Excellent Annual Visit To My Urologist

According to various reports, prostate cancer will be diagnosed in as many as one out of two American men.  That's not good odds.  And the odds are many times worse if there is a family history of prostate cancer.

It has been nine years since I learned that I had prostate cancer.  And it was far enough along that my treatment options were reduced to only a few.  The better choice was to undergo a radical prostatectomy.  Nip it in the bud (pun intended).  Get rid of the %&#* thing.  And that's what I had done.  It was a good decision but the worry of it returning never really went away.

The first five years I had semi-annual followup visits to the same Urologist, and although there were some annoying side effects, my PSA results were always, "No Detectable Amount."

With results like that my visits were changed to once annually but only because he didn't want to take any chances.  Nor did I. 

Today was my 9th year annual visit and the PSA results were the same, "No Detectable Amount."

I knew that it would be negative but it really feels good to hear it in person.  Even better to hear, "There's no chance that the cancer will come back, but let's not take any chances. Come back in a year."

I can live with that...

We Bought A New Car

It has been 12 years since we purchased a car.  Actually, 14 if you don't count the 2002 Chevy Avalanche which was supposed to be my last truck.  We still have it and it still looks and runs good.  But we needed something we could use to go on the road and feel comfortable in and get good gas mileage.  So we talked to our Friend Mickey, who just happens to be the GM of the Toyota dealership in Killeen, Texas.  We told him what we were looking to get and a few days later he called to say one just came in.  We said we'll be there tomorrow to buy it.  We did and we absolutely love it.

Here's the story I posted on the GreenEggers Forum and on Facebook.

Judy got a new car...
It's a T-O-Y-O-T-A...
I asked Mickey to help me buy it...
Just so I could really make her day...

But it's not just any T-O-Y-O-T-A...
This one is loaded to the hilt...
It has buttons to make it drive soft or play...
And it can even blow cold air up my kilt...

It smells and shines all clean and nice...
And drives like a charm...
It has plenty of toots and whistles to entice...
And lots of features to keep us from harm...

She drove it home from Salado...
and fell in love with Sirius along the way...
Yes, it cost a lot of hard earned dough...
But at every stop I could feel her say...

I love you Leroy "Spring 'Fill In The Blank' Chicken" McMillin
And that, my friends, is what made my day...

















Now you see why she's so happy...

Spring "You've Gotta Have A Happy Hen In Order To Have a Happy Chicken Ranch" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Back Surgery Followup - I'm Good

During this morning's post back-surgery visit to my surgeon, the conversation quickly got around to why I need to be fully functional by March 16th - the date of the Salado Eggfest.

Well, it seems that it would be cutting it close to say I was Healed by that date, and it would be a lot safer if I continued to take it easy for a while longer, especially when it comes to lifting heavy objects.

So I might need some help lifting Eggfest boxes when the time comes.

By that time the conversation quickly switched to "What's an Eggfest?" and "What makes this Big Green Egg thing cook so well?"

Judy and I both ganged up on him and before long he was asking more questions. I finally gave him a card. Yep, a Card... Now he now has absolutely no excuse for not knowing about the Egg.

He has been "Egganised."

Judy wants to take him some Spatchcocked Chicken on the next visit. It's right after Salado. I suppose he wants to see if I damaged anything.

Otherwise, I'm good. The hole in my back is healing nicely and the residual tingling in my feet is to be expected because it involves nerves and they can take weeks, months or even years to heal.

Looks like you guys are stuck with me until the next little body-part crisis.

Spring "Bionic Egghead" Chicken

Knee Surgery Followup

Last week I had a followup appointment with my knee doctor.  I wasn't worried because my knee has been feeling unusually good lately.  They did three Xrays and they looked great.  He measured the range of how far I could bend it and get this, it's even better than before surgery.  I'm good with that.  Come back in six months.  I'm good with that too.

I see my back surgeon five days from now and I suspect he will tell me get on with my life because there has been absolutely no pain or complications.  I haven't even taken pain pills.  Didn't need them. I'll be a hard act to follow when all this is over.

Now I'm worried that I don't have anything else wrong with me.  How in the world am I going to survive if there's nothing on me or in me to repair or replace?

Ain't life grand......