Personal update

It is once again that time for me to give you all an update on my health and status.  I met with the doctors at the VA on Friday to talk about the upcoming surgery and the things that are going to be necessary to get it done.  Found out that I am going to probably have to go to the Tampa VA hospital in order for the surgery to take place because of how complicated my case is.  Because I have to be referred all over the VA system in order for this to happen, it is going to take a little while for all the appointments to come together.  Not to mention that the VA isn't noted for how fast it moves in such cases.  Once this surgery is done and they address the fact that my stoma has started to detach from the abdomen wall then it is on to a 48 week round of chemotherapy.  Now they have to wait till after the surgery because the chemo will affect my clotting ability and my white cell counts, my body will be in a repressed immune state and any invasive procedure after it starts would open me up to infection.

My viral load and T-cells are back to undetectable and normal range for a healthy person, so I am happy that we have that under control. We are finally working on getting the kidney functions back to where they need to be. I have been bouncing back and forth between stage 2 chronic renal disease and stage 3, but the new treatment plan should have that eradicated by the end of next month.  Liver functions are holding their own and the Hep C is not doing any damage thus far.  Overall besides the issues I am having with my colon and abdomen I am doing remarkably well.  I am feeling a lot better.

As most of you are aware I have been in my new place for a little over 2 weeks and things keep falling in line that are helping me with the situation that I am in and I am grateful that I am being so blessed and favored with such goodness.  I have even joined a church home and doing some meaningful work with them and also volunteering some of my time and energy to that cause.  I am still without furniture but have a few things to follow up on that might prove fruitful and help me in that area.

I finally heard from Kerry and Tony both and they are doing well.  Kerry is going to have surgery on Tuesday and I would ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  Tony is struggling right now and dealing with a lot of mental and emotional stress and is still out there suffering on the streets. I am hoping that I might be able to help him with that situation soon.  I talked to him for the first time since I came back from Atlanta back in September.  I am so glad to hear form him, I have been really worried I had heard that he was in the hospital and some other things.  Maybe I can finally get him down here and off the street for a little while.

Please read my blog entries on Suicide they are very important to me and I will be rounding out the series with what warning signs to look for and what protective factors we can use to help those that are in crisis.

As always my hopes and dreams are with you,

Uncle B