May 2010: John received his PET scan results back, HE IS STILL CANCER FREE! It is amazing! Thank the good Lord above! He gets over one hurdle there is another one waiting for him. He had to go for hernia surgery on Monday. He was so nervous. I think more nervous then when he had his bone marrow transplant. The surgery went great, he is doing fine. The doctor said he is healing as normal. John still has so many other issues to deal with besides his illness. I am sure if there happens to be a cancer patient, friend or family member of a cancer patient reading this blog, you will understand what I am talking about. John now has to deal with his employer, and his health insurance. John was diagnosed one year ago with this horrible illness. From what John and I understand, after one year you have to either go back to work or you will be terminated. The health insurance runs out and you are forced to go onto COBRA. Which we all know is expensive. I would like to know where companies expect people who are ill to get the money to pay for the insurance. If you don’t have a job, then where is the money coming from? Is there a magical money tree in our backyard? I just don’t get how they justify what they do. It just amazes me, and then I get angry and sad. I can only do so much. I am trying my absolute best to keep John’s small business going. It’s hard. He is going to have to sell it. I need to get a real job to pay for health insurance. It seems to be, or to me it does anyway, that people these days young and old are working so they can have health insurance. How sad. I will get off my soapbox about that issue.

Back to John, I know we can get threw this. We have weathered worse storms then this. With the strength and our love for each other, I think we are going to be ok. I have to say a big thanks to all our family and friend’s; it helps to know there is always an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on. PS - And the best doggie in the whole wide world!! Oliver Thomas Ferreira Parillo!!! ROCKS! He is the bestest. He always knows when Daddy doesn't feel good.... :0)

March 2010

Spring has finally come, and we have so much to be thankful for. John received the best news he could have ever received....CANCER FREE! He will still have to see the doctor to have a PET Scan done to be sure; "it" is truly gone! It has been one bumpy and amazing road. I still to this day cannot believe this happen to John. I guess it will be something I will truly never be able to wrap my head around it.


John has become, John again. He looks normal and is so acting normal. The only thing different is he cannot return to work at Coca Cola. The job is extremely physical and his body just could not take it. There are so many side effects, still, from the chemo that his body just couldn't keep up with that kind of labor, so John is out of work and at home driving me crazy. He has started to attach himself to Ebay. Selling. He has picked up this hobby if you will, it all started with a small tin can of old coins he found in our basement. He was thinking perhaps we had hit pay dirt and one of the coins or maybe some of the coins would be worth something. To his dismay, they were not. However, as he started to research and learn the history behind the coins, it brought up other interesting objects we had in our basement, which created "John the Antique Guy". He has been researching all kinds of stuff. He actually found some of his childhood toys in his Mom's attic. He did some research and found there are collectors for these toys and started selling all of his childhood toys. I will have to say it is interesting the history behind the toys, and how much they are worth to collectors etc. However, he has turned our living room into Ebay central! I feel for John I really do. I know it is hard, being at home, bored, not be able to work. There is only so much one can do during the day, especially if it is a rainy day! Yikes! Then what. You can't go outside and play. Well you could, but it wouldn't be much fun. Thank the good Lord above the good weather is on its way! I don't know what to suggest to him to do during the day when I am at work. I feel bad, but there is only so much one person can do and can take.
I am going a little crazy myself. It is hard, I can only do so much, I know it is hard on a person when you go from being ill, (I am speaking of John), being home bound and then being hospital bound, to coming home and having to adjust to being "normal" again. What an adjustment it takes on a person, mind and body.