Down the home stretch

Well here we are 88 days after finding out there was something in my head. The past 88 days could have been 88 years as slow as parts of it has gone. I will be returning to work on Monday and I feel great. There are some serious changes inside my head...I am sure that the tumor was having several effects on me other than headaches.

Yesterday Teresa had a doctors appointment and we walked through Erlanger and said hi to everyone. It was great to see everyone...better than great. I am so humbled by all of the support and kindness from everyone...I know I have said this 30 times on this BLOG but it is amazing. I have been working on thank-you cards and have mailed out 80. I have another 120 to go before Saturday.

The weather is nice here right now...It is going to be in the 70's today and I am going to try to get a little work out in...hopefully with Teresa. We have a pile of errands to run.

No Pain pills

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. Two amazing things happened yesterday. First I made it through the entire day without a pain pill. Second I made up a joke:

Q - What is the worst thing you can hear on a first date?

A - Hi, I am Chris Hanson from Dateline NBC.

If you have seen to catch a predator you are laughing. If you haven't you are saying "who is Chris Hanson?"

I plan on returning to work on Monday March 5th. I really think I will be ready and am excited to get to work feeling well. My work has been so good to me and I really don't feel like I have done my best work. I have a strong desire to get back and do well.

As much as I want to get back to work I am going to miss all of the time I have had with Teresa and the boys. The boys are changing so fast...Preston is laughing and Anthony is learning so much.

I have received so many great cards and surprises in the mail. Last week I got a package from the Fantasy Football Guys. I have been in the same league since 1993 and I am the 3rd or 4th newest guy in the league. The package had 14 DVDs...13 football movies and caddy shack and a gift card for Best Buy.

Off to watch the Oscars...

President's Day

Today was President's Day. I know it is a day made for sales at the Mall. However, I do like to reflect and in my restaurant days I used to always ask people who is your favorite president. I have voted for the President 5 times and have only picked one winner:

1988 - Mondale

1992 - Perot

1996- Clinton-winner

2000- Gore

2004- Edwards

I wreak of liberal. However, I really do have views on both sides. Every year I usually recognize Abe Lincoln as my favorite president...I gravitate toward people dealing with things that no one will touch like slavery and the civil war. I have always named JFK as the most overrated president. My learning point for myself this year is that I may have been wrong about JFK. At the civil rights museum I learned a lot of brave things that he did to help with the "movement". I have moved him of the bad list...I am sure his family will be happy. Here's to the USA.

The staples are out

Well...the staples are out. We were feeling froggy and I asked Teresa to take them out and like a champ she broke out the tool and did it. 18 were easy and 4 stunk. My scar is going to be almost un-noticeable once the swelling goes down and we get all the blood out. So if anyone needs staples removed and don't want to pay a co-pay...Teresa can do it.

Some good some bad

A couple of times over the past three days I have thought I am close to 100%. I have been going through the balance game of to pain pill or not to pain pill. That is where you are guessing a little pain or jacked up on pain pills? So Friday I flew a little too close to the sun as I skipped pain pills until about 6pm...Not so genius...I lost the balance game in the PM. However, I still am recovering well.

I am feeling good strength and energy most of the days. The face and mouth pain are by far worst part. It has been great to have time to recover at home. I will be returning to work either the 5th or 12th of March based on how things are progressing.

We have been getting off the mountain for a couple of hours a day and that has been great to gauge where I am at. Have a great weekend...

Day 9

So it has been 9 days since my surgery and recovery is going well. The upside is:

• My fatigue issues are going away fast. I have only had to take 1 nap in the last 3 days.


• Balance issue are becoming rare.


• I have lost 16#'s in 9 days.


• My back and hips are healed.


• I feel sharp in the head.


• I have cut back to only 1 pain pill at a time.

The downside is:

• My mouth still feels like I just got out of the dentist and my lips and lower face tingle. It is hard to distinguish between mashed potatoes and the inside of my cheek.


• The temporal muscle is sore. No Joke Sore.


• BM's and I don't mean buttermilk. I have serious and painful cramps when I have a BM...At least I am having them.

The plan over the next few days is to get these staples (22) out, do my face therapy exercises, build a routine, build energy and start on Thank you cards.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Being a good dad

I really want to make sure that I am helpful with whatever our kids find passion in. So you can only imagine how excited I was this morning when Anthony came out this morning and asked me to teach him how to do a headspin. He got a couple of rotations but I forget to warn him about the messed up hair and how dizzy he might be. I think he found the shirt in our shed. You can see his Pooh practice mat in the background.