Sleep Study and General Welfare

JOY SCALE: 15/10
Hi, I finally received my sleep study results. I have Sleep Apnea which means that I stop breathing at night. The Dayton VA have scheduled me for another sleep study with a CPAP in order to see if the CPAP would help me at night. That sleep study will be on February 7, 2011. My thirty eight years of smoking did my lungs in. Quit smoking! All that smoking caused me to have COPD and could have had a hand in my sleep apnea.

I feel absolutely wonderful. The are several reasons why. First, I have been getting plenty of sleep. If you recall several blog posts ago I talked about staying up until the wee hours of the morning and getting up early. I generally tried to function that way because I was afraid of missing something. However, I ended up taking numerous mini naps during the day and I missed many important things. Plenty of rest is very important for good health and a healthy brain. Second, I lost a little over thirty pounds and coupled with plenty of sleep I feel like a new man. The lost weight allowed me to bend over and tie my shoes without cutting off my breathing among other things that involve my breathing. I would dare to say that the lost weight also helped my COPD. My energy levels hit the roof. Third, my wife started me on an iodine regimen which works on the thyroid gland and cancer. Fourth, my wife has me on a vigorous supplement schedule that fights cancer and helps with various aspects of my health. I would like to thank my beautiful and smart wife for having immense patience with my strong willed ways and a deep love for me during sickness and health. Because of you I will live for many years. Thank you Honey.
Peace and Love

Post Operation of My Snout

JOY SCALE:10/10

Hi Everyone, Well I survived my nose operation and all is well. The doctor did his thing inside my honker and left two hollow splints, one on each side. I was expecting solid splints, but I rather like the hollow ones because they allow me to breath better. My down time is two weeks and no lifting anything over ten pounds. Knowing myself I think those rules will be bent. LOL. The first couple of days my nose bled off and on, but today the discharge is minimal.

Coming this October I have a sleep study at the VA. My beautiful wife tells me that I stop breathing during my sleep. I think she is putting a pillow over my face. LOL. Sleep Apnea is what they call this breathing problem. That is why the sleep study. I will tell you all about it when the time comes.

The rest of my life is humming along smoothly. I will call this post finished.
I hope you all find happiness.

Peace

Upcoming Operation and Catch Up

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, It has been a good while since I posted anything. I mentioned before that there would be long times between posts because there would be nothing important to say. I will bring you up to speed. Since my last blog my health has changed a little for the worse, but my attitude is still positive. I believe the attitude is most important when dealing with major health issues. In regards to my health my peripheral neurophathy has become more painful in my feet. My COPD has gotten worse and I have decided to try to repair my deviated septum. My PSA is still below 0.1. Yeah! Many thanks to my beautiful and loving wife who tolerates me and, at the same time, takes very good care of me.

On the 31st of this month I will be heading back to VA surgery for some much needed work on my snout. For thirty years I have not been able to breath through my left nostril. I have adjusted to it over the years until now. My lungs are under great strain thanks to my COPD. See what thirty eight years of smoking will do! In addition to COPD I have sleep apnea. I went to the ENT Department at the VA and they suggested an out patient procedure that would last about an hour and a half. The doctor will adjust the cartilage in my honker so that there will be more room in the left side of my nose. In addition the doctor will reduce the turbinates in the right side of my honker. I think the turbinates stir up the air as it passes through or something to that effect. I will then go home with two wooden splints either inside or outside of my beak. This highly humorous picture is sure to amuse my wife, but I don't mind because I will be able to breath much better in about a weeks time. Then we will see if the sleep apnea goes away and the quality of my sleep is better.

In October I have the priviledge of participating in a sleep study to see where I am at in regards to my sleep patterns and it's quality. Of course I will keep you up to date when the tiime comes.

That's it for now and I thank you for reading my blog and maybe even passing out my blog address to someone who needs a little help.

Enjoy what is left of Summer.

Peace

Don't Smoke Ever

JOY SCALE: 10/10
Hi Everybody, All is well on the cancer front. The change back to Zoladex is working out well. There are a few side effects form the changeover, but I can deal with them. A week ago I was put on oxygen at night time and as needed during the day. I have COPD from 38 years of smoking and now I pay the piper. Almost five years ago I quit smoking. Unfortunately my lungs didn't bounce back as I had hoped. I now know how a fish feels out of water. When you can't catch your breath it is scary. Warning, warning, warning! Do not smoke. It is not worth it. If you do smoke, then quit. The sooner you quit the better the chance your lungs will get back to normal.
Hope you all are enjoying the Spring. Summer is fast approaching.
Peace and Love to All

A Nice Surprise

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, A couple of posts back I told you that the VA had switched my usual hormone medicine with another brand and that the new brand gave me a lot of trouble with the side effects. The hormone that I was on was called Zoladex and I was injected every three months. The new hormone, called Lupron, was injected every six months. My lovely wife tried to find a way to get me back on Zoladex. She tried to get the VA to make it available, but they said no. She then asked my Oncology nurse if she would inject me with the Zoladex if my wife would bring in the hormone from a source other than the VA. The nurse said that she had to talk with my Oncology doctor and that she would get back to us. Then my wife went to our Tricare doctor and asked if he would prescribe the hormone so she could bring it back to the VA for my injection. Unfortunately our Tricare doctor said that he wouldn't be able to get the hormone for us. As luck would have it a few days later the Oncology nurse left a phone message for me. She said that it was brought to her attention that several more veterans were having the same type of side effects as I was and that the VA would make the Zoladex available again! Someone is definitely watching over me.

All is well in the other areas of my life. I still look upon each new day with gratitude and I try my best to enjoy the day to the fullest. My psychologist said to me a few sessions back that a funny thing happens to some people when they find out that they are dying. They start living!

Peace and Love to All

Just Checking In

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hello Everyone, That's right I am still alive. I want to update you all on what is happening in my life. My wonderful Soul Mate and wife is on a quest to find my old prescription of testosterone suppressing drug called Zoladex. Let me give you a little background. About five months ago the VA switched me to a testosterone suppressing drug called Lupron. Lupron was administered every six months whereas Zoladex was every three months. I didn't have a problem with the difference between injection times. My problem was Lupron's side effects. Increased bone pain and neuropathy were two of the side effects that gave me the most trouble. I had already told you about the neuropathy a couple of posts back. My wonderful wife and I decided to try and switch back over to Zoladex. The VA is unable to provide me with Zoladex, only Lupron is available. Zoladex can be obtained through Tricare. I know that my beautiful wife will prevail and I will get back on the Zoladex in no time.

The other areas of my life are filled with happiness and growth.

Peace and Love to All

Update on Tests and Other Exciting News

JOY SCALE: 10/10

Hi All, Great news, my PSA level is 0.03 which is as close to zero as one can get. This means that my hormone therapy is working and keeping the cancer at bay. About three weeks ago I had an EMG test taken to test the extent of my neuropathy. The results have come back and I met with my Neurologist. The general consensus is that my neuropathy is caused by many things including my medications, radiation, or even the cancer itself. This is a wait and see situation as I see it. Other news, I have been fighting a cold which will hopefully be taken care of by some antibiotics dispensed by my VA. Hopefully I will be healthy and ready to fly out this coming Wednesday to spend a few days with my Son and his family in New Hampshire.

I hope this blog finds all of you healthy and enjoying life.

Peace and Love

Peripheral Neuropathy

JOY SCALE: 10/10
Hello Everyone, Well I finally have something worthy of this blog to share with you. Have you ever heard of peripheral neuropathy? For approximately 6 months I have been experiencing pain, numbness, and tingling in my hands and feet. When I walked my feet felt as if they were walking on small sharp rocks. My beautiful wife, who is a nurse, said that what I was experiencing was neuropathy. I finally decided to have someone at the VA look at it. The doctor at the Podiatry Clinic confirmed what my wife had said. What I had was peripheral neuropathy. We Googled peripheral neurophathy and here is a definition from Wikipedia: Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerve or from the side-effects of systemic illness. I ended my Podiatry visit with a brand new pair of "Ambulator" protective shoes. Style wise they weren't too bad. I prefer my comfortable work boots, but they do not protect my feet from injury. The protective shoes are in fact used by diabetics because they also experience diabetic neuropathy. For me the shoes will be doing the same thing-protecting my feet from injury. The Podiatrist also gave me a tube each of Biofreeze and Capsaicin to try out. These creams were to be applied a couple times a day. The Hot and cold creams hopefully will give the nerves a different sensation. So far I haven't felt any change in numbness.
I continue to look at each day with joy and hope. My beautiful wife and I continue to share ourselves with reckless abandon. Who can ask for more?