Can't believe that I've not "posted" in the last thirty days!
Life is good. Am still holding my weight at 140 and am learning that even tho you my "kick cancer" you still have to live the rest of your life with "rearranged plumbing". Once the docs take part of you stomach life changes forever. I eat, seems like, all the time --- and that's a good thing, especially since everything tastes good now.
Need to report on two of the ones that you all are praying for. Marilyn is doing great. Got a good report. And, Jimmy D made it to a milestone, his daughter got married. I know, somewhat, how he feels. I made it to my granddaughter's wedding last August. There was some serious thought (and not by me) that I might not make it, but I did! The Lord is good --- and so is Lynda!
For me, all is well. It's easy to describe how bad you feel and why but it's a little difficult to explain it all when life is going "normal."
Still have to teach myself how to run. For the first time. I guess I came out of the womb running but the last two years took me down and now I having to listen, (to my self), what I told a thousand people over the years. "Run so that whoever sees you thinks you are running. Then, when you can't do that any more, start walking until you feel like you can run again. What will happen, in time, you will walk less and run more." Hard to be attentive to your own words but I'm learning.

Lost one of our pals we have been praying for, Ben. He was big strong gentle giant of a man. Only 35 and had been more a man for the Lord than many twice his age. Found out he had cancer in December of 2010 and died last week. Hard to understand, actually, impossible to understand. His life will be reflected in the witness he was to the football team he coached and the ones he taught. Thanks to all of you who prayed for a miricale, it's just that The Lord had another plan and someday we will know what it was.
I saw the doc last week and he agreed it was time to "pull the tube." Today it happened. Now, I don't have a "fall back plan", if I lose weight, but I sure don't plan on it. "Ran" a 5K this weekend to celebrate. (The word "run" is loosely applied to what I did. Slow but sure would be more appropriate.
Am still maintaining my weight at 140, which has not been a problem. Lynda is there with me thru all the challenges and the goodtimes.
Marilyn, which we have been praying for is holding her own, but keep her in your prayer. Gary has had some setbacks but is still trucking on. Jimmy D is getting good reports and living life, well. Jim W is starting his treatments and they are going well. He's learning about "Life in the Cancer lane." We've all learned that's there is life doesn't end when the doc tells that you have it but it does change you life as you live life with it.
Thanks again for all your prayers. And, add Amy, Ben's wife, to your list, please.

Did not spend time in Nashville, this last weekend, as planned. Was going to be there with two of my granddaughters and with one for Dad's Day at Vanderbilt. Ended up seeing them in Hot Springs, AR, for the funeral of their other grandfather, John Wilcox. He was great guy and I will miss him. Lynda and I spent time with his wife, Audrey, and all their children, 4, grandchildren, 11, and great grandchildren, 8. Was a great celebration of a life well lived. Left an amazing legacy.
My life has been fantastic since Jan. 1. Eating well and maintaining weight. Am in the process of weaning myself off my feeding tube, even as we speak. As long as I weight over 140, both in the AM and the PM, I "abstain" from the feeding formula. Makes me think about eating the right amount at the right time. Next time I see the doc, Feb. 22, the question will be: "Anymore chemo in the foreseeable future for me?" If the answer is no, then out comes the tube, I get a stitch and the world opens up for me.
Rest assured that I would not be where I am without all the prayer and support from all my loved ones, friends I know and ones I've never met. And, of course, caregiver Lynda. Each day I get instructions on how to get to tomorrow and they have all worked so far. Near as I can count, that's approximately 500 plus days so I'm not stopping listening now!
Love you all.

January went great. Am now able to eat three meals a day. (Sometimes four). Food is tasting like it used to, in most cases. Taste buds decide what they are going to accept and they are the final decision maker. Have found that once they "reaccept" a food they don't "take it back." But, it still does not keep me from being a little spooked when I put something in my mouth that hasn't been there in a long time. Vegetables are now my pride and joy. Now I have to watch and not eat too much. My FPU (food processing unit) will "speak to me" if I do. Three quarters of a full meal is great for me. Oh yeah, if I eat too much my FPU processes it very quickly and lets me know. Went to two docs last week and they both liked my progress and are suggesting that I cut back on my feeding tube "meals" and see if my weight remains constant. I'm now at about 140 and that's a good weight for me so I weight morning and night and make sure that I'm at least 140. Took a coupla days off and I ate a little more and I did good. That was practice for when I go to Nashville on the 11th to spend two days with my granddaughter. It's Dad's day at Vanderbilt and her Dad will be in Europe and I get to be the stand in. What a blessing. After I get back I'm going to try four days and see if I can eat enough to hold my weight.
Need to add a name to our pray list. Ben. 35 years old and has just discovered he has multiple cancers. Married with children. He will take a miracle and I ask that you pray for it. Oh yeah, Lynda could not be happier with my progress and guess what? If Mama's happy then everybody is happy. Please pray for Ben.

2011 has worked out to be a good year! No more chemo for now. I am just on Herseption (not spelled correctly) which is a drug mostly used to treat breast cancer. My cancer showed the same "markers" so we will see, in about 3 months, how it's doing. I get the drug every 3 weeks and I will probably be scanned after about 6 treatments. Good thing there are no side effects! All is well with my care giver, Lynda, and she continues to keep me on the "straight and narrow." And God keeps giving me the strength to weather all these storms so what more could I ask for except, prayers? You Prayer Warriors that have held me up all these months I ask that you don't quit now. You know that me and my cancer pals rely on your communications with the Lord! Love you all.

What a glorious New Year! Woke up 1/1/11 ready to eat, and I did. Breakfast was an egg, but lunch was pork chop (1/2) squash, black eyed peas, corn bread, wilted spinach salad and candied jalapenos. Could not have tasted better! Almost ate like a regular person and it did feel good. 1/2/11 was the same! Boy did that feel good. Go the chemo doc tomorrow and we plan what to do about the rest of the cancer that's lurking around in my gut. If it were not for that I might just pull that feeding tube today. I do get it stitched back in tomorrow AM, just in case!
God in Good and His mercy defies understanding. My Bible tells me that He doesn't cure all illness but He give's you the strength to handle whatever life throws in your face. Back to working out this AM. Got that race to run in April! Please keep up the prayers for my pals. What would I do without Lynda? Always there with the right suggestion. Life is Good! Love you all.

Well, here we are on the last day of the year. Time to reflect. Even with it's challenges 2010 has been a good one. (Actually, any year you are alive at it's very end is GOOD.) This last week (actually 9 days) Lynda and I spent with all our family in New Mexico. What a wonderful time. Next year I will ski.
Had some sombering news today. My friend, Jim W has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, also. I would ask you all to add him to your prayer list.
The last few weeks have brought good news. As you all know I've finished my second series of chemo and had a Cat Scan on Dec. 20. Results are in. "Significantly Reduced." Great words to hear now I've got to get to eating and get this feeding tube out! Have not talked with my chemo Doc yet to know what his plan is in "getting after" the rest.
Was a bit aprohensive in being in NM for 10 days and being away from all my support base, but all went extremly well. Again, I just don't have enough faith sometimes.
Had a "funny" thing happen today. (Background: One flushes his feeding tube both before and after! Timely.) I woke up this AM when my pump finished it's work getting the "feeding tube food" into my body. (Let me correct that last statement. I can't hear the "warning buzzer. Too high a frequency for me, but Lynda hears it and lets me know.) Well, when the buzzer went off and Lynda woke me I turned off the pump and went back to sleep. What one should do in that case is to get up, flush out the pump and then go back to sleep. Guess what, my tube clogged up. Bummer! Try as I might I could not get it "open." Usually that means a trip to the doctor, if he's in, or a trip to the emergency room. And, as luck would have it, the stitch that holds the tubing into my stomach also broke. What a mess! And, then I sneezed. Boom, the tube shot out of it's little hole in my gut!" Hmmm", I said. "Do you think I can clean this tube out now?" "Especially since it New Year's Eve weekend? Well, to make a long story longer, I did clean out my tube, inserted it back in my stomach and tapped it in very securely and now I'm good until the Doc's back in the office Monday. Would I recommend this? Nope, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do!
Please, keep up the prayers and I love you all!