Sunday, June 12, 2011

Reason Number 7,777

...why I love living in the south


During a break in the game tonight (Go Mavs!), the wife and I went outside to sit on our garden bench and enjoy the evening. In the space of ten minutes numerous song birds were around, squirrels played in the trees, and our resident bunnies were hopping around tasting the vegetation. The skunks are only out when we're asleep, the coyotes stay along the creek, and the pair of red tale hawks soaring over the neighborhood only occasionally dives to capture their dinner.

But the reason I enjoyed it so much tonight? First time to hear the cicadas singing. I love that sound.

Blessings,
Ken

Friday, June 10, 2011

Beating Cancer

...ten years and counting

I'm grateful for every day that I have and every day I have I owe to a couple of very good doctors who caught a problem early enough to make it go away.  Nothing will bring you face to face with your mortality quite like the doctor calling to say "we've found some malignant cells. you need to come in to discuss the options. we've scheduled you for tomorrow morning". Not next week or next month. Tomorrow morning.

June 11 is the ten year anniversary of the surgery and happy to say all tests since then are good. Cancer is not always a death sentence. A big part of recovery was my faith in God. Also, the Bible says "laughter is good medicine". That is absolutely true. Scientific studies have shown that laughter has a profound and positive effect on the body. With that in mind, I hereby offer the seven things I learned during four days in the hospital:

1. Catheters are a tool of Satan
2. Hospitals do not recognize any difference between day and night
3. Catheters are a tool of Satan
4. Hospitals do not understand privacy and dignity
5. Catheters are a tool of Satan
6. Any hospital person in a lab coat who enters your room is going to pull back the sheet, lift up your lovely hospital gown and look at your manly parts;
AND
7. Catheters are a tool of Satan. 

Looking back on the hospital stay, I also remember that my buddy, Ken Savage, was the only visitor who was kicked out of the room by hospital staff. They were afraid all the laughter was going to cause me to pop stitches.

Seriously, God used Dr. Josephine Win and Dr. Scott Hassell to ensure that I am still around to enjoy all my grandchildren. God is good.

Blessings,
Ken