Following advise

Last Tuesday the Bladder Cancer support group moderator/therapist suggested I make an appointment at Kaiser hospital psychiatry department to talk with someone, and this Tuesday I went in (took a floating holiday) and met with with a therapist (she will make an appointment with a psychiatrist for a Monday when it is my day off). She said I was doing the right things to deal with this - going to support groups, and meeting with my doctor.

Doctor's appointment Nov. 20th

I finally heard from my doctor. I have an appointment Nov. 20th four days after my last BCG treatment, for him to answer my questions. He won't know the results of the BCG for a while but I will at least get an idea of my chances of it working. It will be strange - I may find out how I will be living the rest of my life on that day, less than a month away.

I am not sure I really want to know that but I guess I need to know.

I hope this works

I had the second BCG treatment on Friday and I hope and pray that it is working. I go to a bladder cancer support group on Tuesday and will try to get up the nerve to ask questions. Meanwhile meetings meetings meetings.

If you really know something, you don't have to tell anyone.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments.

One down five to go

One BCG treatment down and five to go. No side effects of the treatment but I hope the cancer has lots of side effects. Die cancer die. I really hope the treatment works this time, since this is probably the last chance before the major surgery. At least the surgery, if I have it, will be after the first of the year and I will have sick time again.

Meanwhile, I plan to enjoy life and do a bunch of stuff while I still can.

Heard at an AA meeting tonight

Amazing, beautiful, wonderful things have happened for me in sobriety.

Had a great Accessible City Expo yesterday

Yesterday was a great day. The Expo at the Convention Center was a great success. We had 5 HIV testing vehicles instead of 4 and they seemed to be busy for most of the day. We had a wide mixture of caucasian, latino and African Americans, as well as people with disabilities who are often left out.

I gave out 100s of condoms - to young people and old people. Hopefully they will used them and and not join the ranks of those living with HIV/AIDS. It is a good feeling to know you may have helped someone to a more healthy life.

At end of day I was tired but had a sense of accomplishment - I did it; I organized it and set it up. Maybe this will be my last year to do this and I wanted to go it right. It also got my mind off cancer for a while.

Expo is tomorrow

The Expo I have been working on is tomorrow and I hope it is a success. A lot of last minute details today - so much work again that I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself.

Wrote a long letter to my doctor with a bunch of questions. I am still hopeful that the treatment which starts Friday works.

Drive

Friday I had to go to the hospital to give a urine sample, a week before my first treatment next Friday.

I told a co-worker that I donated to a "pee drive" as my civic duty. I said that the pee drive isn't as well publicized as the blood drive but just as important. lol

Chips

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

The morning after

Got to an AA meeting last night and talked with a friend who had gone through things like this. I got a lot of support and think I will get through what I have to. I still have high hopes for the BCG and those treatments. I will have to wait several weeks to see if the treatments work and by that time I should be into next year. I will have more sick time then, and be nearing another year counted toward retirement income.

Meanwhile I intend to live my life to the fullest.

I still wish I could go to Dr. Marcus Wellby (the tv doc). All of his patients recovered completely and never had to come back and never had serious treatments.

Oh Well.

Well I finally got the biopsy results and they weren't good

I finally got the biopsy results and the cancer #2 is back and may be spreading in the bladder and nearing the prostate. So, back to BCG/Inteferon treatments (6) starting Oct. 12th and then see what happens.

The spector of bladder removal surgery again looms. Since I have been attending a bladder cancer support group at Norris Cancer Hospital, I am only in minor terror rather than major terror.

Life in the 1500s - Part 3

Life in the 1500s - Part 3

Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw piled high with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats, dogs and other small animals lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall out of the roof.

Hence the saying - "It's raining cats and dogs."

Still waiting for results

Called my doctor yesterday and again today to find out biopsy results but as yet no call back. I am pretty optomistic though, so it isn't like waiting for some really bad news.

My work on the Expo started to get productive. I kept thinking everything fell apart in the week I was gone but several things are coming together. I had to make a couple calls/emails but then they committed for incentives, flyer distribution, etc. I guess I can feel like my work was a success.