Tuesday at work

Went back to work today and spent most of the time on the phone. I keep a phone log at my job, and I had three pages of calls! My throat was already sore, and by the end of the day, I could barely talk. I hope tomorrow won't be so busy. Or better yet, my throat gets better.

I'm still feeling the effects from the days of stress leading up to and after my scope. I feel jarred, like my world has shifted in some way. Weird. And I feel so thankful that God answers prayers and the test revealed no cancer. That's something to celebrate.

I'm going to continue to eat healthy, though. My family has too much cancer in it for me to ignore the dangers. A healthy diet filled with green veggies and colorful fruit is a great way to deny cancerous cells what they need to grow and flourish. (Also, sigh, green tea. Drink it. Your body will be glad you did. And not that sugared stuff already bottled. No, brew it yourself and drink two or three cups a day -- without sugar. It will grow on you.)

I have been touched by the concern shown to me by my friends. They prayed with me, worried with me, talked with me, cheered me up, and proved the world still has many good people in it. I feel greatly blessed.

And now, I'll close. Good night all. Have a great day tomorrow.

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It's NOT cancer, thank God!

The doctor called a few minutes ago. It is NOT cancer, thank the Good Lord. And I do mean Thank Him. His Grace abounds. As to what it is, they're not sure. It could be caused by many things, but he felt it was not currently life-threatening, but a problem I need to get taken care of. It means another doctor and more tests, but God is so good to me. I thank Him for His grace and you for your prayers and concern.

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Unhappy

Just found out that I won't get the results from the lung scope until tomorrow! I'm very unhappy.

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Nervous Wednesday

It occurred to me this morning that I probably won't feel like posting for the next several days so I thought I'd ramble on a bit and tide you over until I can get back on here.

Tomorrow morning, of course, is the scope into my lungs at OKC. I hope to be back home Thursday afternoon sometime, but we'll see how it goes. Sometimes they keep people overnight, depending on how it goes. I dread the side effects of the test -- apparently you feel like you have the flu afterwards -- but they're supposed to pass in 24 to 48 hours.

It's unlikely I will get any results until early next week. I will let you know as soon as I can what they find. I would appreciate your prayers during this time.

The James Rollins book I ordered (The Doomsday Key) came in yesterday afternoon so I have a book to look forward to reading. Woohoo!

I'm getting closer to affording a farm house on FarmTown. I have plans for orchards, fields, a river, and even a gazebo or two. My cousin Joni has created a hedge maze on her farm. I might try that.

Just finished reading that the event horizon of a black hole may be "fuzzy" instead of a clearly defined limit. In other words, instead of it being a point where you "Abandon all hope," it's more of a region where it's easier to take a step forward than to go back so you keep going until eventually you can't go back without having access to the entire energy of the universe. Stephen Hawking came up with this, and a lot of people are upset with him, because -- take a deep breath -- if it's true, then cause and effect are unrelated, at least at the quantum level. No, I don't understand it, either, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Anyway, I was thinking about time and a black hole and about how time might be "fuzzy," too. That maybe we could go back in time if we had access to enough energy, and if we could, what would we do? (Ignoring all the science, of course, that says time can't be changed.) Maybe a question better not asked as we can drown in regrets and might-have-beens if we're not careful.

I intended to post this post this morning, but didn't get it done so now I'm going to post it at lunch. But this post will be posted today! I think. No, no, it will. Probably ...

It has got too hot. Yes, I like warm weather, but this is crazy hot. I don't like it. Fix it, okay? Don't put it off. I'm just going to get grumpy. Well, grumpier.

I'm going to bed early tonight. At least that's the plan. I won't be on the computer again this evening. Y'all have a good day tomorrow and spare a prayer for me if you can. Talk to you later.

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Escape

Since Frenzied Feline posted a huge and interesting update, that inspired me to post at least something! Although I don't really have much to share. I'm sort of in a waiting mode now. Numb even.

I'm still playing FarmTown on Facebook. I'm not playing World of Warcraft much. In fact, I don't think I've been on WoW for about three weeks now. FarmTown isn't as exciting as Wow, but it's nowhere near as frustrating. FT is a good escape.

Early Thursday morning, of course, is my 'scope. I'll be at the hospital in OKC. If everything goes okay, I'll should be home sometime Thursday afternoon. If things get complicated, they'll keep me overnight and then I'll be home sometime Friday. I'm not looking forward to it -- who would? -- and I'll be glad when it's over.

Still reading a bunch. I'm hoping a book I ordered from Amazon (The Doomsday Key by James Rollins) will come in Wednesday. I like Rollins's work a lot, although I don't enjoy the Sigma Force series as much as his other books. Sigma Force reminds me too much of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt and NUMA, and no one is as good as Pitt! Sigma suffers by comparison. Well, Pitt's earlier adventures. Lately the ones featuring Dirk's son -- also named Dirk -- and daughter (Summer) have lost some of the excitement of the previous books.

By the way, I just found out that Murder by the Acre is now on sale in India. I find that curious and somewhat offsetting. Don't know why exactly, but it seems odd to imagine a curious Indian picking it up and reading my book. I hope they enjoy it.

Speaking of writing -- well, let's don't. At the moment, my life is on hold until this health situation is resolved or moves forward or whatever. As always, I'm grateful that my salary doesn't depend on my ability to write. Otherwise, I'd on the street. May yet be if Congress doesn't pass some sort of healthcare reform that will allow me to buy, beg, and/or steal health insurance. Bring on socialism! Or some other healthcare related -ism! Just anything to help me and all those other like me who can't buy health insurance even if we could afford it because the health insurance companies won't sell it to us. I'm not particular these days. Any port in a storm.

Finally saw Taken and The Dark Knight a few days back. Really enjoyed Taken. Didn't enjoy The Dark Knight much. The ending of The Dark Knight was particularly contrived and empty. I did like his Batcycle, though. That was cool.

And I've been enjoying Space Week on the Science Channel. There should really be a Space Channel. All space all the time! I'd watch it. My roomie and I disagree on space travel. He thinks it's unnecessary and expensive. "We have enough problems on Earth to deal with." I support space travel because it's an amazing dream, and we have so few amazing dreams left. I suspect it's a doomed dream, but it's not a bad windmill to tilt at.

And now I have to go to work. Y'all have a good day, ya hear!

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Working on the farm

I've been working on FarmTown on FaceBook. I'm saving up to buy a farm house, but it's 300,000 coins and I only have 180,000 so far. Maybe by next week, I'll have enough. Yes, I know it's not a real house. Leave me alone! :)

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Speed

So mostly I've been quiet because I don't have much to say and that which I could say isn't pleasant or helpful to me or anyone within hearing so I've chosen silence. Silence and reading. I've been reading a lot of books. I've raided my local library several times now, grabbing ten to twenty books at a time and gratefully losing myself into other worlds.

The people behind the counter always seem surprised by the number of books I check out. Even a little suspicious. "So ... are all these books for you?" "Do you read all these?" "Man, you must not work." "I'd like to spend all day doing nothing but reading." "These are due in two weeks. Just two weeks." I just smile mysteriously. Or maybe I'm smirking. Hard to tell, really.

It's actually my only dependable superpower: I read very fast. My sisters and brother also read fast -- books were a huge part of our lives growing up -- but I didn't realize how fast I was compared to other people until I got into college. Jon, my college roommate, constantly expressed his surprise at my speed. I was surprised by his surprise. I had never noticed before.

Anyway, that's what I'm doing. What have you been doing? Anything interesting? Share!

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Thursday gratefuls

It’s a bit harder this morning because I slept poorly last night and woke up feeling sick, but here some things I’m grateful for: morning prayer, a hot cup of green tea, cinnamon and apple flavored oatmeal, a hot shower, a cheerful email, FarmTown, and a good friend who called just to say hello.

I got my payment plan all worked out with the hospital in OKC today, so the scope on June 25 is a go. Glad to have that taken care of.

Not much other news. I've got to get writing again. I can't let this health issue steal away that part of me. Or maybe I can. We'll see what I'm made of.

Have a great day. Please continue to pray for me. I'll be praying for you.

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The date is set

Well, the 'scope into my lungs is set for Thursday, June 25. I would appreciate folks' prayers on that day and before so that my lungs receive a good report. This is a scary thing, and I admit I'm scared, but our God is more than capable of seeing me through this.

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Great article

I thought there was a lot of good info in this article.

The best cancer-fighting foods
A doctor with a malignant tumor changes his diet to stave off his disease

by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, Prevention

I was diagnosed with brain cancer about 16 years ago. I received chemotherapy and went into remission, but the cancer came back and I endured two surgeries and 13 months of chemotherapy. I asked my oncologist if I ought to change my diet to avoid another recurrence. His answer was perfectly stereotypical: "Eat what you like. It won't make much difference."

He was wrong.

The extensive research published in the last decade alone proves that what you eat can have a profound effect on your protection against cancer. But my doctor's answer was hardly surprising. It's a little-known fact that nutrition is barely taught in med schools, where the solution to most problems is a drug. And doctors don't trust patients to make lifestyle changes. I recall a conversation with a fellow physician at a conference after I spoke on the importance of a healthy diet in fighting disease. "You may be right, David, but people don't want to change," he said. "They just want to take a pill and forget about it." I don't know whether he's right, but after all the study I've done, I know it isn't true for me.

Read the rest of the article here.

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More blessings

Things I am grateful for (in no particular order): The Closer, UFO Hunters, walking at the Fitness Center with Kyra and Eric, Mexican food, cherries, grapes, honey and butter on toast, sunshine, hot showers, sleep, and a whole lot more. I have to remember that even when dark clouds cover the sun, the sun is still there shining down on me.

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1, 2, 3, 4 ...

Counting my blessings: Heavenly Father, loving family, good friends, good food (even if it is healthy), good home, assurance of salvation, laughter, good books, the awesome possibilities that still remain in life, and much more.

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No news

Talked to the doctor this morning. Half of the tests were negative, and the other half take six weeks to show results. So ... we have to talk about what to do next. The negative results are goods news -- lessens the chance I have lung cancer -- but they don't rule cancer out completely, either. Probably we will do a scope into my lungs next. Anyway, that's the news from the medical world. I'll let you know when anything else is decided.

Yeah, it's quite depressing. I'm still spending money with no answers. Very frustrating. I know I'm tired of it. I have lost a lot of respect for my various doctors as this has progressed. I've now been coughing blood for nearly six months under my doctors' care. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Anyway, that's the new such as it is. Hope you had a good day. And just think, one more day of work, and it will be the weekend! Woohoo!

Have a great night.

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Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm supposed to hear from the doctor on the latest tests. I'm quite nervous about it. We'll see what he has to say. But not until tomorrow.

Conan is still not impressing me. I miss Leno. Oh well, things change. Not always for the better -- often not for the better -- but they do change. We can count on that.

Anyway, I had a nice talk with my younger sister tonight and then one with my friend Kent. Makes me appreciate the phone. Thanks, A.G. Bell.

And now I'll close. Night!

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Nighty night

Going to bed now. Conan ... not so good so far. Hope he gets better. I miss Leno. And yes, Roen, this is a post, so there!

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Facebook VS. Blogger

Why spend time on Facebook instead of posting on my blog? Let's compare the two. Yes, we're going to whether you want to or not so there!

First, Facebook is designed for short updates, and it is easy to post those short items. The blog is harder to post to. You have to think, and in this political climate, that's not easy or appreciated.

Second, you can see what your friends are doing all on one page. With the blog, I have to go to each blog to see. I'm lazy, you know.

Third, I get comments. Yes, comments. On Facebook, I get lots of comments. Don't get many here. That hurts my little feelings and makes me want to kill thousands and thousands of people and laugh at their terror and pain while wearing my Dick Cheney mask.

Fourth, Facebook has FarmTown, a game that I'm addicted to. And did I mention I get comments on Facebook? I get comments.

However, Facebook isn't perfect. For instance, its focus on short updates means you never get into a topic in depth. Also, the sheer number of updates can overwhelm me. Frankly, I'm not that interested in the 1,001 quizzes that everyone seems to take over there as well as the people who update 30 times a day. I'm sorry, but their lives aren't that interesting. At least to me. Call me shallow. But not to my face if you know what's good for you. And your family. And your pets.

Also, Facebook has ruined most of the blogs I used to read. Their authors have deserted their blogs for Facebook. All their wisdom has been reduced to news briefs. This can be a relief, but I do miss wisdom sometimes.

Anyway, I will keep Harbor Street for the foreseeable future. Won't give up Facebook -- I'd miss FarmTown -- so for now, I'll just do both. I'm talented that way.

Now, wasn't that more than you wanted to know about that subject? Nod your head. Now raise your hands. Shake them all about.

Night!

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