2010!!

Happy New Year everyone. It's January 1 and I write this after a flight home from Penticton, B.C. and a lengthy nap. I like 2010 a lot so far. I played a great gig last night with Johnny Reid in the aforementioned Penticton. It was my first bigger concert gig in a long time - September 2009.
I haven't been much of a blogger for a while and here's why: In October 2008 I had a small section of my tongue removed due to a cancerous ulcer which had developed on it. I was given a clean bill of health as of April 30 2009. It was a week or so after that where I noticed a lump on the left side of my neck. Raising my suspicions, I went to the doctor. A series of tests confirmed some cancerous cells from my tongue made their way to lymph nodes and started to multiply.
On July 7 2009 I went to an oncologist for a 2nd opinion on the lump. They confirmed I have two to three lymph nodes with cancer in them. The good news is it's unlikely it had spread into the rest of my body. On July 17 2009 I went in for surgery under the capable hands of Dr. Anderson who removed the ulcer on my tongue. He performed a left neck dissection whereby he cut open my neck and removed as much (hopefully all) of the cancerous areas he could. He ended up taking out 10 lymph nodes and part of my jugular. He says he took out more than he needed to just to be safe.
I haven't drank alcohol since 1994 and even before that it wasn't very much. I've never done drugs - including the herbal stuff. And - I've never smoked cigarettes. So how did I get this? Well, the simple answer is bad luck. It's basically a virus and for some reason it manifested itself in this way.
I recovered well and went on the road for three dates with Johnny on July 31, 2009. It went pretty well! Life went on as usual - I started work as a producer with Yvan Petit (Johnny's longtime guitarist) on his great solo record, the Canadian Country Music Awards (fourth year in the house band!), sessions for Dean Maher, David Wills and others.
The doctors felt (after reviewing my case) that because I was young (ish) and healthy (other than the cancer) that a radiation and chemotherapy program would be a positive step - get rid of every last cancerous cell so we wouldn't have to deal with this again. I agreed. On September 7th I entered the Surrey Memorial Hospital (conveniently located next to the BC Cancer Agency) for the first of 33 radiation treatments and 3 chemo cocktails.
Everything was good for the first couple of weeks. I managed to work a bit and I managed to eat. My last full meal was with my good friends Adam Rohrlick and Chris Meister - delicious tortilla soup and burritos (BTW - as you read you'll see why food is my favorite thing in the universe right now). It was around October and a quarter of a way into the treatments that I became very tired and lost my appetite. I couldn't eat, drink or talk. I would go to a treatment, come home, watch TV and sleep. The option of a feeding tube inserted into my stomach had been offered to me by the knowing staff at the Cancer Agency but of course I was a tough guy and dismissed it.
It wasn't until one day I got out of bed and fell back down. I could barely walk and was blacking out. There was no way I was coming in for treatment today .... however once you start they don't want you to stop for anything. So a call was placed by me and my beautiful brother in law and bass player par excellance Shane Hendrickson came and picked me up. We went to the Cancer Agency where they hooked me up to an IV and got me back to a better condition. A week later I was the proud owner of a GI tube in my stomach. I was admitted to hospital for 12 days and was closely monitored.
The radiation and chemo ended on October 26. I had no voice, lost some hair in the back of my neck, a sore mouth and throat and had lost nearly 40 pounds. The expected recovery time was two to three weeks. As it turns out, as I write this I am still recovering. I spent November and December mostly in bed. It was tough for me to have to sub out of Tom and Alison Jackson's Singing For Supper Christmas tour as well as CP's Holiday Train which I've done for the past 5 years - both great cross Canada tours benefiting food banks. The fact was I needed to get stronger. Of course all parties involved were incredibly understanding and I transitioned out of both tours with no problems (thank you all again).
I slowly got better but the one thing I couldn't (and still can't do) is eat. For some reason I can't get food down my throat. It is for that reason the GI tube was so necessary. I miss food so much. I treasure the smell of it so much.
Thanks to the help of my wife Wendy the tube feeds went well. I managed to get some strength back. Wendy became a great nurse - changing my dressing on the tube, keeping the bed and towels laundered, picking up supplies and doing a million other things while trying to balance her already insane schedule. She's awesome and I owe her an awful lot - I love you.
Wendy went to Edmonton for Christmas where her family lives. From there my sister Kimi and brother in law Shane took over. I was in there care. They switched me over from the Boost supplement drinks I was taking in the GI tube to Vegan smoothies and vegetable juices. We went to Vancouver Island to be with our Dad and Nana for Christmas. I stayed on the couch again for most of it - feeding tube in tow. A parade of guests came through to say hi - I didn't eat Christmas dinner but it was a wonderful trip. My Dad is amazing. He and his girlfriend Vicki are so supportive and my Nana is incredible. I have a wonderful family and I love them all.
Kimi and Shane kidnapped me and I've been living at their house on the couch again where they continue their program with me. I feel a lot better - however the 'not being able to eat' continues. This is the next hurdle we are trying to overcome. As soon as I can eat I can gain some weight, get my strength up and everything else will fall into place.
And so, here it is - January 1, 2010 - a new year - a new decade. A little older and deeper in debt. The cancer is gone. The recovery is nearly over. I'm ready to work. Resolutions? Yeah - I have a few. I'm gonna take more time for myself. I'm gonna hang with my family and friends a lot more. I'm gonna get to the gig earlier and leave a little later. I'm gonna sit in my back yard and listen to music. I'm gonna go a little slower. The daily "to do" lists will generally not get done on THAT day. This is a beautiful life we have, people. If you were like me - work crazy - reconsider. I'll always be a little work crazy but I'm sure gonna enjoy the benefits surrounding it. I have the greatest job in the world. People envy me up on a stage in front of copious amounts of people. I'm gonna savour that more now ..... for as long as I can.
I have amazing friends - I know so many people and the support I've received has been unsurpassed. It's been an emotional time for me. I cry tears of joy an awful lot these days - many of you have bore witness to this. I am so happy and blessed to have you all in my life. Thank you.
So now, I finish up this "note' and it's January 2. What's up for me? Not much on the books but work will come in. Yvan is coming out here in January and we're gonna finish his album which stalled due to my condition. It's gonna be a great year. Always is! Take care everyone.