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Greg's Alien: April 2013
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Monday, April 29, 2013. Two Roads Diverged."*. The character in the photo above chose one of three options that spring night after being in an earlier situation in which he may not have lived another minute. Whatever the reason he traveled into the barn, I know that because he did, he enjoyed a rich life for another 12 years. I know because of his decision, my life. Was enriched. I like to think that the expression on his face in the picture above is one of happiness and gratitude. The Road Not Taken.
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Greg's Alien: July 2014
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Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Please Return Chair Backs To Upright Position. 5 years ago today, my 4.7 million stem cells came back to me. August 15 - final visit to MCV for annual peek under the hood. September 26 - final visit to patient and tolerant oncologist. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom). Annie Get Your Gun; bone marrow biopsy. Be The Match Registry. Being comfortable with doctor. Church Hill Irish Festival. CT scan with contrast. CURE Magazine; Blood Donation; Platelet Donation. Five Year Survival Rates.
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Greg's Alien: Greg - FIVE; Alien - ZERO
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Friday, September 26, 2014. Greg - FIVE; Alien - ZERO. The nice Doctor agreed that I could take her picture today after I had requested that she make the shapes as shown with her hands. They signify that today is officially the end of the countdown; Five Years, Zero Cancer. Call me a slab of bacon, I am considered cured. The Doctor is now eligible for sainthood because of her work and tolerance of me for 6 years. As a mentor to folks going through a diagnosis/treatment similar to mine. That is great news!
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Greg's Alien: Call Me Irresponsible
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Sunday, August 17, 2014. Friday was my last scheduled annual follow up appointment at MCV as part of the protocol that was established upon my release in August 2009. For the first three years, the protocol involved semi-annual scans, bone marrow biopsies, blood work, and pulmonary function testing. After the third year, the testing was to be scheduled once a year. Literally and figuratively, the testing is a pain in the butt. It wasn't because he was playing fast and loose with my health, but rather, he...
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Greg's Alien: January 2013
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Monday, January 21, 2013. We Said It Before And We'll Say It Again"*. I've seen the movie "The Bucket List" with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in it's entirety before. It was on TV again over the weekend. I watched the beginning of it this time and then got distracted to something else. That's how I roll sometimes. This time, I really took issue with this part. Greg, relax, it's only a movie. True. But Oscar Wilde said it best in his 1889 essay ,"The Decay of Lying.". Wednesday, January 2, 2013.
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Greg's Alien: I Got No Scans In The Morning....
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Tuesday, August 27, 2013. I Got No Scans In The Morning. Was trying to figure out a witty way to complete the phrase using the word "moon," in association with a bone marrow biopsy (and paraphrasing, "I Got the Sun in the Morning" from "Annie Get Your Gun") but everything that came into my mind was slightly inappropriate, so I went with only the first part of the phrase. I thought ,"What the heck? I am going to present it to the doctor when I meet with him at MCV and see what he says.". I just stopped by...
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Greg's Alien: May 2013
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Saturday, May 4, 2013. God, That's Good*. I attended this event. During the discussion, I made a football game analogy with the point of the analogy being that even though countering evil may seem overwhelming, it is possible. The analogy was OK, but afterwards, I thought of another one that resonated with me. Lyric from "Sweeney Todd" by Stephen Sondheim. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom). Annie Get Your Gun; bone marrow biopsy. Be The Match Registry. Being comfortable with doctor. Church Hill Irish Festival.
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Greg's Alien: February 2013
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Tuesday, February 5, 2013. I Have Lived In The Darkness For So Long" *. Last Sunday evening as I watched the Super Bowl, early in the 3rd quarter I had no idea why the game had stopped, why the announcers had quit talking and why the lighting in the Superdome appeared different. As I continued to watch, it became clear as to what was going on. The lights came back on, the game resumed and America was once again the land of hope and promise. When I think of how other societies look at our society and feel...
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Greg's Alien: March 2013
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Sunday, March 17, 2013. Was Wondering, But This Explains It. Way back during the time of the "Alien Sabbatical," I spoke of the importance of and how to donate blood. Soon after the arrival of the alien, I received a routine call from the local blood donation agency here in Richmond. As I have mentioned in the past, I was on the list as a regular platelet donor, so I would receive calls from them periodically when I hadn't made a regular donation. However, I came across this article. Be The Match Registry.
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Greg's Alien: September 2014
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Friday, September 26, 2014. Greg - FIVE; Alien - ZERO. The nice Doctor agreed that I could take her picture today after I had requested that she make the shapes as shown with her hands. They signify that today is officially the end of the countdown; Five Years, Zero Cancer. Call me a slab of bacon, I am considered cured. The Doctor is now eligible for sainthood because of her work and tolerance of me for 6 years. As a mentor to folks going through a diagnosis/treatment similar to mine. Glad Press and Seal.