Tuesday, January 26, 2010

1/25/10 One Year Anniversary


It’s a new year, a new decade and for me it’s been a whole new outlook on life. Peggy and I had a wonderful holiday season and we had some great seasonal concerts, and have so much new material we’ll be putting out a new holiday CD this year. It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since this blog had the first entry and comments and what a year it has been. We just returned from a two week trip to Punta Gorda Florida, where we had a lovely concert and got to see some wonderful friends again and soak up the warm Florida sunshine. It was a year ago while we were in Florida that I started the blog and being there this year really triggered a gamut of emotions. I was reminded over and over again of the uncertainty and confusion that we were dealing with last year at this same time. Just being able to be there this year was a real victory of sorts for Peggy and I, a goal that we set last year and we were both so thrilled to be able to spend time in the sunny South again this winter. Many thanks to Jack and Joan Osborne for all your generosity in making our Florida trek possible.

Yesterday, Jan. 24th was the nine month anniversary of finishing treatments. A landmark to say the least. And although I still have eating and swallowing discomfort I am so happy and thankful to have come out of the radiation and chemotherapy as well as I have. Each cancer free month that goes by is a milestone and just makes me grateful for all the support and help we have received along he way. I will see my ENT this week for my every other month visit and I look forward to getting his prognosis of my recovery. While in Florida I was able to walk greater distances and even was able to jog a bit too !! This gives me great hope for the spring to try to meet another of my goals of getting back to running . I am slowly getting used to my body post cancer treatments and with every passing day feeling my strength improve. I do realize that where I am today is the new norm and for every improvement that develops I am extremely grateful.


This winter and spring we will be doing some wonderful concerts and workshops close to home and doing some traveling too. We’ll be doing a concert in Cazenovia NY at the First Presbyterian Church on Feb. 6th at 3:00 pm and will be traveling to Raleigh NC. the weekend of March 19-21 for a few concerts with friends in the area and a hammered dulcimer workshop and concert on the 20th . If you would like more info on the workshop you can email Carol Radcliffe at jradcli924@aol.com. In addition to our performances Peggy is working hard at teaching woman’s studies at Oswego state and several on line courses for empire state this semester and I will be busy in the studio recording and producing several projects. I am so pleased that I have had the opportunity to speak with people who have found the blog and are dealing with or have a loved one going thru head and neck cancer. I hope that my story will continue to help others who are starting to walk this difficult path. Once again thanks so much for all of the support that has come our way in the last year, it has made an enormous difference. Lets all raise a toast to our one year anniversary, and to good health and much happiness in the upcoming year. As always I look forward to seeing many of you at concerts and workshops this winter and spring. I will keep updating the blog as my recovery continues. “Carpe Diem” Sieze the day !!!

9 comments:

  1. Hello, Mr. B! Yes, it has been quite a year. Thanks for reminding us to be grateful for every moment. Here's to all the songs to come!

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  2. Hi Dan and Peggy,
    Great picture of Dan.
    Thanks for the update.
    Peggy and you are in my thoughts and prays
    always.
    Deb

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  3. Viewing this blog from Key West. Here with Chris Collins and Peg and Wayne Perla. Awaiting the beginning of the first Key West Dulcimer Fest. It was so good to see you both here in Punta Gorda. Hope to see you this summer in New York. Bick and I are so happy to see you stronger. Miss you both here. Ginny

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  4. Wow - what an anniversary! I hope the sand and sun brought internal warmth and healing. (I wish I were in Florida too. It's snowing today in Pennsylvania, however it is quite pretty.)
    Love to you and Peggy.
    Cindy M.

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  5. Anniversaries are such powerful things, aren't they? This Saturday will be 2 years to the day for my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, but luckily, it will also be 10 years to the day that I met MaryGail, so I get to celebrate that, too...

    I was thinking about you a few weeks ago. I heard from some of my Dad's family, and it turns out that my cousin in Rome, NY was going through your exact same experience just a few months before you went through it. Only, I have seen him, and they really decimated the muscles in his neck and really disfigured him. I wish he could have had your doctors for his care... He also lost a lot of weight and had a feeding tube for a long time, just like you. So scary.

    I can't believe it's already been nine months since you finished treatment... you have come so far! I'm glad you were able to get away to Florida again this year and soak up some of the warm weather on the beach. I'm sure I will see you soon.

    My love to you and Peggy.

    Maria

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  6. Way to go, Dan! It's great news that you have come so far in what is really a very short time (parts of it must have seemed like forever). May each week find you stronger and loving life even more.

    love to you and Peggy,

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  7. I am grateful for you. My mother's maiden name is Duggan.

    I have just finished my third week of radiation. Four more to go. I am looking forward to posting my one year anniversary as well.

    Michael Smyh

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  8. Wonderful photo, Dan, and wonderful news. Wishing you many, many more such anniversaries.
    Nina

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  9. Cheers to one year of moving forward and appreciating life even more!!

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