Not much going on, which to me is a good thing. We're just enjoying the few birds who are showing up in the yard, and some of the early buds on a couple of trees. It won't be long. I can feel it.
We're staying busy with the house. We're making some real progress with the front room. Barb called it a "seafoam green." I didn't like the sound of that. She quickly changed it to a "light sage," and now I'm board.
Tried my hand at faux finishing the bottom half of the wall yesterday, beneath the chair rail. After a disappointing first coat attempt, I pulled things together somehow on a second coat attempt. (shrugging shoulders) It's not bad.
We're back at it today. Just enjoying the peace, staying active, eating well, exercising and living our lives with big smiles.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Going At It
Woke up around 11:30 p.m. last evening. Barb was in the middle of a full-out assault of my side of the bed. I tried to get back to sleep. But by 1:30 a.m. I gave up, snuck downstairs and took a sleeping pill, and next thing you know I was out until morning.
It wasn't Barb's assault on my side of the bed that kept me awake though. It was just one of those things.
I hit the ground running this morning though, still half of a zombie from the sleep medication, but running nonetheless. I jumped back into the painting and we're making some real progress. It's looking clean and fresh and as new as a 200-year old house can look. We're both pretty motivated to move things along.
I hope to get the painting in good shape by Easter, which we've been holding here for the past few years. Plus we need to find the appropriate time to have the central air installed. Goodbye to the five window air conditioners! Man those things are heavy, cumbersome, and loud.
I can't wait for Spring to see the trees and plants all come back to life. Everything seems to grow great in our yard except for grass. I'm hoping to spend a little more time playing in the dirt this Spring than I was able to last year. We shall see.
Barb and I are still planning an Albert Design Studio "corporate retreat" this Spring at the Hotel Hershey to discuss what we're going to do with the bailout money that we won't be receiving.
We are sincerely planning on spending a couple of nights there through one of their mid-week specials. The Hotel Hershey is just one of those special places that everyone in this area should experience at some point. I've eaten in the circular dining room many times, but have always wanted to actually be a guest at the hotel and never have been.
We're going to pamper ourselves a little. I'll order room-service a take a nap. Barb will hit the spa. I know they have a bocce ball court behind the hotel...so game on!
Anyone want to watch Freckles for a couple of days? Ugh. Last time we left him alone for a couple of days he ruined a large rug.
Feeling strong, keeping positive, and looking forward to hearing the voice of Harry Kalas, the broadcaster of the Philadelphia Phillies. To me, the voice of Harry Kalas is like seeing the first robin of Spring.
We did learn today that my Gamma Knife treatment will be on March 18th. But we are still waiting on a time, likely very early in the morning.
After a day of working on the house, I've got to get into the kitchen and cook a little birthday dinner for our son-in-law Charlie - filet with a little red wine reduction, hash browns, and a fresh salad.
After years of refusing to try cheese cake because he thought it was made with American cheese, Charlie is now a full-fledged cheese cake afficiando. He just had to try it that first time.
After breaking that barrier we're hoping to have the same effect on him eventually with vegetables.
It wasn't Barb's assault on my side of the bed that kept me awake though. It was just one of those things.
I hit the ground running this morning though, still half of a zombie from the sleep medication, but running nonetheless. I jumped back into the painting and we're making some real progress. It's looking clean and fresh and as new as a 200-year old house can look. We're both pretty motivated to move things along.
I hope to get the painting in good shape by Easter, which we've been holding here for the past few years. Plus we need to find the appropriate time to have the central air installed. Goodbye to the five window air conditioners! Man those things are heavy, cumbersome, and loud.
I can't wait for Spring to see the trees and plants all come back to life. Everything seems to grow great in our yard except for grass. I'm hoping to spend a little more time playing in the dirt this Spring than I was able to last year. We shall see.
Barb and I are still planning an Albert Design Studio "corporate retreat" this Spring at the Hotel Hershey to discuss what we're going to do with the bailout money that we won't be receiving.
We are sincerely planning on spending a couple of nights there through one of their mid-week specials. The Hotel Hershey is just one of those special places that everyone in this area should experience at some point. I've eaten in the circular dining room many times, but have always wanted to actually be a guest at the hotel and never have been.
We're going to pamper ourselves a little. I'll order room-service a take a nap. Barb will hit the spa. I know they have a bocce ball court behind the hotel...so game on!
Anyone want to watch Freckles for a couple of days? Ugh. Last time we left him alone for a couple of days he ruined a large rug.
Feeling strong, keeping positive, and looking forward to hearing the voice of Harry Kalas, the broadcaster of the Philadelphia Phillies. To me, the voice of Harry Kalas is like seeing the first robin of Spring.
We did learn today that my Gamma Knife treatment will be on March 18th. But we are still waiting on a time, likely very early in the morning.
After a day of working on the house, I've got to get into the kitchen and cook a little birthday dinner for our son-in-law Charlie - filet with a little red wine reduction, hash browns, and a fresh salad.
After years of refusing to try cheese cake because he thought it was made with American cheese, Charlie is now a full-fledged cheese cake afficiando. He just had to try it that first time.
After breaking that barrier we're hoping to have the same effect on him eventually with vegetables.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Visit with the Brain Doc
Yesterday Barb and I met with my neurosurgeon who confirmed pretty much everything we learned on Friday from the radiologist's report on my brain MRI.
The one tumor in the brain treated just over six-weeks ago has disappeared completely. There are, however, three new small tumors in the brain. All are very small, one is two millimeters in size and two are one millimeter in size.
The neurosurgeon is going to try to get me in for my third round of Gamma Knife radiation treatments next week.
Whew. This will be the fourth round of radiation blasts to my head - whole brain radiation once, and three Gamma Knife radiation treatments.
Though I thought I've been feelings symptoms of brain swelling, the neurosurgeon did not think that there was much evidence of brain swelling on my scans. He recommended staying on the steroid for now as I enter into the Gamma Knife procedure. But he also recommended getting off the steroid afterwords as quickly as possible.
It's a strong steroid and the body builds up a dependence upon it. Pulling off the steroid will mean a weaning off of it, followed by a couple days of feeling miserable when I finally come off of it in full.
So what would explain my occasional lack of balance and foggy feelings in the head? Well the doctor thought it could just be the stiff right upper cut that radiation throws at a person. Radiation is silent and invisible, but it wallops quite a punch.
I asked about permanent damage to the brain, and he said that is always possible too. Although, he added, we've caught everything so far while it has been at a very small size.
The one thing that did surprise me was that he said that whole brain radiation was a possibility a second time. I had been told previously that whole brain radiation was a once and done deal because of the potential of serious damage to the brain. When I mentioned that to him, he pulled back from the idea of doing the whole brain, but he still held on to the idea in general.
I'm sure there are those who would argue that I was brain damaged before any of this started. LOL
It's back to painting again today. The more active I stay the better I feel and the less I think about the cancer. Plus we want to have central air installed this Spring and I have to get my painting mess cleaned up before the a/c guys come in and create their own mess.
But first it's off to exercise and hit the shower.
The one tumor in the brain treated just over six-weeks ago has disappeared completely. There are, however, three new small tumors in the brain. All are very small, one is two millimeters in size and two are one millimeter in size.
The neurosurgeon is going to try to get me in for my third round of Gamma Knife radiation treatments next week.
Whew. This will be the fourth round of radiation blasts to my head - whole brain radiation once, and three Gamma Knife radiation treatments.
Though I thought I've been feelings symptoms of brain swelling, the neurosurgeon did not think that there was much evidence of brain swelling on my scans. He recommended staying on the steroid for now as I enter into the Gamma Knife procedure. But he also recommended getting off the steroid afterwords as quickly as possible.
It's a strong steroid and the body builds up a dependence upon it. Pulling off the steroid will mean a weaning off of it, followed by a couple days of feeling miserable when I finally come off of it in full.
So what would explain my occasional lack of balance and foggy feelings in the head? Well the doctor thought it could just be the stiff right upper cut that radiation throws at a person. Radiation is silent and invisible, but it wallops quite a punch.
I asked about permanent damage to the brain, and he said that is always possible too. Although, he added, we've caught everything so far while it has been at a very small size.
The one thing that did surprise me was that he said that whole brain radiation was a possibility a second time. I had been told previously that whole brain radiation was a once and done deal because of the potential of serious damage to the brain. When I mentioned that to him, he pulled back from the idea of doing the whole brain, but he still held on to the idea in general.
I'm sure there are those who would argue that I was brain damaged before any of this started. LOL
It's back to painting again today. The more active I stay the better I feel and the less I think about the cancer. Plus we want to have central air installed this Spring and I have to get my painting mess cleaned up before the a/c guys come in and create their own mess.
But first it's off to exercise and hit the shower.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
How Busy Are You?
My church in Myerstown kindly has been sending me literature from every Sunday service, including the pastor's sermon.
This past week he wrote about one of the ten commandments - "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."
So much for that huh?
It's long been my argument that our society has developed ideals that promote ignoring that commandment.
I've worked my share of 60-hour weeks. It's not that I enjoy it, or agree with it. But often times I've had no choice. Once I worked 12-hours a day, seven days a week, for nearly two months to get a product catalog to press before a trade show. It didn't have to be that way. But the owner of the company didn't see any problems with that kind of work schedule and I was backed into a corner.
I ended up finishing the catalog, and leaving work in the middle of the day one day to visit the doctor about exhaustion and stress. The doctor's recommendation? "I'd quit your job," he said.
There are cultures who appreciate rest, time for worship and spirituality, time for contemplation. But that's not our culture.
Somehow through the decades we've pushed and pushed and pushed the ideals of work, work, work. The only countries that may work more hours than us are all Asian countries.
Work is an important component to a healthy life. But how much work? All work and no play, I'm convinced, does not equal a healthy lifestyle.
Sometimes we have to slow down, sit down, and just watch the clouds go by. Yet how many of us slow down enough to actually do that?
I always remember a lesson I learned from boating with my Uncle at his then home in Virginia. He had all kinds of boats, a sail boat, motor boats, canoes.
When we took a boat out with a motor we missed a lot. We would move to fast and the motor would scare all the wildlife away.
But when I took the canoe out and paddled along the inlet's edge I could see and enjoy so much more. There were herons and osprey, all kinds of wildlife and natural surroundings that I never could have enjoyed any other way.
I learned the same lesson when I started riding bike every day. There was so much around Marietta that I never saw driving around in the car. But on the bike I learned much more about the town I live in.
We truly do need to see the value of rest and reflection. I feel sometimes that Americans act like they have it all figured out, that we can't learn anything from other countries because we are the best.
Well, we've got a great country, with strong ideals, but that will never mean that we do not have room for improvement, room to keep learning and growing as a society and a culture.
This past week he wrote about one of the ten commandments - "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."
So much for that huh?
It's long been my argument that our society has developed ideals that promote ignoring that commandment.
I've worked my share of 60-hour weeks. It's not that I enjoy it, or agree with it. But often times I've had no choice. Once I worked 12-hours a day, seven days a week, for nearly two months to get a product catalog to press before a trade show. It didn't have to be that way. But the owner of the company didn't see any problems with that kind of work schedule and I was backed into a corner.
I ended up finishing the catalog, and leaving work in the middle of the day one day to visit the doctor about exhaustion and stress. The doctor's recommendation? "I'd quit your job," he said.
There are cultures who appreciate rest, time for worship and spirituality, time for contemplation. But that's not our culture.
Somehow through the decades we've pushed and pushed and pushed the ideals of work, work, work. The only countries that may work more hours than us are all Asian countries.
Work is an important component to a healthy life. But how much work? All work and no play, I'm convinced, does not equal a healthy lifestyle.
Sometimes we have to slow down, sit down, and just watch the clouds go by. Yet how many of us slow down enough to actually do that?
I always remember a lesson I learned from boating with my Uncle at his then home in Virginia. He had all kinds of boats, a sail boat, motor boats, canoes.
When we took a boat out with a motor we missed a lot. We would move to fast and the motor would scare all the wildlife away.
But when I took the canoe out and paddled along the inlet's edge I could see and enjoy so much more. There were herons and osprey, all kinds of wildlife and natural surroundings that I never could have enjoyed any other way.
I learned the same lesson when I started riding bike every day. There was so much around Marietta that I never saw driving around in the car. But on the bike I learned much more about the town I live in.
We truly do need to see the value of rest and reflection. I feel sometimes that Americans act like they have it all figured out, that we can't learn anything from other countries because we are the best.
Well, we've got a great country, with strong ideals, but that will never mean that we do not have room for improvement, room to keep learning and growing as a society and a culture.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday Monday
Well there's nothing like a whole roasted chicken and my wife's incredible mashed potatoes to make a Sunday dinner something special.
But it's Monday, and it's cold, cold, cold outside. It's time to get back into action after a relaxing day yesterday.
We're planning on heading out and getting our paint for the living room, now that the primer is all up. I'll tell 'ya, it's not easy covering up a dark green.
But that's why we're painting. Our living room does not get a lot of sunlight, and combine that with dark green walls, and that room is like a cave.
This is all a long time overdue. But, what can I say, we've been a little busy.
Even if we just left the primer up and never painted over it, it would still be a big improvement. But, no worries, we're definitely going in for the finishing touches.
After the two front living rooms are done (we haven't even started with the priming of the second living area), then we'll just have the kitchen, the sunroom, and the master bedroom yet. Then we'll have painted the entire interior of the house.
When we first moved in I started with painting the exterior of the house, quite a job. That is basically done. We have one weird stretch between our house and the neighbors that I've been considering replacing the wood siding with composite siding. I wouldn't consider composite materials for the rest of the house because of the homes historic nature, all the siding is cedar. Our block is on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately several buildings on the block are not being very well taken care of, and there is some fantastic architectural elements that are just rotting away.
Well I slept until 5:30 a.m. this morning, until Freckles jumped up on the bed between Barb and I and let out a loud "Meow," which roughly translated means "What the heck! You're usually up and feeding me by now!"
Actually he woke me up at 3:30 a.m. too by pushing the closet door back and forth to make a rapping sound. But I gave him a mean look and he went away.
I have an appointment with the neurosurgeon tomorrow. Hopefully we'll learn more information on how to proceed with treatments from there.
Have a great start to the week everyone.
But it's Monday, and it's cold, cold, cold outside. It's time to get back into action after a relaxing day yesterday.
We're planning on heading out and getting our paint for the living room, now that the primer is all up. I'll tell 'ya, it's not easy covering up a dark green.
But that's why we're painting. Our living room does not get a lot of sunlight, and combine that with dark green walls, and that room is like a cave.
This is all a long time overdue. But, what can I say, we've been a little busy.
Even if we just left the primer up and never painted over it, it would still be a big improvement. But, no worries, we're definitely going in for the finishing touches.
After the two front living rooms are done (we haven't even started with the priming of the second living area), then we'll just have the kitchen, the sunroom, and the master bedroom yet. Then we'll have painted the entire interior of the house.
When we first moved in I started with painting the exterior of the house, quite a job. That is basically done. We have one weird stretch between our house and the neighbors that I've been considering replacing the wood siding with composite siding. I wouldn't consider composite materials for the rest of the house because of the homes historic nature, all the siding is cedar. Our block is on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately several buildings on the block are not being very well taken care of, and there is some fantastic architectural elements that are just rotting away.
Well I slept until 5:30 a.m. this morning, until Freckles jumped up on the bed between Barb and I and let out a loud "Meow," which roughly translated means "What the heck! You're usually up and feeding me by now!"
Actually he woke me up at 3:30 a.m. too by pushing the closet door back and forth to make a rapping sound. But I gave him a mean look and he went away.
I have an appointment with the neurosurgeon tomorrow. Hopefully we'll learn more information on how to proceed with treatments from there.
Have a great start to the week everyone.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Hope in a Hopeless World
Barb and I read in a local online newspaper yesterday that someone we had both worked with had passed away in a car accident. It was yet another reminder of how fragile life is.
Life is a balance of joy and sorrow. There will be things that make us grin from ear to ear, that warm our hearts, that make us feel absolutely wonderful. And there will be things that make us feel like we have a gigantic, empty pit in our stomachs.
I've always felt that the life of Jesus was meant to give us an example of how life would be. Through good times and bad times, I look to the examples of His life to understand my own. Jesus certainly experienced joys and sorrows. Jesus certainly experienced strength and suffering.
I was fortunate to be raised not just by a wonderful mother and father, but by an entire church congregation. From a very early age I was exposed to the lessons of the scriptures.
I'm known as someone who analyzes everything. I challenge everything and accept nothing at face value. But faith in God and the promises of the Bible were never difficult ideals for me to accept.
Quite frankly, all I had to do was look around. There are a lot of very intelligent people who each, on their own, analyzed, scrutinized, questioned the meanings of life and all ended up drawing the same conclusions. How could so many people, over so many decades, and centuries, possibly be wrong?
It does not bother me that there are things that we are not meant to fully understand. I accept that because I have faith.
It does not bother me that I will experience suffering and sadness. I accept that because I have faith.
I also realize that I should embrace all the joy and rewards of life, of each day, a beautiful sunrise, the laugh of a two-year old, the beauty of nature around us, the kindess of a stranger.
Life can be challenging. Life can be tough. But as long as your faith is strong there is always hope. And with hope all the joys of life will expose themselves to you also so that you may enjoy the beauty of our journeys.
Life is a balance of joy and sorrow. There will be things that make us grin from ear to ear, that warm our hearts, that make us feel absolutely wonderful. And there will be things that make us feel like we have a gigantic, empty pit in our stomachs.
I've always felt that the life of Jesus was meant to give us an example of how life would be. Through good times and bad times, I look to the examples of His life to understand my own. Jesus certainly experienced joys and sorrows. Jesus certainly experienced strength and suffering.
I was fortunate to be raised not just by a wonderful mother and father, but by an entire church congregation. From a very early age I was exposed to the lessons of the scriptures.
I'm known as someone who analyzes everything. I challenge everything and accept nothing at face value. But faith in God and the promises of the Bible were never difficult ideals for me to accept.
Quite frankly, all I had to do was look around. There are a lot of very intelligent people who each, on their own, analyzed, scrutinized, questioned the meanings of life and all ended up drawing the same conclusions. How could so many people, over so many decades, and centuries, possibly be wrong?
It does not bother me that there are things that we are not meant to fully understand. I accept that because I have faith.
It does not bother me that I will experience suffering and sadness. I accept that because I have faith.
I also realize that I should embrace all the joy and rewards of life, of each day, a beautiful sunrise, the laugh of a two-year old, the beauty of nature around us, the kindess of a stranger.
Life can be challenging. Life can be tough. But as long as your faith is strong there is always hope. And with hope all the joys of life will expose themselves to you also so that you may enjoy the beauty of our journeys.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Good News and Bad News and Good News
In all honesty I was pretty nervous about the results of Wednesday's MRI of the brain. I was worried about being told that the radiation treatment did not work and there was no other treatments now available.
But fortunately that was not the case.
Yesterday afternoon we did receive the results of the MRI. It was both good and bad.
First the good, the tumor in the brain that was treated had completely disappeared. Kidney cancer tumors do not always respond to radiation. They are tough. So this was good to hear.
The bad news though, was that three new tumors had appeared in the brain. They are all very small tumors though, one is two millimeters, the other two are only one millimeters in size.
The good news is that the new tumors can be treated via the Gamma Knife again.
All in all, I'm feeling good about the results.
I certainly was hoping for a clean MRI without any evidence of further disease. But I had a feeling that something was going to show up, based on how I've been feeling the past couple weeks.
My concern was that further treatment would not be possible. So I was very happy to hear that what was found was small, and treatable. That alone gave me a sigh of relief.
The continued spreading of the cancer is certainly problematic. I can only hope that the chemo Sutent can continue to keep the cancer in check for an extended period of time. Since December the cancer has certainly been aggressive. I'm hoping for a little remission.
Tuesday Barb and I will meet with the neurosurgeon and we'll be bringing a laundry list of questions with us. Through my experience I've learned that surgeons are not the best at interacting with patients. Let's face it, most of the patients they see are under anesthesia. But the knowledge is certainly inside him. It just has to be drawn out.
I'm sure Tuesday another Gamma Knife session will be scheduled. It's not a walk in the park. But by now I've been through just about everything. I just take this stuff in stride now.
My faith is strong. My desire to continue this long fight against this crippling cancer is still strong. The reality to me is that life is fragile for everyone. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. We just can make the most of today, the most of the moment.
Does that mean eating lobster tail everyday? Not to me it doesn't. To me it means not wasting time on trivial or petty things, being positive and supportive and a good influence to all around me, completely avoiding any negativity or conflict that may come my way.
As I said to Barb yesterday, this struggle has been a series of good news and bad news and good news and bad news. We just continue to do the best we can, take whatever life deals us, and make the most of it.
The fight goes on.
But fortunately that was not the case.
Yesterday afternoon we did receive the results of the MRI. It was both good and bad.
First the good, the tumor in the brain that was treated had completely disappeared. Kidney cancer tumors do not always respond to radiation. They are tough. So this was good to hear.
The bad news though, was that three new tumors had appeared in the brain. They are all very small tumors though, one is two millimeters, the other two are only one millimeters in size.
The good news is that the new tumors can be treated via the Gamma Knife again.
All in all, I'm feeling good about the results.
I certainly was hoping for a clean MRI without any evidence of further disease. But I had a feeling that something was going to show up, based on how I've been feeling the past couple weeks.
My concern was that further treatment would not be possible. So I was very happy to hear that what was found was small, and treatable. That alone gave me a sigh of relief.
The continued spreading of the cancer is certainly problematic. I can only hope that the chemo Sutent can continue to keep the cancer in check for an extended period of time. Since December the cancer has certainly been aggressive. I'm hoping for a little remission.
Tuesday Barb and I will meet with the neurosurgeon and we'll be bringing a laundry list of questions with us. Through my experience I've learned that surgeons are not the best at interacting with patients. Let's face it, most of the patients they see are under anesthesia. But the knowledge is certainly inside him. It just has to be drawn out.
I'm sure Tuesday another Gamma Knife session will be scheduled. It's not a walk in the park. But by now I've been through just about everything. I just take this stuff in stride now.
My faith is strong. My desire to continue this long fight against this crippling cancer is still strong. The reality to me is that life is fragile for everyone. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. We just can make the most of today, the most of the moment.
Does that mean eating lobster tail everyday? Not to me it doesn't. To me it means not wasting time on trivial or petty things, being positive and supportive and a good influence to all around me, completely avoiding any negativity or conflict that may come my way.
As I said to Barb yesterday, this struggle has been a series of good news and bad news and good news and bad news. We just continue to do the best we can, take whatever life deals us, and make the most of it.
The fight goes on.
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