Sweet n Low... but still lovin' it...

Just wanted to touch base and say hello... still trying to get used to life with a glucometer. I hate it. But I know what has to be done. I am feeling so much better now that I'm getting adjusted to my meds and my diet is better (but I'm still royally ticked off about having to give up my lifeline...bread and potatoes)... went and saw Terri today. To my complete amazement, she is STILL teaching. She went from chemo to the classroom. Her doc wants her to go on disability because of her prognosis. She's considering it, but her heart still believes she has things to do in this world and wants to teach still. I mentioned if she goes on disability, she can volunteer to teach and tutor etc... she's still thinking about it... Her skin is blistering all over and it's getting more difficult for her to swallow food, but she cuts everything in small pieces so she can eat. She is still driving to work everyday and has become my hero... here on earth anyway.
Some sad news... a couple of entries ago I wrote about partying at hospice and playing poker with my friend Donnie. Well, Donnie passed away and Thursday was his funeral. I went and paid my respects and saw some old friends that I haven't seen in a long time and we had a few laughs over some old times with Donnie. His son and daughter were there and were doing pretty good. They were all prepaed for this. Donnie is now reunited with his true love... his wife. He's not suffering anymore and I wish him peace and joy in Heaven. When I found out he passed, I smiled. I remember how even though he was 71, he was very young for his age and lived life to the fullest. He golfed up until 5 weeks before his death. He really enjoyed the outdoors... I'll really miss him. But I remember him with fondness... not sadness...
On a happier note... I talked with Lou on Thursday also. She is back to her old, happy, cantankerous self :) I am pleased as punch. She is still working on learning how to walk again. She'll be in rehab for quite a while yet, but she's in a better frame of mind and is working everyday in PT to get better and stronger. Her attitude is very positive. She still does little tricks to do things like have each of us bring her food from outside... Typical Lou... And on an even more positive note... the Gal Pal... I don't know where I'd be without her. She has been a rock for me. I thank God everyday for her. She has been the one I lean on to share my joy, hope, pain, frustration.... you name it... To say I love this woman doesn't do her any justice... she is beyond amazing... I am in awe of her. And it's because God blessed me with her love that my attitude remains positive, upbeat, and my faith remains entact... that's what I have to cling to right now...

I'm Sweeter Than I Thought...

Well, I've been told I'm a nice guy and have been told how sweet I have been for whatever reason... Little did I know I'd take it a few steps further... oh yeah, leave it to me. I was feeling like total crap. Like I was hungover or something... problem is that I haven't had a drink in forever. So I call my best friend aka my doc and he has me stop in the office and after checking me over decides to run a few lab tests on me. He puts the results only like he can... "Mik you have gone from nothing to being the worst diabetic in my practice" Huh?? Diabetes?? Crap... that's the last thing I need. So I'm trying to adjust to doing some things that I'd rather not be doing... namely, learning how to eat food that's sugar free and healthy for me... I HATE IT... My lifestyle has always been that of a road dog... living out of motel rooms on the weekends eating motel food and fast food at the stops on the road during the fall/winter/spring... now I have to monitor everything including my blood pressure... Boy does this tick me off royal... I'm about taking care of others. I don't want to have to think about me... arrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!! Terri called me because she knew something was wrong because I hadn't been by in a few days. She was worried... That is Terri in a nutshell... she's trying not to die, but is more worried about her little brother... I'm starting to feel a little better but I'm still trying to get used to my sugar levels cause I can feel when the sugar is up and especially when it's down. Thank God, I'm not having to use needles for insulin shots... at least not yet. But it's still an adventure as I feel everything in my head and have to get used to it all... But I will. I have to... I've got to think of someone other than myself. My gal pal... my family. Yeesh, I don't feel like being responsible right about now...lol...

Another Perfectly Crappy Monday

I hope you all had a pretty good weekend. Me, it was tough because I was on the road in Iowa (zzzzzz) and it was long, but I survived it. But the hard part was hearing from Terri. She went to a oncologist and he told her that her cancer is terminal. It hit me between the eyes like someone sucker-punching me. She doesn't deserve this. Not at all. Her doc is trying to talk her into going on disability because of the drastic stuff they want to try. Terri actually is handling it pretty well. I'm probably dealing with it worse than she is. She told me that she has to keep a positive attitude and she is going to stand on her faith because she still feels that she has a lot to live for and feels very strongly that she has things to accompish on this earth. It really ticks me off because she helps so many people (including Lou) and this is how she is rewarded? I still struggle with this from time to time because even though my faith in God is entact, I wonder why one of God's true angels is made to suffer like this. I know there are others who are going through stuff like this and worse. I think of Donnie going through his last days in Hospice and yet he's older so I can almost understand that one. But Terri is just a couple years older than me. I humbly ask for your prayers for my sister. She's a wonderful and beautiful person. People say nice things about me because some of the things that I do... well that's a direct result of what Terri has done as she raised me after my mom died back when we were kids. My dad climbed into a bottle and Terri took over the household and kept us together... at the ripe old age of 16. Now in her 40's, Terri wants to enjoy life. But she's in the ultimate battle for her life.

Living for a Reason... And Partying at Hospice...

Greetings one and all,
Hope you all are well. Me, I'm doing fair... I'm in the throes of my busiest time of year... My time to travel and do lots of broadcasting. So I haven't seen the sisters in a few days but they remain in the status quo dept. So I guess no news is good news... at least for now. I worry about them but they are fairing okay. Last night, we did something different. I normally get together with some friends from the hospital (okay about 5 doctors, one drug rep, and me) to play poker. Usually we are cheap when it comes to the money we play for... usually nickels, dimes, and at the most, quarters. It's just an excuse to get together and gab and laugh and enjoy ourselves. We've been doing this for the better part of about 15 years. One of the players, Donnie, who was a surgeon at the hospital, was diagnosed with cancer and it's throughout his abdomen and it's mets... which means there's nothing they can do. Donnie knows that and has been pretty okay in understanding it. He lost his wife to the same disease a few years ago and it destroyed him. I think he feels that maybe in death, he can be reunited with the love of his life. Well, Donnie has been moved to hospice. Some of the poker boys decided that instead of playing poker at somebody's house last night, that we'd go see Donnie at hospice and all of us with medical backrounds, we knew it wasn't going to be pretty. But we all love Donnie so it wasn't even a question. I finished my radio show and left and headed over to the hospice. I was kind of surprised. I got there and was expecting it to be really depressing and sad. It was anything BUT that!!! Some of Donnie's nurses from the old outpatient surgery dept. decided to stop out to cheer him up. That huge group was all female. Donnie is about 68 years old and all the girls loved him... like a little teddy bear. Of course, the sensitive guy I am, I had to comment... one of the guys says "geez Donnie, you're quite the ladies man...even now". To which I chimed in "hey boys, that's what happens to short, bald, surgeons..." The place just broke up and Donnie could not surpress his infectious grin. And the poker boys sat at a rec room table with Donnie and he wanted to play poker. So instead of using money, we used sugar packets and dairy creamer packets from the hospice kitchen to gamblewith and someone brought a pack of cards so it was poker night like always. Donnie had a ball. He tired easily but was able to keep up with everything in a pretty good way. We finished playing and helped Donnie back to his room where his nurse was waiting for him to give him his meds for the night. Donnie was woefully thin from this awful disease, but all things considered, didn't look all too bad. I got to spend a few brief moments with him alone and asked him if there was anything I could do for him... "yeah, get me a new stomach" Donnie quipped. I told him I loved him and that I was going to keep praying for him. Donnie's not much of spiritual guy, but he understood my sentiment. So we left and out in the parking lot we decided that our next poker night was going to be back at hospice... I never thought I'd say this... but I actually had a good time there... man, does that sound weird to say... I best get some sleep now... Gotta work and right after that it's to the bus and head to Iowa to broadcast some hockey games. I'm beat... I need to sleeeeeeeep!!!

Lou-natic Fringe...

Hello folks,
Thanks for being patient with me while I continue with the insanity that is my life these days... But I must say it is a whole lot better than it has been in quite sometime. I have been so busy that even I am starting to feel a bit under the weather but am on anti-biotics and am feeling better as I write this. Okay, first things first: the sister updates. Terri found a lump in her breast. She's not tickled and had a mamogram done and after she gets the results back next week, she'll go see a specialist who is supposed to be a cancer hot shot... She is just exhausted and doesn't know what to think or feel at this point. I want to scream and pound my fist in the wall. The easy way out is to say "why God are You allowing this to happen?" But I know better... this isn't God allowing this to happen. This is the enemy trying to attack our family and have us lose our faith. But I'm standing firm on my faith and believing that God is good and will give us the courage to stand in the face of adversity. Terri has had her pity party and now she is standing on her faith and is going to work during her chemo treatment. I think that's insane but she's just one hard nosed teacher... I'm glad she's got the determination... I just hope she has the strength.
As for Lou, as I said in a previous post: I've got my sister back. She is still over at rehab and they are going to work her butt off everyday. She's now got things to look forward to. Namely.... GOING HOME! That will be in about another week or so and I know she can't wait for that! It'll be a change. But she's up for it and she's back to her old self. The anti biotics are doing their job. I'm glad she's feeling better and is being her normal, cantankerous self... I saw her yesterday and we joked around a little bit and she was peppering me with questions about me and the gal pal... I felt like I was at a one person press conference because my family have become completely enamoured of my girlfriend, even though they've yet to meet her in person... I got to spend last weekend with her... and in one word.... amazing.... simply amazing. The profound differences in me since I've had her in my life... my family keeps asking me who am I and what did I do with their brother? lol... I am feeling pretty good as I get ready for the weekend. Lot's of broadcasting to do as i head to Holgate (OH) on friday, Chicago on saturday, and Peoria IL, on sunday... ugh... I think I need a nap...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz