Two updates in one, today only! For the price of one single update, you get...TWO!
As the days go on, I am feeling stronger and stronger. I posted about a week ago that I'd been walking about 1-1/2 miles a day. I missed Sunday, because I was just sore and aching, but started again Monday, and have done it every day this week. Yesterday, I added about 5 minutes of yoga. Not feeling sore today, so far...Still not much endurance, as I pooped out shortly after all that...rallied for a minute, and pooped out again...but, big things going on.
I've got the ballerina, Soliloquy II, in stasis for a minute, while I roughed out a do-over on a piece I started a few years ago. I've posted the motorcycle part of this piece many times, and it's been in a couple of art shows, but it's never been finished. There was a rider. I sculpted him, put him in a mold real quick, because I was scrambling to a deadline, and the mold got broken or lost on the floor of the foundry. File that under Murphy...as in Law. I should have done a production mold; something I'm trying to rectify real quick, before I get back the ballerina.
Check the vid.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Update...plus
Wow...
It's been over a week since my last post, I think...
As I've been feeling better, I get right back into twirling the plates...plus time out for naps, and other important functions (the details of which I've spared you so far, so I won't start sharing now...). Needless to say, my time is not efficiently utilized, but I'm doing STUFF...
More importantly, Pathology came back, and they found NO cancer in the lymph nodes. That's the good news. The 'other' news is that I also found out that the cancer in the prostate was a little worse than the biopsy results indicated, and had grown outside the capsule of the prostate. Dr. A said he got around it, and they got it out, 'barely'.
Hey, whatevs...I'll take it! Cancer FREE, y'all!
Been sculpting like a fool. I've actually got three sculptures in progress right now, and I've been taking production molds off the ballerina, Soliloquy II, before I get her ready to invest for the final bronze cast.
I've been talking to my art teacher, Ric Stewart, a lot. He's had a big year as an artist, and I'm really, really excited about what's happening in the Cbus bronze casting scene. Ric's Gods of Bronze WILL be heard. I hope to catch those coat tails...
Back to update. So, I've been walking, and being mindful. Resting, and being mindful. Playing games on Facebook, and being vegetative...sorry y'all that are my friends...Started in their rehabilitation programs; I'll also spare you THOSE details...I've been focusing on eating local, and fresh, and organic if possible. I'd been taking a probiotic since shortly after the operation, as well as drinking a ton of water, very little coffee, lots of fresh vegetables, lean chicken or fish, trying to work dairy, grains, beef, beans and stuff like that back in. Ive been eating 6-8 meals a day, small ones, because I don't really have much appetite.
Pain, achiness, and general ability to move around changed a LOT in the last week. Last Saturday, we tried to walk down to Marcella's, and I couldn't make it. That would have been just over 3/4 mile, I believe, to the spot. We walked to Nida's, about three blocks, and I couldn't tolerate sitting in a restaurant chair. Had a pronounced limp at that point, and if I didn't take my Tylenol every 6 hours, I'd have significant pain.
At of this post, I'm movign around without much of a limp. I've walked over 3/4 of a mile every day for the last 5 days, plus started stretching (very little bits), and working with a medicine ball (shout out to Wiggins Method!). I'm also not limping, unless I'm close to overdoing it. I'm definitely noticing there's a 'wall' there...but it's now a wall I've had some experience with, and the pains I feel are not those hard,alien, piercing pains, but muscle aches, fatigue, tiredness, and the achiness of junk still feeling trauma...this is more like what I felt when we played our arch rival in some team sport, and I 'left it all on the field...
Back soon
It's been over a week since my last post, I think...
As I've been feeling better, I get right back into twirling the plates...plus time out for naps, and other important functions (the details of which I've spared you so far, so I won't start sharing now...). Needless to say, my time is not efficiently utilized, but I'm doing STUFF...
More importantly, Pathology came back, and they found NO cancer in the lymph nodes. That's the good news. The 'other' news is that I also found out that the cancer in the prostate was a little worse than the biopsy results indicated, and had grown outside the capsule of the prostate. Dr. A said he got around it, and they got it out, 'barely'.
Hey, whatevs...I'll take it! Cancer FREE, y'all!
Been sculpting like a fool. I've actually got three sculptures in progress right now, and I've been taking production molds off the ballerina, Soliloquy II, before I get her ready to invest for the final bronze cast.
I've been talking to my art teacher, Ric Stewart, a lot. He's had a big year as an artist, and I'm really, really excited about what's happening in the Cbus bronze casting scene. Ric's Gods of Bronze WILL be heard. I hope to catch those coat tails...
Back to update. So, I've been walking, and being mindful. Resting, and being mindful. Playing games on Facebook, and being vegetative...sorry y'all that are my friends...Started in their rehabilitation programs; I'll also spare you THOSE details...I've been focusing on eating local, and fresh, and organic if possible. I'd been taking a probiotic since shortly after the operation, as well as drinking a ton of water, very little coffee, lots of fresh vegetables, lean chicken or fish, trying to work dairy, grains, beef, beans and stuff like that back in. Ive been eating 6-8 meals a day, small ones, because I don't really have much appetite.
Pain, achiness, and general ability to move around changed a LOT in the last week. Last Saturday, we tried to walk down to Marcella's, and I couldn't make it. That would have been just over 3/4 mile, I believe, to the spot. We walked to Nida's, about three blocks, and I couldn't tolerate sitting in a restaurant chair. Had a pronounced limp at that point, and if I didn't take my Tylenol every 6 hours, I'd have significant pain.
At of this post, I'm movign around without much of a limp. I've walked over 3/4 of a mile every day for the last 5 days, plus started stretching (very little bits), and working with a medicine ball (shout out to Wiggins Method!). I'm also not limping, unless I'm close to overdoing it. I'm definitely noticing there's a 'wall' there...but it's now a wall I've had some experience with, and the pains I feel are not those hard,alien, piercing pains, but muscle aches, fatigue, tiredness, and the achiness of junk still feeling trauma...this is more like what I felt when we played our arch rival in some team sport, and I 'left it all on the field...
Back soon
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Peaks and valleys
Two to three days of napping, eating, and basic bodily functions I'd spare you...
I had several days where I was walking 3/4 miles - 1 1/2 miles, cleaning the house, planning stuff, and generally starting to feel like my typical AD self... Maybe that caught up to me, but I'm semi refreshed now, which is good, because it's time to get prescriptions filled, and do some walking through the grocery store. The first day I didn't walk was because of the snow and ice, I think it was Monday. I was pretty sore, and achiness has started. I'm going to take both as positive indications because, hey, I've still got muscle tissue... Seriously though, I believe this is just the next phase of healing and I'll be back in the gym before I know it. The Mantra... Plus, the big sack of fluid that used to be my stomach is starting to resemble my stomach again, though it looks like there's still a few cantaloupes to go...
Folks that haven't seen me in a while may be shocked, I haven't cut my hair since mid December...it's almost to my ears...
The muse is definitely still talking to me; that's a great sign. She's usually not this patient...so, expect more posts of artwork in progress in the very near future.
I had several days where I was walking 3/4 miles - 1 1/2 miles, cleaning the house, planning stuff, and generally starting to feel like my typical AD self... Maybe that caught up to me, but I'm semi refreshed now, which is good, because it's time to get prescriptions filled, and do some walking through the grocery store. The first day I didn't walk was because of the snow and ice, I think it was Monday. I was pretty sore, and achiness has started. I'm going to take both as positive indications because, hey, I've still got muscle tissue... Seriously though, I believe this is just the next phase of healing and I'll be back in the gym before I know it. The Mantra... Plus, the big sack of fluid that used to be my stomach is starting to resemble my stomach again, though it looks like there's still a few cantaloupes to go...
Folks that haven't seen me in a while may be shocked, I haven't cut my hair since mid December...it's almost to my ears...
The muse is definitely still talking to me; that's a great sign. She's usually not this patient...so, expect more posts of artwork in progress in the very near future.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
One week into 2011
I've been busy; sleeping and eating seem to take most of the day, LOL...I get more energy every day, and have been sculpting. I started the second homegirl, Soliloquy II. I'll be posting video as soon as I can. The recent snow has me housebound, and a little stir crazy, so I'm going to the grocery store to do some laps, and get a little food; I am only allowed to lift four pounds for the next month, so these things turn into serious meditations...breathe, focus, move...repeat.
I've actually cleaned the house! Thanks to Swiffer, and my army of helpers (you know who you are...) that takes almost no lifting. Certainly nothing more than 4 lbs.
My peeps stop by, or call, or both, and that is a blessing...thanks for that!
Also been thinking about something Doctor Dad always says; "Drink your water, boy! Or you gonna DIE!"
I've actually cleaned the house! Thanks to Swiffer, and my army of helpers (you know who you are...) that takes almost no lifting. Certainly nothing more than 4 lbs.
My peeps stop by, or call, or both, and that is a blessing...thanks for that!
Also been thinking about something Doctor Dad always says; "Drink your water, boy! Or you gonna DIE!"
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year's 2011
As I start 2011, it is with Hope, and at least some level of the confidence I've always had. Confidence that this fight with Cancer is over and done...
It's with determination, that this experience will inform the plans I've been making going forward, as a person, as an engineer, and as an artist. I've kept my art on the back burner while I've tried to make my way in this world...Time for change has come. I feel, more strongly than ever, that now is the time to see if my gifts as an artist relate to people enough for them to keep me in the manner I've become accustomed to...Time to be an Artist.
I'm feeling better every day. As far as I'm concerned, I AM cancer free (the appointment where they tell me those results is in mid January). I have been walking. I have been eating lean protein (though, not often enough I've been counseled, so I'm kicking that up to six meals a day). I have been mindful. I have been breathing...oh hell yeah I've been breathing...
I've been making art. I've been making ART! I had a sculpture stolen from a local venue, the Bar of Modern Art. These folks have chosen to be non responsive to my attempts to get them to make it right. I'm going to make it right. I'm going to remake that sculpture. Hopefully, whoever stole it did so because they loved it the way I did. If that's the case, I hope I make it so they cannot show it in their own home, because it's everywhere else...I am everywhere else, showing another, similar enough to be a twin, and telling my story...I hope to raise my profile high enough that this sculpture, and my story, is all over the news. Living well, y'all...
2011, the Year of the Artist, and I don't mean Prince...
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