March 1/2010 Forging ahead

Well March is upon us, and with that comes longer days, the spring song of the cardinals and the promise of snow melting and warmer days ahead. February was a month of anniversaries that for sure. The one year anniversary of my neck dissection surgery and we crossed the 10 month threshold since finishing treatments. Things are progressing well and I do have the daily reminders that healing needs to take its time. My last visit to the ENT found that I had a fungal infection in my throat that I had developed in Florida. It was bothering my tongue and throat considerably but has since improved a great deal with the help of some medication. Eating can still be a chore but it seems to get a little better every day. The energy level seems to be getting better and I am trying to exercise when I can and greatly look forward to the spring and getting back to hopefully jogging again. Peg and I took advantage of the nor’easter we had last week and got to do some skiing on the backside of our property. It was really wonderful to be back out on skis again ! This month will see the one year anniversary of starting chemotherapy and radiation, and I am so thankful to be at this place as the sun gets higher in the sky this year. At the end of this month I will see our radiation oncologist and most likely have a PT scan soon there after.

Peg and I are managing to stay pretty busy this winter. Peggy has taken a half time mentoring position with Empire state college and I have been forging ahead with producing some recording projects and working on recordings for Peg and myself. We will be doing some traveling later this month for performances and workshops, here is the schedule for the month :

March 13, 7:30 pm - Dance, Tannery Pond Comm. Center , North Creek NY PL

March 19, 8:00 pm Concert, The General Store Cafe, Pittsboro, NC. PL

March 20, 10:00 am - 4.00 pm Hammered Dulcimer Workshop
Millbrook Baptist Church, 1519 E. Millbrook Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609
jradcli924@aol.com

March 20, 8.00 pm Concert, Millbrook Baptist Church, 1519 E. Millbrook Rd,
Raleigh, NC PL jradcli924@aol.com

March 21, 11.15 am Community Church of Chapel Hill, UU., Chapel Hill NC. PL www.c3huu.org

March 26, 7.30 pm Concert, Kennett Home, Kinderhook NY 518- 758-1968 PL

March 27, 10.00 am. Dulcimer workshop, Kennett Home, Kinderhook NY.
518-758-1968

If you can make it to any of the concerts or workshops we would love to see you.

One of the most rewarding parts of doing this blog is being able to inform and help out and give support to those who are looking at a diagnosis of head and neck Cancer. I have heard from many of you and I am so thankful that I can be of service. Every day it seems like more and more people are being diagnosed with head and neck cancer and it would be wonderful for everyone who has been so gracious and helpful to me in my journey to keep all of those who are struggling in your thoughts and prayers. As always we continue to be so grateful to this wonderful community of friends who have been so supportive and helpful during this long journey. Your thoughts and prayers have made the difference for Peggy and I. Enjoy the magic of spring and I will continue to keep you posted as things progress. And as those of us who live in the north east have learned each and every year, good things come to those who wait !

One more thing, we can’t let the first day of March pass without mentioning "March Madness”. We have always been big Syracuse University basketball fans and today they are rated #1 in the country in both polls for the first time in 20 years !!! Let the madness begin.












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