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Many pm's and wishes have come my way over the last few years following my battle with Stage IV cancer of the neck.
A lot of my recent problems such as being cold, feeling stupid, and cramps, just to name a few, have been caused by hypothyroidism which is due to the radiation I had.
The synthetic stuff is starting to work, I'm still cold, but my fog is lifting. I thought it was all chemo brain.
I hope to get back to using biab and playing more...it has been hard when I just want to sleep under 4 blankets...I even started cutting off part of my pain patch. I have my fingers crossed.
Once again I got a lecture for NOT saying what was happening on the basis I was toughing it out. Live and learn, even when the Old Age Pension cheques start!
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Oh and thanks for the support, it means a lot. I wish my puppy wouldn't grow so fast, it's nice having a friend but cuddly was good, and now we can't sit in the easy chair together, and she's setting off the seatbelt alarm so I have to do it up. 
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Expert
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John I dont know you well, but your humanity comes across loud and clear over in the UK. My dog shares the same birthday ( I was sixty one yesterday and I am still waiting for the tooth fairy) as me and in dog years he is eighty something and is warty faced - so I know what non cuddly means too. I would suggest a swap but you need yours more than me.
Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
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John, I'm glad to hear of any progress. I have enjoyed your input for years and have been concerned for you since you began sharing your odyssey with cancer. Please keep us posted--I think it's more effective if we know what we are praying for. On the other hand, God knows, so maybe we just have to know when a particular need exists. Godspeed you, (Great White North) Emperor!*  R. *Is that too inside? Just meant in fun.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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hi john will hold you up in prayer i just had some cancer removed myself on the end of two weeks after rowbotic surgrey recover well so far i don,t have to have radiation thank god i know its diffecult god is good god speed you to recovery thanks eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
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Good news, John, keep on keepin' on.
--Mac
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I have a small castle and enough firewood to keep me warm. I wanted to go back to the real north, but I'm just 4 blocks from a major cancer treatment facility that serves an area running 200 miles north and 100 south. So, until things settle down, it's here I call home, 400,000 people. I will not speak of the 40,000 students that have just descended for college and university. It's mayhem for a while.
Thanks for your thoughts. My wife realized that even if I was well there are about 10 good years left, and then hit the rockin' chair. In front of my keyboard I hope.
I just got a call and might be drafted to sit in on government meetings concerning cancer care in the area. Expenses to travel to Toronto and a 3 hour meeting, then I can visit my son who lives there at no expense. I said no more to structured meetings after I retired and here I go 'again'. That made my wife laugh to no end.
:Years ago the guy in charge just treated people like people. Now it seems you need laws to govern that. Which if find strange. I saw the ultimate yesterday. They build replica log cabins, right size, mostly the right stuff, but the foundation shows. It's less than two feet to the doorway but they built long winding handicapped ramps. Ticked me off and my wife said I should calm down. I pointed out that a half hour of work with some dirt and you could roll the wheelchair right through the front door, the way it used to be. And it would hide the out of place cement foundation.
Now that I have disabilities, I see how stupid we've become.
I long for the days when the family jammed. My sister in law played the piano, she's gone to the Yukon and we don't see her. My father in law has altzimer's and cannot remember how to play the fiddle or guitar. My wife's uncle can't play guitar for longer than 10 minutes it hurts too much. Her uncle with the big box of mouth music things (french translation for harmonicas), has no wind to blow. My niece who sang is taking a masters in geography and is too busy.
So my wife and I keep on making music for family gatherings. It's just not the same. And the drop in band boys are too old to come. What a shame age takes such a toll on most of us.
No sense gettin' uppity before your funeral. As Peter says, "have fun."
Back to feeding the chipmunks and watching the woodpeckers on my deck!
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Hang in there John!
Always enjoy your humor and input.
My philosophy has been to live every day like it was your last.
That means doing your best with what life throws at you each day and with what you have to work with at the time.
Some days will workout better than others so don't dwell on the ones that don't.
Try to limit the amount of "bad" news you read or listen to.
Focus on the positive things going on if you can.
As they say in computerland, "Garbage in, Garbage out."
Another good piece of advice I read is:
"10% of life is what happens to you, and 90% is how we react to it.
Attitude is all important.
This positiveness will spread to those around you as you well know with your humor.
Just the physical act of smiling releases endorphins which can make you feel better in a short period of time.
If you can lay your head on your pillow at night and say "I did my best and made those around me smile" then it was a good day.
May you have many good days ahead.
Carkins
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John, I’m glad you are feeling better. Quote:
A lot of my recent problems such as being cold, feeling stupid, and cramps, just to name a few, have been caused by hypothyroidism which is due to the radiation I had.
The synthetic stuff is starting to work, I'm still cold, but my fog is lifting.
I know exactly what you are going through. My wife was misdiagnosed with the flue when in fact it was hypothyroidism. Her thyroid was dead long before the doctors found out. In fact she exhibited all of the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism to such a high degree that she agreed to a taped interview for the students of the hospital and university. As far as we know that tape is still being used today.
My boss calls me "the computer".
Nothing to do with intelligence. I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Glad to see things headed in a more positive direction.
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If I get the skin cancer operations and the hip replaced I'm going on tour. Maybe to Montreal LOL. They did put pianos all over some cities this year, in parks etc. Refurbished, painted up, decals, looked like hippies did it. But of course some 15 yr. old guy has to fist pound it for 10 minutes to see if he makes people mad.
I told him he could keep going, the tune wasn't new. And when his fist hurt maybe I'd play Humpty Dumpty for him. I sat down, picked up his skateboard. Then he left grabbing it. He was mad at me. I played twinkle and he came back madder. I said "It's Mozart, check it out...google". Then handed him my phone. Baffled he left.
There are not enough people playing in parks, or on the street. We need accordions, guitars, and tambourines. Hey mister tb man, play a song for me....
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
There are not enough people playing in parks, or on the street. We need accordions, guitars, and tambourines. Hey mister tb man, play a song for me....
There's another discussion ("Disappearing Music") going on about how that's being priced out of existence.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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JC, I hope that my long-in-the-tooth joke thread has garnered a few smiles or outright belly laughs for you. I strongly believe that laughter is powerful medicine. I have the following phrase pre-programmed into my Dynavox and it never fails to generate smiles, laughter, and hugs:
"May I have a big hug, purely for medicinal value, please? It's very powerful medicine! Jill will find a way to charge it off to Medicare or the Veterans' Administration!"
Another one is:
(Insert name), have I told you that I love you yet today?"
Another:
"I have just enough room in me wee Irish 'art for just one more love...what was your name again, please?"
I think the entire staff will have wonderful, loving, and fond memories of me when I'm gone. Those memories are far more durable than gold. What more could I hope for?
I am always alert to opportunities to help others and that draws the focus away from my own problems. And being very active in my ministry, a lifesaving work not dissimilar to a firefighter, gives me great satisfaction. A firefighter never gets threatened nor driven off people's property or dogs sicked on them, however.
John Conley, have I told you that I love you yet today?
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Hey JC, I'm waiting for you to get cantankerous again and draw a little ire here and there so I can read the reactions. Just kidding - or maybe not.
Glenn
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Quote:
Hey JC, I'm waiting for you to get cantankerous again and draw a little ire here and there so I can read the reactions. Just kidding - or maybe not.
Glenn
John, cantankerous? Must be another John. 
John,
I too am happy to hear of some good news from your household.
You remain in our prayers.
Later,
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Glen, it is after all the huge celebration of the victory of Canada over the USA and it's invasion force. We beat them back and they stayed there, lesson learned. It is 200 years
I have often wondered what would have happened had Canada became a republic and cut ties to England. I would wager good loonies that we would have been invaded until 'they' won.
I just can't imagine a citizen having to register to vote. And they can't imagine life where you have to register to work.
The fact that the English and the French would not tolerate any kind of action against us acts as a deterrent. At best the feeble attempts at trade embargoes has always failed.
I won't see it but the resources we have should continue to enrich lives for generations. We need to start producing more end products and stop shipping raw logs, and oil south. I think Alberta should build huge refineries and sell finished goods on the market. We seem too often ready to sell the dirt with the farm.
But the opinions of one old man in a sea of stock traders and speculators seems a lost voice in an open pit mine.
I laugh at things from the perspective of those masterpieces of literature, the Sunshine sketches of a Little Town. I can see the pocket watches, the cigars, and those big magnets now as they sail first class over my little town, headed to Toronto to try and run Canadian Hockey from New York. Like they really know anything about it. If it wasn't that so many people stranded in downtown NY city don't have a clue what to do in the dead of winter other than trundle down to the gawdens. Been there, seen that, and was mostly scared out of my wits.
At least in Toronto I can opt for Mrs Smiths boarding house, a cheap Cuban cigar, and a good Canadian Rye, with Canada Dry and two cubes. I'm wearing my old Leaf Tshirt, singing the anthem, and waiting for the first game of the year in true mass o kistick delight.
Stompin Tom will sing during the first intermission, we will lose to some desert hockey team that gives away a free hot dog with every 10 buck ticket while we buy scalped 400 dollar cheap seats. And of course subsidize the newest team they will dream up, the Lost Wages Craps. Great.
Even our local Jr. A team has a 4 year wait list for season tickets to the 10,000 seat arena. Crazy.
As Mom used to say, give the boy a pot and he'll stir it.
Can we get a Stompin Tom style? Will the drum part be tough, an old boot whacking a board because you can't afford a drummer? One man, a guitar, and a boot, that's a band and a board. LOL
Beats your grand Glen, and my lovely 100 percent, solid Canuck black cherry upright Heintzman. Fill the legion hall, pour the draft, and let's hear it... and the best game you can name....is the good old hockey game.
BTW, the battle of the Longwoods at Deleware was in 1814, it took 2 years to beat them, but we both were trying to build navy boats one at a time and nails were hard to come by.
If they hadn't kicked the Indians out west, and had their Indians fighting ours they might just have taken over the whole country. But those guys came up here and are still here, you can buy smokes tax free for a buck a pack. If you still do that.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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John, for what it's worth to me, I'm praying for you and have been for a long time. I'm sure that probably gives you a chuckle - which is the only reason I tell you about it.
I wish we could meet sometime, as I think we would get on quite well. I would jam with you in a heartbeat, if I could keep up.
When I lived much closer in Clarkston, MI, it was more likely, but now that I'm in Colorado-stan, it's highly unlikely. I miss going over for the maple syrup festivals, my grandpa identifying all of the waterfowl at the preserve in Guelph, the good fish and chips at the Wharf in Sarnia, the real licorice we could buy there after it was outlawed in the US or at least hard to come by, seeing road signs in kmh, etc.
BTW, we have the knackered pianos installed in the pedestrian zones Denver and Fort Collins, CO. Some are even reasonably in tune. It's down to our dry weather. The pedestrian zone in Fort Collins consists of about 2 blocks of a single street, but in Denver it's nearly a mile long.
I'll still be praying.
-Scott
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I too, would love to meet and possibly jam with John, the crazy, cantankerous Canuck (CCC), but that's not likely any longer.
I thought about sending a package of cappuccino mix, my favo(u)rite beverage but I don't think that a Kilo of white powder would make it through Canadian Customs.
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Don maybe if you asked John DeLorean he could deliver it!
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Quote:
I'll still be praying.
+1
Don S.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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