Nothing too much on the health front. I've been very tired this week but a couple of early nights and I feel much better. I thought I might share a little about my experiences learning Thai. In recognition of Halloween, the Thai word for Pumpkin is fakthong. Unfortunately, the first 3 letters are pronounced like the mother of all swear words, the big one...the f bomb. It's amazing that the word came up a few times in Thailand (maybe we made excuses to use the word). :)
That is not the story that I wanted to tell though. When I was 3 months in country, I went to a new city to help with the fair. The city was Phitsanulok and we built a mock temple with pictures inside to present to all of the attendees at the fair. The front facade was that of the Salt Lake Temple (no where near as nice). The booth was very well attended. It was actually a great opportunity to use my recently learned Thai. I spent the days talking about Temples, Jesus Christ, and many other gospel topics.
I was getting a little cocky. I thought I could speak so well! An attractive young lady came in to the booth. We didn't have sister missionaries in that city, in fact we were the only two missionaries in the whole city. I began giving her the tour and showed her the pictures as I discussed the gospel and shared my testimony. At one picture, she became very interested. It was a picture of the Savior on the cross. I thought it was very impressive of her since many Thai's did not know about Jesus Christ. I became excited as I thought the message was sinking in. Then it happened! She asked the question...not the question that I wanted but a question. She pointed to the picture and asked why we don't wear those around our necks (speaking of the cross) as she had seen other Christians wear crosses. In my most eloquent Thai I told her, "We don't wear crosses in our church". Only trouble is that I got the word for cross wrong. I told her that "We don't wear pants in our church". She blushed, I knew instantly that I had messed up. You see...the word for cross is Gaankhen and the word for pants/trousers is Gaanggeng.
I tried to laugh it off and move on but we were both embarrassed. Funny thing is that she ended up taking the discussions. She did not end up getting baptized but it was a great learning experience. I've heard of other stories of new speakers making mistakes. I know my Dad once got engaged to a cute little Japanese girl but not intentionally. Please share your experiences with us.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
My "Man Card" Has Been Revoked
I wasn't sure if I would admit this to the world, but I took Michelle to see Footloose and I liked it. I felt a little less manly. I admit it! To compensate for this feeling, I went to the BYU/Idaho State football game and watched BYU destroy the Bengals. No offense to any Bengal fans that may stumble upon my blog, but I think the Copper Hills High School football team could have beaten them.
I've been feeling pretty good lately. I've been trying to walk on the treadmill. I've only made it 3 1/2 miles so far but I'm working up to more. Even though I am very tired when I finish, it makes me feel good when I am exercising.
I read an interesting quote the other day andI can appreciate the message now more than ever before. It says:
"We have no right to ask when sorrow comes 'Why did this happen to me?' unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way." Author - Unknown
This is a great way to look at life. I think my blog keeps me humble and helps me remember how lucky I am to be here. I will admit that the further I get away from treatment, the less I think about the big challenge. Don't get me wrong, I think about it every day, I just don't reflect on how lucky I am. I hope I never forget what I've been through.
In the meantime, I'd better get back on the treadmill and start earning my "Man Card" back. :)
I've been feeling pretty good lately. I've been trying to walk on the treadmill. I've only made it 3 1/2 miles so far but I'm working up to more. Even though I am very tired when I finish, it makes me feel good when I am exercising.
I read an interesting quote the other day andI can appreciate the message now more than ever before. It says:
"We have no right to ask when sorrow comes 'Why did this happen to me?' unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way." Author - Unknown
This is a great way to look at life. I think my blog keeps me humble and helps me remember how lucky I am to be here. I will admit that the further I get away from treatment, the less I think about the big challenge. Don't get me wrong, I think about it every day, I just don't reflect on how lucky I am. I hope I never forget what I've been through.
In the meantime, I'd better get back on the treadmill and start earning my "Man Card" back. :)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Melancholy...
I hope I spelled it right. :) Since my last scan I have been doing well. I feel pretty good, a little run down but I've felt somewhat normal. I have experienced some melancholy over the past few weeks though. I haven't had any breakdowns or anything, I just haven't felt like myself. I've been working through it and putting on my best face (you have to work with what you've got). :) I've been a little upset that I didn't get good news at my last scan.
Fast forward to today...I attended another HopeKids event. This event was at Jordan Commons, they were hosting a screening of "Dolphin Tale" for the kids. As a reminder, these events are for kids with life threatening illnesses. We were helping with sodas and popcorn. As I watched these amazing kids and their parents, I suddenly forgot about my problems. There was a boy in a reclining wheelchair. He had a breathing tube and had a rough time speaking. He was wearing a BYU baseball cap and had a BYU blanket. I said, "Here's my guy!" I went to talk to him about BYU football. He smiled and we had a brief conversation about the game today. He knew that they were playing Oregon State at Oregon. He then asked me where Oregon is located. I briefly explained that it was between California and Washington. As his Mom pushed him away, I said "Go Cougars" and he laughed.
Life could be so much harder. I'm able to go to work, have a normal life and I'm fairly healthy (even with cancer). I have so much to be grateful for, I wonder if that little guy even knows what a "normal" day feels like. I would guess that his normal is so much worse than anything I've ever felt. I walked away feeling like a shmuck! I have it good. I came home to my nice house, watched the Utah and BYU games on TV, when I got hungry, I made a sandwich. Life could be so much worse.
I know some of you were able to notice that I wasn't myself these past few weeks. Thanks for putting up with me. No more pity party for me. I need to remember to serve others when I'm feeling down. I love to serve! I wasn't thrilled about getting up early on a Saturday morning but I'm so glad I went. I don't know that little boy's name, but to him I say "Thank you! Thank you for putting a smile on my face in the midst of your enormous challenge!"
Fast forward to today...I attended another HopeKids event. This event was at Jordan Commons, they were hosting a screening of "Dolphin Tale" for the kids. As a reminder, these events are for kids with life threatening illnesses. We were helping with sodas and popcorn. As I watched these amazing kids and their parents, I suddenly forgot about my problems. There was a boy in a reclining wheelchair. He had a breathing tube and had a rough time speaking. He was wearing a BYU baseball cap and had a BYU blanket. I said, "Here's my guy!" I went to talk to him about BYU football. He smiled and we had a brief conversation about the game today. He knew that they were playing Oregon State at Oregon. He then asked me where Oregon is located. I briefly explained that it was between California and Washington. As his Mom pushed him away, I said "Go Cougars" and he laughed.
Life could be so much harder. I'm able to go to work, have a normal life and I'm fairly healthy (even with cancer). I have so much to be grateful for, I wonder if that little guy even knows what a "normal" day feels like. I would guess that his normal is so much worse than anything I've ever felt. I walked away feeling like a shmuck! I have it good. I came home to my nice house, watched the Utah and BYU games on TV, when I got hungry, I made a sandwich. Life could be so much worse.
I know some of you were able to notice that I wasn't myself these past few weeks. Thanks for putting up with me. No more pity party for me. I need to remember to serve others when I'm feeling down. I love to serve! I wasn't thrilled about getting up early on a Saturday morning but I'm so glad I went. I don't know that little boy's name, but to him I say "Thank you! Thank you for putting a smile on my face in the midst of your enormous challenge!"
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
It's Better To Look Up
Every 6 months, the LDS Church holds a General Conference for all of its members. This is such a wonderful experience as we have the opportunity to listen to our leaders and the messages that they have prepared.
I have to admit, I wasn't always a fan. When I was younger, my Mom and Dad used to suggest a long car ride on conference weekend. It was brilliant! We were a captive audience. As I grew a little older, I began to appreciate the messages.
This last weekend was great! Many great messages. There was one talk in particular that I loved. It was titled, "It is better to look up" by Elder Carl Cook. At the beginning of the message, he told a story of when he was first called to be a General Authority. He was feeling overwhelmed and was riding the elevator down. The elevator stopped on a floor and someone entered. Elder Cook was feeling burdened and looking at the floor. I'm paraphrasing now but the person that entered the elevator happened to be Thomas S. Monson, our Prophet. He asked Elder Cook, "What are you looking at down there?" The answer was "Oh...nothing." President Monson then said, "It's better to look up."
President Monson was giving encouragement to this new church leader and was recommending that he seek after the Lord. I had several thoughts when I heard this story, I thought of several things:
1. I've always been a fan of prayer. I haven't always been the most consistent with my prayers, but I have learned over the years that things seem to go better when I pray. Don't get me wrong, I still have challenges (obviously), but I have a sense of peace about those challenges.
2. Looking up is synonomous with something positive. Since my latest scan, it has been harder to "look up". I'm still very confident in the prognosis but I'm also discouraged. I wanted a clean bill of health. Not yet and probably won't get that clean bill of health for a while.
3. If you look up to someone, you admire them and/or respect them. I look up to so many of you that take the time to keep tabs on me and my family. I look up to my parents and Michelle's parents. I look up to my sweetheart and our kids. I look up to my extended family (brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins). I look up to so many of you and you will probably never know because I don't share that type of info very often.
4. Most importantly, I look up to my older brother. You may be thinking "But you're the first child in your family." Yes, but I have an older brother named Jesus Christ. He is still the only one that knows exactly what I'm going through. He suffered for us and knows our trials (challenges).
I love General Conference! It really is better to look up!
I have to admit, I wasn't always a fan. When I was younger, my Mom and Dad used to suggest a long car ride on conference weekend. It was brilliant! We were a captive audience. As I grew a little older, I began to appreciate the messages.
This last weekend was great! Many great messages. There was one talk in particular that I loved. It was titled, "It is better to look up" by Elder Carl Cook. At the beginning of the message, he told a story of when he was first called to be a General Authority. He was feeling overwhelmed and was riding the elevator down. The elevator stopped on a floor and someone entered. Elder Cook was feeling burdened and looking at the floor. I'm paraphrasing now but the person that entered the elevator happened to be Thomas S. Monson, our Prophet. He asked Elder Cook, "What are you looking at down there?" The answer was "Oh...nothing." President Monson then said, "It's better to look up."
President Monson was giving encouragement to this new church leader and was recommending that he seek after the Lord. I had several thoughts when I heard this story, I thought of several things:
1. I've always been a fan of prayer. I haven't always been the most consistent with my prayers, but I have learned over the years that things seem to go better when I pray. Don't get me wrong, I still have challenges (obviously), but I have a sense of peace about those challenges.
2. Looking up is synonomous with something positive. Since my latest scan, it has been harder to "look up". I'm still very confident in the prognosis but I'm also discouraged. I wanted a clean bill of health. Not yet and probably won't get that clean bill of health for a while.
3. If you look up to someone, you admire them and/or respect them. I look up to so many of you that take the time to keep tabs on me and my family. I look up to my parents and Michelle's parents. I look up to my sweetheart and our kids. I look up to my extended family (brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins). I look up to so many of you and you will probably never know because I don't share that type of info very often.
4. Most importantly, I look up to my older brother. You may be thinking "But you're the first child in your family." Yes, but I have an older brother named Jesus Christ. He is still the only one that knows exactly what I'm going through. He suffered for us and knows our trials (challenges).
I love General Conference! It really is better to look up!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Not Sure What It Means...
I think the hypermetabolic activity is spreading but I'll have to wait until my appointment with Dr. Legant on Thursday to be sure. Here are the results of my PET Scan today (with my commentary):
Findings: At the skull base and neck no abnormal hypermetabolic uptake is detected. (This sounds good)
At the thorax no abnormal hypermetabolic uptake is detected. (This also sounds good)
In the central upper abdomen there is a new mesenteric focus of increased activity, which measures 1.9 cm in diameter. It is centered at CT transverse section 156 with maximum SUV 4.8. (This doesn't sound good)
Three other sites of abnormal hypermetabolic uptake persist in the abdomen. Mesentery focus at CT transverse section 163 shows SUV of 2.4. This previously measured 5.3. (Mixed on this one)
Increased activity is seen at two other sites in the mesentery and these have increased from a previous maximum of 4.1 to 6.2 SUV. (Not so good?)
At the pelvis no abnormal hypermetabolic uptake is detected. (Good)
Impression:
1. A new mesentery hypermetabolic lymph node has deveoloped over the interval.
2. Other sites of abnormal hypermetabolism show a mixed response since the prior study. Several sites show increased standard uptake values since the prior examination.
Too soon to get overly upset or concerned. Regardless of the outcome, we are ready to fight...again!
Findings: At the skull base and neck no abnormal hypermetabolic uptake is detected. (This sounds good)
At the thorax no abnormal hypermetabolic uptake is detected. (This also sounds good)
In the central upper abdomen there is a new mesenteric focus of increased activity, which measures 1.9 cm in diameter. It is centered at CT transverse section 156 with maximum SUV 4.8. (This doesn't sound good)
Three other sites of abnormal hypermetabolic uptake persist in the abdomen. Mesentery focus at CT transverse section 163 shows SUV of 2.4. This previously measured 5.3. (Mixed on this one)
Increased activity is seen at two other sites in the mesentery and these have increased from a previous maximum of 4.1 to 6.2 SUV. (Not so good?)
At the pelvis no abnormal hypermetabolic uptake is detected. (Good)
Impression:
1. A new mesentery hypermetabolic lymph node has deveoloped over the interval.
2. Other sites of abnormal hypermetabolism show a mixed response since the prior study. Several sites show increased standard uptake values since the prior examination.
Too soon to get overly upset or concerned. Regardless of the outcome, we are ready to fight...again!
Monday, September 19, 2011
My Attempt At Film Making
Okay, please don't judge the artistic value of this video. I wanted to do this before my upcoming PET Scan on 9/27/2011. I love the message in this song...I hope you do too.
Jimmy!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
What Is Happiness?
I recently read a neat quote..."Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time." I really liked this quote. We all know someone that never seems happy and we also know people that are happy no matter what happens. My own view of happiness has changed over the past 7 or 8 months. I've always considered myself a pretty happy person. Don't get me wrong, I have my bad days and can do better. Here are a few tips for happiness:
- Focus on the positive - I know this is very cliche' but it is true.
- Be happy today - I'm sure we all know people that are always looking for the next big thing and aren't happy today.
- Make happy deposits - Find those moments that you can recall during the less than happy times.
- Enjoy your family - They are a great source of joy.
- Be grateful - When we can be grateful for our challenges, we grow and appreciate it more when we overcome those challenges.
- Give more - While most of us think of money when we say "Give more", I think it is more important to give of yourself. Do what you can to make other people happy and your happiness will increase.
- Expect less - This doesn't mean we should lower our standards but if we always set the bar really high and rarely reach that bar, we will be disappointed.
Sorry to get philosophical on you but I've had a few experiences recently that made me realize that some people aren't happy and in most cases, it is their own fault. I love my sweetheart, she is a very happy person. My kids too! We laugh, we love eachother and we are happy. Life is good and we all should be happier!
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