a new note from Dad

today has been a rough day and I am not sure why, just lots of pain so I have just had the ice machine on most of the day and taking it easy. I checked my Dads facebook page and saw he has a new note and since you all are mentioned specifically I wanted to get it up since some of you will be traveling tomorrow ;) love you Mary.

I can't tell you how much it means to me that you all took the time and sent Dad a note or an encouraging word and as you can see it meant so much to him as well. Thankyou for being living breathing examples of the Body of Christ and showing Dad what that looks like authentically



The Tremors
Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 4:52pm


I went into the office four days this week and would have made it five but I was too tired and didn’t feel well on Friday. I think four out-of-five is pretty good for the first week back.

The only medical work that was performed this week was some lab work to insure the blood thinner (Coumadin) is at the right level. I think this process will take place for the rest of my life. Once they get the level stabilized, the test will occur once a month – rather than weekly.

Mayo did set one date that is important. On Thursday, October 15, they will perform a CT Scan on my chest and abdomen. This scan will show how effective the radiation and chemotherapy treatments were and give some idea of what comes next. I have an appointment on Friday, October 16, with my oncologist to review the results of the CT Scan. The appointment with my oncologist will reveal where I am.

As you can see, not much took place this week and very little is planned for the next couple of weeks. It’s really pretty nice to not have any treatments or big tests. I’m enjoying the break.

I’m only taking three medications that are related to the cancer: Coumadin (which I already mentioned, Decadron (a steroid), and Hydrocodone (a liquid pain reliever which I am taking for my throat). The Coumadin and Hydocodone are tolerable but the Decadron is one medication I can do without.

When I was drinking, I frequently woke up with the tremors (where my hands shake uncontrollably). More than once, I spent the night in a motel because I traveled for the company I was working for .I frequently drank the nights I traveled. I often woke up with a hangover..The hangovers were bad enough, but the most embarrassing time was when I had to check out of the hotel and I had to sign the credit card statement. I often had the tremors so badly I couldn’t stop my hand from shaking and I couldn’t sign my name.

I still remember how embarrassed I was that I had to stand in front of the check-out clerk and I had the shakes so badly that I couldn’t steady the pen or move it to write my name.

The tremors were a strange phenomenon for me. I remember my hands shaking since I was in elementary school. Of course, I had the tremors almost all of the time I was drinking but the minute I stopped drinking they went away – a bit of a miracle.

I haven’t dealt with the tremors for over 31 years. Then this disease came along and my doctor prescribed Decadron. The tremors are a side-effect of taking Decadron and they are back and stronger than ever. As a result, I cannot sign my name so that it is legible. Another problem came up last week when Barbie and I went to eat sushi. I couldn’t use the chopsticks because I couldn’t g et my hand steady enough to pick up the fish. I had to eat sushi with a fork – which was almost criminal! Even with a fork, I had a difficult time.

And you should watch me try to land my mouse on a location on the screen. I have to make about five passes of my mouse over the location that I want. It takes me five times longer to do anything.

So, am I complaining? It definitely sounds like it. Do you remember when I first got this disease and I said I wasn’t going to let the small stuff bother me. I have too many important things to deal with. Well, that didn’t last very long; did it?

In the grand scheme of things, the tremors really don’t amount to much. They are a little embarrassing, but I can live with that. They are inconvenient, but I can live with that too. They cause me to take longer than normal to do some things, but I can live with that too.

Taking the Decadron won’t last forever – probably no more than two months. I’ll just tolerate the tremors and wait for the day when I quit taking the Decadron.

Acknowledgements:

I want to use this section to identify people who have done something special for my family and me, I don’t want to list what anyone did, nor do I want to say where they are from, I just want identify the people and say thank you.

So this is the first time I include acknowledgements:

A special thanks to:

Cindy Imler
Derrick Caitlin
Guilene Guilhem
Jerry and Jo Speckhard
Judy Huener
Judy Lamphear
Julie Bickel
Kat and Steve Smith
Kathleen Steward
Lili Taboada
Lois Ann Coman
Maggie Smith
Marian Thompson
Mary and Tom Zatkalik
Mick Speckhard
Rosel


Doug Woods


Love and Blessings to you