My Life With Cancer

Happy Halloween!!! I wish you the happiest of Halloweens and the happiest of tummies.  No doubt you are devouring candies full of sugar, caramel, chocolate and other delicacies RIGHT NOW this very minute. Enjoy. HERE IS MY FREAKIN DIET TODAY!!! If you look closely, you'll see that today's HEALTHY menu includes these four items: CLEAR Strawberry Flavored Protein Drink. CLEAR Beef and Chicken Broth. CLEAR Yellow Jello.  mmmmm   Lemon Jello! And tasty CLEAR medicine to be discussed later. DOCTOR'S ORDERS!!  I'm on a clear liquid diet in preparation for tomorrow's cancer-killing surgery.  I did this gig last June when I had my Targeted Biopsy and about starved to death.  CLEAR = no calories apparently.  Unless you want to drink sugar.  Sugar will add calories.  In June, I drank a bunch of Gatorade to try to squelch the hunger pains.  It really didn't work that much.  And the nurses were shocked at the spike in...

Ladies & Gentlemen!  This is the EDUCATIONAL portion of the blog! Here are the step-by-step instructions of how to perform a focal cryotherapy procedure.  (I thought about sending this to my doctor, along with a reminder about NO HORSES, just in case he needs a bit of help.  But then I did not.  He is, you know, stabbing instruments into some very delicate parts of my body.  So I chose not to be a sarcastic butt head.) The procedure is performed under general anesthesia.   (THANK GOODNESS!!!!) The patient is in lithotomy position.   (See the picture below.  And the part about general anesthesia above).  Briefly, the equipment utilized includes the cryotherapy console coupled with an ultrasound system, argon and helium gas bottles, cryoprobes, temperature probes and an urethral warming catheter. TOYS!!!  You don't have to have a medical diploma to see that these would be FUN to play with!  (Picture below) The procedure ...

OK Guys.  I'm trying to get pumped up.  I'm trying to put on my game face.  Eye of the Tiger.  Right? I can't do it.  Oh, I AM pumped up.  I'm totally ready to have this cancer gone.  But game face?  If you have even spent a few moments around me, you know I'm never serious.  And even when I am, you can't tell that I am.  So, I can't do a game face without grinning.  And that looks ridiculous.  But I did my best in these selfies. The next few blogs will feature pictures of..........ME!  You will watch me fight like heck to beat this cancer.  Then you can follow my fine example and fight whatever YOUR battle is.  (Hopefully it ain't cancer). Pregame warm up was last Thursday's visit to the friendly confines of Sacred Heart Medical Center.  Last time I was here, it was to watch a relative take her last breath.  I plan to change THAT tide. Before the doctor and his team and especially the anesthe...

From the beginning, I decided to be really open about my cancer.  And to write a blog about my experiences. The blog has several purposes.  One, it is very therapeutic for me.  Next, to help others who struggle with whatever.  And third, to keep everyone informed as to how I am doing. Today's blog likely will not sound very supportive.  It is for purely self-therapeutic purposes.  And to keep distant friends and relatives aware that I am still alive. Guys, CANCER SUCKS.  It is literally kicking my ass emotionally.  (I'll repent soon for swearing, so get over it.) I visited my brother a couple of weeks ago.  He said, as a lot of people have, "you look great, how's your health?"  That's the trick.  Prostate cancer really has no visible symptoms.  Not until it is very advanced and in the process of taking your life, having spread to all areas of your body.  At that point the pain is excruciating and the symptoms obvio...