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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,942
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,942 |
I’ve heard from some of you lately, and I appreciate you emailing me and checking on me.
I’m doing pretty well. I’m on quite a few medications now (about 16 pills per day), but my recent visits to the pulmonary doctor, cardiologist and my family practice doctor rendered me rather good reports. All of them, however, want me to lose some weight. I’ve ballooned up to 248 and I hate myself for that. But everything tastes so good. Why? This month I will celebrate one year without smoking. I have not had a cigarette since last March (2009). I’m proud of myself and no I have not cheated at all.
Just in case some of you didn’t know or hadn’t signed on at the time, I announced a few months ago that in October of last year I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. You can google those for more details. I had a 1.5 inch stent planted in my right coronary artery (the main one) as it was 90% blocked. The doc said I was a heart attack looking for a place to happen.
In mid-November I had some ‘problems’ that prompted me to go to see a urologist. On December 16, I had to have done what should have been done when I was born. But my parents did not do it. Now that I have gone through it, I wish I had had it done at birth, or taken it upon myself to have it done when I first went to work making decent money. It was about 4 weeks of hell, but after that it’s smooth sailing.
At the end of December it was discovered after tests that I had sleep apnea. So now I wear a CPAP mask at night when I go to bed, and I also have 2 liters per minute of oxygen going into the machine that keeps me from sleeping and stopping breathing.
So it’s been a roller coaster for several months. I am still very short of breath but with the pulmonary problem I have, that’s what I live with. I smoked for 46 years, now it’s time to pay the piper. There is no cure for the pulmonary conditions --- they are only treatable. At some point down the road, most likely I will get to the point that even though they turn the oxygen wide open, I will not be able to breathe and the diseases will take their toll.
But until then… I’m going to live life, love it, be grateful for every moment I’m alive and hope and pray I do not end up with a long period of suffering at the end. I go and do and have fun, but I just haven’t recorded anything in a while. My 50th year singing and playing CD will be my last one of me singing, I’m afraid. I can play piano and not get very winded, but now I have arthritis real bad in my right wrist.
So – that’s an update, and I’m happy to be alive. I just packaged and made available a project I started about 3 years ago: a CD of just piano only and doing the old old hymns. That is being marketed now.
Thanks for everyone who has emailed me and asked about me or even thought about me. I think of you all often, and I even pop in and out of the PG site from time to time. I was unable to upgrade BIAB and RB in December/January, as doctor bills, hospital bills, drugs, etc., left me with no money to enjoy these things I treasure. Maybe next time. Who knows.
If any of you care to email me, just send it to razor485 (@AT@) gmail.com
Take out the unnecessary characters and you will have my email address.
BLESSINGS!!
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 812
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 812 |
Hello Ray,
It's good to hear from you, I'm sure everyone here is hoping you have a good recovery and I am wishing you the very best.
Ed
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
Ray,
I'm glad you dropped by to tell us how you were doing. I was afraid I was going to have to go searching the obits for news about you, something that scares me to death.
Cigarettes...the pleasure from hell!
I've smoked on and off for 30+ years now, and I've tried stopping several times. I've been over a year without them now, but God, even walking up three flights of stairs leaves me winded. The asthma doesn't help any. However, now it's getting to be the time to start to take things seriously, watch my diet and start using that fancy treadmill down in the workout center for 30 minutes a day. If I do that, maybe I can get my body under control. Hey, if I get the body under control, maybe I can start getting all the back issues that are plaguing me taken care of, too.
I'm glad you're still around, Brother Ray!
Take care!
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Whoa! You have had it rough, Ray - you have my empathy. Personally, I have not been on the forum much lately due to various complications of my own so I am sorry but I wasn't aware of what was going on.
Get better soon!
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7,258
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Hiya Ray good to hear from you mate. Hope you keep making a good recovery. Prayers are up !
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,822
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,822 |
Hey, Ray -
Good to hear from you. I still listen to your CD from time to time.
Congratulations on going smoke-free.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Hang in there Ray and Keep Looking Up!
Don S.
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Joined: Dec 2007
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Hey Ray,
Great to hear from you. Congrats on your first anniversary of giving up the coffin nails - keep it up. I too am sorry to hear about the bad health that you've suffered over the past year or so. but I know that your Faith and detemination will carry you through.
Good on ya mate!!
Cheers,
Keith
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Joined: Feb 2003
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Ray, it's great to hear from you again! I'm glad things are stabilised.
(Quite a few of us here now have calendars hanging in the kitchen with nothing but medical appointments written on them!)
Best wishes,
John
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Glad to hear you are still hanging in there.
Continue to fight your challenges, and to have a good time.
Take care
Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Raymundo, Great to hear from ya brother. I am glad you are doing well. Don't be a stranger, you are family  Trax
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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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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
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Season's Greetings!
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The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
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