King Creosote - Squeezebox Set 5x CDR (2003, Fence Records)





















December 13 2009 - It's my Cancer Anniversary

Three years ago today on December 13 2006 I received terrible news of a major cancer recurrence. The CT scan showed five inoperable tumor hot spots in my throat and oral cavity. My surgeon suggested that the palliatative care unit was a reasonable option. That is a group most commonly known for helping to make you comfortable via pain management and psychological counselling but without treatment or the hope of a cure for your disease. At that time I had made major strides towards a recovery from an extensive surgery five months earlier and was considering going back to work. In addition to becoming a patient in the palliatative care unit, I also met with my oncologist and one week later began an endless non-stop regimen of different chemotherapies, one of which continues three years later as I write this blog entry. Last year and the year before on this date, I wrote about that day in 2006 and said that I hoped to be able to write about it again the following year. Well, as Jimmy Buffet named his nationwide tour last year, “The Year of Still Here.” Well, I’m still here too.

On the health front, I have been in a state of no evidence of disease (NED) for 26 months. That is remarkable. It has not been an easy three years. Long term chemotherapy is physically tough on my body. I have neuropathy in my toes and the balls of my feet, I’m constantly chilled, I have severe aches, pains, and cramps at times, and my muscle tone is less than it should be. I feel like I’ve aged 25 years physically in the last 3 years. I’m 57, but that puts me in the body of an 80+ year old. Plus, I have eating and speaking disabilities. I won’t address them in this blog entry as they have been addressed ad nauseum in past entries. I frequently ask myself, “Why go on?” “Why not just give up?”

The answer is: 1) because I’m stubborn and 2) I don’t think my purpose on this planet is yet complete. Plus, among the physical hardships, life is still good. I visited with 90% of every close friend and relative at least once this past year. We spent quality time together. Some of these people I had not seen since before I had become ill in April 2005. It was so good to see everyone and to see how well they are doing in their lives. If you are one of those 90%, please know how much once again I enjoyed our visit(s). I continue to try to shape my daughter into the grownup I hope she will become someday. We visited six Ivy League college campuses over her spring break. I’m currently teaching her to drive under the firm belief that I’ll do a more thorough job than she will get from a Driver's Education course. (My driving instruction is supplemented by an online driver's ed course.) I took two courses this year; one of which was on writing a non-fiction book held at Rice University, and the other was in analyzing a company’s financial statements at Lone Star College. The latter was a tough course, but I aced it. Although my body is compromised, my mind is still intact. I read some great books this year: The Snowball (a 900+ page authorized biography of Warren Buffet), The Big Rich, The Help, A Million Little Pieces, Nothing To Lose, Gargoyle, and many others. The course at Rice University gave me a finer appreciation for how tough it is write a great book. I began writing a book on my cancer experience. It is a long term work in progress.

People undergoing cancer treatment pass through different phases. I have passed through the period of intense treatment. The intense treatment phase lasted over two years. I do not intend to offend anyone who has been on active duty in a war zone in our Country’s armed services with my next statement, but I feel that intense cancer treatment is similar to being in the heat of physical battle. The enemy is cancer, the treatment is tortuous, painful, and physically and mentally exhausting, and one’s very existence is continually tested. In me it created symptoms similar to post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). With the help of a psychologist I have passed through that phase. I’m now looking with some optimism at how to make my best of the time left on this earth. I’m still looking to make a positive contribution. I volunteered to become involved in three worthy causes this year. I was accepted by none of them, but I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for good future opportunities. I hope to find something meaningful before my time runs out. Long term serious illnesses reinforce the reality of mortality.

On a more tactical note, I have my quarterly cancer checkup at the end of this month. I’ll have blood work, a CT scan of my head & neck area, and a visit with my oncologist. I currently feel okay physically. I also felt okay three years ago today when I got that terrible diagnosis. I hope my check up will be a non event. I do have some anxiety about it and will share the results with you all in January.

One last note before signing off… Cancer has also taught me how important love and hope is. I don’t know how to quantify that, but I do know that it plays a huge role in my life with my family and close friends.

Stay healthy and Happy New Year!

Ed

Moving on....

Sadly with our imminent move, I am having to come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to rationalise Long Neck Books radically, and clear much of my cheaper stock. I love books so this is hard for me. There is light at the end of the tunnel however, as I am moving my old friends on hopefully to new friends, via bookcrossing.com


Read and Release at BookCrossing.com...
This is me here.... Long Neck Books Bookshelf

I am also in the process of setting up a Bookcrossing Zone in Crystal Palace which will be our nearest shopping centre. Gladly, I get a little 'buzz' every time I go shopping in Crystal Palace, that buzz that says this is a place that I am comfortable and happy to be in. Anyway the zone is here, in a lovely cafe called La Bruschetta that I have found in the heart of Crystal Palace... Crystal Palace OBCZ @ La Bruschetta

Happy Days!

Selena Gomez Bikini Pictures And More

Selena Gomez is an American actress and singer. She was born on July 22, 1992. Selena Gomez, was born to Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefy, a former stage actress who was 16 when she gave birth to Gomez in Grand Prairie, Texas. Her father is Mexican and her mother is of Italian descent. Her birth parents separated when she was five years old; her mother remarried in 2006 to Brian Teefy. Gomez was named after Tejano singer Selena.

Selena Gomez is best known for her portrayal of Alex Russo on the Disney Channel series, Wizards of Waverly Place. She has starred in the television movies, Another Cinderella Story and Princess Protection Program.

Birth Name : Selena Marie Gomez
Birth Date : July 22, 1992
Birth Place : Grand Prairie, Texas, United States
Profession : Actress, singer, songwriter
Genres : Pop
Years active : 2002–present


selena gomez pictures and wallpapers
picture of Selena Gomez in bikini

Selena Gomez bikini pictures
Selena Gomez playing in the beach

Selena Gomez beach bikini image
hot Selena Gomez coming out of beach

wet Selena Gomez sexy bikini pics
teen actress and singer Selena Gomez pic

teen sensation Selena Gomez hot n sexy pictures
young Selena Gomez photo

Selena Gomez picture with co-star
Selena Gomez acting scene

beautiful Selena Gomez style pics
Cool Selena Gomez wallpaper

Selena Gomez kissing pictures
pic of Selena Gomez kissing

hot Selena Gomez hairstyles
Selena Gomez pictures

Collection Of Lauren Conrad Pictures Gallery

Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebrity actress, author and fashion designer. Lauren Conrad is the eldest of three children of Jim and Kathy. Her younger siblings are Breanna and Brandon.

She is best known for being featured in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and for her spin-off show, The Hills.
Conrad has previously dated fellow Laguna Beach cast members Stephen Colletti and Jason Wahler. She also dated Brody Jenner and baseball player Doug Reinhardt. In 2008, Conrad began dating My Boys actor Kyle Howard.

Birth Name: Lauren Katherine Conrad
Birth Date: February 1, 1986
Birth Place: Laguna Beach, California, U.S.
Profession: Television personality, Fashion student, People's Revolution coordinator, author, fashion designer
Years active: 2004–present
Height: 5 ft 7 in


hot Lauren Conrad in a blue layered bikini
sexy Lauren Conrad in a trendy fashion dress

Lauren Conrad posing in bikini
hot and happening Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad kissing pictures
pic of Lauren Conrad kissing

bikini Lauren Conrad exposing photos
Lauren Conrad coming out of water in a beach

Lauren Conrad hairstyles
Lauren Conrad with beautiful hair

image of Lauren Conrad flying kisses
sexy Lauren Conrad posing for the photos

Lauren Conrad bikini shape pictures
hot Lauren Conrad in a yellow bikini

Lauren Conrad dressing style pics
celebrity Lauren Conrad in a sexy outfit

casual pictures of Lauren Conrad
the beautiful Lauren Conrad on maxim cover

Naomi Campbell Gallery Of Pictures

Naomi Campbell is an English model. Her mother's name is Valerie Campbell and in accordance with her mother's wishes, Campbell has never met her unnamed father. Campbell has several adopted father figures, including Quincy Jones and Chris Blackwell, and an adopted grandfather, Nelson Mandela.

Birth Name: Naomi Campbell
Birth Date: 22 May 1970
Birth Place: Streatham, London, England
Height: 5 ft 9+1/2 in
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Brown


naomi campbell hot pics
Naomi Campbell walking on the ramp

pics of naomi campbell cleavage
wardrobe malfunction of Naomi Campbell

hot naomi campbell gallery images
sexy Naomi Campbell looking extremely beautiful

wallpaper of naomi campbell
The most happening model Naomi Campbell

sexy naked Naomi Campbell images
Naomi Campbell without dress in a photoshoot

hard kissing pics of Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell kissing a man by the pool

model Naomi Campbell exposing in her bikini
naomi campbell playboy Pictures

its kissing time for Naomi Campbell, the famous model
pic of Naomi Campbell smooching a man

poster of Naomi Campbell after coming out from a pool
Naomi Campbell in wet bikini

I’ve become a Hypochondriac…

I wasn’t always a hypochondriac, but it is another side effect of my disease. Every ache and pain becomes a potential deadly form of cancer. 90% of the time I keep myself in check and wait until I have a clinic visit to share my concerns. For the most part, they are just that, concerns, not deadly diseases. In reading the following article from yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer, I had to laugh. Although the author is a 7 year survivor of breast cancer, she still recognizes each malady as her imminent cause of death. I don’t know if those who have not had a serious disease will find this humorous, but there are enough of us out there, that I’ll share the article here.

Take care everyone.

==================

The Philadelphia Inquirer
October 7, 2009

More than the sum of my medical records Cancer survivors need doctors to know their names.

By Missy Stein

October has arrived, and so has Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as it has come to be known since 1985. For me and others who have been affected by the disease, breast cancer is something we are aware of 12 months a year. For the rest of the world, designating this month provides an opportunity for special events, media attention, and bringing a number of issues related to breast cancer to the forefront. I have one that doesn't get much attention.

As a seven-year survivor of breast cancer, I am a cancer graduate. In other words, I've reached that stratospheric level where I have to visit the oncologist only once a year for an unceremonious checkup.

I recently switched from a doctor I had been seeing at Fox Chase Cancer Center for four years to a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania. My impetus was a letter I received after reaching the point where I had survived five years and was therefore no longer considered to be at high risk.

I had been seeing an oncologist regularly every six months, as is customary for a survivor who has finished treatment. Then, much to my surprise, not long before my first post-five-year annual appointment, I received a form letter from a nurse at Fox Chase. She informed me that I would no longer be seeing the doctor, and that my appointments would be with her from then on. And that was my last contact with Fox Chase, other than having the center transfer my records to Penn.

I recently had my second visit with my new, young, smart, spunky, talented doctor at the Rena Rowen Breast Center at Penn. And the best part was that she knew my name! I mean, she knew who I was without looking at my records.

She didn't ask me when my last mammogram was, because she actually remembered that I had bilateral mastectomies. She asked me about my husband and referred to the fact that he is a rabbi. And she told me that, within three weeks of my transfer to her, three other patients were referred to her for the same reason.

Yes, we are survivors, but for every ache and pain that another person would forget about after taking a Tylenol, we think we have cancer. During my annual visits, when the oncologist asks me if I've had any health issues since we last met, my joking reply is, "Yes, I've had elbow cancer and neck cancer, but I'm fine now."

When you are in the midst of breast cancer treatment, your doctors and nurses become a part of your life. The breast surgeon and plastic surgeon become friends you look forward to seeing, even if you have to sit in their well-decorated waiting rooms for more than an hour.

And if you go through chemotherapy, as I did, the oncologist and the oncology nurses are people you see several times a month, who comfort you when you think you just can't do it anymore, and who laugh with you when you recount the story of how, halfway through your conversation with the UPS guy, you realized you forgot to put something on your bald head before you answered the door.

They know about your frightened children, your crazy in-laws, and the friend who brought you dinner. I didn't realize how much I missed that until I walked out of my appointment with my new doctor that day. I guess I'd been worn down.

Seven years ago, when I had five small children, I gave it my all. I found the best doctors, and I went through a 14-hour surgery and six months of chemotherapy. I learned to be an advocate for myself in every aspect of my treatment, always rising to the challenge.

Over the past few years, though, I'd let my guard down. I'd settled for being just another medical record.

But those days are over. Today I want to say "thank you" to my new doctor for saying my name - not "Mrs. Stein," not "Melissa," but the same name that I introduced myself with when I walked into her office for the first time: Missy.

Kate Moss Gallery Of Photos And Pictures

Katherine "Kate" Ann Moss is an English model. Kate Moss was born on 16 January 1974 to Linda Rosina and Peter Edward Moss. She has appeared on over 300 magazine covers. In 2007, she came 2nd on the Forbes top 15 richest supermodels list, estimated to have earned $9 million in one year. Moss has been a supporter of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.

Birth Name: Katherine Ann Moss
Birth Date: 16 January 1974
Birth Place: Addiscombe, Croydon, London, England, UK
Height: 5 ft 6.5in
Hair colour: brown
Eye color: hazel


young kate moss in bikini
hot and beautiful young kate moss wallpaper

bikini super model kate moss pics
kate moss in a fashion clothes photoshoot

sexy images of kate moss in bikinis
bikini kate moss smoking picture

hot kissing photos of kate moss
fashion icon kate moss kissing

super model kate moss with richard branson
richard branson carrying kate moss

sexy kate moss kissing boyfriend
picture of kate moss kissing jamie

fashion pic of style icon kate moss
hot image of kate moss, the style icon

trendy kate moss fashion dresses
different fashion costumes of kate moss

hot and sexy kate moss cleavage
stylish image of kate moss, famous model

kate moss gallery of photos in a forest
kate moss posing for a photo shoot in a location

I am on a high

A good day. I have successfully got Theo's home education diary blog up and running. Will be recording his day-to-day, week-to-week activities on it, with emphasis on him taking part and helping, and dictating text just as soon as he is interested and able. So any family or friends who are interested in reading it are welcome to, but you will have to ask first as it has been set up to be private for authorised readers only.

I am happy, happy, happy! I sold my first hand knitted tea cosy today! Well it might seem like just a small thing to you, but to me it is a significant step. I have always got a buzz, been put in my 'element' making things. Well after a life time of doing the right thing and leaving creativity behind, I have started making things again. In the dim and distant past I made a lot of things, for myself, for family, for friends, and they have all been appreciated, but this today, well this is the first piece I have made to sell and it has now sold! It is a great feeling. I have a few more things on my Craft website and will be adding more.

I have been 'bitten by the bug' most surely! Please if you like my work, on the Etsy website, please help me promote it, by making me your favourite......

Some Details Of Mariah Carey and Her Wallpapers

Mariah Carey is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the third and youngest child of Patricia Carey, a former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish descent, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer of Afro-Venezuelan descent.

Mariah Carey is commonly dubbed as the "Queen of Pop".

Birth Name: Mariah Carey
Birth Date: March 27, 1970
Birth Place: Huntington, Long Island, New York, United States
Profession: Singer, songwriter, model, record producer, actress
Genre(s): Pop, R&B
Years active: 1989–present

hot mariah carey pictures
mariah carey wallpaper

sexy mariah carey hot pics
picture of pop queen mariah carey

mariah carey bikini pics
singer and actress mariah carey in a bikini

mariah carey exposing photo
hollywood celebrity mariah carey posing for photos

mariah carey images and wallpapers
hollywood actress and singer mariah cary photo

Blog Archive