Good one Don!

I saw the Docs first who determined that they needed to switch plans and go big time aggressive. So an hour and a half getting steroids, fluids (2 quarts), and some drugs to make you have a leak every 15 minutes. After and hour and a half you wheel your IV stand and pumps to the head. Then back again. Warm blankets every few minutes.

My long lost second cousin who only knew my name was the same but heard the guy was a firefighter turned into a family reunion. With 350,000 people in town, and the cancer centre serving 1.5 million people what are those odds. She said she'd be extra nice to me, cause she had a relative named John Conley. I asked who was her mother and grandmother and when she said the name of my Dad's cousin as her Grandmother I announced my arrival. It was fun catching up, lots of relatives in common including a local TV newscaster she didn't know for sure was her cousin.

After all the stuff they give you IV anti-nausea stuff, pills for that too, and then the chemo for an hour and a flush with 3 cups of fluid in the IV to flush you out.

Then off to the pharmacy for 400 pills, I saw they cost $950 bucks and am thankful for the current drug program I have until the gov't one kicks in at 65.

Then a half hour wait, and about 1.5 hours of radiation and xrays.

Good news: Bone Scan clean, some deterioration of the spine arthritis related. Lots of old broken bones showed up. No cancer.
The latest Ct scan with dye showed no movement beyond the neck.
Therefore they say there is a really good chance I have only the neck problem, and that can be killed.

My wife wandered around the atrium and they had a couple of 60 year old guys playing jazz, one on guitar the other on acoustic double upright bass. Said it sounded pretty good.

So I've a sore throat, and go every day for 7 weeks for radiation, and 2 more large chemo doses.

A schedule with 18 doctor appointments, and the constant reminder to eat all I an now, forget calories get lots, lots of protein, and cram myself full cause nothing is going down in 10 to 15 days.

Left home at 7:30, got home at 5:30 p.m. the hospital is a 10 minute drive from my house.

Thanks for the encouragement. My belief in the the Great Architect and Grand Geomatrician of the Universe gives me a level stance, and helps me walk upright. My life has been dedicated to my fellow man, and helping my brothers.

I ask for naught, I have more than I could ever need, the riches found in friends and family sustain me. I am getting a dozen calls a day, the organizations I support have a single contact person, and they call and organize other visits if you wish. I have 20 people who offer to drive me around, to take me to appointments. It's almost overwhelming.

Anyways one day down, some music to play tonight, and one day at a time.

I did have my wife with me, and I still had the nurses laughing most of the time. The cutest one asked if I wanted a warm blanket and I said sure, then she says I can't play in the olympics due to the steroids which might make me have a few side effects, I winked and said just put that warm blanket over the other one, the side effect is pretty evident, you should go for lunch and let me cool off.....

Thanks guys/gals/pals/ and sparring partners.

Oh sorry about the fact Canada now has the best credit rating in the world.
Sorry none of our Banks needed loans or failed.
Sorry our local auto plants are running at full capacity on all shifts.
Sorry our buck is rising so fast.

See, being the boring cautious people who are sitting on a lot of ice, who take no risks with cash, got us somewhere.

I read the Bank of Scotland is laying off hundreds of thousands of people. Wow. Our economy is running too hot. And we did give GM a small loan last year, but they paid it back with interest.

When the crowd sang the national anthem in Montreal at the hockey game last night I thanked my lucky stars that not one person has asked for a nickel, and that I'm getting the royal treatment. I feel so privileged in comparison to the people of Haiti, those in impoverished nations, and I'm sorry, but those in the US who are uninsured. I cried last night at my 'good' fortune when they sang at the top of their lungs, <<terre de nos aieux>> (Land of our ancestors)..no matter what happens in that last game (Glen) that was some awesome hockey. And at the same time our kid from Vancouver Steve Nash did what every canuck has done at one time, 6 stitches, eye swollen totally shut, scoring, shredding, and finishing the game. Ask any Canadian, we'll take a puck and get up, even if the leg is broken.

So much for my 'ethnocentric' rant. I AM CANADIAN!

LOL,want some cheap maple syrup? Poutine? A CC? A quart bottle of 50, still available in downtown Toronto!

BTW, 50 is an old guys ale, lots of flavour!!!! I'm on the wagon, darn. Picked a bad day to quit drinking....

John Conley
Musica est vita