It never ceases to amaze me how many people from all over the world manage to find and view a blog.
Not that my blog is very interesting but I seem to have enough blog entries on subjects that people seem to be interested in...interested enough to do a search, whether it be a Google search or by use of another search engine or maybe by stumbling upon it from one of the many blog sites that I am registered in.
My humble blog has had almost 100,000 visitors from about 184 countries.
My blog is mainly here to detail memories, thoughts, opinions, trials and tribulations, achievements, battles won and battles lost on every front possible along with anything else that suits my fancy at any given time.
The most popular blog posts have been involving our travels, the worlds largest snake, a person called the Chalk Man and of course the ever popular size KKK (triple K) breast size.
Some things I write about are personal in nature, but I feel that they should be shared with others as somewhat of a public service type of thing and/or because someone else might be going through the same thing as me and it is nice to share the ups and downs, fears and happiness along with some insight about whatever the issue might be. This usually pertains to medical issues.
So as long as life keeps on happening to me, I will continue to write, memorialize and share whatever this life throws my way.
Back On The Road Again But This Time With A Surprise
A long time ago when I was in the military I injured my back.
On Monday, while reaching for a framed picture that I had leaned against the wall on the floor, I threw my back out.
Every since that intial injury, it does not take much to throw it out.
It has been a couple of years since I have had any serious problems with it but it is very sore and downright uncomfortable right now.
Yesterday morning Veronica and I had to drive to Suffolk, so that Veronica could assist in a new store opening.
We each drove seperate cars because I was coming home on Thursday morning and Veronica was heading up to the D.C. area for a meeting and then returning home late Friday night.
It has been quite a while since I have listened to the radio, whether it be around the house or in a car.
As I was driving to Suffolk the radio station that I was originally listening to started to fade away.
I decided to change channels and found a channel that I used to listen to when we lived in the Virginia Beach area.
I thought that I briefly heard the announcer make mention of an upcoming Jimmy Buffett concert that was coming to the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
I thought that I must have heard something incorrectly because Veronica and I had lived about 10 minutes away from this concert site for approximately 8-9 years.
While living in that area, we had heard something about Jimmy Buffett having concerts at the Amphitheater on a yearly basis but something had occurred and he no longer had any concerts at this site, at least during the time period that we lived there.
We always figured that it was our usual lack of luck that we would miss out on a local Jimmy Buffett concert.
Veronica and I had searched and thought about going to see one of his concerts at a number of different locations throughout the years.
There was always some reason that came up and we never did go to see him at any of those concerts.
So of course, as fate would have it, we move to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and who comes back to town for a concert in Virginia Beach. You got it...no other than Jimmy Buffett himself.
This has been on my wifes "bucket list" for many many years but for the most part she had conceded to the fact tht she would probably never see him in concert.
Boy was she wrong.
After checking into our hotel, I promptly went online in search of those ever elusive, much coveted and often times very expensive Jimmy Buffett concert tickets.
I went to Ticketmaster and was redirected to the LiveNation web site.
I must have spent 20 minutes trying every possible variation of tickets, availability and seat location possible. I even tried the Lawn Seating but there was absolutely nothing available...not even one single ticket.
I had all but given up hope when I noticed a VIP Ticket link at the top of the page.
I figured what te heck, I will give it a try.
I ended up sending an email to a Ryan Conrad.
As it turns out, Ryan is in charge of the Premium/VIP ticket sales at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
Below is Ryans information and a way that you can make contact with him, should you ever be in the market for some prime time concert seats:
Ryan Conrad Director of Premium Seats
Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
(757) 368.3017 / (757) 368.3698 fax
3550 Cellar Door Way Virginia Beach, VA 23456
ryanconrad@livenation.com
After sending emails back and forth, I made telephone contact with Ryan.
Ryan told me that the Jimmy Buffett tickets had gone on sale on or about 3/12 and that the concert was sold out in a matter of 2 hours.
Ryan also told me that he did have a couple of VIP Box Seats left and he offered those tickets to me.
I am usually not the type of person who would spend big money on tickets for any event but I also knew that if I did not act on this opportunity at this time, there was a really good chance that Veronica would never get to see Jimmy Buffett in concert.....ever and I really wanted to make sure that this happen to her.
With Ryans assistance and consideration, I went ahead and splurged on those VIP Box Seat tickets.
We are in Box 57 which is almost dead center to the stage. Along with the great box seats, there are several other perks that come with the Premium Seating package.
For more information, please click on the following link... Live Nation Premium Box Seats And Season Seat Packages
Yesterday afternoon, after making the ticket purchase, I made an elaborate email to send to Veronica in order to heighten the excitement of her getting to actually see Jimmy Buffett in concert.
Needless to say, by the end of that long drawn out email, Veronica was one happy and excited camper upon finding out that one of her dreams was actually coming true. I am very glad that I had decided to get these tickets and be a part of her dream.
I also want to thank Ryan Conrad for all of his help in turning Veronica's dream into a reality.
So come May 26th, Veronica and I will be attending the Jimmy Buffett concert in Virginia Beach and sporting the best "fins" that we can make.
And as usual I will let everyone know how this magical evening plays out.
On Monday, while reaching for a framed picture that I had leaned against the wall on the floor, I threw my back out.
Every since that intial injury, it does not take much to throw it out.
It has been a couple of years since I have had any serious problems with it but it is very sore and downright uncomfortable right now.
Yesterday morning Veronica and I had to drive to Suffolk, so that Veronica could assist in a new store opening.
We each drove seperate cars because I was coming home on Thursday morning and Veronica was heading up to the D.C. area for a meeting and then returning home late Friday night.
It has been quite a while since I have listened to the radio, whether it be around the house or in a car.
As I was driving to Suffolk the radio station that I was originally listening to started to fade away.
I decided to change channels and found a channel that I used to listen to when we lived in the Virginia Beach area.
I thought that I briefly heard the announcer make mention of an upcoming Jimmy Buffett concert that was coming to the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
I thought that I must have heard something incorrectly because Veronica and I had lived about 10 minutes away from this concert site for approximately 8-9 years.
While living in that area, we had heard something about Jimmy Buffett having concerts at the Amphitheater on a yearly basis but something had occurred and he no longer had any concerts at this site, at least during the time period that we lived there.
We always figured that it was our usual lack of luck that we would miss out on a local Jimmy Buffett concert.
Veronica and I had searched and thought about going to see one of his concerts at a number of different locations throughout the years.
There was always some reason that came up and we never did go to see him at any of those concerts.
So of course, as fate would have it, we move to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and who comes back to town for a concert in Virginia Beach. You got it...no other than Jimmy Buffett himself.
This has been on my wifes "bucket list" for many many years but for the most part she had conceded to the fact tht she would probably never see him in concert.
Boy was she wrong.
After checking into our hotel, I promptly went online in search of those ever elusive, much coveted and often times very expensive Jimmy Buffett concert tickets.
I went to Ticketmaster and was redirected to the LiveNation web site.
I must have spent 20 minutes trying every possible variation of tickets, availability and seat location possible. I even tried the Lawn Seating but there was absolutely nothing available...not even one single ticket.
I had all but given up hope when I noticed a VIP Ticket link at the top of the page.
I figured what te heck, I will give it a try.
I ended up sending an email to a Ryan Conrad.
As it turns out, Ryan is in charge of the Premium/VIP ticket sales at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
Below is Ryans information and a way that you can make contact with him, should you ever be in the market for some prime time concert seats:
Ryan Conrad Director of Premium Seats
Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
(757) 368.3017 / (757) 368.3698 fax
3550 Cellar Door Way Virginia Beach, VA 23456
ryanconrad@livenation.com
After sending emails back and forth, I made telephone contact with Ryan.
Ryan told me that the Jimmy Buffett tickets had gone on sale on or about 3/12 and that the concert was sold out in a matter of 2 hours.
Ryan also told me that he did have a couple of VIP Box Seats left and he offered those tickets to me.
I am usually not the type of person who would spend big money on tickets for any event but I also knew that if I did not act on this opportunity at this time, there was a really good chance that Veronica would never get to see Jimmy Buffett in concert.....ever and I really wanted to make sure that this happen to her.
With Ryans assistance and consideration, I went ahead and splurged on those VIP Box Seat tickets.
We are in Box 57 which is almost dead center to the stage. Along with the great box seats, there are several other perks that come with the Premium Seating package.
For more information, please click on the following link... Live Nation Premium Box Seats And Season Seat Packages
Yesterday afternoon, after making the ticket purchase, I made an elaborate email to send to Veronica in order to heighten the excitement of her getting to actually see Jimmy Buffett in concert.
Needless to say, by the end of that long drawn out email, Veronica was one happy and excited camper upon finding out that one of her dreams was actually coming true. I am very glad that I had decided to get these tickets and be a part of her dream.
I also want to thank Ryan Conrad for all of his help in turning Veronica's dream into a reality.
So come May 26th, Veronica and I will be attending the Jimmy Buffett concert in Virginia Beach and sporting the best "fins" that we can make.
And as usual I will let everyone know how this magical evening plays out.
On The Go Again
Veronica and I have been on the road for a few days.
Veronica has been assisting in the preparations of a new store opening in Suffolk.
We left home on Monday and will be returning tonight.
We have been staying at a Hilton Garden Inn. It is a real nice hotel that is close to everything that is in this area.
There is a Panera Bread and a Subway close by to the hotel.
The hotel has a really nice fitness room with treadmills, recumbent bikes, a weight machine and free weights just to name a few things that are offered. It is one of the best equipped fitness rooms that I have seen in any hotel that we have stayed in.
There is also a large whirlpool and a heated indoor pool.
And with 2 flat screen TVs in the room(s) that we are in, you can't really ask for more.
I can even watch movies on the laptop computer using the Netflix services that I belong to.
The only bad thing about going away for several days is having to go back home, unpack the car and unpack all of the luggage and bags, do all of the wash and basically get everything put away.
It usually takes a couple of hours to get everything done and to a point where we can sit down and relax.
And it looks like we will be doing it all over again next week.
We are becoming quite the road warriors.
Veronica has been assisting in the preparations of a new store opening in Suffolk.
We left home on Monday and will be returning tonight.
We have been staying at a Hilton Garden Inn. It is a real nice hotel that is close to everything that is in this area.
There is a Panera Bread and a Subway close by to the hotel.
The hotel has a really nice fitness room with treadmills, recumbent bikes, a weight machine and free weights just to name a few things that are offered. It is one of the best equipped fitness rooms that I have seen in any hotel that we have stayed in.
There is also a large whirlpool and a heated indoor pool.
And with 2 flat screen TVs in the room(s) that we are in, you can't really ask for more.
I can even watch movies on the laptop computer using the Netflix services that I belong to.
The only bad thing about going away for several days is having to go back home, unpack the car and unpack all of the luggage and bags, do all of the wash and basically get everything put away.
It usually takes a couple of hours to get everything done and to a point where we can sit down and relax.
And it looks like we will be doing it all over again next week.
We are becoming quite the road warriors.
Tragedy In Japan
I found the following video clips that shows the power and destruction of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.
And on top of everything else, the Japanese people are having to deal with serious issues concerning their nuclear complexes.
As was reported in an AP report shown on AOL.... "By Monday, officials were overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis, with millions of people facing a fourth night without electricity, water, food or heat in near-freezing temperatures."
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people.
Please be advised...some portions of these videos may be difficult view
And on top of everything else, the Japanese people are having to deal with serious issues concerning their nuclear complexes.
As was reported in an AP report shown on AOL.... "By Monday, officials were overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis, with millions of people facing a fourth night without electricity, water, food or heat in near-freezing temperatures."
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people.
Please be advised...some portions of these videos may be difficult view
Dodging Bullets And Living Lucky
I waited a day to post this until I had a chance to talk to Veronica about the news from my Urologist appointment. She is currently in Toronto Canada on a business trip and I spoke to her last night.
Yesterday I had my first consultation with my new Urologist.
I liked this Urologist and felt very comfortable talking to him.
The Urologist had all of my previous PSA test results along with a lot of other background medical information on me.
This Urologist ran a urine test which came back clean.
He also did an extensive DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) and believe it or not, he could feel no nodule anywhere in, around or near my prostate. Recently another Urologist and my Family doctor had felt a very small nodule on the right side of my prostate.
Had I stuck with that other Urologist, I would have been having a prostate biopsy by this time.
Sometimes it really pays to have a 3rd or 4th opinion about things, especially when it comes to your health issues.
Because my PSA test numbers had been jumping up over a relatively short period of time, I was put on Cipro, an antibiotic, because family doctor felt that I might have a prostate infection.
This Urologist agreed to that line of treatment.
So where I am at right now is that I will finish taking the Cipro...about 2 more weeks worth at 2x a day and then return to my family doctor for another followup PSA test.
Everyone will confer and hopefully that will be the end to this recent scare.
The only missing piece of the puzzle is the findings from an MRI that I recently had done due to the pain in my right hip and right upper leg. In the MRI findings, there was some mention of my prostate and something was written about prostate concern and having some followup on what was seen on that MRI. Neither this Urologist nor I had the actual findings present during this visit, so he will be obtaining those results.
Although I vaguely remember that something about my prostate was mentioned in those MRI findings, I could not remember in what context those concerns were stated.
Hopefully it won't be anything to worry about and upon doing this next PSA test, my PSA levels will have dropped down to a more normal level and Veronica and I can put an end to this chapter of medical issues.
I consider myself a very lucky person right now.
I have had 3 cancer scares in the last 3-4 years or so.
The first was when I was still smoking cigarettes and a pre-cancerous growth was found on my tongue. I had a biopsy and then after the results, had a portion of my tongue removed. I wrote extensive blog entries as I was going through that rather scary and painful period of time.
The next time was right before Veronica and I went on our Baltic Capitals cruise last year.
I had got an X-Ray done on my right leg and hip...once again due to pain that I was feeling in that area on a daily basis.
I received a telephone call from my family doctor back in Virginia. He was the one that requested the X-ray be done on my leg.
That doctor called and told me that I needed to get with my Oncologist in the near future because the radiologist that had read my hip/leg x-rays felt that I might have bone cancer. These were the words that my doctor was using.
Veronica and I ended up going on our cruise vacation thinking that I might have bone cancer.
Upon returning home from our vacation, I visited my Oncologist and was told that I did not have bone cancer and what the Radiologist had seen on the x-rays was actually the Mast Cell Disease that I had already been diagnosed with a couple of years prior. The Mast Cekll Disease has somewhat of an appearance as bone cancer on the x-rays. My Mast Cell Disease is actually in my bone marrow. This is also why I was seeing an Oncologist to begin with.
And of course the latest scare is with my prostate.
All of these worries and near misses on such medical issues can sure wear a person out..medically, physically and emotionally. And that is not even beginning to mention what loved ones go through during all of this. It can make things tough on everybody.
From where I am sitting, dodging bullets and living lucky are real understatements.
Time to count my blessings.
Yesterday I had my first consultation with my new Urologist.
I liked this Urologist and felt very comfortable talking to him.
The Urologist had all of my previous PSA test results along with a lot of other background medical information on me.
This Urologist ran a urine test which came back clean.
He also did an extensive DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) and believe it or not, he could feel no nodule anywhere in, around or near my prostate. Recently another Urologist and my Family doctor had felt a very small nodule on the right side of my prostate.
Had I stuck with that other Urologist, I would have been having a prostate biopsy by this time.
Sometimes it really pays to have a 3rd or 4th opinion about things, especially when it comes to your health issues.
Because my PSA test numbers had been jumping up over a relatively short period of time, I was put on Cipro, an antibiotic, because family doctor felt that I might have a prostate infection.
This Urologist agreed to that line of treatment.
So where I am at right now is that I will finish taking the Cipro...about 2 more weeks worth at 2x a day and then return to my family doctor for another followup PSA test.
Everyone will confer and hopefully that will be the end to this recent scare.
The only missing piece of the puzzle is the findings from an MRI that I recently had done due to the pain in my right hip and right upper leg. In the MRI findings, there was some mention of my prostate and something was written about prostate concern and having some followup on what was seen on that MRI. Neither this Urologist nor I had the actual findings present during this visit, so he will be obtaining those results.
Although I vaguely remember that something about my prostate was mentioned in those MRI findings, I could not remember in what context those concerns were stated.
Hopefully it won't be anything to worry about and upon doing this next PSA test, my PSA levels will have dropped down to a more normal level and Veronica and I can put an end to this chapter of medical issues.
I consider myself a very lucky person right now.
I have had 3 cancer scares in the last 3-4 years or so.
The first was when I was still smoking cigarettes and a pre-cancerous growth was found on my tongue. I had a biopsy and then after the results, had a portion of my tongue removed. I wrote extensive blog entries as I was going through that rather scary and painful period of time.
The next time was right before Veronica and I went on our Baltic Capitals cruise last year.
I had got an X-Ray done on my right leg and hip...once again due to pain that I was feeling in that area on a daily basis.
I received a telephone call from my family doctor back in Virginia. He was the one that requested the X-ray be done on my leg.
That doctor called and told me that I needed to get with my Oncologist in the near future because the radiologist that had read my hip/leg x-rays felt that I might have bone cancer. These were the words that my doctor was using.
Veronica and I ended up going on our cruise vacation thinking that I might have bone cancer.
Upon returning home from our vacation, I visited my Oncologist and was told that I did not have bone cancer and what the Radiologist had seen on the x-rays was actually the Mast Cell Disease that I had already been diagnosed with a couple of years prior. The Mast Cekll Disease has somewhat of an appearance as bone cancer on the x-rays. My Mast Cell Disease is actually in my bone marrow. This is also why I was seeing an Oncologist to begin with.
And of course the latest scare is with my prostate.
All of these worries and near misses on such medical issues can sure wear a person out..medically, physically and emotionally. And that is not even beginning to mention what loved ones go through during all of this. It can make things tough on everybody.
From where I am sitting, dodging bullets and living lucky are real understatements.
Time to count my blessings.
Kind Of Under The Weather
Not much has been going on around here.
Been doing my workouts daily except for today. I think I caught whatever bug Veronica has had. Just been kind of loafing around today and basically feeling under the weather.
Veronica left today for Toronto on a business trip. She will hopefully be home on Friday. I miss her tons already.
Tomorrow I have a consultation visit with my new Urologist. This is the Urologist that my family doctor recommended.
This is also my consultation before I get scheduled for my prostate biopsy.
Not sure how soon that will be scheduled for but I am sure that I will find out tomorrow during my consultation.
Time to get back into bed and hopefully get over this bug.
Been doing my workouts daily except for today. I think I caught whatever bug Veronica has had. Just been kind of loafing around today and basically feeling under the weather.
Veronica left today for Toronto on a business trip. She will hopefully be home on Friday. I miss her tons already.
Tomorrow I have a consultation visit with my new Urologist. This is the Urologist that my family doctor recommended.
This is also my consultation before I get scheduled for my prostate biopsy.
Not sure how soon that will be scheduled for but I am sure that I will find out tomorrow during my consultation.
Time to get back into bed and hopefully get over this bug.
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