Another Bout 7:51 PM

I started writing this blog as a way to document how I got through treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I also wrote it to let people know how I was doing through treatment. Since then, I have been providing a glimpse of just what I'm about, a little insight into my life, who I am.

Over the past number of weeks, I have been experiencing a number of symptoms that are identical to the ones I had prior to my first diagnosis. Persistent low grade fevers of 99+, infrequently at first, to nightly, beginning around dusk and lasting an hour or more before finally breaking. I've noticed several swollen lymph nodes recently. There is a slight lingering fatigue, and I have lost weight again. I have contacted my oncologist, have had blood tests run, nothing conclusive, so now I will have scans run again. I need to get checked out again. I do not know what the outcome will be, but hoping that my body is just readjusting, not relapsing. All indications lead me to believe I am in for another go round, but I would like nothing better than to have something minor.

Whatever it may be, I will deal with it. With all that I've faced in the last few years, I've learned I can handle pretty much anything. You'll be reading about things as they unfold.

Cool Down 4:27 PM

The morning started out sunny, comfortable. By lunch the clouds rolled in and it's been raining and cool. I read most of the morning, watching another ANTM marathon on cable. Got together with Doug for a late lunch and some quick shopping. It's been a leisure weekend, which is good, because this next week is going to be busy, both at work and home, plenty of running to distract me and capture my attention.

Happy Birthday Dad 7:06 PM

Started the day out early, going to the casino with Mom and Dad. Spent a few hours playing the slots, winning, losing, winning, losing. Coffee and breakfast, then over to Mom and Dad's where I attempted to win at a game of scrabble. It was a battle, ultimately mom won out. I completely enjoy playing that game. Grabbed some food and now I'm settling on the couch for TV and reading. A great way to spend Dad's birthday! Hope you enjoy your day Dad!

There and Gone 3:44 PM

Saw the walking man today at lunch, sitting at the same table, highlighting passages in his bible. I ordered my food, got my soda and napkins, went to sit down and he was gone. Saw the fireworks last night, they were good, over too fast. They started so late, didn't get home until 11:30pm, found it hard to get to sleep. When I woke up this morning, it felt like I had just gone to bed. Going out to dinner and a movie tonight, I'll catch up with my sleep at some point.

Agitated 6:08 PM

Doing laundry, catching up on reading, day dreaming. Work is still busy, no time to think about things, just crank out quote after quote. While it's nice to have work to do, it's still kind of frantic when you are trying to please all the bosses at once. It's hard to get things accomplished when they are hovering over your desk. I'm a good worker and will get things done in a timely manner. I'm glad the day flew by, looks like tomorrow will be more of the same. Luckily, I can go watch some fireworks tomorrow night. I guess I'll have to have some ice cream tonight.

Busy 8:31 PM

Monday started off incredibly busy at work, stayed busy the entire day. As I was leaving, more work was piling up on my desk. I'm going to be busy all week. After work, I came home, changed clothes, read some, then headed out to meet Doug for dinner. Made a few stops afterward, ending the evening at Coldstone for ice cream. It was busy there too.

Please Stand By 5:29 PM

I have no idea what I did, but I knocked my TV out of service early this morning. I chalked it up as cable problems. Went about my day, out to Scout Lake, got caught in a down pour, stopped and bought brats for dinner, then came home to a broken TV. I jiggled connections, pushed control buttons and nothing but static. I didn't notice that the TV was set on channel 2 instead of channel 3. It took me a while to figure out the issue. Now I am content and going to celebrate by watching some of my favorite shows for the evening.

Lounging Poolside 11:53 AM

It's such a nice day out, I'm going to go meet Kim and hang out at her house, up on the pool deck and enjoy the beginning of summer. Ran out to the stores earlier and spent some money, so now it's time to kick back and relax.

Animals At Night 9:46 PM

Went to the zoo tonight. The animals were very active, got to see them in action instead of sleeping. The lions were playing, running, pouncing; the bears watching the elks eat. The best moment was seeing the wolves roaming their habitat. One of the zookeepers called out to them and the five came out of hiding. It was amazing to see them up close, behaving like pets. All the animals were on the prowl tonight.

What Is Her Name? 7:53 PM

Recently I was standing in line to get some food when this woman came up to me and told me she was just thinking about me, needed a good laugh, and thought of the time we played dead at the office. I recognized her from a previous job, over ten years ago, and remembered exactly what she was talking about. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember her name. As she was talking, I was busy trying to recall her name. She said thanks for the memory, wished me well, and walked away. I spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out her name. In the middle of a conversation later that evening, I blurted it out loud and clear. It made me feel good that I affected someone in such a way that they remembered me, and made me feel bad that I couldn't put a name to the face until it was too late.

Battery 7:54 PM

Lately my cell phone has been acting up. Ringtones go off, I think I'm getting a call, there's not one. Some calls don't ring, messages come through hours after being received. I believe it has to do with the battery. It's the same one I've had since I got the phone three years ago. It doesn't seem to hold a charge for long. If I use the phone, it drains the power within minutes of use. I suppose I should get a new battery or upgrade the phone, but I like my phone, and I am lazy, don't want to deal with, salesmen or contracts. Eventually I will do something, once I become annoyed.

Walking For Miles 7:07 PM

Last night, I walked through the amusement park, got on all the coasters in two hours. It was a great night for roller coaster riding. Went for a long walk this morning, then walked around the zoo for a few hours, walked the aisles at Target, then dinner and ice cream. Now Monsters Inc is on, going to settle in, watch the movie, read some, then to bed. My feet need their rest.

Four Flags 5:30 PM

Heading down to Six Flags Great America tonight for Coasters After Dark. The park is open until 11:00pm for season pass holders, so Raging Bull, Vertical Velocity, Superman, Eagle, Viper are part of the agenda. Whether we get them all in tonight or not, we can always go back another time.

I'm still laughing about yesterday's dental visit. I had the mad Russian dentist coming at me with medieval tools, the assistant with a speech impediment telling me to relax, tornado sirens going off and me drooling uncontrollably, thinking just pull my damn tooth already, while kids watched through the window as it stormed outside. No wonder I feel my life is a sitcom, complete with a laugh track.

Open Wide 6:06 PM

It is a very unstable night, weather warnings all around. I was at the dentist this afternoon as tornado sirens sounded. I was snacking on some trail mix last night, bit down and my back lower molar broke. I had the rest of it pulled this afternoon. My face is still numb, but I'm starting to feel some discomfort. The X-rays showed I have a fifth wisdom tooth also. Had them removed a while back, so I was surprised there's one still there. This is the beginning of numerous dental visits to restore my smile, two crowns, refillings, and bridgework, plus whitening, maybe even straightening too. We'll see how adventurous I get. Today was food day at work, oodles and oodles of noodles, spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, cheesecake, a nice hearty lunch. I have been glued to the TV watching the weather updates. Seems it's going to be a stormy night. I'm back to the TV set and the couch.

On Their Dime 9:24 PM

I met Jody down at the casino tonight for dinner and slots. I received a $5 cash play in the mail, so I took it along. I put the $5 into King Kong Cash nickel machine, got the bonus screen, and cashed out at $36. I was done gambling for the evening. Didn't spend any of my own money, how nice is that?

Three Flags 7:34 PM

In-between the rain, I managed to get on some roller coasters today. Doug and I headed out early, got to Six Flags shortly after the park opened and immediately headed for the new Batman ride, The Dark Knight. After a short delay, the ride opened and we got on within 10 minutes. I was disappointed. It wasn't what I expected at all. Vertical Velocity made up for it, sitting in the front seats is incredible. I still think I'm afraid of the ride, yet find it exhilirating. We circled the park for a number of hours, then headed over to Gurnee Mill to eat and wander the stores. It poured while we were there, glad we left the park when we did. Tomorrow I'm back to work after the rain soaked, fun filled weekend. Good thing the next weekend is only a number of days away.

Running Water 9:10 PM

I just got home for the night. Was out when the sky darkened. Doug said let's go get something to eat and the tornado sirens started going off. It wasn't raining yet so we drove to Bella's and had burgers as a storm rolled in. We went over to his house when we were finished, put on the TV and watched the news reportsabout the storm as it raged and flooded and poured. We watched a movie until it seemed calm enough for me to head on home. I had to detour numerous times because of flooded intersections and streets. I noticed the basement here was flooded when I came in. It's been an adventurous day.

Running on 8:54 AM

Got in late, got up early. The sun's shining and I'm ready to head out the door. I'm going to meet some friends for breakfast, and spend the day outside wandering. Enjoy.

Weathering The Storms 5:46 PM

Another active weather day, complete with tornado warnings. I seemed to have avoided most of the storms though. I drove home from work with the windows down, wearing sunglasses. The storms were all around me, but not were I was. Tornado sirens were going off, but I didn't get a drop of rain on me. It did rain a little bit after I got home, a couple of rumbles of thunder, but nothing severe. Heading out for the evening, going over by Doug's, then out around town. The bad weather has passed, so let the good times begin!

Awash 7:16 PM

It was a very interesting morning. Storms raced through the area early. I was able to get to work in-between the rain. Once I was there, the sky darkened and another batch of storms came. The lights flickered, it poured and the parking lot flooded. By 10:30am, all the cars had to be moved from the lot. I watched the storms out the window. It cleared up around noon. At one point, a deer ran through the lot, searching for dry land. It's supposed to be a stormy weekend, I hope the weatherman is incorrect.

Whites and Darks 8:22 PM

Since it is dreary out, I tackled the laundry I've been putting off for days. Been reading in between cycles and watching TV. Other than that not much going on. I got a Sonicare toothbrush, so now I will be taking better care of my teeth, been using a whitener to clean them up, since they are discolored from years of coffee drinking, smoking, and the oncology mouth rinses. Soon I will face the dentist, until then I will work on my smile.

Fit 8:39 PM

The game ended up being a nail biter (I need to stop that). Luckily, the Brewer's held off the Diamond Backs and won the game 4 to 3. I got home late, well past my bed time and I was exhausted today. Originally I planned on doing some laundry tonight, changed my mind and went to Southridge with Doug, ended up buying cargo shorts and shirts. I needed shorts since none of them fit me. Now I have clothes to wear for the summer. I'll do the laundry tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to finish a crossword and go to sleep.

The Ball Game 3:26 PM

Just got home from work, changing clothes and running out the door. Going to the ball game with my Dad tonight. My favorite part is the fireworks after the Brewers hit a home run. There had better be some!

Rummaging 7:44 PM

I worked (if you can call it that) at Char's rummage sale today. It was another nice day and I enjoyed sitting and laughing with her while people stopped by to browse the collection of things she set out to sell. Most of it is from an estate sale she purchased last year and is slowly going through and selling bit by bit. I must say rummagers are definitely interesting to watch. Some are looking for specific items, others looking for the rare find. Most are friendly, but some can come across as quite rude. Char handles them all with good nature. I could learn a thing or two from her!