Life Is Good, Isn't It?

I haven’t blogged for about three weeks. And it feels good to be back at my keyboard again. I have so much to talk about but will restrict my thoughts, for right now, about how things are going with me.

It’s been two weeks to today that I had my last radiation treatment. As I said before, I went and left there with mixed emotions. First, I was glad to get the ordeal over with and second, it was like ending a fight that you don’t know if you won or lost. I will have my first PSA test on November 3. It’s pretty early and the test will probably be inconclusive because it will be only thirty days after my last treatment. My doctor doesn’t expect a significant drop in my PSA but over the next six months it should be near zero if the radiation worked. That’s the hard part, waiting.

While the last day was filled with mixed emotions, I had a really good time with my therapy team. The night before, I baked one of Vivian’s signature caramel cakes. Now, for some strange reason if you haven’t heard, Vivian makes the best caramel cakes in Louisiana, maybe the whole world. People have been known to fight over the last piece. It wasn’t as good as the one she makes but my therapist team thought it was pretty good stuff. It wasn’t as much about how good it was as much as it was about it being my way of saying to them that I appreciated all that they had done for me. (I still don’t like that damn rectal balloon. That’s why I didn’t bring it home with me)

The week and a half after my last treatment was harder than I thought it would be. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom doing number one and number two. It was like trying to pour a glass of water through a straw. Most difficult it was. Besides that and feeling a little worn out around 2 PM, I felt generally good. The symptoms are getting less obvious as time goes by. This week has been a good week.

Last Friday I met up with a few people from school and had a few beers at the Harmony. That was nice because it was all the people who have been concerned about me and who have watched my back all the years I was at East. We had a good time and a lot of questions were answered. They thought that I would look sick and have no hair. They all said that I looked great. (But my back side was really burning. I had to go before I left home, that’s why I was late. But maybe I would have been late anyway, as usual) Thanks guys, I love you all.

I want to send Kudos to my fishing buddy in Tallulah, Mr. Ken. I know you are/were worried about me and I love you for that. We spend a lot of time together in a boat. While not many words shared, except “You got a bite” we share some wonderful fishing stories and have a good time when we are together. Ken, besides Nikki, you are my sticky Louisiana mud.

As a reward to my getting through treatment, I went to visit Ron and Patty in Iowa for a couple of days last week. I spent time riding on the combine with Ron cutting beans and corn. It’s always a treat for me to go there to slow things down a bit. It’s about as close to going to Tallulah as I can get. When I was working, I went there to hunt but mostly to get away. Ron and I were in the truck going back to the combine when I said, “You know what?” and he said “what” and I replied, “I can come hunting anytime I want to. I am retired.” With all the stuff that happened this summer, it was the first time that I realized that I don’t have to hunt just on Saturday and come home on Sunday. I can hunt as long as I want to, heh, heh, heh. Life is good, isn’t it?

Oh, I forgot to tell you that I got a new dog while I was in Iowa. It’s a chocolate Lab and I named her Caity. She is a fine dog of fourteen weeks and a lot of work. When Beau was here, he went to his corner and I went to mine. Caity needs a lot of attention and I had forgotten just how much. I don’t know who’s training who.

Well enough for now. I will holler at you later. About what I do not know, but I will holler back

Later!