Off and running.

Hey everybody,

I'm off chemo now and feeling so much better. I am no longer rushing to the bathroom to do the barf maneuver as the first act of each day.


I'm starting to gain a little weight. I dropped from 231 to a low of 177 but am up to 187 right now. That's a 54 pound weight loss from day one of radiation to completion of chemo. Right now, I'm down 44 pounds which is still a tad light for a guy that's 6'3" tall. I hope to tone up a bit and simply get my strength back and some weight from muscle tone, not pigging out.


Doc said that spending that much time in a hospital and then the rest of the time in bed or on the couch has weakened my muscles and caused weight loss in arms, legs and my six pack which is more like a can of empty bottles than anything you would describe as toned.



Jay and Woody told me I could come back to work on a light schedule. Last week, I did that. Most of the time was spent driving to see different customers so I wasn't pushing it. Just riding down the road with the radio on and the air conditioner running as I made my way to each client's office.



The rest of the time was spent "talking" to customers and not doing anything of a physically demanding nature. One day I made it from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm with no trouble. I consider myself as someone who has "graduated" from the course of malignant cancer and along the way, I did a minor in chemo and radiation.



Speaking of graduation, 40 years ago yesterday, I graduated. My mom and my Aunt Nell drove from Shreveport to Alabama to attend ceremonies. Two years later I returned to my old job and have been doing the same thing for 38 years. Not nearly as dangerous as flying in Cambodia and I haven't been shot at on the job a single time. Was a good career choice for me.



I have a brain scan due on the 26th or maybe the 29th and will have to return to the hospital once a month for check ups to insure that the cancer isn't spreading. My last cat scan shows no cancer evident in the right temporal lobe area.



I've lost my right eye. I had cataract surgery in the right eye years ago but the vision was corrected to 20/40. Now, it's totally gone. Can't see anything except on the extreme periferral side of the right eye. I've flown my last flight as pilot in command but I've accepted that and am not having a problem knowing that I'll never fly again.



As a last note, let me say this. All of you guys that flew with us in the Vietnam and Cambodia, get your ass down to the VA hospital and get yourself registered. Take the time to do that or at least get on line and register. When you do that, go get tested for Agent Orange Exposure. If they give you any lip, you can download the data from each AO (area of operations) that you flew and and show them how many millions of gallons was sprayed in all 4 Corps of Vietnam. You can actually go to your home bases in RVN and see how many gallons were sprayed where you were.



When you get all that done, have them test you for Agent Orange and then get them to give you a catscan for any evidence of tumors caused by the toxin in Agent Orange. If it hadn't been for the wreck and the fact that I showed up at the hospital unconscious, I never would have discovered the brain tumor and would already be dead.



Early detection is the key. Hang tough, I'll send an update when I get the news back from the catscan.



Sr.