Since very early in November of 2018, I have had very little presence on The Internet, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.
Last year was my annus horribilis…
-After losing the lower-left lobe of my lung to Cancer and my ninety-two year old Father in 2017, I thought things could only get better — at least for a time. The Doctors were amazed at my level of recovery and I was back at work full-time. But my Hubris was soon followed by my ‘old friend’ Nemesis.
Nemesis
-In the early Spring, two small cancerous tumors were found on my right lung and my ninety-two year old Mother was diagnosed with terminal Ovarian Cancer.
-While I was going through radiation for my condition in June and July, my Mother took a trun for the worse. We signed her up for Home Instead and lived with her for her last ten days so that she could die at home.
-She passed away, I’m happy to say, quite peacefully on 30 July 2018. Mrs. B. was a Saint, taking care of both my Mother and me. Her devotion to her Mother-In-Law was awe-inspiring.
-From August through October, I was not myself and we put that off to the stress accumulated over the past two-plus years. On Election Day 2018, I drove into work and thought I was having a Stroke. My best friend at work drove me immediately to my hospital, where it was discovered I was, in fact, suffering from a Brain Tumor on my left side [Damn Bolshes], along with two small tumors on my right side [Damn RINOs].
-After a week in the Hospital building-up my strength and restoring the usefulness of my right arm and leg, I had very successful surgery that removed the growing Tumor.
-After six weeks of recovery, I began radiation treatments in January and experienced every bloody side-effect you can image — including one the Radiologist had never seen before [go figure].
-Ah, Nemesis!
-I had no choice but to retire from working [well before I planned to].
So far 2019 has been about resting, recovery, and retirement [it stinks when it’s unplanned and unprepared for].
I had a chest to thigh CAT Scan a little while ago and no Cancer was discovered. In a few weeks, I’ll be having my head scanned to see if the Radiation worked.
I would normally say: ‘So far, so good’, but I know Nemesis is always lurking around the corner, waiting for me to trip-up again.
I’m sorry for so much detail, but I believe I owed my Friends-In-The-Ether and explanation for my six month disappearance.
I don’t know if I will be blogging because I am trying to write another book with the time I have left [one doctor said a year, my Oncologist and Neurosurgeon say I should have, at the very least, several]. We’ll see.
I especially would like to thank those of you who have continued to keep me listed in your Tweets and Facebook postings.
By the way, I waited until today because it was eleven years ago this day that I published my first blog post.
Bob Belvedere