Sunday, June 17th

Happy Father's Day to all those fathers out there.  Hope you all have a great day and get to spend it with your families.

I'm doing good.  Just reading, resting and using those new patio chairs.  Last week, my intestines were acting up, I had that colon procedure on Thursday that went fine.  It was basically to mark the area where they removed the polyp earlier during the colonoscopy so they could find that spot again. 

I don't have any Doctor's appts. this week, what will I do?

Getting ready to go to my parents, my wife is taking in some food and we are then eating there.  We're trying to take away my 90 yr. old Dad driving in these construction zones and getting confused, hell, I get confused. 

All is well,  I would like you all to lift up my friend Cindy who has this same disease but at this time is not having the same results that I did.  Her last CT scan is showing 3 spots on her spine that are eating into the bone.  She is now in radiation for 10 days for that, and I assume still doing chemo for her bile duct cancer in the liver.

Thanks for all the prayers for me and others, God Bless, Captain

Thursday, June 14th

Getting ready for another trip to the Colon Doctor's.  Minor procedure, but it does involve anesthesia
and I will get the night off at UPS because I can't drive for 24 hours.

Just part of getting old and trying to fix old parts.

God Bless, Captain

Monday, June the 11th

All is fine in my life.  Been sanding and painting that second chair.  Pretty much have the first coat of paint on it, but it is supposed to rain the next 24 hours.  Sure it is, we'll see.

So today I'm going to do some running of errands, and take my Dad and get tickets to the Brickyard 400 coming up the end of next month here in Indy.

Not much to report, weight is staying steady just under 150, would like to get it above that mark.  Don't know why, just seems a little light.

Thanks for all you do, God Bless, Captain

Friday Afternoon, June 8th

Been working, this completes my 4th week back at UPS, feeling better every night.  On the whole I'm feeling fine.

I told you the other day about the great lawn chairs I found.  Here's a few pics, they are a little rusty and I'm taking a drill with a wire brush attachment and going over the whole chair before painting with Rust-tol-leum, obviously not sure how to spell that, but it's too much trouble to get up and go outside and look at the can. 

Now these chairs are like nostalgia to me, as my Grandfather had one up on his vacation home on Lake Erie and a couple of  weeks ago I remembered it and how comfortable it was.  They don't make them like this anymore and I really thought I would be very lucky if I ever found one.  Let alone 2.  They don't match but who cares.

This was the first chair we saw, and you can see the chips coming off, the colors are on there because we were trying to see what color we wanted to paint it.

 Picture of the the whole chair, the way it is allows you to  just sit there with a little bounce to your relaxation.

 Completed the first chair with new cushion for comfort.  Before you say "doofus" you left the tag on the cushion.  My wife has not seen the cushions yet, and I may have to return them.

Chill out.......lol

 Just a picture of the back, and no you won't find any white paint left over, underneath the arms, the seat or anywhere else.

The other chair, needs a little more sanding, right now my arms are quivering from holding the drill and the trigger in.  I'm may stop sanding for the day, and work on putting the pond back together.  I got time, the whole weekend is ahead.







So anyways that's what I've doing.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers

God Bless you all, Captain

Weds, June 6

Saw the Oncologist yesterday, first time since before the surgery.  Of course, he and the surgeon have talked, and he has seen the same CT scan as the surgeon saw last week and confirmed that all is well.  I think he was really glad to see me, and said I looked great, but I knew that..........lol.  The last year  has really been a blur at times, seems like it has happened to someone else rather than me at times.  I've been very lucky and praise the Lord for being with me. 

I mean last June I was undergoing tests to see what the mass was in my liver area.  In that time, they told me I had cancer, a deadly kind, hard to treat with only with a  few living past 2 years.  I've been thru chemo, the chemo worked ( doesn't very often ). I've had surgery to remove the cancer which they said would not happen.  And now I'm cancer free.  All in a year.

The oncologist said yesterday that they don't tell the patients how hard recovery from this surgery is, because some start thinking if they even want to go thru with it.  I mean, cancer and death on one hand vs. a hard recovery and lots of mental challenges along the way.  I don't know how hard that decision would be.

Sorry for the rambling, it's sad, but I had to go buy a $4 daily planner to keep track of the Dr's appt.s.

I've got the pond tore up, waiting on the dirt under it and around it to dry out, so I can try to add water slowly to find the leak.  I found some great lawn chairs yesterday at an antique mall.  Going to meet a friend for breakfast/lunch at 10 am and then pick the chairs up, couldn't get them in the Honda car.

Still eating good, this am after the shower I weighed 149.7 ready to break the 150 mark.

Got to go, remember your friends in prayer, we all need it.  God Bless, Captain

Monday, All is Good

The Day spent with the wife in Brown County was very nice, we ate a lot of stuff.  Didn't spend much on merchandise.  But had a good time together.  I walked from one end of town to the other so the strength is coming back nicely.

Remember the fountain and pond that I said I rebuilt 3 times, well, we're getting ready for the 4th rebuild.  There is a leak somewhere close to the beginning of the run.  The earth outside the liner is damp and not drying up.  How else do you find a leak? Except to slowly tear the rocks down and try and find the source ( a small water flow ).  Looks like it may rain some here today so it will be later in the week as it has to dry out good.  Always something.

Tomorrow I have my first appt. with the Oncologist since the surgery, got to believe it will be the same report as the surgeon last week, but they both want to be involved, which is fine.  More heads, the better right.

Thanks for your prayers, I'm asking you to remember our friends S#1 and Boggs in your thoughts and prayers.

God Bless, Captain

June 1, 1968

44 Years ago today I married the best woman ever, " my wife ".  And she is still with me, no matter how stupid a man can be.  Through good and bad she has stayed beside me and we have survived this thing called marriage.

We been there together when you're holding the last roll of toilet paper wondering what you will do next.  She's obviously been with me every minuted of every day during this recent cancer journey.  She was with me has we built a successful balloon business and ran it for 20 years.

I love you and am here for you, as they say through the good and bad, the sickness and the healthy times.

Happy " 44 " years.  Where did time go?

Love, ME

On the health note, I'm doing fine, tonight will complete 3 weeks of UPS work. You know about the clear scan showing no new signs of cancer.  I'm eating like an animal.  Tomorrow we are going to drive down to Nashvillle, IN in Brown County to walk the streets and eat in the restaurants.  Kind of like a small Gatlinburg, TN. which is where we spent out honeymoon. 

Thanks for the continued prayers, and remember our friends who also need thoughts of love and compassion.
God Bless, Captain