Milestones: I Made it to 80 - And What A Ride the Past 9 months have been

 

 

March 12, 2025

 

This post is delayed due to a very busy schedule managing the petition campaign for A Better Contract. Petitions are due March 17 so it's almost over.

 

So as you can see I have the bald look due to the chemo - my last treatment was Feb. 11-13. And I got to bang the gong at MSK after they disconnected the contraption from my port. 

 

If you had asked me if I would make it to 80 when I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on May 24, 2024 or when I got out of MSK 15 days after my June 26 operation- I'm Baaaack - Norm Almost breaks Medicare after 15 days in hospital - I would have had doubts. And having completed 6 months of chemo on Feb. 12 in relatively good shape, I am looking at things 3 months at a time between scans. The one two weeks ago showed a lesion in my stomach and I also have an abdominal hernia, so you may see me protruding. Pancreatic cancer is probably the worst in terms of coming back and the oncologist told me if it does come back he cannot cure it but manage it - with more chemo. Oh, goodie, something to look forward to. In the meantime I intend to enjoy the next 3 months before the next scan. As the oncologist said about the lesion. If it is cancer what would be do about it now since you just finished 6 months of chemo.

Anyway, I seem to have come out the other end of the chemo in fairly decent shape, other than my feet are often numb and I drool a bit. And I am gaining back weight but also the diabetes may be my biggest issue for now. But No worries.

 

My wife took me out to our usual birthday spot at One of By Land Two if By Sea for my beef wellington.

 

Last Friday night at the Rockaway Theatre yearly gala, I was complimented by people who thought I was shaving my head for my new look. But on the bright side, I was invited to join the RTC bald guy group - young guys who choose that look and are trying to convince me to keep it despite my hair beginning to grow back.

 

Nothing wrong with a beautiful woman blocking me out. I'll take her hair anytime.

By the way,  I mentioned my last chemo lasted from Feb. 11-13. And Feb. 12, while still on my chemo pack, was a DA and the beginning of the petitioning and I was not sure if I could manage it but I had no loss of energy and organized a group of retirees to work that day to get the petitions ready for pickup by many ABC candidates and we pulled it off and it took the crew at ABC the shortest time to get all the sigs we needed and then went out and started signing up more people to run for AFT. I was contacted by someone who lives in Africa and a couple in Portugal who want to run with us. Just today I hear of 20 people who signed up to run for AFT. They are coming in from Florida too. We are taking new people right through Friday and even some late comers on Saturday. People are mailing me their wet signatures - a new wrinkle by the Unity elites to make it tougher to run.

You can still sign up if you are willing to drop off your signed petition by Saturday.

 

Download this form from the UFT site: Nominating petition (individual candidates) 

Fill it out and sign it and contact me on getting it to me at normsco@gmail.com.

Even if you are running with another group, ABC welcomes you to the slate. So yes run on multiple slates. If interested contact me asap -- if you can't get your signed petition to me we can try to arrange a pickup.

 

Have a great rest of the week.