Best wishes with everything this week!

Thinking of you every day, knowing that you are attacking this with the intense determination that only you can bring to it. Love that you changed the lyrics - they are awesome. Know you and your beautiful wife are in my thoughts and prayers.

Hugs

Donna

(p.s. I played online duplicate bridge the other day with a lady from VA - very close to you! You never know when I will show up in your area for a bridge tournament!!)

Perfect song. Thinking of you and wishing you all the best.

In my thoughts Charm xx

Okay Charm - so I see your last post was on Oct 2nd. I am wondering how you are doing but expect you are too busy being dedicated to treatment to post. When you are able, we look forward to an update. Know that we are all sending good vibes and/or prayers,

Hugs to you.

Donna

Donna

Unfortunately I've been "too busy being dedicated" not to my TX, but to dealing with unexpected bureaucratic complications from turning 65 this month. My insurance as a former federal employee, like many others, makes Medicare my primary insurance automatically while of course still keep charging me my same premiums plus I pay another $1,200 for Part B coverage. Don't get me wrong, it's still a better deal than most all Americans have.
The problem is twofold: (1) paperwork as apparently the default assumption is that between Sept 30th and October 1, I was miraculously cured and (2) I was born on the same day, different year, as my Dad so I have his name but with the traditional Jr. Medicare has my childhood legal name from Social Security but when I started working a half century ago, the computer systems did not have an entry field so there were no suffixes. So now all my medical records need to be "corrected' to show that I am still the same person and not my own son.
My feeding tube supplier has put my orders on hold until they get extensive records from my doctor and the name changes done. This morning I have to fill out new forms before the radiation and chemo in three different places in the hospital to show Medicare is primary . So I'm sending emails, faxes, and making irate phone calls. It didn't help that I had a bad synergistic reaction to Robinul and Zofran and carboplatin that had me doubled up with abdominal pain for two days while dry heaving.
Nothing I can't handle but it's very time consuming. I'm trying to look at it as funny in an existential absurdity way.
Oops, have to run to get to the hospital early to get new orders for blood work with my childhood name
Charm, Jr.

What a nightmare dealing with both insurance companies and bureaucracies! When I read your post, I thought of this song - hope it brings a smile. Karen

"I'm My Own Grandpa"

"Many, many years ago when I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow who was pretty as could be
This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her and soon they too were wed

"This made my dad my son-in-law and really changed my life
For now my daughter was my mother, 'cause she was my father's wife
And to complicate the matter, even though it brought me joy
I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy

"My little baby then became a brother-in-law to dad
And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad
For if he were my uncle, then that also made him brother
Of the widow's grownup daughter, who was of course my step-mother

"Father's wife then had a son who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild, for he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother and it makes me blue
Because although she is my wife, she's my grandmother too

"Now if my wife is my grandmother, then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it, it nearly drives me wild
'Cause now I have become the strangest 'case you ever saw
As husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa

"I'm my own grandpa, I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny, I know but it really is so
I'm my own grandpa"

Hey Charm, Jr. - I'm sorry about your reaction to the Robinal and Zofran but hopefully that's better now. Ahhh the paperwork involved! I think every survivor needs a secretary (in addition to a patient advocate) to take care of all the bureaucratic complications! What you've had to deal with does sound like the "I'm My Own Grandpa" song. I remember it well. When you mentioned turning 65 this month, I thought of the Beatles' song, thinking it was "When I'm 65". It's actually "When I'm 64" but if you've already turned 65, I'm sure you don't look a day over 64 so here is a Happy Birthday song for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2CISVP3ov4

Sheesh Charm. Hope this gets settled soon. I am not the least bit surprised that you are trying to see some humor in this. I would expect no less. That's why we love you!!
Hang in there you two!! Hope your belly is better.
Kathy

So let me get this straight....you are now "Old Frack Jr."??

Donna