A Vacation

JOY SCALE: 11/10

Hello Everyone, I am taking a vacation. During that time I have several changes that need to be made. I thank you all for your understanding and patience. I will be back soon.

Peace and Love to All

What If

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Good Morning Everyone, Today I'm going to talk about something we all hope never happens: your treatments no longer work. Over time cancer can find a way to overcome your treatments and start to grow again. Some treatments you have tried have worked for time and extended your life. Others never worked and new treatments took their place. Over time cancer becomes resistant to all treatments. When that happens it is time to weigh the possible limited benefit of a new treatment against the possible downsides, including continued doctor visits and treatment side effects.

We all have our own way of looking at this. Some people just want to remain comfortable during their limited time left.

This can be a very tough time-when you have tried every medical option within reason and non work anymore. Your doctor might offer you a new treatment, but you consider that at some point continuing treatment is not likely to improve your health or change your prognosis or survival.

No matter what you decide to do, it is very important that you be as comfortable as possible. Make absolutely sure that you are asking for and getting treatment for any symptoms you might have, such as pain. This kind of treatment is called palliative treatment.

Palliative treatment helps to relieve the symptoms, but it is not expected to cure the disease. It's main purpose is to improve your quality of life.

Hospice care may be considered at some point. Most of the time it can be given at home. Hospice focuses on your comfort when your cancer is causing symptoms or problems that need attention. Recieving hospice care doesn't mean that you can't have treatment for the problems caused by your cancer or other health conditions. You should focus your care on living life as fully as possible and feeling as well as you can at this difficult stage of your cancer.

One last item to consider. Maintaining hope is very important. Your hope for a cure might not be as bright, but there is still hope for good times with family and friends. This is the time to do some of the things that you've always wanted to do and to stop doing the things you no longer want to do. That last sentence is probably the most important you will ever read or hear.

Peace and Love to All

Decisions

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi Everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend. Today's post concerns something that I would like to share with you. From June 2007 to July 2008I was a zombie. I had so much morphine and fentanyl running through my body that I couldn't stay awake no matter what. Around June 2008 I had an intrathecal pump installed. This pump delivered a morphine solution to my spinal fluid which drastically reduced the side effects of the morphine. The fentanyl was also stopped. Don't get me wrong, there was still a lot of pain that I had to deal with. My pump could be adjusted to reduce my pain to the point that I was a zombie again; however I opted to try and live with my pain and stay awake. So since August of last year I have managed to tolerate my pain and, at the same time, remain awake enough to interact with people. I think that some people still wish I was still a zombie because I have a big mouth and I say what I think without using a filter. Yes I was brought up in a barn with no doors. There is always a trade off and I guess, in this case, it is that some people get aggravated by me. Heck there are times when I get aggravated by me! I know that I need to work on my lack of filter and I am sure that will come in time. I don't know if any of you out there will have the same choices that I have had, but at least you are now aware what you might do if you were in a similar situation as me. This is one of many decisions I might make as my future unfolds. I hope this post will help you in your own life.
Peace and Love to All

Another Fun Day

JOY SCALE: 10/10
Hi Everyone, I feel like doing another fun day so here you go.


A little bird was flying south for the Winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him. ---Morals of the story: (1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy. (2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. (3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace and Love to All

Palliative Care

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi Everyone, I hope today finds you well and happy. Today I am going to discuss palliative care. Palliative care is a treatment for relieving symptoms and is not expected to cure the disease. Its main purpose is to improve quality of life. For example I have an intrathecal pain pump in my abdomen that dispenses a morphine solution 24/7 into my spinal fluid. The morphine relieves some of, but not all of, my pain. It helps improve the quality of my life. I also have morphine tablets that I can take for break through pain which is also considered palliative. The hormone treatment I receive is also palliative. My hormone treatment consists of an implant every 3 months and it reduces my testosterone production. Little or no testosterone means that my cancer has nothing to feed on and that helps my bone tumors to shrink until my cancer finds a way around the hormone treatment. If you believe in statistics 2 years is the time when the hormone treatment no longer works and the cancer starts up again. I don't believe in statistics and I have heard about men that have remained on the hormones for 10 and 15 years. I plan on living longer than that. Besides, it is possible that new and improved treatments will be invented and I will try those. For now there are no more treatments for me other than the hormone treatment I feel that a positive attitude goes a long way towards extending my life on hormones.

Don't forget to breathe deep and laugh long.

Peace and Love to All

Fun Day

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi Everybody, Today is a fun day with only the usual picture and a joke as my post. Enjoy your day.

Here is your joke:

Lesson 5 A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients. The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree. --- Moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..

Peace and Love to All

Your Brain

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Good Morning Everyone, I saw my first scool bus of the school year a few minutes ago and it reminded me of an important thing we should all do. Strectch our minds. Learn something new every day. That is one of the keys to keeping your mind flexible and receptive especially when you have cancer. It is easy to wrap your arms around yourself and close your mind. It could be because of the medicine you take, your current environment, or something else. Whatever the reason your mind needs to be exercised on a frequent basis. It can be as simple as doing a crossword puzzle or word jumble. Keeping your mind open and in a learning mode can help you when you need adjust to ever the changing circumstances that cancer can bring. Of course an exercised mind is only a part of the dynamics of cancer, burt it is an important part. Cancer, terminal or not, has a way of getting you to close down and keeping your world small. A sharp mind can help keep your world open, moving , and ready to adjust to the changes that cancer can bring.

Thanks for reading my post. Now take a deep breath and let out a belly laugh.

Peace and Love to All

Emotional Health

JOY SCALE: 9/10

Good Morning Everyone, Today I would like to briefly cover emotional health. Most of the time people upon completion of treatments find themselves overwhelmed by emotions. I know I did and still am. I think that when you are going through treatments you focus on them and our emotions take a back seat. Now a myriad of things go through your head. The potential of your own death, or the effect of your cancer on your loved ones. For myself my main concern was my loved ones. I was very concerned how my cancer effected them. Cancer is certainly not cut and dried. This is where emotional support comes in. You need people you can turn to for strength and comfort. Support can come in many varieties: family, friends, cancer support groups, church or spiritual groups,online support communities, or individual counselors. Most people who have gone through, or are going through, cancer can benefit from getting some type of support. What works for you depends on your situation and personality. Some feel safe in a peer-support group. Others would rather talk in an informal setting, such as church. Some feel safer talking one-on-one with a trusted friend or counselor. If you aren't sure who you can turn to for help, call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 and they can put you in touch with an appropriate group or resource.

My psychiatrist helps me to understand what I am going through as I traverse this slippery slope of emotion and cancer. One of his specialties is working with the terminally ill (I don't like to think of myself as terminal) and he helps me to deal with my emotions in that area. Family and friends help me in other ways and areas.

I hope that this information helps.

Don't forget to BREATHE and LAUGH a good belly laugh.

Peace and Love to All

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Good Morning Everyone,

I thought I would post a few questions you should ask your doctor about prostate cancer:

1. What additional tests do you recommend?

2. What is the clinical stage and Gleason score (grade) of my cancer? What do those mean in my case?

3. What is my expected survival rate based on clinical stage, grade, and various treatment options?

4. Should I consider watchful waiting as an option? Why or why not?

5. What other treatments might be appropriate for me? Why?

6. Among those treatments what are the risks or side effects that I should expect?

These are just some of the questions you should consider asking your doctor. You should come up with some of your own as well. For example you might want to ask about second opinions or about clinical trials.

That's it for today. Breathe deeply and give your belly a big laugh.

Peace and Love to All

Fun

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, I hope every one of you is doing great and ready for the weekend. I am going to make this post a fun post. Why? Because I can. LOL.

Here is today's joke:

Lesson 4 An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?' The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not. So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, j umped on the rabbit and ate it. ---Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
So remember to breathe deeply and laugh long and hard.

Peace and Love to All

Love

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, I trust all of you are well and enjoying your Summer. If you have noticed my joy scale has stayed at the wonderful 10/10. I am trying to look at life, mine included, in a calm and loving manner no matter what is going on around and in me. I think that whenever you experience tension or conflict you can meet it with love. I/We have a choice. I think I mentioned this before, but I read a book called, Daily Meditations For Practicing The Course, by Karen Casey. Every day I find that the day's meditation matches exactley what is going on in my life. I think that is a very powerful sign to keep reading the book on a daily basis. Love is the key to all things. I know I will be practicing with love.

Go and take a deep breath, let it out, and laugh like there's no tomorrow.

Peace and Love to All

Lazy Day

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi Everyone, Hope you are all well and happy. Sorry i missed yesterday. Today is a lazy day for me so I will post my usual funny picture and a joke.

Here is your joke:

Lesson 3: A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they fi nd an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish..' 'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world. Puff! She's gone. 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep.. 'I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.' Puff! He's gone. 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch. ---Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Breathe deep and laugh long.

Peace and Love to All

Radiation

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi Everyone,

I hope this Monday was a good day for you. I know how Mondays can be tough after a good weekend.

I thought I would briefly talk about radiation treatment. Modern technology has allowed the radiation to be aimed more precisely and thus be more effective. One area that radiation is used is when prostate cancer is confined only to the prostate. One technique is when radioactive seeds are injected into the prostate and external radiation treatments are done for approximately six weeks. The seeds can also be injected without the external radiation. Another way is to have just the external radiation. The ability to aim the radiation more precisely increase effectiveness and reduces the side effects.

Now everyone take a deep breath and laugh out loud no matter where you are.

Peace and Love to All

Sunday

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, Here is todays picture and joke. Tomorrow I will start my regular post again.

Here is your joke:

Lesson 2: A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak. Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory. ---Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Peace and Love to All

Saturday

JOY SCALE: 10/10
Hello Everyone, Today is another funny picture and joke post. May you all have a beautiful Saturday.
Here is your joke:

Lesson 1: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel. After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies. 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?' --- Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Peace and Love to All

Next 3 Days are Joke Days

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi Everyone, For the next 3 days I will not be available to do the usual posts. I do, however, will be able to post my usual image and will throw in a joke or 2. Have a wonderful weekend.

Today's joke: Keep in mind I didn't write these I am just the delivery man.

CREATIVE PUNS FOR "EDUCATED MINDS"

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it tuned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from an algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his orders.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationary.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep Off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. Don't join dangerous cults. Practice safe sects!

Peace and Love to All

Happy Day

JOY SCALE: 11/10

Hello Everyone, Today I had my 3 month appointment to check my PSA levels and implant my hormone treatment. MY PSA level was 0.01!!! WOW. YEAH. That low of a level means that the hormone treatment is still working. I met with one of my doctors to go over how I have been feeling since I last saw him 3 months ago. I told him everything is basically the same as before. He was glad that I keep track of any unusual symptoms like hot flashes, diarrhea, etc. My blood readings are all normal except slight anemia. The doctor said the anemia could be from post operative surgery, but nothing to worry about. All in all one heck of a good day.

That's it for today. Breathe deep and laugh long.

Peace and Love to All

PSA

JOY SCALE: 10/10
Hello Everyone, PSA stands for Prostate-Specific Antigen and blood is tested for PSA levels. PSA is a substance made by the normal prostate gland. Men's semen contain the most PSA, but a small amount is found in the blood. A PSA level under 4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) is found in most men. Prostate cancer generally will make the PSA level to go above 4. If you PSA is between 4 and 10 you have a 25% chance of having prostate cancer. If it is more than 10 you have a 50% chance and increases as your PSA levels increase. It is important to know that around 15% of men with a PSA below 4 will have prostate cancer.
There are other factors that can affect your PSA levels. The levels can increase with noncancerous enlargement of the prostate which can happen as men get older. The levels can increase with an infection of the prostate gland called prostatitis. The levels can go up slowly as you age without any prostate gland abnormality. Ejaculation can cause a temporary increase in PSA levels. Some medications can affect the levels-Proscar or Avodart may falsely lower your PSA levels and require your doctor to adjust the reading. Herbal preparations that are labeled for prostate health could mask an elevated PSA level. Saw palmetto is an herb that does not seem to interfere with the measurement of PSA. It is generally taken for high blood pressure.
Your doctor may recommend a prostate biopsy if your PSA level is high. However, there are other types of PSA tests that are new and your doctor may want you to have those tests. They are Percent-free PSA, PSA velocity, and PSA density.
A high PSA level can mean you have prostate cancer, but it can't tell you how dangerous the cancer is.
My story (also in earlier post) started when I had my first PSA test 4 years ago. It was 3.5 and the next test was 2 years later in 2007. That reading was 28.5. Of course that level raised a few flags and I was treated first for prostatitis and then scheduled for a biopsy. On May 23rd, 2007 I was told I had prostate cancer. Later a bone scan showed that the cancer had spread to several bones. Some of these tumors have shrunk due to the hormone treatment and other holistic treatments. The rest of the story in posted here in my blog.
The majority of the information in this post was taken from the American Cancer Society's Quick Facts Prostate Cancer.
I have kept you entertained enough for one day.

Watch your Thoughts, they become words.

Watch your Words, they become actions.

Watch your Actions, they become habits.

Watch your Habits, they become character.

Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny.

Breathe deeply and laugh long.

Peace and Love to All

Shrink Your World

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, Sometimes it seems when I try to view the world my eyes are like the cat in the picture. Things seem crosswise and do not make any sense. That's when I stop and try rethink my situation. First of all I shrink the world to a size that isn't so scary. For example after shrinking my world the size is just big enough to contain all my loved ones and friends and a little extra space for anything that might come up. I know all this sounds goofy, but hear me out. What I am try to say is to shrink your world to a size that is easy to manage and enjoy. Why? To reduce stress. It is hard enough to live in this crazy world when you are basically healthy. When you have cancer the stress levels shoot through the roof. That's why I suggest you try to shrink your world down to a manageable size. The rest of the world will keep on turning regardless if you are a part of it or not. So a small world equals reduced stress equals more room to enjoy life. When your world is smaller your cancer is more manageable. I know it might seem hard to do, but it is worth the effort. Cancer doesn't have you. You have cancer. You decide when you are completely healed and when you are healed you still enjoy life. You still keep your stress levels down by keeping your world to a manegeable size. Low stress equals better health, mentally and physically. Now go out there and laugh your head off. Oh yeah don't forget to breathe.

Peace and Love to All

Sleep Talk

JOY SCALE:10/10

Hi Everyone, I hope this post finds you all enjoying the Summer. You have read my posts about getting adequate sleep. We are all different and our sleep habits are different as well. Back in the agricultural days most every one's sleep habits revolved around the sun. Today life is much more diverse and the 24/7 life has taken over our lives much more than the sun. Considering our differences we all have to find the right amount of sleep for our own needs. Once the amount of sleep is established the time to get it needs to be determined. A regular pattern is the best way to achieved the proper amount of sleep. Some people would recommend that you go to bed at 11 pm and get up at 7am. I believe that it doesn't make any difference when you go to bed as long as you get the required amount of sleep.For example: If I need 8 hours of sleep I can decide to go to bed anytime as long as I get my 8 hours of sleep. If I go to bed at 1 am I should sleep until 9 am to achieve my 8 hours and I should try to maintain my schedule until it becomes a habit. Another example: Let's say I go to bed at 3am. I need to sleep until 11am to get my 8 hours of sleep. One last example: if I go to bed at 9 am I should get up at 6 am. OK enough of this sleep talk. It makes me tired. If anyone has any other ideas about sleep please let me know.

Breathe deep and laugh hard.

Peace and Love to All

Choices

JOY SCALE: 10/10
Hello Everyone, As you can see I am still up there on the JOY arena. I have found that when you have cancer information seems to come from everywhere claiming to help you stay alive longer. Some of it sounds crazy while others ring true: supplements, red meat, sleep, coffee, etc. Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed over the choices. I have found that no matter what information you come across your state of mind is the the determining factor. If you can't maintain a calm and steady mind, then all the help in the world won't help you get better. The deep breathing exercises I gave you will help you relax and stay focused. Even if you didn't want to follow the advice that claims to help you live longer-remember there are no guarantees. I believe that a calm and focused mind will help you fight your cancer just as good as anything else out there. Remember that this is only my opinion. In the end we all have to find our own methods of fighting our cancer. I do know that proper breathing and lots of laughter will help you go a long way towards healing.
Peace and Love to All

Joke Day

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, I thought I would skip talking about cancer and throw a joke in here. Ready?

Clean joke...
Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married.
One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom.
The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.
After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, "I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!!!"
"IMPOSSIBLE !!" said the groom broom.
Are you ready for this? Brace yourself; this is going to hurt.
**********
"WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!"
I don't make them I just post them.

Well I think that's enough for today. Don't forget to Laugh, Love, and Breathe deep.

Peace and Love to All,