Category Archives: Photography

365 Day Photo Challenge 356/365 “To Be Pain Free For a Day”

21 Monday Dec 2015

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I was thinking earlier this afternoon when the last time I had a day that I went pain free.  Yesterday.  I would have to say yesterday I was relatively pain free for a day.  Lately it’s been my feet giving me problems and now my kidneys.  But yesterday I was pain free because I didn’t have any pain in my feet and my kidney didn’t hurt.  Today, however, my feet were barking toward the end of the day but my kidney remained calm and pain free.

As I sit here whining about my pain, I’m reminded that there are a lot of people that are worse off than I am.  There are days that I hurt, a lot.  But, like yesterday, I didn’t have any pain whatsoever.   Some people can’t say that.  They have to live with chronic on a day to day basis.  There is no pain medication that can give them any relief whatsoever.  Knowing this makes me feel like a heel complaining of my insignificant pain when on most cases I can take a pain pill and for the most part feel better within thirty minutes or so.  There are those that medications can’t do anything for them.  I can’t image that.

I’ll say a prayer for all those in need of pain relief and I’ll include myself in this prayer.

“Life Goes On!”

 

365 Day Photo Challenge 355/365 “Another Good Day, Sort of”

20 Sunday Dec 2015

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I have had all my kids here for the past few days.  My son left earlier this afternoon to go back to school to play at a basketball playoff game but he’ll be back tomorrow night.  Anyway, I got up early and cooked breakfast for everyone and spent the remainder of the day relaxing and spending time with the family.

All in all a pretty good day without much pain.  I did get out for a little while with the wife when cabin fever kicked in and I couldn’t stand being inside any longer. You got to remember I’ve been cooped up in this house since Tuesday of last week with the exception of the half an hour I spent attempting to go to work.  It felt good just being outside if only for a little while.

I share a lot on here and maybe a little too much.  That is why I won’t go into detail as to what I’m going to say next.  I stayed in the bathroom for nearly two hours tonight.  Everything finally passed and I felt like I gave birth to twins.  I’ll find it hard to walk in the morning.  I guess all the meds are making me dry up.  Even with that I think I’ve shared too much.  Oh well.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 354/365 “It Was a Better Day”

19 Saturday Dec 2015

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Compared to yesterday, today was  like a breath of fresh air.  The kidney stone still has not passed as far as I know.  I’ve been drinking plenty of water and going to the bathroom more times that I care to count.  I still have a little pain in my lower back but I can deal with that as long as it doesn’t get any worse.  I’m hoping to go to the store tomorrow and get some stuff together for our upcoming Christmas dinner.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 353/365 “Friday’s Failure”

18 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by in Cancer, Leukemia, Photography

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I got up this morning, pain was somewhat minimal.  I got a shower and started getting dressed when the pain started increasing.  I went ahead and got dressed and took my pain meds before I left for work.  The temperature had dropped and caused my windshield to be coated with a heavy coat of ice.  By the time I scrapped all the ice I was in considerable pain.  I was determined to make it to work my I just couldn’t make it.  I turned around just before reaching the interstate.  I made it home just as my wife was leaving for work.  I went inside and took two ibuprofen PM so I could at least get some rest.  I woke up at 2pm when my oncologist called to tell me that my medication had been approved by my insurance company. After a few phone calls to the pharmacy and to the drug manufacturer I went back to bed. It is now 10:30 pm and I haven’t been up long.  I’ve already taken my pain meds and I’m going to take a shower before going back to bed.  I haven’t eaten anything all day because I just haven’t felt like it.  Maybe I’ll feel better tomorrow.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 352/365 “New Medication”

17 Thursday Dec 2015

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I heard from my oncologist today and I’ve got a new drug to take for my CML.  The survival rate is no more than the previous drug but as long as it keeps me alive I’m good. It also has about the same side effects as the other so unless there’s something I don’t know about I guess I’ll be ok with it as well.

I stayed home again today with this kidney stone that has yet to pass.  I had to get up early this morning to take a pain pill but so far today I’m moderately pain free.  I’ll be going into work tomorrow regardless if I’m pain free or not.  I’m low on time so I have to go in.

365 Day Photo Challenge 351/365 “Lazy Day”

16 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Before I went to bed last night at 10:30 pm along with my regular diabetic meds, I took my pain meds and two ibuprofen PM pills.  I woke up around 2 am hurting like I’ve not hurt before so I got up and took another pain pill and another ibuprofen PM.  At 6:30 my wife woke me up so that I could text my boss and let him know that I wasn’t coming in.  I also took another pain pill and yet another ibuprofen PM and went right back to bed. I didn’t wake up until nearly 2pm.  I don’t recall ever sleeping that late ever.  The best thing is that I’ve been somewhat pain free since I woke up.  I haven’t had to have a pain pill since I’ve been up.  I’ve been using the strainer that the doctor gave me but I haven’t seen anything in the cup so I’m not sure if I’ve passed anything or not.  Kidney stones are not something to laugh about.  They hurt.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 350/365 “Can’t Seem to Catch a Break”

15 Tuesday Dec 2015

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Kidney Stones are a pain in the a$$.  I had just left the house this morning when I started feeling the pain.  Within about thirty minutes I was hurting real bad.  I did my morning rounds and left for the doc in the box.  They ran some tests, hooked up an IV and gave me a shot of morphine.  They then sent me to the hospital for a CT scan where the found some kidney stones.  I made it fine with the morphine shot until about 5pm and then the pain hit again.  The doctor did give me a scrip for some pain pills but it’s nothing like the morphine.  I’m hoping to pass the stones soon so I can rest.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 349/365 “‘Tis the Season but I’m Not Feeling it”

14 Monday Dec 2015

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I go through this every year.  It’s nearly Christmas and I’m just not in the mood for it.  It’s not that I’m depressed; it’s more of disappointment that I can’t afford to more for my kids.  The older they get the more expensive their needs or wants get and we can’t afford to get everything they ask for.

This year my wife and I discussed the fact that the girls will be going off to college next year so we’re going to make sure that we help them with things like laptops and other necessities for college.  With that said, that will be two of everything.  One of the things that we will be trying to get them within the next few months is a car.  This brings up another problem.  The girls haven’t decided on where they want to go to school.  Each one has stated that they want to go to separate schools and if they do go to different schools then we’re going to have a huge problem.  We can only afford one car.  I want the girls to make their own decision on where they want to go to school but in reality they will have to go to the same school or else one will be walking.

And of course I’m somewhat concerned about my CML levels going up the way they have.  I’ve been back to the oncologist and they’ve done more blood work to determine what the next step will be as far as the medications that I will be on, being that the ones that I’m on isn’t working anymore.  I’m hoping to hear back from him this week.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 348/365 “Spring Time in December”

13 Sunday Dec 2015

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Here it is the middle of December and the high today was 73 degrees.  By this time last year we already had snow on the ground that lasted several days.  So far this winter we’ve only had a couple of cold days with mostly mild temperatures.  There is a storm coming tonight with a small chance of severe weather. Mostly high winds with hopefully minimal damage.  The temperature is supposed to drop next week but be back in the 70’s again by Christmas.  Really mild winter so far.  I hope it continues.

365 Day Photo Challenge 347/365 “Confusion”

12 Saturday Dec 2015

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Several years ago I went with the high school band as a chaperone to Chicago.  At first, I hated the idea of going to such a large city.  As it turned out it was one of the best trips that I’ve ever been on.  Chicago has got to be one of the biggest cities that I’ve ever been too. I was able to spend a day in Paris some twenty five years ago and visited the Eiffel tower. That was exciting but to be in such a big city in my own country was awesome.  We got to go into the old Sears Tower, take a diner cruise, eat at a pizzeria and the band got to perform in front of the gates of an amusement park.

A funny thing happened while we were in Chicago.  We went to see the Blue Man group but got to the location about an hour early.  There was a sporting goods store within walking distance so the chaperones decided to take the fifty some odd kids to the store to walk around.  Bad move on our part.  We hadn’t been there ten minutes when the place was surrounded by Chicago’s finest.  I was in the back of the store when they came barging in guns in hand.  Someone had reported us as a flash mob and we were in there to do a smash and grab.  Luckily, the police that rushed in had calm heads and decided to listen to some of the adults.  After we explained why we were in there the manager of the store quickly apologized and gave us the run of the store.  A picture was taken with one of the officers with one of the kids in handcuffs just as a joke.  It was a fun trip.

“Life Goes On!”