Even though Bill has referred to our experience here in Jacksonville as a “radiation vacation,” our days have a kind of routine and sameness that seem more like being home than being on a true vacation. There are still meals to cook, groceries to buy, clothes to wash and iron, dirty floors to vacuum and mop.
One activity that is new to me that I am enjoying immensely is pilates. Not to be confused with the “Pontius” variety, pilates is a system of exercise founded on strengthening the core muscles and exercising the rest of the body, both for strength and flexibility. Speaking from my lengthy 5-day experience, I may be describing this incorrectly, but suffice it to say, I am hooked. I hope to learn the basics well enough to be able to follow an instructor on a DVD when we return home. For now, we do pilates 3 days a week at the Jax Y. The other couple of days we go to a class led by “Killer Betty,” not to be confused with yours truly. KB is an 84 year-old lady who’s in better shape than most 30 year-olds I know. And finally there is a class by Traci. I don’t know what Bill and I are doing there—he’s the only male, and I’m the only one with gray hair. But they put up with us and don’t even laugh as we hobble out the door clutching our thighs. So forget the old dogs and new tricks saying. Definitely not true at all!
Thanking God for what He is providing in this place,
Betty (not THE Betty; just B-)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's an uplifting environment...
No doubt most of you will recognize the lovely
lady standing in the middle of the room pictured here: it's Betty, speaking with the wife of another proton patient. She is standing in a part of the lobby we gather in while we wait to be called for our time in the Gantry. As you can tell, it's a beautiful area, nothing like what most would imagine having to do with cancer treatment. The environment itself adds to the positive pace set by the entire Florida Proton Therapy Institute.
It causes me to wonder what kind of "environment" we create in our relationships with others. Is it inspiring, uplifting, encouraging and helpful? Or would our "environment" be much more bleak, filled with criticism, judgment, and Monday-morning quarterbacking? This is one of those pictures I want to have etched in my mind and on my heart so that I can be one who truly helps, not hinders. That certainly is the "Jesus style," after all. Why did "the common people hear him gladly?" Because he was such a neat guy! You just felt better being in his presence. Hmmmm. I think there's a lesson in there somewhere!
I had a very funny experience today. Actually the situation happened yesterday, but the explanation was today. Yesterday, some fellow travelers at FP were having trouble getting their printer to print from their computer. They are renting a house just like ours, from the same people, just a couple of blocks away. Since they have exactly the same kind of printer, I offered to help them get hooked up. I did the things that worked for us, and yet it failed. No matter what I tried, it failed. Finally I called Mr. Computer-Jock of the Universe, Jason Rousette, and asked him to help me get their printer going. Jason patiently worked us through a variety of "fixes," all of which seemed to work, yet none of which actually did. Finally he suggested that they simply buy a USB cable and print directly, forgetting all about doing it wirelessly. So that's what I told them, and Betty and I returned home.
Today as we were at the fellowship luncheon, Grace (the wife) said to Betty, "Remember when Bill couldn't get the printer going even though it seemed to be saying it was working fine? Well today our new neighbor (a "newbie" Proton patient, also renting from the same people, also with the same printer) came over with a sheaf of papers and asked me if I was the person mentioned on them. When I said I was, he said that suddenly yesterday his printer started printing off all sorts of things, about 16 pages worth, and it was doing it all on its own! hahaha Apparently my friends somehow have been using the network of the next door neighbor and didn't even know it! Isn't technology grand?
Be blessed as you enjoy the Son!
Bill
lady standing in the middle of the room pictured here: it's Betty, speaking with the wife of another proton patient. She is standing in a part of the lobby we gather in while we wait to be called for our time in the Gantry. As you can tell, it's a beautiful area, nothing like what most would imagine having to do with cancer treatment. The environment itself adds to the positive pace set by the entire Florida Proton Therapy Institute.
It causes me to wonder what kind of "environment" we create in our relationships with others. Is it inspiring, uplifting, encouraging and helpful? Or would our "environment" be much more bleak, filled with criticism, judgment, and Monday-morning quarterbacking? This is one of those pictures I want to have etched in my mind and on my heart so that I can be one who truly helps, not hinders. That certainly is the "Jesus style," after all. Why did "the common people hear him gladly?" Because he was such a neat guy! You just felt better being in his presence. Hmmmm. I think there's a lesson in there somewhere!
I had a very funny experience today. Actually the situation happened yesterday, but the explanation was today. Yesterday, some fellow travelers at FP were having trouble getting their printer to print from their computer. They are renting a house just like ours, from the same people, just a couple of blocks away. Since they have exactly the same kind of printer, I offered to help them get hooked up. I did the things that worked for us, and yet it failed. No matter what I tried, it failed. Finally I called Mr. Computer-Jock of the Universe, Jason Rousette, and asked him to help me get their printer going. Jason patiently worked us through a variety of "fixes," all of which seemed to work, yet none of which actually did. Finally he suggested that they simply buy a USB cable and print directly, forgetting all about doing it wirelessly. So that's what I told them, and Betty and I returned home.
Today as we were at the fellowship luncheon, Grace (the wife) said to Betty, "Remember when Bill couldn't get the printer going even though it seemed to be saying it was working fine? Well today our new neighbor (a "newbie" Proton patient, also renting from the same people, also with the same printer) came over with a sheaf of papers and asked me if I was the person mentioned on them. When I said I was, he said that suddenly yesterday his printer started printing off all sorts of things, about 16 pages worth, and it was doing it all on its own! hahaha Apparently my friends somehow have been using the network of the next door neighbor and didn't even know it! Isn't technology grand?
Be blessed as you enjoy the Son!
Bill
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Some things have to be seen to be believed...
When Betty and I first caught a glimpse of this "Live Oak" at the Cummer Museum in the Riverside area of Jacksonville today, it just about
took our breath away. Not only was it both tall and wide, but some of the branches had gracefully swept onto the ground essentially creating new trees. This was one of those "you had to see it to believe it" kinds of moments. Of course we had to look at it from every angle. Even then, it was so amazing, it was hard to believe.
"Wait a minute," you're thinking, "now they're at a museum? Didn't they just go to the beach?" If it sounds like we're on vacation, we are! It may be a "radiation vacation," but to be honest it is the little side trips like to the Museum or the beach that take your mind off the reason you're here. No doubt my experience is like that of others: I still haven't fully dealt with the idea that I have cancer. Of course I "know" that intellectually. But emotionally? Cancer is for somebody else. Be honest: wouldn't you feel the same way? I certainly know that I have cancer every day when I get into my little gown, climb into my pod, swing out into the abyss and get zapped with the proton beams. You have to stay as still as possible, like when you are doing an MRI, and it may be for over 10 minutes when it's all said and done. Today one of my legs wanted to twitch, and I was willing it not to! LOL Funny, it really wanted to do its own thing.
Don't get me wrong. The Proton Institute is incredible. You have no sense that you are in a medical facility. While you're waiting for your appointment, you sit in a huge lobby area, not unlike something you'd find in a nice hotel. Lots of chairs, vast amounts of open space, all sorts of coffees, teas, and the beloved water. (You don't get some high-power "sommelier" to pour you your Gucci water; just a cooler to draw it from yourself!). But everybody knows why he's there, and we're usually talking about stuff related to prostate cancer while we wait our time in the Gantry. "You having any side effects? What are you doing about 'X'? Your 'proton tan' getting darker?" The questions may seem nonsensical to somebody outside our environment, but here it is at the heart of what life looks like every day.
Ah, but when you leave, you want to leave. You want to forget all about "cancer," and go about life. God is doing the healing, after all, and that's where you want to focus your mind and heart. Every guy here is totally positive about a complete cure. No doubts about it. That makes for a wonderful environment to be in. I suppose you'd have to see it to believe it, but when you saw it, you would believe it.
That's kind of like a life in Christ, isn't it. It really needs to be seen to be believed. Talk is cheap, but life speaks loudly. What lessons I'm having driven home here on my "radiation vacation."
Be blessed,
Bill
took our breath away. Not only was it both tall and wide, but some of the branches had gracefully swept onto the ground essentially creating new trees. This was one of those "you had to see it to believe it" kinds of moments. Of course we had to look at it from every angle. Even then, it was so amazing, it was hard to believe.
"Wait a minute," you're thinking, "now they're at a museum? Didn't they just go to the beach?" If it sounds like we're on vacation, we are! It may be a "radiation vacation," but to be honest it is the little side trips like to the Museum or the beach that take your mind off the reason you're here. No doubt my experience is like that of others: I still haven't fully dealt with the idea that I have cancer. Of course I "know" that intellectually. But emotionally? Cancer is for somebody else. Be honest: wouldn't you feel the same way? I certainly know that I have cancer every day when I get into my little gown, climb into my pod, swing out into the abyss and get zapped with the proton beams. You have to stay as still as possible, like when you are doing an MRI, and it may be for over 10 minutes when it's all said and done. Today one of my legs wanted to twitch, and I was willing it not to! LOL Funny, it really wanted to do its own thing.
Don't get me wrong. The Proton Institute is incredible. You have no sense that you are in a medical facility. While you're waiting for your appointment, you sit in a huge lobby area, not unlike something you'd find in a nice hotel. Lots of chairs, vast amounts of open space, all sorts of coffees, teas, and the beloved water. (You don't get some high-power "sommelier" to pour you your Gucci water; just a cooler to draw it from yourself!). But everybody knows why he's there, and we're usually talking about stuff related to prostate cancer while we wait our time in the Gantry. "You having any side effects? What are you doing about 'X'? Your 'proton tan' getting darker?" The questions may seem nonsensical to somebody outside our environment, but here it is at the heart of what life looks like every day.
Ah, but when you leave, you want to leave. You want to forget all about "cancer," and go about life. God is doing the healing, after all, and that's where you want to focus your mind and heart. Every guy here is totally positive about a complete cure. No doubts about it. That makes for a wonderful environment to be in. I suppose you'd have to see it to believe it, but when you saw it, you would believe it.
That's kind of like a life in Christ, isn't it. It really needs to be seen to be believed. Talk is cheap, but life speaks loudly. What lessons I'm having driven home here on my "radiation vacation."
Be blessed,
Bill
Monday, July 14, 2008
Something for everybody...
When I saw the basketball-looking fruit at the Farmer's Market this afternoon, I immediately thought about my wonderful friend Ralph. I knew he would be delighted to find out that this "Jack Fruit" is a relative of the Durian - same incredibly putrid smell and let us say "unique" taste, kind of a combo of sweet cream and onions. Need I say more? Ralph and I have been known to indulge in a bit of Durian while in Indonesia before they began to ban it from hotels due to the smell (true story). Brings back all sorts of memories.The Farmer's Market is delightful, and we get wonderful, fresh produce to enjoy at home.
Unlike many of these markets, this one is open seven days a week. You never know what's going to be there from day to day. I must say, the peaches from South Carolina are absolutely delicious. Makes my mouth water even to think about them. Betty is threatening to make one of her killer cobblers. Stay tuned.
You have no idea how much we appreciate the many words of encouragement and joy we are receiving from home. It sounds like summer is very "on" in the PNW, and that everybody is taking full advantage of it. And what we hear about the church delights us to no end. That's what a real church looks like - people stepping up and finding where they fit in, encouraging and being encouraged, looking for avenues to serve. The guys who have come in to speak have been nothing short of spectacular, and there is a whole group lined up to follow that will knock your socks off. Wow! I am so blessed to have such great friends in ministry!
One of the lessons I am working on here is simply resting in the Lord, rejoicing in what he is doing, and not sweating the small things. Actually that's harder said than done around here because you pretty much sweat all the time! Or is that glisten? Whatever, it would be easy to get all torqued because something like my appointments in the Gantry shift so much from day to day, not giving much room for planning. But in the grand sweep of things, what's the point of going there? The simple truth is God has given me the time and the place for healing. The actual appointment time is truly irrelevant. I'm working on rejoicing in what is and not getting caught up in what I think should be. (don't remind me of that when I'm fuming tomorrow! lol) My appt went off flawlessly today at 11:15. Tomorrow it's at 3:45, though they said it may change to the morning. We'll see. Isn't therapy fun?
May your new day bring you endless delight!
Bill
Sunday, July 13, 2008
What in the world can we do today?
We set out for church this morning excited to get together with our new friends here at CC JAX. It's a wonderful fellowship, with a bunch of great people. After the
service, we decided we would check out the beach
at Ponte Vedra, where some of our proton friends live (who also happen to attend the same church).
We followed them to their house for lunch, then we all headed for the beach, the closest access just a mile or so down the road. Their condo is located in an area a bit different from the area we live in, i.e the hood. From their great room, they overlook one of the fairways on the Players Golf Course, the course on which the Players Tournament is played. Not bad! Being the sun dog that I am, we only spent an hour or so on the beach, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Then back to their place for more food and fellowship!
At church today, something happened that really got me thinking. As the service was almost ready to start, a group of late teen/early twenties folks came in, "kids" who looked as though they might live on the street. It turned out they were a variation on that theme - at the moment, they were "camping" on the beach. When they came in my attention was drawn to one thing. Clearly they felt out of place, their body language almost saying they felt ashamed, guilty, or somehow were the wrong people in the right place. Though folks around them were very cordial and inviting, something was going on underneath the surface.
After the service I spoke with one of them, a young girl whose face and body has been leathered by too much time in the sun. When I opened the conversation by saying "hi, how you doing," she immediately told me that even though her brother had been busted last night for alcohol, she and her friends were still believers in process. They just weren't perfect yet. We chatted for a few more minutes, then she left to get some snacks and sit with her friend. But that encounter really started me thinking. As believers, how welcoming are we? How does someone who might not otherwise "fit in" feel when he strolls into our fellowship? Does he feel guilty, as if he has to confess something? Does he feel encouraged, even though his life might not be where he'd like it to be? What kind of fragrance do we give off?
I'm still thinking about that. I probably will for awhile. It was great to go to church, great to go to the beach, and great to meet somebody else who loves the Lord and is "in process." Aren't we all?
Treatment #12 at 11:15 am tomorrow! PTL!
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
service, we decided we would check out the beach
at Ponte Vedra, where some of our proton friends live (who also happen to attend the same church).
We followed them to their house for lunch, then we all headed for the beach, the closest access just a mile or so down the road. Their condo is located in an area a bit different from the area we live in, i.e the hood. From their great room, they overlook one of the fairways on the Players Golf Course, the course on which the Players Tournament is played. Not bad! Being the sun dog that I am, we only spent an hour or so on the beach, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Then back to their place for more food and fellowship!
At church today, something happened that really got me thinking. As the service was almost ready to start, a group of late teen/early twenties folks came in, "kids" who looked as though they might live on the street. It turned out they were a variation on that theme - at the moment, they were "camping" on the beach. When they came in my attention was drawn to one thing. Clearly they felt out of place, their body language almost saying they felt ashamed, guilty, or somehow were the wrong people in the right place. Though folks around them were very cordial and inviting, something was going on underneath the surface.
After the service I spoke with one of them, a young girl whose face and body has been leathered by too much time in the sun. When I opened the conversation by saying "hi, how you doing," she immediately told me that even though her brother had been busted last night for alcohol, she and her friends were still believers in process. They just weren't perfect yet. We chatted for a few more minutes, then she left to get some snacks and sit with her friend. But that encounter really started me thinking. As believers, how welcoming are we? How does someone who might not otherwise "fit in" feel when he strolls into our fellowship? Does he feel guilty, as if he has to confess something? Does he feel encouraged, even though his life might not be where he'd like it to be? What kind of fragrance do we give off?
I'm still thinking about that. I probably will for awhile. It was great to go to church, great to go to the beach, and great to meet somebody else who loves the Lord and is "in process." Aren't we all?
Treatment #12 at 11:15 am tomorrow! PTL!
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
Saturday, July 12, 2008
You thought YOUR 3-year old was special!
This is the house directly across the street from ours. As you can see, they were having quite a birthday party for their little one. Covered the entire house with a tent. How's that for going the extra mile for little precious?
Actually it's not a party at all, unless you're a termite mortician. Around here, if a house has much age to it, it is bound to get termites along with various and sundry other critters. So at least once in the time you own the house, you will get the joy of having it covered with a huge tent like this one, then pumped full of some sort of odious, poisonous gas designed to destroy all those little white things that enjoy nibbling on your house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Seems to me like carpenter ants are a whole lot easier to deal with, but maybe that's just me.
As it turns out, we could have gone to the swamp today after all. Like some folks have told us, around here you can't trust either the weather or the weather person(s). They can predict all they want to, but you never know exactly what you're going to have until you have it. We followed our secondary plan, going through the Museum Of Science and History (MOSH, for short), then had lunch and meandered around one of the neighborhood areas here in JAX called "San Marco." It reminds us of the Belmont area of Portland, with more and nicer shops and restaurants. Yes, the food was terrific!
When we started for home about 3:00, the sky opened up. Another gully washer. At times we were hydroplaning through probably six inches of water across the road. Like I said earlier, when it rains here, it really rains. No doubt about it.
For those of you in the great PNW, enjoy that lovely weather I keep hearing all about. Just control yourself and refuse to rub it in!
Blessings,
Bill and Betty
Rain,rain, go away...
Pretty funny. Here we are in Florida bugged by rain. There oughta be a law! Actually it is wonderfully warm - about 80 or so as I write this at 8:50 am - but humidity is supposed to be 90%, and there are going to be thunderstorms off and on all day. So much for Okefanokee. Perhaps we'll enjoy that next weekend with Dave and Denise Robinson. We are so close to Georgia here, about 30 minutes from the border. So the Okefanokee area is less than an hour away. There's a 90 min tour you can take down the Suwanee Canal, getting to view alligators and the very rare Heron. Haha. They probably conspired to bug me down here. One will probably will show up with one of my trout in his pointy beak and I'll notice it as we are leisurely floating by in our boat, scratching our mosquito bites. Then again, maybe Avon's "Bug off," or whatever it is called, will work its magic. "Bug off." That's a great name. I always wanted to develop a deodorant called "Pit Stop," but that's another story for another time.
We decided to shift gears for today, get together with friends, and go to the Cummer Museum for starters. Mayo Clinic has a show there - all sorts of illustrated drawings of the interior of the human body and related subjects. It should be great. There are apparently some gorgeous gardens connected with this Museum. They probably include herons as well! After going through the museum, we'll decide what to do from there, depending on how stormy it is. A wonderful friend who has "connections" gave us some passes for a local theater, so perhaps we'll catch a flick. That hasn't been part of my life for years, but it would be fun to see some of the stuff out there. Wall-E is high on our list, and perhaps "Get Smart." I think there is still a shoe phone hidden in the attic of my childhood home!
Yesterday's treatment went well. I have "graduated" so now don't have to have post-treatment x-rays. Without going into detail, that's a very big deal. It's all about whether the target moves during treatment. After they check it every day for 10 treatments, assuming things stay within a 2mm margin, they stop the post-treatment x-ray, which speeds up the process a bit. If it moves, on the other hand, Nurse Ratchet pretty much makes life miserable for you from then on out. Monday my appt is at 11:15am, so it's going in the right direction. I'm hoping ultimately to get it closer to 6:30 in the morning so we'll have the rest of the day free. I met a couple from Seattle yesterday who just started treatment. Actually it seems like a number of guys are just finishing, so a whole new group is consistently drifting in. It seems weird to be an "old hand" already (or is that "old prostate"? whatever!)
Our prayer is that you will have a wonderful day today, and a great Lord's day tomorrow!
Bill
We decided to shift gears for today, get together with friends, and go to the Cummer Museum for starters. Mayo Clinic has a show there - all sorts of illustrated drawings of the interior of the human body and related subjects. It should be great. There are apparently some gorgeous gardens connected with this Museum. They probably include herons as well! After going through the museum, we'll decide what to do from there, depending on how stormy it is. A wonderful friend who has "connections" gave us some passes for a local theater, so perhaps we'll catch a flick. That hasn't been part of my life for years, but it would be fun to see some of the stuff out there. Wall-E is high on our list, and perhaps "Get Smart." I think there is still a shoe phone hidden in the attic of my childhood home!
Yesterday's treatment went well. I have "graduated" so now don't have to have post-treatment x-rays. Without going into detail, that's a very big deal. It's all about whether the target moves during treatment. After they check it every day for 10 treatments, assuming things stay within a 2mm margin, they stop the post-treatment x-ray, which speeds up the process a bit. If it moves, on the other hand, Nurse Ratchet pretty much makes life miserable for you from then on out. Monday my appt is at 11:15am, so it's going in the right direction. I'm hoping ultimately to get it closer to 6:30 in the morning so we'll have the rest of the day free. I met a couple from Seattle yesterday who just started treatment. Actually it seems like a number of guys are just finishing, so a whole new group is consistently drifting in. It seems weird to be an "old hand" already (or is that "old prostate"? whatever!)
Our prayer is that you will have a wonderful day today, and a great Lord's day tomorrow!
Bill
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