Surgery Date

Just a quick update to let you know that my next surgery is slated for October 6, and to answer a couple of questions I get asked often, especially by people who don’t see me day-to-day.

• “How are you feeling?  Are you in any pain or discomfort?”  The simple answer is that at present I feel no pain nor discomfort.  I feel pretty much 100% normal.  I’m working, going to lots of hockey, going to movies, playing Settlers with my wife and friends, etc., etc.  In fact, if it weren’t for the doctors telling me so, I wouldn’t know there was anything wrong.  I was recently asked (indirectly) how the cancer could have snuck up on me without my knowing and the answer is simple:  either there is no pain/discomfort or I’m oblivious to it.  In fact, if you want reassurance, feel free to check out the video (yes, I have it on the web, though you have to download it to see it – it’s at the bottom of this page) of me jumping out of a plane.
• “What about a liver transplant?”  Yes, liver transplants are fairly routine by now.  No, I’m not eligible.  Once cancer has metastasized (spread) to the liver, the person is considered too high a risk, since there are so few livers available.  I guess it’s assumed that the cancer is too likely to infect the new liver as well.

Until next time….

Windows Support (yes, a diversion from my cancer posts)

I just had a delightful time on a phone call that I thought I had to share.  The home phone rang, and since I was expecting a call from the surgeon’s office about a surgery date, I answered it.  Well, it was a very nice phone call from a very helpful “Windows Support” agent suggesting there might be something wrong with my computer.  I really wish I’d recorded the conversation!  I think the first words out of my mouth were “does this actually work for you guys?  Do you actually manage to suck people’s credit cards out of them over the phone?”  He mumbled on for a bit and I asked my question again.  At that his response was “well it doesn’t work on dickheads like you” (his exact words (crude language), not mine).  I laughed harder than I had been and suggested that if it actually worked, I wasn’t worthy and should really go work for him.  At that point he challenged me and said “I bet I can suck your credit card information out of you, too.”  I said “OK, give it a try.”  He said “OK, are you in front of your computer now?”  I said “Yes, I am, but you’ll have to tell me which one:  my primary server, my backup server, my desktop, my laptop, my kids’ computer, my wife’s laptop, my wife’s Surface, my Mac, or my daughter’s iPad.”  At that point the line went dead.  J