Friday, September 7, 2007 at 8:10pm, dear beloved Joseph went home to be with the Lord. He probably just wanted to make sure that he had the best seats for the Steeler game on Sunday...and maybe he is having a discussion with God about changing the color of the clouds to black and gold.
I didn't know that it was possible to feel complete peace and completely broken hearted at the same time. I do still believe in miracles. The miracle was Joe. And complete healing happened the instant Joe went home.
Please continue to pray for our families.
Showing posts with label Joe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe. Show all posts
Friday, September 07, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
Hallelujah! Generous contribution!
I have recently been informed that marrowtrek.org has received its first generous contribution from an Anonymous donor I will refer to only as W.H. Gates (HIPAA regulations prohibit me from revealing full names) in the amount of one hundred million dollars! This unexpected windfall dwarfs our measly goal. Since we at marrowtrek.org are now unbelievably rich beyond our wildest dreams, we are immediately closing the website. So everything I posted previously, disregard.
Haha! Of course, that whole preceding paragraph was completely fabricated (e.g. LIES). Just wanted to show you what we might achieve collectively with a little elbow grease / ga you / chutzpah. If only life were as easy as above. Do you think Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center was built in a day?! (Apparently the answer to that is "yes"). marrowtrek.org operators (i.e. internet trolls) are eagerly standing by for your generous donations. You say that you don't have one hundred million dollars to spare? Well, we'll gladly take one hundred million pennies.
Now, I went to Stanford and have a medical degree from another prestigious university, so math isn't exactly my strong suit. But let's just suppose that you decide to make a sorta generous donation of $3 per mile of trek. Assuming Jim and Jesse accomplish their trek, your total pledge is less than $10,000! If you think about it, that's mere pennies a day for the next 50 years or so: you can share this gift of giving with your grandchildren and probably your grandchildren's grandchildren. I know that it's quite difficult to part with hard earned moulah. Take me for instance. Do you think it's easy sitting around all day collecting disability checks?! Heck no! (I'll let you in on a little secret to being rich like me- I am easily a thousand-aire. All you have to do is contract a life-threatening bone marrow cancer and undergo intense chemo treatments followed by a bone marrow transplant and the inherent 6-12 months of follow up and lifetime check-ups. Piece of cake!) Getting back to the topic at hand, enter the beauty of second mortgages and home equity lines of credit! Free money! No really, I'm not saying you have to or even should bankrupt yourself to contribute to this cause but maybe the kids could go without that 10th Wii-Box-PS5 gaming console brought to you by the MicroSonyTendo conglomerate. I say, let's you and I bring back a wooden toys movement. Better yet, homemade wooden toys.
Incidentally, if W.H. Gates or perhaps M. Jordan or O. Winfrey happen upon this blog and are really bored cleaning the trophy case with $1000 bills or lining their rare Sumatran white-tailed endangered hamster cages with Benjamins, please pinch us off a little sump'n sump'n. I'm sure y'all have a couple mil stuck in the lint trap of your dryers.
Okay... as you can see steroids is good stuff! Seriously, please check out marrowtrek.org. There's not much to the website right now, but since it's early, we are trying to get the word out about this. My people are in contact with people who might know Katie Couric and Stone Phillips as of this writing. In my last blog entry, I so casually slipped in that Jim and Jesse are trekking 3,100 miles over four months. If you really stop to think about this, that's 3,100 freakin' miles over four months! They did this sorta thing once, which makes them manly men. But to do it again takes some degree of brain damage. So if my urgings don't make you feel compelled to contribute, do it for these two poor souls... Man, if I can just get every one of my friends and acquaintances to contribute a grand total of just a single dollar, our project wouldn't even get off the ground since I've counted about 5 friends, and that's including Karen. But you, you can really make a difference.
Alright, I promise not to bombard you too much about the Marrow Trek (at least, not until it gets closer to "go" time). A little update on me... the hemorrhagic cystitis issue is improving, meaning I run around the house pantsless only about once an hour instead of two or three. The skin rash I've had from graft-versus-host disease has gotten a little worse as they have been decreasing my immunosuppression in the name of more effectively treating the CMV. Bloodwork for CMV was drawn again today and I should know the results by tomorrow. We're all praying really hard that it's finally going to be negative. Otherwise, I'll have to switch to a different IV drug which has to be monitored even more carefully.
That's it.
Joe
Haha! Of course, that whole preceding paragraph was completely fabricated (e.g. LIES). Just wanted to show you what we might achieve collectively with a little elbow grease / ga you / chutzpah. If only life were as easy as above. Do you think Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center was built in a day?! (Apparently the answer to that is "yes"). marrowtrek.org operators (i.e. internet trolls) are eagerly standing by for your generous donations. You say that you don't have one hundred million dollars to spare? Well, we'll gladly take one hundred million pennies.
Now, I went to Stanford and have a medical degree from another prestigious university, so math isn't exactly my strong suit. But let's just suppose that you decide to make a sorta generous donation of $3 per mile of trek. Assuming Jim and Jesse accomplish their trek, your total pledge is less than $10,000! If you think about it, that's mere pennies a day for the next 50 years or so: you can share this gift of giving with your grandchildren and probably your grandchildren's grandchildren. I know that it's quite difficult to part with hard earned moulah. Take me for instance. Do you think it's easy sitting around all day collecting disability checks?! Heck no! (I'll let you in on a little secret to being rich like me- I am easily a thousand-aire. All you have to do is contract a life-threatening bone marrow cancer and undergo intense chemo treatments followed by a bone marrow transplant and the inherent 6-12 months of follow up and lifetime check-ups. Piece of cake!) Getting back to the topic at hand, enter the beauty of second mortgages and home equity lines of credit! Free money! No really, I'm not saying you have to or even should bankrupt yourself to contribute to this cause but maybe the kids could go without that 10th Wii-Box-PS5 gaming console brought to you by the MicroSonyTendo conglomerate. I say, let's you and I bring back a wooden toys movement. Better yet, homemade wooden toys.
Incidentally, if W.H. Gates or perhaps M. Jordan or O. Winfrey happen upon this blog and are really bored cleaning the trophy case with $1000 bills or lining their rare Sumatran white-tailed endangered hamster cages with Benjamins, please pinch us off a little sump'n sump'n. I'm sure y'all have a couple mil stuck in the lint trap of your dryers.
Okay... as you can see steroids is good stuff! Seriously, please check out marrowtrek.org. There's not much to the website right now, but since it's early, we are trying to get the word out about this. My people are in contact with people who might know Katie Couric and Stone Phillips as of this writing. In my last blog entry, I so casually slipped in that Jim and Jesse are trekking 3,100 miles over four months. If you really stop to think about this, that's 3,100 freakin' miles over four months! They did this sorta thing once, which makes them manly men. But to do it again takes some degree of brain damage. So if my urgings don't make you feel compelled to contribute, do it for these two poor souls... Man, if I can just get every one of my friends and acquaintances to contribute a grand total of just a single dollar, our project wouldn't even get off the ground since I've counted about 5 friends, and that's including Karen. But you, you can really make a difference.
Alright, I promise not to bombard you too much about the Marrow Trek (at least, not until it gets closer to "go" time). A little update on me... the hemorrhagic cystitis issue is improving, meaning I run around the house pantsless only about once an hour instead of two or three. The skin rash I've had from graft-versus-host disease has gotten a little worse as they have been decreasing my immunosuppression in the name of more effectively treating the CMV. Bloodwork for CMV was drawn again today and I should know the results by tomorrow. We're all praying really hard that it's finally going to be negative. Otherwise, I'll have to switch to a different IV drug which has to be monitored even more carefully.
That's it.
Joe
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Marrow Trek
Hello again,
I'm blogging this time to implore you to support a good (no, dare I say great) cause. One of my best friends from college, Jim Schoettler, called me a few weeks ago to obtain my input on a "project" he was working on. Knowing Jim, I was pretty sure this project involved snots and a dartboard, but I was mildly shocked and quite touched when he revealed his heart and his motivation to raise awareness about bone marrow transplants and the need for bone marrow donors. I enthusiastically jumped on board his project as well. Jim, of his own volition, contacted the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for sponsorship. I also put him in touch with the Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation (who helped me with several bone marrow drives). This summer, Jim and another close friend of his, Jesse, from our college days (both experienced expert hikers) are planning a 4 month 3,100 mile trek across the Continental Divide Trail spanning the Mexican border to the Canadian border. They are asking for pledges (monetary and otherwise) for their trek with all proceeds going to support the above organizations. We are also currently working on getting more big organizations/corporations for sponsorship. With any luck, Jim and Jesse will be donning jumpsuits a la NASCAR style on their journey! ("Shake and bake") I know you're thinking that mountain goats and lizards and such may not really appreciate Tide or Marlboro or Coors Light logos. In fact, Jim and Jesse may inadvertently be walking targets for horny moose, but that is neither here nor there... All joking aside, Jim has set up a website, marrowtrek.org or marrowtrek.com, where you can find out more details and follow their progress. Incidentally, Jim is a great photographer (check out jdschoettler.com), so you may enjoy some amazing pictures along the way.
If you look carefully at the website, I am on the "executive" committee (aka CEO, aka the Big Kahuna, aka the Face of cancer). Bio available shortly... Actually, I think my official title is "peon". Checks, of course, can be made payable to "The Joseph Lin Personal Fund". Just kidding! (Note: the preceding was a JOKE). The donation process is laid out easily on the website. Within a week or so, a comically gigantic needle will be sent to you. All you have to do is stick it in the meaty part of your thigh... Again, just kidding. Just check out the website.
Recently, besides me, another close friend of Jim's has had an urgent need for a bone marrow transplant and is now still currently looking for a donor. While I have been extremely fortunate to find my donor and be transplanted within six months, many people out there have had to search for years or have died in the search process. There is something like a 1 in 20,000 chance that a patient finds a perfect match and the odds are even worse for minorities and mixed races. I think I've said this before, but only one person has ever found a match through their own bone marrow drive efforts. The numbers of people registered in the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) are unacceptably low. So, please please please consider contributing to this cause, if not monetarily to help support organizations like CLLF and Dana Farber to fund drives and research, then to motivate yourself and others to be put on the registry. I obviously have been a beneficiary of such efforts of other people, and I would be remiss, especially as a doctor myself, not to encourage this.
Jim and I were roommates for three years at Stanford. He's a straight up good guy so I can vouch for him. His mother, our treasurer on this endeavor, was the former Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer of Colorado for goodness sake, so you can be sure the money is going to the right place. Jim's a free spirit and one of the brightest people I know. When he commits himself to hiking over 3000 miles and helping good causes along the way, you can be sure he'll do it. And Jesse, even though I don't know him quite as well, I know he is cut from the same mold. In fact, these guys have done similar hikes before. If you look up "Colorado mountain man" in the dictionary, well, you'd find a definition of a male who hails from the Western region of the Unites States where there are many areas comprised of impressive natural elevations above the earth's surface. No, of course, you would see a picture of Jim as the definition. He's ruggedly handsome, physically fit, and maybe even available. I tell you, if I were a woman (wait a sec...), I'd probably marry him on the spot.
Whoa, I'm totally getting sidetracked here... In all seriousness, please check out marrowtrek.org. And don't just check it out, make it your home.
It would rock my world.
Joe
I'm blogging this time to implore you to support a good (no, dare I say great) cause. One of my best friends from college, Jim Schoettler, called me a few weeks ago to obtain my input on a "project" he was working on. Knowing Jim, I was pretty sure this project involved snots and a dartboard, but I was mildly shocked and quite touched when he revealed his heart and his motivation to raise awareness about bone marrow transplants and the need for bone marrow donors. I enthusiastically jumped on board his project as well. Jim, of his own volition, contacted the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for sponsorship. I also put him in touch with the Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation (who helped me with several bone marrow drives). This summer, Jim and another close friend of his, Jesse, from our college days (both experienced expert hikers) are planning a 4 month 3,100 mile trek across the Continental Divide Trail spanning the Mexican border to the Canadian border. They are asking for pledges (monetary and otherwise) for their trek with all proceeds going to support the above organizations. We are also currently working on getting more big organizations/corporations for sponsorship. With any luck, Jim and Jesse will be donning jumpsuits a la NASCAR style on their journey! ("Shake and bake") I know you're thinking that mountain goats and lizards and such may not really appreciate Tide or Marlboro or Coors Light logos. In fact, Jim and Jesse may inadvertently be walking targets for horny moose, but that is neither here nor there... All joking aside, Jim has set up a website, marrowtrek.org or marrowtrek.com, where you can find out more details and follow their progress. Incidentally, Jim is a great photographer (check out jdschoettler.com), so you may enjoy some amazing pictures along the way.
If you look carefully at the website, I am on the "executive" committee (aka CEO, aka the Big Kahuna, aka the Face of cancer). Bio available shortly... Actually, I think my official title is "peon". Checks, of course, can be made payable to "The Joseph Lin Personal Fund". Just kidding! (Note: the preceding was a JOKE). The donation process is laid out easily on the website. Within a week or so, a comically gigantic needle will be sent to you. All you have to do is stick it in the meaty part of your thigh... Again, just kidding. Just check out the website.
Recently, besides me, another close friend of Jim's has had an urgent need for a bone marrow transplant and is now still currently looking for a donor. While I have been extremely fortunate to find my donor and be transplanted within six months, many people out there have had to search for years or have died in the search process. There is something like a 1 in 20,000 chance that a patient finds a perfect match and the odds are even worse for minorities and mixed races. I think I've said this before, but only one person has ever found a match through their own bone marrow drive efforts. The numbers of people registered in the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) are unacceptably low. So, please please please consider contributing to this cause, if not monetarily to help support organizations like CLLF and Dana Farber to fund drives and research, then to motivate yourself and others to be put on the registry. I obviously have been a beneficiary of such efforts of other people, and I would be remiss, especially as a doctor myself, not to encourage this.
Jim and I were roommates for three years at Stanford. He's a straight up good guy so I can vouch for him. His mother, our treasurer on this endeavor, was the former Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer of Colorado for goodness sake, so you can be sure the money is going to the right place. Jim's a free spirit and one of the brightest people I know. When he commits himself to hiking over 3000 miles and helping good causes along the way, you can be sure he'll do it. And Jesse, even though I don't know him quite as well, I know he is cut from the same mold. In fact, these guys have done similar hikes before. If you look up "Colorado mountain man" in the dictionary, well, you'd find a definition of a male who hails from the Western region of the Unites States where there are many areas comprised of impressive natural elevations above the earth's surface. No, of course, you would see a picture of Jim as the definition. He's ruggedly handsome, physically fit, and maybe even available. I tell you, if I were a woman (wait a sec...), I'd probably marry him on the spot.
Whoa, I'm totally getting sidetracked here... In all seriousness, please check out marrowtrek.org. And don't just check it out, make it your home.
It would rock my world.
Joe
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Very encouraging news
Hey there,
I think I'm breaking my own record here with the blogging. Now with this weather we're having, nobody can go out! Ha! Welcome to my world! Might as well enjoy my ramblings, right?!
I feel like I have to make a MAJOR DISCLAIMER here. It appears that there is mass confusion about Karen and I actually being in Fiji at the moment. I guess I had a lot of people going on that one. If only life were that simple. To make things clear, we are NOT vacationing on an island. On the contrary, I am firmly planted in Allison Park, so much so that roots are actually sprouting forth from my feet. If it were not for my bi-weekly visits with my parole officers (aka BMT doctors and nurses), I am going nowhere any time soon. But, this of course does not prohibit me from traveling anywhere I want (in my HEAD), like say the surface of the Sun or Narnia.
Today marks another BMT office visit and more encouraging news. My prednisone is getting further tapered since I am not having very much skin symptoms anymore. And results so far from the bone marrow biopsy have been quite promising... there are no detectable blast cells in the flow cytometry and the actual biopsy info so far looks "normal". There are still more tests to be completed on those samples, so I should have more information later in the week.
I have felt better these last few days than I have in a while. I now have very little physical pain (of course, this is not inclusive of the psychological and moral anguish... I've got Edgar Snyder on speed dial... the touch of a button I tell you...) Just kidding, please do not leak any info to Monsieur Snyder as he would probably be knocking on my door even through sub-zero blizzard conditions. In all seriousness, I am getting great care and TLC by all. The steroids have been making me a little wired, so God bless Karen, who has been putting up with me "re-organizing" the house. It's really more like relocating bunches of junk from upstairs to downstairs and vice versa.
Well, that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on what life is like from outer space.
God's love,
Joe
I think I'm breaking my own record here with the blogging. Now with this weather we're having, nobody can go out! Ha! Welcome to my world! Might as well enjoy my ramblings, right?!
I feel like I have to make a MAJOR DISCLAIMER here. It appears that there is mass confusion about Karen and I actually being in Fiji at the moment. I guess I had a lot of people going on that one. If only life were that simple. To make things clear, we are NOT vacationing on an island. On the contrary, I am firmly planted in Allison Park, so much so that roots are actually sprouting forth from my feet. If it were not for my bi-weekly visits with my parole officers (aka BMT doctors and nurses), I am going nowhere any time soon. But, this of course does not prohibit me from traveling anywhere I want (in my HEAD), like say the surface of the Sun or Narnia.
Today marks another BMT office visit and more encouraging news. My prednisone is getting further tapered since I am not having very much skin symptoms anymore. And results so far from the bone marrow biopsy have been quite promising... there are no detectable blast cells in the flow cytometry and the actual biopsy info so far looks "normal". There are still more tests to be completed on those samples, so I should have more information later in the week.
I have felt better these last few days than I have in a while. I now have very little physical pain (of course, this is not inclusive of the psychological and moral anguish... I've got Edgar Snyder on speed dial... the touch of a button I tell you...) Just kidding, please do not leak any info to Monsieur Snyder as he would probably be knocking on my door even through sub-zero blizzard conditions. In all seriousness, I am getting great care and TLC by all. The steroids have been making me a little wired, so God bless Karen, who has been putting up with me "re-organizing" the house. It's really more like relocating bunches of junk from upstairs to downstairs and vice versa.
Well, that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on what life is like from outer space.
God's love,
Joe
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Bone marrow biospy: a cautionary tale
Hey folks,
Greetings from Fiji! The weather is great. There's nothing like hanging out at the beach soaking in the rays. If you haven't done so, you have to indulge in the suckling pig. I am currently exploring the depths of and finding new meaning to the term "cabin fever". My life right now should be titled a la Dr. Seuss "Oh the Places You'll Go! (in your HEAD)." Actually, it's not quite that bad. Through the miracle of books, TV, and the internet, I am becoming a world traveler at fractions of the cost of actual traveling.
Thanks to the awesome power of steroids, I get to experience mild euphoria, greatly improved appetite, and insomnia. So this gives me loads of time to think. Lest you think that this whole transplant process as been one honky dory moonlit beach walk through a bed of roses (or something like that), I wanted to ponder the bone marrow biopsy, since I still have the residual soreness from a few days ago. I want you to picture lying on a beach in the Caribbean on pristine white sand under the shade of an umbrella overlooking impossibly blue seas and crystal clear skies. You are, of course, sipping on a daiquiri while thumbing through some trashy, inconsequential novel. Now, picture the exact opposite of that. That's what getting a bone marrow biopsy is like. I think at most centers, they sedate children when they do these biopsies. But, oh no, not so for the "adults". I'm saying, where's the love man?! Slip me some of the juice! I'm pretty sure that Hollywood movie producers somehow slipped into the oncology exam rooms and parlayed their knowledge of bone marrow biopsy into mega-blockbuster hits like Saw, Saw II, Saw III, the Texas Chainsaw Massacres. But really... it's not that bad. :) But, like the title, this a cautionary tale, so the next time your doctor mentions in passing "We'll probably need a bone marrow biopsy" in the same tone of voice as if he were saying "Don't forget to get your parking validated on the way out", be aware. Be very aware...
That is my random rambling of the day. I continue to do very well. Of course, I am anxious to find out the biopsy results. We should have some info this coming week. This weekend had been very nice so far. Karen and I were able to spend time with my parents in Monroeville for dinner last night, and my in-laws came and had lunch with us this afternoon. Always good to spend time with family.
As always, thank you all for the support, love, and prayers. And do me a favor, go rent Saw this weekend. (I've actually never seen it).
God's love,
Joe
Greetings from Fiji! The weather is great. There's nothing like hanging out at the beach soaking in the rays. If you haven't done so, you have to indulge in the suckling pig. I am currently exploring the depths of and finding new meaning to the term "cabin fever". My life right now should be titled a la Dr. Seuss "Oh the Places You'll Go! (in your HEAD)." Actually, it's not quite that bad. Through the miracle of books, TV, and the internet, I am becoming a world traveler at fractions of the cost of actual traveling.
Thanks to the awesome power of steroids, I get to experience mild euphoria, greatly improved appetite, and insomnia. So this gives me loads of time to think. Lest you think that this whole transplant process as been one honky dory moonlit beach walk through a bed of roses (or something like that), I wanted to ponder the bone marrow biopsy, since I still have the residual soreness from a few days ago. I want you to picture lying on a beach in the Caribbean on pristine white sand under the shade of an umbrella overlooking impossibly blue seas and crystal clear skies. You are, of course, sipping on a daiquiri while thumbing through some trashy, inconsequential novel. Now, picture the exact opposite of that. That's what getting a bone marrow biopsy is like. I think at most centers, they sedate children when they do these biopsies. But, oh no, not so for the "adults". I'm saying, where's the love man?! Slip me some of the juice! I'm pretty sure that Hollywood movie producers somehow slipped into the oncology exam rooms and parlayed their knowledge of bone marrow biopsy into mega-blockbuster hits like Saw, Saw II, Saw III, the Texas Chainsaw Massacres. But really... it's not that bad. :) But, like the title, this a cautionary tale, so the next time your doctor mentions in passing "We'll probably need a bone marrow biopsy" in the same tone of voice as if he were saying "Don't forget to get your parking validated on the way out", be aware. Be very aware...
That is my random rambling of the day. I continue to do very well. Of course, I am anxious to find out the biopsy results. We should have some info this coming week. This weekend had been very nice so far. Karen and I were able to spend time with my parents in Monroeville for dinner last night, and my in-laws came and had lunch with us this afternoon. Always good to spend time with family.
As always, thank you all for the support, love, and prayers. And do me a favor, go rent Saw this weekend. (I've actually never seen it).
God's love,
Joe
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Day 30!!
Hey y’all,
I’m back on the blog for another one of Joe’s ramblings. Karen has been doing such an amazing job with the blog. She seems to have a knack for summarizing complicated series of events very perfectly.
Well, I did it! I’ve made it to the first major milestone Day 30 without any serious problems. Of course, the occasion was marked with having to get my 5th bone marrow biopsy (but who’s counting?!) This will be the first direct objective data on how my body is responding, so let’s all pray for excellent results. It’s weird… internally my body is waging a war and I’m actually rooting for my guys to lose.
So to commemorate the occasion, Karen and I have decided to take a two week trip to Fiji, after which we will re-dedicate our efforts to my healing. We leave tomorrow morning. Of course, this scenario only plays in my head. Fortunately, I’ve got quite a few friends who we shall refer to as Bus, Big Ben, Slash, Chin, and Taz (strangely quiet Polynesian fellow) who come around just to say hey. (Sadly, also in my head) On the up side, I’m told I am permitted to have a few visitors to the house as long as they have no visible sores and have been decontaminated, disinfected, deloused, and preferably autoclaved x2. Apparently, even though my white counts are good, I’m still on so many immunosuppressive drugs that I’ve been told to stay away from public areas for a good many more months. Thank goodness for the internet.
Each day, I am feeling stronger and overall better. It’s seems like I’m constantly trading one set of minor problems for other set, but so far, no major complications. Praise God! I will tell you that I have new found appreciation for cancer patients undergoing treatments and anybody else with chronic illness. It’s a true test of strength, courage, perseverance, patience, restraint, faith, and anything else you can think of. There are so many opportunity costs with waiting in the lobby, waiting for results, waiting to see the doctor. The hospital literally becomes your second home.
Curiously, throughout this whole process, I think that my faith has strengthened. When I was admitted in the hospital in June, I was basically terrified and suffered two truly frightening panic attacks in which I thought I was dying. After the second one, I believe that God spoke to me, not in words, but by lifting a great weight off my shoulders. It’s then that I knew it wasn’t my time to go. And I haven’t looked back since. God has a plan. I’m still not sure what my role is, but I’m figuring it out. I know that He watches over me and my family because He has provided me with an excellent team of doctors and nurses and loads of supporters. Like I said before, I believe that most people are truly good. I think I received over 100 e-cards this last visit at the hospital (a new record) and many were from people I know only peripherally. I even got one from a brief acquaintance of ours from the Netherlands! And that’s not including all the countless other cards and gifts we’ve received. Thank you so much!
These days, I continue to do a lot of reading (when I’m not dozing), watching TV / movies, playing Scrabble with Karen, and basically just trying to make the best of the situation. It’s pretty easy staying positive when you’ve got a wife like mine. She’ll instantly cheer up any room. Like one of my colleagues said, this isn’t just positivity, it’s EXTREME positivity. Well, be on the outlook for postcards from Fiji. We’ll talk to you when we get back.
Joe
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
To My Donor
Dear Donor,
Boy, how do I go about thanking someone who is about to save your life?! Whoever you are out there, I want to commend you for making it this far. I'm pretty scared of this whole process and I'm pretty sure you are too. Your efforts are nothing short of heroic. I know that when I was your age, doing something like this would have been the furthest thing on my mind. You are literally giving a piece of yourself to me. We virtually share the exact same DNA. Weird, huh? Pretty soon, we are forever going to be linked in more ways than that. I hope to meet you face to face in a year, but even if that doesn't happen, I just want to thank you. You won't get to read this message for quite a while, but right now, there are a lot of people praying for you too. So Godspeed, and don't fret, it's all been worked out!
Joe
Boy, how do I go about thanking someone who is about to save your life?! Whoever you are out there, I want to commend you for making it this far. I'm pretty scared of this whole process and I'm pretty sure you are too. Your efforts are nothing short of heroic. I know that when I was your age, doing something like this would have been the furthest thing on my mind. You are literally giving a piece of yourself to me. We virtually share the exact same DNA. Weird, huh? Pretty soon, we are forever going to be linked in more ways than that. I hope to meet you face to face in a year, but even if that doesn't happen, I just want to thank you. You won't get to read this message for quite a while, but right now, there are a lot of people praying for you too. So Godspeed, and don't fret, it's all been worked out!
Joe
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Hi everyone!
It's Joe again. I haven't blogged in a very long time but I never know what to say on these things. I wanted to let everyone know that all is well with me in the grand scheme of things. I've managed to stay out of the hospital as an inpatient for the fourth straight day so I'm pretty happy about that. Getting past Saturday night without having to get admitted at 2AM was a morale victory for me!
On my last blood draw, my white blood cells were still really low, so I've been hesitant to leave the house. One of the hardest things for me has been not being able to go outside or see people. I try to fill my days with various distractions like reading novels, watching movies, watching TV, and reading volumes of radiology textbooks(!). I just finished Angels & Demons, which wasn't bad, and now I'm working A Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night, I think it's called. It's an interesting novel written in the perspective a boy with autism. Karen and I have been watching various random movies like Family Stone, Glory Road, and Benchwarmers. I've actually tried picking up some piano too. Karen has some really ancient lesson books from like the 1940's. I'm still working on Grade 1.
Lately I've been feeling more and more like an old man. My days are full of routines now. I guess those kind of keep me busy too. I have to remember to take my meds at a certain time and my Metamucil (double dose!) at a certain time. I have to rinse my mouth after every meal. My mouth sores/cuts are still very slow to heal so eating has become somewhat of a chore. It's probably takes me at least twice as long to eat as it used to. I used to just attack my food. Karen always used to say that when a meal was put before me, I always got a look in my eyes and that I ate like I hadn't eaten in days! Also, the Neulasta I've been getting has been giving me random joint and sternal pains, mostly at night.
One thing that takes a lot of getting used to is being dependent on other people for things. Karen really has come through with flying colors with cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it. She is my rock. Our parents on both sides also have been wonderful. They bring us groceries, supplies, and even good homecooked food. My mother-in-law's beef noodle soup is awesome. Of course, my own mother's home cooking is second to none.
So physically, I feel pretty decent. I think the chemo and Neulasta are working and hopefully my counts are going up. Mentally, I have good days and some moments of sadness. It's very difficult, but I'm learning to put my trust in the doctors and trust in God. Ultimately, this is all God's will.
I have my next appointment in the outpatient Heme-Onc office on Monday morning, so let's hope for good news! And continued thanks a million times over to everyone out there for all your support and prayers. Knowing you are out there, even if I don't know you, really makes me feel that I'm not in this alone. More than anything, I want to beat this thing, and with your help, we're gonna do it.
Joe
It's Joe again. I haven't blogged in a very long time but I never know what to say on these things. I wanted to let everyone know that all is well with me in the grand scheme of things. I've managed to stay out of the hospital as an inpatient for the fourth straight day so I'm pretty happy about that. Getting past Saturday night without having to get admitted at 2AM was a morale victory for me!
On my last blood draw, my white blood cells were still really low, so I've been hesitant to leave the house. One of the hardest things for me has been not being able to go outside or see people. I try to fill my days with various distractions like reading novels, watching movies, watching TV, and reading volumes of radiology textbooks(!). I just finished Angels & Demons, which wasn't bad, and now I'm working A Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night, I think it's called. It's an interesting novel written in the perspective a boy with autism. Karen and I have been watching various random movies like Family Stone, Glory Road, and Benchwarmers. I've actually tried picking up some piano too. Karen has some really ancient lesson books from like the 1940's. I'm still working on Grade 1.
Lately I've been feeling more and more like an old man. My days are full of routines now. I guess those kind of keep me busy too. I have to remember to take my meds at a certain time and my Metamucil (double dose!) at a certain time. I have to rinse my mouth after every meal. My mouth sores/cuts are still very slow to heal so eating has become somewhat of a chore. It's probably takes me at least twice as long to eat as it used to. I used to just attack my food. Karen always used to say that when a meal was put before me, I always got a look in my eyes and that I ate like I hadn't eaten in days! Also, the Neulasta I've been getting has been giving me random joint and sternal pains, mostly at night.
One thing that takes a lot of getting used to is being dependent on other people for things. Karen really has come through with flying colors with cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it. She is my rock. Our parents on both sides also have been wonderful. They bring us groceries, supplies, and even good homecooked food. My mother-in-law's beef noodle soup is awesome. Of course, my own mother's home cooking is second to none.
So physically, I feel pretty decent. I think the chemo and Neulasta are working and hopefully my counts are going up. Mentally, I have good days and some moments of sadness. It's very difficult, but I'm learning to put my trust in the doctors and trust in God. Ultimately, this is all God's will.
I have my next appointment in the outpatient Heme-Onc office on Monday morning, so let's hope for good news! And continued thanks a million times over to everyone out there for all your support and prayers. Knowing you are out there, even if I don't know you, really makes me feel that I'm not in this alone. More than anything, I want to beat this thing, and with your help, we're gonna do it.
Joe
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