Saturday, 28 November 08
My monthly prescription of Keppra was refilled today, except it wasn't Keppra, and yet it was. Keppra now has a generic equivalent called
Levetiracetam. Same med as Keppra, but less expensive. So my monthly copay for this anticonvulsant med is reduced by 66%, from $30 to $10 and the annual expenditure falls from $360 to $120.
Thursday, 27 November 08
Thanksgiving is a national reminder of the many things we have to be thankful for. For me, it all comes
down to being with family and friends. "God Bless America" is one of our most beloved and revered songs, but "America Bless God," is more appropriate.
Tuesday, 11 November 08
On this day in 1980 my father moved from his earthly existence into his heavenly home and saw Jesus Christ face to face. I rejoice for him, but continue to grieve for those of us left behind. Dad would have loved my wife Kathy and my brother David's wife Linda, and would have been so happy with his grandchildren. And he would have continued to cherish my mother. I am thankful to God for the years that the four of us had together and for the memories - and for the dreams that I still have about my dad to this day; he was a godly husband and father. As dad's time to pass from earth to heaven drew close, he called David and me to his side and said farewell. I remember telling him that if I could be half of the man that he is, I'd be satisfied. I was 23 then and now, 28 years later, I still maintain that position.
Monday, 10 November 08
My MRI from last Friday has been officially reviewed as clean! This turned into an all day event, as I sought a review of the film by my legacy radiologist. The spots of concern were nothing more than scanner artifacts or the normal routing of blood vessels. The concerns raised initially reflect the lesson learned of maintaining the same scan-to-scan MRI facility/machine and radiologist to the extent possible. Sometimes, you have no choice but to move on and re-establish the supply chain. A CBC test was not performed today, since I have been off of chemo for a year with strong counts during the past year. We probably could have stopped the vein poking in January.
Sunday, 09 November 08
A most unusual
service today at Cross Timbers Community Church. The contemporary
worship began as with any other service, but Pastor Slough taught about being quiet and reducing the pace of our lives. And he presented
this need without saying a word. Visual aids were used, with the text of the sermon shown on the projection screens. Imagine a totally mute
congregation with no emissions from the pulpit either. The infants, cognizant of the situation, refrained from any outbursts. An auditorium
of mannequins! Sometimes silence is awkward; we are consumed attending to matters that seem so urgent, bouncing off the wall, as it were, like a ball in a pinball machine. Constantly bombarded with noise and multitasking edicts issued to ourselves by ourselves, the candle is burning at both ends. We find the days falling from the calendar like the leaves from the trees.
The timing of Toby's message,
preached without saying even a single solitary word, is more than interesting. Indeed I have been contemplating the rest of this survivor story.
Friday, 07 November 08
My 32rd MRI was accomplish today, this time at Blue Star Imaging. The MRI at Blue Star uses a 0.7 tesla magnet - much weaker than the other scanners used on my other MRI. Yet Blue Star is the official imaging facility of the Dallas Cowboys - indeed Blue Star is an integral part of the Cowboys' campus at Valley Ranch - so I should think that the equipment will suffice for today's procedure.
Each MRI machine has a unique personality. The Blue Star MRI emits low frequency noises that sound like "don't smoke, don't smoke..." as spoken into a spinning fan, overlaid with birds chirping. One part of the procedure actually caused the platform to shake. The scan from today looks clean to me.
Tuesday, 04 November 08
I am now 57 months post-op, by the grace of God; 4 3/4 years since the tumor was extracted. I thank the Lord for each day and for the opportunity to be of assistance to others facing a catastrophic, life changing situation.
Monday, 03 November 08
The Argyle High School Marching Band is the 2008 UIL Class 3A State Marching Band
Champion! Three members of this band are also members of the Kline family. This was our first 3A title, preceded by two Class 2A titles in 2003 and 2005! The whole family made the trip, as usual, and it staggers my mind to
think that these great children of ours are growing up so fast and can compete and win at this musical level.
Saturday, 01 November 08
Andrew and I
participated in a car show at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine - our first such endeavor in more
than a year. Andrew's Mustang GT won an award for contemporary Mustangs, and my '76 Trans Am was awarded best 1970s car. Nice cooperative weather made this evening a great time with my eldest son.
