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