catching a little something.

I hope I am not leaning toward a spa trip because I have a busy week ahead as my mom and niece will be in town and we have a lot planed for them (King Tut exhibit, circus, State Fair, TCU soccer, zoo, breakfast / lunch with Raegan at school, and Ravyn’s dance class; I have no time to be sick.

Flu Shot

Got my flu shot today @ work it was an inactive influenza virus shot, let's hope it work, lets hope I stay away from the spa.

Post Debate (economy, health care......????)

got some substance and a near confrontation, was glad to hear about medical plans whether I was for the plans or not

I don't know if having private health care credit 5000 will help I spend 5000 a year on medical parking alone and can't get health care outside of a company I work for, Hello cancer patient transplant recipient need i go on....

Political Smack down

Debate night, LET'S GET READY TO politically RUMBLE.

I get excited about the debates as I am focusing on the current state of the economy (local, national, and worldwide GLOBAL) and health care very intensely. I hope we hear some real answers and are feed some meat, and don't have to dance with the stars tonight.

Dogs at the track

Dogs mans best friend, but a true enemy to transplant, cancer patients because of all the germs they are so willing to share. Don't get me wrong growing up we always had a dog until our last dog (Bruno) went on to roam greener pastures, I do miss Bruno he wasn't the brightest dog on the block but he was very big and loyal to the end. I digress.

The family and I went out to get in some cardio at the local Jr. high track, the girls riding their bikes, me walking/jogging/jumpin' rope, mom COORDINATING our activities / YELLING / shouting encouragement. A long story short after about half an hour or so of riding the girls wanted to join me on the track (in a gated area so I let them in); at the same time a lady pulled up with her three very large, and friendly labs to play and exercise inside of the fenced track. The girls started screaming when the dogs came near so I quickly got them out of the gate and cut my workout short. The lady wanted the girls to meet the dogs and was looking to me to set an example but I AIN'T GOIN' BACK TO THE SPA so I DIDN'T pet DA POOCHES , I hope I did not offend her as I did not explain my medical history or my pet no pooch rational, I don't feel I need to explain everything to everyone, The girls did pet the dogs so that was ok. I have heard Raegan explain to one of her soccer teammates that my daddy is allergic to dogs so tell your daddy to keep your dog away from my daddy.

Dumb it down, lowered expectations

I try not use this as a political forum but the next president will have a direct effect on the medical coverage and care I will receive in the future. I also think these debates are a joke if I wanted to look into someones eyes I would stare at my wife for hours until she blinked, if I wanted to hear geechee phrases I would go home to the Carolina's. I only hope we can get some substantive answers in one of these debates or town hall forums.

Show cancer some love, everything is not pink only

Random thoughts from an over prescribed mind..... take these ramblings with a grain of salt and a spoon of Castor Oil or Cod liver oil if you like.

Breast Cancer has an almost endless supply of funds and seems to flood the market with easily identifiable objects that flood the market and make people think pink, and fight for a cure for breast cancer. I can't even watch football without having to fight for a cure. Can we as a society put some effort toward the other cancers that take more lives than breast cancer ever will, stop letting the people that suffer from cancers other than breast cancer suffer in silence because of lack of fund for new researchers to cure them and stop forcing them to hide ashamed of the stigmas their cancer may carry with it (true or not).



Running Shoes: I got some new running shoes the other day and some new walking shoes, they are big size 13 wide, and size 14 respectfully..... you know what they say about guys with big feet.... uh they have big shoes of course, what else. Anyway these new shoes do make my feet feel good, as my feet are still numb and swollen (neuropathy).

Nervous (my 70's hit)

Is everyone around me sick or what?????? work, home, school (elementary school), daycare, grocery store, it is time to start wearing the mask everywhere and giving the folks that want to hug, shake hands, the rock star dis and walk on by as I sing (um hum... um recite in my grade la cabesa) the song staying alive by the Bee Gees using my artistic license to insert words where I see fit like staying out of the spa ....


The streak continues I have only been hospitalized once this year (April with phenomena) I still think that spa visit is haunting me because I got a bronch and the nostril that all the tubes went down still itches like crazy..... or maybe it is the deviated septum that I was diagnosed with as the reason for my coughing before being diagnosed with cancer.... go figure Staying Alive Video

Lyrics as I see them club banger:
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,I'm a hospital man, no time to talk.
Music loud and hospital robe warm.
I've been kicked around since I was born.
And now it's all right, it's O.K. And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand The Saturday Night Lives effect on man.
Whether you're a transplant brother Or whether you're a transplant mother,
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the bed pan breakin' And the nurses shakin'And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha,Stayin' alive.Stayin' alive.Ah, ha, ha, ha,Stayin' alive.
Well now, I get Shots and I get IV's if I can't get either I really try.
Got the hospital house arrest anklet on my shoes I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose.
You know it's all right, it's O.K.I'll live to see another day.
We can try to understand The New York Times' effect on the man(the doctors) .
Whether you're a transplant brother Or whether you're a transplant mother,
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive and stayin' out of the hospital (spa) ...............