How's that for a picture change? Chemo and radiation will sure put some "ugly" on a guy. Despite the brain surgery, from the front, you can't really tell there is a dent in the side of my head. Joey says that "chicks dig guys with scars" so I guess it will all work out in the end.
I am doing really well in the sick department. No stomach trouble at all. I have these follow up appointments at the VA that take some time but that's a heck of a lot better than doing the chemo boogie!
I lost my right eye and I have an eye appointment at 8 am this morning so I gotta hit it. I have a head appointment Wednesday that I understand will last all day long. Don't have a clue why it will take all day to get r' done, but I'm being very, very careful to follow their instructions to the "T" and not missing an appointment. Can not afford to lose my benefits as a result of not complying with their orders so I keep doing exactly what they say.
I moved my motorhome 120 miles south of Shreveport and am doing my "rehab" down there. You can google "Toledo Bend Dam" and kinda get an idea of the terrain.
I get to be surrounded by all my buddies, stay mentally engaged and play the stone yard game, too. I like it a lot and it does wonders for a guy's self esteem to know that he's not a complete invalid even though the Chief of Staff of Oncology tells me that my brain scan indicates: "There's nothing up there". My big brother told me that he could have saved all that catscan money as he could have told the Doc that there hasn't been anything up there for years. Oh well.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Picture posting
If I could figure out how to change the photo on the front page of the blog, I would do it. Sorry.
Doing very well so far. No barforama for roughly five weeks. Feeling super good about that. Have eye doctor appt tomorrow for new glasses. Lost my right eye completely so there will be no more flying for me. Not that I was doing any anyway but at least I had the ability to go fly if I wanted to.
Will let ya'll know whats up as time goes on. Sorry it's been a while since I posted but I've been in Leesville and haven't had wifi at the camp.
Tim Sr.
Doing very well so far. No barforama for roughly five weeks. Feeling super good about that. Have eye doctor appt tomorrow for new glasses. Lost my right eye completely so there will be no more flying for me. Not that I was doing any anyway but at least I had the ability to go fly if I wanted to.
Will let ya'll know whats up as time goes on. Sorry it's been a while since I posted but I've been in Leesville and haven't had wifi at the camp.
Tim Sr.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Cancer Free
Yesterday's catscan report shows me to be cancer free. I can't tell you what a relief that has been for all of us especially my son and my family. Thanks for all the support and well wishes. Will let you know what the next inspection looks like and what I have to do to stay ahead of this.
Sr.
Sr.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Brainscan completed today.
Tim Jr spent 6 hours hauling me all over hell's half acre today but I finally made it through the catscan with contrast. Tim says the contrast needle is bigger than the regular needle they use for the typical blood test. I had 4 "stabs" today and am still wearing the little gauze pads and band aid like scotch tape to affix the gauze.
Spent from 8 am to roughly 9:20 doing my benefit thing with the Disabled American Vets office here in town. I understand that all the paper work has been completed and I'm finished proving that I was in Vietnam and Cambodia as well as some of the missions I went on. That's been months and months of agony. Always wanted to ask one of them: "what were you doing on August 12th of 1970"?
I have another blood test and Oncology hearing Monday but will finished with all of that by maybe 3 pm and can return to the much improved day to day life of being off chemo. Man, it is so cool to not puke!
That's it so far. Will let you know what's up when I get the word.
Sr.
Spent from 8 am to roughly 9:20 doing my benefit thing with the Disabled American Vets office here in town. I understand that all the paper work has been completed and I'm finished proving that I was in Vietnam and Cambodia as well as some of the missions I went on. That's been months and months of agony. Always wanted to ask one of them: "what were you doing on August 12th of 1970"?
I have another blood test and Oncology hearing Monday but will finished with all of that by maybe 3 pm and can return to the much improved day to day life of being off chemo. Man, it is so cool to not puke!
That's it so far. Will let you know what's up when I get the word.
Sr.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
brainscan Monday
Feelin' good and have been off chemo long enough not to have played "Commode Hug" for 3 weeks this coming Tuesday..........I think. I have the catscan appointment Monday that will prove that I'm cancer free or it's back in the brain or spreading somewhere else.
Am real glad to be stomach free so to speak. I'm up to 187 pounds from a low of 177. That's 54 pounds lost when compared to my weight when I started which was 231. I'm really high in spirits and have confidence that I'm cancer free. I just don't see how you can feel this good if you have cancer. It's either that or I'm so freaked out about not puking, I don't know I'm sick. In any event, I'm feelin' good and movin the motorhome back south Monday after the docs finish messin' with me. Will publish the news as soon as I get it.
Curt, thanks buddy!
Tim Sr.
Am real glad to be stomach free so to speak. I'm up to 187 pounds from a low of 177. That's 54 pounds lost when compared to my weight when I started which was 231. I'm really high in spirits and have confidence that I'm cancer free. I just don't see how you can feel this good if you have cancer. It's either that or I'm so freaked out about not puking, I don't know I'm sick. In any event, I'm feelin' good and movin the motorhome back south Monday after the docs finish messin' with me. Will publish the news as soon as I get it.
Curt, thanks buddy!
Tim Sr.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Last appointment, T minus 48 hours
My last appointment at the VA hospital will come at 1 pm Friday. I'll have to come back on a once a month schedule to insure that the cancer is not spreading but I will NOT have to take chemo during this off period. I'm done with chemo.
I've started gaining weight and am up to 188 pounds. That's only 43 pounds lost from day one of radiation and chemo. I can stay at 188 as far as I'm concerned even though, at 6'3", I may look a bit thin.
Thanks to all for putting up with the madness of the ten month long battle. Yeee Haaa!
Sr.
I've started gaining weight and am up to 188 pounds. That's only 43 pounds lost from day one of radiation and chemo. I can stay at 188 as far as I'm concerned even though, at 6'3", I may look a bit thin.
Thanks to all for putting up with the madness of the ten month long battle. Yeee Haaa!
Sr.
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