Putting life back together!

Well as I journey into the unknown that for me is life after chemo. I realize that I've been blessed with one great gift from god above. That is the gift to not worry about the things I can't control. I was always for the most part good at it but when I discovered I had cancer it was put to it's greatest test. I had a slow start but have learned to give back control to the god above and live life one day at a time. I don't look back or worry much at all about my cancer as much as I thought. I do still acknowledge it and talk about it often. I like talking about it and find it quite therapeutic. I often find myself reflecting back to all the love I received and help from are friends and families. The connections I made in the cancer community with people battling the disease like myself. These are friendships that will last forever and I couldn't be happier. I have a greater appreciation for life in general and greater will to live then ever. Cancer has taken a chunk out of me but I can't ever let it beat me! For me now the future is today and when I wake up tomorrow the future begins again. For this I'm thankful! Tonight I'm headed over to my brother's for a UFC fight!

To update my new lifestyle change as far as exercise and diet! This has went well I continue to exercise and eat well. The most amazing part is how well I've avoided sugar and my body craves sugar. When I reflect back to my eating habits I realized I ate well for the most part. But my worst habits revolved around sugar mostly Coke. I could remember stopping at stores on the way to work to pick up candy, it got to be almost everyday. This was the year before I was diagnosed with the cancer. After I went to the seminar on diet and nutrition and heard the nutritionist speak of how they strongly suspect because cancer cells need lots of energy to survive they therefore thrive of sugar and the quick energy boost it gives them. I guess it sounds crazy that I'm suggesting that my cravings were feeding my cancer but is it really that crazy? On a lighter note, no pun intended, I've lost more weight now and am down to 222 lbs from the whopping 252lbs after chemo... My wife can call me Mc hottie instead of Mc fatty.

Feeling Good!

Well I finally have a second to write about what's going on in my life. I have been feeling great since the chemo has been done. I've been hitting the gym quite frequently and working out almost everyday. I've shrunk my 252 lbs frame down to 228 lbs. All the lost weight has given me a burst of energy that I really need to take care of the girls now that my help is all gone home. My goal is to be in better shape for when I go back to work. I believe I'm already in much better shape then I was when I left. June 28th seems to be the date set for my return to work. I'll go back 2 hrs a day for the 1st 2 weeks then 4hrs a week for 2 weeks then in August I'll return to full time on straight days until Christmas. I've started eating much better since my chemo was done. Mostly plants and nuts with a moderate amount of meat... I've been paranoid of sugar but there has been a few ice creams snuck in there. The first week in June is my golf trip so I'm very pumped to golf with the boys. They've all been a great support since my diagnosis. Kinda a funny story I went over to Fellows Creek golf course in Michigan last week to golf with some of the guys from the golf trip. When we got to the border the border guard was really grilling us hard about why we were crossing today... He asked Lynwood how he got the day off to golf. Lynwood mentioned that he was on midnights and he had to go in later that night. He asked Keith and Keith said he had the day off of work. When he asked me how I got the day off I told him that I finished chemo a month ago and didn't know when I had to return to work! I didn't even finish and he told us to have a nice day! Keith said "boy you shut him up fast didn't you!" Lastly I've booked my trip with my sister to Vancouver In august to see my brother Matt... So this is going to be an exciting summer.

Feeling Good!

Well now that I'm not doing chemo anymore I've started to really concentrate on exercise and diet. Things have been going well since I finished chemo. I went to a lecture by James Mulligan the nutritionist from the London cancer clinic on nutrition. There were a few things that opened my eyes... 30% of cancers are related to poor diet. 30% to related to smoking. One that I didn't find surprising but quite a few of the people did was to not use vitamins or supplements especially if you already have cancer. I had seen a CNN show on vitamins and supplements and how dangerous they can be and how often they are not needed. My diet will be much more natural with more nuts,fruits,and veggies with much less meat. Of course I'll continue on with the exercise which I have been enjoying.

I'm excited for my golf trip in June. It will be a good test for my overall stamina which I think is pretty good. Also just days away from booking a trip to Vancouver so that's exciting. Otherwise I'm ready to take the girls on myself... A big thanks to my parents and Jen's parents for coming down to watch the girls well I recovered from chemo! This meant so much to me mentally especially to be able to rest and go out anytime I wanted to... I'm truly blessed! So I have big plans with the girls over the first part of the summer before I go back to work. These 2 little rascals will keep me quite busy and I'm looking forward to it. Big thanks to everyone who keeps reading and commenting I love those comments.

Mentally I feel great! I'm not the type that dwells on what I've been through. I don't worry so much about relapsing that's out of my control I'll worry about it if or when it ever happens. I live each day like it's my last and I don't sweat the small things as much. This isn't to say things aren't important to me. More then ever some things are more important. Like thanking each and everyone of you that's been there for me and there was a lot of you. Instead I enjoy the little things in life a bit more... Don't worry so much about retirement or money. Don't worry or care what people think of me as much. Try and spend my time with the people I love or doing the things I most enjoy. Also if you didn't get a chance to read the story my sister in law wrote about  I2Y in the London free press I'll link it now.http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/04/23/13698566.html . 
         http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/04/23/13694801.html

This story made me cry because it brought back so much from my diagnosis which for me was the hardest part of cancer. When you have so many unknowns and so many damn questions... It was the first time in my life that I wondered if I'd be around next year. The fear of not seeing the 2 brightest stars in my life Marissa and Mikayla grow up. The fears are less now and the appreciation is so great for what I have and accomplished. The new friends I've met have enlightened me so much and my longtime friends and family have held me up when I needed it. I will continue to write as my journey continues into the maintenance phase of chemo. My next one is in July as well as another in October followed by a CAT scan. So wish me luck as I journey into the unknown. Happy Mother's Day to everyone especially to my Mom who I consider the best Mom ever. Also to my wife the best Mom I could of hoped for my kids... Also my best Mother In Law ever for taking care of me the kids and Jen!!!! She loves it though and will miss us when she returns to work!!!