Life Shared
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Living with Chronic Liver Disease
I broke my lower back in 1976, at the age of 25. Two of three orthopedic surgeons at the time
recommended surgery. Surgery would have a 50% chance of success or a 50% chance of leaving
me paralyzed for life. The third surgeon had suffered an injury similar to mine when he was younger
and recommended physical therapy, but warned the therapy would be long and painful. Given a
50/50 chance of ending up in a wheel chair or worse the rest of my life if I had surgery, I chose
therapy.
I spent over a year walking miles in a swimming pool, doing injury specific exercises, etc. Early on, I
remember contemplating suicide as the pain was unbearable, day and night. Somehow, I kept on.
Perceived and real improvement was not day-by-day but more like month-by-month. After about
nine months, I was finally able to sleep most nights and live a daily life without too much pain, if I was
very, very careful about what I did. Fear of experiencing excruciating pain remains as my barometer
of what I can and what I cannot do to date. Fear is the mind killer, but I have learned to recognize
and can control it, to my advantage in this situation.
Next, I was second in a line of five vehicles involved in a car accident that re-injured my lower back
and caused quite a case of whiplash in 1984. Under doctors care and several days after the
accident, my thumbs and my first two fingers grew numb and my arms would go to sleep. Neck
surgery was suggested, but after my lower back experience, I chose therapy. So, I went to various
types of therapy to work on my re-injured back and newly injured neck. And, again the pain was
terrible. Another year went by before I could function much at all with limited pain again. However, as
before, fear of pain was recognized and controlled to my advantage again.
Along the way, I met my soul mate Sandra. We took our vows on a Florida beach November 15,
1985. Our daughter was born in September 1986. Then, the fall of 1987, at age 36, I started on a
quest for a college degree. I attended Broward County Community College and continued on at
Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. I earned my “fast track” BSBA in December of
1989, at age 38. I got a good desk job and life was sweet.
Then about the fall of 1991, I started to fall asleep at my place of employment without even realizing
it. Sometimes, I would wake up and walk out into an empty main office area as everyone else had
gone home. I went to a doctor to find out what was wrong. Blood tests indicated I had not one, but
two life threatening chronic liver viruses. I was told I would probably have 6 months to 2 ½ years to
live. Have you ever been told out of no where you have a short time to live? Fear struck very hard
again and I was immediately consumed with worry about Sandra and our now 5-year-old daughter.
Liver transplant and chemical therapies were discussed. I figured a transplant to be the last resort
due to body rejection issues and issues concerning drugs used to counter body rejection. I learned
at the time through research that chemical therapy using Interferon led to pancreas and/or colon
cancer in many people. Also, as I recall, Interferon cost about $3000 a month at the time. Hmmmmm.
Could there be an alternative?
When able and awake, I would spend hours in the FAU and Broward County, Florida libraries
scouring medical journals. Low and behold, I came across a recent article written in the British
Lancet Medical Journal about a liver therapy used in Germany since the 1960’s. Included was 30
years of data and associated statistics indicating success using an herb derived from the milk-thistle
plant called Silymarin. Well, I have been taking various forms of milk-thistle and Silymarin ever since,
and, I am happy to say I am obviously still here in this plane of existence. And, by the way, I have
spent about $30 to $40 a month for the herbal therapy rather than $3000 plus for chemical therapy.
I still have issues with my liver diseases and spinal injuries to this day. However, I have never had a
bit of chemical therapy and still have all my own “stuff” so to speak. Maybe someday stem cell
research will lead to generating new liver cells to replace my old damaged or destroyed cells.Bottom
line, this time the fear of dying rather than the fear of pain was recognized and controlled to our
advantage again.
Living With Cancer
Sandra has been the family rock while I attended FAU from the fall of 1987 through the winter of
1989 and then while I have had to deal with my health issues since 1991 to date. Adjustments to
keep the family together and functioning were made to accommodate our situation. Then in 2004,
pow! Another serious blow and fear raised its ugly head again as Sandra learned she had cancer.
Just for starters, if Sandra fell, how in the world could the family survive? In any event, we were able
to recognize our fears, and then gain control of and deal with our situation in a logical manner.
Sandra is now over 2 years cancer free.
Fear is the Mind Killer
So here’s the score. Along the trail of life I had serious spinal injuries, was diagnosed with two
chronic active liver diseases in 1991, and, was told by the doctors I may have only 6 months to 2 ½
years to live. Instead, I was blessed to become Mr. Mom to our lovely daughter Cassie for many of
my continuing “bonus” years. Cassie, at 16, had almost five hours of extensive knee surgery in late
2002 with about a year of very challenging rehab. Presently, she will be a senior at NC State
University and has happily found her niche, she thinks, as an English major. Sandra was Mrs. Dad
all these years supporting our family through thick and thin. However, just before Thanksgiving of
2004, she was diagnosed with cancer and had to endure three surgeries and subsequent cobalt
and radiation treatments. Mrs. Dad is now over 2 years cancer free.
Now, in our fifties, we both have first hand knowledge and experience dealing with serious life
threatening situations and associated fears. After pondering and weighing all the possibilities our
remaining years may have to offer such as people and places to experience and beautiful sites to
see, we decided to get off the “daily world fearcycle” so to speak and go RVing fulltime while we
were still physically and mentally able to do so. It’s scary, that ol’ fear thing again, to do what we
have done but believe you me we are having a wonderful and fulfilling experience. We hope some of
you will do the same some day and we will keep reporting our RV Folly Adventure Freedom Ride
story in order to help blaze the trail for those that may decide to become free again and follow us in
their own RV some day.
Free again, you may wonder? We have observed, especially over the last few years, many of our
fellow human beings seem to be afraid to live, afraid to be sick, afraid to die, afraid to spend, afraid
to save, afraid to be free, afraid to give up freedom, afraid to be at home, afraid to travel, afraid to
send their children to school, afraid to keep their children at home, etc., etc. And, most of these
folks do not have health issues. Why might this be?
Well, maybe it is in part due to the nowadays 24/7/365 news media and our government constantly
bombarding us with fear and bad news. How come? One reason may be that fear sells advertising
and buys votes. Have statements such as “Stay tuned for breaking news about a gunman” yada,
yada, ... ,or, “You should vote for me/us or our city or country will be attacked by terrorists again”
ever kept you in your seat in front of the TV or got you to looking over your shoulder everywhere
you go?
In any event, we are not by any means claiming to be experts or have the answers to fear issues in
our society and societies around the world. However, we have already discovered some advantages
to RVing fulltime. One can enjoy the outdoors, beautiful sights, and other people doing the same
instead of sitting in front of the TV being scared to death about bad stuff going on somewhere in our
world of today. Fear is the mind and soul killer.
How long has it been since you have gone outdoors, sat down in a lawn chair, looked all around,
and listened for 30 minutes? Now imagine having the opportunity of doing this anywhere you may
dream to be, 24/7/365, while living in an RV fulltime. We have learned, all fears aside, one can
rediscover the world to be a beautiful place … really!
I broke my lower back in 1976, at the age of 25. Two of three orthopedic surgeons at the time
recommended surgery. Surgery would have a 50% chance of success or a 50% chance of leaving
me paralyzed for life. The third surgeon had suffered an injury similar to mine when he was younger
and recommended physical therapy, but warned the therapy would be long and painful. Given a
50/50 chance of ending up in a wheel chair or worse the rest of my life if I had surgery, I chose
therapy.
I spent over a year walking miles in a swimming pool, doing injury specific exercises, etc. Early on, I
remember contemplating suicide as the pain was unbearable, day and night. Somehow, I kept on.
Perceived and real improvement was not day-by-day but more like month-by-month. After about
nine months, I was finally able to sleep most nights and live a daily life without too much pain, if I was
very, very careful about what I did. Fear of experiencing excruciating pain remains as my barometer
of what I can and what I cannot do to date. Fear is the mind killer, but I have learned to recognize
and can control it, to my advantage in this situation.
Next, I was second in a line of five vehicles involved in a car accident that re-injured my lower back
and caused quite a case of whiplash in 1984. Under doctors care and several days after the
accident, my thumbs and my first two fingers grew numb and my arms would go to sleep. Neck
surgery was suggested, but after my lower back experience, I chose therapy. So, I went to various
types of therapy to work on my re-injured back and newly injured neck. And, again the pain was
terrible. Another year went by before I could function much at all with limited pain again. However, as
before, fear of pain was recognized and controlled to my advantage again.
Along the way, I met my soul mate Sandra. We took our vows on a Florida beach November 15,
1985. Our daughter was born in September 1986. Then, the fall of 1987, at age 36, I started on a
quest for a college degree. I attended Broward County Community College and continued on at
Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. I earned my “fast track” BSBA in December of
1989, at age 38. I got a good desk job and life was sweet.
Then about the fall of 1991, I started to fall asleep at my place of employment without even realizing
it. Sometimes, I would wake up and walk out into an empty main office area as everyone else had
gone home. I went to a doctor to find out what was wrong. Blood tests indicated I had not one, but
two life threatening chronic liver viruses. I was told I would probably have 6 months to 2 ½ years to
live. Have you ever been told out of no where you have a short time to live? Fear struck very hard
again and I was immediately consumed with worry about Sandra and our now 5-year-old daughter.
Liver transplant and chemical therapies were discussed. I figured a transplant to be the last resort
due to body rejection issues and issues concerning drugs used to counter body rejection. I learned
at the time through research that chemical therapy using Interferon led to pancreas and/or colon
cancer in many people. Also, as I recall, Interferon cost about $3000 a month at the time. Hmmmmm.
Could there be an alternative?
When able and awake, I would spend hours in the FAU and Broward County, Florida libraries
scouring medical journals. Low and behold, I came across a recent article written in the British
Lancet Medical Journal about a liver therapy used in Germany since the 1960’s. Included was 30
years of data and associated statistics indicating success using an herb derived from the milk-thistle
plant called Silymarin. Well, I have been taking various forms of milk-thistle and Silymarin ever since,
and, I am happy to say I am obviously still here in this plane of existence. And, by the way, I have
spent about $30 to $40 a month for the herbal therapy rather than $3000 plus for chemical therapy.
I still have issues with my liver diseases and spinal injuries to this day. However, I have never had a
bit of chemical therapy and still have all my own “stuff” so to speak. Maybe someday stem cell
research will lead to generating new liver cells to replace my old damaged or destroyed cells.Bottom
line, this time the fear of dying rather than the fear of pain was recognized and controlled to our
advantage again.
Living With Cancer
Sandra has been the family rock while I attended FAU from the fall of 1987 through the winter of
1989 and then while I have had to deal with my health issues since 1991 to date. Adjustments to
keep the family together and functioning were made to accommodate our situation. Then in 2004,
pow! Another serious blow and fear raised its ugly head again as Sandra learned she had cancer.
Just for starters, if Sandra fell, how in the world could the family survive? In any event, we were able
to recognize our fears, and then gain control of and deal with our situation in a logical manner.
Sandra is now over 2 years cancer free.
Fear is the Mind Killer
So here’s the score. Along the trail of life I had serious spinal injuries, was diagnosed with two
chronic active liver diseases in 1991, and, was told by the doctors I may have only 6 months to 2 ½
years to live. Instead, I was blessed to become Mr. Mom to our lovely daughter Cassie for many of
my continuing “bonus” years. Cassie, at 16, had almost five hours of extensive knee surgery in late
2002 with about a year of very challenging rehab. Presently, she will be a senior at NC State
University and has happily found her niche, she thinks, as an English major. Sandra was Mrs. Dad
all these years supporting our family through thick and thin. However, just before Thanksgiving of
2004, she was diagnosed with cancer and had to endure three surgeries and subsequent cobalt
and radiation treatments. Mrs. Dad is now over 2 years cancer free.
Now, in our fifties, we both have first hand knowledge and experience dealing with serious life
threatening situations and associated fears. After pondering and weighing all the possibilities our
remaining years may have to offer such as people and places to experience and beautiful sites to
see, we decided to get off the “daily world fearcycle” so to speak and go RVing fulltime while we
were still physically and mentally able to do so. It’s scary, that ol’ fear thing again, to do what we
have done but believe you me we are having a wonderful and fulfilling experience. We hope some of
you will do the same some day and we will keep reporting our RV Folly Adventure Freedom Ride
story in order to help blaze the trail for those that may decide to become free again and follow us in
their own RV some day.
Free again, you may wonder? We have observed, especially over the last few years, many of our
fellow human beings seem to be afraid to live, afraid to be sick, afraid to die, afraid to spend, afraid
to save, afraid to be free, afraid to give up freedom, afraid to be at home, afraid to travel, afraid to
send their children to school, afraid to keep their children at home, etc., etc. And, most of these
folks do not have health issues. Why might this be?
Well, maybe it is in part due to the nowadays 24/7/365 news media and our government constantly
bombarding us with fear and bad news. How come? One reason may be that fear sells advertising
and buys votes. Have statements such as “Stay tuned for breaking news about a gunman” yada,
yada, ... ,or, “You should vote for me/us or our city or country will be attacked by terrorists again”
ever kept you in your seat in front of the TV or got you to looking over your shoulder everywhere
you go?
In any event, we are not by any means claiming to be experts or have the answers to fear issues in
our society and societies around the world. However, we have already discovered some advantages
to RVing fulltime. One can enjoy the outdoors, beautiful sights, and other people doing the same
instead of sitting in front of the TV being scared to death about bad stuff going on somewhere in our
world of today. Fear is the mind and soul killer.
How long has it been since you have gone outdoors, sat down in a lawn chair, looked all around,
and listened for 30 minutes? Now imagine having the opportunity of doing this anywhere you may
dream to be, 24/7/365, while living in an RV fulltime. We have learned, all fears aside, one can
rediscover the world to be a beautiful place … really!