Thanksgiving 08

Our family has a lot to be thankful for, however this year has brought that to an even more vivid reality. We all received a reality check on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. Only four days ago, yet it seems like weeks already. My youngest son, who I have referred to as AT on the blog was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's Disease. It all began the day before, on Monday when his mother took him to the pediatrician because of a swollen gland in his neck that seemed to get worse instead of better, After some blood work and X-rays, he called them at home and asked them to come back to the office as he needed to talk to them.

The x-ray showed another mass on his chest and the one in his neck was actually three. He recommended that Adam be taken to the Children's Medical center in downtown Cincinnati as soon as possible. So we were on our way.

Tests, CT-Scans, blood tests, more x-rays, more blood tests confirmed our fears. He was going to be in the hospital for quite some time, and more tests were scheduled, and more "spots" were found, this time on his right lung.

The hospital did allow Adam to go home for a few hours on Thanksgiving to enjoy the day with family, but he had to return on Friday for more tests to give the doctors a better idea on how to treat the disease.

Hodgkin's is a caner of the lymph nodes that can travel throughout the body through the lymphatic system. It can spread quickly and hit anywhere in the body. A bone marrow test was completed yesterday and we will receive the results from that on Monday, to determine if it has entered into the bone marrow and how to treat the disease.

Fortunately the disease has been contained in the upper torso area and no other major organs have been effected. The plan is to hit it fast and hard, and by late next week Adam should be undergoing his first session of chemotherapy. The doctors here are great, and the staff is wonderful. Adam seems to be handling the news better than what his mother and I have been. The doctors are saying there is an 80-85% success rate with this form of cancer, and great strides have been made in the treatment. His diagnosis was not what we wanted to hear, however the prognosis is good and we will stay strong and win this battle. You can read about his journey at his blog Adam's Journey.

Seriously? Puppy-Gate?

Already people are trying to tell President-Elect Obama what needs to be done. CHeck out this report from New York Times:

When Barack Obama promised in his presidential acceptance speech to get his daughters a puppy, it set off a flurry of speculation, particularly online, about just what kind of puppy the family would bring to the White House. Some observers have made the case for their favorite breeds, while others said the president-elect should seek out a mutt. Many argued that Obama should set an example by getting the dog from a shelter instead of looking to a breeder. Obama addressed the puppy question in his first press conference as president-elect today. Noting that the debate over what sort of dog her should get had generated major discussion on his Web site, the president-elect jokingly called it a "major issue." "We have two criteria that have to be reconciled," Obama said. "One is that [daughter] Malia is allergic so it has to be hypoallergenic." Obama added that while many breeds are hypoallergenic, he would prefer to adopt a dog from a shelter. The problem? "A lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me," Obama said. "So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household."

President-Elect Barack Obama

Countdown 2008

In just two days the votes will be cast for our next President and Vice President of the United States. If you want to believe the polls, and the biased News reports Barack Obama has it all wrapped up and John McCain and Sarah Palin should just go home.

I try not to listen to the pollsters and I certainly do not make my choices based on the news media and news reports, however, I personally believe that the media has elected our last five presidents, if not every President since JFK.

But we will soon close the door on what is certainly the most historical presidential campaign in my lifetime. An African-American almost at the door of the oval office, and a female standing in the background and possibly a heartbeat away from the most powerful office in the world. Some of the pundits have said this country is not ready for either a female president or vice president, or a black president. My response to that is why not? Both Hillary and Obama are quite qualified to fill that post, but unfortunately our country still has enough bigots and racists for this to be an issue.

However, come next Wednesday morning history will be made one way or another. It is exciting, and I can not wait for the outcome.