Fightingmyalz.com is a
Veteran-Owned site.

I have a few things to finish up for the site but need to do a bunch more to keep things going while I am out for surgery. Click image to enlarge

Half Way Time Out

The next step is a big one

Text by Tom Hintz

Posted – 3-13-2017

A few weeks ago, I finished the course of radiation and chemotherapy. I felt awful for a couple weeks after that ended but got better. Now I feel better than I have in a long time but when I start taking that for granted and try to go flying for a day I find out just how quickly I run out of energy. I also cannot withstand cold nearly as well as I have for the last 60-some years. The good news is that I was able stop all of the medications prescribed to combat the impact of the chemotherapy and radiation.

I am better but by no means am I right.

In about a week we meet with the surgeon that is going to take the tumor out along with a bunch of my stomach, esophagus, gall bladder (while he is in the area) and some lymph nodes. There may be other stuff that comes out that can only be determined when he gets in and can see things first hand. What is certain is that this is no simple operation no matter how “routine” I try to make it in my head.

Now, just when I am getting back to being able to go flying or doing other things it becomes clear that this is approximately half way to being done with all this cancer-related treatment. One of the brighter sides to all this is the 60 pounds of weight that I lost in the last 6 months or so. My blood pressure went down enough that it concerned some of the people who check it every time I show up for any kind of treatment. My regular doctor along with one of my cancer physicians decided to stop my blood pressure medication altogether and it stayed well within the “good” range.

But now that I can eat normally again my appetite is swinging too far to the “fill me up” side and the weight has slowly begun to come back. Just a few pounds now and while most people around me like that trend I hate it and must work to confine my eating to smart stuff. I also need to get out to the flying field more to stay active. I have returned to the elliptical machine but have to work to increase my stamina for that effort to be productive.

With me feeling better I have been able to get more work done for FlyingRC.net which is important to me. I still fight the declining income brought on by the slowing pace of new content. That in turn limits the cash on hand with which to do the projects that generate the content and videos. It’s the classic vicious circle. I need more money to do the projects that create the content needed to make those dollars. And so, the struggle goes.

I expect that the next few weeks are going to be eventful. Between trying to finish the content/projects currently on the bench and finding out when I am to present myself at the hospital to get a big hole knocked in me it is unlikely that this period will be boring. Frightening maybe but certainly not boring. So, stay tuned – it could get bumpy for a while!

Have a comment on this story? - Email Me!

Back to the Battle Plan List