Going Old School

Several of us here on staff have been given the opportunity to attend a Project Management class as part of our professional development program.  To be honest I think it’s an amazing opportunity not only for growth and job skill enhancement, but to be part of an organization like LIVESTRONG that values you enough to do something like this is very special.

I’m sitting here, though, trying to recall the last time I was in a true academic situation…  it has to be from when I was in the USAF and the best recollection I can think of was in the late 90’s.  Sure, I’ve been to one day training sessions and the like, but I’m talking no kidding night school here for 10 weeks straight – homework, taking notes, new classmates, mid term exam, etc.  But what’s different is the average age of the class: they’re a lot like me, and I’m 48.

Yes, there are more than a few younger folks – I’m guessing in their 30s but I’m a terrible guesser in this area - but no one fresh out of their teen years.  Many are there to get credentialed and work in the career field of Project Management, whereas a smaller group of us are there purely for the practical knowledge that it has to offer and how it applies to our jobs.

What really strikes me about this group, though, is that we all have considerable life experience from which we can draw on.  It’s not like back in the day in High School when I was learning how to factor equations for the first time and some very new knowledge was literally being poured into my noggin.  (Author’s note: I cannot factor an equation to save my life, or anyone else’s for that matter.)  And since Project Management is really an exercise in structured common sense and communication, there’s ample opportunity to cuss and discuss what the right way to really accomplish something is.

As I get ready to break out the books at lunch time, yellow highlighter at the ready, it’s a new challenge with an old familiar ring to it.  I find I want to succeed and yet have a slight fear of failure, wondering what kind of grade I can make along the way.  I like it, and hope that I don’t wait another 10+ years to make it happen, even if it’s old school. Ciao for now – Cb…

Cancer Complications, Cb Style

Following yesterday’s insight into the emotional side of Cb – and thanks for the many varied bits of feedback I got – I thought we’d delve a bit into the physical today…

I think when most people think of problems post cancer they think of things like recurrence, secondary cancers from treatment, emotional / mental issues, etc.  I get my own form of “fun” now 14+ years down the road in the form of abdominal surgery, and round four is coming up.

Back in November 1996 I chose to have a dramatic surgery called an RPLND (actually the name is much longer but not a need to know).  While the link has the details, you can try performing one at home simply by purchasing a fresh, intact (preferably dead) fish.  Carefully gut it, then once all the insides are out, put it all back together and sew it up nice.  Voila!  RPLND, sans the whole remove lymph nodes off interior back muscle wall, but you’ll get the gist.

All actually went very well for many years post op, but then a few years ago I had a hernia over the incision site.  My doc explained that because the RPLND had required such extensive suturing in the ab muscle walls, over time and effort it had simply failed.  Off to the operating table I went.  Back in September of 2010, another area failed and another hernia op was in the cards.  Only this time, due to so much cutting and pasting, a seroma had formed after, and then happily ruptured and wouldn’t heal completely. 

So in the next week or so, it’s back to the operating table again for a little walk in / limp out, hope you enjoy the pain meds(!) and THIS time we think we’ll finally have it figured out.  It’s not only the physical pain in the gut that’s making me think, it’s thanking my fortunate stars for the medical insurance I have or else I’d be tens of thousands of dollars in debt as well.

At the end of the day / this blog I hope the point that comes across is not “poor Chris” but rather a little more insight into life as a cancer survivor.  We have a closing line in our Manifesto that reads, “Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.”  No lie there – ciao for now – Cb…

PS - if you haven't watched the LIVESTRONG Manifesto video in the link above in a while, check it out below for the new international version.  Yep, I'm the shave your head guy, but also an amazing hand model, too! (grin)  Def one of the best projects I've ever been a part of....