the pod bay door

.: So, at 01:05 hrs on 28 June 1953, I was born. I have made it to 71 years old, and every day I can feel it in my bones and elsewhere. But I survived another trip around the Sun. That’s all I will say this time.

Peace to everyone.

.: I had suspensionplasty surgery on my left thumb on 21 March 2024. Both basal joints in both thumbs have osteoarthritis, and playing guitar has become painful. Now that the first surgery is done, I have months of healing and rehab ahead of me. I’m hoping to be able to resume guitar playing later this year.

Post-surgery tensor bandage over a half-cast:

After tensor bandage and cast were removed, they were replaced with a plastic splint, which I will wear for 4-6 weeks. I will also go for rehab once a week.

And finally, for your viewing pleasure, a few “aftermath” pix:

Here Come The 70s was the title of a tv show than was broadcast in Canada on CTV in the early 1970s. It also represents my latest birthday, which hits hard this time. Born 28 June 1953 at 01:05 hrs CDT, I am now beginning my 8th decade. I find this birthday difficult to process, in part, I believe, because parts of my body are failing me: osteoarthritis at the base of my thumbs, making it very difficult to play guitar, osteoarthritis in my right knee joint and lower back, type 2 diabetes, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (in remission, thankfully,) and other minor ailments. So forgive me if I am not in the most celebratory frame of mind as I complete another revolution around the Sun. Having a 70th birthday is better than the alternative, that much I accept. Plus, there is still much to do, people to see, places to go, and stuff like that!

Anyway, my love to everyone and thanks for checking in with me on my special day.

.: Well, it’s that annual moment when I actually post to my blog about my birthday. Born at 01:05 CDT in Winnipeg on 28 June 1953. It’s been a long strange trip. Indeed.

The past 12 months have been extremely challenging. Last year on my birthday I was in the process of receiving 12 chemotherapy and 6 monoclonal antibody treatments over a 6-month period to battle non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A year later, I now receive monoclonal antibody injections every three months, in addition to blood tests to see how I’m doing.

On 11 January 2022, my mother passed away in Winnipeg. My brothers and I were at her bedside when she took her final breath. We knew we couldn’t have a memorial service anytime soon after, so we ended up planning for a service, reception, and interring her ashes on 25 August 2022, so it is forthcoming in less than two months.

We left Winnipeg on 15 January 2022. Chris and Todd returned to Calgary, I returned to Edmonton. We all tested positive for COVID after returning. I isolated for a while but seemed to get sicker as the days went on. My physician told me to go to the hospital, so an ambulance came by on 01 February 2022 and drove me to the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. I was in Emergency for a few hours and was told I was being admitted. Little did I know I would be there for 10 days. I was in bed all that time with oxygen up my nose and remdesivir injected into my arm via IV to ward off the omicron variant. I had been triple-vaccinated through to September 2021, but the omicron variant didn’t appear until a couple months later in South Africa. The hospital confirmed I did contract omicron, so after being released on 10 February 2022, I eventually scheduled a fourth vaccination. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: the hospital confirmed that upon admittance to the hospital, I had contracted double pneumonia – pneumonia in each lung. Lovely. It took about a month to stop coughing and for the pneumonia to completely leave my system. Now all I am contending with is osteoarthritis at the base of each of my thumbs, which is resulting is some pain when I’m playing guitar. *sigh* Osteoarthritis is also causing me lower back pain. Getting old isn’t for sissies.

But I was treated very well in the hospital, and saw first hand what life was like on a COVID ward. The nurses work so hard and were always so kind and polite to me. Of course, the hospital food left much to be desired! 🙂

Anyway, thanks for reading. See you again soon.

.: It’s later in the day than when I usually post on my birthday, this one being #68. I typically write up something around 01:05 hrs, which is when I was born on 28 June 1953 in Winnipeg MB.

This year has provided much upon which to reflect. The biggest change in my life was learning in early March 2021 that I had developed non-Hodgkin B-cell follicular lymphoma – cancer – and that I needed almost immediate treatment to fight it. It took an ultrasound, CT scan, and biopsy to confirm everything. During this period my abdomen started accumulating fluid to the point that I had to be “drained” three separate times totalling 12 litres of said abdominal fluid. In one instance I lost 14 pounds in one day.

Anyway, chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies treatments began in mid-March, and thankfully my system started to respond almost immediately. I stopped accumulating fluid and the tumours started shrinking. I lost at least 25 pounds, reaching my lowest weight in over 50 years. Since then, I have had four sets of treatments, and am doing very well. Next up is a 06 July CT scan, consultation with the oncologist, and the fifth round of treatments in mid-July. Following that will be one more set of treatments in mid-August, and then another CT scan in September. Beyond that, I don’t know what happens next. My father, who passed away on 12 February 2020, had a version of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lived another 31 years after diagnosis. Recently I’ve started working with a personal trainer again, and I plan to continue indefinitely. We are currently in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave. When the scorching temperatures start dropping I will resume cardio workouts on my upright cycle in my basement. Right now it’s just too hot to do anything.

These past twelve months have also seen me do a lot of work managing Mom’s affairs from afar, as she lives in Winnipeg and I am in Edmonton. She has reached the stage where she may no longer be able to live on her own in her assisted-living complex, and will probably need to be moved to long-term care. I will then need to go to Winnipeg to begin the process of vacating the contents of her apartment.

Earlier this year my musical partner, Sarah, moved to Coleman AB to begin work as an elementary school principal. As such, my performing days have slowed to a standstill. I find I miss it in little bits here and there, and I am not playing much at home. I guess when the spirit moves me, I pick up a guitar and noodle around a bit.

So here we go again for another revolution around the sun. Special shout out to Mr Steve Forty, who somehow always seems to read my birthday posts before anyone else does!

Oh, I almost forgot – GO HABS GO!

Have a great year, everyone, and thanks for being a part of my life.

.: So I’ve arrived at the age of 67. I was born at 01:05 CDT in Winnipeg MB on 28 June 1953. I’m not feeling too inspired to write much this year, this being my annual birthday blog post. 2020 has been a strange and at times very sad year. Dad passed away on 12 Feb 2020, and shortly thereafter, the planet went down a deep hole and hasn’t crawled back out since then. I know age is just a number, but my body, with assorted aches and ailments, reminds me all the time that I am not a young man anymore. So let’s leave it there for now. I’m grateful for many things, including some of the best friends a guy could have. So thanks to all for your support and friendship all these years. Be well and peace to all.