Who the Hell re-engineered the Microwave

Blew up my oatmeal (eating healthy counting calories) in the industrial strength microwave at work, how many engineers does it take to heat up oatmeal ??? they don't eat oatmeal just tada chips M&M's and MoutainDew

Getting ready for my lab work Saturday in anticipation of the oncology visit on Monday (I will give them my right hand this weekend and my left hand on Monday for the blood draw I will give for my transplant doc visit)

Finally set up an apt. w/ an endocrinologist here the last time I saw one I was at Stanford. Will probe the problem about the effects this prednisone is having on the body (high sugars, and gynecomastia)

Will try the mask (CPAP) out tonight I don’t like it at all and I see where it can cause its users to become dependent on it.

Tour of texas

I ain’t gona ask no stinking directions, I studied the map and memorized three routes to get to our destination (shortest route, quickest route, and the least traveled route) like I always do and have always done. Our destination moved, seems like NRH2O has moved and they forgot to tell me and everyone else in N. Texas about the move, I was right they were wrong. Oh well we didn’t get to play in the water yesterday, but it is probably for the best as there is some virus in the public water parks in the DFW area right now. Since the water park moved we toured North Texas yesterday or until I could not take the nagging and seat kicking anymore (ice cream solves all problems…).

I am out of the dog house since it is not my fault that NRH2O moved, we will take another tour of Texas and hopefully find the park in August when Dora the Explorer is there.

It is Hanna Montana night tonight in 3D, I can’t seem to get these Hanna Montana songs out of my head, and I really shouldn’t know who the Johnas Brothers are …

Still feeling a little scratchy in the throat I will have to see what the results of the nasal wash are that I had done yesterday.

Still can't do the mask

I still can't wear the sleep mask, I might try again in a few days, right now I have to figure out if I am coming down with something as my throat fills scratchy (I will have to go to my stash of antibiotics). Lately I have been coughing up a little bit more crude than usual I have to go to the lab and produce a nasal wash specimen so we can find out what is going on with the throat and stuff I am coughing up.

You know I am just going to have to wear my mask MORE even though kids say the darnedest things and ADULTS say the DUMBEST things.

The more push-up I do the bigger my chest gets, which under normal circumstances would be a good thing but with all the scar tissue and the masses on both chest it speaks to body image conscious problems. I have figured out a way to surpass my goals of 15 miles per week and 500 push-ups I just walk a mile and a half 3 times per week at lunch and do 100 push-ups each day I walk at lunch and my goal will be easily reached along with the night time work outs.

Pink Eye Again

What the Heck. Pink Eye has struck again at the day care and I am scared as heck to drop the girls off or even pick them up for that matter. Where is my Has mat suit. I have started carrying some wipes and a container of waterless foaming soap into the daycare with me everyone has to wash their hands before getting in the truck to go home, I am also schooling the girls on the 2 and a half minute rule. Daddy has 2 and a half minutes that he is willing to stay in the daycare so get your stuff and lets go home to stay out of the Spa (hospital) I have to drop off and pick the girls up from daycare using the drive by technique.

This is a bad summer for all daycare facilities as we had a very Pink Eye, Strep throat and other things, I hope we get some cold weather this year.

Pins and needles in the morning

Well I have more blood work in the morn, I think I will let them take it out of my left hand tommorrow. It seems that one of the levels created by one of the immunosupresant drugs is low, so I have had to increase my dosage of that pill to incresae my suppression levels.

On a brighter note, I am getting my workouts in 2.5 miles tonight (mostly walking with a little jogging VERY LITTLE JOGGING, I think I will set a goal to get in 15 miles a week on the track and about 500 angled push-ups per week when I am working out outside.

Bo is on they mend best news of the day

Back Again in Fort Worth

Back in Fort Worth, after doing downtown San Antiono and a brief stop in Austin to visit relatives and see my old stomping grounds (house, junior high, and high school).sleep. I am happy that I was able to keep up with the family for this trip and most importantly I stayed out of the hospital. I will start wearing the the CPAP machine tonight (below is a picture I took with my cell phone while going through my sleep study, this thing is unfomortable at best).

Help
Help again

I made it

I am not too tired from the travel, looks like I am on the road back, best of all I stayed out of the Spa (hospital).

Travel Day

Back in Fort Worth, after doing downtown San Antiono and a brief stop in Austin to visit relatives and see my old stomping grounds (house, junior high, and high school).

Children's museum pictures

Pictures from SeaWorld

A few pictures that I would normally have e-mail to my dad then other family members, since he is no longer with us I will just post some of them here. The vacation pictures are a first for us as this is the first family vacation we took, keep in mind that Ravyn has only know a sick cancer stricken dad since she was 3weeks old, and before my diagnosis I was in school. Oh well here are the pics.........

The girls and me winding down after a long day at the park with lots of sun, fun, and WALKING
Dinner with Shamu, give me cake mama
Let there be cake, Mmmm this sugar high can't be beat
Wazzzup! How u doing!

With gas prices going up, up and away this was the best way to get around
A new family member
Brush your teeth and rinse
Waiting on the fireworks, before we get rained on
Eating fish, watching fish (killer whales)

Long Day at The Park

Today was a long day but I made it through today like I made it through yesterday. Sea World you can not beat me.

Today we ate Shamu, we ate whale (well) I have really been craving some nice grilled seafood, with summer comes lots of salads for me so I grill fish and put in/on my salad when it is to hot; speaking of salad I had a nice salad today at sea world, and yes fish did come with the salad, what do you expect it is sea world, .... don't dial the last digit to your animal rights group, I shouldn't say fish we had Shamu..... not to eat but to eat with us as part of the dine with Shamu package we participated in.

My feet are tired but I made it through the day and went on every ride that a heart / respiratory patient should stay away from.

The Stars at night Shine BIG & Bright

You know the song, you heard it on PeeWee's Big Adventure... Narf...

I am almost back, one small trip for mankind, a semi-long drive for a transplant / cancer survivor. I drove the nearly 300 miles from Fort Worth to San Antonio by myself, welcome back stamina, I have missed you. The girls handled the ride well, and Rhonda did too, only giving me directions once or twice or maybe three times.... directions I don't need no stinking directions I have enough gas to drive for hours eventually we will find the hotel.

Took the girls swimming and there was enough chlorine in the pool to bleach your clothes and burn your eyes; the girls are now blond (just kidding).

Sea world or bust tomorrow gotta rest up so I can walk the park, enjoy the rides, eat, and carry the girls or push the wagon/stroller after the heat and excitement beat them down.

Bo got a new Apartment at the Spa

Bo is still in the hospital but out of the ICU. Progress is great

On the fourth I will challenge myself as we are going on a family vacation to SeaWorld, I hope I can handle the crowds, heat, and I might jump in the water with the fish.

Funny video about the hate naturally bald people have for cancer patients.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d346d33656

Tag Team

My wife is home, normalcy will soon follow, we will wear clean clothes no more hole is our socks, our hair will be done, I will shave, oh yea and we will have cooked food (no more raw meat survival of the fittest) this was a ha ha joke please don't report any of the above fiction to Texas CPS as they have meet their mistake quote for the year.

I made it staying alive, no hospital, knock on wood, my throat hurts but the girls and I survived her long business trip.

They are trying to kill me

I read Bo's blog yesterday and was constantly reminded of the daily battle cancer / and transplant patients must undergo since our immune systems are compromised. The Johnson family is worried about germs and rightfully so, just wear your mask, wash hand often, use the hand gel and give people the cold shoulder (for your health) if you think they are sick.

The Day Care is going to kill me; now there is a notice to watch out for strep throat in the class that Ravyn (little R) is in, I think the class that (medium R) Raegan is in is clean for the rest of this week.

lazy Saturday

Lazy lazy day today, the girls and I will just hang out at the house as they recover, just a few more days until she returns. I HOPE I CAN STAY OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. On a said note I did not get to go to Boston this weekend to advocate for lung cancer (LC) with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) the is always next time.

long / short night

The girls are still on the mend, last night I was up with Ravyn most of the night, I feel like I am catching something my throat is starting to hurt but as I am self medicating with 3 different antibiotics outside the normal onslaught of pills that make up my Olympic diet (BALCO style). Note it is always good to keep a supply of antibiotics around to keep you out of the Spa.

Staying alive, staying out of the hospital

Today I have a renewed sense, feeling of energy, Monday and Tuesday were a different story.

Monday: The day was cut in half as I was forced to leave the girls at the babysitters house and out of daycare; Raegan was still running a fever so she couldn't go to school. I left work to take them both to the pediatrician the result was they both have sinus infections and Raegan has a stomach virus (Ravyn will soon get the stomach virus, I think I already have iiiittt ..... sorry had to make a run). There are now even more meds in the house the girls antibiotics, and I have called half of the army of doctors I see (am seen by) to get antibiotics to try and head off anything, any virus or infection that might come my way in the next few days. I also will have to stay on the daycare they attend to let me, and all the parents know when a contagious disease is going around (pink eye, strep throat...).

Tuesday: Was tired and struggled through work as I got about 2 hours of sleep last night, Raegan was up most of the night not feeling well, and the Stomach virus has been passed (bad choice of words) to Ravyn.

I think we will hit the gym tonight, if it DON'T KILL ME IT WILL MAKE ME STRONGER.

Finished my NO SLEEP study

I slept a whole 5 hours and 16 minutes, hibernation I woke scratching myself life a bear taking deep inhales through my mouth and exhaling (draw your own conclusion). I had on two different types of CPat mask so we shall see what comes of this. I did not think I would make the study as I have been feeling ill (very ill) all day coming down with whatever the girls have picked up this week at daycare. Raegan has been running fever, yellow green mucus, coughing, and complaining of a sore throat; Ravyn has been pretty much the same minus the fever and sore throat; I have just been feeling ill and vomiting alot yesterday (running from both places) I will have to get some new antibiotics called in so I don't have to visit the SPA.

No Sleep at the Sleep lab

I slept a grand total of 4 and a half hours, arrived at the Sleep Clinic at about 8PM CST (read, watched TV, talked on the phone, filled out paperwork, answered transplant / cancer questions) napped / slept from about 11PM CS with all kinds of wires hooked up to me, I awoke at about 3:30 AM CST got unhooked and was out the door by 4:00 AM.

I need to go pick up the girls and take care of Raegan as she started to run a fever last night and both girls have runny noses (thanks filthy day care germs), I guess I will be wearing my mask around them for the next several days and popping a few extra antibiotics so I can stay out of the Spa.

Sleep clinic on Friday

I have to go to the pseudo spa on Friday night and see why my O2 levels drop so drastically at night. We shall see what this round of test yields, will it tell me that I don't sleep. I already know that I am on a boatload of meds (my neck is bigger now than when I played football thanks to the steroids), and never slept before as I would study after everyone else in the house was fast asleep....... I guess I just have to start school again so I can justify my sleep deprivation.

I am going to have to post a picture of my youngest daughter doing her baby dolls hair, as her big sister does her hair, and I do the big sisters hair..... eat your heart(s) out ex-teammates.

Field of Dreams

The pictures below were taken at the 14th annual Texas Rangers Organ Donors Awareness Game; May 10, 2008. The pictures were provided by the SouthWest Transplant Alliance.

Warning track power, but I plan on going yard next year.

threes company

Well, trying to get back to the new reality that is my family and the absence, the loss, we all are feeling right now. I think we take comfort in the fact that in our own unique way(s) we carry a piece of our father with us. I think I am carrying on his legacy by being as active in their lives as he was in ours, Coach Dash has not gone away he coached us hard but played with more energy than all of us kids combined. I think he would have been proud of the way I attacked the bounce house rides during the party Saturday, I gave those 5 year olds and younger a run for their money (something I couldn’t do last year as I was on the bench just returning from CA, and the year before suffering through chemo and cancer.)

Pray don’t worry, and if you are going to worry don’t pray.

Living like a bachelor for the next several weeks as my wife will be on travel until early in July it will just be the girls and I running wild, and living free; well not exactly wild and free in case a TX cps employee reads this.

Hey keep Johnson family in your thoughts and prayers, recovering from lung transplant is tough it has taken me 15 months and now I can finally stop asking for that linebacker’s number that ear holed me.

Birthday Party

Back in Texas, it's HOT

I am still tired from the last 2+ weeks of traveling and the ebbs and flows of life. Today we will be celebrating my daughters 5th birthday, at a local indoor bounce house; so I will do like any proud father I will party like a rock star I mean I will party like High School Musical. I hope she enjoys the party, I hope I don't pull a muscle, I hope the party will serve as a temporary distraction.

Poem relating to my father

A Poem by Edward A. Guest

" Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't", but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing,
That couldn't be done and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it"
But he took off his coat and he took of his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin
Just take off your coat and go to it.
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it."
--- Edgar A. Guest

Obituary (Jacob A. Dash)

Jacob Abraham Dash

Jacob Abraham Dash was called to be with his heavenly father on Friday, May 30, 2008.
Jacob Dash was a career military man, having retired from the United States Air Force after 22 years of honorable service.

Jacob Dash was also a Prince Hall Mason of Roger Hughes Lodge # 624 in Austin, TX. Upon retirement from the Air Force Jacob also worked for Nortel Networks until his retirement from there too.

Jacob Dash was a loving, caring, husband, father, grand-father, brother, uncle, cousin, coach, serviceman..

Jacob is survived by his loving wife Ruth Dash of the home, sons Jacob A. Dash of Durham, NC; Jerrold A. Dash and wife Rhonda L. Dash of Fort Worth, TX, and Justin A. Dash and wife Stephanie Dash of Durham, NC; grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and former co-workers.

Services: 1 p.m. Tuesday, Whiterock Baptist Church. Stringer Fisher Funeral Parlor is in charge of the home going services.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) is the eighth enlisted rank (pay grade E-8) in the U.S. Air Force, just above Master Sergeant and below Chief Master Sergeant and is a non-commissioned officer.

According to Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure:
SMSgts are key, experienced, operational leaders, skilled at merging their personnel's talents, skills, and resources with other teams' functions to most effectively accomplish the mission. SMSgts continue to develop their leadership and management skills in preparation for expanded responsibilities and higher leadership positions. SMSgts normally operate at the operational level of leadership.

Promotion to Senior Master Sergeant is the most difficult enlisted promotion to attain in the Air Force. It is the first enlisted grade to which results of a central promotion board are the primary factor in selection for promotion. Usually, less than ten percent of eligible Master Sergeants are selected for promotion to Senior Master Sergeant in most years. Selectees typically have vast technical and leadership experience gained from a broad variety of assignments at both line and staff functions throughout their careers. Additionally, the successful candidate will typically have at a minimum completed an associate's or bachelor's degree in their Air Force specialty as well as the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Correspondence Course and have had their latest performance report endorsed by a senior rater, usually a Colonel or Brigadier General.

Senior Master Sergeants typically assume superintendent duties, overseeing enlisted members' efforts to accomplish a major segment of a unit's mission, in preparation for promotion to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. They are expected to serve as mentors for noncommissioned and junior commissioned officers.

Senior Master Sergeants in the First Sergeant special duty serve as First Sergeants of larger units than those employing a Master Sergeant as a First Sergeant. These First Sergeants (pay grades E-7 to E-9) are referred to officially as "First Sergeant" (regardless of their pay grade), and unofficially as "First Shirt" or simply the "Shirt".
By Federal law, only two percent of the Air Force's total active duty enlisted strength may hold this rank.

Senior Master Sergeants are sometimes referred to by the nickname of "Senior". This usage is an informal one, however, and would not be used in an official or formal setting. The official term of address is Senior Master Sergeant or Sergeant.[1]

Published in The Sun Herald on 6/2/2008.

http://www.legacy.com/sunherald/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Notice&PersonID=110857529