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Hello, family.......

I feel pretty good today so I'm going to take advantage of it and touch base with everyone.
I'm not sure how much info about my day to day condition I can post without boring everyone out of their gourds, but I'll try to be brief. One reason I think this might be important is that there may be someone else out there who is traveling the same road, and my experiences might help.
I don't dwell on horror stories like so many people on the support Web sites. I never look at the whole forest; I concentrate on one tree at a time. When I open my eyes in the morning, I thank God for the gift of another day, and it's the only day that's important.

I'll try to clarify some of the things that became misconstrued over the last two weeks:
The whole body bone scan showed only one bright spot ("bright" equals "bad"). I expected that. It's in the area where the tumor destroyed the femur so there had to be some cancer cells left after the removal of the femur.

The area of the lungs effected by the cancer is in the middle lobe but it has NOT collapsed the lung. It's simply exerting pressure and decreasing the capacity of that area. This is causing shortness of breath, but I have some meds now that relieves the symptoms. The doctor said he could barely detect any change in size of the cancer nodules from the last CAT scan a few months ago.
[Connie, you can tell that old hound that's lucky enough to share your bed that I'll be around to pour the water bucket on his head at the tail gate party next year]

After all this time, I start chemical treatments on the 26th. I am sooo ready!
We can beat this thing, but we have to have the tools to do so.
This is a family effort, and I can feel the love and compassion from all over this land. I don't know why God chose me for this bountiful blessing, but I recognize it and I appreciate it.

Thank you, family, for all your thoughts and prayers.
God bless you all.

TC

BTW:

To all my friends from Venice, LA., to New Orleans:

I watched your misery develop from my hospital bed, and my heart goes out to you.

Most of you have spent half your lives working on the water like I have, and we saw the mistakes compound themselves hour after hour.
Y'all needed a lot more oil field ingenuity and a lot less beaucratic ineptitude.

God bless you all.

Hello, folks.....

I always catch up on the thread, then I have to wait for awhilefor the swelling to go down in my eyes before I can post.
Y'all are truly something else!

The way it stands right now is that I'll go for the tests to begin the chemical treatments in two weeks. They wanted three weeks healing time from the abdominable surgery to the test time.

As Nana has described, the chronology of events since I last posted was pneumonia, (four day hospital stay), twisted and perforated colon (seven day hospital stay) and pneumonia (four day hospital stay).
The perforated colon was caused by a little animal called divers articulitis. He is mean! He allowed poison to spew into my body cavity for four days before I gave up and went to the emergency room.
The doctor saw me at seven and operated at eleven.

I'm wearing a colostomy now and I'll have it for another two months then they'll put my pipes back together.
The colostomy sounds gross, but it's no big deal.
I'm still a Marine.
We adapt and conquer.

I sometimes think God must have decided that simply throwing cancer at me wasn't enough of a challenge. He knows I'll beat that.
He decided to test me with a bunch of rocks in the road, and that's okay. I accept His will.

With the number of friends I have praying for me, I have no fear.
WE SHALL OVERCOME!!

Thank you, friends, and may the Good Lord bless each of you.

"Cowboy, I know you're not on here reading this..."

I wouldn't be so doggone sure about that, Miss Smartypants!

I've been basking in the afterglow of the visit from the punkin and family. I even got some pictures for my bedside table.

Folks, I'm sure I have days like you all have: Remember that scene in the movie "Unforgiven" when old Clint gets kicked nearly to death by Gene Hackman? I think the feeling Clint had the next morning is the one I'm most familiar with.
But you do remember what happened to Hackman in the end, doncha?

My world is rocking along, friends. One day at a time. One mountain at a time. One battle at a time.
Right now I've got fluid in my lungs, but that will get better. Just another hill to climb.

I go back to UCLA next Monday for the first stage of a two part battery of tests. At the end of the second day I'm given the first of my chemical treatments and sent home with a six week supply.
At the end of the first six weeks I'll have to report back for an evaluation. If everything is going as hoped (and prayed) I'll go back home for another twelve weeks before the next evaluation.

The exciting thing is that both of these drugs hold promise of letting me get ahead with my life. If I'm doing good, I can go back to work and carry on a normal life again.
You've prayed me over a lot of mountains, friends.
Thank you for always being here. I can feel the love and support over the many thousands of miles.

_______________________________________________

Faith hasn't had the seizure interruptor installed yet. They wanted to get some more data before doing so.
Depending on the stress factors she still has two to ten seizures a day. They're short lived and she suffers no ill effect from them except from the stares of people in public places who have never seen a seizure. We don't pay them any mind, anyway.
Ahhh, what can I tell you about my angel, Faith??
A lady told me yesterday that Faith was very lucky to have me. I explained to her that she couldn't be more wrong. Faith is my rock, and she loves the role.
We hang on to each other, and the stream of life pulls us along.

God bless you all.
I love you.

TC

Hello, folks.

To update my condition, I'll be starting the chemical treatments on August 8.
This is not the standard FDA approved chemical, Interluken II. I looked at this drug and decided I'd rather take my chances with the experimental drugs. They have less side effects and better test results.
The total length of these trials varies, but I'm hoping for less than a year.
I'm not supposed to be as sick with these treatments as with Interluken, but everyone responds differently.

Please hang with me, folks. Our prayers will get me through this.
I appreciate so much what you have done.

God bless you, dear friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUNKIN'

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN TELL.

Hello, folks.

I gave up on my wireless laptop. Maybe the network will let me stay on long enough to post.

I have okay days and bad days, but, like everything else, I take it one day at a time and pray for the best.
God knows He can load the wagon and I'll pull the load. I just ask Him to lighten the load a bit if it be His will.

The leg is healing very nicely. I'm walking with two crutches now, and by the end of next week they hope to have me down to one.
There is nothing for the titanium rod to affix itself to so it takes a lot of time for the scar tissue to wrap itself around the rod sufficiently to hold it, but it does feel really good to put weight on it. It feels like a good stretch for some strange reason.
I've have recurring bowel problems and urinary problems, but it seems to be slowly getting less severe.

I go into UCLA next Monday to begin the chemical treatments to combat the remaining cancer in my body. I'm told that this is not regular chemo, and I won't have the same reaction to it as with regular chemo.
Whatever. I just want to get started killing this damn thing!

The worst part of all of this is the exhaustion. I have to do what I can do early in the day because by four o'clock I'm wiped out.
I've tried to keep up with all the posts, but my computer time has been almost nil. Even with the few I've read I can see the love and kindness pouring fourth.
I thank the Good Lord that He has allowed me to live long enough to meet so many people with hearts of pure love.

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Faith is gone to UCLA to set up an appointment to install a device in her chest cavity to automatically interrupt the seizures. It works by providing a constant stimulus to the Vegas nerve which sidetracks the seizures.
My poor angel is having eight to ten seizures a day now along with all the other MS problems.
She and I remind me of the blind leading the blind. We both do as much as we can for the other, but it's always a struggle.

-------------------------------------

I'll try to keep you better informed, folks, when I get my laptop on line and get off this network.
God bless you all for your thoughts and prayers.

TC

Hi, folks!

As some of you know I got out of the hospital a week ago, and I've been living with my daughter and her husband in Thousand Oaks since then. I thought everything would calm down once I got out of the hospital, but it hasn't.

Of course, Faith and her husband have adjusted their lives in any way possible to make it easier for me so it's just a matter of waiting for my Great Healer to fix all those that are rattling around loose in my leg. The strange part is the way the ligaments and muscles are trying to form enough scar tissue around the titanium rod to stabilize it. That feels weird!

Faith and I go to physical therapy three times a week. I have never been this lacking in stamina in my life. That twenty days on my back made me weak as a kitten.
It's getting better, though, one day at a time.

The sun is bright in southern California, and this day is perfect for me to ride the power wheel chair down to the little Thousand Oaks Park and take advantage of those gentle breezes God is providing. There are lots of kids down there so I'm going to borrow some of their energy until I can make some of my own.

God bless you, friends. I still have about a week to go before I can start my chemo treatments, so this battle is barely started.
Thank you for hanging in with me.
Your prayers have sustained me in this battle, and I count on your strength as we go forward every day.

One thing I try to remember every day:
We have had no setbacks! God has kept us on a pace of postive progress, and He will be there to finish the job!

Yes, the rod they put in was titanium, and as I understand it, so was the big ball that went up into the pelvis cavity.

The nurses won't be interested in me, but they sure will be interested in th dollar value of that much titanium.

It was a beautiful morning. The PT came by and helped me out of bed.
I stayed up for two hours walking around on my walker and resting in my wheelchair.
The Good Lord has blessed us folks. We have turned the corner, and I see the beacon of recovery shining.

We still have a lot of work to do, but it will go fast now.
Thank you for your prayers.

I have time to type out a short update before my sponge bath:

I have my brace now so everytime I get ouy of bed, I have to put it on.
I asked the doctor this morning about when my PT was going to start. He said that since I have cheated my get out of bed date by four days, I'll start tomorrow.

The pain killers, including the morphine, I've shut off as of yesterday. My head is beginning to clear, and by this time tomorrow the dope will be gone, along with the extreme nasuae, I hope!
If not, then I'm pregnant, 'cause this is the worst morning sickness I've ever had.

May the Good Lord bless you all. Thank you for your prayers..

I'm fading, but I've got to express my love and appreciation for you ladies contributions to this thread.

You are all the epitome of God's love.
Thank you.

Whenever I read anything about "the Cowboy speaketh", I always think, "No, the Cowboy is reading the hearts of everyone on this thread and passing it on. Without your love, I wouldn't have anything to say."

Hi, folks:

I always think in the morning that I'll make a post in the evening, but by the time evening time gets, my physical strength is gone and I go to sleep.

Tom, I want to thank you and your Rangers for moving me into my bunkhouse. It looks absolutely great!

My leg brace is supposed to be here this aftertoon.
At that time I'll get to finally get out of this bed and get fitted with my brace. It will then be sent back to the manufacturer for any adjustments needed. I don't know what the long term plan is for this brace, but I'll find out this afternoon.
I know the longterm plan for me includes another five days in this bed (YUCK! - LOL!)

_____________________________________

Well, my pleasant little afternoon was interrupted by the the bandage nurse changing my bandages for the first time since surgery. All of you who have had major surgery know that includes those little tubes called drain tubes.
Thank you, dear Lord, that it's over.

I want to thank the Major and all his prayer warriors.
Knowing this thread existed has pulled me through many dark holes.

There are so many special who occupy this thread that I know I can't thank you all. I just thank God that you're here.
Thank you, amom, for always reminding me of all the people who pray for me every day.

May the Good Lord bless you all. With His strength we will win this battle.

"My husband just finished a year long cancer battle - and he is doing great."

Whaaaaat??

All the times we have shared a cafe table and drank a cup of coffee and somehow I missed that??!
Thank you, Saundra.

Our God is an Awesome God!!!

I need to make an apology to all.
They told me the surgery was on Monday the 14th.
I'm sure that sometime during the last three weeks one of the doctors has made it plain that Monday doesn't fall on that day of the month, but when the brain is slogging through morphine, percaset and neurontin sometimes the Atomic Table is more recognizable than one's own name.
Yes, they'll transfer me from my comfy little hospital bed to the O.R. gurney at 8:00 A.M. tomorrow.

Over the last two nights we have managed to convert my room bed into a dream of comfort with warm air blowing through cells in the mattress designed to maintain a constant pressure in each one. This is the modern epitome of comfort for patients who have back and/or hip problems. The first night I slept on it the port side sprang an air leak, and I woke up at 2:00 A.M. feeling like that dream mattress had turned into a concrete slab. The broken femur occupied and filled my world.
We fixed that only to have a repeat the next night on the starnboard side.
We finally got the whole problem solved by changing out the entire bed. I luxuriated in comfort last night. I really did NOT want to get out of my bed to face the world this morning.

The tumor has been reminding me of it's presence the last two days. We've cut off as much of it's food supply as possible, and that made it very angry.
I've been running a low grade fever, and as it dies, the body has to absorb and discard the waste products.
The short story is that I feel like I have the flu.

I doubt seriously that I'll be able to make a post tomorrow, friends. It's a five hour surgery so I'll be out of touch with the world most of the day.
If I regain consciousness at any time tomorrow, I'll make a post to let you know how it went.
Faith will be with me all day so if I can't post, I'll get her to make one for me.

Now, I'm going to catch up on some sleep in that luxurious bed while I can.
Thank you for your prayers, friends. I love you all.

Thank you, Veto!.

I'd love to help people with a book of prayer, but I never know if what I'm writing means anything to anyone but me.
It just pours out with the emotion that comes from the heart.

When God makes me well and I'm sitting on my porch watching the deer and the birds, I will try to capture the love I have for my Savior, in good times and bad.
I promise I will try. Maybe it will help someone.

LOL!

If you remember, hon, you were my teacher a few months ago!
No, I won't try to usurp my teacher's position. I'll just add my own bit of knowledge.
The biggest concern of the doctors recently has been the condition of the skin. The radiation burns weakens the skin to the point that it won't hold the stitches required after surgery.
God blessed me with the ability to heal very fast, and my skin has recovered from the radiation burns. It's ready.

Thank you, dear one, for throwing me that life perserver of knowledge when I was drowning.

"you let me know what I can do and I'll git 'er done."

I have no doubt about that, pard.

I have a little...........no, that's a lie. This is a BIG chore coming up. Let me get the details worked out, and I'll holler.

I'll post a map about how to get there, 'else the sheriff's department will be inundated with missing persons reports.

I'm excited, folks!
Only a few days left till I get a new leg bone and the pain stops.

I've learned a lot. Maybe someday God will put me in a situation where I can use that knowledge to help someone else.

Now I gotta go down for a test to measure my lung capacity.
They ain't missing a bet!

Thanks, Kat!

When I really feel like a trip down my ancient C&W memories, I pull out my Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff music.