Christmas 2010

            Thanks Giving was good for us and now our Daughter Lisa and James (her husband) were coming to visit us for Christmas. Sharon and I were hoping around as this seemed to be becoming one of the best holidays in a long while Our Son and Daughter in law as always invited us into their home, they have been preoccupied with every day stuff ,or maybe Sharon and I are just not the middle of the universe only our own small one  as far as family coming from far away places.    
            Alaina our Granddaughter here in town was growing up so fast if I blink and each time I blink she changes now to a young woman and I am curious how this holiday goes for her , she reminds me of  Lisa when she was that age and I wonder how they will get along.
            Jj (James) and Lisa wanted to go to the coast so it was decided that we would head to Savanna a day or so after they got here from here we were to head to Ty be island and the beach...
More tomorrow          

Can't keep a goodman down

            That made me wonder and worry a little. The nurse came back in a few seconds bringing me to the examining room where the duty Dr. asked me how I got to the office that morning. When I told him I had driven he seemed shocked. He told me that he had called ahead to the hospital down the street and I was to be admitted right away and I was not to drive.
            Now I was more that a little worried the Dr said that I had a bleed and had lost more than half my Blood supply. He explained that from a simple blood test, the number of certain cells in a fixed volume of blood when measured against a previous known value would show how blood I had lost.
           I had been digesting my own blood.
           I Called Sharon leaving a message on the phone and Drove over to the Hospital walked in and was met at the door by a gurney. I said that I felt good and was told to lay down and I was given a shot taken upstairs where a transfusion was started. Sometime later Sharon came in with a friend that I had called when I couldn't get hold of her on the phone. The friend,  ( Joann ) picked Sharon up at our house.
           I had been put on Tranquilizers to keep me from leaving the Hospital. They let me go on Monday after two units of packed red cells.                

Lost it all

            I wasn't completely over the barrel but close to it, an agreement was accepted, We wouldn't be getting all of  the stuff that had been offered but the cash was close so we took it. Of course if I known that I would live for sure I may still not have settled. 
            So plans were made, we would head out to California. In the back of my mind I would kick around the idea of going back to work or School. I thought of Physicians assistant, it might work, I seemed to have a knack for it.
            A date was set and we continued packing then on a Wednesday two weeks before we were to leave; early that afternoon I found it harder and harder to catch my breath I had a force five headache and I was moving slower Sharon ask me to just set down saying that I looked like hell. In the bathroom mirror was some one I barely recognized I was pale almost white with huge dark circles around my eyes.
            Some times during Chemo I felt like this, I would go for a walk deep breathing and it seemed to work so I told Sharon I was going for a walk after I called the Doctor. The office was closed by then, I left a message and headed on down the road, a few blocks later I stopped wondering if I could make it home. I tried wrapping a sofa in shrink wrap that night and could barely stand. Sharon demanded that I get to bed but laying down scared me.
              The next day the headache remained but I was feeling a little better and could eat a little breakfast by two that after noon I was starving feeling better still I drove down to Burger King and helped my self  to a Wapper and fries. The head ache was gone and I could walk around the house with out gasping for breath.
                As Thursday night rolled around the doctor called asking me to come in the next day I did not take the call but took the message on my answering machine.
                Friday morning I felt like I might live after all, hopped in the car and drove to the Dr.. I had given Blood a little for some simple test and was setting in the waiting room when the nurse I had seen many times ran up to me giving me a very personal hug started to cry and ran out of the room.                             

Had to write this

            Tonight we have an older citizen working a filibuster to try and correct an injustice.
            For our leaders, the idea is not to pave the way to next years election but to serve the American people. to do their best all the time to serve this nation.
            The republican party used extortion to obtain vast benefits for the very wealthy.
           The people who need the extra money least with the threat of cutting off the life's blood this year,, the only income  for Millions of Americans, got their way and are as guilty as the lowlife that would kidnap your family and hold them for ransom.       

We can do this; further story of cancer

            Earlier I had written that Mike and Twana were to come to Knoxville to get a start in that area and now we really didn't have any future in Tennessee; me literally and Sharon figuratively. At that time we talked of Augusta but it was some place where Sharon didn't want to go. We had fallen in love with  Ali and Aliana, Ricks Ladys  but that didn't change Sharon's mind She also was not fond of Missouri.
            Mike said,  Dad come live with us, Twana was pregnant With Chloe and Sharon could be of help with the Girls so plans were made to get rid  of most of our stuff, the house and most of what we had collected in the last ten years The rest of the stuff,?  Load it into a truck on the way to California
           My guys, in this cast the men who worked for me were to come to our house in the last week before we left to collect our leavings one of the things I had to do was to go downtown and try and close out the lawsuit that I had filed against the local hospital. Knowing that I would have to swallow my remaining pride When I arrive in the law offices my old adversary, (The lawyer I had met in court who tried squash the case) let me know up front that he was aware of my current status including leaving the state..                    

Another look Where are we headed

            The old Soviet Union didn't come to an end by the roar of western tanks or the Blast of hydrogen bombs but by internal strife, the desire of one group to triumphal over others in supposedly the same nation The fuel for the break up was greed. and Religious fervor.
           In the beginning of that lost Nation, the way to accommodate all of the Religions in that huge area was disallow any. This was to try and avoid the Wars fought in the various names of God. All the same God of course, but for each groups idea of God. So no God allowed, No war.  However This was a very bad idea You (the State) doesn't have the power to tell people what to believe; now if they had tried to Do this the way the US had done by Allowing All but endorsing none that would have helped them stay in Business a little longer  
           The Soviet Union set on vast wealth all in the hands of the state and officials of that State controlled Portions of that wealth Some of those officials pushed to over throw the State and doing so some proclaimed them selves owner of that wealth. Some now very Rich.
          Sadly now in our Nation the ugly head of Greed takes us over. Our nation was strong, where a Family of modest income could provided the material goods that our Society demands. However this cut into the profits of The upper one percent so US businesses closed and with the support of our Government moved operations off shore.   That is Greed for Power, Greed for wealth (How much wealth is enough) are we doomed to be a failed state Broken up by the greed of a few who say that it is unfair to pay their Share to live in this Great Country.
               As for the Freedom of  Religion; Some of us think that some Religions should be more free than others.                   


 

Eyes shut and ears plugged

     Common sense seems to have left our country, negotiations are on going to address our future and we the people are sitting with our eyes closed and hands over our ears. George H W Bush raised Taxes while in office to help rescue our country from a huge deficit left by the Reagan administration Then Bill Clinton again raised Taxes and the Country took off finely generating a surplus for the first time in untold years There have been cryings that this was done on the backs of the rich and the welfare, the well being of our nation should not rely on Taxes from the upper one percent to help carry that load. Our upper one percent  decided to take their business interest to other play grounds (Over Seas) so using any excuse they started flipping off the USA (the American people). Then George W Bush   with the approval of The Congress and Senate removed the basis, revenue,  for the our prosperity buying us off  for a few hundred dollars each, ( remember the checks ) using the notion that we as a nation could borrow what ever money we needed. Now we as a nation are broke and refuse to watch the further dismantling of our nation with our eyes shut and ears plugged...          

How I survived Cancer and other stuff,, lots of other stuff.

            While we were in Augusta at this time Sharon became sick weather it was a bladder infection of some sort we are not sure and we ended going to the emergency room in the middle of the night. The on duty nurse that night couldn't get a good reading from the blood pressure cuff on Sharon's upper arm So she, in her Brightness decided to take it on Sharon's wrest and actually placed it, the cuff partially on Sharon's hard watch bracelet and proceeded to pump it up pushing the bracelet into Sharon's Arm.
            That Christmas continued in this manner until after the New Year.
            We got home where I was called into a meeting where my Old buddy Tom said that they had decided to make some changes and my Job as Maintenance Director would end as that position was to be eliminated. A new HR person was in place and at the meeting  and was saying that She would be doing the compliance work like it was done usually at most firms. On top of every thing else this came  hard and at that moment I could have removed all present from this world to the next.               

How I survived cancer continues

During all this time I had tried to keep working while in the hospital I would answer questions about my job like when were reports to be written for QSHA. At most jobs these reports are done by HR but some how I ended doing all correspondence with OSHA (occupational safety and health agency). When I started that job, the Company  (US Food Service) was under a huge fine for noncompliance I wrote the procedures identified and arranged the training and hired the people to implement the program. I got the fine reduced and the head of HR fired,of course that didn't go over too well with some of the folks in management. The first thing they did was send Sharon and I to the Fort Mill plant in near Charlotte to set up the new program The plant manager there, Tom Mallernee did not like the idea of the Maintenance Director having as much power as the plant manager that led to him being replaced there by Dan Ellis the Maintenance Director. As fate would have these things  2 years later Tom Mallernee was hired as plant manager and after a year fired the Plant Manager Scott Read in Alcoa, where I worked. And after the second bout with cancer and his boss about to be fired Tom dissolved my Job position he couldn't fire me as I had cancer that was against the law but he could make my job go away ( same thing).
            I was still going back and forth every day never for a minute forgetting what I was up against
            Sharon wasn't at all happy. what ever plans we tried to make kept getting dashed.
           Christmas time came in 2001 and much of it is a blur The Chemo that I was now on (an antimetabolite) Zeloada was taken by mouth. We were going to have a good Christmas we had driven to Augusta Ga. to be with Rick Ali and Lainey We had dinner with them that night and at this point I am not sure if it was two days before Christmas or not, I think so. My hands and feet started to swell my fingers looked like little balloons I had my Doctor's number in Knoxville he told me not to take the Chemo Drug  again as this was a bad reaction to it.                     

How I survrived Cancer , The on going tale

           Rather than be afraid after the initial shock; I knew that I could still beat this. My Foot had healed some what I would work on this as hard as the first time. This time though I couldn't give my own blood for the surgery as they wanted to do it right away .
           Jim Bakker and Jay young would not be the surgeons this time they both took their leave of me saying that they had done all that they could do and something like take care.I thought Assholes.
           I met the new Dr. Gregory Midis; he was to remove the cancer from my liver and this would be done at the Baptist Hospital again in Down town Knoxville.
           What could go wrong, piece of cake. I awoke in Intensive Care my chest hurt like hell, Sharon and Rick were there. Oh I was happy to see them the Dr. the Anesthesiologist  came in saying, "sorry about the ribs we broke some with the chest plate", another WTF moment. All I remember after that was the closeness of Sharon with me all feelings no thoughts.
           A day or so later I think two days maybe I was moved to a room with another person who seemed a little too happy I wondered what drugs he was on.
          The second day in the room I was wakened by the nurse telling me to get up I was so weak I could no lift my arm and it was very hard to breath I told the nurse that something was wrong. She said,"your fine now get up" I could barely speak I said call my wife she told me that when I got up she would. I told her call my wife then I will get up she did, I told Sharon to call The Dr. something was wrong after a few more words Sharon agreed to call the Dr. I was feeling weaker when the phone by the bed rang I could not reach it. The nurse who was still in the room handed me the Phone it was Mike calling from California when he heard me he said he would call the Dr.
           Next thing I know two nurses was looking through the stuff that came up with me from intensive care and they are arguing about some thing The next I remember was Sharon with me saying that the Hospital had Fucked up the electrolytes I needed had been lost I had not had them for two days, telling me that she was sorry I was just happy to still be talking             
               

Funny things you think of First thing in the morning

In the last few years dark matter has been identified or acknowledged, now antimatter. The question asked is why the loss of symmetry between matter and antimatter. Einstein coined a word LAMBDA (anti gravity)the force pushing all things apart; So If all things we think we know of the universe are true, the universe is enclosed by a cloud of antimatter expanding dragging the universe out with it... ((This is just food for thought))    

A whole lot of pain

            The good feelings continued; Sharon and believed that we had found a house and started to work on that.
            In the meantime I received a call from the clerk of the court saying that, that afternoon there was to be a hearing to kill my suite she had it scheduled for late afternoon. I rushed home changed clothes and was in the courtroom with an hour to spare. When the case was announced low and behold one of the attorneys I had asked to take my case was representing the hospital.  The judge was seated he ask for parties for both sides to approach the bench the attorney stood saying that he didn't believe that the other side was there. I stood saying," I am here judge", this is the first time I have ever seen any one do a double take in the end the case went forward but there was another attempt to squash the case before it was settled.
             On my visit to the Dr.   in August I was told that he wanted to send me in go for a PET scan at the University of Tennessee medical canter because the CEA readings were going up and something was wrong.
I had to fast for two days then I was to get a shot of Radioactive Sugar Sharon did not stand too close when I started setting off  radiation alarms in the area. I clearly had cancer in my liver.      
            

Life goes on

        In February I lost the bag and got all my workings back and felt good to go only in a short time to head back to Massachusetts as Sharon's Father had died.  
       On top of My cancer weighing on Sharon both of her parents had died in the last few years, each event chipped away a little more of her spirit.
        For a while though I felt good to have a little bit of hope, some how I would lick this thing. So Sharon and I started looking for a house to buy, I had dreams of some thing big enough that all our family could stay over for the holidays lots of land but reality was a 1980ties split level with little maintenance that wouldn't cost a lot.
       We had stayed in communication with the kids through out this time taking it one day at a time. The Bank had approved our loan although we hadn't found a house yet We knew that all would be good.
      The work was good there was talk of Sharon and I going to The Ft. Mill US Food service plant again there was a problem that needed work I had been there once before and was thinking about maybe a transfer there, but I had not told Sharon about it yet as I really like it where we were.
          The CEA readings ( These are cancer markers in my blood that were taken every month) were going up, not a good sign.
         At the same time I had contacted several attorneys in Knoxville trying to find one who might take a malpractice suit against Fort Saunders hospital to address the insulin issue. After being refused by The big law offices in town  I finely found one that would take the case all was well. Then in June I was told that he the lawer felt he could no longer represent me as I had no permanent injury. I decided the File my self (ProSa); So off to the court library to look at cases and how it's done.  I Found that I needed to file this as an assault and when I was finished with in a few weeks the Hospital wanted to settle of Course I didn't at that time.                         

What is this all about

         During the cold war the US and Russia were fighting a proxy war  (Using other nations and armies to stand in so to speak)
         With the release of memos, cables and so-forth today it has been noted Saudi Arabia telling the US how to conduct a war against Iran. Are we the US being used to fight a proxy war for Saudi Arabia?    

The saga continuies

    I can still hobble around, an attachment under my special shorts, my foot with the side missing, so I head to Kmart one day I am standing in line when the bag flange lets go and springs a leak. I had been standing line for ten minutes and although I now have a wet stain running down the front of my, (Now daily  Uniform) sweat pants I decided that if I could stand the smell all day my line partners could take it for a few minutes, of course suddenly the line thins out ( I wonder why ) and I am suddenly out of the store and on my way.
    This same sort of thing happened a few times in various places but I got through them no big deal,,, HaHa
    Christmas rolled around in 2000 so Sharon and I headed to Georgia to be with the kids. Rick, Ali and Lainey  making us feel there was still hope for the world and all would right. Lainey surprised me she did not appear to be grossed out by my damaged foot or all the other stuff, but then come to think of it; I remember one time while climbing a tree Lainey slipped hanging with her hand caught in the fork of a branch, she did not cry while I ran to her and lifted her up to free her hand I was in aw of this tough little person and I still am         

Take another Look

          A cartoon in yesterdays newspaper showed a huge cornucopia with homes and cars and planes coming out of it Uncle Sam is riding it and on this cornucopia is the label saying, Financed by China, what this also should show is the last nine years of War paid for by the credit card from the bank of China and the interest is about to go up.
         A few days ago, in a conversation, the person said that we had defeated socialism in Russia. I responded, no we defeated Communism.  Communism is a financial system  not based on profit or supply and demand but the needs of a functioning society. Sadly this  Doesn't work though due to the human factor
         Today most people do not see the difference. Truly a Democracy is the purest form of socialism allowing all of a nations people to determine how they are to be governed; Giving from the lowest to the highest position in society an equal voice
         In the first two decades of the twentieth century  greed caused a near collapse of not just our financial systems but our social systems as well. To maintain the well being of our nation as a whole we as a Democracy  ( social society) had to provided safety nets for some of our people as well a retirement system for the older members of our nation. Our form of enterprise is Capitalism our form of society is Socialism    
          Some of our citizens would still believe in the ice flow form of support for the sick elderly                       

I am all F- - -ked up OOOOO

      As soon as I could drive I returned to the hospital to try and get a copy of the hospital records showing the record of the insulin injection. Of course I could have the records I was told. After signing a release I was brought a stack of paper out of any order like a deck of cards that have been shuffled. So I sorted them by date finding the day of the injection missing. The medical records person said the file for that day had been held back for review by the Dr.,, after showing her the statement on the wall that said I could have all my records of my history of my hospital stay she coughed them up.
      The bag attached to the right side of my stomach couldn't be call a pain in the ass as it was nowhere that part of my anatomy. But a pain never the less shaving the area every day then gluing a snap on flange that circled the area to my skin then snapping on the bag; standing in the bathroom looking at my self  I would sing the Elvis song I 'm all (shook) F--ked up ooooo. Believe or not.
         

On and On

   Twelve hours and a dozen bags of sugar later I started heaving purple stuff, the nurse turned green and I found a tube being stuffed down my nose that had been pulled out the day before,,, my stomach had shut down and they had to start pumping it again.
    Two days later I was on my way home and I wanted to go back to work as soon as possible even though now I would have to wear sweat pants for five months or so.
    The insulin injection from my point of view should never have happened; turns out that a half hour or so after the injection the nurse who had injected me had gone to her supervisor crying ( I was told ) saying that she thought she had killed me. almost an hour after that and after I had thrown Sharon out of the room they started the sugar. A few days after I came home, Sharon and I decided that it would be a good idea to look into some sort of lawsuit.          

Add you comments and I will change the text

Several people have commented on dates, Please post your comments and I will change the text to correct these events as this is a history of all of us also feel free to in comments section add your piece of time I will also put this in the text,,,,,, Thanks folks... 

Ali and Alaina

            Not all was bad during this bump in life; Our youngest Son had remained in Georgia a few years earlier, to finish School and had met the love of his life actually the two loves of his life Ali and her Daughter Lainey. Rick Called us from Georgia saying he wanted to bring some one up to Tennessee His Lady and her Daughter Sharon and I had a green hassock that happened to be large enough for Lainey to use as a bed also a good place to watch TV    
            In 1998 during some celebration Sharon and I drove down to Augusta Ga. to be part of this get together We stayed at a local hotel trying to get our bearings around Rick's friends. Ali surprised me, not shy and not afraid to speak her mind was my impression, a great person and very pretty as well, at the end of the night Sharon and I were asked if we could keep an eye on Lainey, she was only two years old and might be frightened I thought as she didn't Know us very well. The Kids, Rick and Ali placed her sleeping on the bed in our hotel suite as it was a separate room we wouldn't wake her. Watching TV an hour or so later I sat across from the door which opened a little bit,  this tiny little girl with her blanket stood  in the door checking me out I guess I passed as she ran over crawled into my lap snuggled down and went back to sleep to me that was a gift unmatched by few others as I had been adopted as her Grandpa.       

Election 2000

During my first round of Chemo other than sick all the time I could get around fairly well then slamming my foot didn't help but I was still determined to vote albeit early. I am standing in line with other oldies, on crutches sick due to the chemo and radiation for an hour. I voted,, so the night of the election of 2000 I sat in front of CNN finding that the early votes for that part of Tennessee had how become lost and could not be counted.  

On we go

So now I am ending my round of Chemo; so I head back to the first Surgeon Michael Glover expecting  him to say Wow the cancer is all gone or some thing like that. (Shows how my mind works) he used a tube about the size of a paper towel to look up my butt. ( what a pain in the ass that was) worse than before he said or words to that effect. We left his office me on crutches feeling a little down, However I had the spark of an Idea, Richard Antonucchi  was the name of the Dr. who directed My chemo and I intended to use him once more if I could. When I got home I went on the internet looking for board certified  colorectal surgeons and found a Dr. by the name of Jim Bakker he had a partner Named Jay Young they were working on a new procedure where the rectum could be rebuilt. Dr. Antonucchi contacted Dr. Bakker that afternoon from his office and Jim Bakker would see me the next Day, Friday. In a couple of weeks I was in Fort Saunders regional Hospital for the surgery I under stood that when I awoke if I found the bag attached to the left side it would be a permanent condition if the Right side I was rebuilt and I would have my working parts (Ass) back in a few months.I woke to find tubes (at least Four) coming out of my lower stomach not to count all the ones from my nose and chest but the attachment was on the right side so I was relieved in that respect. Sharon stayed with me every minute she could going home to shower and try to get ready for the next shoe to drop. the fourth day early the Nurse Ida Scarlet, (that was her name) came in to give me a shot of heprin a blood thinner. Sharon ask what is that and the nurse said heprin the nurse checked my name and so but Sharon seemed uncomfortable about this Woman. 1 started to wind up in about five minutes after the shot, extrema agitation! Sharon's breathing sounded like roaring in my ears, I was talking through gritted teeth yelling for everyone to leave the room Sharon headed on home thinking that I was mad at her feeling hurt. With in minutes the floor nurses came in and started IV's of (sugar) Glucose which brought some relief  At around ten the Dr. J Young came in saying that I wasn't losing my mind I had been injected with a huge dose of insulin                       

Paradise Lost

Paradise  Lost

         As the power and glory of the United States of America pass into history we under stand why our country in its founding refused to establish a national church as John Adams had established in Massachusetts.

          All of Europe for many centuries had burned in War; over whose brand of religion was the right one; Muslims aren’t one belief but many and they tried to kill off each other and still do. The believers in Ali (Sheia) stood shoulder to shoulder with Christens and Jews to the last man in their stand against the Sunni.  Christens weren’t any better, the crusades killed more Christens than Muslims. Even in our Country, Protestant and Catholic have killed each other and many more including Mormons.

           Now we try to invoke Gods name for our politics as we do for the Friday nights foot ball game. Where is good will toward all men, peace on earth and love thy neighbor as thy self …                    

           How we call our selves Followers of Christ is beyond me

  

Michael Ferguson  

And on we go

    I had been writing the emergency response scenarios for Blunt County and worked with a Dr. who felt he could help me find some help he gave me the name of a group of Doctors involved in the chemo end for cancer treatment. through him I met a oncologist for the chemo and through him another for radiation Both scheduled me for the installation of a port in my chest to pump in the chemo then a saddle to lay on to hold my hips and back still for the Gamma Rays
    On Monday at eight o'clock I would go to Chemo to be attached to a bag of chemicals and pump then drive down the street to the center for a radiation Zap. The pump stayed on all week while each day began with a shot of Gamma this lasted for three weeks then a week off and three more weeks after the first few days I was always sick and after the first three weeks the lining of my throat and intestines ulcerated bringing to me a whole new meaning of pain. I drove to work every day. In the seventh week the brakes failed on a palate jack I was using to travel through the plant smashing my left foot.                  

Supplement to todays Blog My view of the real world

Of The People By the People and For the People
>
> Today we as a nation watch as our financial system melts down; we fail to remember that contrary to what is being said; the Republicans were voted out of office 2006 because of the economy was going belly up. And Now We have voted the foxes back into guarding the hen house.
> As wealth was flowing from the bottom to the top from an entire population of Americans who in one way or the other had borrowed or out right paid for Homes, goods and services, and medical care at an ever increasing cost while take home pay only fell due to loss of production of these goods and services by the earners in side our borders
> In the last few years our economy has come under siege and truths has been made evident; that wealth does not trickle down or flow down but in an established economy comes from the bottom up. When homes are not paid for, when jobs are lost, when this flow from the bottom is cut by the inability of the people to match the rising cost for even the basics. Food becomes more important than stuff including their homes. The people are the back bone of this nation not corporations. Critical mass has been reached by the debt of individuals (people). This has been brought about by the need for more capital, (money) and made possible by the mass marketing of Credit to a population with a lower and lower income.
>
> Today I listened to the discussions around the news channels of the ideas on how to get our economy breathing again. I feel the need to speak up and say what I feel. The senseless hubris on the part of our so called experts and leaders keeps them from the entire picture of this country and the world.
> The plain truth is, business of our country and the world strives  to produce goods and services at lower and lower cost while these corporations cut the pay and the number of employees required to provided these things. Is this greed? The problem, the down side is that these same employees are the users of these goods and services and they either have lost their jobs now making a fraction in whatever employment that could be found and if the people managed to retain their jobs, the salaries paid fail to provide enough money to use the goods and services that are the fruits of their labor. Mortgages aren’t paid, tax revenues fall, credit accounts crash and the supply of money feeding from the bottom to the top ceased. So what does our government do? It feeds vast amounts of cash to these banks with the idea that some how the worthless paper held, that reflected the existing value of homes was separate from the people who could no longer pay for them. The rules still apply; some
> thing of value has to be held by a bank in exchange for money loaned.
> With out jobs with out money on a steady bases people can not afford Cars, TVs, new furniture, medical care, even clothes. With out jobs and jobs that pay a living wage banks will not loan money for any thing.
> One more thing; these people who have lost homes to foreclosure do not meet the credit requirements for a loan for a tooth brush or any thing else.
> We are a Government the Government of our nation. The Government is not some separate body it is us. When some politicians say that they are against big government the idea is to restrict the input to and isolate the people of the nation.
> To move back to a healthy economy we needed to see the problem. The root cause has been identified and employment with a living wage at the base of our economy who now number in the tens of millions is what is needed to start or nation’s engine once again.
> Michael Ferguson
>

   Of course I did not have Hepatitis C,, Our Dr. if he had (allowed me) not found a way  to stop me from being admitted would have lost out on his (Money) piece of the pie from my PPO . Sharon and I checked in for the procedure, in line with others. the man that went in before me, Sharon told me, was told to come back in five years. next thing I knew I heard words saying " a biopsy will be done on the tumor" then the voice was talking to Sharon. I faded out remembering bits and pieces coming completely awake in the car on the way home. A few days later a call came in saying that I had cancer, this was from Bellingrath,  he also gave me the name of my next stop and the name of the Dr. I was to see Michael Glover.
    Glover had a small office in down town Knoxville he specialized as a colon rectal surgeon. I had done a little research believing that the cancer would be removed I would be reconnected and all would be well. Dr. Glover was not so optimistic saying " we will remove the cancer making a stoma (hole in my stomach wall) and that is that".. I asked and how long before I would be re-hooked up? Sharon understood better than I what he had said. Saying, "Mike he does not intend to reattach,  he is saying he will be done. That was not good enough. Sharon asked about Chemo or radiation he didn't seem to be in favor of those. I left the office feeling a little bewildered.                          

Continuing story

    The Emergency Dr said that I would be admitted and Asked me to lay back also who was our family Dr. About five minuted later I was given a stack of Gauze pads and told to contact my family Dr.. I couldn't help but wonder what brought about the sudden change for this Dr. he also kept more space between us which I thought was my imagination  So stuffing those pads in the back of my pants and feel emphatic for my wife at her time of the month I headed home. (Our Family Dr. was a small man with very short fingers and in the three previous years he had given me my yearly prostate exam which might explain some things.) When Sharon could see how much Blood had been lost she now understood what we were up against.  I called our Dr. who said that he would see me first thing in the morning, the bleeding had stopped so I was able to clean my self up eat something and drag my self to bed.
     I arrived at the office at nine o'clock and waited until one o'clock in that afternoon. Dr Bellingrath met me in the waiting room saying that he owed me a huge apology as he had told the emergency Room Dr. that I had Hep C he had found his mistake this morning and I was to have a colonoscopy the following morning.         

Family in time of need

     Hi folks, We will continue with my story later, I want to take this time to say thanks to my kids for with out their support I couldn't have made it. Thanks Lisa,, Mike and Rick    

Tell me if I should stop

   When the Dr. told me what this would cost up front I found another reason to put this off  I didn't feel bad so why should I shell out money for something I didn't need,, cancer didn't enter my mind.
   Spring of 2000 and all was right with the world I had just become co chairman  for emergency management for Blunt County Tenn. had a raise in pay and had a good crew I could depend on working for me. Then in May a fork lift operator hooked some electrical controls for an ammonia system shutting down power in part of the building I rushed back and forth up and down stairs resetting circuit breakers while clearing damage everything was fixed and working after a couple of hours except me. Bad cramps a trip to the head (bathroom) and filled the toilet with blood. I called Sharon then headed to the emergency room with Toilet paper stuffed in the back of my pants, the Dr. who examined my stepped  back with blood up to the elbows looking a little gray saying you have to be admitted now          

My life with Cancer or year one 1999

  1999 was a good up until late summer, I was now employed with a good company for Two years. Sharon and I seemed to be comfortable we were having family coming and although we had been through some hard family times we were sure that we would make it at least to the new year. I had to go to Washington DC on company business and was really looking forward to seeing John and Diana in the fall.
   The night before I was to fly home I found a lot of blood in the toilet not a smear or touch but a lot and being the type of guy that I am I thought I had eaten something that had some how cut me on the way out (Ha) the next day I was fine and I didn't say much about it.
    We were in Gatlinburg Tnn. as planned John and I were making gluttons of our selves For some reason I had to return to Knoxville one night that night when I got home I found that I was covered with blood and again rationalized the problem away after having a major WTF moment. After the family had gone home I told Sharon and made an appointment for a colonoscopy See you tomorrow for the rest of the Story               

The last ten years

             I think that tomorrow I will start the story of the last 10 years and what led to where we are to day. 
             I have needed to write this story and a few days ago when Lainey said that she didn't know that I was supposed to kick off while we lived with her maybe she can read this along with a few others

Family

        This Afternoon I spent a little time at the soccer field with my family while watching young ladies play their hearts out while all of  their support group screamed for them to try harder our Granddaughter fired in the long balls which ended up being scores for her team.
        I know that all of us on the side lines kind of play these games through our Kids when we watch the girls run down the field we twist and turn standing there as though it is us right there with the kids.. I have to say to Lainey thank you for allowing this old man share this with you.         

What are we all about?

      The great leaders in  history all had one thing in common; a sense of the future this has been used for good and extreme evil.
      The image of the world to come, his idea of that world was the driving force behind Hitler and others of his ilk. by the same token the Washington's, Lincoln's  Roosevelt's and Johnson's visions make them their place in history. Currently our nation is in peril due to our lack Vision of the future. However what if the current national peril is due to the effort of some, where their vision of the future is one where freedom for all and bias for or against any does not exist...              

What tomorrow will bring

              

View for today

Clearing house for greed

         Through the nineteenth Century the US became a major player on the world market and our people realized that we as a Nation are capable of massive Greed. From the profiteering of the Civil war to the early oil industry it became clear that we needed rules and regulations so we could police our selves. And there were abuses, through out the years time and time again these laws / Regulations were bent or broken to meet the needs of private greed and most of the time the violators met justice. As politics changed over the years these laws rankled some of the more greedy of our American Industry community. Some administrations felt the need to favor the forces of greed and deemed these laws as a nuisance and although they would not change the status quo the laws would be deemed low priority. The following elected government would identify the malfeasance and prosecute the violators in accordance the regulatory body and laws. The previous Republican Administration and congress  populated these agencies and courts with persons with ties to the bodies the were to be regulated claiming that this would bring fairness back to the misunderstood agents of industry. An example of the results of this policy is noted in the following  

  The two-year, $5.3 million investigation by Interior's inspector general found workers at the Minerals Management Service's royalty collection office in Denver partying, having sex, using drugs and accepting gifts and ski trips and golf outings from energy company representatives with whom they did government business.

  The investigations exposed "a culture of ethical failure" and an agency rife with conflicts of interest, Inspector General Earl E. Devaney said. 

  And so we Know that Minerals management Was the Inspection Body over seeing the drilling in the  Gulf of Mexico  

   Apparently misfeasance is one of the new prerequisites for employment by this new Congress  

All things begin with a first step and this is mine;
     It seems that in the world today we all have something to say on our view of the world and some how those few words might make this world a better place. So lets give it a try.
     A little bit about me, I am 66 years young and at the bottom of my soul I am still 16 with the same feelings of joy when things are good and the same desperate hope when things are bad. In the year 2000 I found out that I had colon cancer and after chemo, operations, radiation, and a metastasis to the liver twice I walked away minis a few parts.
       My wife and I have been together for 47 years and there were a few moments of desperate hope in that time. Our kids are now parents them selves with the same trials and tribulations we slagged through and as much as I would like to butt in, they are doing well. Now to the crux of the matter.
       Truth and Justice for all  were words that I felt were some of the cornerstones of our nation. We are a nation made up of the world, all peoples of all creeds and beliefs welded into one common people by our laws, freedom for all with biases or favor toward none.  As we are the government and we are responsible for each other.