Full Obituary for Charles Gill

      

                          

                                                                              Charles Frederick Gill

                                      May 5, 1949 - December 2, 2019

On Monday, December 2, 2019, Charles Frederick Gill, died at age 70 after a valiant battle with colon cancer. He is survived by his beloved and supportive wife, Carol Witt Garnett; two stepsons, Matthew and Andrew  Garnett; his father Frank Harry Gill; four children (with Elizabeth Gill), Grant, Graham, Krista (Gill) Stevens, and Angela Gill; four grandchildren, Tesha and Aidan Stevens, Abigail and Hannah (Gill) Anguiano; and by sisters Frances (Gill) Oppertshauser and Cynthia (Gill) Anthony.  

“Charlie” was born in Toronto, CA, on May 5, 1949. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1973 and began his business career as a Chartered Accountant. He worked for Peoples Jewelers Limited, CA, from 1973 to 1993 where he held the positions of Executive Vice President, CFO, and Director from 1986 - 1991, and President from (1991 - 1993). He led the successful tender offer for Zale Corporation (US) and became the Assistant to the President and a Director of Zales from 1986 - 1992 He was co-owner of the Jemms Group, CA, from 1993 - 1996. From 1996 until retirement in 2010  he was the Vice President, US Development, for the Royal Group International. This position created the opportunity for him to move to the United States.  He resided in

                            St. Petersburg, FL, where he lived until his death.

A self-taught Duplicate Bridge player, he won the American Contact Bridge League’s national Mini-McKinney Bronze Life Masterpoints Race in 2004, and attained the rank of Sapphire Life Master before his death. His love of bridge coupled with his positive, friendly approach to business resulted in his development of the St. Petersburg Bridge Club over a fourteen year period. His vision was to unify a small group of separately owned games under one management creating one of the 50 largest bridge clubs in the United States. As President and Club Manager from 2005 until 2014 he raised more than $500,000 enabling the club to purchase its playing space and securing its future as a member-owned club. He remained Club Manager until his death. He was a member of the ACBL Board of Governors, and Florida’s District 9 and Unit 128 Board of Governors. He was chosen Volunteer of the Year by the ACBL in 2011.

While other Interests included tennis and chess, he was an avid supporter of children who were neglected, abused and abandoned. For more than a decade he served as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem serving children in Pinellas and Pasco Counties. His commitment to child welfare was reflected in his decision to adopt four children in Canada.

Charlie was an incurable optimist.  He reached hundreds of people daily throughout the world when he began to blog about his “colon cancer journey” in the spring of 2017. His blog and recently published book, Red Shirts and Rubber Duckies, Surviving Cancer with a Smile, offers cancer patients, caregivers, support groups, relatives and friends insight and practical guidance seasoned with Charles’ special brand of gentle humor. 

Optimism is the belief that "good things will happen to you and that negative events are temporary setbacks to be overcome." When one combines optimism with integrity you have "a person who seeks the best outcome in every situation, while being honest and forthright about the facts of situations as they exist."  To optimism and integrity add kindness, loyalty, friendliness, love of his fellow man and mix these qualities together with a large measure of whimsy and you have Charles Gill.

In celebration of Charlie’s life, The Charles Gill Memorial Game will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at the St. Petersburg Bridge Club, 9103 U.S. Highway 19 N., Pinellas Park, FL 33782, Beginning at 5:00 PM there will be dinner, followed by tributes, special memories and bridge.

Dinner reservatiions may be made by email to:  andrew@bridgecentric.com

In Canada a Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2020, at 1:00 PM at the First Baptist Church, 812 Hortop Street, Oshawa, Ontario, with a reception to follow.

Memorial Contributions may be made in Charlie’s name to the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit organization providing direct support to needy and neglected children in the local welfare system. Contributions can be made through the secure Internet link:   herotoachild.org.

  

Random Thoughts of the Incurable Optimist and Blogger

Optimism is the belief that "good things will happen to you and that negative events are temporary setbacks to be overcome." When one combines optimism with integrity you have "a person who seeks out the best outcome in every situation, while being honest and forthright about the facts of situations as they exist."  To optimism and integrity add kindness, loyalty, love of his fellow man and mix these qualities together with a large measure of whimsy and you have Charles Gill.

Charles has taken you on his "colon cancer journey" beginning in the spring of 2017 and ending today. His blog and subsequent book, Red Shirts and Rubber Duckies, Surviving Cancer with a Smile, is his gift to all with cancer and to their friends and relatives. It has brought smiles and comfort to many already.

Charles spent the first three of his last five weeks in hospitals where they think of millions of excuses to try to keep you alive. Every inch of your body is pushed, poked, prodded and jabbed to analyze your current state of health. Infusions of a staggering variety of multi-syllable and unpronounceable compounds follow their analysis to test their theory of the day. It is a unique form of torture. An exchange of pain for hope.

It was Charles' decision to exchange pain for peace. Two weeks ago he entered hospice care. At hospice, time moves both too slowly and too fast. Day and night meld into one. He tried to plan the end of his life during lucid periods whenever they might occur. In a phone call to The Research Manager at 4:18 AM he demanded she bring his death certificates immediately. After a long and awkward pause, he heard the reply, "Well that is hard to do, dear, because you are not dead yet."

During other lucid moments he offered the following comments for his last blog:

- People, particularly the medical staff, wish you "luck" when they go off duty. But you don't need luck. Best wishes and blessings are fine.

- It is difficult to tell time. Without football I would not know the day of the week.

- It is hard to express the value of jello, warm blankets, hugs, and apple juice.

- I am thankful for people giving me their time to help me.

- My faith has prepared me well. I am ready for whatever happens.

-  If you cry at one's passing, crying is not sadness. It means JOY!  In recollection of happy memories.

And finally, his last words:

One finds oneself writing in many situations. It is this situation that I find very unique. Because now I have nothing more to say.

Think carefully to determine the message. And share the message as much as you can.

I love you all.

Charlie
__________________________

The Incurable Optimist rests in peace.
May 5, 1949 - December 2, 2019
__________________________

Incurable, indeed.

Thank you for giving Charlie a reason to live. He cherished the opportunity to blog and to share his philosophy, humor and love of life with you.

Love,
The Research Manager


   

Feeling tired.

Recovering slowly.

More to come.

In the Middle of Nowhere 

Charlie has had no Internet service for the past two days. He hopes to be posting his regular blog soon.

Thank you as always, for your love, care, prayers, kind thoughts and support.

The Research Manager  

At the bottom of everything

Last week, I thought that I was on top of things.

This past weekend, I realized that was closer to the bottom. The new and never to be used again treatment almost destroyed me.

I thought that I was going to die, but Morton Plant hospital thankfully has disabused me of that thought. I would have blamed the fluid build up but the reality is that my white blood count was .06 far below the normal range of 4.7 to 11.7. Three successive shots of neupogen brought it up to .09 to 2.3 to 9.5 today. That is good improvement while at the same time, I have had continued fluid build up and just today contributed 4.8 liters to the cause. It kind of looks like an Octoberfest beer with a natural head,

Tomorrow, I expect they will drain fluid from around my left lung,

So, where are go from here? Morton Plant is a super cautious hospital and once they have you in their grasp, they won't let you go till every last hangnail is healed. Therefore,, I expect to go to a few days rehab.

One good thing about this visit is that I have been called sweetheart, honey and sweetie by virtually every nurse and tech in the building.

Another benefit is that having to wait one day to do this blog and going through what I have gone through has raised my weekly readership by 100.

Thanks, as always, for your love, care, prayers, kind thoughts and support.

On Top of Everything.

Another interesting and challenging week,

We are getting a handle on how to manage things a little better.

The fluid in the abdomen causes two risks - pain from the pressure and resulting nausea.

So the plan is now the following:

Eat as much as I can for the first few days after the fluid is removed,

Then take an anti-nausea pill as needed and a painkiller as needed also.

Also, I am taking a pill that slows the production of the fluid

In addition the chemo is showing some effect. Today's fluid was less that last week and there was less fluid around the lung,

So, we seem to have a path forward. A few more chemo treatments and we may have the fluid thing under control.

As you know, the research manager is doing her research thing almost constantly. The physician's assistant told me that she is really on top of things. Today, I was given a script for the painkiller, but they gave me that wrong script, The Research Manager caught it before we left the cancer center.

As final proof, we go almost all the way home yesterday when she discovered she did not have her phone, I called her number - no ring, no answer,

I called the cancer center and they could not find it. Hmmm, it had to be there, They checked again. No Phone.

Where was it? She was sitting on it! She is on top of everything,

Dreams of Blueberry Muffins

An interesting week.

Thursday, I just took it easy and built up a little energy.

Friday morning, I felt energetic enough to suggest we play the afternoon tournament game and we actually scratched.

By Saturday, I ventured out on the tennis court and ended up tied. I played with Keith who earns not only one but two kudos. The first was the tennis game and the second will be revealed later in this blog.

I was really wiped out by one set of tennis, but still summoned the energy to play another tournament game and scratched again.

Sunday was a take it easy day while the research manager went off to play bridge all day.

The only problem was that I lost my voice and still don't have it back yet.

Meanwhile, I gained a pound each day as the fluids started to build in my abdomen again.

Monday afternoon, we actually finished first at the club bridge game.

And then came Tuesday and a meeting with the nurse practitioner. We quickly decided that the dosage of chemo the first time was too high owing both to my reaction and my lower weight.

I generally am faring better and tiredness, a little dizziness and my voice are the major issues that I am dealing with.

Today was fluid draining day and I gave up 4,2 liters of fluid. It kind of looks like bear and even has a head on it as each bottle fills.

Back to Keith. He said that a restaurant had great blueberry muffins. I have been dreaming about that ever since. As we were leaving the hospital, I mentioned their blueberry muffins, but we breezed right by.

The research manager asked if I wanted to go home or stop to eat. I mentioned a place called Doe Doe's. I told her that I was smarter than she thought. She quickly realized that Doe Doe's had great blueberry muffins and so Doe Doe's it was. The eggs were great and I loved that muffin. It was so big that I took half home. I just have to hope that the famous mouse in our house doesn't find it before tomorrow.

The other day, a commercial on the TV said that if I got dental implants, I could eat whatever I want. I will give that some consideration.

Thanks again for your prayers, interest and support.

Another A Team

Over the past two weeks, I have learned that there are pluses and minuses to this new chemo regime.

On the plus side, I have gotten to spend time at my favorite hospital, I am getting the best possible treatment to rebuff the cancer. I have many people expressing concern for me in many different ways.

On the negative side, there have been some tough side effects, which I am learning to deal with. I also have not been able to play tennis and only a little bridge.

But I am feeling better tonight than I have in a while.

I had hoped to spend a few days in Canada next week, but decided to push that off for a while until I get things into a better rhythm.

I had a good meeting with my gastro doctor yesterday and he has suggested a few helpful things.

This morning, I had another draining of fluid done by Amber and Anthony, my new A team. It has been helpful.

When I left, I was given instructions. They included no driving ( I asked and chipping and putting is apparently okay).  It also suggested that I could resume my eating habits. I took that to mean chocolate cake, fried calamari and pazookies at BJ's. The research manager insisted that it meant recent eating habits, not ones from three or more years ago, As a result, we had chicken, mushrooms and asparagus for dinner. Oh well, it was a nice thought.

You gotta have heart

I am sorry that I did not blog last night (Wednesday.) I had no access to my computer as I will now explain.

After last week's chemo, I was feeling a little down and was taking it a little easy. From before that I had been coughing  a fair bit and cough medicine did not help much.

I went to the club on Saturday, but was not myself. Sunday was no better and it was suggested late in the day that I should get a chest X-Ray to check for pneumonia, et cetera.

When I asked about booking one on Monday, I was told it was best to go to emergency room to get it. So, off we went to Morton Plant, my kind of hospital.

Apparently you cannot walk into emergency with anything to do with your chest without getting your heart checked out thoroughly. I was poked prodded, X-Rayed, EKGed and had my lungs listened to back and front. Copious notes were made and I was shipped to the heart ward. Apparently, it is a difficult process for the patient to comprehend as one of their notes was that I had no obvious barriers to learning. I was pleased to learn that. I was handled by the "A" team - Amanda, Ashley and Angela.

After a day of heavy antibiotics to deal with whatever, they decided that I had a heart and that it was in good shape. So I was shipped to another floor to focus on the lung thing. It was ultimately concluded that I had some fluid around my lungs and so they removed that. Yesterday, they decided that it was so much fun poking me that they would do it again with the abdomen. causing me to stay till today. I have had to live with a great food menu, complete control of the TV (two baseball games) and lots of fun joking with transporters, nurses and technicians.

But alas, all good things must end and I came home early this morning. I went for a relaxing massage and ate a full dinner.

So, in the next two days, expect to see me at the club and on the tennis court.

I so much appreciate your interest, concern and prayers.

A lot more happened this week!

This past week has been a whirlwind.

I spent three long days running a tournament at the bridge club.

I had a board meeting to prepare for and attend.

And then I showed up Tuesday morning at the cancer center for my first session of the new chemo regime. My blood numbers were excellent as a result of having a little extra time off.

However, the nurse practitioner noticed that fluid was building up again in my abdomen. As a result, I will have another procedure to remove the buildup on Friday. The doctor feels that after a few sessions of the new chemo, the fluid build up will stop. The good news is that were no cancer cells in the fluid.

And so, we move on to the chemo treatment. Since the drugs were new, we were given literature about the two new drugs. For both drugs, I was instructed to advise the doctor if I was pregnant or may be pregnant. I told the nurse that I might be pregnant and was told that it would be a real exception if that were true. I took that to mean that there is a chance that I am exceptional.

The chemo is hard hitting and will take a little getting used to. It has drained me of a lot of energy,but I feel it is getting better.

When the nurse was setting me up for the two day pump routine, she noticed a little extra bulge next to my belly button and said she thought it was an abdominal hernia. The nurse practitioner felt the bump, determined that it was not a tumor and suggested that we see what happens when the fluid is drained on Friday. Just in case, I have set up an appointment with the surgeon next Tuesday. I do not think this is as serious as the groin hernias, but time will tell.

Meanwhile, we have virtually completed plans for a trip to Canada around the middle of October. It will be good to see family and friends there that I have not seen in a few years. We are hoping to do a book signing at the Indigo book store in the Conestoga mall in Waterloo on Saturday October 19. As that firms up, I will let you know.

Thanks for your encouragement, support and prayers.

Not Much to Report

Today, I have almost nothing for you.

My new chemo regime starts next Tuesday and so I had no blood tests taken and therefore nothing to report.

I played tennis three times in the past week and survived. Mind you, Tuesday was very humid and I felt drained after playing.

The cancer center has changed to a new system for tracking results, I does not provide anywhere the level of data as the old system and the research manager is livid that she cannot play with the numbers in the way she used to. I feel sorry for the doctor this coming Tuesday when she expresses her dissatisfaction.

On the positive side,, she cannot see my weight on the new system and so I can tell her whatever I want!

Left Behind

I found this week interesting.

You may recall that last week, I was hoping to get a procedure done to remove fluid that had built up in my abdomen. Not being able to get an appointment quickly, I went to the Morton Plant ER on Thursday.

What a wonderful time. I got processed and moved to an emergency room bed and then to a waiting area for radiology. I fairly quickly got transported to an ultrasound room. The tech (Angela) working there was 8 months pregnant and I identified her as my twin. She set to work with the ultrasound and determined that I did indeed have enough fluid floating around to justify the procedure. Anthony came in and stuck a needle in my side, which was connected by a tube to a one liter bottle. I filled almost three of those bottles. When all was said and done, I weighed 14 pounds less that I had two days earlier. That makes it a lot easier to play tennis.

The oncologist, Dr, Patel is concerned that the chemo regime we have been using is diminishing in effectiveness as those pesky cancer cells are adjusting to the cocktail we are feeding them. As a result, we are changing the treatment in the next week or so. He is confident that it will be effective.
The two areas which it will work on is the lymph nodes and also the cause of the fluid build up.

On Tuesday, I had a new experience. When we got to the bottom floor of our building, I realized that I had forgotten my water and went back up to get it while the research manager got the car and was to bring it around to the front door. Imagine my surprise when I got down and saw no car either in front of the building or in her parking space. It turns out that she had driven away from our building not realizing that I was not in the car. When she looked right to make a turn, she realized that I was not there. She hurried back to get me and we laughed about it all the way to the cancer center.

Twists

This week has had its share of twists.

I suppose that the biggest is that the fluid in my abdomen and groin area has gotten the attention of the oncologist. He wants to drain it so that he can have it analyzed to determine the cause. The twist? As a result, I will not have my scheduled chemo until that procedure is done.

I am in total agreement with this. The fluid build up is really annoying.

The next twist is that I cannot have the procedure until a week tomorrow. That means that I will not have chemo next week either.

Twist number three is interesting. I take Tulsi Holy Basil each night as it helps me go to sleep. The other night, I had taken it and had just fallen asleep when the research manager appeared to ask me if I had taken my Tulsi Holy Basil. She had found the bottle in her bathroom and thought that perhaps I had not taken it. So, she woke me up to ask me if I had taken a pill to help me get to sleep. Go figure.

Finally, I had a delightful visit with a podiatrist this morning. Among other foot issues, I had trouble trimming my toe nails due to my inflated abdomen. He is a great guy and we got along very well. He was giving me health advice in terms of food, being positive and then having a sense of humor.

He then talked about the power of prayer and described a test that reflected the positive effect of prayer.

The twist? He said with a smile that it was good to have people praying for you unless, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they were praying that you would not do well. My kind of humor.

Life is full of twists. Just roll with them!

A Long Leg

What an interesting week.

Primarily, what an interesting Tuesday.

My blood numbers were all exceptional. They were the best in quite a while. The research manager was ecstatic.

Then I had my petscan. What is involved in a petscan?

They start an IV in your arm and take some blood to test your blood sugar level. The technician Andrea was the best one that I have had. She was assisted by Brianna, a student. My blood sugar was in very good shape (94).

Next, they insert a concoction in your arm that, I presume is basically a sugar solution of some kind. Then you wait for an hour to circulate. I get to watch television for an hour. (I also read a little)

Then comes the test, you lie down on this big, relatively noisy contraption with your arms above your head while it moves you up and down taking pictures, measuring now much of the solution is "uptaked."  After 24 minutes, you are glad to hear the door open, signalling that the technician is coming in to extricate you. This task was given to Brianna. I made my usual request for a CD and the report from the doctor looking at the pictures.

I went off to have a late lunch and came back to receive both the report and the CD. The two areas in my lymph nodes had decreased in size significantly (more than 50%.) Once again, the research manager was ecstatic and so was I.

I still have fluid floating around from the surgery, which has prompted the research manager to institute a "no salt" campaign to reduce the salt.

Today, on my way to the club, I called her and when she answered, asked her to hold a minute and pretended to order two hot dogs. When she asked what I had eaten at the club, I told her that I thought that chocolate cake was the best low salt option. Her leg is getting longer and longer as I do this kind of kidding often.

So, now we are getting ready for the slight eventuality that Hurricane Dorian comes our way. I will get to play tennis tomorrow, however.

There's always something.

Finding Lost Days and Lost Pounds

This past week began as a disaster. You probably know that I consume a large number of pills, including some while I am away from home. I carry those pills in a pill box for the the specific day of the week. I discovered that my Wednesday box was missing and no amount of searching allowed me to find it. Then just in time for today, I spotted it in my car. It had fallen down below the driver's seat. What a relief. Life can go on. Not everyone can find a day that they feel they have lost.

Oh, yes, I had my blood letting yesterday and the numbers were all decent. I would like my white blood cell numbers to be a little higher, but they passed the grade. They also weigh you and take your blood pressure. They want my weight to be maintained and the research manager would like it to be lower. When I jumped on the scale, I held on to a bar on the wall, thus lowering my weight by about 20 pounds. But they caught me and my actual weight reflected a gain of the few pounds that I had lost the week before.  Of course, I have Bob for a few days, but I have been feeling remarkably good. I also found out that I will have a petscan next Tuesday. So keep you fingers, toes, legs, arms and eyes crossed.

The big news of the week is that I have played tennis on three days, despite rain many mornings.It feels good to be back out on the court. I need to gain my speed back though. On Monday morning, when I walked onto the court, a statuesque woman who was walking her dog stopped to watch (I presume me.) She eventually went on, but came back by for another look. I am not sure, but I think she later jogged by. If she had asked, I would have given her an autograph. I am better at that than I am at tennis at this time because I have had some practice at it with my book.

The research manager is not happy with my watching TV while in bed, saying that the flashes of light are not good for my sleep. I replied that I wanted to share life experience with her. I told her that I could drink coffee (if I drank it) or coke or diet coke at 11 pm and be asleep at 11:05. I don't think that she saw the significance or relevance of that factoid, but we both had a good laugh at my wonky creativity.

Parting Facts:

1. America Says has replaced Cash Cab as my quiz show of choice. It is on earlier.
2. When I was a kid, I had trouble swallowing one "horse" pill. I can now do four at a time, but more than that is not possible yet.
3. I have a joke about a brick ( a different one than my sister-in-law told me). If you see me, ask me about it. If you are my sister-in-law, you can call me as I will not be in Seattle any time soon.
4. Some people have been reviewing my book on Amazon. If you are so inclined to follow suit, I would appreciate it.

Thanks for your continued interest, prayers and support.

High blood pressure (not mine)

This has been a decent week.

My Tuesday blood numbers were decent, except that my white blood cells were low. The doctor authorized two shots of neupogen which will bring them back up and everything should be fine by next week.

I was getting my blood drawn yesterday when a woman walked in. They always weigh you (down 4 pounds for me) and take your blood pressure ( mine was decent). However, this woman had very high blood pressure ( something like 192/96) and she was surprised it was so high. I told her it was likely because I had never been in the room with her previously. I am not sure what she thought (well, I do, she thought that I was crazy!), but she did sit one seat away from me in the treatment room.

Why was I in the treatment room? Two reasons. The first was to get my neupogen shot and the second was to have the nurse look at one of the fingers on my right hand. It had formed a blister. The research manager wanted to make sure that it was not mersa ( I guess it is actually spelled MRSA!). However, when I told the nurse that I had played tennis the day before for the first time in ages, she said that was the likely cause. A little antibiotic and all is better. I will play tennis again tomorrow, weather permitting.

There seems to be growing interest in my book. If you have read it, would you consider reviewing it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble? You can also buy it there. Thanks.

Busy Week

This past week has been fairly busy.

Let's start with the medical side of things.

Last Thursday, I had an ultrasound to make sure that I did not have a blood clot in my right leg. I was greeted by a man who said he was "Brian By the Way." I have noted that several of the "By the Way" family work up at Morton Plant. The must have a special in with the personnel department up there.

The ultrasound went well (no clot). When I called the research manager to tell her I was finished, she asked me how the sonogram went. I told her that I was having twins.

I am back to having far infrared saunas, When I was finished last Thursday at 4:00, the receptionist was not there. So I left a note telling her that if three women arrived at 4:45 asking for me to tell them that I would be back shortly. Unfortunately, the owner found the note first and called me to ask what the three women wanted. I am not sure she understood that it was just a joke.

Yesterday, I was back for more chemo. That went well and I find that I am dealing with Bob better than I used to. My blood numbers were a little down in a few areas, particularly white blood cells, but all was livable. I mentioned that I sometimes get tired and while the nurse practitioner said that was normal, she ordered a few tests of things like iron. The results were normal.

Today, I went to the surgeon as a second follow up from my hernia surgery. He identified that I have some fluid build up, but indicated that as far as he was concerned, I could undertake any activity that I wanted. So, look out tennis players, a new old guy will be appearing on the courts.

Of course, things were also busy as we geared up for the Book Launch party last Saturday. We had about 75 guests and several helped with preparations to make the party a success. At least, I enjoyed it, but I think others did also.

Several people bought a book. I am waiting for the publisher's publicity team to get a press release out. That will trigger more activity in terms of promoting the book.

Meanwhile, you can order the book on line through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you go this route and are able to review it, that would be great.

This is all very exciting.

Activity at the bridge club is as busy as ever as we plan for the upcoming winter season.

Life may be busy, but it is good.

Good News, Bad News, Good News

The good news is that most of my blood numbers were good yesterday.

The bad news is that my platelets were down fairly significantly.

But, that may actually be good news. As things have developed, I have acquired some bumps on my right leg. When we discussed them at the cancer center yesterday, we acknowledged that I had a similar dilemma some time back. At that time, I was sent to the hospital for an ultrasound to make sure that it was not any kind of blood clot. It turned out to be varicose veins. So, predictably, I am going to have an ultrasound tomorrow just to be safe again. But it is good to keep the platelets down if I have a blood clot.

I always associated varicose veins with old ladies when I was younger. I guess that I will be happy to settle into the "old lady" category as it relates to this.

I am still recovering from my hernia operation. I see the doctor again next week. I am sure you will anxiously await hearing what he says.

Meanwhile, I am excited to say that not only do I have hard copies of my book, but it is also now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble et cetera. I am looking forward to celebrating at Mainlands Clubhouse 5 this Saturday from 3pm to 5pm.

Meanwhile, we carry on. This despite receiving the news that my favorite cashier at Earth Origins no longer works there. Life is tough!

Sweet Dreams

Well, after a period of no chemo, we are back at it.

My blood numbers were all pretty decent yesterday.

I am still healing from the double hernia surgery and I somehow twisted my right knee, which, I am sure does not result from hitting the tennis ball for 10 minutes this past Saturday.

So the bottom line is that I am feeling okay, but these ailments have some effect in slowing me up.

I think it will be another week or so before I can get back to tennis.

A few interesting things have happened in the past week. There has been a lot of lightning here and some people have been hit. The research manager said that the best thing to do if you see lightning or hear thunder is to go inside. I think the best thing to do is to find someone taller than you and stand beside them.

I went to the bank this afternoon to open a savings account and because they had not opened my checking account improperly, it took 90 minutes to get the job done. It is a reversal of what one would expect. The bank held me up!

One of the forms that I was given was a list of the people/institutions that the bank could give my personal information to and asked which ones I would allow. At the bottom of the list, I added cute blonds. I don't think that the banker noticed.

Talking of women. There is some good news. My girlfriend at the colon hydrotherapy office is back. I am glad. After a slow start, I like her and she seems to like my jokes.

And the big news is that there was a new receptionist at the cancer center, who is bright, witty and (drum roll) wears glasses. I hope she stays around. By the way, her name is Angie, the same as my youngest daughter.

I am going to bed early tonight. I have an early date tomorrow to drop off Bob. Several people at the cancer center want to purchase copies of my book. It may be a busy morning.

The research manager is tackling the TV in bed issue by purchasing a "Wholetones" sleep player which plays music to enhance your sleep. I look forward to trying it shortly.

Another close shave

In the finale of The Amazing Race, the host greets the winners by a recitation of the number of cities and days that the race encompassed.

On that note, I can say three flights, three cities, three hotels, six days. The research manager and Charlie, you have just had an amazing trip.

It was an interesting week. No blood tests. But I continue to recover from the double hernia surgery. I still feel a slight swelling and therefore, even though the doctor said I could start tennis tomorrow, I feel the need to take a few more days off and so I will.

We had a nice two days with the research manager's family on the occasion of her sister's 50th wedding anniversary and then flew to Los Angeles to drive to Hesperia to see my daughter Angela whom I had not seen for almost 4 years. I arrived to discover that she had a husband and two adorable daughters.

Well, I knew about them, I just had not met them. It was good to be there.

What did I learn from the trip? It is good to have a bad hip and back (the research manager) and to be recovering from a hernia operation (me) in that it gives you the perfect ticket for wheelchair rides. All the attendants were very helpful and you avoid long lines at the security check points.

I arrived home only to be disappointed. I received a thank you card from Morton Plant. They tend to send a card signed by all the people that look after you while you are at the hospital. I studied it closely and it seems to have been signed by everyone but Brookyn, the cute blond who prepped me with a shave. I am heart broken.

Do you think that she knows that people who are heartbroken are more susceptible to cancer? Do you think she cares? I will likely never know.

The research manager assured me that Brooklyn probably wanted to sign the card and strove to get to the hospital before they sent the card. She said it was a "close shave" but she was just a few minutes too late.

I will have to settle for that.