Visited my buddy Rico in hospital last night (met his sponsot there too.)
well from being in a very serious condition, he's now responding well to treatment. There is some problem or other with his lymphatic drain system such that his legs, ankles and feet have swollen to twice their size while the rest of him is rapidly losing weight and body tone, but - he's bright, aware, lucid and smily!
He started the radiation treatment on Monday and is getting zapped every day Monday to Friday. They've offered him 'weekend leave' but he'll be in the hospital Monday to Friday for the next 7 weeks. The chemo is suspended until he gets his legs down to a more normal size, he has horrible ulcers in his mouth and throat and has no muscle tone in his neck so he wears a collar to keep his head up.
It's important that he's lucid and animated - his conversation and thought processing have improved as blood flow improves to his brain, whereas before the tumour was so large it was restricting blood flow to his brain. This suggests that the tumour is shrinking.
Sure he looks rough physically, he's already lost almost all of his body hair and all his head and facial hair, his skin is a sorta sickly yellow colour, but his eyes are bright and shining, he's mobile and very talkative. the skin on his hands is cracking and weeping around the finger joints, but there's treatment for that, but man it brought a lump to my throat just to see him so positive, so up for it (life in general) and so confident and grateful.
The doctor has insisted that as he's so immune depressed, it isn't a good idea for him to mix in public so we're setting up a private but regular AA meeting in the hospital - he's arranging a room, his sponsor Bananas is contacting the invited guests and we'll all take it in turns to chair the meeting - that might sound a bit elitist, invited guests, but to protect him from infection, this is the best way to go - restrict it to those people who will look after themselves and who won't attend if they have so much as a sniffle.
So guys - thanks for all the prayers for Rico, he's bearing up well and dealing with this one day at a time, which is all anyone can ask for.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Hi Bill, it's great to hear your friend is doing as well as he is. A year or two ago I watched my wife and my sponsor go through similar illnesses and I saw the terrible trials they went through, not only with the disease but also the treatment. It was so humbling to see the grace and selflessness with which they dealt with things, never a word of complaint, always concerned about those around them, and so appreciative of my small attempts to help. I suppose the miracle, for the likes of us Bill, is that we no longer run from things like this like we might once have done. We can do our part, we can handle things, we can support and love, we can do what needs to be done. A wonderful idea to take the meeting to Rico and of course it makes perfect sense to keep it invitation only. It's the only practical way to do it without risking harm to Rico or others. Rico sure has a great friend in you.
Rico's one of us. He has friends worldwide, some that he doesn't even know about. Monday night's step meeting was step 11. I know that people on here, at home and elsewhere have Rico in their prayers and for someone like me, who isn't the best at prayer, it's yet more evidence of the power of prayer.
I once heard a chap on the radio, ex Policeman, now a pastor, who said when he was a copper, he had a bit of a crisis of faith. He stopped praying and the coincidences stopped happening (his words) and when he started praying again, the Godincidences started happening again (his words) and his crime clear up rate went up!
So thanks to all of you who have said a prayer or two for Rico. I'll keep it up myself, always ending with if it's your will.
Tell you what, I was told he was very seriously ill on Saturday, to yesterday - mind blowing - made my Christmas it has. Rico is under no illusions though, he told me if this treatment doesn't work, then there's nowt they can do for him, also he told me that the treatment will knock 7 shades out of him, but he's well and truly ready for it.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Wow, that's must be hard to watch a friend go through that. Adding him to the prayer list . Tell him we fully expect him to join MIP upon his recovery.
