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 |   My journey through (and beyond) the valley with Cancer as my companion. |
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Dear Friend: This is not a Blog about writing! (I already have one of those.) This is a blog about a journey I am taking with illness. I have recently been diagnosed with Cancer. My goal is honest therapy as I progress through, and beyond this new reality in my life. I hope that, somewhere along the way you will find some words that will help you too. While this is, in fact, an interactive Blog, I hope that you will scroll slowly down this page. For you see, the front of this Blog IS my journey. The entries are conversations that are held along the journey.Yes, there is a lot on it--before actually getting to the Blog entries. But, I hope that by the objects and words which appear before the Blog itself, you might come to understand just a little bit about me, and my journey, and some truly amazing friends who have agreed to journey with me. I hope that you, too, will choose to accompany me on my walk--through the Valley. I invite you to join me, and discover the wondrous truths, meet some truly amazing people, and share those "memorable" moments this journey will undoubtedly present. Come along, won't you? In His Care, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Would you like to help me help others? I found this amazing organization, and I am proud to be a sponsor. I hope you will check it out. It's called The Network For Good.  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "RISUS OMNIA - INCRUMENTUS PER DEDECUS - SAPIENTIA PER DAMNUM" ("Every thing is funny - Growth through humiliation - Wisdom through loss") ~Leunig~ The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse. ~Helen Keller~ "If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people." ~Virginia Woolf~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "There is strength in truth." ~The Barton Family Crest~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” — Helen Keller, American social activist, public speaker and author (1880-1968) I have moved the list of my thanks for those who have helped to make this little Blog so very special. I hope that you will take a moment to read the list, growing every day, and let these fellow travellers along this journey know that you appreciate the contributions they make to our walk together.
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Please feel free to click on the Blog Rings icon below to be transported to some of the very best of the Best Bloggers around WDC. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** If you are new to WDC, or to our Blogging community, I highly recommend the monthly edition of "The Blogville News". Feel free to click below, and let Scarlett   know that a Blogger sent ya!Hey! We've started a Christian's Blog Ring on WDC. Click on the logo, and join us! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Budroe
 Ring LeaderI have three publications at the moment. Here is a link to purchase my latest one. Buy a great read, and help a fellow writer out, Okay?  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I'm not sure what's going on with me. It's pretty rare to have no ambition to to anything whatsoever. And it's not like I have nothing to do, should I choose. Went to the Cardio White coat yesterday. I have to get his clearance for surgery. Came away with a "status quo" report, some suggestions for pre-op/post-op hospitalization, and an appointment for a chemical stress test next week. THEN, maybe he'll give me clearance; not until. Although quite friendly, he was not impressed, either with my Lovenox noncompliance of late. He suggested an alternative to my daily injection into my stomach: twice daily injections into my stomach. Yeah, he's that kinda guy. I like him. I've done a bit of research. It seems that some folks with an overgrown Thyroid can show symptoms of malaise, depression, and generally a "flat line" attitude. Sounds and feels quite familiar these days. I'm also (check the time here) having quite a bout of insomnia. For me, historically, that would be a very good thing. Writers love extra time to write. Not much on that right now, either. Pressure is building inside me about the surgery. Trust is one thing; premonition is another. I've gone through this before, so it is neither novel or unanticipated. I just have to get into a mindset of preparing to heal the body before surgery. That is much more of an uphill climb this particular time. I hope it's symptomology. In His Care, Budroe |
| I got into trouble yesterday. However, an interesting development came from it. Near the end of this particular adventure, it was Sarareed , of all people who said: "You've got to blog about this!"I'll avoid the long explanation, and go for the shorter version if that's alright with you. As you may know, I am preparing for surgery. I am to have my overgrown Thyroid removed surgically. That isn't going so well. In order to be "cleared" for surgery, I must get the approval of my Primary Care Physician (PCP). In order to do that, some four specialists, not including the surgeon, to "sign off" on my having this surgery. Trying to get six principle specialists' schedules coordinated for appointments, in the correct order, is a bit of a "task"; one which, to date, has been impossible. Perhaps it was the holidays, and my desire not to be in the hospital on my birthday...I'll not presume to know. Or comment. The final appointment was to be with my PCP. No other appointments prior to this one worked out. Yesterday, I visited my PCP. I wound up in the Emergency Room. The good news is that I escaped and got to come home. You see, I actually answered a question my PCP asked me. "Are you having any symptoms now?" I asked him to clarify his question. He looked at me somewhat askance. "Well, these two blood clots in my left leg have been causing me a bit of inconvenience of late, if that's what you mean." I said, quite innocently. Sara eyed me hesitantly. "What blood clots?" He asked. Sara let a small grin escape. I showed him where they were. "You can't possibly know that you have blood clots, much less where they are." He said, defiantly. (Yep, he's one of "those".) He decided that, since I had no idea what I was talking about, HE would decide if I had blood clots or not. "We'll have to get an UltraSound on your legs right away." He said, with his presumed authority. (Can you tell this YOB is not my favorite White Coat yet?) After going around my body systems, discovering things he should already know (some of which I happened not to know at that particular moment), I was directed to the Outpatient Imaging Department. (We snuck off to McDonald's first though. Don't tell. It's our secret, okay?) There was a bit of a wait for the US, as one of their machines had suddenly and mysteriously fallen apart. It seems my showing up still has effect! Hannah, the US Technician, did a superb job getting images on both my legs, and told me I would have to wait for the results to be reviewed by my PCP before I could leave. It happened to be past 7:30 PM at this point. We're four hours into the adventure. What do you think are the chances that a PCP will be pacing his office waiting on an UltraSound report at 7:30PM on a Friday evening? Hmm? An hour later, having determined that my PCP was most likely NOT going to respond, and Sara and I pretty much understanding that the necessity to wait was somehow based on the results of the US (okay, someone cheated and told us we REALLY SHOULD wait, hint, hint!), the radiologist who read the report instructed that I was NOT to leave the hospital, but to report to...you got it, the Emergency Room. As it turns out, I didn't have two blood clots in my legs after all. I had three blood clots in my legs; 2 in the left (which I knew) and one in my right (which I did NOT know. DANG IT-Record blemished!). I have this injection , you see, that I am supposed to take every day. Sometimes I forget to take it. It is quite painful, and is just a necessary part of life. I sometimes disregard purposely causing myself this particular pain. Yesterday, I got severely busted over that choice.So, at about 10:30PM, I got the injection I should have been giving myself. My record got a Doctor's note that the patient has been "medically noncompliant" (JEEZ! YA THINK?)and I got sent home. My PCP's gonna have puppies. I was at least as right as I was, which he refused to believe. I was wrong, as I missed one of the blood clots. Sara was having puppies because I missed a dose of Lovenox, thinking that was why the blood clots formed. Unfortunately, for her the reality is that the blood clots have been active for almost a week. WRONG! Much pain, several hours of "time out" for the patient, and one shot of Lovenox later, we got to my home, ordered Pizza to arrive ASAP, and laughed. A lot. But, I owe a debt of thanks to an entire team who cared for me with great vigor, respect, and honor at a most inconvenient time in our local ER. I got the shot. The pain nearly trebled. I took some pills. I went to sleep. I woke up knowing that, to be honest with myself, I had to blog this. I have. Task accomplished. That's one way to postpone surgery. But, I did it with style!  The only problem is that now I'm on everybody's s*%T list. Oh, well. Stuff happens. Sometimes at the speed of life. In His Care. Budroe ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Just a quick note on a couple of things that made me smile so far in 2016. I spoke with a lifelong, life-strong friend on my birthday. We hadn't spoken in a long time...too long. As per usual, in about five minutes, it was as if we had just hung up the phone. The rest of the hour was a gift to us both. We shared it with joy, laughter and much vigor. It was one of those calls that, in the old days, would have required a handwritten letter of thanks and recognition of the gifts given and shared. I may do that yet. Secondly, I spoke with my Sister. We haven't spoken in quite a long while. This telephone visit was just as treasured, as we found a moment where we could peacefully coexist. It helped us both. I'd like to be able to report many more such occasions in 2016. That's not such a bad intention, is it? In His Care, Budroe |
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