What a difference a year makes

Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.
November 3rd marked a year since I started treatment. Can you believe it ? November is also Lung Cancer Awareness month. More on that later. This morning we met with Dr Mackler and my case study co-ordinator, Ann Novak for last week's CAT scan results. As Joann told Paul afterwards , "I'm not calling from the Chevy dealer" so yes, the news was once again good. Thank you GOD. The larger mass that caused all this ruckus and last classified as near scar tissue has shrunk even more and the other that mysteriously disappeared in last August's scan is still MIA. Next February's scheduled scan has been pushed back to May because, 1. they feel I don't need it again so soon and 2. to give my kidneys a break from the contrast solutions that play hell with them.
And that pretty much says it all, other than I feel great and pushing a wheelbarrell full of acorns with a cute hitchhiker aboard didn't wind me a bit last weekend up in Port Austin.
Jo and I were invited to and attended the first annual National Shine a Light on Lung Cancer vigil at St Joe's in Ann Arbor on November 4th, one of 100 simultaneous meetings held across the country and the brainchild of the Lung Cancer Alliance, a grass roots effort initiated by Oncology professionals to bring lung cancer treatments into the 21st century (the program I was in), provide support for patients, families and caregivers and increase federal research dollars, especially for the early detection of lung cancer, which surprisingly, there currently is none. I'm glad Jo talked me into going. Terrific program presented by the cancer team at St Joe's and by now you must know how I feel about those people.
If you're interested, log onto http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/ It's a wealth of information, WILL cause you to quit smoking and debunks the many myths about cancer that we all should be aware of....and don't forget to sing in the lifeboat.
LIVESTRONG
Ken

LXII and still in the game

Age is mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Can't say I've always felt that way. Was reminded that on my 40th birthday in Traverse City I threatened bloodshed if the waitresses were cued to sing...and meant it. 40 was an age I didn't want to be.

Come to think of it 50 wasn't much better. What was I thinking ?

September 17th (you didn't guess I was a VIRGO after reading these things ?) I turned 62. Had a terrific time at Ric and Deb's in front of an angry Lake Huron, Avery called to sing happy birthday, which was a hoot, spent an incredible evening reconnecting with old friends we haven't seen in years (my gift to myself), Paul showed up unannounced from K- Zoo for a round of golf with Matt and I (trounced us both) and Avery blew out both candles like 62 times...does it get any better than grandkids and birthday cakes ?. And in a couple of months another milestone, my first social security check. Had a great day and if I missed your's, and likely I did and will, hey, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and to hell with the number.

Hope you all had a great summer.

LIVESTRONG

LIVELONG

Ken

August CT

I've received a number of e - mails asking why I haven't posted the results from last week's CT scan. Guess that's what I get for announcing the end of this thing and then occasionally adding new posts. Sorry, didn't realize so many people were still looking.
If the news was bad I'd be in my new Vette right now. GM lost another sale, the news was good. Very good actually.
Three months ago Dr Henning told us that nothing new "lit up"and that was a relief in itself. Yesterday he said the same thing and then added that a 5-6mm nodule that was present in the last CT has disappeared and the remaining two masses are close to half the size they were last April. Could it be that the teatments that ended six months ago are still perking ? Frankly, I was afraid to ask. Two more CT's @ 3 month intervals to go and if all is well, we shift to a 6 month schedule. This is dictated by the case study we're in rather than CT results.
I told Joe and Lorraine (before we got the above news) and I'll say it again, that all in all, this is one of the best summer's of my life. Hope you can say the same.

LIVESTRONG and please add my friend Brian in your prayers.

Ken

LIVINGSTRONG

A few more photos from Benton Harbor.

The one word that comes to mind is "focused".

70.3 ( as in MILES )

For many months now my final word to all reading this thing has been to LIVESTRONG, a phrase coined by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to inspire the 28 million people currently living with cancer. It has me and I thought in some small way it would you if I wrote it down often enough. Deep down I've hoped this story we've been sharing would inspire (or scare) some of you to change your lifestyle for the better, a stretch objective to be sure. Then yesterday it happened, and from about the last person on earth I'd expect it from. Our son Paul. Yep, Burger King Paul. Super size it Paul. The Paul that put away the one pound "Leroy Burger", fries and cole slaw at the Port Hope Hotel way before Adam on Man V Food was making everyone queasy on cable TV.

As Paul tells it, he didn't quite know what to do when I was diagnosed but felt he had to do something other than be angry. That "something" was to hit on everyone he knew for pledges to the Lance Armstrong Foundation in return for his competing in an Ironman 70.3 yesterday.
For the past many months he has trained, eaten right, drove by, instead of through Burger Kings, (notice how many are now boarded up ?) spent a substancial amount on gear and trained even more. Yeah, he's ripped, but this 70.3 still wasn't a walk in the park, not by a longshot ! Joann and I were in Benton Harbor yesterday to see Paul, Lo and 2000 other competitors swim 1.2 miles in Lake Michigan in a downpour, bike 56 miles on wet pavement and run 13.1 miles in the heat of the day, all in well under 8 hours. Seeing him cross the finish line is something we'll never forget, nor will he. Paul has been living strong, completed what he set his mind and body to do, honored his commitment to those that pledged over $1300 to a very good organization and brought this smiling old man to tears. It's all good. Thanks son, we're proud of you.

Your turn to LIVESTRONG
(Click on the picture twice to enlarge it)

(Grand) Father's Day, 2010

Kate wants to know why everyone stays home on Mother's Day to be with Mom but no one, except Mom, stays home on Father's Day. The reason of course is that the weather is usually too iffy in May to fish or golf. Whoever scheduled Father's Day in late June was no dummy. Hope you're as proud of your children and enjoy them and your grandchildren half as much as Joann and I do. Enjoy the day Dads...and take Mom with you...let her drive the cart...

Hard to believe we're already making plans for the July 4th holiday. Our work on the cottage is done seeing as tomorrow is the official "first day" of Michigan's twelve weekend long summer. That's not to say there's nothing more that needs to be done, just that it's time to put the tools away. Joann talked me out of torching our "two butt" kitchen, instead settling for new countertops which we built and installed after updating the 58 year old plumbing and scraping the original cast iron sink - what a pain that was. Needed a new drain field and spread and seeded 3 yards of top soil on top of that, power washed the joint top to bottom to take the place back from the spiders, installed some carpeting, repaired what needed to be repaired, cleaned everything up and wrestled a new washer/dryer up the stairs. Enough already - we're tired, but it sure felt good being able to do these things, albiet, alot slower than in the past.

See you on the water

Ken

Milestones ?

Hi. Been awhile. Thought about writing a few times but up until last week didn't think anything had happened worth mentioning...then it did. A milestone, my first post treatment haircut from Deb, and it felt great. Milestone ? It is when you lose all your hair three months ago in a span of two days...trust me, this was big, even if it was just a trim.
Then I got to thinking (oh no, not again !) of the milestones we all experience in our lives. Some of them are major, school graduations, your first car, first boat, first buck, first love, getting laid, marriage, becoming parents, becoming grandparents (that's Peyton @ two months, by the way) retirement and now, after a very long winter, how everyday occurances have taken on new significance for Joann and I. They're signs that things are finally returning to "normal " and "normal" is something a few months ago we thought was a thing of the past. If that isn't a milestone, I don't know what is ? Life is good.

Remember to save the earth, people, it's the only planet with chocolate

LIVINGSTRONG

Ken

Round 2...

Round 2 originally scheduled for June was pulled ahead to Friday the 23rd for a variety of reasons... don't ask.

Pictured is the CT scanner that is the arena for this and all future rounds. CT scans differ from MRI's as they use x rays for imaging while the MRI utilizes magnets and radio waves. A complete CT scan is like six times quicker than a complete MRI scan and a whole lot quieter, but sometimes require several hours of prep while the MRI is more of a plug and play. Bottom line is nothing from dandruff to athlete's foot can hide from either. And that's the Reader's Digest description of CT's and MRI's, not that you asked for one. The tools these doctors have at their disposal amaze me and would make Norm Abrams envious.

We met today (the 26th) with my Oncoligist, Dr Mackler and my case study coordinator, Ann Novak for the results and everything is still clear (thank you God). Ann took it upon herself to review the CT this morning with my Radiation Oncologist, Dr Henning, and he couldn't find anything of concern either...meaning nothing new "lit up". That's what I really like about Ann, she knows her stuff and gets everyone involved..in other words, she's steering the boat. I'm lucky to have her.

So that's the results of round 2 - Jo and I will get a good night's sleep tonight. Time to get the cottage and boat ready. Memorial Day will be here before you know it followed by Michigan's 12 weekend long summer season...and we plan on making the most of it. You do likewise...
Ken

Two months later - April ,2010

Here's a couple of shots I thought were kind of interesting. The one above is of a soon to be first time grandfather (May 7th due date) at his daughter-in-laws' baby shower. Click on the picture to enlarge it and study the expression on his face - priceless. All these women yakking away and he's in his own little world, oblivious to it all. You can almost see what he's thinking.

And here's our little one, Peyton, at eight weeks old. Tried to get a shot of her smiling but you know how it goes with these new digital cameras. You wind up taking 56 pictures hoping to get one good one. While you're punching buttons to see if the last picture was "the one", the baby is smiling. As soon as you aim the camera and make goofy "this ought to make you laugh" unintelligible sounds, she looks at you as if saying "hope you have enough battery left Grandpa". Peyton also has twice as much hair as I do.

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful weather we're experiencing. Going north next week to open up the cottage, one of my favorite times of the year.

Ken

Wardzinski Hair Clinic

I realize this may be mildly disturbing , but you should see me w/o the hat !


And now my top ten reasons for wearing it:

10. Since I ended the blog entries no one will see this picture but me

9. It goes with my entire wardrobe (now THAT"S disturbing!)

8. The headliner in my truck has never been cleaner

7. I have something to scratch when I'm thinking, other than my ass

6. My lousy golf swing isn't as noticable with everyone pointing and saying "Look at the freakin' head on that guy"

5. I finally have something my son's won't borrow, at least not until Halloween.

4. When people give me a funny look, I get to say "It was a gift".

3. I fit right in with the Wal Mart crowd, especially at the Pharmacy..hmm

2. I don't have to call the doctor if it stays "up" for more than 4 hours...
not like that other thing....

1. Wearing it makes Avery laugh


Lorraine was right - it's time to start having fun again.

BLOGS END

I've had a few days for all of this to sink in and some quiet time to reflect on what we've been through these past five months. Went back and read the thirtysome entries and all the comments that you were nice enough to write and am convinced that Joann's blog idea was a great one. It accomplished what she intended, which was to keep those interested in the loop, lessen her time on the phone and as a release for me. In my mind it's also brought all of us closer together. Guess that's what happens when you circle the wagons. But this is it, this is the last one. I've bored you long enough with my incoherent rhetoric, and to be honest, I need some closure to this disease that I've had no control over and has been running our lives all these months. If there is one thing you take with you, let it be that you really don't want to go through this, but if you must, have faith and surround yourself with a support group of family and friends, because no one can handle cancer alone. What I have felt and seen has been overwhelming and at times very disturbing. I'm sure that Lorraine, Betty, Jerry, Wally, Sam, Dennis and their spouses would agree. We all wish for a cure - today isn't too soon.
I read a definition of friends long ago.. It went something like "they are met by chance and become friends by choice". I haven't the words to thank all of you for what you've done for our boys, Joann and I, so I'll just say thanks and hopefully one day this summer we'll have a beer together around a beach fire...share one of those quiet moments everyone seems to enjoy. I'd like that.
Just so you know, the A+ grade wasn't an exageration on my part. The two tumors have shrunk and are close to being considered scar tissue. Lung function was minimally affected from the treatments and no new spots "lit up" on the CT. ECG says I have the heart (and disposition) of a mule. The doctors expect to see even more improvement in June's CT as this one was rushed due to the patient's lack of patience (Moi?). In their words, the chemo is still working.
Too bad there isn't any Rogaine in it... The A+ grade is for the team that formulated "The Plan" and the techs that put it in motion. Hell, all I had to do was show up everyday and lie still.
EARLY DETECTION - the longer you wait, the worse it gets, and it can get very bad very quickly folks. I went to the doctor's last September for acid reflux - had a chest x-ray because I hadn't had one in two years, was told it showed an upper respiratory infection and started on anti-biotics...guess what ? That "cloud" wasn't an infection at all. And so it began... Annual physicals folks - don't put it off.
I have no dilusions that I am cancer free, but am very relieved we won round 1 of what will be a lifetime of vigillance and cautioned wariness of reoccurance. Next CT is in 3 months - round 2.
Can't say enough about the cancer team at St. Joe's. I described them once as "making the unthinkable bearable" but they do much more than that. What they see and deal with everyday I can't imagine, and they do it with compassion and unparallelled professionalism. I grew close to many of the techs in the treatment centers. They were terrific and added to my short list of heroes.
So that's it. Thank you again everyone for your friendship, words of encouragment, thoughts and prayers. Joann, the boys and I needed and enjoyed your company on this leg of our journey.
I wish you all good health and an enjoyable summer. And don't forget to LIVESTRONG.

Ken

and now, as usual, Joann will get in the last word ....

Again, Ken has said it all. He's a tough act to follow. He's surprised me by sharing his feelings with you the way he has. He's pretty opinionated, but wearing his heart on his sleeve, not so much. I would also like to thank all of you for your support. These past 5 months would have been much more difficult to face without it. Once again we have put the "in sickness and in health" clause of our marriage vows to the test...and survived.

Ken has enjoyed all the responses. I know he will miss "checking his blog" at least once a day. This is your last chance to write a comment if you'd like, I know he reads them. Some of them have been very touching. We received great news on his latest CT, but as Ken said, we have a long way to go. I know the future tests will have both of us holding our breath, but we've decided not to let it interfere with enjoying our family, friends and of course, our granddaughters. What do you think of Dr. Avery taking care of Peyton ?

Thanks again, please keep us in your prayers.

Joann

FINAL GRADE 03/01/2010

A+

Will write more when this sinks in and I stop shaking -

probably by Friday

With faith, family and friends all things are possible.

LIVESTRONG !

Homecoming

Peyton is home now and Kate and baby look wonderful. Avery meeting her sister for the first time was a hoot. Kate says Peyton is quite a night owl...uh oh.

And I'll say it again, there's nothing better than holding a baby...unless you're holding two...
Final exams tomorrow and Tuesday - I'm ready.

Nothing like holding a new baby

Kate looks wonderful but asked not to have her picture in the blog.
ANYONE that gives me a grandchild gets whatever they want...but seriously, she looks stunning and is doing very well other than a bit tired. We expect Kate and Peyton to be home by Sunday for Avery to meet her new sister.

Peyton Grace Machala

Call me prejudice, but isn't this the sweetest little girl you've ever seen ?

Our sons looked like toads at 12 hours old

HOT DAMN !

7 lbs 2 oz - 20 inches - arrived 12:25 am Feb 19th. Kate and baby perfect according to Matt.
Goodnight for now -

BABY ON BOARD

Anytime now. Matt and Kate left for St. Joe's a couple of hours ago.

Things sure have changed. I remember fondly the unannounced mad dashes to the hospital years ago with a V E R Y pregnant Joann riding shotgun - telling me I better step on it...running red lights and hoping a cop would stop us. Pulling up to the emergency room entrance and seeing everyone move like they were shot out of a cannon. Pretty cool.

Now they call and make an appointment.

I like the old way better.

Photos of our new granddaughter to follow ...soon, I hope.

Gotta love February

Still a bit hung over from last Tuesday's cocktail but things are better. The nausea is pretty much history and not as tired as I have been (getting up at the crack of 7 instead of the usual crack of 10) but the body aches are hanging on. Isn't like after the last round where it felt like being rapped with a baseball bat - more like getting pinged with a ballpeen hammer - always in the joints. Ringing in the ears has been replaced by hissing... like to think of it as the chemo perking -
Sorry I missed the co-op winter get together last weekend. Always nice to be around so many people that look forward to summer, especially since we're just into February.
Joann has scaled back on my plan to demo the kitchen up north. She wants me to do something "less destructive"...takes all the fun out of home improvement, but there's always something that needs doing up there.. or maybe it's just that I like having projects to do.
Good things are going to start happening here in a few weeks, Matt's 32nd birthday, a new granddaughter and my final exams on the 22nd. And Saturday was the eleventh anniversary of my stroke. So all in all, this has been and will be a good month.
Joann did a good job on the last blog - I think she should do it more often, eh ?
Next time we'll post pictures of Avery's new sister..can't happen soon enough according to Kate
LIVESTRONG

Happy dance !

Today was Ken's last chemo treatment and we all did the happy dance!! It's hard to believe these treatments have come to an end. Up until this weekend, you would never know to look at Ken that he has cancer. His hair loss is the only outward sign that the chemo is doing its job. I know that he is very anxious for the CT scan, and waiting is not one of his strong points, but these things can't be rushed.
These last four months have been the toughest times we have gone through together. We've prayed and cried and even laughed at times, but have made it so far and will continue to together, no matter what the future holds.
I have faith that the doctors and nurses have seen enough to know what signs to look for, pain, bleeding, difficulty breathing, huge weight loss etc, to see that Ken is beating this. Thanks to all of you who read his blogs and continue to encourage and reassure him, and me. It's been an important part of the healing process. I hope you have enjoyed his perspective of what he calls "his first rodeo".
This month will be exciting as we welcome our new granddaughter, due within the next 2 weeks. Such a happy and exciting time!!
Thanks again for all your support
Joann

Let 'er rip doll

Don't have to worry about hair loss anymore. Matt give me a buzz cut Sunday, my second in 42 years...the first being at Lakeland AFB, Texas,1968. Didn't like it then, don't like it now, but like less the house looking like I've swung a dead cat around in every room. Lorraine was right, eventhough you're forewarned, it's still a bit of a shock when it happens. Gets your attention for sure.
Monday's bloodwork came out OK so today's (last) big cocktail was a go after we met with Ann, my case study gal and Dr. Eisenberg, an oncologist whom Joann and I like very much. I asked to have my final CT scan like tomorrow ( anxious? me? NAW ) and was told I'll have to wait a bit longer to get an accurate reading. They explained that radiation and chemo are akin to cooking rice - it's still perking after you take it off the heat - takes time for everything to "cool down". OK, so I wasn't happy about the timing but today was not the day to tell these people their business. Hell, I can't SPELL, let alone pronounce, half the things they DO...patience isn't one of my stronger virtues...
Feb 22nd is the earliest date they would agree to - results due March 1st. I'll be going through a CT, another lung capacity test and an EKG... then I'm going to take Joann out for a very nice dinner and have my first beer in four months. Hot wife and a cold beer. Life is good.
Last cocktail was uneventful if you don't count the four attempts to thread a 22 gauge needle in the vein. Sue was having a time of it and finally Robin came over and got lucky on her first poke. If the saying "No pain no gain" is true, we gained a b u n c h today. The next two weeks will be trying as the big dose does it's work, but we survived it once already and besides, there isn't much else that can fall off...is there ?
Mixed emotions after more hugs and walking out of the clinic today for (hopefully) the last time.
So glad it's over, so fortunate the side effects were minimal, so embarassed I was such a wus about them and so blessed that I had Joann and the doctors, treatment nurses, family and friends for support over these past 91 days. "Thanks" doesn't nearly cover what I want to say, but there's alot going on in my head right now, so it'll have to do for now. So Hey, THANKS and as always...
LIVESTRONG

Fall in January

It's been exactly two weeks since the big cocktail and the side effects I was warned about happened but were again minimal. Last big cocktail (and the final step in "THE PLAN" ) is next Tuesday so someone cue the fat lady...
Hair loss, which I've heard about since day one, began just two days ago and took me back a bit. They didn't tell me the fallout is from e v e r y
w h e r e ... nuff said, but I still have to shave, go figure. Interesting comments to the last blog about the soothing effects of fire - no wonder it's so quiet on the beach at night.
Would like to ask you to include an old friend in your prayers, if you wouldn't mind. Found out recently that Sam has been battling a rare form of lukemia for the past year. Here I am acting like a big baby complaining about being poked a lousy eight times for infusions and Sam has gone down that road over a hundred times in the past twelve months with no end to his "plan" in sight. Yeah, he's a fighter...anyway, thanks.
Will write again after next Tuesday and hopefully have a CT date.
Ken

Light one up

One of the things I look forward to after mass is lighting a candle for all the patients I've met or seen at the cancer center over the past several months. It's the young people that I can't get out of my head. You know how there's that time around a beach fire when everything goes silent for a few minutes and you just sit there staring at the flames. Remember what or who you were thinking about during that time ? I get that for a moment at the back of the church and it feels good.
I'm interested to hear what you all think about while staring at the flames. Need help? Light a candle. Consider this our first interactive blog. This time I want to hear about YOU.
Don't be bashful.
LIVESTRONG

The Good Stuff

It never ceases to amaze me how good these doctor's are. Joann and I had an appt w/my Oncologist, Dr Mackler, last Monday, the day before the big cocktail, and he scared the hell out of me about all the terrible things that will likely happen and oh, by the way, it won't occur right away, it'll happen 2 to 3 days afterwards. It did. The nausea hit Thursday night, which was a first and was contained with compazine, the good stuff. Eighteen hours later and it was gone. The body aches, also a first, were something else again. Best way I can describe it is someone hitting me with a baseball bat from head to toe just hard enough to get your attention. Nothing's touched that and we're going on two days now, but it's getting better. I'll know what to expect for my last big cocktail in two weeks. If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain...

I am now convinced that there is nothing I can throw at these doctor's that they haven't already seen and know how to treat. Now if I can just get them to tell me which way the market is headed....

The dock is in sight - throttle up.

LIVESTRONG

JUST A QUICKIE

Boy, did that ever have a different meaning in my younger years....anyway, today is Joann's birthday and let's just say she's 39 and change...change from a 20 that is.
Yesterday's cocktail went well due in no small part to having my favorite nurse, Robin there for the poke. Robin was my first infusionist when all this began last November and came up with the "go to your happy place" phrase. Funny how more comfortable and relaxed I am around people I trust. Five hours later I was out the door. I made an appt with Robin for my Feb 2nd cocktail promising her Joann's brownies as a bribe.
No adverse side effects so far and I hope they don't appear at all. Just have to be concious of running a temp - infections are a no-no with low WBC counts. The doctor's harp about it all the time - must be something I don't want to experience. Thought I was running one this morning but it turned out Jo had a hot flash last night and threw all the covers on my side - problem solved - temp @ 98.6.
Jo and Deb are going shopping again today so Ric and I better cash in the empties... It's a gorgeous winter day, I hope you all get a chance to enjoy it. Talk to you again soon -
Ken

Make mine a double

It's been nearly a month since my last cocktail and I'll be the first to admit I haven't missed "the poke". Tomorrow I get the first of the two "big" cocktails which will conclude THE PLAN, so today was the blood draw poke. We were warned that these last two double doses will likely cause some of the side effects that I've so far avoided and that they may occur up to seven days after infusion. Seven days ? Hell, my worse hangover ever lasted only two, or was it three ? And now you know why I'm writing this the day before - they've really spooked me this time. I hope it doesn't happen. The good news is I'll be able to go through the CT scans in early February instead of waiting till March, what I've referred to as the final exam - the one that counts.
Have been doing very well thank you since my last radiation Dec 18th. The back burn is completely healed and I'm nearly keeping up with Joann during our nightly walks at the local high school. It's kind of embarrassing being passed up by the local grandma's that hike the halls also, but it just reminds me how far I've yet to go. Bet I could take most of 'em in arm wrestling..
The attached photo taken this Christmas is of my youngest son, Paul and our Cioc. Everyone has a Cioc, you just don't realize it, but your's likely isn't like mine. You see, mine is also my guardian angel and she has God's ear.
LIVESTRONG

2K10

Dr Henning checked out the back burn Dec 30th and predicted it would be much better in a week. He was right again, the improvement over the past 48 hours has been remarkable. Three more days and I expect it to be gone entirely.

Spent New Years in Port Austin at Ric and Deb's place on the water through whose window this picture was taken. Wind chill on New Years Day was -5 due to a pretty stout westerly wind. We didn't spend much time on the beach...but it sure was pretty to look out at. Everything appears secure on Buffa Court also. You could have fired a cannon down M25 and not hit a thing. Sure is quiet up there in the winter.

See the docs again Jan 8th and the 11th before the big cocktail on Jan 12th which should take around 4 hours. Ann tells me I WILL lose my hair so to minimize the fallout Deb gave me a "summer cut" today and lopped off all the gray - love that woman ! Feb 2nd is my last scheduled cocktail and I've heard mention of several CT scans thrown in there somewhere. The end of "The Plan" is in sight, yep, the boat is nearing the dock. The EOB's are coming in fast and furious - big numbers !

Many of you have been sending me inspirational notes lately and I've enjoyed and found strength in all of them, but here is one that really hit home - "Life is simpler when you plow around the stump " Amen to that.

Happy New Year, good health to all and thanks again for sticking with us last year

Ken