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It Hurts (Poem)

  I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom lately; she passed away in November, 2010.  This is for her.   when I was five and life was a song of excitement and innocence the world was full of mystery and I had never felt the pain of hurt or loss of any kind    and then one day a playmate pushed me right off the swing you picked me up   brushed me off    told me not to cry ‘mommy,’ I said, ‘it hurts’ when I was sixteen and in love for the  first time to a young Cuban girl I felt like     an adult doing adult things dates and kissing and groping and late-night phone calls with the cord stretched and twisted through the house  and under my door    and then one day she left me for another teenage crush and I felt world-ending anguish  burning, hot, consuming as only a teenager can feel them you held me close    told me I’d be ok ‘but mom,’ said I, ‘it hurts.’ when I was thirty-five at the end of my marriage holding on to it with desperate and futile hands trying to be a good father to my sons who put me on a pedestal high enough  to rival the gods I fought depression  […]

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You’re Lucky To Be Alive

You’re lucky to be alive. Sometimes you take it for granted, even with the constant reminder that greets you every morning in the mirror. A jagged 10-inch scar running from your left ear all the way down your neck is the most visible, and yet the least significant, scar you have. You can’t feel the […]

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Animal Crossing, City Folk

How a Video Game – Wii’s “Animal Crossing” – Helped me Cope with Cancer

I was home alone every day with a deadly disease ravaging my body and trying to take my life from me.  My children were in school, my disabled parents were unable to visit me, my wife was at work – providing me the insurance that was saving my life, my brother was working every day, […]

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My New tattoo - the Phoenix

Binary’s New Tattoo

I am a cancer survivor.  In August 2008 I was diagnosed with Head and Neck cancer, and an incredible and grueling journey began.  A journey that included surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, depression, fatigue, hopelessness, anger, despair, and a forced view of my mortality. It was also a journey of hope, love, compassion, understanding, and renewed vigor for life.  When death […]

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United HealthCare & Florida Hospital Dispute Almost Cancels My PET Scan

I had my six-month PET scans this morning.  If these scans come back clean, I will officially be two years into remission.  I am, as you can imagine, terribly anxious to get the results.  I should get a call from my doctor’s office tomorrow with the result.  Until then, I will be one big bundle […]

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The Binary Biker is Still Cancer-Free!

Short blog.  Yesterday I blogged about my 6-month CT/PET scan and the process steps it entails.  Today, less than 24-hours later, I have my results.  I called my nurse, Val, at about 10:00am and asked that she call me as soon as the scans were in.  Around 11:00am she called me back. My result? NORMAL […]

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The Cancer Survivor CT/PET Scan Routine

Today marks 18 months since the end of my treatments for squamous cell carcinoma.  I celebrate every 6 months by getting a CT/PET scan to check for more cancer.  This is a routine that most cancer survivors are familiar with, but surprisingly few others understand.  This article is my attempt to explain the process to […]

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Why is Astrology More Popular Than Cancer?

This isn’t going to be a long blog; more of a mild rant, actually. Readers of my blog know I blog about anything and everything that captures my attention but mostly my blog is filled with thoughts, stories, and insights that I gather while dealing with my cancer.  Recently, I also blogged about The Skinny […]

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Chewing Gum and Cancer

Before you’re the age of seven your mother is scared to death to let you chew a stick of gum. It might get stuck in your throat – lodged in a perverse definition of the name and gum up your breathing. Later, when you’ve reached enough “maturity,” you’re allowed a small Chicklet and you walk […]

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Always Get a Second Opinion!

I went to see my radiation Oncologist today; Dr. David Diamond in Winter Park, Florida. He’s basically been the coordinator of all my treatments – surgical, medical, and radiation. So when I see him, I tend to get the “bigger” picture of all of my treatments. I also have the best relationship with him – […]

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