Camping with the boys

Well we just got back from camping with our four grandson for 5 days. It was a lot of fun. We biked, boated, fished, hiked and told stories. Joshua is quite a story teller. I was there most of the time with the exception of two doctors appointments and a pre-bid meeting in Shelby, Ohio.

The trip started off well. Everything went well until we were on the turnpike. My family doctor called to inform me that there was a problem with the MRI from my accident on Friday. Turns out I have a clouded area in the front lobes of my brain. He took this as the cancer moving to my brain but he said he would check into it further. Patti and I kept our chins up and did not let it interfere with setting up and spending time with the boys. We had a rough time sleeping until about 3:05am when I remembered my MRI and CAT scan from March showed what they called incidental clouding in the front lobes. The oncologist had dismissed these rather quickly as anything. I called the doctor in the morning and left a message to get in touch with the oncologist. He called me back at 1:30pm to tell me that they had compared the scans and that the cloudiness was obviously previous mini-strokes that I had suffered years earlier. STROKES? WHEN? I sure didn't remember any. I called the oncologist and he said he dismissed them right after he saw them. They were capillaries that has obviously ruptured when I had high blood pressure about 4 year ago. He said most people have them if their blood pressure gets up around 165-185 over 100-140. He said not to give it a second thought as it was nothing. So I went back and told Patti and we just thanked God that it was just nothing.

I believe there are other battles and situations that Patti and I must face. I am glad this was not one of them. I thank God that at least one doctor is on the ball. I know that you should only have 2 cat scans in a year. I have had 5 in 14 months. I do not need or want any for quite a while. Pray for me and building up my immune system to fight any cancer or disease that may arise. Pray also for my healing from the accident last Friday. I am very sore and have a hard time lifting or getting up when I lay down.

Last time was forty years ago

Well, today I did something that I did forty years ago this past June. Be the person being transported in an ambulance. Tyler and Josh are probably jealous. I was moving the new table and top that I built in the warehouse. Myself and another employee were trying to lift it up on the fork lift when the sawhorse platform that it was on collapsed and sent me flying with the 200# plus table top coming down on my head and driving me down until it came to rest on the base. It felt like it smashed my neck and back down to my backside. Steve T. had them call the ambulance and they took my to Southwest General. They did three CAT Scans of my head, neck and spine. I had no headache but my back from the neck down hurt with sharp stabbing like pains. I did briefly black out at the office. The doctor said I compressed my neck and spine but that there was no permanent damage. I would be just sore for quite awhile. Patti was told by Steve T. what was going on and she was there at the hospital when I arrived. We were there for about 2 1/2+ hours. Steve Fulks, our deacon from FBC, showed up just before they took the neck brace off. I had just gotten use to it, so they took it off and the pain started again. The doctor said I was something of a rarity. On Friday, everyone who visits the ER seems to be there for the drugs, and I didn't want any. After Patti got me home and we ate, I went back to the office to work on some bids. The smarties there one by one came up and asked if I could help them move a table.

One good thing that the doctors and nurses both said is how calm I seemed and how my blood pressure only went up to 124 over 80 during the times of pain. Mostly it was at 113 over 74. Not bad for someone who was 165 over 110 four years ago.

Anyways, I am alright so please direct your prayers to Pastor Brad Quick, as he has had a rough week. His wife Debbie. My daughters friend Jessica. Also Dawn who also has cancer. Remember to pray for the Cox family. Remember the troops also.

Good News & Prayer Request

Yesterday was a busy day. I went to the clinic in the morning for my IV. In the afternoon I went to the dermatologist. I really dreaded going there as I was not looking forward to getting cut up again. Well the good news is that there is nothing suspicious on my skin. We looked at several spots and things, but they both said everything was normal. The resident doctor who looked me over first is from a small town north of Glenville, WV. where Patti and I and Ken and Mary Louis were for the fourth four wheeling. He was very impressed with the hair on my chest and the way I looked. He basically told us that he knew of the beeswax therapy on the skin and it was showing a lot of success for people. I do not feel that the head of dermatology over at UH felt that way about it. The resident doctor was also very understanding of my decision to quit the interferon. I do not feel that his boss felt that way. Maybe he was busy this time, but he just did not seem as personable and willing to talk.

One lesson all this has taught me is to appreciate the small things. Especially the small accomplishments.

One of my daughters friends from school has cancer and is in need of prayer. She is 32, a mom and a wife and she has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes. One of our employees is her uncle. He had asked me about her and where I was going with my treatments. 2 and 2 did not get put together until last night between the girls talking. She lost her father to cancer 6 years ago and I am sure she is pretty frightened about everything. Pray for peace with her and healing. She really could use it now.

It's great to stink again

One of the things that the radiologist told me is that my hair loss in the radiation field would be gone permanently and that so would my sweat glands. Well, the hair started coming back about six weeks ago, but not under my arm. Yesterday we noticed it coming back and that I had been sweating. Not a lot, just a few places, but it is a start. I can really begin to feel my body healing itself. God has answered my prayers concerning this.

We went to Glenville, WV on July 3-5 with Ken and Mary Louise. We had a great time four wheeling and getting soaked. We got caught in a whopper of a storm on the fourth and had to keep riding to get back. We were wet, but it was fun. Met some interesting people and had a good time. Life there just seems to slow down. Met a man who went to school with Ken. He told me of his having a heart attack while hunting squirrel when he was 42. He said it knocked him down and it took him a while to get up and be able to walk. He made it to the hospital about 5 hours later. It took him that long to get his limit of squirrel ls before he left for the hospital. His doctor told him at best he would have 5 years and to make out his will. He attended that doctors funeral a few years later as well as his second heart doctor. He is 72 years young and as he puts it, he will keep on trucking until the Lord tells his it's time.

Like I said, great people with a great attitude. Kinda laid back and taking things as they come. I thank God for the people he has placed in my life at this time.