8-21-2010

8-21-2010

"You can’t control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth. You can’t control the contour of your face, but you can control its expression. You can’t control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind.  Why worry about the things you can’t control, when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?"


I wanted to take a moment to update everyone on my journey since my last update in May.  I have spent 60 hours in a Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber this summer mending from the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy.  I had some surgery on July 23rd at which time I had dental implant posts drilled into my jaw so that I could have “my molars” back which were removed prior to radiation treatments last spring as a precaution. My surgeon was a great guy who I affectionately referred to as “Bob the Builder” as he worked in my mouth with drill bits and ratchets while implanting the posts into my jaw.  I decided to stay awake throughout the process given potential concerns with anesthesia.  Dr. Fridrich even offered to place a “sticker” on my forehead to show his appreciation for being a “good patient”.  My kind of guy!   Other than looking like “Jabba the Hut” for a day or two after surgery, I came out of it pretty well.  Tests indicate I’m still cancer free and I’m excited about that news as you can well imagine. I will need to heal for the next three months at which point I can have my molar implants attached!  No more oatmeal and cottage cheese!!  As Randy Pausch shared in his “Last Lecture”… “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”, so I’m looking for a “hand” that includes some solid food and a chance to once again taste things!!!  Ahh… the little things that we often take for granted can become so special.

My HBO treatments have been taking place at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, and once again, I have had excellent care givers who have made the experience such a positive one.  I had to have ear tubes placed in my ears early on during treatments due to pressure during the “dives”.  Survived that and have finally completed my 30th and final dive so I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and it looks pretty positive. 

School starts on August 25th and I have been busy getting ready to kick off yet another year with students and staff and feel blessed to be able to be back working with a group of students and staff that I truly love.  I continue to read and have incorporated some thoughts into my opening presentation to students and staff from Steve Siemens who owns and operates the “Building Positive People” Corporation based in West Des Moines.  It goes like this:

"You can’t control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth. You can’t control the contour of your face, but you can control its expression. You can’t control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind.  Why worry about the things you can’t control, when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?"

I plan to keep myself busy this year with the “things in my life that depend on me”, my family, my students and my staff here at Holmes Junior High.  I want to once again thank all of you for your continued love and support of both me and my family as we have taken this journey together.  I would encourage you to pick up the book 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper as well as his most recent release titled Daily Devotions Inspired by 90 Minutes in Heaven as both have provided me with some wonderful guidance this past summer.  In it, Don shares 90 readings that address the everyday hardships everyone endures while offering suggestions on how to find serenity in dealing with life’s trials.  May each of you continue to be filled with God’s Peace and Joy as we each overcome obstacles we face in our daily lives while seizing every moment to live our lives to their fullest!