THYROID

Fortunately,  this adventure has more than one trail or this would be a very short book.  Now it does have a main trail and that's my thyroid cancer but it does have others that I'll acquaint you with as we go along but let's start with the main one.  I was 54 years old and Sundays I'd walk a couple hrous with two doctors and a conservative who thought he was God's gift to Guam.  I was with one of the docs when I said "What is it that when I yawn it clicks?"  Dr. Tom felt my throat and then said  "Maybe you ought to com down to the clinic today."  Now I know what you're thinking.  What doctor works in an open clinic on Sunday?  But he did and I was there finding out that I had something on my thyroid gland.  Obviously, a biopsy was in order but my body has always been rather difficult to work with (case in point: push-ups) and I took this one and three others with all of them coming back Can Not Determine. It was at this time that my new epidemiologist  (he took the third one)"If it keeps coming back (my click) its cancer."  

So finally in 2006 I had my thyroid out with the biopsy done in the middle of the operation strongly indicating that there was, indeed, cancer.  This was all done to the satisfaction on the good people of St. Luke's Hospital in Manila,PI.  I was there about a week.  Missed my kids terribly with the highlight being shaving my face with the dullest razor they could find in the whole hospital.                                  ;

PREFACE--THE ADVENTURE IN MY DEATH

As I begin writing this I'm 73 years old, just moved to Danville, NH from Jacksonville, FL to live wih my brother, and have a diagnosis of Metastatic Plural Cacinoma.  When I was talking to my brother about coming to live with him and how I was not excited about winters in NH his reply was "Heck, i'm not even sire you're going to make the winter.".`

Herb is a retired doctor and a Buddist. His experiences have not left him with a kean sense of humor or really any sense of humor but I did appreciate that line that ended the last paragraph.. Bravo Herby.

Contiuing, I'm an old school teacher, librarian, jock, kinda divorced from a Russian wife.  I have a step-daughter who's in IT  and a son who tends bar in NYC while he waits for his big break and he is talented so I've no doubt it will eventually come.  (I've told him he's my only hope of getting into Wikipedia as his father.)

I grew up in SDak.  Played baseball and football at Black Hills State.  Taught on Guam, in Venezuela, Turkey, and the Isle of Wight, UK. Always beeneen a clean liver and, though I've had a great time, given the opportunity, I might have asked THE UNIVERSE for just a little more time to throw a few more baseballs down in Ft. Myers.  But that's another story.

As for this story, this is going to be my last big adventure.  Everybody has to do it and it doesn't end well ... or maybe it does.  We won't know till the light and the tunnel, or St Peter at the Gates, or maybe some guy with a tail saying "Bend over rookie!!"  Seriously, I really hope it's not that last one.

...New Plan.

 So, here's the...  I'm moving to go live with my brother, Herb in Danville, NH.  All the things wrong with me say this should be a good idea since Herb is a retired DO and I've no doubt he will keep me very well informed on my chest fluid, cancer, a-fib, chest allergy, needed knee replacement and, of course, my rt hand that doesn't work and my left that's slowly going south.  When I expressed reluctance about NH's winter he said words to the effect of  "Oh don't worry about that.  I'm not even sure you'll make the winter."  What could go wrong?  

 With all of my continuing health problems and the fact that Rick had done one that was historically incorrect about my father, I decided to write up an obit bio ... and do it My Way.

     I was born (8.3.1950) and raised in Watertown, South Dakota by Ralph H. and Caroline A. (nee Schmidt) Meyer.  I was the first of 5 brothers with Joe, Herb, Rick and Mark following. I played a lot of sports for the Watertown Arrows and the local legion baseball team which we named the Lakers coming home from an away game in Coach Dale McElhany's car. 

     High School was fun with highlights being Jeanette Deville asking me to the Tuck Formal and Coach Gene Schlekeway telling me I was going with him and Mike Murphy to his new coaching position at Black Hills State.  At BH I majored in Math and PE, started all 4 years in both football and baseball and even had the Cincinnati Reds interested until they saw my 40yd dash time. 

     After college there were a couple summers working up at Glacier National Park, a cold winter working on I-29, and a motor trip around the US, before Guam called with a Math Teacher opening.  Two years on Guam, a year teaching PE in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and Math again in Istanbul, Turkey, and I thought my adventure bona fides were set until Jeff Amy asked me “What’s the matter couldn’t you find a job in the States?”

     It was at this time that my parents had tired of Club 20 and were spending an extended working vacation in Reno.  They (my mother) invited me to come too, so there I was.  The next 4 years were crazy.  I’ll summarize it with Reno-Guam-Tampa-Guam and Tammy. 

     After, I was to spend the next 30+ years on Guam with one on the Isle of Wight, UK.  Always looking for the easiest job that paid the most money, I got a Masters degree in Library Science from UHawaii and switched over to the best job in school i.e. School Librarian. 

     And... there was also taking time off to go to the USSR to look for a wife.  I found one too with Lyaylya Raymanova who came to Guam with her 3 year old daughter Asiya.  We had Reed 4 years later. 

     Asiya is now an IT security professional in Fargo.  Reed’s in NYC and worries about me and varies between bartending and being a personal trainer. Good luck guys.  I’ll try to pass on a couple bucks.

Comments?  Always looking for help...

Continuing...

 About this time it's another cancer maintenance checkup and Dr. Perkins has good news and bad.  My mannose  low cost therapy seems to be working fine but I've got fluid around my right lung, a lot of fluid.  So its back to Dr. Modi to get it out.  A week later I'm with Modi and his 4 angels, getting stabbed with a long needle but less uncomfortable than I thought it was going to be.  After the procedure one of the angels told me I was The Champion.  At 3 quarts she'd never seen that much fluid taken out of somebody.  I encouraged them to send that info to Black Hills State as it might help me in my Hall of Fame quest.  And... Barbara finally realizes that I am sick and not just shirking a few household duties.

Catching the Blog up...

Sorry about the lateness but better late...  So I took a trip to Guam to see everybody.  Felt really good when Juanita Alcantra said "Welcome home".  Told everybody it was my  "Atonement Tour".  Saw a lot of good friends but nothing really seemed to be holding me there so after a month I was back on a plane.  The leg from Honolulu to Denver was particularly cold and, sure enough I came down with something 2 days after getting back.  My guess was the latest Covid variation but when I finally went to Acute Care they said no Covid  but with my shot history, etc, it could be Long Covid.  So I'm sick for a month with a couple days where I felt better sprinkled in

REED SPEAKS

The beginning of 2024 marks the end of our second year in New York and it has been an eventful one. It seems like 2023 went by so fast, yet looking back on it, we had some incredible experiences not just in the city, but in multiple countries. Jade’s work is really starting to take off. She traveled to Ireland, the Bahamas, and all over the US for some big-time gigs, including opening up TWO Fontainebleau Resorts. She's starting to turn some heads in her industry and I’m so proud of the work she’s been doing. 

I was working at the same bar for half the year, then switched over to a higher-end cocktail bar in Brooklyn in August. It’s been a challenge since the cocktails are very eclectic with all kinds of ingredients that I had never heard of prior to working there. It’s been a true learning experience there and it forced me to become a much more technically sound bartender. It’s also nice to finally have coworkers. 

The last two months of the year I have been studying to take my CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) exam and on Jan. 2 I passed it! I will be working at the gym I frequent starting next week (probably). 

We did quite a bit of traveling this year as well. In February, Jade and I went to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for our anniversary. We stayed in an all inclusive resort out there. It was such an incredible experience and honestly reminded me of Guam quite a bit. In May we drove up to Montreal for my birthday and explored for a few days. Montreal is a fun city with amazing people everywhere. Everyone has a great sense of humor as well. Our last big trip was to Costa Rica in August for Jade’s birthday. That trip was absolutely the highlight of our year. The food was great, we met all kinds of amazing folks, including a bunch of ex-pats that were living around the area of our AirBnb. It saw monkeys, alligators, all kinds of cool birds, and even had an adorable kitten hanging out with us at our place. There was no shortage of hikes and excursions to participate in and we definitely got to experience the area fully. We finished off that trip with a little visit to Florida, stopping by to see mom in Sanford, then staying in Jax with Jade’s sister for a few days. 

Aside from work and travel, the city has also been pretty good to us this year. My high school buddies, Kai and Moses are living out here too so we’ve been getting together for nights out or for little house parties whenever we’ve been able to. There’s no shortage of concerts or comedy shows to attend out here as well so Jade and I try to get out and experience the city as much as we can. 

Overall 2023 was an eventful year, and I have some good momentum going into the New Year. I’m looking forward to starting my new career as a trainer, and hopefully this will get me closer to a job with the Knicks or Nets. Hey, a kid can dream can’t he??