My 2007 Year Review

[fojoloy]

Best part of 2007 is that I am still here. I caught a fish too! I have made many friends on this site and I feel that this is an opportune time to give everyone a heads up on my medical issues. In 2004 me and the Good Wife took a trip to Alaska to celebrate our 50th. A seven day cruise on the inner passage with another week in the wilderness fly fishing for salmon. The cruise part went fine. I came down with pneumonia and spent the remaining eight days in Anchorage at Providence Hospital. I was discharged tethered to oxygen and advised that I had underlying problems that needed immediate attention soon as I could get back to North Carolina.
Long story short, UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill diagnosed me with squamous cell carcinoma in my right bronchi (big ole lung cancer) and unable to operate.(I was heavy smoker until I quit 1980) Believe me--tobacco will get you sooner or later. The doctors gave me my survival chances: 50% one year-30% year two-20% year three-10% year four. They offered me and twelve other Guinea pigs a chance to take part in an experimental program which consisted of massive dosages of chemo, radiation daily along with dosages of the pill Iressa. With those odds, why not? It was pure H*** during the three months of treatments and complications that followed. I don't know whether I was number seven, eleven or thirteen but I'm' still here and going wide open even though its the skinny portion of the projected chances.

About the time I was able to stir around a little, a sickly stray cat showed up in the neighborhood. I overheard my Good Wife and neighbor carrying on a conversation stating that if he doesn't soon get better someone needs to take him out and shoot him. I didn't know if they were talking about me or the cat. Just to be safe, I lit out to the coast and got back to fishing. I launched my boat and docked it in the harbor without painting the bottom with anti-foulant paint. With my survival chances, I wasn't going to worry about barnacles. Word of advice, if you think you might die, go ahead and paint the bottom or you will probably live to spite yourself. When I pulled the boat out six months later, I have never scraped so many barnacles in my life.

There's no way you can survive an ordeal like this without the help from the Big Guy upstairs and the love and dedication of a devoted spouse and children. The Good Wife has remained upbeat and supported me fully catering to my passion of fishing. My doctors and care providers at UNC are the greatest. I actually look forward to my routine check ups and tests there. I always pass out some of my home made flies to the fisher persons on the medical staff on each visit with the stipulation that when I go-- the flies go. They have vowed that they will keep me propped up and breathing.

Dale Carnegie summed it all up: "ATTITUDES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN FACTS"

Fish on my friends -- LIFE IS GOOD -- It may be later than you think. HAPPY 2008