UPDATE Bone Scan Results! Sherpas, Bucket List, CT Scan Results

The Best Part of Waking Up is a Voicemail From Your Doc!


Perhaps this deserves it's own blog entry, but here's the latest update (9:00am March 17th):

Incase your reading this where you can't watch or listen to the above (like my brother who's in the Navy), my GP called to give my the test results of my bone scan. Aside from the tumor in my pelvis / hip, all is clear! There are signs of maybe arthritis in my foot. 


I was holding Myrtle when I checked my voicemail and she was all smiles and she clapped (as best as she can). I like to think she understood the voicemail, but then again I was shouting for joy and bouncing her up and down.


Googling Hip Tumor

Googling "hip tumor" I found this: 

Interestingly it has been suggested that perhaps the tumor was brought on by my mobile phone on my hip. I have also read that maybe it was from my groin injury. Also other possible causes or why's I have read are: stress, genetics, laptop, vaccines, red meat, toxins, Wi-Fi, processed foods, karma, etc. etc.. 

I've also read that there is a cure(s) but the evil pharmaceutical companies silence anyone from sharing this with the world. So somehow pharmaceuticals have a hold on every single country in the world, 6.91 billion people, just to be greedy... Who knows.

What I have learnt most from Googling the tumor and osteosarcoma is that there's too much contradicting information and everyones opinion is "right".  

Help Wanted: Sherpa

Being on crutches isn't the worst thing, but I prefer being bipedal.  Old habits die hard.


Carrying items is now a challenge. Monday I had a meeting and needed to ask someone to carry my stuff out to my car (thanks Dave). Last week I needed to make a run to Superstore at night when Myrtle was sleeping (Faith has her learners) and called a friend to come with to push the shopping cart. It's a good thing he came too because Faith had my credit card and Superstore doesn't do IOU's, but a friend does (thanks Justin).


Thankfully my mother-in-law let me know that the ferry ride to Vancouver is covered by Medical Service Plan (MSP).  This got me thinking of what is available to a fella like me.


One can get a temporary handicap parking permit if on crutches, but they can't be able to walk 100 meters. I can walk 100 meters, however I am not supposed to, hence the crutches. Since I can though, I can't have the parking pass. Which is fine, there's many worse off then me.  Still, I can't help but notice that a sherpa would be super useful, another thing MSP won't budge on.

Needed: One Sherpa part-time

Slow Thinking


Knowing there's a tumor I think slower. Almost every thought is punctuated with possible repercussions. Knowing what a fracture can do I walk a little more careful and drive less (sitting down hurts). Knowing that maybe, just maybe, my days here might not be as long as I hope, I no longer sleep in. 


I seem slower to be irritated too. As Faith has often quoted "We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions." For me that rings true. 


My Grandpa, Franklin Smith, once gave a eulogy at man's funeral who no longer was the church going type, his family left behind were. They may have expressed a little concern over the deceased's future in the eternities. Grandpa said "most believe the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. That's wrong, the road to Heaven is." If our Father in Heaven doesn't know our true hearts, if Jesus Christ isn't in our corner I suppose we're all out of luck. I've got a hunch though that God knows our hearts. So who am I to be irritated or judge? It's freeing actually. That said, people sure are interesting. 


Being a Father, Husband and Me


Getting THE CALL wasn't a death sentence, but it sure has been quite the reminder my body is mortal and like you, my days are numbered. I've considered the possibility I might die before Myrtle is an adult or me being a grandpa. Recognizing I ought to put my life in order isn't giving up, it's being responsible. 


Questions come up like: Who gets my collections of Rolling Stones from the early 1990's? And: Have I journalized my life enough so Myrtle knows what type of man I am and that I think the world of her?  


More than anything and I mean anything, I want to be there for my family. But if I'm not I want Myrtle and Faith to have a family. Even if it's not me, I would want Myrtle to have someone to call Dad and Faith to have as husband. Life should be shared. That's all I'll write on that here.


For myself, the only two things I'd regret never doing is going sky diving and swimming somewhere tropical. So I guess that's the start of a bucket list. Living to 100 is another I just added. Now I have three things.


Best for Last


The results for my CT scan came in. The short of it is that the survival rate of the tumor if it metastasizes into the lungs is about 21%, not great odds. 


There was no sign of metastasis! Right now there is no better news.  That doesn't mean you can stop praying for my family though. (Hint, Hint)