Wow, I placed what I thought was a photograph of me for my many fans but alas there appeared a picture of my GRANDFATHER. So naturally I didn't want anyone to see the real me, so I deleted the picture.ah ah vanity still lives...

Today is Friday finally, the days seem to run together when we are having fun don't they?
Ya know some clear thinking person will come up with a restaurant and call it TGIF Fridays...will most likely be a huge hit with the boomer generation. ya think?

This month is officially "Prostate Month" I guess to call attention to a disease for what can we do about it? Lets all call our friends and tell them about it.

I saw a half page ad in the USAToday paper from a pharmecutcal company touting a new pill. These advertising guys and gals are really something. They will do most anything to make a buck. "Hey guys" Prostate cancer is on sale this month, hurry before we sell out of this new pill" Use your credit card.

I think it's about time for a good cup-o-coffee, don't you?

Welcome back Don, thank you ,it's nice to be back. I have missed you all. Those cards and letters keep on coming.
You have been wondering "what has happened to "smilin Jack"? The all american boy..The boy is now a man who has the usual things going on.
Biggest thing is that the doctors at the VA have decided not to include me in any study to shoot radiation into my prostate. I like the story of "Smilin Jack" and "The shadow", any of you rtemember the shadow? The shadow knows what evil lurks in the heart of man.Old radio shows were good years ago.
The doctors observed that the rewards were not worth the additional risks, so instead gave me a big needle in my stomach to insert some sort of hormone.
I will get a shot every 3 months, expensive but will live longer. "who knows?"
The main purpose of telling you this stuff is that some of you may have the same disease. Cancer is not too good for people.
At age 77 I expect about 6 to 8 years to go. I am working on building a web site and it's a lot of frustration but fun...
The cancer will be begine. The spell check on this PC came up with bikini for that word....begignem begine or just not worth worrying about right now.

So friends and neighbors, keep them cards and letters coming..and keep smilin Jack ...rounding third and heading for home...Love to you all...

Good Morning to all members of this fine Blogging site..

I just had an idea for you. You can email me and ask any question you may have on this subject. We all are getting older so don't wait too long to ask your questions. Not all at once now, the server may get overloaded and just simply break.

Why don't you click on based on the alphabet...Your last name starts with an "A", you email me on Monday, "B" email me on Tuesday and so on...will be fun..

Northwestern Life Insurance Company has a nice little article out that I'll send to you when I find it again...It's something about clean living and living longer..will be fun to know how long we all have to finish up our duties on this particular earth..

I am designing a web site about commercial real estate. The research shows that there is not a whole lot of interest in that subject but it's all I know about so I can write usiing no notes.. It's all in my head but I need hurry as some cells are going south on me. Cheers and don't forget to keep sending them cards and letters....Until next time, this is Don rounding third and heading for home...Keep sming Jack

Hopefully this little Blog does not turn into a pesonal plea for your sympathy...This is to be in a position to pass on to you all some aging stuff to halp you along the way...

I just got home from having a colonescopy, may be wrong spelling but you know what I am saying. For those of you who are putting off getting this procedure, don't put it off because you have a little fear of Doctors, pain, time lost , etc for whatever reason.

The procedure was a piece of cake, the sedation put me out like a light and it was all over in a very short time. I am lucky, not cancer, no nothing to worry about. The Doctor told me daughter that I would have another ten years to go. I couldn't get it in writing however.

So the lesson for the day is go take care of these little tests and procedures as the Doctors recommend. Took about a day, getting ready and all.

My next procedure won't be quite so easy, it will be a biopsy of the prostate. Afew weeks and that will be over also. They will needle in some radiation pellets directly into the prostate and into any cancer they see hiding in there...

Don't be afraid of getting medical treatment. Heck don't be afraid....

I promised you an update on Doctors appointment on the 5th August, well senior moments come and go..The appointment was today the 7th.

My experiences could be of real value to you as you progress through the prostate maze of tips and tricks. The Doctors required records from the first time seen and that was not easy (What the heck is?) Who recalls the original Doctor? I didn't and had to call long distance to get his office for approval to send or call reords..

The office fool there said "After all Mr Stewart, we have a busy office here" My comment was "stuff you busy office and send the freekin records so I can qualify for the new peocedure. There is a time problem here"

Summary simply is that I had to call old friends in Nevada to go by the radiation clinic on some street named some Doctor to get detailed records sent to VA or I would be disqualified..

This sounds like Archie Bunker only worse. More blood dripped from the jagged knife as they drew blood to test..NO it wasn't a jagged knife, it was a little needle and it was ok....

My PSA count is 10.0, if it goes over 15.0 I am disqualified for the new procedure...time hangs heavy over my head, woe is me....

The "prostate saga" continues, it will either work out or it won't. If I get kicked off the deal, at least I'll escape another biopsy- that procedure smarts for sure.

You all hang in there, drink lots of water, stay cool, get some exercise give your spouse a hug. It's going to be allright...keep smilin Jack...

Have a good suggestion for you. There are many great sites and forums on the Net talking about our subject. Anti aging, wellness, senior help on a wide variety to topics.

Yoy might want to go to Google, find Google Alerts and insert the words anti aging.

Google will send you an Email on the subject as frequently as you designate.

Great service...Keep smiling, exercise (out of the heat) think positive thoughts, just shove the negative stuff away....there is no time for weeping about anything..

Check back soon, I'll be finding some reading for you...All the best to you...

A couple of items for you today. Both good:

One, a visit to the Veterans Clinic in Richmond was highlighted by a sign I could not walk by without stopping to look. The sign said "We can here see the cost of freedom by looking around \"

There were the usual guys in wheelchairs and some with canes, most looking old and worn down to dust.

Our freedom in our country was paid for by these people and all of those who never made it back from the wars.

A friend wrote to me today to remind me that While God died to save our souls, these soldiers suffered and some died perserving our freedom. The cost of freedom is not cheap.

Second item for you is that I will be able to report first hand of a fairly new method of treating prostate cancer. I didn't read this in some medical periodical
easily found on the internet. I got this from the Doctor at the VA who asked if I wanted to be part of a fairly new procedure in treating prostate cancer as opposed to taking some sort of hormone shots.

After a biopsy (second one now) they will insert some radiation directly into my prostate. The procedure requires patients who meets certain profile requirements.

I mention this to you as you or a family member (friend) might be looking at something similiar and could benefit from my experience. I'll ask if I can give some more detailed information during a doctors meeting scheduled for August 5th, 2006.

Keep tuned, I'll be back with the rest of the story.

Stop for a moment and think about this- It will do you good as it did me- God Bless-

Today Is The Best Day By Author Unknown We sat on the swing enjoying the warm summer air, truly without a care in the world. Cody, my 6-year-old nephew laughed, as he swung higher than me. His laugh made me smile. Afterwards, we went for a walk, looking at the gardens. As we were walking, Cody looked up at me and said, "Today is the best day!" I smiled at him and replied, "Yes, it is a great day." I then started thinking about what had we done that day? We didn't really do anything special; there was nothing that wedid that cost any money. It was a simple day...one where we talked, went for walks, and swung on the swing. So often, we wait for our "best days" without realizing that"today is our best day". Or we say, "when I get this", or, "if only this", or, "when I have more money, I will", and weforget to live every day, enjoying today. We should be more like children; they truly live in the moment! They don't need expensive things to make them happy;they don't use the phrase, "if only", or, "when I get this",or, "when I have more money". There is a saying, "Carpe Diem" which means, "Seize the Day".As we get older, we need to remember this saying and enjoy each and every day. Keep your child like attitude of "livingeach moment to its fullest"!

Another post from Don-just for you.
While pondering over this short communication on my subject of senior wellness, anti aging, exercise for older folks that helps stay limber, general nutrition, etc I came up with this:
We can help others by having empathy for their aches and pains and understanding what they are experiencing on a daily basis, right? Well poor me has had a stroke, prostate cancer, looks like some colon problems, a degenerating shoulder and knee deal, thinning hair, low energy level. What else- cheeze, enough already. Cheeze and crackers shut me up if I ever complain ever again.
With anything else, having aged over 77 years, I am probably like many other people trying to keep on keeping on without too much bitching and complaining.
"Hey, how are you today" is usually not meant to be a question wanting a long answer. It's just a way we communicate love to each other. But many of us launch into "Well let me tell you about this pain and that ache, surely you are very interested"
I am truly making an all-out effort to be happy and normal ANYWAY and not burden anyone with whinning. That what this Blog is mostly about- Suck it up folks and get on with what God has given us. Try real hard now and find just one little thing to be happy about. There you go, you thought of what beautiful children you have, a spouse good and true most of the time...........
How can we discipline ourselves to shut up? One way is to look around us and see others: I found this while moaning and groaning getting up. Thought you might agree with me about becomming more aware of those less fortunate that ourselves, This is from a web browser firm that I use and like a lot. Take a quick read and give me a big smile and a slow nod...Good for you.
Flockstar Profile: Christopher Ryan Posted: 10 Jul 2006 11:48:52 -0500A few weeks ago a gentleman by the name of Christopher Ryan posted a message in our Community Forum. Christopher is great - not only has he given us a new way to look at the product we build, but he's also offered to help us out in many ways. This guy is a real Flockstar.
my name is christopher ryan, and i'm a spasdic quadreplegic with cerebral palsy. in laymans terms that means both my legs are useless and my right arm is equally as difficult. the bottom line is that i only have one arm, one hand, and five fingers capable of generating the movements necessary to be successful behind a keyboard and mouse. Christopher tells us what the stake are for technology and people with disabilities.

goodlonglife
Welcome back to my blog, glad you made it back from the first post. With your permission we are going to discuss some facinating stuff. A quick background first, after reading every book I could find in my first 70 years) about living a good, long life, I found this subject well covered in Deepak Chopras excellent book, AGELESS BODY-TIMELESS MIND.

Deepak suggests that there is an alternative to growing old. Have you ever thought about the fact that we cannot get any younger but we sure can get a lot older. My interest , and I hope yours, is to search for the answers to that the question, "NOT how to stop aging but how to enjoy the time we have here on earth. (and to help our families have a good long life in the process)

One pundit, who I will introduce later, wrote that "In order to live a good , happy and healthy lifetime, we need to have some purpose in our lives. He observed that there must be something more than ourselves to live for such as Helen Keller and Mother Theresa did.

You are invited to comment on these observations with your own ideas and suggestions. Thank you.

Blog is being edited- Please be patient. It will be of some real value...