I took a lick'n but I'm still tick'n

That was a funny from years ago, just thought I would share with you on whats going on.
My doctor has made the decision to change the chemo that I was getting, to a new one that shouldn't be as harsh on me. Anyway, I do start this next week, and I'm looking forward to see what the difference will be. I'll share more as I find out what it's like.

Love you all

Dad

On the side lines for a while

Okay, I can't do everything, fix everything, and go on with out messing up.
That is my latest discovery, my condition over the last couple of weeks has caused me to rethink some things. I never recovered fully from my hospital stay, going to work the day after being released from the hospital probably not one of the best of ideas I've had.
So I have had to endure tons of energy drain, in some cases just too scary to talk about. I decided to take a minimum of three weeks to recover, I hope I can get my strength back, I love working, but for a while it's been too painful. I know I will want to be going out there next week, but I have to keep myself home.
Hopefully all of you kids are healthy.

On the brighter side, Christian, Angela's son had a birthday on 6/15/08, he is now a double diget, 10 years old, and a good kid to boot. It sounded like he had a great birthday, Angela if you have any pics, please post them.

Well gotta go.

Love you all.

Dad

Roy's great adventure, (NOT)!

Hey there, hope you all are doing okay.
I wanted to bring you up to date on my weird adventure.
I had my first chemo treatment about three weeks ago, and I was really sick afterwards. I spent some time in the hospital and in the ER one other time, but I think they finally figured out what was going on. Seems that along with the chemo side effects I picked up a superbug MRSA. I'm being treated for the bug now, and things are improving. I didn't really think that the chemo would make me that sick, but I didn't have anything else to go by. For those that know medicine my white blood count got down to 2.0 so I had to spend three days in the hospital to get that up, last Friday my oncologist said it was at 10.6 I think that is pretty good. Anyway I get another chemo treatment tomorrow, I'm hoping this goes smoother.

Love you all

Dad

Happy Birthday Serah

We celebrated Serah's birthday today, she turned 28 yesterday.
We had a good time we had a cook out, and just enjoyed each others company.
Josh and Steve did the cooking (steaks) I cut grass and we finished about the same time, they did a really good job on the steaks, and I did a good job on my yard. I like to buy the Certifide Angus Beef for special cook outs, it's really worth it.
I almost forgot, I officially started chemo this week, it really kicked my butt, but I am hoping that I can adjust and be strong enough to handle my business and not lose any time working. Lucky for me I was on vacation this week, or I would have been in trouble. Well enough of that. I hope everyone is doing okay, I will try to write more next time.

Love you all

Roy

"Greetings from the Selective Service"

Boy that brings back memories, it was 38 years ago today that I was drafted into the US Army. You talk about a fish out of water, at least that was the way it felt. I was bused to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. where I took my basic training and A.I.T. (cook school). I have a lot of memories from that time period, some are fond memories and some are not. Like almost any kid from the farm, you see things that are new and do some really dumb things as well.
Fortunately I didn't have to go to Nam, I was asked to come back to the cook school and be an instructor, which I gladly accepted. So I had my tour of duty on Fort Leonard Wood and some TDY at the US Army, R & R Center at Lake of the Ozarks. I guess I was a lucky kid, some time in 1971, they went to an all volunteer army, and they let all of the drafted guys out four months early, I was given an additioanal 2 weeks early out because of Christmas, so instead of being discharged in 12/29/71, I was released on 12/15/71. Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho.

Anyway it was a time that I can always look back at and think about, I had some good friends and some special friends as well. That wide eyed farm boy has slowed down a bit and the experience was golden, but I wouldn't want to get that letter again.

Love you all

Dad

Okay "Where's the beef?"

Probably most of you don't remember the Wendy's commercials, where the customer in the drive thru window ask where's the beef, but at the time it was funny and it made the rounds as punch lines to a lot of jokes. Now you may ask what is the point of this little walk down memory lane, because it's what I do. I have a pretty wierd since of humor, most of you have been spared from the endless hours of me laughing at myself or just thinking of things that only I could think is funny.
That being said I want to know, Where's the beef?

Dad

Ouch!!!!!!!

Well we have birthdays again, Sheila and Eli had their birthdays today 4/09/08.
It's kind of fun for Sheila to share the same day with Eli. Eli and his mom went to do something special, probably more than Sheila wanted to do, she has a hard time with all of her aches and pains.
This week I got my port-a-cath, not sure on the spelling, but that is the way it sounds. I need it for my chemo treatments that are coming in about 2 weeks, oh boy I can hardly wait for that to happen. I'm not real sure about what the side effects are going to be like, so if you see a bald guy running around it will probably be me.

Enough of the good news, I hope everyone is doing well, I know I will do well with the treatments that I will receive so no worrying okay.

More birthdays are coming, Leann's is on April 15th and Serah's is on May 23rd. I will add more as we get closer to some more.

Love you all

Dad

The Grinch is back

I didn't know how to start this, so I just wanted to say the Grinch is back. The Grinch being my cancer has returned. I can't say that is unexpected, we have had signs and test showing that that could be a possibility, so it isn't a surprise by any means. My oncologist is still very positive, and I feel I am in good hands for the treatment of the Grinch.
Serah has been doing research on line and have found several people that were in the same boat, and they responded very well to treatment the second time around. I guess I'm naive or in denial but I feel that things will be okay, I trust in God to handle the issues that are before me, and pray that when it's over maybe I can say that I am cancer free.

You guys know that I always want to have the last word.

I love you all, except the Grinch

First snow

Well it finally happened we got our first snow in several years, it was maybe 2-3 inches. Makes me think about the snows we had in Missouri when I was a kid 6-8 inches was about average for a snow storm, usually each year we had a couple of snows 12 inches or more. I just remember those snows with such fondness, it was a time when we didn't have to get out, just make sure that the animals had food and water, and sit around the table talking, drinking coffee and such.

The snow was such a beautiful thing it covered everything and made it all so pretty. Nothing looked as it really was, everything looked so pure and perfect. I wish I could have had each of you kids back then with me, and maybe you could have experienced some of the same, anyway wishful thinking. I hope you all are doing fine and are healthy.

Love you all

Dad

March is finally here

Just in case you didn't know it, March has arrived and today is Josh's birthday, he is now a 32.

I'm glad that winter is almost over, The trees and plants will be budding soon, just another sign of Gods good work, and the beauty that he puts on display.

I hope everyone is doing well, and that they are healthy.

Love you all

Dad

Happy Valentines

Hi, not much going on here, just wanted to tell everyone that I hope they each had a Happy Valentines day. Moving on to more Birthdays Josh's in March 1st, Sheila and Eli's is on April 9th, Leann, Josh's wife is April 15th. I almost forgot Sheila and my anniversary is March 31, this will be number 24, but who is counting. Somebody else share whats going on in your life.

Dad

Little Things

It seems that little things make a big impact.

I worked this week, it was gradifying for me, and it lifted up the spirits of my co-workers, they didn't have to worry about covering for me this week.

There isn't much going on in Nashville, we are just scratching out a living, and trying to enjoy it as it happens.

Serah has started back to school, taking photography courses. I think this will help her in the future, she has a natural talent for taking pictures.

Josh, Leann and Palmer are still here, they are doing well, and they are hoping that their house sells soon. I think they would like to be on their own again.

I hear good news from Texas, as Angela has taken a job as a paralegel, this is great news since this is what she went to school for. I hope all goes well for her and her family, by the way she had a birthday on January 23rd, I won't tell her age, it would be telling on myself as well.

Jonathan is working on opening a night club, it is called Crobar, he has a lot of plans, I hope they all work out for him. Also Jonathan will be 29 on Feburary 5th.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Dad

Back to Work

Well I went back to work today, only problem was I was pretty weak. I slugged through most of the day, in the end I had to give up and work from home.

It took me most of the day to figure out why I didn't feel well, but I think my blood sugar was too low, so I will watch that for a while and make sure everything is working right.

I Hope everyone else is doing good.

Dad

I think I'm enjoying sick leave.

I never thought I would say this but I think I'm actually enjoying sick leave. No not the time off, or the weakness that I feel from time to time, but I think I am enjoying the possibility that I am feeling better now. I have been looking forward to seeing the doctors and going through the test, of course I am expecting good news, but even if the test results aren't what I expect, I still feel better than before, with all of the pain and drama of not knowing what the problem was. Enough of that!

I just saw "The Bucket List" it was actually pretty funny, the funny thing was I think I related to the characters. It was such a guy thing, sometimes you have to pull away from what you care so much about in order to know how much you care about it. There I knew you would agree.

Dad

Health Update

Just wanted to share the good news, The day after Christmas I was having pains from my gall bladder, I went to the ER, with the X-Rays they saw a stone and a mass. My Surgeon decided that he would do an exploratory Laproscopy, and would probably take the gall bladder at that time. My surgeon decided to take a biopsy and and schedule a Pet-Scan. Today the pathology came back, that the tumor wasn't cancerous, so what a relief that was, now we are waiting on the Pet-Scan, and the surgery which will probably be next week. So I guess I will be having some recovery time, hopefully things will be good the rest of the years and then some.


Dad