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[MIKEYTEE]

Sam,
The best to you on the Boston trip! We are are with you in spirit on this journey.
As Chris said, I am proud to be your friend.
God Bless,
Mike

[JoMo]

Sam my thoughts and prayers have not stoped since you started this tread. Like the feelings of what the others have stated
friend, I to am proud to call you FRIEND 

                                            Jo Mo NYC 

[Chains]

Chappy, God bless you, I admire the way you hold your head up and continue your journey, my friend you are in my prayers.  Good luck on your next round of treatments.

[Talon]

Keep us posted, I look for your updates everyday! Your prayers as always are with you.

Craig

[NVTHIS]

Hello Chap, Sam, Dad & Friend, it's 1:00 am and I cannot sleep. So I'm setting here talking with two of my kids about life long friends and I told them about you. So I wanted you to now that I'm thinking about you. I hope your getting some good rest. Take care my CVO Brother.

Your Friend,
Chris

[chappy]

To My very special family of friends at CVOHARLEY,
If this ends up a double post I'll take one done.

I am hoping all the best for you and yours

First, Thanks for all the great word of encouragement. They are so helpful. Sometimes I get in the dunps and start feeling sorry for my self. And I really don't like to feel that way. What I do is logon and read these posts and I'm ether LOL or a few tears are running down my check.

I had my first chemo treatment on Monday the 11th of Jan. I get 2 special chemo cocktails and then the regular cocktail is last. That set up and procedure takes about 5 hours. I also get the same 2 special cocktails on Tuesday and Wednesday. They take less time than the first go round. This will continiue for months every 3 weeks for a 3 day round of chemo treatments.



I spent the day (Wednesday) at Jamaica Plain Veterans Hospital. I had a c-t scan with a very high contrast and then I had a PET scan. I was able to grab a bite to eat and then I had to have a simulation to setup the areas to send in the radiation. I had to have tattoos so the technition will know where to shoot me. Now this is the closest thing to Rocket Science I've ever had a part in.



Today,(Thursday) I couldn't get out of bed. I'm just beat and this morning it felt like I was going to hurl. I'm glad I didn't. The ride to Boston is a long one, but time has a way of fliing whether you're having fun or not. Before you know it it will be March. Personally, I can't wait.



I will get the 3 day chemo treatment at Boston when it becomes due. When the radiation treatments are done I'll resume getting my chemo back at the Vermont VA Hospital. Now that's the only thing that really makes sence to me so far. I'll got a few leads on a place to stay, I hope they work out. The VA Huntington House and it's overflow house is booked solid until April. So, they're out of the picture.



I'm going to try to get a room in a one star motel that starts an Monday and ends on Thursday. I hope 4 nights for 8 weeks will be cheep. Maybe I'll rent a camper and just park it in a nice spot on the VA parking lot. we'll see LOL



I still can't get a square answer when I ask if the 8 weeks will add time for me or nor. I don't mind a tradeoff, if I end up ahead. This is a lot of stress for my wife, and as the treatments start to show more weekness, I'm not sure I'll be able to push her wheelchair. I is kind of funny, when I get up to the desk to check in, almost always the receptionist thinks it visit is for Sue. we get a laugh out of that ever time.



Tomorrow (Friday) I go to the chemo room to have some blood out to see if I can start taking my diabetets med (metformin). All the stuff that was put in me for the c-t scan and the PET scan has to be gone before I can start taking the metformin again. It seems that they don't play well together.



As I get lookinh closer to the snafu concerning the Dartmouth Hospital refussing treatment to me. Well, I looks like one piece of paper wasn't sent. As a resuly Dartmouth must have thought I wanted thousands of dollars worth of radiation treatments for free. Now, of course it's to late to just fix the screwup. But, I plan to ask them where the buck stops. Just so I can give them a chance to add a statement. That always gets them. It might end up in the State Paper, if so, I'll add a link. and let you know.



There are othe radiation facilities around the area, and as I read the law, if a medical ficility takes Medicare, they by law have to take VA as well. So, there is an outside chance, very outsidechane that I will end up getting treatment closer to home.



If ever there was a time for it, Now is the time to use the old tool; "You can get more bees with honey than you can with vinegar".



My Friends at Heritage Springer Owners Assoiation sent me a package today. It has a 2010 calendar that displays our dream bikes, a Pin, a Key Ring, a bracelet or necklace and a small and large stcker, all with our HSOA logo. I couldn't say thank you enough. Thank you seems to just bearly touch the surface when compared to the true graditude that is made alive with such a gift.

Thank You Chief & Blondee and everyone else that took part in making this day so much better than it was before the mail came.



God Bless you and yours

Sam Dad chappy friend

[Talon]

Hang in there Sam, you probably won't get any real answers until you go through a few rounds of treatment. Hope all goes well, prayers sent your way!!!
Craig

[MAT]

Good morning Chappy, Hope you are comfortable and warm. I grew up in that part of the country and know how cold and gray it gets, so I hope your day is sunny today. We have a rain storm coming and it is suppose to last about a week ( SoCal ), on the other hand there is a fire in the Cleveland national forest (Grandpa Doc is close by to that area) that needs to be put out so God will help the firemen with that task. There is not much more other than the usual bump and grind of every day life.
 As we all should, try to enjoy each and every day and the ones around us, stay strong and keep faith.   Mike 

[MIKEYTEE]

Sam.
Keep up the good work my friend.
Prayers sent your way daily.
Mike

[FNGw/08SERK]

Sam,

Thanks for keeping us in the loop. Your story is an inspiration for sure. Thoughts and prayers from Upstate NY as well. And I'll say an extra prayer for the patience needed dealing with the VA  Been my experience that the bureaucracy at the VA  can be as much or even more trying than our ailments 

Rest up, get well and let's ride this summer!! 


Howie

[southtxcruiser]

thanks for the update.... keep throwing punches and dont wait for the bell....god bless and ill keep u in my prayers...

[sadunbar]

Think of you often, Chappy...God Bless...

[Chains]

Thanks for the update, keep up a good spirit, keep fighting and we will continue to pray for you and your family.

[chappy]

To my
Dear family and friend at CVOHarley,
 
It is always so good to hear from each of you with such encourageing words to me. I count myself very lucky to have such careing friends as you have been to me and I am honored to have such warriors keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all once again. I hope all is well with all of you and yours.

Life sure can come at you fast and thing here have come pretty fast, especially the changes from one appointment to another. I just had my Oncology Radiation Doctor quit working for the VA in Boston. Seems I'm at square one again for radiation treatment.
Even though I have started chemo treatment in WRJ Vermont VA Hospital, and am glag about that, I must say I didn't know it was going to make me so sick. It's much like the worst case of the flu I have ever had only worse. I have only had the first 2 days of chemo and I was doing OK the first couple days that followed. Then, wow, it hit fast. I am only today feeling some better. I have three days in a row for my next chemo treatment on Feb 1st. I hope I don't get hit as hard this next time. I now remember why I stopped drinking till the bar closed. I'm sure you've heard it before, but, I only closed the bar on days that end with "Y"!! lol!! 

I have had so many changes for radiation start dates, and now once again. This time it may have been more positive than negitive because as it turns out I might be able to get the treatment in Concord, NH rather than Boston. This equals more than an hour and half one way travel for me. And will also let me get the chemo in WRJ Vermont to boot. (I LIKE IT!!) I hope it works out.

The down side is, it will delay once again when this radiation can get started. I have that appointment set at Concord Hospital on the 28th of this month.

Although the Surgeon said I should have started radiation as soon as 4 weeks after the surgery. That date has come and gone and then some. My surgery was Nov 12, 2009, so the date to start radiation should have been by Dec 10.  Heck, that's only 150% late as of today, so what am I complaining about? LOL I have been very proactive during this whole thing, although, I do know the truth is it's out of my hands.
 
I will continue to keep you informed.
Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, loving and kind words
 
warnest regards
Sam Dad chappy friend

[hard10]

Chappy, glad to see you're still in good spirits even with the delay. I think the whole world saw that Massachusetts had bad weather yesterday. Not to worry, Spring is just around the corner! Keep your head up & remember we're all thinking & praying for you.
AJ