Hal Wilson’s Blog

Dear Readers:     I had a much longer blog prepared, but my site has been down for over a week.  So in the interest of time, I wanted to give you an update on my health.     Week ending Sept.14th:   Well I am sort of like the energizer bunny, I just keep going and going.Last week was filled with fun experiences: Tuesday, I was at my eye doctor for a check up which wasn’t too bad; Wednesday, I had an MRI on my back which was not fun (although the young technician, Diana, was delightful. This test lasted from about 8am til 10am.  The good part is that it was an open MRI, note- on our ChristianswithCancer.org, I have a short article on open vs closed MRI); on Friday, I met with my primary care physician for a general check up.     Week ending Sept.21st:  Well it has been quite a week medical wise.  Tuesday was spent at St. Thomas Hosp visiting my oncologist and getting lab work done.  We arrived at 10:30am and left at about 2:30pm.  On Wednesday I paid and I do mean paid a visit to my oral surgeon to examine my teeth that have been hurting.  He determined that I had bruised my gums from biting down so hard when I had a needle biopsy on my shoulder.  Thursday was an off day, Yea!, but Friday I went in for my Kyphoplasty, a needle procedure with a balloon on the end that is inserted between my compressed disc and cement is inserted, which should relieve much of my back pain.  This was pretty much an all day procedure with all the prep work involved.  I am very sore today, Sat., from the needles being thrusted into my back.     Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to read my blog. God Bless - Hal

     Yes it’ true, I am going to sell my beloved Harley.  My bike and I have shared many miles together riding on backroads, through the Smoky Mountains and cruising down the interstate with the cruise set, listening to country music on the radio.  Not all the fun has been only by myself; my wife, Dickie, and I have spent many miles on backroads especially in the fall and spring inhaling the fragrances of flowers in the spring and burning leaves in the fall listening to UT football games.  As a Harley rider, you have the opportunity to make a lot of new friends, sort of a brotherhood.  Selling your bike is sort of like moving from your first house and leaving so many memories behind - but life goes on.

     By now you may be wondering why sell.  The reason stems from this past week.  On Tuesday , I had scans at St Thomas, Bone & CT.  The CT scan showed up a cyst approximately 1 inch in diameter in my left shoulder.  I already had an appointment scheduled with my Orthopaedic Oncologist on Wednesday.  After his exam, he told me that he was concerned and asked me to undergo a needle biopsy, which I did.  I must say this was the most painful procedure I have ever had.  As the pathologist plunged the needle into my shoulder bone 3 times I almost passed out.  I have always prided myself on having a high tolerence for pain, but this was the worst yet.  In fact I gritted my teeth so hard I think I broke a tooth.  After the results of the biopsy came back it was confirmed that the ugly cancer had spread and was affecting my left shoulder.  The good news is they found something wrong, as I have been complaining about the pain and loss of the use of my left arm for over 3 months.

     Prognosis:  It looks like they will operate next month on my left arm and shoulder.  I will be spending a couple of days in the hospital.  About that same time, I hope to undergo Kyfoplasty on my back; a  needle procedure to insert concrete gel between by compressed disk.  Maybe by Thanksgiving I will be completely rebuilt.

     If all goes well, maybe next spring I will be able to purchase another Hog and start a new bonding relationship with another Harley.

     In closing, I continue to ask for your prayers for all people less fortunate than we.

God Bless - Hal

     I remember many things my Mom taught me growing up as well as may things she tried to teach me.  One that stands out the most is “Go to college get a degree and find a real job”.

     I had the occasion to re-reflect on this suggestion today as I opened my mail and reviewed several doctor’s bills.  After a short calculation, I determined that doctors earn between 25 to 50 dollars a minute, not bad.  Most attorneys I know make in the range of 250 an hour or 4 dollars a minute. Once again not bad.

     The moral of the story is to learn all you can.  One additional point, however, is that education is not only used to make money but also can be used to help others.  The ideal situation is when a person can make money while helping others.

     In the approximate 40 years of real estate, I  have been very blessed to make a good living but also to help others realize the American Dream of home ownership.

     As we look at our lives, what additional education would we like to achieve so we can help others?

     There are so many ways we can educate ourselves i.e. books, dvds, internet, classes, etc.  Even teaching others can help a person to learn.  This past Monday night, I conducted an hour and a half talk/seminar on learning by our mistakes. I had approximately 250 people in the audience.  As I prepared for this talk, I learned a great deal from the research I did.

     I encourage each of you to set goals as to what additional knowledge you would like to acquire, then set out to obtain it.  Hopefully these ideas will be of benefit to you. 

     Before closing just a quick update on my health.  My left shoulder and lower back continues to hurt, however, I am scheduled for new scans on Tuesday, Aug 19.  Hopefully they will find out the causes of the pain.  Other than that I feel very good overall.  I have increased my pain meds and that has helped as well.  The downside is that i still can’t ride my Harley but maybe soon.

     One other bit of news:  we are now mailing out our dvd’s “Facing Cancer with Faith” by Dr David Foster and myself.  This inspirational 26 minute dvd gives a keen insight into what a believer goes through as he/she faces the battle of cancer.  If you would like a copy, just email me at Hal@halwilson.net with your name and address and we will be glad to send you one.

     In closing, we ask that you continue to keep my family and me in your prayers.

     God Bless,

     Hal

     If you are like me, Sunday is a good day for reflection on the past week and to ask myself what I have learned.  This past week presented itself with several learning opportunities:  one had to do with a tenant and the other had to do with a buyer of property.  Neither one of these transactions went well and actually ended up costing me money.

     Lesson learned: as a result of each of these occurances, I learned several vital lessons which resulted in significant changes to my policy manuel.

     I would like to ask each of you to look at problems as a learning experience rather than problems.  Hopefully in the future, I will refrain from making the same mistakes again.

Hal’s Health

     I would like to update you on my health and other happenings.  Overall I feel pretty good except for my back and left shoulder.  I have just about lost all use of my left arm and my back keeps me from standing for any length of time.  The good news is that God is continually in charge and all of this will eventually pass.  The doctors have increased my meds to 220 mg a day which causes me to be more forgetful.

Christians with Cancer

     Our website “Christianswithcancer.org” is continuing to reach others suffering from this disease and we are planning on expanding the site in the near future as we have hired a new site administrator.

Facing Cancer with Faith

     Our new DVD, Facing Cancer with Faith, is now finished and I would love to send you a free copy of this 27 min. DVD.  We feel that it is a very inspirational interview.

                                                                        Real Estate Talk

     On a lighter note: next Monday, Aug 11, I will be the keynote speaker at the Real Estate Investors of Nashville’s monthly meeting.  The title of the talk is “Learning Real Estate Through Laughter and Fear.  For more information, please visit their website REINTN.net.

     As I close, I ask you to be in prayer for a young friend of mine, Tanya, as well as several others, James Lindsey in Mississippi, and a good friend of mine, Karl, who lost his wife this past week to cancer.

     May God bless each of you.

     Hal

     July 8, 2008 a lovely lady by the name of Teri was laid to rest in Lebanon, TN.  I had the honor of meeting Teri originally through Gilda’s Club, a cancer support group.  I immediately knew something was special about her.  In spite of her prolonged battle with cancer, I never heard her complain.  She & I shared the chemo infusion room at St. Thomas more than once and her attitude was always the same: happy, smiling and upbeat.  About 2 weeks prior to her passing, I had the priviledge of visiting Teri at Hospice.  By this time she was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair.  When I went in I asked her how she was and asked about the pain.  In typical Teri style, she just laughed and said her pain in the back was gone due to the paralysis.  Most anyone else would most probably have told me how bad everything was but not her.  She took adversity and turned it into a happy thing, smiling all the time.  In talking to her family and friends, they said she had always been that way.  Her life was uncomplicated.  The minister who delivered the eulogy told those gathered that Teri had four very important aspects of her life: family, friends, faith and hope, and she excelled in all of these. 

     Perhaps you have heard the analogy of The Dash, I just heard about it a while ago from a pastor friend of mine, David Foster at The Gathering Church in Franklin.  In fact Teri had The Dash printed in the memorial program.  It has meant a great deal to me as I hope it does for you and it goes like this

The Dash

I read of man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.  He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said        what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash.  What matters is how we live and love and how we spend the dash.

So think about this long and hard: are there things you’d like to change?  For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real, and always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

     Sometimes the most important aspect of your dash is faith, hope, love, family, friends as well as any other you might want to add.

Hal’s Weekly Health Update:

     I have felt pretty good this week except for a lower G.I. problem which comes and goes.  That I can’t seem to shake.  I had an MRI on my back and am meeting with a new doctor on  Tuesday (today) to review.  My shoulder has been bothering me a great deal. The doctor thinks it is tendonitis and I have started taking a medication to see if it relieves the pain. Other than that, I feel great.

     I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for those less fortunate whether financially or spiritually.

    Hal

Well Summer is flying by.I have been very neglegent about posting my blog but will try harder in the future to keep the ideas and stuff flowing.

Since I last wrote,a lot has been going on.Fathers day came and went.It was a joyous occasion with all my kids and grandkids here to visit.Days like that always remind me of my own father as well as Dickies father.Both remarkable men with  good Christian values. My dad was an attorney and Dickies dad worked for the state of Tn.as director of the state prison industries.When Dickie and I started dating about 45 years ago I think he thought I might wind up there one day(only Kidding)sort of.Mr Frady died of cancer about 20 years ago.He,like my dad were both ready to go and be with Jesus.What a wonderful way to leave this life and pass to the next one.When a person has a possible terminal disease,.the thought of dying is pretty prominent in your life.Everytime you get very sick this thought becomes even more real.Although I don’t dwell on dying I firmly believe,Heaven is going to be beyond discription.

Another fun day this Summer was this past wekend,the 4 th of July.We spent the weekend at Fairfield Glade in Crossville Tn.We have a rental condo and when it isn’t rented we can use it.Once again our family all joined togather for lots of fun.My 1 year old grandson,Hayden,didn’t know what was happening but his 3 year old brother,Harry had a blast.I think we had the best time watching him swim,feed the Catfish,and generly have a good time.Weekends like that remind you of what is important in life.The 4 th also reminds me of all the outstanding young men and women fighting for our freedom on foreign soils.Please remember to keep these brave young men and women in your prayers and ask God to protect them and bring them home safely.Please remember a good friend of mine,Stacy Towery,a remarkable young woman who leads a group of dedicated volunteers,Gathering for Soldiers,who meet and send letters and gift packages to soldiers fighting overseas.It is people like Stacy who take the bull by the horns and make a difference.Stacy started this organization to make a difference in peoples lifes and has succeded,in fact she was written up in the Nashville Tennessan newspaper this past Sunday.Go Stacy!!!

In closing I would like to share with you my health update:Overall I feel pretty good.My cancer appears to remain stable as of last week.The pain in my back has gotten considerably worse as has my left arm.I am still on the clinical trial with chemo pills daily and infusions every 2 weeks.Last week I wnderwent xrays at Vanderbilt Hosp and today underwent an MRI on my back.I hope to be a candidate for a needle procedure on my spine to lessen the pain.Everyday I realize how great God is to let me continue to live an active life.I have already outlived the time they thought,but as the saying goes”there is no expiration date on the bottom of your foot”

In closing I would like to ask for your prayers for all those less fortunate.Also please visit our website”christianswithcancer.org”

May God be with each of you.

Hal

Well Summer is finally here as evidenced by Memorial Day.  A day of family outings, picnics, end of the school year and especially motorcycle riding.

However, the most important aspect of this wonderful day is the privilege of honoring our veterans.

These amazing men and women are the sole reason that we are able to enjoy our freedoms without fear of retaliation.  As I was sitting at my desk this afternoon, I began to reflect on what makes our country great and decided to list a few of them.

First is our right to be able to openly worship God without fear of death or torture for doing so.

Second is our opportunity to achieve anything we want in life:  we can open a business, work at a job for more than a fair wage (some caribbean countries I have visited pay a minimum wage of $1.25 per hour).  We also have the greatest health care in the world (I have friends who live in other countries where it can take, sometimes months, to be seen by a doctor).  We have the right to own our own homes.  We have the right to have as many children as we wish.  We still have the right to bare arms.  When you stop to think about it, we have so many opportunities that other countries do not have.

I would like to ask you to reflect on all the freedoms we have and see how many others you can think of.

As we reflect on these rights, privileges and freedoms, thank a veteran.  Whether we agree or disagree with our current situation in Iraq, we still need to respect and honor our veterans and those currently serving our country.

Several years ago, I visited the Wall in Washington, DC.  and discovered you can’t help but get emotional.  Thanks to all of those who have given their life to secure our freedom.

Have you ever sat down and talked with a soldier, especially one now serving our country?  Their pride in what they are doing is so emotional that all you want to do is hug them and mutter Thanks.

I wish each of you a great Memorial Day.

One final personal note, my cancer is still stable and I feel pretty good.  Our website “christianswithcancer.org” is continually growing.  We had over 500 visits this month alone.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

May God be with each of you,

Hal

Have you ever thought about your thought process and the power of the mind?When a person is faced with adversity the mind can be our greatest ally.Last week I was at St Thomas Hospital undergoing bone scans.A bone scan is not much fun to say the least.You lie on a narrow table while a camera goes over while you are perfectly still.As I was lying there I began to think about a young man by the name of Kevin Downs.This young man was blown up in an ambush in Irac defending our great country.He lost the use of his arms,lost both legs and was burned over 80% of his body.He was only 23 years old.I had the opportunity to meet Kevin last year at his birthday party when I had the priviledge of riding with the Roling Thunder motorcycle club.His attitude is amazing,a very positive young man.As I lay there on the bone scan table I realized how blessed I am to only have cancer.Whenever I start to feel bad,mayby my back is hurting more than usual,mayby it’s my sholder or any number of other things,I try to remember how fortunate I am to live in the greatest country in the history of the world where I am receiving excellent medical care,have a loving family and meaningful relationship with God.Whenever I think things are going a little rough I try to reflect on others who have had it a lot rougher than I.Many times,especially in my emotionally lower times ,I reflect on what Jesus endured on Calvery.Can you imagine the pain and humiliation Jesus suffered,all for a crime he didn’t commit.

I would like to thank each of you for all your prayers and also for visiting our website christianswithcancer.org.Our site is starting to reach more and more people.We are averaging about 50 visits a day Yea God.

Hals health:Praise God my scans are still stable and I feel good.

I wish each of you a fantastic week.

Hal

How many people everyday use the expression “gosh that was a miracle” or “it’s a miracle that this car is still running”. It seems that we all use the word “miracle” in our everyday conversation.

I would like to share with you a real life miracle that happened to me recently. Several weeks ago, I had my usual CT and bone scans at St. Thomas Hospital. After the scans, I met with my oncologist. When he came into the examining room I could tell by the worried look on his face that something was not right with the scans. When he said we have good news and bad news, you tend to be a little worried to say the least.

First he gave the good news - no new tumor growth- yea God! then came the bad news - you have fluid on your lung and it is quite substantial. He had another doctor look at the scan and confirmed the diagnosis. He sent me home after telling me he would call me the next day. Being a curious type, I immediatelly went home and logged on to the computer under “Fluid on the Lungs”. What I read wasn’t good. All the sites said the same thing ” probably lung cancer”. to add even more fuel to the fire, metastatic kidney cancer very often can spread to the lungs. We all know the mind is a very powerful organ and I convinced myself that I had cander in the lungs.

The next day, Wednesday, Dr Cohen called me to say he had scheduled a needle biopsy for the following Monday. I was to be at the hospital by 7:00 am for the procedure. I must admit this was a long 4 days waiting for the procedure. By the time Monday morning got here, I was a mental wreck which caused physical torment. I felt very achy, I couldn’t breathe, noticed I now had a cough and lacked my normal high energy level.

Well Monday finally came. After all the preliminary paperwork, I was shown to the room where more questions were asked and then they prepped me and gave me the proverbial backward gown. After the formalities, I was wheeled into the CT Scan room. The CT scan is used as an imaging machine so the doctor will know exactly where to plunge the needle in order to suck out some fluid. First they laid me on my stomach as they were going to go through the back to reach the fluid. At this time they started taking CT scan pictures, but within about 5 minutes the doctor came into the room with a rather mystified look on his face. He walked over to me and said ” We have an unusual situation here. The fluid has disappeared and we don’t understand it”. I looked at the doctor and said “God works in mysterious ways and I had a lot of people praying for me this morning”. Within a couple of minutes my attitude and physical condition had changed back to the old Hal.

So the next time you hear the word miracle, remember God is alive and well and is still in the miracle business. All we have to do is ask.

I wish each of you a wonderful week and don’t forget to visit our web site www.christianswithcancer.org.

Blessings to each of you,

Hal