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Joined: Jan 2003
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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
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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
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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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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
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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: 12,583
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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 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2024/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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Hang in there Ray and Keep Looking Up!
Don S.
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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
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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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Joined: Jan 2003
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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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User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 German for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!
Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!
Paket | Was ist Neu
Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
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