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 A blog of no uncertain musings. What goes on in my mind is often a source of wonder to me. |
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My mind and my life are wonderous things ... as are yours, I'm sure. I have more slips of paper and pages of notebooks with musings and thoughts than I really know what to do with. Someone, actually several someones, have suggested I start a blog ... or a journal as a means of focusing some of this mental energy. To be honest, I don't even know what the difference between a 'journal' and 'blog' is--or if there even is a difference. Read on, my friends, and you can judge for yourself whether it even matters. And so....  I'm JACE. Yep ... that's me! And somewhere in all my writings my last name may be posted. But I'll just leave it at Jace for right now. I'm 70 years old and heading full tilt to 71. It's strange that while I'm going through some rather serious medical issues, I still consider myself to be in the prime of my life--pretty good shape physically AND mentally, though I don't run for competition anymore  . I love to ... dang, if I put this stuff here, I won't have anything for my blog.Guess you just have to be patient until such stuff leaks out.  Perhaps 2025, having embraced my retirement, will see more participation in my journaling efforts. Well, one can hope.... |
| I do like hot weather. I'd long enjoyed running in the Missouri summertime heat. But I have to say the older I get, the less I like to exercise in the heat. By exercise these days, I refer to my daily walks encouraged by my recent medical experiences. The current heat wave we're experiencing coupled with the higher humidity is prompting me to walk earlier than I did only three weeks ago. Before long, I'll be starting my walk at 6am--I've been leaving at 7. This has reminded me of my time as the Company Commander of Headquarters Company, 5th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in the mid-1980's. The 1st Sergeants of the five companies in the battalion would schedule Physical Training (PT) beginning at 7:30am daily. As it turns out, five companies of men descending on the Dining Facility for breakfast at the same time was almost unmanageable. One company First Sergeant decided to begin PT at 7am, allowing his men to be first in line at the Dining Facility. That lasted about a week before another 1st Sergeant moved his PT to 6:30. Next thing I knew, my 1st Sergeant had scheduled our PT at 5:30. But that left the men with an hour of downtime before the day's work was scheduled to begin. Downtime and soldiers was never a good combination. We went back to 7:30, leaving the remaining companies to fight over the early slots. And I got an extra hour and a half of sleep. 252 Words |
| Last month, I tried a reviewing experiment. What happens when a person completes just one review per day for an entire month? I completed a total of 30 reviews in June. Since I'm a member of "WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group"  , I affiliated each review with that review group. They, in turn, rewarded that review with a number of gift points pursuant to their mandate. The amounts varied a little depending on which group member was awarding that day, and perhaps how long the review was. Normally, as a member of "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" , I would have selected the item to be reviewed from the Anniversary listing, and I would have received GPs from that group too. But that group is on summer break; I received none from them.Additional gift points were awarded by the WDC system to me each day following the review in accordance with "Daily Review Rewards" . Since one review was completed daily, 100 GPs were awarded daily. Some additional gift points were awarded from "The Review Mixer" , which awards half a number of GPs to the reviewer (me) and the other half to the person being reviewed.Finally, I received some gift points of varying amounts as a thanks from some of the folks I reviewed. These GPs were not expected but were greatly appreciated. The tangible results of my experiment in June were as follows:  I received 75,850 GPs for my reviewing efforts, noted from my Gift Point Logs. (This is half the cost of a three-month Basic membership in ONE month. Oh, and I didn't take advantage of the Read & Review feature, which awards a reviewer a significant number of gift points when a review is completed within a certain time period.) I ended up as #6 on the Most Credited Reviewer list receiving a Reviewing MB for my efforts. (That was for only 30 reviews.) I received four Send A Review Achievement MBs for completing a month's worth of consecutive reviews.An intangible benefit is reading and reviewing various stories and poems from 30 unique members, most of whom I've never reviewed before. Plus, reviewing helps me improve my writing. After all, one should be correct when offering advice. Reviewing is such an important part of WDC. And the site offers many rewards promoting reviewing. They're yours for the taking. |
| When I wrote about my meeting with the University of Kansas Oncologist about enrolling in clinical trials to mitigate my cancer, I came away with a recommendation not to do clinical trials. See "To Medicate, or Not to Medicate" . But I needed to confirm with my Oncologist at the VA, who's responsible for monitoring my care, exactly what my treatment plan would be. I received a call Tuesday past from Dr. Pn's nurse telling me all the scheduled immunotherapy treatments would be cancelled--they were scheduled for every six-weeks as a backup to the clinical trials--and that my treatment plan for the coming year would be a blood test and two CT scans (Chest and Abdomen/Pelvis) every three months. Since my first scans were 6 June, the next will be in September. Honestly, I'm a little worried that three months isn't often enough. I mean, so much can happen. But Dr. Pn said she met with the cancer team and discussed my case with the result that this is the best treatment plan for me based on the testing results to date. Thinking back on the quality care I've received since my diagnosis and surgery, and my team's responsiveness to any question I had, I've decided to take that leap of faith. I'll continue working on the aspects I can control--drinking lots of water, exercising and modifying my diet. I have to admit that last one has been a real test for me. Hopefully, there'll be little on which to report. |
| Just met with a guy who my wife called an Insurance Adjuster. He didn't really 'adjust' anything, nor come up with an actual estimate. But he was a very affable guy, explaining what he was doing as he did it. Jeanette worked in the insurance business for more than 35 years, so she should know the terms. But I was talking with the guy and all he does is look at my car for the hail damage--the reason for calling the insurance company. He takes pictures, makes an estimate of the hail dings in the roof, hood and elsewhere, and sends all that information to someone at the company who actually comes up with the cost estimate. The last hailstorm in our area was this past March. I thought I had about 15 to 20 dings in my roof and hadn't planned to spend my $100 deductible on a few dings I could hardly see. He had a three-foot diameter screen that when held over the car revealed more than 250 dings ... on the roof alone! And he said once the repair folks came out with proper lighting, more dings might be shown. O-M-G, I thought someone will have to replace my roof. "Nope," he said. "The just drop the cloth covering inside the car and push out the dings from the inside." He added that they could come out and do it in my driveway. I think I'd like to watch that. My wife's son is trying to get into damage adjusting and this guy passed on a lot of useful information regarding this industry, like which companies to sign on with after passing his test. He strongly suggested her son get his drone's license--drones are being used more and more for getting exact measurements of a disaster or accident site, taking pictures from a wider range of vantage points, and so on. A drone won't alleviate the need for boots on the ground. But it does save a lot of tape measure grunt-work. The adjuster said most folks with older vehicles just take the estimate money passing on the repairs, a thought which I had considered. I wonder how much the estimate will be. |
| As I begin another week, I like to think about what I hope to accomplish this week. I've started doing this on Sunday morning since my diagnosis and surgery. That age old saw, 'we are not promised tomorrow' has much more meaning now. But first, we went floating yesterday on a rather calm, fairly low Gasconade River. As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, the day began overcast, even dropping a few raindrops on our way to the drop-off point. As soon as we started putting in the kayaks and canoes, the sun came out. My reward for praying for sun was a decent sunburn. This is why I seldom cook. Despite using sunscreen and wearing a shirt for part of our float, I still burn. If something involves heat, I can burn it. The Gasconade River follows a 280-mile meandering course from its headwaters near Seymour, Missouri, in a northwesterly direction emptying into the Missouri River several miles west of Hermann, Missouri. It's characterized by spectacular bluffs, some almost 100 meters high through dolomite and sandstone bedrock, providing fabulous scenery for our leisurely five-hour float. Earlier in the year, one might expect a quicker pace down the river. Our float was perfect. So, what was I talking about? Oh yeah .... This week, I'll continue working on my kitchen pamphlet. And, of course, try and maintain my exercise and WDC streaks. No major events to consider this week, which suits me fine. |
| The entire past week has been sunny and hot (90's). Today as I was out on my early morning walk, it started with mostly clear blue skies which clouded up by the end. And of course, today Jeanette's son and daughter, and their significant others are taking us on a float trip. Knowing how Missouri weather can change in a moment, I'm hoping for a shift back to standard sunny and hot. I prefer at least half my horizon to be dry. I really don't like getting wet from below AND above. And, because of my surgery, I'm relegated to drinking water. No beer today!  |
| Yesterday, I came across a blog entry of another member whose husband's two doctors are offering conflicting information regarding which medication he should be taking for his condition. It turns out, I have a similar situation. A few hours after I responded to that blog, I received a call from my VA Oncologist reminding me of my upcoming appointment, during which I have a blood test scheduled, a meeting my Oncologist, followed up with an immunotherapy treatment. That treatment had been put off several times while I pursued alternate treatment means, including potential clinical trials. I met with a University of Kansas Cancer Center Oncologist on 30 June, who strongly recommended that I not enroll in any current clinical trials since they were not geared toward my strain of kidney cancer. The anticipated adverse side-effects would far out-weigh the benefits I might reap ... if any. She also believes that the results of my surgery in April stated my cancer was removed and had not metastasized to other areas in my body, indicating no need for any follow-up immunotherapy at this time. Paraphrasing, to immunotherapize (VA recommendation), or conduct monitoring CT scans every three months (UKCC recommendation). Until shown otherwise, I'll pursue the monitoring CT scans. |
| Every morning for the past 79 days, I've taken a walk as part of myn recovery from cancer surgery. I started walking around our acre and a half yard until going in circles got old. Then I walked the dirt road on which we lived. In both cases, I walked past a huge Mimosa tree in our front yard. This tree, full of blooms this year, spanned more than 70 feet in the shape of a large umbrella. It was very much a centerpiece in our yard. And every day as i passed it on my walk, I'd think 'I need to take a picture of this tree with the sun shining through the leaves and flowers. And every day, I'd pass it by, content with the aroma of the flowers. Yesterday, a huge thunderstorm blew through, high winds and almost 2 inches of rain in three-quarters of an hour. Now our tree looks like this:  No longer will it display that magnificent presence to everyone passing by. Only time will tell if it survives such a loss of limb. I shoulda taken a picture coming home from one of those walks. I coulda taken that picture very easily with my phone. I woulda taken that picture after my walk ... but I got busy. I always tell myself if I don't write it down, it doesn't happen. I relied on my memory to go back and take the picture. It didn't happen. Don't let such moments pass you by. |
| Have you ever started a writing project and finally gotten it to where you're ready to post it ... and a thought occurs to you that you can't seem to ignore? This thought is going to take you to a place in the project you hadn't considered. It will involve some additions, several re-writes, and much more time before you can post your desired document. Of course, this diversion cannot be dismissed; it will enhance your project. That's where I am with my project, So, You Want a New Kitchen. I figured I could explain the concepts regarding remodeling one's kitchen simply. But simply leads to more questions. It's like a Hydra--cut off one head and two more grow back. The project certainly won't get done with me writing here. Time to lay down the sword and pick up the pen. Later .... |
| My wife loves watching cooking shows, especially the ones that pit chefs against other chefs. I suppose that's most of those shows. Anyway, she never cooks any of the dishes that are made ... thank God in most cases. One show had a chef telling the judges that she had over-seasoned her dish because her palette was exhausted. I happened to mention to my wife that I'd have to remember that excuse the next time she cooked liver. I know now that was the wrong thing to say.  |
| Good morning, and Happy 4th of July! Despite the current turmoil happening around us, I still believe in this great country. This morning as I went for my daily 2-mile walk, the day was perfect. Temp was 72, humidity just under 50%, and the sun was shining. And no cars were kicking up dust as usually happens when folks head in to work. We live in the country on a dirt road. The County Commissioners send a grader out once a month to smooth the road, getting rid of the potholes. Yesterday was that day. So, no cars raising dust and no potholes to avoid. Great day for a walk. Yeah, not an overly interesting post today, I suppose. But as my walks generally take about 35-40 minutes, I have lots of time to think--about completing the kitchen pamphlet I'm working on; about fulfilling the judging duties for June's official WDC Quotation Inspiration contest; about writing my monthly Noticing Newbies newsletter; and after kicking these topics around, spending my remaining walk with Gordon Lightfoot and reminiscing about the old days. I spend every walk listening to music. Today I enjoyed one of my favorite albums--Gord's Gold, a 1975 double album by Gordon Lightfoot. I figure many folks listen to music as they exercise. So ... what music do you listen to when you work out? |
| I went to my Clinical Trials consultation Monday with a number of specific questions to ask. I’d heard about both horror and success stories that had come out of such trials, though the horror ones stuck with me. I wanted to be sure what I was getting into. A very good friend, Ms. B, whom I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, had gone through such treatments and offered some questions to ask. Sad to say, I didn’t get to ask these questions as I decided not to pursue the trials. But, I’d like to offer her list on the off-chance someone reading my blog might be faced with the option of undergoing clinical trials (or some other medical procedure) in their future. 1. Why should I consider a clinical trial? 2. What makes clinical trials better than alternative treatments? 3. Are other treatments available? 4. Is this a placebo-controlled trial? 5. Will my insurance cover the costs? Will I have other costs in the future? 6. How will treatments affect my every day life? 7. Will I have a primary contact throughout the trials? 8. Will all the doctors handling this treatment/case keep in contact with each other? 9. Will I be able to leave the trials before they are completed? 10. What specific reasons are allowed for leaving early? 11. How often would blood tests, scans, and other procedures happen? 12. How will the trial affect current medications I’m taking? 13. Will I need to be hospitalized at any time during the trials? 14. How long is the trial? 15. How long are individual sessions? 16. What would be my commitment after the trial is ended? 17. Will the results of the trial be made available to me? Substitute your procedure for 'clinical trials.' And, you may have additional questions for your specific circumstances. Best of luck with any medical endeavors. Drop me a note if these questions helped you out; I’d love to know. |
| June is over, a month never to be repeated. And we're now on the downward slide to the end of 2025. I wish to thank StephBee and ⱲєbⱲitϚћ is 18 for sponsoring a Blogging contest in June as part of "The Bard's Hall Contest" . While I've been using my blog to document my journey with kidney cancer for more months than just June, your encouragement fostered more entries in June than any previous month. Thank you. And a huge THANKS to all the members, friends and family who have frequented my blog, sending your encouragement. I hadn't been a regular blogger before. I have to say, it's growing on me. Plus, these entries are something I can leave for my kids--who knows, they may even like reading them. On to my news of the day. I met yesterday with an Oncologist with the University of Kansas Cancer Center to determine further treatment plans for me. I arrived thinking the consultation was to see if I qualified for any on-going immunotherapy clinical trials for my specific strain of kidney cancer. It turns out I'm part of a very small group of only 15% of folks with my strain of kidney cancer. My doctor strongly advised me not to pursue the rather new trials for that 15% group. Her reasoning made absolute sense. Those trials are designed for persons who have Stage 4 kidney cancer, which has metastasized (or spread) to other areas of the body, especially lymph nodes, lungs, bones, etc. I'm at Stage 3 as determined by the successful surgery to remove a lone, though large tumor and the right kidney to which it was attached. My cancer has not metastasized. She explained the history of the more than 20 years of trials for the 85% group. Big Pharma is loath to put large sums of money into testing and developing drugs for such small groups. That's why all the testing has been done for the tens of thousands of patients (85%) over those 20-plus years, thereby making big bucks for the pharmaceutical companies. (This is me paraphrasing; my doctor was much more diplomatic with her explanation.) She concluded by saying the breakthrough for treatment of that 85% has only come in the past two years. Side effects, some extremely severe, plagued those trials for many years. She believed any benefits I might receive from the newer trials for my strain would be far overshadowed by potentially severe side effects. My best course of action would be to implement a series of CT scans every three months for the first couple years, moving to twice a year for a couple years, and then, if scans were still warranted, annually. My situation would be reevaluated after each scan. It's not that "do nothing" option; but it allows me to continue living without ill side effects, while checking me out periodically. I've not been pronounced cured, but I am more hopeful for the future. |
| Tomorrow's the day I meet with doctors from the University of Kansas Cancer Center for a consultation regarding my potential entry into a kidney cancer clinical trial. Since I have to arrive for check-in by 12:30 pm and it's a 3-hour plus drive to KC, I'll have to decide whether to do my morning walk or work on my daily WDC tasks. I have a streak going in both areas, and rushing to do both before leaving seems too much. Decisions, decisions. Since it'll be a long day, we'll stay the night at Jeanette's daughter's house in KC. Must remember to take my laptop. I'm off to jot down all the questions I've thought of to ask at the consultation. 142 Words "The Bard's Hall Contest" Tagging: StephBee and ⱲєbⱲitϚћ is 18 Ladies, I'm sure you'll be glad this is my last entry for June. Thanks for spending time with me. |
| While I'm organizing my thoughts about that kitchen pamphlet, I thought I'd chat about a fund-raiser that Jeanette and I attended last night. Our local Kiwanis Club sponsored an event last night called Singo, which is a musical Bingo game. You may have heard of it, but we hadn't. Jeanette's son and his girlfriend had played before and invited us along. Held at our local micro-brewery, the venue featured great beer, and super sandwiches & pizza. Basically, you pay $40 for two cards (it IS a fund-raiser, after all)--one card features titles of 70's Retro music, the other card contains Party List songs. Each card allows for three games--one line, two lines and full card—each offering cash prizes. The emcee plays musical clips of songs from the card's era. If you have the title of the song being played, cross it off. It was awesome to hear close to a hundred folks all singing the songs as they were played. Sweet Caroline was sung with particular gusto. And I won $50 for crossing off ALL the song titles of the 70’s Retro card. I had to tell everyone that 70’s music is NOT retro—it just IS the best decade for music. With good friends and family, Singo was a singularly great time. |
| Author’s Note: This and my previous entry, "So, You Want a New Kitchen" , were written about just one facet of my life primarily for my family. I included them just to establish some measure of expertise in the arena of remodeling or replacing an existing kitchen. My last day in the Army was 31 Aug,1992. The next day marked my first official day in business. From a more than adequate monthly paycheck with benefits and vacation to no paycheck on the horizon and no benefits of any kind. I just knew I wanted to work with my hands building something from the ground up. We were lucky though; well, I did plan ahead. We had a nest egg to help us survive while the business grew. I cashed in 60 days of leave when I left the Army, worth two months of my Major’s salary, and because I took advantage of an Early Out Program after the First Gulf War, I received a lump sum severance from the Army. That would last us about a year after paying some bills. Even with that, the road ahead looked daunting. The lack of capital is the primary reason a small business fails in the first year. While I had that part under control, I knew we had an uphill climb. It wasn’t until I walked downstairs to the garage the next morning that the gravity of the situation hit me. I looked around my two-car garage turned shop and saw a few hand tools on a bench, some lumber I’d purchased stacked along a wall, and one 12-year-old Shopsmith. I remember thinking two things: this seems like a lot of space for a shop, and what the hell was I doing? My answer to both things--I had NO idea. Over the coming weeks, I finished outfitting the shop with additional tools I would need along with storage racks and pegboard on the walls. And I did a lot of reading—about business principles, woodworking plans, and IRS pamphlets from the library about setting up a business. It was three weeks before I made any sawdust. Once I did, there was no going back. My first set of custom-made kitchen cabinets happened in a most unusual way. I was approaching the end of my second year in business, and picking up supplies at a local lumber center where I met my insurance agent’s husband. He was the manager at the center. His wife had told him I did woodworking, and since they were completely remodeling their house, asked me to give him an estimate for some new kitchen cabinets. I was surprised as the center sold kitchen cabinets. I’d been trying to get into making cabinetry for months. Talk about getting thrown into the deep end to learn to swim. I’d read books on the subject, and I could see how NOT to make cabinets from the ones in my kitchen. But I was woefully unprepared for the financial end of building and the techniques for installing a kitchen. I mean, a cabinet is just a box with a door on the front. Right? Measuring and designing the kitchen was the easy part; preparing the estimate was not. Using graph paper, I sketched out the kitchen, as well as the individual cabinets to be sure I bought enough material to complete the job. In 1994, I was still using a DOS-based computer, and if any CAD software existed, it was way out of my price range. So, long-hand it was. Actually, I learned pretty quickly how to complete an estimate. That first one took almost a week to complete, though in fairness I checked a lot of resources to be sure I included everything I needed. The problem was, I wasn’t building anything while I was preparing those estimates. Within a year I was down to a long day’s worth of drawing and figuring. In mid-1996, I was contacted by a smaller contractor who was scheduled to build ten homes in a new development over the following two years. To date, I’d only dealt with the homeowner for their cabinetry. The contractor’s usual cabinet-maker had some health issues and was unable to handle the projects. I signed up for the first two as a trial run for us both, and because I was still working out of my garage. Things would have to change on several fronts to handle this much work. Change I did. First, biting the bullet, I purchased some proprietary CAD software that provided both drawings and estimates in as little as three hours (once I learned the software, of course). The software, called Cabnetware, set me back $6500.00, which included a technician who installed the DOS based software and set up all the parameters that told the software how to draw the cabinet diagrams. For example, did each cabinet have a face frame with a raised panel door on the front of the frame, or inset (flush) with that frame? Sounds complex, huh? It took that technician more than 11 hours to input all the parameters needed to generate the drawings. And he knew what he was doing. But I quickly learned how to use the software. Next, I would need specialized woodworking equipment to reduce my construction time. Again fortune favored me. I found a three-day woodworking conference with displays of different equipment and materials available, as well as seminars on woodworking techniques and equipment use. I found just what I needed—two pieces of equipment that reduced my construction time of an average kitchen of 16 to 18 base and upper cabinets from three months to three weeks. By myself. Installation time was extra. Finally, I would need to find a commercial building for constructing, finishing and storing completed cabinets. My garage had no place for storing finished kitchens. And now, I was ready for installation before the contractor was ready for me. By the end of the 90’s decade, I had designed, constructed, finished and installed 26 kitchens with two-thirds of the kitchens in new construction housing versus replacing kitchens in an existing house. By the time I retired 25 years later, I’d completed more than 300 kitchens, many with bathroom cabinetry, plus another 300 or more major projects including entertainment centers, closet systems, garage storage, pantry storage, bookcase systems, laundry room cabinets, and bedroom suites. Several banks and commercial businesses in the area use my cabinetry and counters. My motto was “If it’s in wood, I can build it!” When I re-read these numbers, they seemed low. But then, add a couple thousand small projects such as frames for stained glass, tables, desks, replacement counters, gift items, and so much more over these years. Christmas used to be particularly troublesome for me. Folks would wait until the last minute to ask for this gift or that to be made in time for Christmas. They would blow right through my published deadlines. I hated to say no, but finally realized my sanity trumped the insensitivity of waiting until the last minute. All the above validates my knowledge about what works in a kitchen and what doesn’t. I don’t claim to know everything … but I believe there’s little I haven’t seen or tried. Sorry for my wordiness, but trying to cram 33 years into this space has been a labor (of love). If you’ve stuck with me this long, hold fast. The how’s and why’s of a replacement kitchen is coming. |
A little over a week ago, one of my day's accomplishments was purchasing a Prime Rib roast in honor of my daughter's family's visit. Our tradition is that whether we visit them or they us, I pay for a Prime Rib and my son-in-law graciously and expertly cooks it. My wife took pictures of the before and the during (the actual cooking of said item). But I got the important pic: John is a true artist when cooking a Prime Rib. He maintains a spreadsheet with data on all the roasts he's cooked over the past ten years or so, and that's three or four a year. It is an all day experience to watch him work. The roast sits for at least three hours after coming out of the refrigerator where it's been aging in cheesecloth for the past five days. Before cooking, he tracks the temperature of the roast just under the surface and again in the interior as it approaches room temperature. He uses two digital thermometers to track these temps, as well as the meat temperatures every 15 minutes during cooking. There's much more to his technique, but you get the gist. When John discovered my wife grows her own rosemary in her herb garden, he decided to add her fresh rosemary, roasted in the oven ahead of time and finely chopped, to his own dry-rub spices mix. An excellent addition I have to say. The proof of his diligence is in the tasting. Much, much better than any restaurant effort I've even tasted. Also, a tradition--of sorts--is we've never paid full price for a Prime Rib roast. The last three times we visited my daughter, she ordered the roast, and the butcher or store messed up the order each time. Once we paid half price for their mistake; another time she received a 33% discount. The third time, John tried to pay for the roast at the self-checkout, which was rejected. Turns out there is a $100 limit per item according to the guy monitoring the counter. Before John could head for the full check-out, the guy over-rode the cost, setting it at $99, a savings of almost $80. In our case, the butcher gave us a Choice prime rib, which we didn't notice until we got home. It had taken two days for this to come in at the butchers, which was a 40-minute drive one-way from home. So we had to wait another two days for a true prime Prime Rib to come in and drive back up to get it. For our inconvenience, he charged the Choice cost, or $3.50/lb less, saving us almost $50. Every little bit helps. It was a true feast celebrated with family. |
| I consider myself to be extremely blessed for the care I've received so far and the anticipated care to come. A few days ago, I received four things in the mail regarding my medical situation. The first was the approval letter for my referral for a consultation for possible cancer clinical trials. I guess this is my approval to meet for the approval to enter the trials appropriate for my specific type of cancer. That meeting is scheduled next week at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. The next item was a very nice full color Patient Resource Guide. I'm sure the guide is designed to make a prospective patient feel welcome. It certainly did for me. The information contained within put a few fears at ease. After all, this consultation may determine some or all of my treatment for the coming year. The guide even provided a list of questions to ask the doctor, some of which I hadn't thought about. The third item was the approval from the VA to pay for any care I received from the Univ. of Kansas. One load off my mind. Finally, I received a genetic testing kit from the VA to determine if my form of cancer might be hereditary. I recently had a video consultation with the VA on that subject. I was concerned that my children and other relatives might be at risk. They offered me a choice for a blood draw or nasal swab with both tests having the same effectiveness. Obviously, my dislike of needles prompted the latter test. I'm pretty sure my cancer is not hereditary ... but better safe than sorry. And my walks continue, although the feels-like temperature this morning at 7:30 am was already 83. But I think our major heat has moved on to the east coast and northeast US. |
| To date, I’ve completed 2242 reviews. Two-thirds of those reviews were completed within the first four years of my membership. Like many members, life’s events determine one’s participation here. It ebbs and flows. In my case, a divorce, a re-marriage, a business that bloomed and other events that consumed my personal time took precedence over WDC. Blasphemy, you say. Necessary, I say. Still, I missed the camaraderie of members I “grew” up with on site. Some of those folks disappeared or went dormant like me for a period of time. New members came and stepped up with their participation. While I never really stopped coming, I did step back. My hiatus from reviewing tells my story. In my Notepad, I have a page on which I’ve listed all my accomplishment and achievements, and when they occurred—promotions, activities that are tracked on one’s Community tab, every 100 qualified reviews, and so on. Honestly, that list helps keep me focused on maintaining my participation on WDC. The list also tells me how important reviewing was to me in my early days. As a Newbie (my first six months), I completed approximately 700 qualified reviews. I’d completed 1400 within my first four years. Then I slowed way down, completing fewer than 100 reviews during the next eight years. But I believe the quality of my reviews remained high, having received half of my Reviewing MBs in those four years. The remainder of my 63 Reviewing MBs were awarded in the past four years. In the immortal words of Will Sonnett, “No brag; just fact.”1 I’m trying to point out that we all have lives and WDC ranks at some level on the spectrum—sometimes higher; sometimes lower. Life affords me the opportunity at present to have a higher participation factor. I really missed the site during my middle membership years. I checked in daily, posting in some Help files and completing an occasional review. But I missed the interaction and camaraderie. That’s what brought me back. And I’m here to stay. Do you have ups and downs in your WDC participation? What brought you back? 1 A favored mantra from The Guns of Will Sonnett, an American Western television series set in the 1870s that was broadcast in color on the ABC television network from 1967 to 1969, starring Walter Brennan. |
I’m doing an experiment--a reviewing experiment. I’m trying to find out if and where I might land on the Most Credited Reviewer list by completing just one review each day for one calendar month. Normally, I would do anywhere from one to four reviews in a day, with at least one per day. If I had time, I would do two or three more reviews on any given day. For a while I was doing between 30 and 60 reviews a month. The award for those on the Most Credited Reviewer list is the Reviewing Merit Badge, which is given monthly by Writing.Com Support to the top 100 reviewers based on criteria cited below. This explanation is taken from the page header for Most Credited Reviewer: Most Credited Reviewers are found by tabulating the Public Reviewing Credits of our members and ranking them. Ranking is determined by combining the credits earned and the Reviewer Influence of those awarding Gift Points. Our Top Reviewers List consists of the most active and influential Public Reviewers on Writing.Com. For more information on this process, please see "Reviewing Credits" and "Reviewing @ Writing.Com" .I believe reviewing is a very important tenet of Writing.Com, along with writing and general membership participation. Awards for the latter two facets can be found in entering contests, the daily Achievement awards, and personal recognition from other members. Tomorrow, I'll add a little history of my participation on WDC as a nostalgic look back to how I got here today. |
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