wrote:
Hi guys,

I'm doing good. They DID do the procedure. The pain was an artifact
OF the procedure. I should of been FORCED to take the painkillers
about 1500 instead of being allowed to sleep. But the instructions
fell into an information gap somewhere between the physician and me.

I'll probably end up addicted to morphine but I'm willing, so long as
it keeps the pain at bay. Which it does, if they give me enough of
it.

Right now I'm feeling no pain; shoulld be able to bathe by myself.
Mixed feelings about that :-)

Lab results are VERY GOOD. Going down this morning for another check
but if the present trend continues, I'm on the road to recovery, at
least from that portion of the PAIN. If we can keep the pain
corralled we're good to go for a more aggressive chemotherapy regime;
go after the tumor where it lives. The more of it we can eat up with
the chemo, the better my chances of being around for Christmas. And
beyond.

Vetebroplasty. Good medicine. Cats gave me head-dives this morning
as I WALKED amongst them. No canes. And NO PAIN.

Still got a few probllems to work out, such as no strength, but the
lab reports say the demon is back in its cave. So take a bow, guys.
A lot of this has been due to your support, most of which has not been
publicly posted. Hell of a note, Badwater Bill and all, happening at
the same time. I'd rather have the pain if it would bring him back.

-R.S.Hoover
Happy to hear that you're doing better. From a purely personal & selfish
standpoint, I'd hate to lose your great info & writing style. :-)

A word of advice on interaction with the medical community, at the risk
of offending med pros:

Always, Always take someone with you who has good hearing, a reasonable
level of intelligence, and your best interest at heart when you speak
with health care pros, and if possible, have someone in the room with
you 24/7 in the hospital. My wife & I have had more than our share of
interaction with the medical system over the last few years, through our
own needs and those of family members.

You need a second set of ears because you aren't likely to hear
everything & also might misinterpret something that another's
perspective can help you understand.

You need someone with you in hospital because health care staff are all
grossly overworked (profit motive & next quarter balance sheet view of
the hospital corp, even if the hospital has a religious name in front,
or overwhelming bureaucracy in state/fed hospitals) and even if they
want to give good care, they make MANY mistakes if actions aren't
monitored by someone who cares. (Hospitals, through mistakes/malpractice
kill something like 6 or 7 times more people each year than guns in the
USA.)

Your best self-help in getting healthy is someone to 'watch your back'
while in the medical system.

Charlie