In Flanders Fields

The GreatWar 1914-1918

 

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

On a day to remember the “last full measure of devotion”; at 3:00 PM, take a moment to give pause.

recovery from last night

OK, I will not lie to you. Physically, I was very challenged to get through the show. I of course had a lot of mucus and saliva build up. I was tired, it’s a lot for me to be out and about and getting up and down the TCC steps was a pleasure.

The blessing for my ears was well worth the effort. Oh my, to hear that wonderful music performed by professional musicians in a big space with a good (yes, THX certified) sound system was just too much to believe. It was awesome.

This morning I drink coffee and enjoy my new cup and beanie. hehehehe, Star Wars rocks.

If I were whole, I would have been no more happier. I so enjoyed the experience.

darth

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

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The death star

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

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We are there

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

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An evening for my ears:

 

Tonight, my oldest son and I will be going to the Star Wars In Concert series, which finally visits the Old Pueblo this evening. I seldom get out for very long so I am very excited as well as apprehensive as to my energy level for this evening. The fun begins at 5:30 PM local time and we will be there. Look for updates this evening from my phone if posting works.

 

fyi: Tickets were 35, 55 and 75 USD, we elected to purchase the cheaper option.

my podcast schedule from the other day

I love getting to podcast as I can. When I wake up in the middle of the night due to pain or just an inability to sleep, I find my iPod and listen to one of these for awhile.

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Birthday Party!

Yesterday was Hayden’s 3rd birthday.

There were great grand ma’s every where:

And, there were some grand ma’s as well:

(oh’ Lord! Help me.)

I was here also, this is me, I’m three.

It was exciting and I wore this cool hat.

We had pizza of course.

I likes birthday parties.

I played games and rode the horses with my dad.

I saw grand pa taking my picture.

It was a blast.

Then everyone sang ‘happy birthday’ and I got embarrassed.

and I wanted my mommy.

CAKE!

Being 3 is awesome!

Connected

Sometimes there is just no explanation of how man has managed to survive as long as he/we have. Even in the face of destruction, even while grasping a fallen fellow human, even in the mist of confusion and in the haze of just merely trying to take a step; someone, somewhere will have an issue with you and for some reason will try to force their will upon you. ALWAYS BE AS HUMAIN AS YOU CAN BE; BUT PREPARE FOR TOMORROW.

There is some amazing short film work out there and this one caught my eye. There is some very interesting insight at the website. I hope you enjoy Connected:

Copyright © 2009 Jonas Drotner Mouritsen / Jens Raunkjær Christensen

for my cousin Ricky

 

This is me with my Uncle Gaddis. I am 9 months old so that would be sometime in November of 1955. The back is stamped Fowler’s Portsmouth, Ohio; Dec 30, 1955. Mom may have not had the roll developed to after Christmas that year. In the background is some unknown body shop.

What I am unsure of is if this picture was really taken in Portsmouth or if Mom and Dad took me to Jackson then had the picture developed after they returned.

Another unknown but I feel pretty sure that the dog is ‘boots’.

{Ric, any ideas as to the location of this picture? I hope you enjoy.}

the sun cast a shadow this morning

 

It is a lovely May morning here. I paused and looked down to see my portrait.

AC loves shadow shots and I have done a lot of them lately.

For some reason I am having thoughts of a catholic priest.

The sun on my throat eases the pain. I am so cold.

Plan B; and the rub….

 

Yesterday, we discovered what lurked behind door number one. Today, we take a look behind the curtain. (A little trip to Let’s Make a Deal TV Land). That’s what it seems like to me anyway.

This morning I met with my Radiation Oncologist. This is the same doctor who has treated me twice before.

He offers me a no knife no pain option called Radiosurgery. Well, to be  exact it is Image-Guided Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Radiosurgery uses a treatment beam contoured to the exact shape of the tumor. Treatment sessions for me will be 5 times (one week) for an expected duration of one hour each.

The side effects should; ; ; ; Should; ah hum! should be less that what I experienced with the Radiation(s) to my throat. I trust him and that seems logical to me.

So, no knife, no pain, no hospital; heck lets do this.

I want to digress for one second, prior to the rub. (Hay, this is me, there is always a rub.)

One digression topic: there really is no way to know for sure if this is a new primary for lung cancer or my old cancer coming back, unless or until we do Option A, the surgery. All of the doctors fell that their best guess right now is this is a new primary for lung cancer.

Second digression topic: I have gained one half pound in weight since the time of my biopsy.

And now; the RUB.

This procedure requires that I be restrained in my mid section. Much like my throat, I will have a restraint ‘carriage’ if you will, over my body. Part of that restraint has a weight which presses down just below my lungs to prevent movement of the lungs due to breathing. Remember, the treatment takes an hour. No big deal, I can do this….Oh wait, I have a feeding tube right where the weighted portion is to lay on my stomach. Just pressing on it is painful. A weight pressed on it for an hour?

At the end of the month we will do a dry run, getting set up, measured and fitted for the device. We will see. As always, I have to have the painful version of every damn life extending procedure I have had to date. Why not! What, I thought option B would be a cake walk?

OK, there you have the options. I selected option B, the Radiosurgery. If I can not endure the procedure, I shall be scrubbed and prepped for surgery. Oh well, at least I have an option, that’s more than some can say.

Today, like every day, is a struggle to endeavor to persevere.

(10 bonus if you know what movie that is from)

a metasyntactic variable

 

While waiting on the results of this mornings visit to my doctor and to find out of a>b or if b is = to or more preferred to a; I offer you this placeholder to muse away you music longings.

 

{Thanks to one of my regularly visited Disney sites: }

Vintage Disneyland Tickets: "Almost There": "'Almost There'"

 

Plan A or how to spend three days in a hospital

I met with my new Thoracic Surgeon this morning. As almost everyone had told me; he’s another rock star medical type. Considered the best lung surgeons in Tucson, I was set to ease with how quickly he understood my concerns regarding chasing cancer all through my body and removing what little of me is left.

First off, the good news; the second biopsy which was scheduled for next Wednesday when out the window like yesterday’s bad habits.

“Mr. Parker, both you and I know you have cancer in your lung correct?”

Made sense to me as I was not looking forward to another one of those happy happy joy joy times on my stomach.

Here was his offering for my consideration:

Two nights and three fun filled days in the hospital. He would go in through my left side and using what is really called a lung stapler, he would section off the portion of lung in question and take it out. Leaving me with a tube in my side for drainage which I am use to for three day stay, minimal. If all when well, after 3 days, I could go home where I would have limited mobility for 3 to 4 weeks while recovering on what he promised were the best designer pain drugs I wanted.

The possible dangers were the normal, bleeding, lung tare and/or collapse, yadda,yadda, yadda.

He was very aware of my desires and is going to consult with my radiation oncologists after I meet with him in the morning. This doctor feels it’s pretty much my choice. If I elect to have the radiation, there is no prejudice against later coming back and having the surgery.

All and all, he gave me no hard sale for having him perform the surgery; he was amazingly in tune with my desires towards future treatment plans; and, seemed very willing to work with my other doctors in regards to options and election of treatment.

OK, that’s PLAN A. I met with radiation oncologist tomorrow morning and I get to consider PLAN B.

Oh boy, can’t tell you how much fun this is!

Having a swell breakfast in the retro future

 

My oldest daughter owns the most amazing toaster I have ever seen! Well, until now. Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls of all ages….I would like to steer you to an amazing web site I enjoy where you will find this wonderful thrilling tale:

Direct link to: “The Toaster with TWO Brains” 

Trailer for "The Toaster With TWO BRAINS" from Bradley W. Schenck on Vimeo.

I truly hope you enjoy your visit to this website, and I trust you will enjoy this new tale by Bradley W. Scheneck.

{I admit it, I love this stuff. I hope you do as well.}

WONDERMARK, an Illustrated Jocularity

If you are looking for a really cool, full service online comic; my I humbly suggest Wondermark.

{click picture to enlarge}

Come on, gaming in the Victorian Age; life doesn’t get any better. Go there, have a look around and enjoy.

‘little girl’ goes green

and no; I don’t mean she became a tree huger. I found these while going through my desk this morning and just had to share.

My friend Elda stopped by one night several years ago to partake in this madness.

Of course her brother had to get in on the belly laughs and fun.

Now, what was really cool for me was, when she was out of the net and playing in the field she was easy for me and the Refs to find.

Moebius Model Build with Lighting

This is from LIS fan Mark Myers. I also want to point you to the web site the Irwin Allen News Network. Yes, I grew up with the wonderful worlds he created. One amazing fact about Irwin Allen was that he had 3 shows on network TV all during the same season. That magical year 1967 which brought us not only Lost in Space but also Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Time Tunnel. Followed in the 68 Season with Land of the Giants. Of course he did many other shows for TV and many movies. But, Lost in Space holds a special place in my childhood and in my heart.

Here Is Mr. Myers amazing working model of the Jupiter 2. Not exciting to most of you, but for me, I am in love with this thing.

A look at my calendar

This was delivered to my support group last night and read by Mindy:

Hello everyone,

I am so very happy to be here and see everyone. I can't begin to tell you all how much encouragement and strength I get from merely being in your presence. Thank you all for being my friend.

I have had a much to busy medical calendar yet again as I stated in my last e-mail to the group. Let me catch you all up to date and give you the plan as I go forward.

Last week I did in fact have my lung biopsy. Really, it was not horrible but much like a root canal or an all expenses paid trip to Baghdad; something I really not recommend as a fun way to spend the day. I get to do it again looks like, but more on that in just a second. They do not give you anything but a local because you have to control your breathing and while laying on my stomach, they stick a garden hose; well OK, I guess it is called a long surgical fine needle aspiration cytology of the left upper lung lobe mass. The doctor obtained two samples.

A couple days later I meet with Dr. Huang and we discussed the box score as it were. Funny thing about pathologists I have learned over the years. They love to express results much like the Nixon White House... they speak in a non denial; denial manner. Put another way, nether confirm nor deny. Now, we all know that it isn't good but the official word is:

~ SCANT ATYPICAL CELLS, SUSPICIOUS FOR NONSMALL CELL CARCINOMA. ~

I'll be honest, my first reaction was confusion. After speaking with Dr. Huang, he informed me that this was not to be confused with the fact that I did in fact have a cancer spot in my lung.

Joy

Because of the wordage we decided on the following path of exciting adventure and romp roaring flights of medical fancy.

- have the Pet Scan on Monday the 3rd. Yesterday. I did a quick count and I believe that was the 11th Pet Scan I have had in 4 and a half years.

-This Thursday I have an appointment with Dr. Schwartz to amongst other things indulge with my Constitutional Right to consult with my doctor.

-I have yet another Rock Star doctor to meet, greet and break in. I meet with a Thoracic Surgeon who is highly regarded by the name of Dr. Coulton who I believe works at UMC but his office is on Knight Drive. It is his call if I will need a second biopsy or not. (Note, the biopsy has been scheduled for the 19th at St. Joe's.)

-Lung surgery to remove the upper one third of my upper left lung to be scheduled by Dr. Coulton.

As of right now, no one can tell me if this is a metastases of the old throat cancer or if this is in fact a new primary which has developed. Go figure, medicine is truly an art, not a science. So my friends, I have once again; at least right now, decided to go to bat and take another swing. I will not go quietly anywhere. For now, I shall go kicking and screaming ... well, more like just a shuffle and a cough into yet more procedures and more treatment. But damn it, I am going and by the grace of God and the support of all of you I will continue to go and continue to not break the faith of all of you and I will continue to live. It isn't fun being me, but it is interesting and beats chasing wayward women on the dimly lit streets of Eloy. At least I tell myself that.

I love you all and please know that I think and pray for all of you every day.

Be strong because cancer sucks.