Round 9 - Looking good, Billy Ray! Feeling good, Louis!

And that blog title pretty much sums it up!

Round 9 has gone just fine so far. I did have a short period of eating less than I should simply because I didn't feel like eating something I couldn't taste. Fortunately that only lasted a few days (days 2-5). During that time I re-rediscovered a fondness for mac and cheese. It seems to cut through the blandness caused by affected taste buds and it tasted great with lemonade. I was back to normal just in time for my birthday on the 7th. It was perfect timing because oyster stew was on the menu and it tasted superb. 49 and doing fine!

One thing I've thought about during this round is luck. Luck can run in a lot of directions. In some cases you smile thinking that someone was looking out for you. In other cases you realize that it's what you make of it. Those who know me have heard me say I've live d a charmed life. I truly believe that I am a lucky man year after year.  Some recent examples (and I could go on for pages)…We dodged Hurricane Sandy back in late-October while it devastated many, like Colleen, who is still working each day to get back to normal.  Winter storm "Nemo" (as they are now calling it) is wreaking havoc right now over the same region as Sandy and all we got was a little rain. So my "good luck" snow thrower (two years old now) remains unboxed in the garage. Meanwhile our son Chris, who is in Providence, RI, has 18" of snow and counting – he's shoveled at least three times already but he still has power. And I'm still managing to do much better than just getting by. I firmly believe I'll be cancer free by April.

Below is a picture JJ sent me. It first reminded me of Danita's voicemail from a weeks back (Jan. 26 blog entry). In addition to what I mentioned in the earlier blog post she said that we would celebrate being cancer free together by getting superhero costumes a telling people "chemo is shmemo" and cancer can be beat. She is so right and JJ's email to me below further illustrates that: 

A Masterpiece

This is a picture from ~15 years ago, done by one of the oncology kids here at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philly).  I have had this picture on my desk all 15 years (long before I even started working at CHOP).  This pic was in a calendar given-out by CHOP as a thank-you for supporting them.  I noticed this one picture and scanned it separately.  I first made a desk picture out of it and then a large poster, which greets everyone as they enter my office.  Anyway, I always thought if this young kid (11 years old) can have this attitude going through what he is going through - I can make it through my daily trials.  I contacted the kid (now a young man) about 2 years ago and thanked him for the picture and told him what it meant to me. By the way, he is now ~25, studied graphics arts at college, doing well, and living in Jersey.  Anyway, I hope you like it - I know you'll like this kid's attitude (Captain Chemo meets Cancer Man and KICKS HIS ASS!) Keep kickin' ass! --JJ

My thanks to JJ for the picture and email and to Tommy (now Tom?) for the additional inspiration from a cancer survivor.

Much love to you all.