Thank You

So, it's been a while since my last posting. A lot has happened, and I keep thinking "OK, I'll post after this thing happens", then something else pops up and I think I'll wait till that thing happens then I'll post about it. This is the procrastinator's specialty.

So, I'll give a brief synopsis. Fund raising has continued. As of today there is over $8,800 in that account. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel to everyone who has contributed. It's hard to express. A lot of stress of this situation has been relieved because of everyone's generosity.

I've decided to thank each and everyone of you personally. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,..." (Steve Martin joke...)

Anyway, credit cards are starting to come in. I even have a gas card. I just have to get my SCCA schedule for the beginning of November, then I can start booking flights and hotels for my next vacation to Berlin to visit a very good friend of mine who I haven't seen in many years. Should be an incredible time for sure. I can hardly believe it's been nearly a year since my last vacation.

Recently, I've been experiencing a weird pain in my neck on the passenger side (right side). I went in for my regular check up with Dr. T and he decided to order up a CT scan of the neck. Turns out everything is fine. It's probably just irritation from the surgery(s) I've had there.

That's about it. I'm sure I'm forgetting something crucial. I'll try to post more often.

In the mean time, treat each other well, be humble, stick to your word, be your truest self, be honest, eat bacon cheeseburgers.

The Fund Raiser

Well, this weekend was the community garage sale/fund raiser to help me out with my medical bills. It's hard to swallow my pride enough to let something like this happen, but I was talking to my psychologist about it and she basically said that I'm still living like we're on "plan A", when we are clearly on to "plan B". Plan A is over. This, and helping me out is good for everyone.

Anyway, the sale was a smashing success! We brought in (with sales and donations) over $2600. I've already set up a separate checking account with separate checks and everything to use for medical expenses. This lifts a very heavy burden off of me.

I don't quite know how to say "Thank You" to everyone who helped put this thing together (Justin, Mom, Dad, Jeannine, Heidi, Lori, all my nieces and nephews, etc, etc, etc....). And to everyone who came out to support the cause. Thank you. Your help was very needed.

Results

Well, the results are in. I just got a call from Dr. Thompson himself. It's never good when you get a call directly from the doctor. It turns out not to be cancer, but rather tattoo ink. That's right, tattoo ink has migrated into the lymph node on both sides (from the tattoos on both sides) and their fighting it like an infection. This, says Dr. T, is not a big deal and certainly nothing to worry about.

How weird, tattoo ink...

Credit Cards

I decided to take the day off today because I was still pretty sore from the biopsy. 

And I didn't think that a dirty warehouse where I would be sweating right around the spot where the "steri-strips" are would be a good idea. 

I did, however, start my new campaign to fuck over the credit card companies. I sent in 8 (eight) applications today. Granted, many are the same companies, going to the same address. But guess what? I don't give a fuck. 

I smell international travel on the horizon. 

The Biopsy

The needle biopsy went well. They gave me some nice heave sedatives before the procedure, which is why this posting is going to be short. I'll have the results around Wednesday...

Leprosy

So, it looks like the biopsy will be scheduled for Monday at 2:45. I know it's going to be uncomfortable, thinking about asking for some sort of heavy sedation, not necessarily a general anesthetic, but a good, heavy sedation. I remember having the needle biopsy done on the effected lymph gland in my neck, they had to take three different samples from it, which involved three pokes. The needle was hair-thin. The first one was pretty easy, didn't feel much. The second one hurt. The third one involved the nurse holding my head down while the doctor removed his final sample.

So yeah, by the look of my tattoos, I'd say it's the glands trying to fight an infection or something. They are flipping the fuck out. They're still a little puffy, but now all the tattooed areas are peeling like I just escaped from a leper colony with special leprosy that only affects black tattoos. I like that term: Special Leprosy. Should be the name of a band or something. I always wanted to start a band fronted by a kid with down's syndrome and call it "Syndrome of a Down's". Just kidding...

Thick Tattoos

Hey party people,

Well, this was a week for a CT scan, then a results show appointment. The scan was yesterday, results this afternoon. What they found was enlarged lymph nodes in each armpit. This isn't necessarily a good sign. It's not necessarily a bad sign, but I'm going to have to go in for a needle biopsy later this week to determine what exactly is going on in there. He felt into my armpits to see if he could feel the nodes that showed up on the scan and he easily could. I easily could. One increased well over double, the other just under double.

Although there is a chance this is the disease spreading, it could be any number of other causes. For instance, as I have mentioned in the past, my tattoos have been acting up from this drug. It causes the tattooed areas to become inflamed (JUST the tattooed areas, it's strange) almost as though I were having an allergic reaction that is isolated to parts of my skin filled with tattoo ink. It so happens that the right node is larger then the left node, by a pretty good margin, and there is far more ink on that side. It could be those lymph nodes trying to fight off whatever is going on there.

The other factor in favor of this not being cancer is that there was no enlarging of any of the other tumors. They all stayed steady. If the cancer were to spread, the other spots would probably have grown as well.

All the same, they gave me an information packet on ipilimumab, my plan B drug, so I can look into it and know what to expect.

Dr. Thompson said that the average time this study medication I'm taking works is about 6 months in patients. I'm 13 months in. Really, I'm doing quite well.

Cancer's Expensive

This cancer shit is getting fucking expensive. I just mailed in $628 in medical bills. I'm sweating bullets a little right now. I hope I'm offered to work this weekend, cause if I am, I'm gonna snatch that shit right up. I. Need. The. Money.         Bad.

Anyway, in other news, I went on a nice relaxing camping trip over the weekend for my friend Katirose's birthday. I tried and TRIED to avoid the sun, wearing a long sleeve thermal and a hooded sweatshirt (in 85 degree heat), jeans, wide brimmed hat, sun block, staying in the shade, and I still got a pretty decent burn on my face. Waaaahhhhh.

Speaking of Katirose, her and I will be playing another open mic this wednesday at the Dubliner (in freemont on 36th and freemont) at 9:00. Please don't feel obligated to be there.

Dredg

I got to see one of my favorite bands last night. Dredg. This is my 5th or 6th time seeing them, but last night's performance was the best by a long shot. Not that the other performances were sub-par, but last night they were really on. There weren't very many people there (probably because the Capitol Hill Block Party is this weekend), so there was a really intimate feeling at the show. Their song selection was really good too. It was a nice representation of their whole catalogue. It was a really, really good show.

If you're curious about this band, check out the songs: "It Only Took a Day", "Cartoon Showroom", "Ireland", "Down Without a Fight", "Of The Room", "The Canyon Behind Her", "The Tanbark is Hot Lava"... you could probably sample them at Amazon.com.

Anyway, I found a new brunch place last weekend. I was patronizing another place in my neighborhood called "The Unicorn" for brunch. They have an awesome french toast that has bacon and bananas on it. Very decadent. Then the hot bartender, Chelsea, mentioned something about having a boyfriend, and suddenly The Unicorn doesn't open early enough for me. I'll take my brunch money elsewhere, thank you. Some place with a hot bartender who has NO boyfriend, and the french toast is delicious, AND they open before 11. Is this asking too much?

Cost of Ownership

I caught someone actually photographing my motorcycle the other day. Yes, I'm bragging that my bike is awesome. Because it is. I've said this before (and not to be all materialistic) but owning that bike has preempted a lot of negative feelings surrounding a shortened life span. It might sound cheesy, but I've really always wanted a bike like that, and actually having it turns out to be ten thousand times better then wanting it. When I park in the designated motorcycle parking section at work, there's ass loads of bikes on sunny days. There's bikes of all sorts and brands, shapes and sizes. When it comes to the big touring Harleys, there are two styles. Every single one (other then mine) is the same style. I love my fucking bike. It stands very clearly alone in a sea of other bikes.

I bought that service agreement this weekend. Thanks to everyone who contributed on my birthday, that is going to save me a ton of money. It turns out that it's a three year agreement, and I thought it was just two. I had them put notes in my account that the service agreement would stay with the bike even if it (a-hem) changed owners (within my family).

I had to pretty much remove any financial safety net I had accumulated in order to afford the service agreement. I don't regret it though. I actually have not a shred of buyers remorse about it. It includes oil changes every 2500 miles that I haven't been getting. I was told that if I was using synthetic oil (which I am) then I can just change the oil at the 5000 mile tune-ups. But since it's part of the service agreement, I'll definitely have that thing in there every 2500 for the oil change. I ride so much that I'm going to put that dealership in the poorhouse.

One weird thing about this is that it's the first time in the last year (and two months) that I've thought about the future. I knew about this deal at Lynnwood Harley a while ago, but thought it would be a terrible investment because the agreement would outlast me. I still think it might, but I'll definitely get my money's worth out of it.

The cost of ownership of this bike has been much, MUCH more then I thought it would be.