First things first

I'd been feeling very bloated in early October. As the 49th birthday was approaching, I attributed it to old age, etc. Went to the doctor complaining of stomach ailment, thought I had an ulcer (didn't have one) from taking too much pain medicine (brand name withheld to avoid legal action). Was prescribed Ultra-Strength gas minimizer (ditto, on the brand name). Took it for a week. Called doctor. Schedule CAT scan for Oct 29. 3 compassionate co-workers recommended/urged me to go to ER on October 27. Went, drank CAT scan elixir (it's not all that bad - you even wind up with frequent flier miles to visit the land of Montezuma multiple times). CAT scan and blood work detected some swollen glands in the abdominal area, enlarged liver and spleen which are strong indicators of lymphoma. When told of this by the doc in ER. I tried to change the channel on the TV to find a movie with a little more humor (that's right...TV in your ER bed. That's cool!).

Admitted to hospital (broke my string of being the only immediate family member to never have been admitted to the hospital - well, guess I was when I was born, but that wasn't my decision). Schedule for biopsy to look at a mass (hereafter referred to "the alien) that is inside my stomach (we're talking some serious bloating issues). CT guided biopsy took place Oct. 30 and I was home in time to answer the door for Halloween in my costume as a potential cancer patient (love them Embolism Socks!).

Biopsy results are scheduled for Nov 3 at 3:30PM. Results to follow.

A great friend near Warrenton VA has already told me, "You aren't sick. You won't spend the possible time off from work moping around. My fear is you are going to reload and come back a more intense individual and what scares me most is you are going to be even more ornery!" I don't know what she's talking about.

Feel free to post comments. Please don't hypothesize or paraphrase things. I will give you all the information you need. If you want to share my information with someone, forward them the link. I encourage not to relate anything without something I have written in front of you. Below is a list of seven items about how you can best relate to me right now:
1) Saying "I'm sorry" about how I feel physically is not necessary and actually...not recommended. 2) Saying "How are you"....ditto 3) Asking if I want company and understanding that a "no thanks" from me is not a rejection. It's me finally accepting my body has limits and I'm going to honor those signs for awhile. However, I have learned I love visits and they made my hospital visit very painless. It will take a lot for me to turn down your visit. 4) I'm not sick, I'm reloading and when I am reloaded, Greg Frazee will be back with a vengeance unmatched by anything you've ever seen from him. 5) Conversation topics...same old good stuff that always makes us laugh, ponder, etc. There is a moratorium on political discussions. 6) Asking if I would like a meal...Absolutely...there will only be two rules. Don't be offended if I don't eat as much as you think I should, but more importantly, you must be willing to sit down and share the meal with me if you can. 7) Personal medical assessments are taboo. I know I received excellent care in the hospital. Not all things were perfect, nothing is. That's why duct tape was invented.


Hold off on phone calls (immediate family excepted) until I get things under control. I will send info as I get it about how you can help out. I won't turn my back on your offerings. I met an Amish woman from South Central VA once who told me, "Greg, a gift not accepted is a blessing denied."

See you around! Shalom Dudes and Dude-ettes!