THE drum coach!!!

My Wendy and I have worked with Rotary’s Youth Exchange program for a couple of years now.  The US students that travel to distant lands repeatedly hear the same thing from the committee members:

ADAPT!!!

ONE WORD says everything you…

My health was down enough Tuesday that it prompted Dr. Bryson to suspend chemotherapy for one week.  He scheduled us for an assessment yesterday to check my weight and hydration levels.  My weight continues to steadily climb, and hydration was…

My Wendy and I are feeling optimistic about finishing this cancer treatment off without so much discomfort and anymore delays.  We understand it can all change without our permission. We know we’ve even more deliberate in our attempts to manage…

The turn of events over the last 7 days forced Sock Swag into the background lately.  It is still going along for sure.

Monday was a great day to load up new patients with some Swag.  They were new to…

Yesterday was “Doctor Day.”  We met with both doctors (at different times) to discuss the status of treatment.  Dr. Bryson’s efforts to crack the gag-reflex code was enough to convince me to resume radiation treatment too.  Dr. Bryson also chose…

I love MMA matches.  They are exciting to watch: two well trained athletes who are willing to get in the octagon and go three to five rounds until the fight goes the distance, one fighter taps out, or one fighter…

Another bad weekend is now behind us.  In its wake are eight pounds that did not think they needed to stick around any longer.  I reckon I was on the binge and purge diet… heavy on the purge side that…

Today is day 4 of a five day break from radiation treatment.  We decided to take a break so I could have some relief from the side effects.  Unfortunately, there’s not been any relief in sight as of today. Things…

The following was penned by my Wendy in a journal she keeps on her night stand.  I invited her to add a post whenever, and she offered this one. 

Seems like that first day of chemotherapy left an indelible impression…

Yesterday was (emotionally speaking) the lowest I’ve been since the cancer diagnosis popped in early June.  I wrote the post with a sense of frustration that did not improve as the day progressed. It reached the point of “overwhelming” when…

Sock Swag and drums are wonderful distractions.  These days… they’re ONLY distractions.

This dealing with the side effects is an all day AND all night proposition!!!  Let’s start with the nights.

I slept in one hour segments over the past…

Day Off Swag in my Happy Space!!!

Sock Swag is a great distraction, but not the only one used to divert attention from the life of cancer treatment.  Drums get a bit of attention every day, and more so since…

Such a Culinary Delight!!!

3000 is the magic amount of calories I need to consume each day for the next 30 days.  Why such emphasis on 3000 calories? To keep my weight up while the treatment continues. 

The contents of…

Every passing day brings us one day closer to be being done with treatment.  Optimism builds when you believe things will not get any worse. Then… you wake up on a Sunday morning to discover the next levels of the…

These Are The Seeds!!!

The journey of 1,000 socks started 18 months ago.  Socks intrigued students during the Buckets and Sticks sessions.  The students would show up at the schools, eager to show the Swag they were rocking, and to…

The Radiation Crew is Rocking Some Swag

The crew of the good ship Chemo and the operators at the Radiation Station have MAD sock game now!!! Both groups were rocking the Swag this past Tuesday with big smiles all the…

Can you believe this?  My Wendy grilled me like a cheese sandwich yesterday!!!  Candidly… I had it coming.

Seriously though, she didn’t “grill me,” but she went “Mom” on me cuz she cares.

We’re figuring out how to deal with…

The Deployed Pharmacy... and it's gonna get bigger!!!

I finally sat down last night with this new collection of pills to figure out and set up a schedule that ensures I get what I need when I need it.  One…

Having a Hydration Sunrise on the Passenger Deck!!!

Back in the days of playing soccer in high school, the wrestlers would walk around with trash bags draped over their upper bodies.  They’d be sucking on lemons while wearing their favorite…

Finally… it is in place.  The Notorious Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy tube (known as the peg tube or feeding tube) is open for business, and BIDNEZ IS GOOD!!!!! 

This past weekend was hard on both me and my Wendy. 

The side…

My Wendy and I sooooooooooo appreciate all the awesome Sock Swag we’ve received over the last three weeks! 

We had no idea we’d gain so much support while we share our legit appreciation and respect to those who choose to…

Check out the picture again.  The only things that find their way down to my stomach are the Gatorade & Suja, the broth, and the apple sauce. Care to guess what today’s diet will be? 

The few liquids I can…

15 days of treatment are now in the rear view mirror.  Let’s talk about the highlight of this whole experience… SOCK SWAG!!!! 

My Wendy and I could not plan out the events of the last three weeks of Sock Swag!…

Eating and drinking is difficult, but not impossible these days.   

Back in the day, before the side effects kicked in, I’d eat soup from the Batman mug.  Fill it up all the way, pitch large scoops of soup in my…