Chapter 19: Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Back to Work I Go!

I went back to work recently, on an "as I can" basis.  This past week, I managed to work 4 consecutive days, although the most hours I could work in a day was six.

I have a new job at Info Tech and so I was thinking of the seven dwarfs and which of these dwarfs best describes my demeanor in my new settings.  I was going to try to find a free image of one of the dwarfs; but Disney is crafty and protective of its intellectual property.  I could have snipped one, but given I work for an ethical software company, didn't seem appropriate!  If I could have posted an image, it would have been all seven of them in their go back to work mode.  I figure there's a little bit of me in each of these dwarfs.

• Bashful - the most timid of the dwarfs.  Timid like I was the first day I went back into the office.  Nervous as a cat and only stayed a couple of hours.  Then I came home and couldn't sleep that night worrying about the next day!

• Doc - I think I have some doc in me.  I mean I know basic common sense about working and physicality; what not to eat, what I should eat.  For instance, on weekends, I do a shot of bourbon in my coffee in the mornings.  I don't do that with my work coffee!

• Grumpy - When I get up in the morning, yea, I'm a little grumpy.  Especially on work days when I know I can't have bourbon in my coffee,

• Happy - Happy probably is the most like me today.  I'm pretty much happy about everything in my life.  I have some friends going through rough times, but I'm happy in knowing people are praying for them and willing to do anything to help them.  I love my job, my family, my extended family; I don't think there's anybody I don't love (unless we want to talk politics, which I swore I wouldn't do in this blog).

• Sneezy - Cat allergies, dust allergies, pollen, mold, etc., etc.  I sneeze a lot.  In the current flu season, if I hear someone else sneeze, I turn and go the other way!

• Sleepy - I identify the most with Sleepy; because I feel sleepy after 6 or so hours in the office and usually come home, feed the dogs, eat, put on PJs and lay down in the bed to watch television. Typically I'm asleep before nine.

• Dopey - This dwarf describes how I feel currently in my new job in comparison with my co-workers.  Some of them are seasoned economists, bright young economists, statisticians, data analysts, and a great support team.  Everyone works hard together.  I'm climbing the learning curve but it's a BIG curve! 

 Not many people know my collegiate history; I think most of my friends in Florida assume I graduated from The Ohio State University, since I'm such an ardent and vocal fan.  Not true.  I went to Ohio State in the fall of 1977.  I had been the first chair trumpet player at my high school for three years running, so I auditioned for the OSU School of Music and was accepted.  I've always been passionate about music.  Similar to what I'm feeling now at work, I went from being a big fish in a little pond to being a guppy in the ocean; so many talented musicians!  Additionally, I had aspirations of trying out for The Best Damn Band in the Land, but a basketball injury caused me to need knee surgery right after high school graduation, so I wasn't able to try out that first year.  I was intimidated in any class where I had to do solos or sight singing; so I changed my major after the first quarter to an "undecided" path. I learned a lot of important things during quarter 2 and 3, mostly about partying, and barely passed.  I returned for the fall quarter in 1978 and then dropped out.  I had worked for ODOT during the summer of 78 as an intern, so I leveraged that and applied for a job in the central office.  They hired me in June of 1979.  Twenty seven years later, I earned a BA from Franklin University, and 18 months after that, an MBA from the same university.  I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout undergrad and grad school.

I don't know why I told that story; it just seemed appropriate with the apprehension I was feeling about my new job.  Thankfully, I'm not the same person I was in 1977.  I have confidence in myself now, and plan on succeeding this time.  I don't quit anymore; which is probably obvious by this battle I've been waging against cancer.

As for my current condition, I had a PET/CT scan in January.  Results showed little change since the last scan, which is a good thing because in the previous scan there were no living cancer cells found in my body.  I then had a brain MRI the first week of February.  Those results were not as favorable, with the doctor seeing a spot in my right cerebellum which has grown since the last image. She says we will keep a close eye on it, scanning monthly if necessary and determining if any radiation is needed.  I can't have any more full radiation on my brain, as I've already had a near toxic amount.  But I can have cyber knife if necessary.

I'm asking for prayers not just for me, but for anyone suffering pain in their lives, including George and Barbara.  I work with Barbara and her husband is struggling with cancer right now.  Please pray for them.  Also, my good friend Becky in Ohio is recovering from breast cancer surgery.  Please pray for her as well.