This one has been a long time coming.

OK, deep breath and where to start.

I believe it all started about Jan/Feb of 2004. I was still working then for my, I guess you'd have to say "former" employer for the moment, Morrice Transportation,  until my lawyer wraps up my case against them for wrongful dismissal.

One early morning just as I was starting my shift I was headed down the stairs from the dispatch office and slipped and fell down the stairs. I layed there for a few moments until another drive happened to come in and seen me at the bottom of the stairs and notified the dispatcher on duty, who came down to check me out and then called an ambulance.

While awaiting the ambulance I was able to get back up and sit on the stairs and then got up and limped over to the ambulance at their request once they arrived. They offered to take me to the hospital and get checked out and have X-rays. I told them I really did not want to go in the ambulance and they said if I went to the "Urgent Care Clinic" on the west end when it opened at 8am I would probably be able to get in, have an x-ray and see the Dr. in a shorter period of time then going to the hospital anyway.

They then wrapped a "cold pack" around my knee, and I went home to wait until 8am and go to the Urgent Care Clinic. Once at the clinic it was a very short amount of time and I was in and had an x-ray and seen the Dr. He basically said nothing is showing up in the x-ray, however I should see my family Dr. and get a referral to see an orthopedic specialist.

After seeing my family Dr. he put me on "light duty" (No Driving or climbing in or out of the truck) Until I could see the specialist. The company put me on light duty doing mundane paperwork jobs and filing in the office. This continued until I seen the specialist and even afterwards as the specialist suspected a torn meniscus in my left knee, and booked me for surgery, which was not going to happen until December!!

That meant I would be on light duty until then in the office. Over this time period they changed jobs I did in there many  many times and as well started changing my hours all the time as well. Then they stuck me in what was known as the "security shack" which was attached to the building but was mostly all glass all the way around. It leaked when it rained and was hot as hell when it was hot out and freezing once winter came. The did put an air conditioner in there which was little help against the sun beating on the glass all day, and as well there was a heater in there but another needed to be added as the one in there could not keep it warm.

I felt I was being moved around and having hours changed just to "harass" me. I believe they were trying to get me to quit as I was a liability to them and also no good to them unless I was in a truck. This happened to other drivers as well and they all felt the same way. There were a few that came and went on light duty while I was doing it.

In December of 2004 I had the surgery on my knee finally and found that even though the meniscus was NOT torn, it had probably stretched and also there was a calcium buildup on the knee which could have been from the fall.

After being off and at home after surgery for a few months I was forced back on to light duty in the office / garage again until the knee was healed and ready to get back in the truck driving. This happened about Jun/Jul and I was finally back in the truck but ended up on reduced hours (no more than 10 hrs a day) driving. This ended up being a permanent restriction as the company kept forcing me over the 10 hrs so the Ortho Dr. ended up making it a 9 hr restriction on a permanent basis.

After all of this time period and the reduced hours and such, we were basically ruined financially as well which was not a good feeling or place to be in life.

In about April or May of 2006, I was on a day shift on a regular run and just did not feel right at the time and could not put a finger on it. Then in about Jun. of 2006 while spending some time at our trailer/cottage I noticed a big lump on the left side of my neck. Knowing that a fellow camper down the road from us at the trailer park had recently passed away from a lump on his neck that turned out to be cancer.

I went and spoke to his wife and showed her the lump on my neck and asked if it looked anything at all like what her husband had, had. She said yes it did, and as a matter of fact she had noticed the lump on my neck and was going to say something to me about it if it remained there.

Now I was concerned so on the weekend when I was off I went to my family Dr. showed him and asked to see a specialist. I told him my concerns about it. After seeing 3 - 4 different specialists I finally found one that did the proper tests and even went further checking me out. Thank goodness he did. This specialist Dr. Elbreki is the one who found the Squamous Cell Carcinoma on my vocal chord, we were not even looking for that, we were looking for the reason for the lump on my neck, and he decided to take a look with the scope down my throat to have a look from the inside.

He immediately booked me for "Day Surgery" to do a biopsy on the mass in my throat. December 2, 2006 was the day of the biopsy and I had booked off work for this and was going to be off for about a week, however due to complications with the soreness in my neck I going to be off a little longer. That all was not going to matter soon, it was about mid December when the results of the biopsy came back and the confirmation that it indeed was cancer!!

Soon after I was referred to see a Radiation Oncologist at the Cancer Center. I seen the Oncologist who is still my Oncologist, Dr. Schneider and he was recommending 25 days of radiation which he felt would permanently eradicate the disease as it was caught early in the "Pre stage 1" status. During this whole time we were still looking for the reason for the lump on my neck. After a couple of needle biopsies on it which all came back inconclusive I developed another lump and this one was on the right side of my neck. I was in about my second last week of radiation when this came about. This time Dr. Schneider referred me back to Dr. Elbreki who by the was is an E.N.T. specialist (Ear Nose Throat) and he booked my right away for surgery to remove the lump for biopsy.

The surgery was done within a few days, and I continued radiation which was now getting to be painful as my neck was starting to "burn" and peel. the swelling from surgery was not helping either as it made my treatment mask much tighter on that side, which made it tight on the area of the burns as well. Thank goodness only a few days of radiation left. It had become so painful  I was in tears and begging them to hurry up during those last couple of treatments.

During this time the biopsy results from that lump had come back and it was confirmed that it was cancer as well. A second cancer at the same time!!!  This time it was Lymphoma, to be specific it was a T-cell Histiocyte Rich Diffuse Large B-cell Non Hodgkin's lymphoma.

But before I go any further we need to catch up on what was going on during this time with my employer Morrice Transportation and the union CAW Local 195.



       





When I had went off on December 2nd 2006 I had filed an application for S&A benefits. Seemed quite simple at the time. Took them in to the surgeon/specialist Dr. Elbreki to fill in his portion to say I had "Day Surgery".  "Day Surgery" is the important term here. According to the benefit application, if you have "day surgery" you are entitled to benefits from the day you had the procedure  otherwise there is a one week hold back period.

Apparently the Dr. checked off two boxes differently but having said that the paperwork he filled out made it clear I had day surgery. Well after two weeks and no cheque for being off yet I was getting worried. It was now a week or so before Christmas and finances were already in the toilet and we were hurting financially. After several calls to the insurance company and Sue Saputo at Morrice Transportation, I was told what I had was a "procedure" and NOT day surgery!! Therefore I was not entitled to any benefit until I had been off a week or more!!

Mike Dunning

I immediately went to the union CAW Local 195 and spoke with Mike Dunning who at the time was Financial Secretary of the local. He stated that this should not be a problem to get resolved "slam dunk case". Well days before Christmas I still had nothing and I was going to be without a cheque until after Christmas now, so yeah, Merry F@#KING CHRISTMAS.

Right after the holidays I again contacted the insurance company, Morrice Transportation and CAW Local 195. Still nothing!! The union was now changing their position and this was no longer a "slam dunk case" and I  had no case at all now because I had a procedure and not day surgery according to the agreement definitions. Bull Crap!!

I at this time was very sick and was left to do all this running around myself. Our National Rep Jack Robinson from CAW at the time was now involved. He stated if I could get something in writing saying I had Day Surgery he would take on the case. I went to my family Dr. and got a copy of the paperwork from the specialist saying I had a surgical biopsy on my throat which was day surgery. This at the time cost me $50.00 for the letter!!

Apparently according to Jack Robinson  this was not good enough and did not make it clear I had "day surgery" and to get something more definitive! What!! it says I had "day surgery" how much more definitive  did he want! He would not say, anything other than we needed something better. After another letter $25.00, it was still not enough! I told him at this rate I would end up spending more than what I was going to get!!

The company Morrice Transportation was not any more helpful than the union was. Seems they were doing everything they could to make sure I did not get paid for that week. Well, I ended up going back to my family Dr. and asking the receptionist if she could go through my file and please find something, anything that said I had "day surgery". She ended up finding a copy of  Dr. Elbreki's surgical notes he did during the surgery from start to finish. Put me on the table, put me under, positioned my head this way, used this and that.....etc.

I thought perfect! how could they now say this was not "day surgery" and NOT a "procedure"!. This time I got the a copy of that paperwork for no cost. I took it directly to Vito Saputo who was the Human Relations Mgr. at the time. I asked him to send it to the insurance company and for a copy for myself to see if this would be acceptable.

Well, wouldn't you know, finally proved I was right and had day surgery, however now almost the end of December and still no cheque yet from the insurance company, went the whole month of December with zero income!! I was told the cheque would go in the mail along with the rest of Decembers payment right away. I did not receive this cheque until around the 5th or 7th of January as I recall.

All this while I'm undergoing radiation treatments daily which make you dead tired. I did ALL the running around between  Morrice Transportation  CAW Local 195 and the Dr.'s offices all my self with no help from any of them whatsoever. So much for the Union taking care of their own.

This was only the beginning of my troubles with Morrice and the CAW. There was more to come!

I believe it was around May or June of  07 that I got a letter from Morrice Transport that they were laying me off, and as a result my benefits would be discontinued one month after the layoff date! What? how can you layoff someone who is and has been off work on sick leave already! Again I filed a grievance with the union CAW Local 195.

After having my grievance denied by Morrice Transportation at levels one and two, after some discussions with the union CAW Local 195 I was able to get them to agree to take this case to arbitration, which they did, and they were also able to get it expedited  as well due to the nature of my illness at the time as I was very ill.

It only took a matter of a week to get an answer from the arbitrator which is rather quick. He ruled in my favor!! Told the company Morrice Transportation that they would have to reimburse me for any out of pocket costs related to health care and prescriptions for the time the cut my benefits until the current time. He also ruled the layoff would remain on file and should I return to work and they layoff still be in effect, then they could lay me off. Also ruled all my benefits be restored and remain in place as well. They also had to have my Long Term Benefits restored as well.

This in my own opinion was Morrice Transportation testing the waters to see if they could get rid of me, as I had become a "liability" to them. That's just how they think! seriously, beings there was an increase in their insurance premiums due to the high cost of the drugs I was requiring at the time to sustain my life!

At the next contract negotiations with CAW Local 195 they actually changed our prescription coverage from a $3.00 co-pay to a 20% co-pay with NO cap! At this time I was requiring a drug called Neupogen which is a drug used to boost ones white blood cell count. I had been fight low counts for some time, and this affects your immune system and pretty much leaves you without one! Any little infection or cold would immediately put me in the hospital in isolation and on strong antibiotics to fight off the infections.

These shots of Neupogen that I had to take were NOT covered as part of my chemo treatments as they only cover the cost of drugs given intravenously. These shots were not cheap, they were just over $2.700.00 per shot, and I need one every three weeks! Remember I was on a Long Term Disability pension at the time, and these drug's that were costing me a $3.00 co-pay were now going to cost me around $600.00 out of my pocket now!! Every three weeks!

I even took my receipts to the ratification vote for this new contract with this clause in it. I told the guys what I was going through and that if they voted in favor of this not only would they be signing my death warrant so to speak but they would be in this same situation as me should they or their spouse ever get a life threatening illness.

Seems it didn't matter as they passed the contract! Guess a life threatening illness is something they did not worry about at that time. Hope none of them or their family ever get this sick. They will wish they never favored that contract. They actually had to put a clause in there to cover the period of MY long term disability as they lowered the length of that again too, to three years now instead of the current five which I was on. This clause allowed anyone currently off on Long Term Disability to collect for the remainder of their current term.

This was done as there is a clause which states an employee is entitled to ALL benefits as long as they are in receipt of S&A or LTD. Which means they can now cut all of your benefits off after your LTD expires at the end of three years leaving you with nothing.

Let's fast forward now to March of 2012. It was about a week and a half before the end of the month and I received a letter from Morrice Transportation informing me that my long term disability benefits would expire on March 31 2012. However my group life insurance policy would remain in effect until age 65 or my death if prior to that. This is something I already knew because SSQ Financial Group, our insurance carrier for short and long term disability had been keeping me informed of that.

Morrice Transportation however went further. Not only did they remind me that my long term disability payments from SSQ would be expiring, but that they would also be cutting off and ending all my remaining benefits with Green Shield as well. This includes dental prescription and other health benefits. Not that, that was far enough they went on further in this letter to say that "due to my unfortunate circumstances and the length of my illness" they would also be "ending my employment with Morrice Transportation" as well.

 As well this letter was NOT sent out two weeks in advance as per the Canadian Labor Code. If I were terminated I should have received two weeks pay for the improper notice and as well I would be entitled to two days pay for every year worked there which would be twenty days pay for the ten years. Nov. 2002 till March 2012 when I got the notice. They did not pay me anything!  That was until a lawyer got involved.

At that time I bet my wife they would all of a sudden send out a cheque within two weeks when they found out I got a lawyer involved! I was wrong the cheque arrived two days later!!  Unreal. Then it was only for six days severance pay?? Not even close!  I tucked that cheque away until this gets resolved as it should.

Nice huh! Of course I immediately filed a grievance with our local chairman at Morrice, Ben Longpre who filed the step one grievance in a timely manner. It of course was denied with no explanation. I then asked Ben to go ahead and file a Step two grievance. This is where the company Morrice Transportation and the union CAW Local 195 meet and try to resolve the grievance at that level face to face.

I don't even know if or when this meeting was held. I have not been kept informed at all what has been going on with this grievance. all I can tell you is that all the time limits as set forth in the collective agreement have not been met with regard to level 2 or even level 3 which is arbitration and where we should have been months and months ago! Unless there have been changes in legislation and laws, a collective agreement is a legal and binding document, and in this case has failed me as these time limits have not been followed as they are set in writing within the agreement.

Around the end of July or August I contacted a friend who works for a lawyer and is a paralegal for him. My friend came and took my information and all the written documents I had with regard to this issue. I also signed several release of information documents and also stated that I would like to sue Morrice Transportation for wrongful dismissal and harassment, and also sue the union CAW Local 195 for misrepresentation, or in this case NO representation.

My friend took all my information to her boss the lawyer, and as of this writing that is where we are at. All of my documents and information is in the hands of the lawyer and I am awaiting word in writing from them as to where we stand with the case.

I would be curious to any opinions out there with regard to whether you think I'm right or wrong about this and what I'm entitled to or asking for. Media persons are welcome to contact me as well for this story. Please leave a comment below. You may not see your comment on here after sending it, as all comments come to me first for moderation before I post them.

Whirlwind Past Three Weeks!

I see I haven't written since September 20th, so I guess it's time to update now that things have settled down and I can take a breather!

A lot has gone on since I last wrote, and my journey with chemotherapy has commenced once again. Bendamustine (Treanda) was approved for me on a compassionate basis. This was not easy to get and I have to thank Debbie Gammon in the Cancer Centre Pharmacy for her hard work to get this and also to get it funded for me.

It all started with blood work on Sept. 28th, followed by an appointment with my Medical Oncologist Dr. Kanjeekal to go over my blood work and treatment plan for this round. To start with, my Haemoglobin and Platelet counts were still quite low which explains my tiredness lately and also why get out of breath so easily now.

My first treatment of Bendamustine was on Wednesday, October 3rd. The infusion last about an hour and everything went well, I even brought Peanut Jr. along with me for company! October 4th was day two and once again it was an hour infusion of Bendamustine. All went well this time around also. Now comes the wait until the next treatments. I will be on a 28 day cycle with this, and I believe it will be a total of eight cycles, I will have to reconfirm that next visit as I'm not 100% sure of this.

Me and Peanut Jr. at Chemo!

Prior to my first Chemo on the 3rd I also had a pre surgery assessment at the hospital. This was to get everything in order for the surgical biopsy of the node on my left jawline. All went well as at that time I was still not sure the surgery was even going to happen because of my low blood counts my Oncologist thought it might be best to cancel it for now. But at my request to continue she put it in the hands of my E.N.T. Surgeon Dr. Elbreki.

After Biopsy.

Dr. Elbreki was also concerned about the low counts and if they were at at number comfortable for him he would proceed. If not I would agree to a blood and or platelet infusion and then proceed.
All was fine the day of surgery on Friday October 5th, which was the day after my last Bendamustine infusion. The surgery went well and we did it with just a local anaesthetic and "twilight" on hand to use mildly if needed. After about 45 minutes in recovery I was allowed to leave after eating some cookies and drinking a ginger ale.

Next up was an appointment with my Palliative Care doctor Dr.Giddings. At this appointment it was decided that due to all that is going on and still have some pain in my hands and feet, we would increase my medication by a few mg. just to stay on top of the pain going on.

Chemo Port placement.

This was followed on the 11th of October by another surgery at Hotel Dieu - Grace Hospital to insert a Chemo Port which is used for the infusion of Chemo and for blood work when needed. They had a bit of trouble getting a vein at the first chemo treatment, even after warming my lower arms and hands with warm blankets. So thus the port in order not to have to poke around looking for veins all the time.

I had mentioned to my CCAC worker when she asked,  that I had fallen a few times and was having episodes of lightheadedness, She said that she was going to send out Physio and Occupational therapists to assess the apartment for my needs to stay safe and for what my personal needs would be for keeping safe as well. The Physio consultant came on the 12th of Oct. and determined that I should have a proper cane and as well a wheeled walker for getting around outside the apartment.

C.A.L. the Doors L.A. Woman

Finally a break in all of this whirlwind of activity! We were given tickets to us by my Facebook friends, Alicia N-Dana to see Classic Albums Live, perform The Doors album, L.A. Woman in it's entirety. It was an awesome show and the seats were fantastic. These guys are good and you'd have sworn you were at the real thing!  They followed the Album set by a short intermission, then came back to perform a whole host of Doors classics. It's just wonderful to get away from it all to listen to some good music and forget just for that time, all that is going on in my life.

"M" Rail.

Back to it all on Oct. 19th when the Occupational Therapist came to assess the apartment for my needs here. After her inspection and talk with me, it was decided that my needs here were to get an "M" rail for the bed, an elevator ring for the toilet to raise the seat 3 1/2 inches and also for a shower / tub chair.  She said all these would be delivered and set up for me in a few days, which they were on the 18th. With the exception of the shower seat, the M rail and the seat elevator are great additions that are really helping me, but the Shower chair just doesn't feel comfortable, so I may be sending that back after 30 days. I have all of these free for 30 days to try out, and then the option to purchase them at a discounted price or send them back.

So we'll see how the next days go to see how I feel at the end of it and if I'll be purchasing any of it or sending any of it back.

My Social Worker
Nancy Hannon!

My Dietitian Donna Danelon
and I at the Cancer Centre.

The morning of Oct. 19th was very busy with appointments. It started with an appointment at 9am with my Social Worker at the Cancer Centre, Nancy Hannon. I discussed with her the the options I have with regards to the equipment I just got, and that I will also look on Ebay or Kijiji to find out if I might be able to get the same items used or new at an even lower price, which I will do.We also discussed all that has been going on with the chemo starting and just the overall whirlwind of activity over the past weeks. I then went over to the Lab for 10am to do my weekly blood work. after that was an appointment with my Dietitian, Donna Danelon. The topic of discussion has been and still is the rapid weight loss I've been experiencing and the fact I need to eat, even though I have no appetite at all. She also sent a prescription upstairs to the Pharmacy at the cancer centre for 5 cases of Ensure, this will ensure that I'm getting the protein and calories I need to try to maintain my weight. When all of this started just over three months ago I was approx. 330 lbs.and now currently as of this writing I am down to 262.2 lbs! Too much too fast but with no appetite, I just don't know what more to do.

Wednesday after all of that we had tickets that I had purchased ahead of time to go see Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day which was filmed in 2007 but just released now. Again after a busy day and whirlwind of activity, I was able to get away from it all and lose myself in some great music.

What an awesome show it was, age has not affected them at all, if anything it's made them better. Jason Bonham did his dad proud replacing him on drums, John may you forever R.I.P. and know that Jason has got it!  What a night it was, so now the DVD is on my wish list!! Thank you Led Zeppelin for letting me "get away from it all" just for a moment.

Thursday morning I had my follow up appointment with my E.N.T. Dr. Elbreki and prior to the appointment I had removed the bandage and during a shave I accidentally "caught" the stitch and pulled it out, however he said it all looked good and he went over the Pathology report with me which was back. No real surprises but there were some new things that have come forward. It appears I have a "coexisting and clonally identical classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma". A mixed up mess it is, but then again what's "normal" about me!

That pretty much brings things up to date and where I'm at now. So the journey continues, my next chemo treatments are on the 31st of October and the 1st of November. This is all after my follow up with my Medical Oncologist Dr. Kanjeekal and blood work. Stay tuned for my next writing it as usual may come at any time!

So for now "Trust your Journey" as "You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have".

Smiles, Events, and a Big Turn!

Well a bit has happened since my last blog and it is time to update! Since I wrote last time about Dora's Lymphoma Smile Project getting under way in Newport Beach, Ca. She finally made her way into Detroit and to Windsor were she spent 5 days, spreading smiles and awareness to the people or Windsor and Essex County.

Kerry, Me & Peanut Jr, and Dora!

When I arrived at the Amtrak station in Detroit with my brother Jamie and my Son Travis we were met there by fellow Lymphomaniac Kerry Rivard-Allor and her husband Roy! So glad to get a chance to have finally met up, especially when we live not so far apart. After a short chat with Kerry and Roy, Dora's train finally rolled in. She was easy to pick out of the crowd getting off the train with her lime green flowers in her hair and the surgical mask, which protected her from infection on a crowed train. We basically went back to Windsor after talking with Kerry and Roy and getting some photo's with Peanut Jr.. We got her all checked in at the Hilton where she could rest and be ready to go the next day!

RCMP Musical ride about to enter the ring!

Day 2 seen us off to the  (WETRA) Windsor Essex Therapeutic Riding Association's stables out in McGregor On. area. We were there to see the RCMP Musical Ride which just happened to be in the area for a fundraiser for WETRA. Joining us was Brenda and her mom Arnelda. Dora was able to capture many smiles and photos of the event which also included the Canadian Cowgirls show. Unfortunately there was an incident later that evening while uploading the photos from her camera to the computer and ALL photo's taken this day were lost for good! So unfortunate as I had even taken photo's of her with some of the people we knew there as well as photo's with one of the mounties in full dress reds!

Windsor Spitfires vs Plymouth Whalers @ WFCU Centre.

Day 3 in the early afternoon we were able to take in a Windsor Spitfires vs Plymouth (Mi) Whalers exhibition hockey game at the WFCU centre. Joining Dora was myself, Brenda, my Brother Jamie, his stepson Matthias and we met up there with my Uncle Don and his grandson Jim and his friends. So today Dora was able to capture many smiles for her collection and no lost photos this time! A fun time was had by all even though the Spits lost the game.

Day 4 turned out to be a wash with the weather and turned into a rest day.

(Click on this link to see various photo's of Dora's visit with me in Windsor!)

Day 5 and Dora's final day has us picking up Dora at the hotel as she had to check out by 1pm and bring her back to my apartment where we spent the afternoon chatting till Brenda got home, and then we went out to dinner and then off to the train station where we seen her off to continue her journey to Washington D.C. and then home to Catonsville, Md.


Saturday September 15th Brenda her Mother Arnelda her Aunt Louella and myself paid a visit to The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn Michigan to take in a special exhibit that was on there. "Titanic The Artifact Exhibition 100th Anniversary 1912 - 2012."

I have to say it was an amazing experience to be amongst such treasures, yet take in the tragedy of it all as well. An eerie felling indeed. The exhibit itself took about an hour or so to go through, so much too see. After the tour through the exhibit we moved on out to the Henry Ford Museum itself as after all these years living just across the river I'd never been to the museum! I will be going back, again so much to see and such little time. I'm including a link here to see some of the photo's that we took on our visit there to the Titanic exhibit as well as the museum. (Click here for photo's) There are few photos as there was a no camera policy so I was only able to sneak in a few pictures!

Now to back up a bit to the Big Turn! The day after Dora left I had a follow up with my Oncologist to go over the results of my latest C/T scan. The scan itself show growth that was normal and expected as usual so nothing new, however I still felt something was not right. Dr. Kanjeekal asked as I was about to leave when my last blood work was. I told her it had been about a month, so she asked that I stop in at the Lab and have blood work done on my way out. No need to wait around for it, if there were any issues she would call.

Well, the next day her office called! there was indeed something wrong and my blood work was indicating a very low Haemoglobin count and also a very low Platelet count as well. The next day, Friday I felt horrible very light headed, weak, no appetite as usual, just not a good feeling at all, so much so I called my CCAC home nurse to come by. While here we took my blood sugar reading which was 3!! very low! my blood pressure was low too! I went to see my family Dr. and we adjusted some of my medications to try to help with all of this.

In the mean time my Oncologist booked a bone marrow biopsy for me, as well she was doing a referral to see my ENT surgeon Dr. Elbreki in order to do a surgical biopsy of the lymphnode on my left jawline.

Also as Health Canada has now approved Bendamustine for use in Canada an application was made on my behalf under compassionate grounds to have the drug made available to me for treatment once we get the results of all the biopsy's back. I was approved the day after the application was made! Thanks to Debbie Gammon at the Cancer Centre for all the hard work she does to get these kind of approvals for patients here in Windsor and Essex County.

So bottom line is that it is time once again to start Chemotherapy treatments.

Thanks to each and everyone out there who is a part of my team whether it be my Medical Team, Support Team or even my Legal Team for taking the stress of fighting my Employer's harassment (Morrice Transport) and my union (CAW Local 195) for their misrepresentation Hopefully I can get this legal stuff settled and behind me before I get too ill.

Now to focus on fighting this battle with cancer and try to put it behind me for the 5th time in 5 1/2 years!

Face to Face Campaign from The Hospice of Windsor & Essex County Inc.

It's that time of year again for The Hospice of Windsor & Essex County Inc. Face to Face Campaign. It's very simple to donate and it's only $10.00.

Add caption

All you have to do is click on this link (https://www.onlineregistrations.ca/facetoface/list.php) Look for my name on the list to donate in my name which appears as Mayer,Timothy - Windsor. That's it! Simple right!

Please feel free to copy and paste the link and my info to any of your pages. I'm only required to collect $10.00 from 10 people, however participants like I may collect as much as they can, so share, share, share!

My goal is to try to reach $500 by the end of the month, and beings you can donate in my name on line, and my blog here goes world wide, I should have no problem reaching my goal or more! so please share my link above and let's make this GLOBAL!!

Thank you so much for you donation to this,

Timothy J. Mayer

Adoption, Summer Fun, & an Update.

Yep, you read right, adoption! I along with friend, author, and advocate Betsy de Parry who is also a member of my group on Facebook "The Lymphomaniacs"  (it is a "closed" group) have been working over the past few weeks with the people at Jungle Island in Miami, FL. to adopt one of their Orangutans by the name of Peanut.

Peanut! 

Peanut is an 8 yr old female with a twin sister by the name of Pumpkin. Peanut is not your "average" Orangutan by any means. She is indeed special, especially to us with Lymphoma. You see Peanut has non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma as well and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments, much the same as what a human would get in the way of chemotherapy.

We have adopted her as our "Mascot" on "The Lymphomaniacs" page where through her handlers we will be cheering her on and sending our wishes for successful treatment of her non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Dora in Portland, OR. with fellow
Lymphomaniac Ellie Marx.

Next up I have to mention that friend and also fellow Lymphomaniac Dora Waddy has taken to the rails and is travelling via Amtrak across America collecting smiles and spreading the word about Lymphoma. This is all a part of her "Dora's Lymphoma SMILE project".

Dora with the Southern California
Lymphomaniacs group! 

She will be spreading awareness about Lymphoma throughout her travels and along the way meet up with fellow members of The Lymphomaniacs as she has already done in Southern California, Portland Oregon.... and many more stops to come along the way. She will be here in Windsor,ON from September 1 -5 to meet up with The Lymphomaniacs in this area making day trips within a days drive of Windsor to meet up with others as well. I am looking forward to meeting her myself!

On to some of the summer activities Brenda and I have done. One was the 2nd annual Rib Fest at the river front plaza. Good time and way too much food as usual, even with the little I had it was too much and there was left overs for days!

We also seen a concert at the Chrysler Theatre at the St.Clair College for the Arts, a week ago. We seen Lighthouse live, these were tickets I won through a contest with the St.Clair College Alumni Assoc.

Check out the Stilt Guys on the
Right side of the photo @
Tecumseh Corn Fest.

Finally to this past weekend we went to the Tecumseh Corn Fest were as usual I had to have some of that always delicious corn on the cob. Um um good, best corn on the cob yet this season!
This was followed by a Barbecue and Birthday party at my brothers place for his girlfriend and her daughters Birthdays! Again, good food, good times, and a belly ache. I could not even finish one, yes "one" hot-dog! Which leads us to the update on me.

Last week I called my Oncologists office to say something is just not right, I've now as of today lost 55 Lbs since the beginning of June! No real appetite at all, thus the weight loss of course. The weight loss combined with the "spots" that showed up in my lungs on the last C/T I had in June now, after much research, have me concerned that this might be transforming from a low grade to high grade lymphoma. If this is in fact so, treatment needs to begin a.s.a.p.

I also think there will need to be a surgical biopsy of the lymphnode on my jawline, which is most visible and probably the easiest one to get at. Once removed it should be send for a "full" lymphoma work up to in fact determine if it is indeed transforming or not.

Today (Tues) I had the scan, and this will be followed up with an appointment on September 6th to go over the results with my Oncologist at which time I will ask that the surgical biopsy be done as well. That pretty much brings things up to speed with all that has gone on these past few weeks.

Hope you are all continuing to have a great summer, staying safe and enjoying your time and travels.

Rough couple weeks, and a Check-up.

I find it difficult to have to start off with the passing of a couple of great people who were friends.

The first I would like to speak about is a person who was taken from us way, way too soon. I know the young woman through her mother and Facebook friend Liz Schroeder Anderluh from Chicago area. I had followed Liz's daughter Shea's journey with Hodgkin Lymphoma since the beginning which was August of 2008 at the young age of only fourteen years old.

Shea's great smile!

Shea was diagnosed with Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkins. Shea's journey with this had many ups and downs, Shea even took advantage of a couple of different clinical trials to try to find the treatment that would send her to the road of remission. That wasn't to be and in the end, after many many setbacks, Shea's body was just too weak to fight off a virus that she had contracted. Shea passed away at home peacefully surrounded by her loving family at her side on July 25 2011.

Shea always, always had a great smile no matter where she was in her journey. Even during the worst of times Shea always had a smile. That will be what I remember most about her is her always warm smile. May you rest in eternal peace Shea.

I had the opportunity to stay at one of Shea's favourite places, and that was her family's cottage in Michigan. Shea's parents were gracious enough to let us stay at their cottage for a week back in June of last year. Having stayed there I seen how that was her favourite place, so peaceful and tranquil. See my blog from that stay back in June last year; "For Four Days I Forgot".

Donations to Shea and the Anderluh's favourite charities would be welcomed. They are as follows;

1 - Shea Anderluh Medical Expense Fund c/o Chase Bank, 1 N. Dunton, Arlington Heights, IL 6000

2- Donna's Good Things, P.O. Box 5706, Evanston IL 60204.

3 - Cal's Angels, 721 Ashton Ln. South Elgin, IL 60117

Mike on one of his many adventures, deep in though.

This past week I have lost another friend and active member of my Facebook group The Lymphomaniacs. Mike Stevely. Mike passed away suddenly with his family by his side on Tuesday, July 31, 2012. Mike was too young as well at fifty eight years old. Mike passed away from sudden complications related to the stage three Follicular Hodgkins Lymphoma he had. Mike was from the Woodstock Ontario area, and he liked to travel and be adventurous most recently doing the CN Tower Edge Walk! not for the faint of heart let me tell you. He was always active with the local history of the Woodstock area, another of his past times. His passing caught everyone totally off guard. Mike you will always be remembered by all who crossed paths with you. Rest in Peace my friend.

Mike doing the CN Edge Walk on May 31 this year.

It is always a difficult time when I lose friends to this disease of cancer! My cancer friends here at home and on line are all like family to me and when they pass it's like losing a brother or sister. Just wish more was being done to get to the causes of the disease. We have gotten good over the years to make treatment's a little more bearable and to make us live longer which are great accomplishments, however we need to get to the causes so we can eradicate this disease. I hope to see that day in my time.

This past Saturday we had a memorial get together and pig roast for a neighbour from when we had our trailer at the camp ground. Tim Beahan passed away in early January of this year while in Florida where he spent the winters. Tim was not a cancer patient, but in recent years had many medical issues. He passed of a sudden and massive heart attack at his home in Homosassa Springs, Florida. Was a great afternoon of remembering, food and drink! Tim would have approved!

I also had a follow up appointment with my Palliative Care Physician Dr. Giddings at the Windsor Regional Cancer Program. He was working with an intern Dr. Bergeron whom did my examination and check up today. She was very pleasant to work with. After her initial check up with me, she left the room to consult with Dr. Giddings. 

Medical Resident Dr. Sheri Bergeron and my Palliative Care physician Dr. Gordon Giddings

They both returned to the examination room and they decided that my pain medication would be slightly boosted up again. They bumped me up from 15mg to 18mg of Hydromorph Contin twice daily. We will see how that goes with getting my CIPN pain under control. I have also had some increased pain from a few of the affected lymphnodes which are now viable and palpable. I have one in particular just under my right ear lobe which has been causing me some pain at night while in bed. I lay on my right side normally and the other night I woke up a 3am in extreme agony with pain radiating around my right ear! The one just under and around my right front collarbone also can cause some pain when moving my arm in certain directions.

This pretty much wraps up the latest for now, hope you are all enjoying your summer and taking the time to take care of YOU!. Enjoy.

"Celebrating 2yrs remission!" , "I'm Cured!" .

If only. Lately I've been reading on-line of some great news from fellow survivors and patients. Some have gone into complete remission celebrating five or more years which is just awesome. Then there are others who are celebrating a year of remission.

This is were the thought comes for this current blog post. You see, I have yet to hit a year in remission since 2006 when I was first diagnosed. Twice, I almost made it. went from January to December only to find out I'd relapsed!

Currently I am in Watch and Wait and thus this has been the first time that I have gone more than a year without some sort of treatment, chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplant...etc. Let me tell you, it's a celebration in itself not to have gone straight to treatment upon confirmation of my diagnosis in early 2011. Even though I almost made the decision to go ahead and start treatment right away, I decided to give Watch & Wait a chance. A chance I'm glad I took, because of my side effects and weakness I really don't know how that would have turned out.

So to look back on it all, and to look at those that are celebrating their well deserved remissions and cures, I've decided that I will take a moment to celebrate as well! Even though it's not quite two years of Watch & Wait, I have made it past the one year mark without treatment, and really missed the mark on celebrating that moment back in January.

I celebrate now! I celebrate life and the wonderful accomplishment of going more than one year without any form of treatment.

So to sum things up here, what is a reason to celebrate? Well, you don't really need a reason, all you need is the energy and the spirit to celebrate life. To celebrate your life daily, this is it, there's no going back, there's no re-takes. This is life and this is what you get. So celebrate it on a daily basis and make the most of each day.

Today I celebrate life without treatment, I celebrate life in general, and I celebrate with all those who celebrate with me!

CELEBRATE!