The end is nigh.

Well, not THAT end. But certainly the end of this current round of chemo, which I'll miss like the proverbial hole in the head. Number 8 (last one)  comes up 28 Dec, which means, needless to say, we wont be going far over Christmas, or anytime soon after. Each round is taking longer and longer to recover from (as I was warned it would). This will be followed by the inevitable scan sometime mid January. which will hopefully give me some good news! In the meantime, we have a Big Family Christmas celebration planned for Christmas Day in the local Boating Club, which means a busy lead-up time for everyone. Hornsnoggle Ferret books are arriving very soon (at last!) so they are keeping me busy, as well as meetings with the Cancer Society, where I hope to negotiate a deal on the books with the CS receiving a percentage as a donation. Then theres the website to finalise - plenty to keep the old boy occupied and off the streets for a while!
Lets take this opportunity of thanking you all for your support and prayers through the year - even in the 'down times' - and theres been a few of those - I've been aware I'm not alone in the battle, and its been a constant souce of encouragement. So have a wonderful and blessed Christmas with your family and friends, and give all the glory, thanks and praise to Him who is the giver and sustainer of Life. God Bless you all.

Dixon's Christmas Newsletter 2011

Number 7 down - one more to go!

What a great feeling - even if i'm not feeling great! Only ONE MORE of these awful chemo blasts to endure, followed by the 'pill regime' with the inevitable side effects, then the scan? Then thats it! by mid Jan I'll know one way or the other if its all been worth it, or if I'll be up for another round, after the 'down-time' they have to allow for, (up to 3-4 months). So hang in there with me, keep praying, and lets see what the Almighty has in store for me!
Busy time coming up - off to the SI tomorrow, driving a re-location Campervan back to Auckland, finishing off a few Hornsnoggle Ferret things for the year, help Fay put he finishing touches to a big Family Christmas we're planning to hold in Browns Bay - Christmas newsletters - yep, its all go. Probably the last blog before Christmas - we'll see how time goes, so have a great one, and remember Him who is the Reason for the Season!

The Beautiful month...

For a variety of reasons. Whats not to enjoy about Christmas? A season of hope, goodwill and celebration, made even more real if you believe in the Reason for the Season! A chance to get together with Family, share the great food, happy memories, many blessings - and for me, celebrate the LAST of the chemo sessions scheduled for 28 Dec - what a way to end the year! I'll be feeling halfway normal again by the end of January, all going well. Also a great opportunity for me to PERSONALLY thank all you guys, the faithful remnant, who have hung in there with me ALL YEAR! Its hard to believe i started this blog back in February, and you've put up with my journey, my anger, pain, treatment regimes, diet and supplement raves, colourful descriptions of the many side effects. Give yourself a standing ovation - you deserve it!
Still things to do before Christmas - letters, whanau celebration to organise, take delivery of the first two Hornsnoggle Ferret books, the inevitable round of Xmas 'do's, even a trip to Christchurch to see family etc,
If you're on facebook, catch me there with abbreviated versions of our journey, if not, we'll see you all early 2012 (inless I get the urge to post another blog pre Xmas!)
Be a blessing to others this Christmas - its the best gift you can give!
Cheers...

On the home run!

Whew! Six down, two to go - its a good feeling. Had the sixth intravenous chemo 'boost' on Wed, and as usual, feeling a bit wonky for a few days after. But still here, still upright, still plenty to give thanks for! Had a great 'This is your Life' dinner (night of the chemo!) for a friend who worked for a client from the agency days, Ziera Shoes, (ex Kumfs Shoes) and this weekend celebrate our 40th wedding Anniversary AND all going to plan, another grandchild from Leanne and Richard! Already a week overdue, so we may strike the double on the one day!
Being kept busy with Hornsnoggle Ferret, books, dolls, and hopefully other merchandise - depends on how friendly our bank manager is to come to the party with venture capital!
Had the chance to talk to other 'cancer sufferers' lately - always a challenge, when their reaction to the news differs so widely, but a great opportunity to give some hope and spread a little positivity into their journey to recovery. Pray for them, as I know you do for me. WIthout it, we have no hope. With it, hope abounds and the healing begins.

same old, same old...

Its hard to believe its been 10 MONTHS since I got life-changing news about my grade 4 cancer. If earlier predictions were to come true, I've effectively got only 8 months of life on this planet. Thanks to a host of reasons - chemo, supplements, diet, prayer, attitude, I've discovered we CAN make a difference - and isn't it a good feeling to prove the medical establishment wrong? The only news for Nov is that lot of guys are growing moustaches - for very good reasons - so if you get the chance, support them in their fundraising efforts to highlight and fund the fight against prostate cancer.
Otherwise, same old, same old - which I guess is good news! Next round of chemo is a week away, after that, only TWO more to go! Roll on 2012 I say!  Ginas birthday today (historic day 11/11/11) and hopefully another grandchild before the day finishes. Well, thats the plan anyway. Remember, I'm on facebook now, so if you want to connect with me there, I'd love to see you.
And as for the up coming elections, remember the old adage - 'Politics is like a babys alimentary canal, putting in as much as posibble at one end, and taking no responsibility for what comes out the other'
Vote wisely!

Blog or facebook - your choice!

After months of putting off the inevitable, I've finally joined the 'facebook' era. Blame Hornsnoggle Ferret - when you have a website, the logical extension is apparently facebook, as this is where most of the 'moderns' connect. So if you find i'm doing fewer blogs, its because I'm devoting that time to keeping up with facebook. You serious blog readers wont be forgotten - I'll continue to give regular updates on my cancer journey, but anything to do with family or 'business', facebook is now the venue.
Another 'chemo' burst on Wed, with the usual after effects slowly kicking in. but with only three more to go, I'm giving it my best shot to finish the full course. Thanks to John for his terrific little book 'Healed from Cancer' showing the remarkable faith journey of a woman who had metastatic liver cancer and was given only weeks to live. Here she is some twenty years later writing about the power of prayer and living out the scriptural promises she reads and claims every day from the bible. Inspiring stuff!
If you've read my book, you'll know my last 'annus horribilis' was 1987, when everthing that could go wrong did. Guess what else happened in in 1987? We won the RWC! And here we are, 24 years later, having another challenging year, and we win the Cup again! Sorry to disappoint you, but I plan to have a much better year in 2015! Carpe Diem, my friends!