Closing Death by Lettuce

I am sure by now this is not a big surprise, as I haven't written any new entries in months. This is actually a good thing, means I have other things going on in my life besides cancer... which is awesome.

I have had a lot of e-mails lately from people wanting to post articles and things on my blog, I apologize for lack of responses... I have literally been crazy busy.

Why?

Because I'm moving to Ukraine on Tuesday.

No seriously... moving... to.... Ukraine.

After months of jumping through hoops and pulling strings, I am finally joining the Peace Corps. The only appropriate word for how I feel is stoked.

That being said, I will be blogging again! Not so much about cancer, but about life and things in the Peace Corps, helping people, etc.

I've actually set up a whole website, mainly dedicated to photography. Eventually I will have it set up so people can buy my pictures and things. It isn't live yet, but should be by Monday.

It is www.robsukranianadventure.com

I will make that a link once it is live.

Thank you all for reading my blog; I can only hope its helped others as much as it has helped me.

-robs

Losing your cancer virginity

Cancer is surprisingly like sex. We all have stories about our first time. There's even bases before you "score" so to speak. And I don't think ever getting another diagnosis of cancer is every quite the same as that first time.

First base: Doctor finds a lump
Second base: tests
Third base: the phone call
Home: the face to face diagnosis

First base:
Student health... I was there for my yearly. The nurse practitioner walks in... first thing she says to me is something along the lines of, "so is this your follow up for chlamydia?" WHAT? NO, what are you talking about?... something about how last years tests showed whatever, someone forgot to call me, etc... (later this was discovered to be just a mix up, but fantastic start)... next, physical, "Do you know you have a lump on your neck?" Huh? Ok... Not really sure what thats all about...

A friend lost

I learned today that I lost a friend. We weren't close friends... we've had drinks together at parties... he was more of my friend's friend... people thought that we should be friends, and tried to get us to be friends because what we had in common was that we were both law school cancer survivors, and then young lawyers dealing with cancer. I think for this very reason we didn't actually become friends. Because it seemed like we were supposed to have this connection... but in real life, when you are with your friends, and hanging out... that isn't necessarily what you want your connection to be. Like so many things, I don't know if that makes sense.

I think its the same reason why I'm no good at support groups. Why I can't seem to muster the motivation to go to a cancer summit... talk one on one, or face to face with people. I don't like this world in my real world.

And yet, even keeping distance between us... I find that I am still hurt, that apparently there was this connection... a silent acknowledgment that someone else had a general idea of what you were dealing with... even if the circumstances were totally different. He was a mental cushion... someone I knew if anything worse happened to me I could call up and be like, how do I deal with this. I'm guessing it would have been a very awkward conversation... but it was an option that is no longer there.

RIP Adam Thomas

fuck cancer

A post from Adam's work

"I'm not quite dead... I think I'll go for a walk now... I feel happy... I feel Happy!"

Ok, so I went on a hiatus... a very long, hiatus. A very long hiatus that may or may not continue. But, quite frankly, I haven't had that much to write about. And seeing as I sit in front of a computer all day doing work, and not even fooling around on the internet... I lose motivation to write when I get home.

So cancer related stuff:

My Peace Corps application got put on hold b/c they wanted a pathology report from May 2009 for a fna. I will not be leaving in September... and I'm still waiting to pass medical.

I despise being attached to a pill. I didn't have time to refill my meds when I normally do b/c I was out of town. I got to the pharmacy late yesterday, and she said she could fill one... I said Levoxyl... she filled allegra. I am one of those where i can feel when i don't have my meds... whether its all in my head or not doesn't matter... It gets to me.

I went to a law conference purely to go to the seminar on cancer patient rights. I made the mistake of sitting under the ac... this makes me fall asleep... I nearly fell asleep during the one thing i wanted to see. But out if it I learned about LINC

Pretty neat group. Help people w/ legal and business issues dealing w/ cancer. What I found really interesting is the guy who got up and talked about people losing their homes b/c of medical issues and not being able to pay their mortgage.

I was like... no shit, that's what I do! I modify loans and keep people out of foreclosure. We do free consultations, and have a damn good track record when it comes to saving peoples homes. So I'm working on extending our services out to LINC. I mean even just a free consultation to tell people what their options are is sometimes all people need. If you are in trouble... please please please don't go to some out of state mortgage broker company, or something that sounds like its a government program but asks for just an upfront fee for help. And definitely don't go to someone who guarantees you a modification or they can save your home. Try to get a modification yourself, work with a HUD counselor... then find a lawyer. One you can meet with. I'm dead serious. As cancer patients we are hell of persistent people that know about loop holes and know about how to wear down red tape... so of anyone, I would say our group in general can do this stuff on our own. But... if you are tired, and want someone else... use a lawyer and only a lawyer. I know they are hard to find... but there are too many scams out there. Hell, if you are out of state, I don't mind you calling me to talk things over, and if you want me to check on someone to see if they are legit, I'll do it for you. Just shoot me an e-mail. I'll try to organize this in a better e-mail later.... I'm suddenly having a flood of ideas.

I think I'll stop now, and regroup my thoughts...

Other random things, I'm trying to join up w/ the young lawyers group w/ the Virginia State Bar who just put out a cancer rights booklet... If you want want, or a bunch to distribute, I'll see what I can do to get my hands on some.

It also looks more and more like I'll be here long term. I'd like to start up and i[2]y in the area. Are any of my readers out there in Hampton Roads?

I realize its a bit of a scattered e-mail... but possibly more to come. And thanks to everyone who checks back here regularly. I know since June 17 there's been like 139 hits throughout the world. That means a lot to me. And is really what motivated me to write again... even if short and jumpy.