Many, many thanks go out to the writer Ann Spivak!!!! She did a fantastic job turning the interview she and I had two weeks ago into a wonderful article. This was published in the March 25th Kansas City Star Magazine. Click Here

In 1999, I had the privilege of being admitted to the Rockhurst University Executive Fellows MBA class. The two year program, which consisted of classes on alternating Fridays and Saturdays, made a remarkable change in my life.

There was one individual on the staff, an angel much like my grandmother, her name is Marian. I am not sure to this day what her title was? She was basically, the coordinator of everything. From admission, to guest speakers, to travel arrangements, you name it, she got it done.

Well she’s in trouble, in November she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has had a number of treatments and surgeries and now she needs our prayers.

For the first time in months there are actually tears rolling down my cheeks. If ever there was someone who didn’t deserve this, it is her. She is such a wonderful women, like I said, an angel if there ever was one. With Faith, Hope and or Love she will WIN this battle.

This weekend another milestone or anniversary passed, this is perhaps one the hardest ones to deal with each year. See March 16, 2005
‘Just know she is is God’s hands and there are others around you that need you to remain strong. Keep the faith my brother, you continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.”

The weeks fly by, while each day is precious. I am having a hard time dealing with the speed at which the days and weeks are zooming passed. I can’t seem to get anything done even though I am constantly busy doing ‘things’. There are applications to complete and submit for the foundation. There are flyers and forms to create for the golf tournament (mark your calendars; Friday September 28th, 1:00pm shotgun at Sycamore Ridge). There is work, volunteer activities at church, and finding time to be a husband and father. And oh, did I mention dealing with this lousy hand of cards called cancer. Doctor appointments, lab tests etc. and on and on……

The wheels of life seem to spin out of control one minute and the next I know exactly what I am doing and making great progress in one or some of the these areas. Focus on the details but keep the big picture in mind. I found that have ‘settled’ into this groove where I just live each day and try not to plan to far ahead. Sometimes I feel good about this, others it annoys me that I have to live day to day. I can look out a month or so, but beyond that it’s difficult to commit. We want to take a family vacation to Florida after school gets out, maybe early June, but we are reluctant to plan that far ahead. Who knows what will happen between now and then? So this is what the life has become two years later….

The blog title is somewhat of a double entendre, as most are. In this case it is not only a reference to St. Patrick but my life. It seems to be moving like a snake, back and forth, side to side but pressing forward faster than is desired.

Something that struck me as I spent time at the hospital in ICU last week. I really don’t like hospitals. The doctors office is no big deal, neither is the imaging center. Patient rooms, ICU, that ‘smell’, at times it really got to me.

Mary didn’t know it at the time, she does now. With all that was going on with him, how selfish or whiny would it be to talk about me? One day, we continue to pray, many years from now, that could be me. The purpose of my visit would of course be much different, but all those tubes, monitors etc., people coming and going, checking vitals, providing meds, the smell. I pause and pray it’s a LONG time for David!

A morbid thought? I guess it is perhaps. However, receive a diagnosis similar to mine and try not to have these thoughts. They don’t consume me, I just ‘go there’ from time to time. This was one of those times.

The title is in reference to the disc golf tourney titled ‘Can You WyCo?’, well I guess the answer in my case in no, I cannot! I had an abysmal first round, played much better in round two, but finished 21st (out of 23 in our division). Pete took fourth in the ‘Masters’ [over forty]. I think ‘Masters’ is a misnomer, over forty means these are the guys that have been playing the sport for years. That makes Pete’s effort that much more impressive!

It was fun, I didn’t enter to win anyway. We met a lot of great people and next up are tournaments in Des Moines, IA and Omaha, NE ~ April 14-15th!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A potentially interesting change at the FDA. (article)
I’m not sure where I stand at this point? There is a lot of hype surrounding the idea of greater access to clinical trials, this quote stands out:
He remembers one trial that tested a vaccine for deadly pancreatic cancer. Although all the patients wanted the vaccine, one group got it and the other got only supportive care. In the end, he says, there was no difference in survival between the two.

But Stephenson admits that it’s heartbreaking to tell a patient he can’t have an experimental drug. “It’s a hard discussion to have with a patient and his family. There’s a lot of tears,” he says. “We all would love to be able to get them access to some form of therapy.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, it’s not quite a point when it comes to my PSA!!!
Monday’s number came in at 21.87, less than a 1 point gain from February (.97 to be exact).

Here are the historic numbers:
Date PSA
3/5/07 21.87
2/5/07 20.90
1/8/07 18.90
12/11/06 24.86
11/13/06 43.61
10/16/06 51.48 (Started Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone, 10/01)
9/11/06 83.97 (started Zometa)
8/23/06 41.77
8/18/06 54.66
(no tests in June or July)
5/19/06 11.37 (stopped Casodex)
4/3/06 4.253/
5/06 1.45
1/27/06 0.44
12/28/05 1.85

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m not sure about you, but I am estatic!! Sure, we’d like for it to go down further, but steady as it goes beats an increase!

Looks like I get to enjoy March and the beginning of spring without any new complications or new worries. Ah, fresh mowed grass, tulips and hyacynth!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BTW – Sunday a few of the Saturday disc golf gang and myself are playing in a local disc golf tournament. If you are interested, here are a few links:
Tournament Site
Tournamnet Flyer
PDGA Player List and results

Here’s a really cool list sent to me by another guy with PC.
I highlighted the ones I really like:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God – He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take “no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your family will.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative! — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab yours back.
41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

I haven’t updated in a week for a number of reasons.

First, I was in Tucson speaking at an industry conference. I was hoping to enjoy the warmth of Arizona and relax a little. While I was able to relax, the warmth of spring decided to wait a week until after the conference! I did play 36 holes of disc golf! Additionally, Mary talked me into having my first ever massage. The conference was at the “Westward Look Resort and Spa” so I booked thirty minutes on Wednesday afternoon. I was always a little leery of the whole massage thing, having a stranger rub you down?! Let me just say I ready for the follow up treatment! It was incredible!

The second reason for the delay is Mary’s dad had a triple by-pass surgery on Saturday. It all happened rather quickly. He is recovering very hastily and even walked around the nurse’s station this afternoon, just 24 hours after they finished the surgery! I was amazed!

Tomorrow I have my seventh Zometa treatment and monthly PSA test. There is not much to report beyond that? I still feel great and am praying for a lower number or stability at the worst. There were several clinical trial updates this week; some real promising outcomes, for the years ahead!!

Drug could Slow the Growth of Advanced PC

Green Tea and COX-2 Inhibitors

Like most feelings or thoughts I have surrounding cancer, it seems like this all started just yesterday, while at the same time, it feels like it all started a lifetime ago.

I wouldn’t change anything I have been through in the last two years. I have learned so much, grown so much and met so many new wonderful people. I would however trade the whole ordeal for a cure or at least assurance of twenty or thirty more years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our secretary at work had a relapse. I’ve moved her to the top of my prayer list, please try to make room for her on yours. Her story is incredibly sad. She’s at home for awhile, when she returns I don’t know that I can face her, I would be an emotional wreck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s Ash Wednesday and as we enter the Lenten season, I personally find myself more emotional. I find it a contradictory time of the year. Lent means ‘spring’ and with the coming of Lent the world returns to life and beauty. For example, now that all the snow and ice have melted, my hyacinths have broken ground. At the same time, we look forward to Easter and the celebration of the death of Jesus. He gave his life for us, what a selfless act. It’s about life, it’s about death.

Imagine this; constantly you run through these thoughts in your mind, you have cancer, you battle with it emotionally, physically day after day. Then at the Ash Wednesday service, as your forehead is marked with ash, these words are spoken to you; “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return”.

Kind of makes me want to pray.

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, the all-holy one, who gives us life and all things. As we go about our lives, the press of our duties and activities often leads us to forget your presence and your love. We fall into sin and fail to live out the responsibilities that you have entrusted to those who were baptized into your Son.

In this holy season, help us to turn our minds and hearts back to you. Lead us into sincere repentance and renew our lives with your grace. Help us to remember that we are sinners, but even more, help us to remember your loving mercy.

As we live through this Ash Wednesday, may the crosses of ashes that mark our foreheads be a reminder to us and to those we meet that we belong to your Son. May our worship and prayer and penitence this day be sustained throughout these 40 days of Lent. Bring us refreshed and renewed to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter.

We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.