December 22, 2014 (Mon) – I’m Just a Wuss

OK, I admit it. In many ways I do fit the definition to the left. OK, I know some of you will be saying, “but Craig, you’re being too hard on yourself.”

Not necessarily. Hear me out.

So we’ll start off with a simple example. My wife and I no longer give each other Christmas presents. We determined long ago that we already have everything we want or need. No, I realize that is not so unusual. And typically we will have some major household expense, whether it be a $75K kitchen remodel or a dozen bottles of Rombauer (yeah right) that we then consider as our gifts to one another. OK, so far so good. But here is where it gets a bit wussy. I do not buy any Christmas presents anymore. My wife covers all the bases, including my boss and our kids. Now you have to admit, that’s a bit selfish, if not quite reaching the wuss level. But here’s the kicker: the only thing I buy is my wife’s stocking stuffers. And since I put forward such a D- effort, she has had to resort to buying some of her own stocking stuff and giving it to me to add to her stocking. Now I feel downright wussy.

But this is a cancer blog – not a blog of Christmas fail.

So how can someone, who’s had to deal with some of the medical issues I have this past year, be considered a wuss? Well, this past week I came down with a nasty sinus infection and terrible sore throat. It is actually the first time I have been “sick” in many years. I’m not used to it. And it knocked me flat. But at least I knew that is all it was.

Yet, it really made me wonder about how I might react to medical challenges down the road. I’ve been complimented on my positive attitude and ability to persevere. Hah. This past week I had none of the above working for me. Yeah, I felt like crap but the true sign of strength is to be able to remain positive under trying circumstances. I couldn’t muster up a whole lot of plus symbols to orbit my psyche this past week. And this was just a friggin’ bad cold. So thus a wuss. We will see how things go if/when the rubber hits the road. Let’s hope I don’t need to test that theory for a long time.

Off on another tangent: I was just reading the label of one of my Lovely-nox syringes after jabbing myself for probably the 250th time in 4 months. Funny it took me this long to notice. I was taken aback when I read that Lovenox is “derived from porcine intestinal mucosa.” So I’ve been injecting myself with pig mucous? Uh….how do I get that out of my brain now?

Not sure if this fits in the wuss category, a crazy category, or just-gotta-be-kidding-me category. But for the 7th or 8th year straight, I borrowed an elf (although it looks a bit more like a jester to me) costume courtesy of the local Old Globe Theater (thank you Maureen) and wore it to my Rotary holiday party. It would be one thing if our club had 20 people in it. But it has 500 members comprised of the movers and shakers in town including ex-mayors, city council members and heads of many companies in town. Not sure how I fit in, especially with an outfit like this. But they haven’t kicked me out yet and I think they have even come to expect me making a fool (literally) of myself every year. Plus the seniors they invite every year get a kick out of it. Heck, at this stage nothing can embarrass me.

Finally, a medical update. This Friday, the day after Christmas, I go in for my every-six-week brain MRI and upper body CT scan. Should have the results sometime early next week. Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed.

That’s it from the home front. Overall, other than this obnoxious cold, I still feel great. And I plan on keeping it that way.

And I could not avoid dropping in a great shot of our family. This is from my daughter’s wedding back in May.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Business as usual. Day at a time.