So, the thing we were trying to avoid above everything else happened.  During a routine check up with Greg's surgical podiatrist, we discovered that he had an infection on the side of his foot.  The infection had been cultured and it was MRSA.  Greg had been having trouble with the oral antibiotics so it was decided that he would go into the hospital for what was supposed to be 3 days of IV Antibiotics.  

From there things only got worse.  We had an hospitalist and an infectious disease doctor telling us that the best course of action was amputation of his right leg.  Well half his leg to be exact.  His Vascular Surgeon and his Surgical Podiatrist disagreed.  We had to make a decision on whom we trusted more and since we knew the Vascular Surgeon and the Surgical Podiatrist who had been taking of him a few years, we opted with their opinion.  We know fondly refer to this episode in our Medical Odyssey as dueling doctors. 

Greg was admitted on June 29th and discharged on July 5th.  Greg spent another holiday in a hospital. This has become habit and we are actually pretty used to it by now (the holiday hospital stays.)  He was on the 5th floor as usual, however, he was in the West Wing as the East Wing was housing Covid-19 patients.  They had the doors to that wing on lock down and I could see the doctors and other medical staff walking around fully garbed in PPE (PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT) It was surreal.  As many of you know, we have spent a lot of time in hospitals but never saw anything like this before. It felt like we had arrived on a different planet.  You had to be screen before you could get into the hospital.  Normally visiting hours are very liberal. You could come and go as you please when you pleased.  They never seemed to put a limit on visitors and you could stay over on the convenient couch type bed they have in the alcove of each room.  

This time I was told that over night stays were discouraged unless we lived more than 2 hours away.  Also, none Covid Patients were only allowed 2 visitors a day and only 1 visitor at a time.  

That stay at St. Thomas Hospital Resort totaled $46,627.55 and other than an X-ray of his foot, a CT of his leg, a sonogram of his leg and an MRI of his leg, the only other treatment he received was IV antibiotics.  

I am embedding the bill here as it is really quite astounding what medical care costs these days. 
​

Anyhow, Greg was released to come home with both legs and feet on July 5th, 2020. On July 30th, we had a follow-up appointment with his surgical podiatrist and he was very impressed with his foot.  His doctor is going on vacation for the next 2 weeks and has made Greg promised not to hurt his feet while he is gone. If only it were that simple, he would never have a foot ulcer.  We will do our best.  

We have been working on a new song called 'FIREFLY".  We are hoping to get it demo' d soon so we can share it. It is a love song and I think it is quite pretty but then again, I am absolutely bias. 

Talk again soon my dear friends and thanks for reading.  I used to work with this great guy named Gig. He passed away a few years ago after spending like 10 days on a respirator.  After I started working with him doing PR, he asked where I lived.  I told him I live in McMinnville, TN.  He was blown away as he had stayed in a cabin in the mountains in McMinnvilile and wrote a song.  He said he absolutely fell in love with the place. He thought our working together was Serendipitous.  He remains missed by many.  I would like to share his song "Changes" right here.  Listen and you will hear him mention 'McMinnville, TN"  If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube Channel, please do. Since I am not working because of Covid, I will be adding lots of great music to the channel. Some HIT MUSIC - ROCK & ROLL - CLASSIC ROCK - 90'S COUNTRY AND MORE!  As always, please click on the ADS on this website because it helps me earn money and boy would that be helpful. 

​6 MONTHS Check up - September 1st, 2019


It had been a sweet 6 months since Greg 's last appointment with his Vascular surgeon.  Seeing the Vascular surgeon is always stressful.  After all, the vascular surgeon is the doctor that has given us the news that Greg needed surgery on his legs 4 times.  


We went in this past Tuesday, August 27th.  Before seeing the surgeon he has to have a sonogram on both his arms and his legs.  Blood pressures are taken in both arms, legs, ankles and big toes.  The amount of blood flow is measured by a meter that prints out looking a lot like an EKG reading.   Then you are taken from that testing room into another exam room to wait for the doctor while the sonogram technician writes up their findings.  


The doctor walked in. Greg and I were sitting their literally holding our breath. The doctor looks at him and says all looks good and he will see us in ONE YEAR.  Unless he has any unusual pain in his legs or of course if his toes or feet start turning black, he will see us in one year.  


It was a great doctors visit and we went home smiling.  Thank you for your continue prayers and love.  Enjoy our song, "BE THE CHANGE"

June 18, 2019 - ​Seeing the Oncologist 1 year after Completion of Cancer Treatment


So last Friday Greg had to go for a CT Scan with contrast on his chest and his abdomen.  His oncologist was checking to see if the cancer was still gone 7 months since his Pet Scan that revealed he was cancer free.  We held our breaths all weekend.  



Many of you know that I lost my brother to a fatal car accident on June 5th.  We are all still reeling from this tragedy.  We had put off this CT Scan by 3 months because Greg was getting placenta treatments on his foot wounds and nobody could tell us if the CT with Contrast would interfere with his Placenta Treatments. With the Placenta Treatments costing $3,250 per week, we weren't going to take the chance.  Not getting the wounds healed could result is death just like the cancer. Talk about impossible decisions.  Well, I made the executive family decision to postpone CT Scans.  Thank GOD it was the right decision. 



When you put together our recent family tragedy, recovering from the amputation, the stroke in 3 areas of his brain, 4 Vascular surgeries, 3 Rehab stays and the last 5 months of weekly wound care, we have been barely hanging on.  


It has been a while since I posted an update. I'll own that. I have just been busy working, taking care of Greg, the house and the cats. Plus, I really didn't have much news and I thought you all might have been getting a bit sick of hearing from us. 



Back in the early spring, Greg made it through Home Health Nurse visits and completed his Home PT. His balance has been affected by the stroke, something they call drop foot and the toe amputation.  His PT Therapist said he would most likely spend the rest of his life on a walker.  Greg is a warrior and refuses to accept this.  His balance is still off but not as bad as it was last month so maybe, just maybe there will be more improvement. However, our bathrooms in our house are not ADA friendly and I am currently trying to see if I can get the insurance company to help pay for an ADA toilet and a walk in/roll in shower to be put in our master bathroom.  We are also looking into getting a ramp installed. This way if he has any other vascular issues he can still come home.  Going to a Rehab after the amputation did not work out so well as I found him having the stroke and nobody had noticed. 


Anyhow, today was a great day. We are both exhausted but over the moon with the news that as of today, Greg's oncologist has deemed him 1 year Cancer Free. We believe in prayers and we believe that you all played a part in this miracle.  Thank you for the love, the support and helping us have hope so that we kept the faith and keep on fighting the good fight.  


Here is our song, "Over You" from Greg's 'Take It Slow,' CD.  Please let me know if you have any questions. I would be glad to answer them below.   Have a great night and thank you for being there.  


Love, Donna & Greg

​St. Patrick's Day was so very special for us. The Queen of Songwriter Hosts, Debi Champion and the King of Songwriters Hosts, Lee Rascone put together a night we will never forget.

Friends and acquaintances who are both hit songwriters and up and coming songwriters joined us for this night of love, compassion, hope and support.  Our friends raised $2,508 that night for us in Music City.  

That means so much when you have to consider that all our fellow songwriters are in much of the same position that we are in. You don't get rich writing songs.  You do it for the love of it.  If we had to survive from royalties from songs in today's world, we would all starve to death. 

We are still waiting for some more money go come in (Little River Band's Contribution as you were told at the event) and then we can announce our totals.  LRB is also donating a guitar signed by several bands.  I will let you know when and where bidding on that guitar will be happening. 

Greg has his 2nd Placenta treatment today and the doctor saw definite improvement on his big toe.  

We would like to thank all the wonderful songwriters that attended and performed at our event. Jill L Sissel, Billy Lee, Jimmy Payne, Jet Taylor, Gary Cavanaugh, Karree J Phillips, John Trentes, Ty Warner, Marc-Allan Barnette, Paul Jefferson, Donnie Winters, Kimberley Dahme, Pete Sallis, Joel Shewmake, Pam Belford, Jerry Foster, Lee Rascone Sr., Mac Elliott, Annie Mosher, Jamie Meyer, and James Peters.  There were a few more songwriters that performed as well. As soon as I can find out their names, I will edit this post.  
St. Patrick's Day was so very special for us. The Queen of Songwriter Hosts, Debi Champion and the King of Songwriters Hosts, Lee Rascone put together a night we will never forget.

Friends and acquaintances who are both hit songwriters and up and coming songwriters joined us for this night of love, compassion, hope and support.  Our friends raised $2,508 that night for us in Music City.  

That means so much when you have to consider that all our fellow songwriters are in much of the same position that we are in. You don't get rich writing songs.  You do it for the love of it.  If we had to survive from royalties from songs in today's world, we would all starve to death. 

We are still waiting for some more money go come in (Little River Band's Contribution as you were told at the event) and then we can announce our totals.  LRB is also donating a guitar signed by several bands.  I will let you know when and where bidding on that guitar will be happening. 



Greg has his 2nd Placenta treatment today and the doctor saw definite improvement on his big toe.  




We would like to thank all the wonderful songwriters that attended and performed at our event. Jill L Sissel, Billy Lee, Jimmy Payne, Jet Taylor, Gary Cavanaugh, Karree J Phillips, John Trentes, Ty Warner, Marc-Allan Barnette, Paul Jefferson, Donnie Winters, Kimberley Dahme, Pete Sallis, Joel Shewmake, Pam Belford, Jerry Foster, Lee Rascone Sr., Mac Elliott, Annie Mosher, Jamie Meyer, and James Peters.  There were a few more songwriters that performed as well. As soon as I can find out their names, I will edit this post.  
St. Patrick's Day was so very special for us. The Queen of Songwriter Hosts, Debi Champion and the King of Songwriters Hosts, Lee Rascone put together a night we will never forget.






Friends and acquaintances who are both hit songwriters and up and coming songwriters joined us for this night of love, compassion, hope and support.  Our friends raised $2,508 that night for us in Music City.  


That means so much when you have to consider that all our fellow songwriters are in much of the same position that we are in. You don't get rich writing songs.  You do it for the love of it.  If we had to survive from royalties from songs in today's world, we would all starve to death. 


We are still waiting for some more money go come in (Little River Band's Contribution as you were told at the event) and then we can announce our totals.  LRB is also donating a guitar signed by several bands.  I will let you know when and where bidding on that guitar will be happening. 
Greg has his 2nd Placenta treatment today and the doctor saw definite improvement on his big toe.  

​We would like to thank all the wonderful songwriters that attended and performed at our event. Jill L Sissel, Billy Lee, Jimmy Payne, Jet Taylor, Gary Cavanaugh, Karree J Phillips, John Trentes, Ty Warner, Marc-Allan Barnette, Paul Jefferson, Donnie Winters, Kimberley Dahme, Pete Sallis, Joel Shewmake, Pam Belford, Jerry Foster, Lee Rascone Sr., Mac Elliott, Annie Mosher, Jamie Meyer, and James Peters.  There were a few more songwriters that performed as well. As soon as I can find out their names, I will edit this post.  Thank you to JAMES PETERS for donating that beautiful guitar.  Thank you to the two lovely women that ran the silent auction tables.  Thank you Debi & Lee. Thank you to everyone that bid.  


We shot video of the event. I plan on getting some of the video's up on YouTube soon.  I will let you know when that happens.  Thank you again everybody.  You will all never know just how much that night meant to us in every way.  

​The iconic Little River Band is going to match all donations given on March 17th, 2019.  A GoFundMe has been set up at
https://www.gofundme.com/Gregs-Cancer-4-Surgeries-Stroke-Relief-Fund. You can follow their journey at www.NolanWilson.com.

January 6, 2019 - A Nurse made a weird and terrible mistake today


Please pray it doesn't cost my husband his life. A nurse made a bad mistake this morning. She put blood she drew from Greg's port back into his body through his port. She may have introduced bacteria directly into his blood stream. The hospital is flipping out about it. She told my husband at 4 am while she was putting the blood back in that she "doesn't like to waste blood." My husband said that it was done even before he had the chance to realize what was happening. Once blood is drawn, it can be contaminated and should never be injected back into the body. We are now on fever watch. Please pray that the blood was not compromised and that bacteria was not introduced directly into his blood stream. The doctor said we should know if he has been comprised within 48 hours.


I am sharing a song that I wrote with Kimberley Dahme. I am very proud of this song.  Greg did the arrangement of this song and recorded it. All the instruments you hear are played by Greg and the vocals are me and Greg.   He did all of this after his first stroke. I am trying to get him interested in writing and recording again. He really needs a reason to keep fighting and living at this point.  

On Thursday, December 27th, a representative from the Stroke Rehab came to interview Greg. He was formally accepted and transferred into that Rehab on Friday, December 28th.  He was never a candidate for this Rehab before which is located in our town but because of the stroke, he became a candidate.  The game plan is for them to work with him extensively and hopefully he can come home in 21 days.   He is experiencing anger issues and is having some problems with controlling emotions.  The doctor tells me that one of the areas in his brain that was damaged by stroke is the area where emotions are housed.  They have started him on a medication to try and help with that.  We will be spending New Years Eve and New Years Day in Rehab. We would like to wish you all a Very Happy and most especially HEALTHY NEW YEAR.  The photo above is St. Thomas River Park where the stroke rehab is located.  This photo does not do this lobby justice. 

Hey, I wanted to let you know about a way you can help us while you are helping yourself and it won't cost you anything.  When I am watching TV, I take surveys on my mobile devices.  You can do that too and if you click my referral links, I will get a bonus for you signing up.  Click this link to take you there. 




Here is a song Greg wrote after his first stroke on Christmas Night 2009!!
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/BlueEyedSongLady?cmp=72

November 4th, 2018 - ​NEAR 10 YEAR LONG MEDICAL ODYSSEY 
THAT BROUGHT US TO THIS
A CHRISTMAS NIGHT STROKE LED TO BLOOD THINNERS since 2009


Excerpts from the Go Fund Me my daughter started for us

My step-father Greg was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in January of 2018 but that is not where his health troubles began.  He has been on blood thinners for A-Fib and A-Flutter since his stroke on Christmas night of 2009.  My mother has tested his blood thickness (INR) every single Thursday since then and manages it with his doctors.  

This is a training video my step-father made to help other people who were forced to learn how to do this for themselves. 

They had been managing very well at home taking care of each other until last fall when my step-father thought he had a bladder infection, UTI or Kidney Stone. He was treated for a kidney stone but by November, he was in the emergency room being told by a doctor that he needed to see a Urologist and that he may have cancer.  


October 2017
​Last October, my husband developed some medical issues.  His GP thought he may have had a UTI and kidney stones.  He was put on antibiotics and things seemed to be improving.


November 2017
Right before Thanksgiving, Greg urinated out a blood clot. I rushed him to the hospital.  It was at the ER of our local hospital that we were told by the ER doctor that Greg bladder had a thickened wall. When I inquired what could cause that, the ER doctor replied matter of fact-ly 'BLADDER CANCER."  That was the first time those words were uttered but they wouldn't be the last.  


Below are some brief updates from my daughter.  I still plan to elaborate on them as time allows. 

December 2017
In December he was told by a urologist that he did have cancer but my parents wanted a second opinion because this doctor told them this without doing a biopsy.  

January 2018
In January, they went for a 2nd opinion and by January 15th, he was having a biopsy through cystoscopy along with another procedure called a TURBT.   Their worse fears were confirmed.  The diagnosis was made and my step-father was diagnosed with Stage 2 Bladder Cancer.  Because of his other health risks, the best course of action was to do chemo and radiation to try and kill the cancer and retain the bladder.  

February 2018
In February, they installed a port so that he could take his chemo through it rather than getting it through his veins.  They had to take him off blood thinners once again to be able to do that procedure.  It was done and everything turned out okay, that time. 

March 2018
Chemo and Radiation began in March.  Things went pretty smoothly all through March.  He was getting radiation daily and 2 types of Chemo once a week on Wednesdays.  The oncologist did his best to manage the side effects.  

April 2018
April came with the buds and birds in the trees.  My stepfather took a fall down the steps in the house leading to the garage so my mother rushed him to the hospital to make sure he did not hurt himself or the port in his chest.  Everything turned out okay and they were thankful.  You can't be too careful when someone 62 who has had a stroke and is battling cancer takes a fall.  

May 2018
By mid May he was done with both the Chemo and Radiation.  I should mention that they had to drive daily to radiation which was  a 90 mile round trip.  The cost of gas during those months was $400.00 monthly just to get to treatment.  On Mother's Day my stepfather spiked a fever and my mother took him to the ER.  They admitted him and put him on IV antibiotics.  They never really did discover why he spiked a fever.  

June 2018
June was terrible.  The treatments had taken their toll.  He was weak, had little appetite because the drugs that were being give to ward off the side effects were no longer being given.  The repercussions from the radiation treatments were harsh and relentless.  He spent most of the month in bed which caused other problems.  There was also a CT Scan which showed there might be a problem with a lymph node so the oncologist ordered a Pet Scan.  More stress and worry for my parents.

July 2018
4th of July came and they couldn't enjoy the holiday.  My stepfather was just too ill.  He had the Pet Scan and the results were due on my birthday.  The news was great.  There was no spread of cancer to any other parts of his body at this time.  A wonderful birthday present for me and a wonderful gift for us all.  

August 2018
In August he was finally starting to feel better just in time to need a biopsy to see if they had killed the cancer.  He had to go off blood thinners in order to have that biopsy which occurred on August 17th.  5 Days after the biopsy with no warning he experienced the worse pain he had ever felt in his life. My mother rushed him to the ER.  She just knew he had a blood clot.  The hospital confirmed her worse fear and they had to LIFE FLIGHT him by helicopter to do emergency surgery.  The surgeon concluded that without a doubt and he was 110% sure that coming off the blood thinners caused the blockage that almost took his leg and life.

​A week to the day that he was admitted to the hospital, he was released but he was so weak that he could barely walk.  Home Health came to the house and didn't like the way his leg was healing.  So less than 36 hours after he was released, he was back at the hospital having the incisions reopened to drain infection and having his other leg (right leg) operated on because of a blood clot between his knee and his foot.  He required an actual bypass on that leg. He spent another 7 days in the hospital and was released on  September 6th, 2018

September 2018
He could not walk, he was so weak and he required PT, Wound Care and Skilled Nursing so he was taken by ambulance to a REHAB close to my parents home.  This way my Mom could sleep at home but be able to see him everyday and over see his care.  He was released from the REHAB on September 22, 2018 but has a Home Health Nurse, Physical Therapy and Wound Care coming to my parents home.  

Mini Tornado
Then on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, either straight line winds or a mini tornado came and did damage to the siding and roof of my parents home.  Insurance is going to cover it but they have a$1,500 deductible per home owners insurance they can't pay.   Between the cancer, the treatments, prescriptions, loss of time at work and the travel, things are really tough financially.  More bills have started coming in for (OUT OF NETWORK) doctors. Unfortunately, when you find yourself in these emergency situations, you don't get to pick and chose what doctor in what situation in an emergency gives you medical care.   My poor parents have literally been suffering every way imaginable for what is now nearly a year. 

October 2018
Yesterday morning, my stepfather was taken by ambulance to the hospital because of weakness, pain, confusion and a fever of 102.  He has Sepsis.  His medical records reveal that Greg's temp reach almost 105 degrees. The new video was from today, October 5, 2018.   Greg spent 7 days in the hospital and from there he went to NHC, a different Rehab than the one in September.  He spent 13 days in the new Rehab and was released on October 24, 2018.  ​

On October 27, Greg became nauseous and got another fever.  My Mom took him to the ER. They ran blood work and took out the stitches that has been in Greg's leg since August. The ER doctor thinks the stitches may have been causing the fever.  He is being watched closely and has an appointment with the surgeon on Monday, October 29, 2018.  ​

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?


My wife has not been able to relive the day in August when I was taken by helicopter to St. Thomas West in Nashville to save first my life and then my leg.  I am not sure she will ever be able to write about that day.  I don't remember most of it.  I am going to skip ahead to what I do remember which is now.  


Sitting in my hospital style bed in my physical therapy rehab room gives me a moment to reflect back on the last few months since I was Life Flighted to the hospital for emergency surgery to save my legs. Here we thought that the battle of chemo and radiation treatments was going to be the tough portion of the fight. It appears that was just the teaser on the medical odyssey journey I have been on.


There are times when I have contemplated leaving it all in God's hands. It's not easy fighting everyday to find the will to go on or the strength to continue fighting against something that seems he'll bent on destroying me. It's been months since I picked up a guitar and even longer since I've had the urge to write a song. Those used to be things I did pretty much on a daily basis. Summer was in full swing when the last round of setbacks started.


Fall & Tornados
It was fall when I got out of the hospital so it stands to reason we will be in the dead set cold of winter before I get out of here. In the meantime our home was damaged by a tornado which necessitated the replacement of the roof. So it is like W.T.F?
Our sick kitty Dori
Our oldest pet kitty Dori (she is hitting the age of 15 right about now) has had medical emergencies causing vet visits which told us she had cirrhosis of the liver in August.  In September one of her front fang teeth actually exploded in her mouth and the jagged edges of what was left of the tooth went through her upper lip connecting them both together.  The cat was trying to separate the two herself causing additional injury.  This required an emergency visit and lots of out of pocket expenses and stress. Not sure how much Donna and I are supposed to endure it all.


We do things the right way, no drinking, no smoking, no partying at all  and it's one step forward and three steps back. Don't get me wrong, we will do what we have to do in order to push through this latest group of setbacks. Emotionally it has been challenging to say the least.  Financially it has about brought us to the bottom but again, we will do the best we can.


NEW REHAB
The plus side is that the physical rehab place I am in actually has fairly decent food. It's not Donna's cooking by far but it beats the shit out of the stuff the hospital passes off as food. After over 2 months in the hospital/physical rehab I am looking forward to seeing home again. I only hope that day comes sooner than later. My stepdaughter Danielle started a GO FUND ME to help with some of these unexpected expenses.  I would be remiss if I didn't share it here. 

​

https://www.gofundme.com/7mjx5-cancer-complications


Here is a song I wrote for my wife. CIAO PEEPS.

Originally posted October 2, 2018 - A TORNADO has done in our Roof
You would think that we don't have enough going on but just last week, a tiny tornado came through our neighborhood and damaged our roof.  The damage wasn't bad enough to have to go stay in a hotel and thank God for that.  Greg just finished spending 2 weeks in the hospital and then another 2 weeks in a Rehab/Nursing Home.  He was only home for 4 days when the tiny tornado happened. 
GO FUND ME
My daughter has started a GO FUND ME to help cover the cost of the deductible of $1,500 and hopefully so we can get some help to have our bathroom remodeled into a handicap accessible bathroom.  I know I am skipping around a lot but so many horrific things happened in August and September.  Some of those things have been documented on the GO FUND ME page and I will try and get more detailed accounts of what happened on this website.  Please share the GO FUND ME on your social media.  We need all the help we can get.  https://www.gofundme.com/7mjx5-cancer-complications

BLADDER BIOPSY at St. Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro, TN


If you have been following our journey, you would know that Greg has endured 38 radiation treatments and 8 rounds of chemo which happened once a week in a 9 week time span.  He had to skip one week because of low numbers.  You would also know if you were following our journey that the time between May 9th & May 10th when the chemo and radiation treatments were concluded until about Mid July were worse than during the actual treatments.  


Also in June the oncologist wanted Greg to go for a CT Scan.  The scan revealed what looked to be a hot spot in his belly ( a lymph node) right below his heart.  If it were active cancer that had spread, it would have been inoperable because of Greg's other medical issues.  Regardless, we had to find out if it was the cancer spreading so in July Greg had to go for a Pet Scan.  That was a scary day and on July 17th we met with the oncologist to find out the results.  The news was good. It was not additional cancer, in fact, the cancer had not spread at all.  If the cancer was still alive, it was only in his bladder. The only way to find out if the treatments worked and the cancer was dead was for the Urologist to go back into the bladder and do a biopsy.  

We met with new Urologist and the biopsy was scheduled for August 16th.  Greg had to go off blood thinners for a third (3) time so he could have this biopsy. The first time he was off blood thinners was in January for the original cancer diagnosis.  The second time was in February to have the port installed in his chest.  Every single time he has been off blood thinners I have feared a stroke or blood clots causing blockages somewhere in his body. My worst fears would soon be realized but I am getting ahead of myself here. 

The biopsy went smoothly and the doctor came out to speak to me afterwards.  He had told me before the biopsy that it looked like there was cancer at the entrance of Greg's bladder.  He also told me that the report our oncologist sent him said that cancer was indicated via the Pet Scan.  I found that statement to be bullshit because our oncologist told us several times that because of urine, Pet Scan lit up like a Christmas tree so you can't go by Pet Scans to see if there is still active cancer. I was shocked while waiting for the biopsy to be over wondering if it were possible that the oncologist knew something he was not telling us and I became angry and scared in that waiting room.  

The tears rolled down my cheeks in the waiting room and I was comforted by other people waiting to find out the outcome of their loved ones.  

When the biopsy was over, the urologist came out and waved to me to come over to him. I walked across a very large waiting room with weak knees to speak with him in a hallway.  He verified that there was no new cancer at the opening of Greg's bladder. He said there was a dark spot on the far left wall. He said that might have been from radiation.  I asked him if he had to make his best guess, did he think there was still active cancer in Greg's bladder. He looked me in the eyes and said, Yes, he believed there was still active cancer in the center of the tumor.  He told me we should call his office to make an appointment to come in and get the results from him.  

I went and filled in my new friends in the waiting room on what had just happened. I was numb and just wanted to get to my husband.  The nurses called me and told me I could go in and see him.  He was in a recovery room, dazed and confused from the drugs and Anesthesia.  He asked me if the doctor told me anything.  I told him the truth but we both agreed that we were not going to take it to heart until the biopsy results were in.  He was able to leave the hospital about 2 hours later, weak and tired but seemingly okay.  

The nurse told me to start him back on his blood thinners on Saturday.  Little did we know that the damage was already done.  On Tuesday, August 21st, at around noon, my husband began screaming out in pain that his leg was killing him when at the same time he could not move his leg. His leg was paralyzed yet he was experiencing the worst pain in his life from it.   I am going to stop the story here and continue on another blog post. Like I said, so much has happen this past month that it has to be broken up into sections because it is a lot of information to digest.  

​Without knowing the biopsy results, Greg would be facing a life and death event that would turn our world upside down.  It is crazy to think that because of what your are going through now, the days of chemo of radiation were preferable and seemed like good times.  To be continued tomorrow.  

August 16, 2018
​The FINANCIAL cost of Cancer provokes sticker shock for most


As if having cancer isn't bad enough you start to get the bills.  Every time you go to your mailbox, you get a knot in your stomach. How are you supposed to work on beating cancer when you take not only physical, mental and emotional stress but a financial hit.

Now keep in mind, this is the amount that has been charged to the insurance company, next to that is the amount the insurance company allowed and then to the right of that is our responsibility.  While my husband has been battling cancer, I have been right by his side.  I wouldn't be anywhere else but that has costs associated with it as well.


Loss of income 
Being my husbands caregiver has been a full time job. I wouldn't have it any other way but loss of income is a reality. Because I am with him for all doctors appointments and medical procedures means that I have to spend less time running my business which means less income.  Then there are other costs nobody thinks about until they start adding up.  Things like over the counter products (LOTS OF THEM), special foods for special diets and additional paper products like bed pads and more. He was already on a CPAP which needs monthly supplies and his CPAP is oxygen assisted so there is a rental fee on that as well.  I don't want to go into all the specifics but lets just say that bladder cancer demands show up at the Pharmacy, (everyone who works at our local Rite-Aid turned Walgreens knows me by name I am there so often) the grocery store and the extra work and wear and tear on your washing machine.  



Gas and Car Maintenance
Of course very little treatment can be done at our local hospital so that means traveling over 100 miles round trip often.  In fact, when he was getting radiation that was 5 days a week.  The car was taking $100.00 weekly of gas so do the math - that is $400.00 a month in gas alone.  The car needed additional maintenance which it received.  Even when the appointments are local, I miss half a day. 




The EMOTIONAL COST


Cancer is insidious.  It wreaks havoc with every emotion, every part of you life and every minute of every day. You try not to think about it, you try not to dwell on it but the constant doctors appointments and testing make that near impossible.  All you can do is keep the best possible attitude and just decide to laugh loudly and often.  We do a lot of that here because if we didn't we would lose our freaking minds.  

ANOTHER BIOPSY 


Tomorrow we head into Murfreeboro again only this time Greg has to have an outpatient procedure. He needs another biopsy to tell us if the cancer treatments and radiation worked.   This is now his 2nd biopsy and 3rd Cystoscopy on his bladder.  The 2nd procedure one was not only a cystoscopy but also a biopsy and what they call a TURBT which is a partial dissection of the bladder.  I am hoping tomorrow will just be the biopsy because recovering from the TURBT was no fun.  It meant coming home with a catheter that had to remain in for a whole week.  It was just awful for my husband and when he suffers, I suffer.  


So the bill I posted here is for the first 7 months of the year and tomorrow is another procedure.  Will Bladder Cancer 2018 top $300,000.00 dollars?  Could it?? It sure could....
Please pray for my husband, hell, pray for both of us that we get good news tomorrow.  We could sure use some.  Thanks for reading.  WE truly appreciate your prayers and your love.  Below is our song, "Johnny Rock and Rolls" which is a true story song.  We met this little guy when Greg was managing a music store back in the year 2000 back in Buford, Georgia.  I actually worked there as well.  It was a fun little part time job. I often wonder how little Johnny is doing. ​

20 Years of Marriage on July 10, 2018
Where did those Twenty years go?
As the clock was striking Midnight heading into July 10, 2018, we wished each other a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and talked about how fast 20 years have flown by.  You know they say when you make a living at doing something you love, you never work a day in your life.  The same thing goes for marriage.  When you marry someone that is right for you, really right for you, the time really does fly by when you are having fun. 
​

WE knew the first 5 years of our marriage flew by. In fact, we used to talk about how much living we were cramming into so few years.  During our first 5 years together, we found a place to live on Long Island together.  I moved in while Greg went back to Michigan to get his possessions and move them all the way down to Long Island.  After a year together on the Island, my health issues focused us on a move to a dryer climate. We wanted to pursue our songwriting professionally and we wrote mostly in the genre of country music, but we didn't know anybody in Nashville.  Because of that, we decided to move to Northern Georgia close to where my sister lived.  We started commuting back and forth from Northern Georgia almost every weekend networking.  That trip took 4 and 1/2 hours one way. Sometimes we actually did it in day trips leaving around 9 in the morning and getting home at 1 or 2 a.m. the next morning.  Greg worked full time in retail management and gigged in various different bands on weekends.  During week nights, we wrote and demo'd songs. 


WE were always on the go, there was never a dull moment and we loved every minute of it.  When we planned to get married 20 years ago, we tried to pick a date that was good for loved ones attendance.  Many had conflicts so we had to make a decision that if we wanted to be married quickly, we would have to do it in a very private way.  My daughter and her then boyfriend stood up for us.  It was just us, them and the Mayor of Patchogue, New York who married us.  


We have always done things our way.  Months before I knew when we were getting married, I had purchased tickets to a Billy Ray Cyrus concert in PA.  That concert fell during our honeymoon week so off we went to a Billy Ray Concert during our honeymoon.  Yes, my brand new husband shared his brand new wife with Billy Ray on his honeymoon.  If I didn't know for sure that he was the man for me, forever,  I surely knew it during our honeymoon.  




Our 20th Anniversary 


So how does a couple who's husband is battling cancer celebrate a 20th Wedding Anniversary. Well, Greg had a rough time on the 4th of July.  We didn't get to see fireworks this year.  We tried but we had to drive home before the Fireworks started because Greg got sick. We believe we know why he got sick but I really don't want to explain it all here.  The vomiting lasted until about 2:00 a.m. and he was weak the next day but felt better in 2 days. To make a long story short, it was probably a negative reaction to medication.  Two days before our Anniversary Greg sat outside in the heat and sun and that seemed to cause and adverse reaction.  He has now been off all medications other than the regular ones that he has been taking since his stroke so that reaction (feeling weak) was surprising and a bit frightening.  I decided he needed a few more days of resting. He didn't want me to have to cook on our Anniversary so I went and picked up Subway for lunch.  Then for dinner, we called in a CAR SIDE TO GO from Applebee's and actually had a nice dinner I didn't have to cook at home.  It was peaceful, calm and we didn't have any medical emergencies so it was considered a GIFT FROM GOD and a successful Anniversary celebration.  That's how you do it when you are battling cancer.  More about our love story below. 


We got together through songwriting and ironically, our song was a song that wasn't by us. It was a Savage Garden tune called, "Truly, Madly, Deeply."  That song really captured our courtship, the passion and the love during that time shortly before our marriage.  I have always been and remain in awe of my husbands mind and the way it works. He is one of the most brilliant and witty people I have ever known.  He is also one of the most talented.  He plays several different instruments, can create chord patterns for songs just by me humming a melody to him and his vocals as in singing are wonderful, beautiful and sexy.  

​We got together through songwriting and ironically, our song was a song that wasn't by us. It was a Savage Garden tune called, "Truly, Madly, Deeply."  That song really captured our courtship, the passion and the love during that time shortly before our marriage.  I have always been and remain in awe of my husbands mind and the way it works. He is one of the most brilliant and witty people I have ever known.  He is also one of the most talented.  He plays several different instruments, can create chord patterns for songs just by me humming a melody to him and his vocals as in singing are wonderful, beautiful and sexy.  


The first time I heard him sing was "THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST"  He wrote this song, he played all the instruments on this song and he recorded this song.  All the vocals you hear on this song are done by him.  Yes, he does his own harmonies.  

JULY 2ND, 2018 - Stroke vs. Cancer - What I have experienced and observed through the eyes of a wife who has a husband who is a stroke survivor and a cancer warrior.
A story of survival and the realities people face when faced with the impossible
We married in 1998.  My husband was a hard worker. In fact, most of the time he worked his full time job in retail management and gigged all weekend.  He was a lifetime musician but when we married he wanted us to have a secure life and being a musician doesn't always make that happen.  So he worked his full time job and gigged on weekends.  We were living the dream, well our dreams anyhow.  

We had a nice home, cars, toys, vacations and our health until we didn't.  My husband actually got injured on the job, a back injury which started the decline in his health and all the things that would come next.  On Christmas Night 2009, my husband had a stroke.  I took him to the local hospital and we spent the night in the emergency room and were released the next morning with the instructions to follow up with our Primary Care Physician. We had to wait for the doctors office to open and get an appointment 2 days after Christmas.  When I brought him in to see the doctor, the doctor didn't like what he told him.  My husband had experienced blurred vision, a terrible headaches and slurred speech on Christmas night. He also had some very vivid flashbacks of memories. The emergency room doctor didn't follow up on that because his vital signs seems normal. Our Primary Care Physician who had been caring for my husband since his back injury thought a CT scan of his head was in order.  Long story short, that CT Scan revealed that my husband was in the midst of having a stroke.  

The primary care doctor told us to get to St. Mary's Hospital immediately in Athens, GA.  He called ahead and the Stroke specialists were waiting for us. They took very good care of my husband there.  It turned out that my husband had a blood clot in his brain. This clot cut off blood the back of his brain.  This area affects balance, some eye sight, coordination and some memories.  After 6 days in the hospital on January 2, 2010 my husband was released.  We were told he would have to be on blood thinners and we would have to get his blood tested weekly.  That meant either going to our PC Physician weekly or all the way to Athens for the Coumadin Clinic. We opted to go to the doctors office around the corner. The only problem with that plan is that there are tons of germs in doctors offices.  

Following dreams and moving to Tennessee



Having a stroke puts things in perspective. There were many things we wanted to do before we both left this earth. One of those things was to continue the pursuit of songwriting.  We tied up loose ends in Georgia.  That included getting trained how to use the INR machine at home so we could move to a rural area in Tennessee into a Farm House on a ridge and not have to see the doctor weekly for testing. Hubbies Cardiologist thought we were responsible enough to allow us this training.  From that point on, I have tested his blood every single Thursday afternoon since around the fall of 2010.   
Side Effects of Stroke


My husband's stroke left its mark but ones that were not that visible at first glance. His eye sight returned with new glasses. He now walked with a slight gait and if he turns to fast, he will loose his balance and fall. His short term memory is shot (he probably couldn't tell you what he ate for breakfast.) Me leaving him unattended for any length was just not going to happen. You see, with his kind of stroke, a blood clot, there is only 3 hours to get the patient emergency medical treatment.  If I were to leave the house for an 8 hour job and he should stroke, it could mean life or death for him.  So I opted to work from home and be there for him. I was able to make him healthy meals, make sure he took his arsenal of pills daily and rest when he needed it. 
Other people and stroke


What I was surprised to discover was that most people didn't think much about the stroke. Our world had just crashed in around us, nothing would ever be the same and nobody seemed to notice. I don't even recall anybody even calling me and asking if there was anything they could do to help. Were we so self sufficient and nobody thought we needed a damn thing?  One of his old band-mates knew this guy, a rich guy who had been diagnosed with Cancer.  They actually said to us, we should get together and do a benefit for this RICH GUY.  Here my hubby just had a stroke and his COBRA had just ended so he was uninsured and nobody offered to do a benefit for us.  Mind-boggling..


To add insult to injury, if my husband said he couldn't do something, one friend actually said to him, "Don't play the stroke card."  I was baffled, pissed and deeply hurt at how uncaring most folks were.  It was like no big deal to them and we quite frankly felt we were leaving nothing behind when we left Georgia.  I always wondered if people just didn't understand stroke and how that changes peoples lives.  
The truth of the matter is that life was never the same. We have lived day to day always wondering if the next stroke, the fatal stroke is going to happen and when.  That thought never leaves you alone. Every Thursday when we test his blood, we keep our fingers crossed that his numbers are good. It is at the point that if his dosage needs to be adjusted, I know how much to add or take away.  After doing this weekly for 8 years, you get pretty damn good at it. Through the years the blood thinners have thinned my husbands skin, especially the skin on his lower legs.  Brushing up against something like the edge of a cardboard box can cut his leg right through pants. If he gets a cut, a cat scratch or any kind of lower leg injury, it can take up to 2 months to heal. Between his herniated discs from the back injury and the gait, he can't walk far so he has a scooter we have used for the past 3 years to go grocery shopping or to a park.   Again, this is the man that used to work 2 jobs, seven days a week. We used make the weekend gigs out of town our own little getaways. We were living large, and having lots of fun making music and spending time together.  




Along comes CANCER


Most people who have been following our journey know this but for those that don't, I will give an abbreviated version of what has transpired thus far.  


In October my husband was treated for what we all thought MIGHT be a KIDNEY STONE.  Now, I do have to say, I didn't think it was a Kidney Stone because I knew people that had experienced them and my husband only seemed to have minor discomfort. After being treated with antibiotics and some other drugs that doctor thought would help with kidney stones, things seemed to get better.  In November a few days before Thanksgiving my husband pissed out a blood clot.  I immediately took him to the Emergency room.  The Emergency room doctor told us we needed to follow up with a UROLOGIST.  I asked her why? Was this a Kidney Stone. She said no, 'your husband has a thickening of his bladder wall." I said what could that mean??  She said bluntly, 'CANCER."  


Next step was UROLOGIST who had no bedside manner and whose office was decorated in 1970's decor.  He did a procedure in his office where they actually put a scope up through the penis to look inside the bladder. He finishes and comes in and announces that my husband has 'CANCER'.  I was like, 'don't you need a biopsy to be able to say that conclusively?"  He took offense to my question and said, "I have been doing this for 30 years. It's CANCER."  Then he promptly led us out of his office saying something like he would set up a procedure my husband needed in the hospital across the street soon and they would let us know when. We left his office shell shocked and numb.  I know we discussed who would drive home but I can't tell you who actually did.  
I called the insurance company to see if we could have a 2nd opinion. The insurance company said yes and they also asked about our experience. I told them what had happened.  They filled out a complaint against this doctor.  His bedside manner was the worst I had ever seen. WE didn't want him touching my husband again. We went to Nashville for the 2nd opinion. That doctor told us that my husband would have to have a procedure where they do in and scrape out what looks to be a tumor. Then they test it to confirm what kind of cancer and to see if it is on just the top layer of the wall of the bladder or if it is in the bladder muscle.  We had that appointment on December 12 in Nashville.  Hubby also has a CT with contrast where we were told that the cancer had not spread.  That call came on December 13 and we were thrilled to hear it was only in his bladder.  At this point, we were still keeping things quiet.  You don't want to say the words CANCER.  You never want to say the word CANCER.  The holidays were upon us and hubby got scheduled for Mid January for that procedure. This happened during the snow storms in Tennessee this year and I ended up having to drive us home doing like 20-30 miles per hour on the Interstate while hubby was hooked up to a huge catheter that was draining blood and urine into a bag.  It was a nerve wracking trip. I am not sure how we made it home.  2 days later the doctor called with the results. It was worse than they thought and it was in the muscle.  That meant that things were going to be harder than we thought. He wanted us to see his partner who did the most advanced cases. Nothing like getting a message like that left on your machine. That was the day I drove to the pharmacy to pick up pain killers for my husband and sobbed in the arms of a Rite Aid employee as I recalled the message I had just listened to that morning. We prayed together and I went home with pain killers in hand and a smile on my face. I did not tell my husband that news. I just couldn't when he was in such pain already. 
That catheter stayed in a week and we were instructed how to remove it at home. That was a terrible moment. I was not sure if we were doing it right but we did.  It was out and after a few more weeks of healing, he was scheduled to see the partner. I was forced to tell him at this point that the CANCER was in the muscle because he was going to hear it from the doctor.  


I am going to have to do this in a 2 part post because I am not sure how much you can actually write here before it stops you. See you in the next post. 

​Way over due update from Greg
SIGNS - Cancer Blog Update

First, let me apologize for this update taking so long to get completed. There were a lot of post treatment reactions that made things difficult at best. A trip to the E.R. which turned into an overnight stay in the hospital with a 102 fever and just basically feeling crappy. Actually the post Chemo, post radiation recovery was worse than the time during treatment. But enough about spilled milk, let’s hope that as the new week dawns all the signs prove to be true and that the upcoming 6 week check up and CT Scan show nothing but empty bladder meaning that all the prayers  from everyone have worked, the cancer is dead and my life can return to normal.

As we journey through life we see many, many signs along the way. Some of them are easy to see and understand while a good portion of them are more subtle and you have to kind of look at them and try to decipher the message that it is sending to you. On the hour long journey to my cancer treatment the other day the song "Signs" came on 70s on 7 and I thought that would be a good post for the blog, so here we are (extra points for those reading this who can name the band that originally recorded that song without using a search engine like Google or skimming through the story for that information).
So one positive sign along this journey was that on one of the colder days of the treatment so far, when it was an unusually cold morning. I walked into the radiation center wondering if this was all going to worth it when the 9 weeks were done. After treatment I opened up the car door and tossed in my gloves on to the passenger seat and it made a perfect Victory sign. Those of us hippies from the late 60"s and early 70s also called that a Peace sign. Either way it was a sign literally 10 - 15 minutes after I silently asked a question. Could it be a coincidence? Sure it could but I prefer to think divine or cosmic intervention of some kind, call me a hopeless romantic or dreamer.



Signs from the past. We more often than not, go through life not knowing if things that we have done have had any impact on people we have known. I mention this because from pretty much out of nowhere I get a Facebook instant message from a friend in my past.


I always knew Nate was destined to do some very great things based on what I had seen. He was quite a bit younger than I and we both worked a large big box electronics retailer. He was a singer songwriter and enjoyed working on constructing videos. I dabbled in them myself so we would share our work with each other for feedback and critiques.
I invited him along to play an Earth Day show in Macon with a regional favorite, Bobby Mountain. It was fun, he was nervous but everyone enjoyed it. My wife and I opened a singer songwriter venue called "Inside The Song Acoustic Cafe and Guitar Store". It was a small venue in Winder, Georgia where we served beer and wine, some finger foods and sold a few fun guitars and related things like strings. We had a small stage where we had video recording and everything that went through the P.A. was recorded in stereo and given to the artist as a memento of the night. It was a labor of love that was killed when after 911 griped the country keeping people from traveling to perform or see live music. We had to make the decision to either get a bank loan to keep her afloat or closer her down. After paying expenses like store rent, electricity and more out of our household budget, we made the heart breaking decision to close the business and move on.  The time Inside the Song was open was glorious and we will always be happy we had the experience.  Little did we know, others felt the same way.


Nate and his band "Problem Thomas" performed there somewhat regularly. All of them pretty much had a first "real" on stage in front of a live audience right there at Inside the Song. The rest of the story from that Facebook message is that Nate found his calling not in music, but in movies and has a couple acclaimed successes and is now teaching film. The other members of the group went on to get much more stage experience. One name who graced the Inside The Song stage as one of his first gigs was a now very well know artist named Levi Lowery.



Nate said that one of his proudest moments was watching the other members of Problem Thomas - his brothers, take the stage at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta as the opening act for the Zac Brown Band. The band signed with Zac Brown's label and toured with him several times across the country. In fact Levi actually co-wrote a CMA award winning song that Zac recorded called "Colder Weather" which was a number one hit. Amazing.
He told me in his message that he credits Donna and I for giving them the start at Inside the Song and that without a place for them to learn and grow and to hone the performance skills that none of that may have happened.
Again, he reached out to me and shared this with me. I was having one of those rough cancer treatment days when I found the message. Another sign that we had made a positive impact on the life of him, his family and other musicians. He did not have to write that but it certainly made a positive impact in my overall life view knowing that we had made a positive impact on them.


Don't bury your nose in your phone and ignore the signs happening around you daily.



Every day on my journey to and from treatment I see the signs that the road I am on is an ex-pow highway, a gold star memorial highway, the first highway to cross Tennessee from Memphis to Bristol. The signs remind me that I daily travel the Trail of Tears where the Native Americans were driven from the land they had owned since time began.

 I see the occasional horse and buggy sign that reminds me to keep an eye out for our local Amish population. 

Okay, so here we are, the 38 radiation treatments are done and the 8 chemo treatments have been completed and on Monday I go in for a C.T. scan with contrast to have them look over my bladder and that specific area to see if they have killed all of it and to make sure no traces of the monster remain inside me. The whole tour into the radiation thing is scary in and of its self. 

The smiling faces in the Radiation and the Onocology office’s made it easier to bear from the smiling face I saw first every day in Radiation, the registration girl Cassandra  who is a 10 year survivor, to my Radiation Oncologist Dr. Wendt and then my once a week visit to Jeremy McDuffie for my double dose of chemo. 

It is making for a rough weekend I have to say. On this past Friday I found yet another rare side effect of the treatment. It seems that one of the two Chemo drugs I was taking (Taxol) has a rare and unusual effect on some people of making the large toenails and large thumbnails fall off. Not all the toe and fingernails mind you, just the large ones, weird! Well, as of yesterday I am minus one large toenail.
So on Tuesday the 19 I find out if all the signs were telling me truthfully. So keep your fingers crossed and we will update as we get the news and are emotionally able to tell the rest of the story. 

 By the way, the band was the Five Man Electrical Band. 
UPDATE From Donna: Here is our song  "Love Story" written shortly after Greg's stroke on Christmas night in 2009.  This is me singing lead. Keep in mind, I am not a singer but I felt it important that I sing this song at that time. Hindsight is 20/20 and it is all sadly very clear to me now.   The doctors appointment did not go well but we are not ready to talk about it yet. When we are, it will be here on the blog. 

April; 30th, 2018 
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TREATMENT TUNNEL 
30 Radiation Treatments and 6 rounds of Chemo completed
It is amazing that my husband has managed to do this much radiation without becoming dehyrdated.  I do remind him to drink and drink often.  I have kept the house stocked with different flavored gatorade and that has definitely helped.  Nausea has been minimal and vomiting has not yet occurred (fingers crossed) we finish out the rest without any.  They give him a shot in his belly right before Chemo to avoid this, they give him Pepcid in his drip and a Steroid that also helps.  Last week he actually gained 2 lbs which the doctor thought was amazing. 



Hair Loss


He has lost most of his hair. He had been balding on top for years but we always kept the back long. Our granddaughter Ashlee liked it that way and Papa always wants to please Ashlee.  When we decided to fight this cancer with Chemo and Radiation, his concern was disappointing Ashlee with the hair loss. Her response to him was, "I'd rather have you Papa."  The doctor didn't think he would loose his hair but he has.  I thought he would because his hair has always been baby fine.  Hair grows back or maybe not. At this point and at our ages, it is truly the last thing to be concerned about.  
Final Radiation and Chemo


People keep asking us when is his last treatment.  May 10th is his last radiation.  The last Chemo treatment is a little more open ended.  We will go to the oncologist this Wednesday and they will test his blood.  If his numbers look good they will treat.  If his numbers are depressed, they will not and then they will treat the following week which is the last week for radiation.  Best case scenario is that he can treat this Wednesday and then next Wednesday as well.  I know the oncologist wanted to try and get in at least 8 rounds of Chemo so we will see.  Either way we are heading into the home stretch.  


Please continue to pray for us and for him, a total killing of the cancer that had invaded his bladder.  As always, we love you all and thanks for caring, praying and reading.  


Here is our song 'THE PRESENT"  We wrote this song when my sister was battling cancer.  This song remains as true now as it was then. 

So, Friday the 13th 2018 and halfway through radiation treatment and chemo for this bladder cancer and here I am in the ER. It turns out that I am NOT superman, go figure. I managed to take a bit of a tumble off the bottom step in the garage onto the cement floor. Bruised a knee cap and scraped up my ankle. Donna wanted me to come in and have them check and make sure my power port didn't take a hit. That's the point where they inject all the miscellaneous poisons into me to kill the cancer and Donna is concerned it might kill me if it dislodged and the stuff doesn't go where it is supposed to go. Seems the combination of medications, my stroke 8 years ago which effected my balance and Friday the 13th don't mix well.

It is Sunday as I write this and Donna is at the pharmacy getting some antibiotics to clear up or rather ward off a prospective infection. She called the oncologist and he called in the prescription. Then she is picking up Arby‘s and we are gonna chow down.


There is NEVER a dull moment between the treatments and all that happy crap. The interesting thing is that almost every one of the medications they have me on for this disease seem to have the side effect of dizzy.
That’s the weeks update from me, Superman signing off.



A Note from Donna: He is okay.  I called the oncologist today because his abraisons look angrier today then they looked yesterday.  I didn't want to take any chances and have him develop a full fledged infection. When I took him to the emergency room the other night I made him wear a mask. Good thing too because lots of people were coughing.  He is not running a fever and that is good. He is going to see the oncologist nurse tomorrow right after radiation and they will check that just the antibiotic is going to be enough to get him through his Friday the 13th nightmare. 
By the way, for people who were keeping track of our fan installation saga, this fall happened because of that fan installation. I was in my office working and the guy installing the fan needed a tool he didn't have in the room with him.  The installer was on his first day back from OPEN HEART SURGERY and was huffing and puffing. Greg felt bad for him and didn't want him to have to walk all the way out to his truck so he offered to get him one of his tools out of the garage.  You know what they say about good deeds not going unpunished.  Below is a song written from real life events. The song is about true love, life and death.  Have a tissue nearby when you listen to this song. ​