Problems

Hi everyone, I've been in and out of the hospital recently and can't really think about writing about past experience's right now, though I do want to continue with my story. Hopefully I will be able to devote more time soon. Rick

A bad year.

Treatment for liver disease is unsuccessful. They will try again in a year. It’s now 2002 and the Giants almost win the World Series. This would have been a good thing in an otherwise depressing year. I’m still very affected in a negative manner by my marriage falling apart, not to mention the anger associated with how the end of the relationship came about. I also lost my teeth due to the radiation treatments going through my jaw, making it necessary to remove my teeth. More fun and games, not to mention the inconvenience that comes with, learning how to use dentures, and the discomfort that comes with learning to depend on fake teeth to eat. I’m not having much fun at this time and I’m hoping for an upswing to my living situation. I changed my internet web site from selling Pokemon cards to baseball cards. This is profitable at the start, but soon the market is flooded with all the releases by the card companies competing with each other over specialty cards.

Attempting to get a message of hope to someone who cares.

Now I’m being treated for liver decease, which gives me a possibility of getting rid of this virus that has affected my liver. There are some extreme cases of Hep C that have infected another person through contact, but unless it is direct, blood-to-blood contact it is almost impossible to transfer to another person. In all honesty, it is not impossible, but so rare, because the circumstances have to be unique for that to happen. A lot of people think Hep C is like Aids, but it is not and not even in the same sphere. I’ve said my piece, but most people won’t believe me, which is to bad. This problem has caused me predictably, problems for some time, but I’m still hopeful of meeting a women who is not afraid of this problem I have and I still think I can have a rewarding life, I’m hopeful.

A visit to a hospital, not a lot of fun

Hi there, I'm back after a stay in a hospital because of a lower bowl problem. The details are unnecessary due to the overall grossness of the problem and the treatment for the cure. You really don't want to know the details. I've been trying to regain a mind set to continue with this narrative and it's taken a few days to accomplish that. This recurring problem has everything to do with my original injuries and the treatments I received for the cancer I survived. I have a compromised immune system, with low white and red blood cell counts. Because of those treatments, I managed to overcome Cancer. Those treatments were in the form of radiation to my throat to get at a growth on my tonsil. Because of these treatments, my bone marrow was affected, leading to low cell productivity. Just another twist in my quest to recover and survive. I'm OK for now, but I never know when I may experience another obstacle in my road to a good life.

A bad time

In 2001, I was informed that I have Hepatitis C. I really don’t know what to expect anymore. My doctors told it is possible that I could have contracted this liver disease while in the Navy, but no one can be sure, when I contracted this virus. There are a few treatment programs for this virus and I start on one. This treatment is not successful. This medicine affects the immune system by super charging it to combat the virus, but the overall effect of the treatment lowers you white and red blood cell counts, because our immune systems are not accustomed to working in this boosted state. As my life becomes more and more depressing during this time, I am beginning to lose some hope that I can have any enjoyment living anymore. Do not take that statement the wrong way, as I still around to write about all this and intend to continue. It was a low part of my recovery and I wonder how many others would have felt any different then I during this down period.

Cancer treatment

Surviving cancer, another monumental accomplishment in my life, but without the help of my doctors, what would it mean? Not much, but I have learned to depend on professionals to keep me alive. I am wondering what else I have to go through to attain a semblance of normalcy in my life. The radiation treatments started out fine with no pain and I was thinking this is easy. My doctor guaranteed she would rid me of the cancer and I wanted very much to believe her diagnosis. She was right and I have been cancer free to this day. After two weeks of treatment, my throat started to hurt and continued to get worse, till the point where I could no longer swallow without pain. At this point, I could only drink milkshakes for sustenance. So after weeks of having a weak immune system due to the radiation and my high sugar diet, I developed diabetes. I am asking myself, what could be next? Well there were worse things to be discovered down the road, but at least this was type two diabetes and was easily treated with medication. Enough for today.

Surviving Cancer

Early in 2001, I my dentist spotted a growth on my tonsil he was concerned about, which led me to a ear, nose and throat specialist at the VA. I had surgery to remove the growth and waited apprehensively for two weeks waiting for the results. It was cancer. I underwent five weeks of radiation designed to kill the cancer in my throat, which was successful. I lost a saliva gland, making swallowing difficult, but the other alternative was not so great. My beard also grows kind of funny now, with one side of my face thicker then the other. Well, I survived another life-threading situation, this time evolving the big “C” and I am asking myself what next. There will be another conditio9n to come. After my treatment for the cancer was successful I changed direction on the internet to selling baseball cards. Base ball has always been a passion of mine and I thought it would be fun to sell baseball cards instead of Pokemon. The baseball card business was much more difficult then selling Pokemon. A lot more competition existed in the selling of baseball cards. I was not as successful with baseball as I was with Pokemon. I still enjoyed myself and I needed a distraction from my ongoing medical problems, which were not improving. I continued to keep a positive attitude about my setbacks. The card selling and especially the opening of card packs, which was maybe more fun then I remembered as a kid. There is a special thrill about finding a great card in a pack. I remember pulling a one out of only a hundred signed cards by Barry Bonds, which was a great thrill. I still have this card.