Anger Management...

We spent a couple of hours at the BC Cancer Agency on Tuesday, May 7, a 90-day checkup. The last time in was on February 5. That was the day Dr. Francois Bachand gave us the news that the medical team and the treatment had managed to successfully obliterate the cancer cells!

Last week, it was a bit of a different tune, as the discussion was more about side effects and progress along those lines, rather than us wondering about the status of the tumor in my throat. For the record, the camera was snaked up my nose and into my throat again, and Bachand announced that everything in there that he could see looked "normal".

Well, "normal" is now a real buzzword in my world these days, as I am trying to come to terms with exactly what normal means. These days, it's "normal" for me to:

1. drink three or four glasses of water to choke down a sandwich or a hamburger.
2. chew about three pieces of gum per day.
3. be forgetful.
4. grow tired very early in the evenings.

Really, I recognize that these are just inconveniences now, although I find myself getting more and more angry about these inconveniences becoming the norm.

The biggest issue is how dry my mouth is. It's a new experience for me and one I am not enjoying. There is no timeline on this possibly changing for the better.

I am also being challenged with short-term memory issues. We discussed this last week and it is attributable to the drug used during my chemotherapy sessions. "Cisplatin" is the name of the drug, but apparently the "platin" group of drugs does make their way into our brains. For me, remembering entire phone numbers is an example of new challenge. I am not amused.

Feeling a little less energetic as the day wears on relates to thyroid function, or lack of the same. Effectively, the radiation treatments have sped up this process, that being the deterioration. It will not belong before we give a low-dose thyroid medication a try.

New Challenges...
We really felt we had things moving in the right direction at work these days at the Shannon Lake Golf Club. The golf course is in excellent condition, thanks to the team effort our grounds crew puts forward every day.

On the golf side, we've been fortunate that continuity over the past seven years has resulted in service level consistency. And, as a business, we have been profitable, which is unfortunately kind of a rarity in the golf industry these days.

At the end of April, the club took over operation of the food and beverage end of things, after four years of lease operators running the show. There was a real upbeat and positive vibe at the club in recent days, noticeable even to a few of the folks that many would recognize as our chronic complainers.

Then this...

The clubhouse at the Shannon Lake Golf Club, destroyed by fire on May 11, 2013.

 

Another look at the destruction.

Emotions are running pretty high, as many can imagine. A significant portion of the Membership looks at this building and realizes that about 25 years of memories have been generated on the property. We often joked about the state of the building and how we wished for more modern digs, but this incident is devastating. And the timing is terrible.

But, we have a good working Board at the club and a solid management team. That should be a favorable combination moving forward, as decisions will have to be made regarding our short-term operation strategies and the long-term plan that will relate to reconstruction.

For me these days, working in an environment with remnants of smoke damage and chemical fumes in the air is only an option if I choose to function as a complete idiot. After being there all day Saturday, I suffered through the evening and over night with pain and irritation in my throat, the likes of which I have not experienced for some time. Sure, it was a bad judgement call on my part to spend as much time around the property as I did on Saturday, but I suppose I'll have to attribute that to the shock and disappointment.

Actually, in retrospect, I am somewhat amused by the fact that the fire investigators wore masks and oxygen tanks while combing through the wreckage. Meanwhile many of us, including the on-lookers and illustrious media stood around by the clubhouse area just breathing in the toxic atmosphere. Really! What the hell were we  thinking?

Moving forward, I will not make the same mistake, although the shitty part of that decision is that more of the "on-site responsibility" in the short-term will fall upon the other members of the team. I'll work remotely for awhile on as many admin tasks as I can. Part of me feels like I'm shirking my responsibility by not being there in the trenches. The other part of me wants to stay alive...

Through it all, I recall an old saying; "you can't turn chicken shit into chicken salad". Or, "you can't whip shit into honey".

Well, I think that proving this old adage wrong might just sum up our new challenge.

So stay tuned...


   

The "Promises" Keep Coming True...

Early on in my treatment odyssey, the medical staff I spoke with were always very open about side effects. Initially, I convinced myself that I was the guy that would rise above these issues, thus confounding the experts and moving on in continued good health.

But then reality kind of nailed me between the eyes when my taste buds ceased to function after about 15 radiation treatments. It was around this time that Gay coined the phrase, "maybe all of the promises are coming true".

Well, yeh, they all did come true over the course of treatment and also through post-treatment. Some issues were not particularly serious in my opinion, but others certainly gave me some grief.

PAIN: absolutely this was an issue as radiation continued to singe the inside of my throat. What the heck...one sunburn per day for 35 consecutive weekdays? Yeh, that'll do it!

WEIGHT LOSS: pretty logical on  this one, eh? When swallowing food becomes a painful proposition, shedding pounds is obviously going to be a result. The tale of the tape reveals that I lost 18 pounds during treatment. Had I been grossly "unfit" when treatment began, I probably would have lost more weight.

CONSTIPATION: I dodged the bullet on this one, likely for a couple of reasons. Firstly, over the past many years, I have been a religious "drinker of water". It is not uncommon for me to down 8 to 10 glasses a day. So, when the suggestion from the medical team was to maintain high fluid intake, it was not a new concept for me to buy into. Secondly, I used laxatives "in advance", meaning I did not wait for symptoms to get my attention. One-a-day made sense to me, rather than using a huge dosage to "undo" a festering problem. Hey, it worked for me.

CHEMO BRAIN: Sure, it's kind of a slang term, and it may not have any real medical relevance, but I "only" underwent three sessions. And, there was three weeks between sessions. I cannot imagine what patients endure when they experience a higher frequency. I have noticed some challenges with short-term retention of numbers, and I do not seem to be as quick and accurate when making calculations. Maybe this can all be attributed to being a 50-year-old? It's easier to blame the drugs!

FATIGUE: Oh yeh. While the treatment plan was effectively kicking the shit out of my system, I frequently ran out of gas. I feel very fortunate though that I did sleep well through it all, but while I was awake and mobile, I got to know the meaning of the word "lethargic".

SKIN: Again, our proactive approach on this one probably saved me some major grief. We used galaxall-based cremes a couple of times daily throughout treatment. There was also a saline-type solution recommended by the cancer agency that Gay made. It was a solution we used to soak a small towel, then it was placed on my neck in the evenings. It was "cooling" at first, but I wonder if the solution also served to condition the skin that was being butchered by radiation? Hey, it all worked out well, as I avoided any serious blistering or peeling. Today, as the inflammation in my throat continues to subside, I can see what appear to be stretch marks beginning to develop. It seems to makes sense.

TEETH & ORAL HEALTH: I was fortunate to begin treatment without any serious problems with my teeth. I learned that some people undergoing the same treatment have had  to have all of their teeth removed "before" treatment. Can you imagine how traumatic that would be...and how expensive? Today, I can tell things have changed. There is more space between some of my teeth, although I cannot completely ascertain how much of this would relate to treatment. I am also chewing gum (sugarless) more than I ever have, so I imagine my teeth are not always enjoying this. And naturally, my jaws get tired. It's a weird feeling.

SALIVARY GLANDS: If I understand this correctly, I had four salivary glands that functioned in an optimal fashion prior to treatment. Radiation effectively eliminated the ability of two of these to do their jobs. So, that would make for a 50% reduction in my ability to produce saliva. The negative impact on oral health remains to be seen, but saliva effectively helps to keep our mouths moist and it also helps to remove food particles from our teeth. It can also help to reduce plaque buildup. Naturally, I anticipate some challenges moving forward, which will be a drag because I've been pretty blessed with decent teeth and very few dental health issues. I used trays (mouth guards) during treatment everyday, but admittedly, I've kind of fallen off the regular use in recent weeks. Chewing gum helps to keep my mouth moist, but I've bitten my tongue at least half-a-dozen times of late. Geezuz that hurts!! And it bleeds so much!! Oddly, I find myself laughing while I'm spitting up the blood, obviously amused at my own stupidity. I continue to pound the water as well, which really helps, but it also compromises my desire to gain some weight. Oh well...

THYROID: My latest adventure! A few weeks ago my blood work confirmed I am on the road to hypothyroidism. Again, radiation is the culprit. I have begun to feel less energetic over the past week or so, which is bothersome, but seemingly, it's par for the course. We'll monitor all of this and see where it goes.

The HEALTH SIDE...
On May 7, we sit down with Dr. Bachand again at the cancer agency in Kelowna. I imagine he'll be snaking a camera down my throat again to check things out, along with evaluating my progress. I'll toss him a bunch of questions, certainly on the "thyroid" front. I think he has some more scans to set up for me as well.

More to come...

Having Things To Look Forward To...

Something I have been able to do over the past year is plan some short trips. It’s a luxury for certain, given the whole illness and treatment scenario. But the idea behind planning these little junkets was to create some things to aim for...something to look forward to.

 

The latest adventure took me to Las Vegas for three days, where I hooked up with a crew of my golf buddies from Saskatoon. The trip had been in the works since some time back in November, but I didn’t get wind of it until a couple of months ago. The boys were unsure if I even wanted to be invited. When word came, I was kind of unsure if I wanted to try and make it happen. But, with enough air miles available at the time, and Gay's support, it became an easy decision. And what the heck…for a few extra bucks I insured everything just in case I wouldn’t have been able to pull the trigger.

 

 

Vegas is a cool place, but I learned a few things on this trip that will also help me moving forward.

 

1. Laughter is just sooooooo important! Sitting around with eight other guys who have plenty in common is just a hoot. To hear all of the stories about their respective misadventures was really just the tonic for me. To laugh out loud, almost to the point of tears, is something I haven’t done in quite awhile!

 

2. Two days in a row of golf is absolutely the limit for me. My hips and lower body just are not cooperating enough yet. I’d love to tee it up every day, but there's just no way yet. I have no doubt it's still all about “matter over mind” these days.

 

3. I can certainly sympathize with folks who struggle when there are smokers on the scene. In fact, cigarette smoke just continues to disgust me. I didn’t like it before I got sick, and I detest it even more today. Interesting how Gay and I have met so many wonderful people over the years…and a common trait within our social circle is that nobody smokes. What a blessing! Or, maybe it has just worked out by design? Anyway, cigarettes and the folks who need them make my clothes stink, make my eyes burn, make my throat hurt, create litter, and generally just piss me off. Vegas is full of this crap, despite what the casinos would like you to believe about air filtration systems.

 

4. It took me about 12 hours to really begin missing Gay. She and I have kind of a routine in Vegas. We put a lot of miles on our legs. And we don’t mind having a few pops together as we stroll up and down the Strip. The routine is much, much different with a group of nine guys. Good fun for sure, just very different compared to the way Gay and I “do Vegas”.

 

5. Golf is overpriced in Vegas. It’s not only expensive, I’m just not sure the “value” is there. Actually, everything is overpriced in Vegas, but it’s probably the one place I can think of where business can get away with charging more for less. As consumers…vacationers, we probably actually do it to ourselves, really. When we hang out in Vegas, it can be easy to splurge. I think Sin City sees us coming!

 

Travel Pains...

The airlines do not owe all fat people any apologies.

I had a window seat on my flight home from Vegas to Seattle. The guy in the middle seat, next to me, checked in at about 5’6" and 290 pounds. Sorry pal, you are never going to find a comfortable economy seat on a 737. And, the folks on either side of you will not be diggin’ the experience either.

 

I have battled weight problems all of my adult life. In my case, absolutely self-inflicted! Guilty! It has been my fault!

 

Now, I "get" that there are legitimate health issues that can relate to weight-gain, and I also recognize that we live in a world where over-sensitivity kind of rules the day. The scourge of political correctness, if you will. But here goes...

 

I watched this clown absolutely debunk every notion I might have accepted about his plight being a health issue. The antics just screamed "attitude". I mean, I'd have given him the benefit of the doubt, until I was forced to deal with the carnage.

Maybe it was the three bags of chips he brought on to the plane with him? Maybe it was watching him cough up $6 for a box of "quality" deli snacks he bought from the flight attendants? Maybe it was the incessant snoring and arm flailing I watched as he appeared to be trying to get comfortable enough for a snooze?

 

And don't forget, there was another guy in our row on the aisle seat enjoying this entertainment as well.

 

We hear about issues like this periodically, generally when the left-wing media gets a hold of a story from someone complaining about how they feel the airline industry has done them a bad turn. But I have to wonder; who is it that should be complaining about this stuff? Is it the obese among us? Or, is it those who are inconvenienced by the obese? Will there ever be a solution?

 

Call me insensitive on this one if you like. Or how about intolerant? I can take the heat. But really, after watching this slob for over two hours on this flight, it became pretty apparent that there are indeed folks not worthy of our sympathy or consideration.
 

This fella certainly gave new meaning to the phrase; "what happens in Vegas...stays in your mustache".

 

The Health Side...

Well, I'm certainly healthy enough to bitch and moan!

 

There has been little or no improvement associated with how dry my mouth is. It's a constant exercise, trying to keep moisture in the mix. Still drinking plenty of water and chewing gum more than I ever have. Talking, heck, just breathing, keeps things dry. Oh well...all things considered, a minor inconvenience, perhaps?

 

I did get some color in Vegas, plenty of sun. But, I also piled on the sunscreen. The skin on my neck is looking rougher these days as the inflammation/swelling inside continues to reduce.

 

I feel like I'm making strides in building lower-body strength, but recovery from long walks and exercise is more painful than in the past. My hips and lower back seem to let me know when they are not happy!

 

I have not gained any significant amount of weight during the past couple of months. Still a svelte 172 pounds. Yeh...just chiseled!

 

It's great to be home!

 

Looking forward to summer out here in the sunny Okanagan Valley!

 

 

We Are Blessed To Have Very Special Friends...

It was early in March when I wondered aloud on this blog about whether or not I would continue to write about my experiences with cancer and the effects of treatment. I received a number of communications from people suggesting they had found the blog informative. There were also a few notes that arrived from people that Gay and I have spent meaningful time with over the years.

Here's an example, received on March 9:
"You can’t stop now as it is the only way to keep in touch with you and Gay. We always kept reading your Blog to keep informed on your health."   Norman and Erna.

Norm and Erna Hartfelder are a couple from Leduc, Alberta. We lived next door to them for six years before making our way to the Okanagan Valley in 2005. We have stayed in touch since then, visiting back and forth a few times and connecting briefly on special occasions. Norm and Erna were aware of my health issues over the past year and were 100% behind Gay and I as we tried to figure out together how to tackle the treatment battles. Their support made us stronger.

Back in Leduc, where we lived from 1999 to 2005, our houses were positioned such that we actually shared a huge double driveway with Norm and Erna. We each had our own garages, but the driveway was this long, double-wide concrete run from the street to the garages.

Living on the prairies, the brutal cold and the accumulation of snow are stark realities every winter. This is both a blessing and a curse, as many folks love outdoor winter activities. Others simply bitch and moan about the snow and deal with it in their own miserable ways.

Gay and I were blessed in Leduc when we learned early that our new neighbors were retired, yet very active. Norm would bring his John Deere tractor home from his cottage in the fall, then he'd seem to wait patiently for the first snow. Then, he'd attach a huge blade to the front of his tractor and patrol the neighborhood shoveling snow off of driveways and sidewalks.

At times, his eagerness to tackle this job created a bit of competition among us. Gay and I were certainly capable of shoveling the snow, but we would generally prefer to do it upon returning home from work at the end of the day. Unfortunately, this gave Norm an entire day to get the jump on us!

Occasionally, Gay and I would say "to heck with it", and get at the snow early in the morning before we left for work. We felt it was our responsibility, but taking this job on didn't always seem to sit well with Erna.

I know that Gay and I enjoyed tackling the snow removal at times, especially taking care of the sidewalks leading to Norm and Erna's front steps. There were times I could "feel" Erna staring us down from her front window, but I didn't always want to let on that I could see her. We'd just carry on with our business, feeling satisfied afterward that we had at least contributed a bit toward keeping our sidewalks and driveways clear and safe.

But Erna would sure find a way to get after Gay and I, suggesting we should be leaving the snow alone because "it gives Norman something to do!"

There are so many fond memories of those days in Leduc, most of which are associated with our neighbors and how they chose to embrace us. Norm and Erna included us in many celebrations, and we grew to expect that a battle at the card table was going to be a frequent fact of life for us! And Norm was certainly a proficient bartender!

Gay and I have been blessed over the years to have had many friends in our lives, friends that we have to confirm are senior citizens. A few of our friends, those our age, have noticed this, and have occasionally asked us incredulously, "do you guys adopt old people?"

Well, we think it has kind of worked out the other way. We have often felt that some of these wonderful "older" couples have chosen to adopt us.

Since 1993, when Gay, Ashley and I left Saskatoon, we have never had our "immediate families" closer than about a six-hour drive. There is heartache in this at times, but there is also great satisfaction when we are able to travel home or host our families at our home.

Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Absolutely!

Norm Hartfelder passed away on Thursday evening in Leduc after an evening of dancing with friends in the community. We learned of this through some good friends back in Leduc. Admittedly, I cannot recall my immediate reaction, and a day later when Gay I were finally able  to talk about it, I had to say I was still speechless.

Norm was an enormous contributor to the growth in the County of Leduc and many of the successes the City of Leduc has experienced.

Norm and Erna blessed the community with their commitment to volunteerism, and were active in the church that welcomed Gay, Ashley and I during our time in Leduc. They grew a wonderful family, a group that has stuck close to home over the years, becoming active contributors in the community as well. This is probably the main reason Gay and I can sort of feel "okay" for now with Erna in mind, as we know she has a tremendous support group close by to help through these difficult days.

Norm Hartfelder will be missed.


The Health Side...
I continue to feel great physically, plenty of energy and I feel my strength is gradually returning. So far, so good, I suppose.
The bad news is my thyroid has become an issue and the medical staff are warning me to be aware of symptoms associated with "hypothyroid". The numbers, in terms of recent blood work, are getting worse.
But, I did like my doctor's response when I asked him if we should re-do the blood work to make sure the numbers are accurate. He said we could, but then he said, "sometimes I like to believe the patient rather than the results." Then he asked me how I have been feeling.
Well, truthfully, I have been feeling pretty damn good!
I have been joking that I arrive at the doctor's office these days presenting "50-year-old equipment", but I guess my thyroid has kind of "aged" more quickly due to radiation and chemotherapy.

On the upside, my hemoglobin levels (iron) continue to improve, steadily returning to normal, although this has been enhanced by some regular meds.

Stress is potentially a contributing factor to ill health during these post-treatment days, and I have to admit that I do continue to battle with a few specific individuals that make life challenging on the job. What's the old comedians' one-liner..."I'd call you stupid, but that would be an insult to stupid people!"

Sure, taking the high road is generally the best tonic associated with any grievous interaction with stubborn people, but I also believe that sometimes you get pushed to the point where you just have to roll up your sleeves, drop the gloves, and administer punishment. Really, I have to wonder at times...just how much crap does a person have to take?

More to come...

  

No Foolin'! It's Already April...

I've said it before here; during treatment there were days that seemed like they were a million years long. The inactivity was almost as excruciating as the pain during a three-week long stretch in early November. I had little patience for anything or anyone I encountered. There was a real bitterness associated with all of the drugs and effects from treatment.

I was a mess!

So, fast forward to April and I look back at things feeling as though the entire adventure really came and went quickly. From diagnosis to a cancer-free verdict in 6 1/2 months. Wow!

Golf immersion...
I recognize that not everyone who has visited this blog over the past many months is an avid golfer, but I have pretty much been totally immersed in the game and the business for the better part of the last 20 years. The past three months have probably been the most gratifying, simply because I have been given a reprieve of sorts. So, today I'll talk a little golf!

A "perspective" on how to spend 30-minutes of your day...
For 35 consecutive weekdays beginning on September 18, I travelled into Kelowna for radiation treatments. Upon arrival at the Cancer Agency, the routine kind of went like this:
5 minutes: check-in at "The Cabin" and disrobe (sort of)
10 minutes: this was generally the amount of time I spent sitting in the waiting room.
10 minutes: my name was called, prep for treatment, then the radiation blast.
5 minutes: leave the treatment room, get dressed, head home.

Each treatment was effectively a 30-minute proposition, although the radiation session was only about a 10-minute deal.

Moving forward, I am certainly beginning to wonder how I will react to the legion of golfers who will choose to bitch, moan and complain about their round of golf, the one they wanted to take four hours, but wound up being a 4 1/2 hour experience. Really folks, just WTF is the difference??

You've just spent 4 1/2 hours in a beautiful part of the world, on a great golf course in very good condition, where the pricing provides very fair value. You want to talk to me about how seriously those extra 30 minutes have affected your life? Really?

There is another option; just be thankful you had the opportunity to spend an extra 30 minutes on the golf course!

Growing the game...
I often hear this phrase bandied about by organizations that need participation numbers to grow quickly. Really? These same organizations pretty much rode the gravy train through the 1990's when golf was king. It was "that time" in the history of recreational golf that these folks should have had their eyes firmly focused on the future. But, I'm quite confident the powers that be effectively soiled the sheets on this one!

When the industry had a captive audience with people flocking to give the game a try, well, that was the time to ensure the collective experience was such that people would "catch the buzz" and never consider leaving the game. But folks in-the-know are keenly aware of how sadly the participation numbers have declined.

So now the organizations with a vested interest in the industry's success, those that didn't take care of business when they had a golden opportunity, are pounding the edict that we have to grow the game!

Well, you blew it once, and now here's a little bit of what we're facing.

Ask long-in-the-tooth golfers how they feel about "new golfers" and you'll get some pretty self-serving responses. In many, many cases, folks that will jump on board and support the idea of new golfers coming into the game are the same people that are adamant that they don't want to play golf "behind" groups of new players. It's that same old "pace of play" bullshit discussion that just never seems to end.

Frankly, I have more respect for the guy who is prepared to speak the truth about his selfish motivations, rather than the clown who tells everyone he supports "growth", then bitches about the inconveniences associated with new players trying to learn the ropes.

The industry, methinks, is firmly in "dilemma-mode"!

The 2013 Masters...
People who have played golf for years always look at early- to mid-April as kind of an exciting time. When the best players in the world tee it up at Augusta National Golf Club, we all get kind of jittery. The Masters is really a harbinger of spring.

This year the tournament ends on April 14, which I think is about as late in April as I can ever remember it. But it's a cool week, with great TV coverage and plenty of upbeat chatter about the game and the business.

The Health Side...
No real big changes of late to report. I guess the calendar confirms that I am about 20 weeks post-treatment. I still  have some difficulty swallowing food without plenty of water. I'm chewing gum more frequently than I can ever remember, because it helps to create moisture. My sense of taste has almost completely returned, which is a huge blessing. I cannot enjoy the taste of a glass of wine, but I have fallen in love with beer! I'm checking in these days at about 172 pounds, which for me is rather "bone-rack-ish".

There is still inflammation in my neck, which I can feel with even a slight touch. I cannot find the lymph node that was swollen for most of 2012, unless I really dig into my neck with my fingertips.

The medical team told me on February 5 that I was "cancer-free", which is terrific.

But really, if I am cancer-free, how come I think about it every day?

Memory Lane (Again)...

I guess by the calendar, March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. Sometime today I'll probably find time to grab a pop or two of the "green" variety.

Today is also my 8th Month Anniversary, so to speak. Yeh, eight months since I was diagnosed with cancer. I can assure you all that time does seem to fly. I can remember vividly hearing my ENT say "evidence of cancer" while I was sitting in his office. Then about 30 seconds later, I was out cold.

Or perhaps...scared shitless?

How about "all of the above"!

But now, I really do feel okay. And I also know that I am damn lucky to be in the condition I'm in today.

A "Battler" from Kamloops...
I received a phone call yesterday from a fella in Kamloops, a guy I've never met who has 12 radiation sessions left in a treatment plan identical to mine. Apparently, his wife found this blog online some time ago, and I suppose they are kind of comparing notes. He's 48 years old, so it's interesting to me how much we have in common.

Same cancer; same treatment plan; same age. And unfortunately...many of the same lousy side effects.

I also spoke with his wife, who is dealing with the treatment plan in much the same way that Gay handled me. The whole conversation really kind of woke me up, and also took me back to the days in October and November when I was "enjoying" the experience associated with my medical team kicking the shit out of me.

TASTE & EATING...
After 15 radiation treatments, approximately three weeks, I could no longer taste food. The medical team told me this would happen. I didn't believe them. But when the "promise" came true, I began to pay serious attention to everything they threw my way.

Actually, the first couple of weeks of treatment were pretty easy, which included my first chemotherapy session. I remember at the time that I had really allowed myself to feel like there was absolutely nothing to all of this.

CONSTIPATION...
Here's a helluva topic for the dinner table, huh folks? Like, really, who talks about what we do in the "biff"?

I can guarantee you it is discussed in hockey dressing rooms in a manner that would appall most women. And, I don'y know too many guys who enjoyed this aspect of their wife's pregnancy. But it's real llife! Sure, it's probably best left alone as a private matter, but that's not going to happen here today.

In fact, let's begin with a little "Two-Minute Drill" here; one of my all-time favorite Academy Performances. It's not for the faint of heart, nor is it appropriate for those who lack a sense of humor:

There...feel better?

After chemotherapy, I was advised that constipation is potentially a very real side effect as the drug just gets into your system and kind of takes over. When the "no more taste" issue arrived in my world, I knew I wasn't going to screw around with any risks associated with my kidneys or bowels.

I took the medications with "prevention" in mind. I did not wait until I experienced symptoms. Whether or not the medical team agreed with my actions or not...I did not care. I made the call on this one!

There is an over the counter product called "Senokot", a natural laxative recommended by the med staff. I took it religiously, one a day...not a whole whack at a time. I just wanted to be ahead of the game. And yes, sometimes I missed a day. And the odd day I probably downed a couple of these pills. But I think in retrospect, I was entitled to screw up occasionally. Just call it another "side effect"!

Everyone is different. I get that. So, what worked for me might not work for someone else. But I am damn happy I went the route I did. I guess I have always been lucky to be kind of a "regular" guy, but during treatment, a bowel movement every second day was actually a blessing.

SKIN CONDITIONS...
Gay and I applied a galaxall-based creme to my neck and upper back, pretty much from day one. Again, it was a product recommended by the medical team. I probably over did it to some degree, but ultimately, I was fortunate in that I never experience significant discoloration of my skin. There was a risk of blistering and/or peeling, but I dodged each of these effects.

Hey, going hard with the application of this creme worked for me. Will it work for some one else? I don't know. But, I hope so.

CHEMOTHERAPY...
After my second session, I was a mess. Yes, a complete mess. Disoriented. Angry. Nauseous. Lazy.

Basically, just a friendlier version of my real self, eh? Yeh...a real barrel of laughs!

I was bound and determined to tell the medical team that they could quite aggressively shove the third chemo session up their asses.

Umm...it didn't quite work out that way. Thankfully I somehow managed to survive it.

PAYBACK TIME...
As I said earlier, the first couple of weeks were pretty easy, which unfortunately was kind of misleading. As easy as that period was, the two weeks after my final radiation treatment were absolutely the most excruciating time of the entire treatment. Yeh, this was when I really felt I was on my death bed. Geezuz I felt lousy...plenty worse than the guy in the video you might have watched a few minutes ago!

Problem was, I had convinced myself that right after the last radiation treatment, I was bound to start feeling better right away.

WRONG!

Admittedly, the medical team had shared quite a few times that the two weeks after the last radiation treatment are generally very difficult. I had listened to all of their promises intently through treatment and followed just about all of their instructions, but this is the one bit of information from them that I really did choose to ignore. Until, that is, I got knocked on my ass!

Again, everybody is different.

Maybe my situation resulted in the worst possible effects?

Maybe my issues were just "run of the mill"?

Maybe in comparison to others, my symptoms were pretty mild?

Who knows?

THE ADVICE COLUMNIST IN ME...
Hey "Kamloops", this is "The Blog Guy".

Strap in man! Only about four weeks to go...your treatment and first couple of weeks post-treatment.

I believe you are being treated to be cured, which I also believe means your medical team knows that you will survive this treatment. You will experience bewilderment, frustration, pain, self-pity and immense anger. But...you will survive this treatment!

I've been where you are. I wish I had a magic solution for you, but I don't.

An esteemed sports writer pal of mine signed one of his books for me a couple of weeks ago and he wrote, "we are all just day-to-day". I believe him.

But through this entire impending mess, in the short-term, no matter how difficult it might be to summon up the energy, just be very, very focused on finding a way to hug your wife!

That is where the comfort is. Today. Tomorrow. The next day. And the next...

Making Post-Treatment Strides...

Thanks to the folks that shared their feelings and suggestions over the past week. I was unsure about where to go with this blog these days, as I have really begun to feel better and better every day.

The most poignant comment confirmed that information about my post-treatment experiences is still important to some, even though I do not seem to be experiencing any significantly negative effects. So, from week to week, I'll continue to pass on a few tidbits of information.

Who Is In The Know...
As I find myself motivated to get out a little more frequently, whether it's to a hockey game or just wandering around the shopping mall, I continue to bump into people I haven't seen for some time. I had pretty much disappeared between the beginning of October and the end of January.

There are those folks I have seen of late who ask where I've been, which is a simple question to answer. I haven't really been anywhere! But, I guess I have spent quite a bit of time on the "D/L", other wise known in the world of sports as the "disabled list".

I get different reactions to this, some who simply let it go and others who don't know what the term means. For the folks who look at me and say something like, "what do you mean", I simply tell them I spent most of the winter in treatment for a cancer. It seems like that is not really the answer these folks are expecting.

I'll also sum it all up with my standard line; "I'm still standin'".

The New Logo...
I had a magnet made  a few weeks ago, it was inexpensive, but the company buggered it up. I used it in a post on this blog a couple of weeks ago.

The idea was to create a ribbon, incorporating the colors associated with oral cancers (red or burgundy and white), along with the words Still Standin'. Of course, the company that produced the magnet seemed to "know better" how to spell, and produced the piece with the words "Still Standing".

Sure, it's a minor difference, but if you really listen to how most people tend to speak, they do not frequently pronounce every single letter or syllable. When folks ask how I'm doing, in light of all this cancer treatment, I can assure you all that I do not pronounce the "g" in "Standing".

Sure, it's not a big deal...a hill to die on, my wife will say, but I did ask Ashley if she could monkey around with a few things in her spare time. She came up with the following design:

I'm happy with it. It's simple...clean. I sure appreciate her time and efforts.

I'm not sure what I will do with this, but it's already a screen saver on my computer at work. I'll also be keeping an eye open for a couple of shirts, styles that I like where this logo can be embroidered. We'll have to be careful though, as any embroidered logo with lots of letters cannot always be reproduced very cleanly. I'll probably have the logo placed on the back of the shirts, just below the collar. But really, that's just a detail. We can go left breast or on one of the sleeves. We'll see.

The Health Side...
I've said before that I feel like I have the energy and the strength that I need, relative to the things that I am doing. I have begun to test my limits a bit, particularly where playing golf is concerned.

I played at Kelowna Springs yesterday on a gorgeous Okanagan Saturday. Clear blue skies and temperatures that hit about 12 degrees. And no wind! It was perfect! I walked the golf course, which is quite flat, and I carried my golf bag. It was absolutely an experiment on two counts.

Firstly, how would my body respond? Well, so far so good! Some cramping in my legs and hips afterward, and I felt a little tired during the last hour of our game. My lower body is weaker than it was a year ago, which causes me some grief when making golf swings, but that's all technical BS that I am confident I'll work out.

Secondly, walking around, huffing and puffing and talking with the boys...that is a challenge because my mouth gets so dry. I figured out yesterday that I could make it work at minimum with one bottle of water and two pieces of gum. (I should have drank more water, but I didn't prepare well enough. This probably explains some of the cramps.) I chew half a stick of gum at a time and it keeps my mouth from getting too dry. I chowed down a banana and a couple of granola bars.

Unlike many modern day golfers, my round of golf was NOT INCOMPLETE due to the absence of a beverage cart. I guess I surprised myself by actually possessing the ability to survive an entire round of golf without craving a beer! Boy...the things people complain about at golf courses! Or, maybe making it all happen without pounding a few beers really just makes me the moron? (However, I absolutely enjoyed a bottle of Pil' afterward...to celebrate being able to find the clubface all day!)

All in all, it worked out very well, although I am a little stiff this morning. Obviously I am not going out of my way to exert too much needless energy, but geez...I have to live!

Thanks to Al Merrick and his pals from Shadow Ridge for including me in their groups yesterday!

And, as always, thanks to Ian Robertson and his crew at Kelowna Springs for their hospitality!

Gone, But Not Forgotten...
Some very sad news this past week as Harv Silvester passed away down in Yuma, Arizona.

Harv was a shareholder at the Shannon Lake Golf Club and was quite involved for many years prior to my arrival at the facility in 2007. He and his wife Ruth have been helpful in recent years around Shannon Lake, specifically with scorekeeping during our annual Club Championship weekend.

I enjoyed Harv and Ruth...just terrific people who have always treated me very well. I'll miss Harv, because I liked hearing his take on the history at the Club. I hope that everyone at Shannon Lake will remember him fondly, and continue to welcome Ruth when she comes by to check in on all of us.