Lets help the cause

Being a 'cancer victim' focuses you all the more on the need for public awareness and support for any kind of research or treament on cancer. April 4-10 is the week where leukemia is being highlighted (simply put, leukemia is a blood cancer, where  abnormal white blood cells are made in the bone marrow tissue that forms blood) This is of interest to all cancer sufferers, because radiation and chemotherapy treatment make a person much more susceptible to leukemia. The other main cause is smoking, so it you smoke, you're on the short list for getting leukemia. Yes, you can help! One of of my most faithful bloggers, my nephew Brad, is taking part in the 'shave for a cure' campaign, and is losing his beautful hair today(!), to support me and other cancer sufferers. Check out Brads page on www.shaveforacure.co.nz/ view event profile3922. You'll see Brad is a good looking bloke - he has his Uncles genes in this respect, not his fathers - and we'd be thrilled if you could support him in his quest. He might even post a photo of the 'shaved' Brad for you to chuckle over. Any donation is appreciated - look at his list of supporters, and join them. Its easy-just follow the links and directions. As well as spending time on your knees with me, you can now put your hand in your pocket for Brad.
Still sore, tired and grumpy, but slowly on the improve. Love hearing from you folks. Together we're the Tight 50!

6 weeks - its all over rover!

Oh the relief! 30 days of tripping in to Mercy for 7am treatments, getting zapped, pummelled, prodded, tut-tutted over, and ending up feeling like a POW who has escaped from Changi Prison. And they say the worst effects kick in for the two weeks AFTER the treatment. Aint that something to look forward to! Cancer must be the only condition in the world where you go in for treatment feeling great and come out feeling lousy. Some day I'll figutre out how that works. Great big kudos to Fay who has had to put up with me during all this - (I'm a bloke, so when I suffer, she suffers). Big thanks to Glens in-laws, Maarten and Anne, who took us out boating last weekend -  a fabulous day off Kawau Is. Tomorrow we hope to go to Whangamata for the Annual Beach Hop, a fun weekend of classic, hot-rod and vintage cars, rock n'roll in the streets - great times for the over 50s.
As for the future? A few weeks reprieve, then more scans, tests and plans for stage 2 of the treatment - not for the faint-hearted! Now officially unemployed, having sold the cab franchise, so new fields and opportunities beckon. Am I up for it? Absolutely! Keep journeying with me -I still need you on the team. Stage one is now a memory - stage two is about to begin...

Appreciation time...

I've never taken the time out to thanks those who have not only been praying for me, but also keeping in touch, dropping in for a visit, sending emails, txts, cards, whatever. I cant tell you how much i appreciate your support. You represent a wide spectrum of friends, from my early youth and school all the way through to current work, church and community. Well done, all of you  - take a bow. Its been a tough week, and this week (hopefully the last in this series of treatment) will be even tougher. Dont forget Fay and the family in your prayers, - they're the ones who see me in the darkest times, when I dont always keep it together, and it impacts on them.
I was encouraged by the words of a recent friend/visitor - we've journeyed through some tough times together - who reminded me of the verse in Corinthians - 'My grace is sufficient for you - my power is made perfect in your weakness' Hold on to that - you may be needing the same encouragement sooner than you think. No-ones bullet proof!  Dont give up - keep praying, keep loving, keep growing.

how to blog ...

A little birdie told me some of you were having trouble posting a comment - and i thought i was the only IT-challenged baby-boomer!  A few helpful hints - Go to the blog, open the comments, scroll down till you get to a white box which says 'post a comment'. Write your much appreciated blog (for some reason ladies find this much easier to do than guys,) Now for the really hard part! A box may come up 'choose your profile'. Scroll down till you get to the NAME URL option. Click on that, write your name (thats all you need) - you may have to fill in one of those silly word puzzles, then publish your blog. You may even get the option to preview it, so you can check it first.
Apologies to those of you under 40 who already knew all this - just remember some of the readers are still using twink to make changes on the computer screen! Talk soon - having a hot salt bath before I hit the sack.

Don't be a stranger

Thats Week 4 over, 13 days to go - beginning to sound like a broken record! Thanks to the supplement and nutritional advice I've had from so many people,I feel OK - But then, this is a first for me, so how is one meant to feel? Only real side affects have been fatigue, a bit of nausea, and a bit of soreness in areas I'll let you figure out for yourself. Clue - think of two famous old songs, one by Jerry Lee Lewis and one by Johnny Cash  (this is a guys only competition!).
You'd be amazed at the people I meet who read the blog, but never comment, phone, text, email, call, because they think I'm too busy, or they dont know what to say! Hey, a blog is a two way conversation, so any message, however you send it is ALWAYS WELCOME! This can be a lonely journey, so its always good to get messages of support, encouragement, any suggestions, whatever, even a 'hi, thinking of you'. Stretch this out to other friends you may have. If they're a great friend, tell them how much you appreciate their friendship - dont just take it for granted. Friends are not mind readers.
Fays arm is out of plaster and on the mend, so my 'chief care-giver' is back into it - shes been a rock in a rough couple of months, bless her. I'm still driving, but not for long - watch this space. And dont give up on the Miracle!

The Month of the Miracle

We've heard a lot about miracles lately, particularly with the events of Chch so indelibly etched into our minds. So while we busy ourselves praying for a miracle, consider the miracles that have already happened. The number of Cantabrians who escaped injury or death by being only a few metres away from scenes of destruction. 25 guys attending a prayer meeting for Muzza at 6am on a Monday morning! Brad giving up coffee for the month of March. The timely advice and help from people like Susan, Thomas, Tricia, Jim, regarding supplements and diet. People picking up on health tips and making changes in their eating habits. People praying who might not have prayed for a long time. (thank you God!). Contacts with friends, here and overseas, who I've not heard from for many years, And, perhaps the biggest miracle of all, 1.4 million Aucklanders supporting the Crusaders in a Super 15 rugby game!
Week three of the radiation and chemo is now done and dusted - feeling good some days, like a train wreck the others. But hey, like the Cantabs, we've made it this far, and by Gods grace we'll keep going. Be vigilant, persevere, dont stop praying. We're in this for the long haul, and we will all be better people for the experience. Now, about those miracles....