Special day

Today is my wonderful wife's birthday. When you have had as many as we have you don't make as big a deal about them as you used to. We went out for breakfast ( my favorite out meal and the best out meal to deal with Ila's diet). Then to an eye exam for me which, of course, led to ordering new glasses. We then went to the driver's licence office. She is now good to go until she is 70. No other special plans for the day.
I finished 3rd in a poker tournament last night and Ila was so sound asleep when I got home that I set up her bday present in her favorite chair (massage unit with heat--these things become more appropriate when you get old) without her even knowing I was home.
Had a great day last Sat. with the family and pictures. Later went to eat with extended family. Our two sets of grandchildren are so different. Older ones are quiet and reserved younger ones are full of expression and motion. Bri can be really funny and has a great sense of humor, but it doesn't show around us too often. Both her and Evan take some prodding to get out of shell. Not the other two. Benjamin made his "Mimi" very happy by calling for her. Ila is probably the most loving and giving person I know and it is great when that love is returned to her. She would, and does, do anything any for her family and sometimes I think we don't let her know how much we appreciate what she does for us. She truly has been the wind beneath my (our) wings. Happy birthday to her.

Don't know how many of you are in Iowa, but we have been getting some beautiful weather. Went golfing today in shorts and short sleeves. My game wasn't nearly as good as the weather. Spent couple of days at the Mo. kids. Worked on the house. Saw Levi play soccor.He has improved so much since last year. He scored three goals. After each one he looked for me in the crowd with the big smile. He is such a joy. Benjamin is still special in his own way. He is talking so much now and is so much fun. Always enjoy the time with them. They were both here with us Tues. night and day Wed. then we all went to Mo. on Wed. pm. Came home Sat. am and went to a play at the Amanas on Sat. night. Ila caught cold and with her Copd she gets really down with a cold. Hope she gets better soon. She did nothing here today and was miserable. I had a meeting at the College tonight and spent most of the day gone to the golf course and I think she got pretty lonely. Will be home together tomorrow and it is supposed to be nice. I start teaching next week. I certainly could stand another 6 weeks-6years off. Tomorrow is voting day. Will be rather happy to see it end and get away from all the advertisements and computer calls. Have been more interested in this election than most. Everytime I hear someone say that they don't think Sara is qualified to be VP I ask where there were the last two elections and why they didn't ask the same questions about Cheney. I find that at 65 I have more questions and fewer answers and when I was 35 I had more answers and fewer questions.

Things are going very well. Dr. says I shouldn't have to worry about this cancer thing with my kidney ever again. We are relieved, especially Ila. I am back to normal activity. The last form of discomfort was riding. Even that seems to have gone away. We went to DM last week and it didn't bother me at all. I have golfed twice(once each week for the past 2 weeks) with no side effects or soreness at all. We plan to go to Chi. this Sat. on a bus trip to see a play. A one day trip so it will be a full day. Ila is trying to diet seriously. Usually when she set her mind to losing weight she is successfull. Is going a little slower for her than she wants. She has lost 9.5 lbs. in the last 3 weeks. More impressively, we went to work out this morning and she did 3/9 of a mi. and stopped only 2 times. We then lift weights on machines. Today's workout was her idea, and that is good. I have only 2 classes next term beginning Nov. 5. I will teach on Mon. night and Tues. morning. Works good with my schedule as I have started a Texas holdem league that plays each Wed. night. Last Wed. was not good. Had the worst case scenario for a poker player: got great cards that wound up losing. You go through your money fast with that combination and I was third one out of the tournament. Maybe tonight will be better. Weather has been great and we have gotten a lot done outside. Slot car racing was very good last Sun. I won 11 of 20 races I ran. We race (different club) this Sun. at my track. If I ever get some picturs of the track here I will post. It is pretty impressive to all who see it for the first time. It is rainy today so we are doing very little. Probably take a nap soon. The rewards of being retired.

6 week report

Went to the Dr. this morning for the 6 wk check up. Good news. Says I can resume normal activities if I listen to my body and stop if it hurts. Chances of tearing or damaging something are slim. Also said that this is something that I shouldn't have to worry about in the future. He is as sure as is "humanly possible" that he got all the tumor. Says he predicts less that 5% chance of recurrance. Great. The jiggling and jostling of riding still is a minor discomfort, but seems to be improving. Plan on going to the range and hitting some golf balls tomorrow and maybe try to play on Thurs. or Monday. Got my classes back at the college and will begin teaching again on Nov. 5. So things are looking good.
Had planned on taking a road trip to Louisville to see niece or to Denver to see bro., but apparently every weekend is getting filled in Oct. We could go during the week, but the people that we would be visiting all work during the week so that doesn't make a lot of sense. Of course, I don't teach on Fri. or Monday so we could still go to Louisville about any time. Guess we will stay home except for a one day trip into Chi. on Oct. 25 to see the play "Dirty Dancing" which is one of Ila's favorite movies.

Mo. grandkids and parents came last week end. Wonderful time. Wife and I had kids all day Sat. They were great. Felt the effects some that night. Just from getting on floor and up etc. Side where incision is was sore sat. night. Felt pretty good Sun. Daughter took boys with her on sunday so we could rest some. Took a morning nap and felt great in PM. Levi wanted to see his cousins bad. Got a late start to E's football game. Got there and ---no game. Cussed self for not checking to make certain of location. Drove clear across town. No game. Gave up came home. Game was at the only other field in town. Should've read the calendar, or taken the phone. Oh, well, Levi and I will both survive not seeing the game or the kids.
Am still amazed at my recovery. Go to see dr. next week. Will be 6 wks post op. Swung golf club a few times in the back yard today. Felt fine. Will try to mow lawn tomorrow. Riding still seems to be biggest pain causer.
Why is it that people are called cancer survivors, but no mention is made of being cured. You aren't called a pnuemonia survivor. You get over it, you are cured. I was never as ill with this as I have been with sinus infections. Maybe I will ask my surgoen when I see him if I am cured or a survivor. Sure hope I am one or the other.
Missed racing again last Sunday. Hopefully I will start making it soon.

Dave the neighbor came to mow my lawn again. This is the 3rd or 4th time he has mowed for me. My incision looks good, I feel good, but I still have the 5 pound and no jostling limit so I can't mow. I don't like being dependent. Mon. I went and walked the back 9 with my golfing buddies then went out for lunch. I am coming back much more rapidly than I thought, but it still seems like a long time. Mo. grandkids are coming this weekend. Will have to be careful with them, but am looking forward to their visit. I have been doing absolutely nothing and my wife is now starting to worry about my inactivity. I am quick to point out to her that this is exactly what the kids and I have been talking to her about. I think she is begining to understand. She went for PT for her back and hip today. Will have another session tomorrow. Oct. 7 is my doctor visit and hope to get cleared for activity at that time. Suppose the weather will go to hell as soon as I get cleared to be outside. Iowa City grandson has football this Sun. pm and I also have slotcar racing this Sun. pm. Will have to choose what to do. Don't think I can do both. Will have to wait and see what weather is like. That will probably be the determiner.

ramblings and bringing up to the present

Any of you readers that have children will know what I am talking about today. You always show interest in what your children are doing. This is true if the children are 3 or 33. When my daughter (P) and son-in-law (J) started scuba I showed interest. Then J got licensed as an instructor and I get this book and letter in the mail. "I know you have been interested in this so here is a book and we will start your certification lessons next time you are down here." I immediately thought, "What the hell are they thinking, I am 61 years old, I smoke, and I am fat." But like all parents, you don't want to disappoint your kids, so I read the book and had a few near death experiences and now I am a certified diver. I have dived in a few different mid-western lakes, some with zero vis, Cozumel, Mexico, and the Florida Keys. I enjoy it very much and am always trying to figure out how to get to the Caribbean for more underwater time.
My latest dives were in the Keys, and so far that was my favorite diving. Some because there were so many different fish and some because I was diving with my family and friends. Both Cozumel dives I have been with no one that I knew and that takes some fun out of it.

Today wife (I) and I went to grandson's football game. He played well and I am happy to see him apparently enjoying playing. He had a really good hit and was obviously very proud of the praise he got from fans and teammates. He needs praise and encouragement and he doesn't always seem to get it. Not that he is put down, he just seldom seems to perform in a praise worthy manner. It was great to see his sister get excited when he played well also. He sometimes seems a little fragile as far as confidence even though I have not seen either of his parents be anything but supportive to him in any circumstance. Anyway, it was fun to see him smile so broadly for so long.

I have been not very mobile now for three weeks after my surgery. It still hurts a little to ride in the car. That is really the only time I have any pain to speak of . Nex week end my little grandkids come to see us. We have missed them and have not been able to travel the 225 miles to see them. I plan on joining my friends in the golf league tomorrow morning and walking at least 9 holes while they play. Am looking forward to seeing them again and spending time on a course even if I can't play. Next entry I will explain my interest in slot car racing.

Until a few weeks, months, ago I had never really known what it meant to have a physical ailment. I have always been able to do anything I wanted to do physically. I had suffered a stupid fall several years ago that resulted in a broken elbow. But, with some painful rehab it hadn't been long until I was back doing anything I wanted.
Then came the visit to my doctor for my regular physical. It all started on a Friday. My blood pressure was elevated. I have been on blood pressure meds for some time and they had controlled it until now. My doctor told me, "Well you won't be diving for awhile." Her husband is virtually a professional diver and she knows how I feel about diving also. I told her we were only 10 days away from a diving trip to the Keys. So she speeded things up just to try to get me ready to make the trip. She really is cool.
First came an immediate change in meds.
Monday another visit to her office. Pressure still up. She set up a ultrasound to check the renal arteries for blockage.
Tuesday -utra sound shows no blockage, but some sort of mass on the right kidney. She sets up a catscan for Wed.
Wed. catscan report shows it is not fatty tissue as she had suspected. She will set up an appointment with a urologist asap.
Thurs. she calls with an urologist appoint for that morning. He looks at the scan and says it is not good news. 70+% chance it is malignant. Good news is that it is slow grower and not an emergency operation. Gives me several alternative methods for removal.
I am stunned. I truly am not real worried about the cancer. Something in his demeanor tells me that once it is out then chances are I am in good shape. My wife and I choose the most invasive of the options, because it is the one with the highest chance of complete removal. I am worried about the recovery from the surgery. I am worried that cutting so much of the muscle mass in my back will forever limit my flexibility and strenth. I try to be up beat and confident, and I sort of am. I fear for my wife's (I) attitude. She seems sometimes to be too dependent upon me psychologically. She is scared and I can tell it. We do go on vacation and have wonderful time. Diving with my daughter and son-in-law is wonderful. I will tell about that in a later log.
I had my surgery three weeks ago. My recovery has exceeded even my expectations. They say they are confident that the cancer is gone. I am already almost pain free. I walk a mile a day now and sleep well without pain medication or even Tylonol. I know I will soon be back being able to take care of my lawn and other chores. I think I may even be back on the golf course if winter stays away long enough and we have a good fall. I go back for my first real post-op visit in another two weeks. I know then I will get released from some of the physical restrictions I am on now. (5lb lift limit etc)
I feel lucky that the guy who read my ultrasound saw something that was pretty small and not in the area that he was really supposed to be inspecting. I don't know if I can ever get used to calling myself a cancer survivor, because I don't feel any of the physical and emotional things that I have always associated with cancer.

Good day to all of you on my first blog. I am not really sure why I am doing this, other than my daughter is a blogger and some other people I know do it and I find it entertaining and informative to read their's.
I don't know how much about me will show on my profile so I will tell you a bit about me and what I am.
I am a retired educator that still does some adjunct teaching in a small college.
I am not young, but until recently I felt like I was. Just a few weeks ago I was diognosed with Kidney cancer and just three weeks ago I underwent surgery to have the tumor removed. My prognosis is very positive and my recovery so far has far exceeded my expectations. I have an impressive 10 inch scar that I can make up stories about. This is really my first experience with health related problems and I am not sure how I will handle it. My major concern is that I will not be able to continue to do all the things I want and need to do. I am only 64 and I am not at all ready to feel old.
My hobbies and interests are so far ranging that I am not sure I want to even try to list them. I very much like to golf, though I have not mastered the game very well at all. I have always been a decent athlete and have struggled with my inability to progress to an acceptable level of expertise with the game. I have always enjoyed auto racing, especially sports cars. The only level of racing that I have been able to afford is 1/32 scale slot car racing. I have a personally hand routed, four lane, track in my basement. I belong to 2 different racing clubs that race monthly on one of three area home tracks. I don't even own a digital camera so I probably won't be posting pictures of the track. It is 57 feet per lap and I am currently deep into landscaping it. It is one of those projects that has no end and that is the way I want it. At age 61 I began to Scuba dive. How that came about is a story for another day that I will post. For now, let's say that it is something I enjoy a lot.
My grandchildren are a huge source of enjoyment for me and my wife. We have two that are nearby (within 25miles) and two that are a little more removed (225 miles). The two close ones are older (13 & 10), a boy and a girl. The two younger ones (5 & 2) are both boys who seem to love their "Papa" very much. We talk on the phone at least once a week.
Enough for the first time. Hopefully some others will read these and perhaps respond.