Morning Everyone! Last week I went to the doctor for my monthly check up. As many of you have known I have been battling different ailments that have to deal with graf vs. host. Things your body deals with after having a transplant from a non-related donor.
Most notably I have been dealing with extreme pain in my feet and extremely dry skin. Well I have been on medication for about three weeks and my feet feel GREAT! As for the skin...well I am the poster boy for vaseline intensive care....I have it at all times.
Oh...and my eyes....I developed cataracts in both eyes due to the steroid I have been on for three years. I had my second surgery over the break and I am now seeing 20-25 overall.......It's like seeing in high def! AWESOME!!
I tell you all of this that brings me to this. January 18th marks YEAR NUMBER 2 from my transplant date. I have heard my doctors say anywhere from 3 to 5 years being cancer free and you are in the clear. So I asked Dr. Collins...WHICH IS IT? 3 years or 5 years?!?!
Dr. Collins is very non committal....as they have to be I understand...nothing is guaranteed....but here is what he had to say.
Mr. Huffman your counts have looked great for quite some time. If you had any cancer cells in your body the graf vs. host that you have going on would literally eat it. I am convinced that the cancer is COMPLETELY GONE! All we are going to do is control your graf vs. host and make sure you are comfortable. If you did not have any graf vs. host we would give you medication that would create graf vs. host. Studies have shown Mr. Huffman that if the patient with your type of cancer makes it to the 3rd year the cancer RARELY comes back...and 5 years it is almost nonexistent.
It did not hit me until I was in the car on the way home that for the first time EVER Dr. Collins told me what he was really thinking. He has NEVER committed one way or the other (which again I understand) on the possibilities of survival because I am a rare case. There are not a lot of statistics for him to research. Usually the patients are much older or are children and the patients cannot handle the treatment therefore they fall to the treatment before the disease. Therefore I am a lab rat! I am providing all kinds of information for their studies.
I just wanted you to know because all of you have been on this very long journey that started on May 25, 2006 and for the FIRST TIME the docter said..."CANCER COMPLETELY GONE" While it is not a guarantee if Dr. Collins is saying it I like the odds.....maybe I should hit the poker tables in Oklahoma while I am on a roll....
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
I AM CALLING "BS" ON THIS ADVERTISEMENT
Have you seen the taco bell commercial where the girl lost a ton of weight while eating taco bell fresh items?
The before and after shots are amazing....but I have a few questions.
I wanted to lose weight but did not want to give up my fast food.......
Ummmm...then how did you think you could lose the weight? Cutting back only gets you so far.
These results are not typical........... no kidding....you either had surgery or did something drastic and throwing some pico on your taco aint it.
The before and after shots are amazing....but I have a few questions.
I wanted to lose weight but did not want to give up my fast food.......
Ummmm...then how did you think you could lose the weight? Cutting back only gets you so far.
These results are not typical........... no kidding....you either had surgery or did something drastic and throwing some pico on your taco aint it.
What does that mean?
My wife said the other day..."Like it makes a sh%ts bit of difference?"
What does that mean? No matter what bit you have it's still sh%t?
INPUT PLEASE
What does that mean? No matter what bit you have it's still sh%t?
INPUT PLEASE
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Good The Bad The Ugly
The time off from work- good
Christmas with the family- good
Learning that my sister in law is moving home- good
white christmas - good
Hearing my docter say- The cancer is gone! good
Hearing my foot docter say- lets go non weight baring for a couple of weeks- bad
Learning that while your wife is away for a bit and you are supposed to be watching the kids your daughter gives herself a haircut- bad
Realizing you got nothing in defense- UGLY
Christmas with the family- good
Learning that my sister in law is moving home- good
white christmas - good
Hearing my docter say- The cancer is gone! good
Hearing my foot docter say- lets go non weight baring for a couple of weeks- bad
Learning that while your wife is away for a bit and you are supposed to be watching the kids your daughter gives herself a haircut- bad
Realizing you got nothing in defense- UGLY
Friday, December 18, 2009
I am a baby...I admit it.
Last week my superintendant announced that he was leaving the district. This news has hit everyone in the administration very emotional. It's not often that a large group of people feel this way toward their boss. I am going to admit this. I have cried on more than one occassion over this. Each time I think to myself .... GET OVER THIS.....it's just this man went out of his way to take care of me during my illness. I also have learned SO MUCH from him over the past years.
Today I met with him privately for probably the last time. I gave him an envelope with a letter and a family portrai enclosed. Here is my letter. AND YES I TEARED UP JUST HANDING IT TO HIM
Mr. Murray,
I wanted to take an opportunity to thank you for everything you have done for me and my family. I struggle writing this letter because as I think about everything you have done for me I have to stop and take a break because I start to tear up. I have truly been blessed to be here in Little Elm working under your guidance. Please understand that I speak for my whole family in thanking you for taking care of me during my serious illness. You always wanted to take care of me and lift any fears I may have had in making sure that my teachers and students were being taken care of at all times.
I still remember when I was first diagnosed and was in stable condition in the hospital. You took time out of your day to drive all the way to Zale Lipshey just to see me and spend about 30 minutes just to talk with me. Any time I wanted to talk about work you would shut it down and want to talk about my family and what you could do for them. How is Tracey? Are Jack and Caroline doing okay? My favorite visit and most memorable took place about 3 weeks later. School was out and everyone was gone. I was feeling better and was actually up and moving around. I was sitting in the family visitation room and the door opens and here comes someone who looks at me. He is wearing flip flops, shorts, sun glasses, and a baseball cap. He looks at me and says, “for someone so sick you sure are hard as hell to find.” I looked up and I realized it was you! I just started laughing. You spent over an hour talking with me just to check up on me. At the end of the visit you mentioned you needed to get going because your wife and daughter were down stairs waiting for you. I was shocked! You took time out of your summer to come down to see me with your family and I knew the hospital was NOT on your way to anything.
I want you to know Mr. Murray that the impact you have had on my life cannot be expressed in words. I will be grateful for the rest of my life. I know in my heart that part of the reason I am alive today is in direct relation to what you and this district have done to take care of me and my family. On behalf of my whole family I wish you nothing but the best. I will always cherish the time I spent under your guidance. You will be missed but never forgotten.
Sincerely,
Jason Huffman
Today I met with him privately for probably the last time. I gave him an envelope with a letter and a family portrai enclosed. Here is my letter. AND YES I TEARED UP JUST HANDING IT TO HIM
Mr. Murray,
I wanted to take an opportunity to thank you for everything you have done for me and my family. I struggle writing this letter because as I think about everything you have done for me I have to stop and take a break because I start to tear up. I have truly been blessed to be here in Little Elm working under your guidance. Please understand that I speak for my whole family in thanking you for taking care of me during my serious illness. You always wanted to take care of me and lift any fears I may have had in making sure that my teachers and students were being taken care of at all times.
I still remember when I was first diagnosed and was in stable condition in the hospital. You took time out of your day to drive all the way to Zale Lipshey just to see me and spend about 30 minutes just to talk with me. Any time I wanted to talk about work you would shut it down and want to talk about my family and what you could do for them. How is Tracey? Are Jack and Caroline doing okay? My favorite visit and most memorable took place about 3 weeks later. School was out and everyone was gone. I was feeling better and was actually up and moving around. I was sitting in the family visitation room and the door opens and here comes someone who looks at me. He is wearing flip flops, shorts, sun glasses, and a baseball cap. He looks at me and says, “for someone so sick you sure are hard as hell to find.” I looked up and I realized it was you! I just started laughing. You spent over an hour talking with me just to check up on me. At the end of the visit you mentioned you needed to get going because your wife and daughter were down stairs waiting for you. I was shocked! You took time out of your summer to come down to see me with your family and I knew the hospital was NOT on your way to anything.
I want you to know Mr. Murray that the impact you have had on my life cannot be expressed in words. I will be grateful for the rest of my life. I know in my heart that part of the reason I am alive today is in direct relation to what you and this district have done to take care of me and my family. On behalf of my whole family I wish you nothing but the best. I will always cherish the time I spent under your guidance. You will be missed but never forgotten.
Sincerely,
Jason Huffman
Friday, December 11, 2009
Fire!
A fire starts inside a chemical plant and the alarm goes out to fire departments miles around.
After crews have been fighting the fire for over an hour, the chemical company president approached the fire chief and said, "All of our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved! I will give $100,000 to the engine company that brings them out safely!"
The crews try, but no one can get through. Then another fire truck, filled with a volunteer fire company of men over 65, comes roaring down the road and drives straight into the middle of the inferno. The other men watch unbelieving as the old timers hop off of their rig and heroically extinguish the fire, saving the secret formulas.
The company president walks over to reward the volunteers.
"What do you guys plan to do with the money?" the president asks the group.
The firetruck driver looks him right in the eye and answers, "Well, the first thing we're going to do is fix the darn brakes on that truck."
After crews have been fighting the fire for over an hour, the chemical company president approached the fire chief and said, "All of our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved! I will give $100,000 to the engine company that brings them out safely!"
The crews try, but no one can get through. Then another fire truck, filled with a volunteer fire company of men over 65, comes roaring down the road and drives straight into the middle of the inferno. The other men watch unbelieving as the old timers hop off of their rig and heroically extinguish the fire, saving the secret formulas.
The company president walks over to reward the volunteers.
"What do you guys plan to do with the money?" the president asks the group.
The firetruck driver looks him right in the eye and answers, "Well, the first thing we're going to do is fix the darn brakes on that truck."
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