It's almost done!!

     It's funny how six weeks, or 30 treatments really sounds long at the beginning, but now has we get down to the last few (4 left today) I can see the light at the end of the tunnel as it were. The skin is a bit fried on the one side, however, that should come back with time. Only eating Ensure and an soft boiled egg everyday gets a bit dull really fast. By reading some others blogs and boards, most have everything back to normal within a year or so. One person pointed out that once your diagnosed, the next year is is a right off of sorts. Spend your time fighting the battle, then get back to living.

     We did get some good news today, the latest test show no cancer in the lungs or bronchial tubes, Wooo Hooo! Just waiting for the high res CT scan results, then we have an ultrasound on Friday. Tuesday will be the last radiation treatment, and then it's time to heal and get back to living. And getting the taste buds back online so I can enjoy some food again. I don't think we're out of the woods yet, but close.

      Again, I can't thank-you all enough for all the calls, well wishes and prayers, it really does help with the mental part of this battle. Has a good friend said quite some time ago, "Bruce, you have a hill to get over", well, the top is close I think.

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      It out, the photo book is in print!!!! " Just for Us " 12 photog's got their act together and came up with a outstanding set of photographs. Order yours today!!.

      I pretty proud of everyone involved to get this project off the ground.

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I've had some projects put on hold over the last few months, which is understandable, so now it's time to get back to some of them. Unfortunately, Help-Portrait won't be a on this year, as far as I know. It was just too late to get everyone together. Planing has to start in Sept, not mid Nov. for such an event.

I'm going to start putting the final touches on a OASIS project. I've got just about enough cameras to have a "class" of ten. The project is simple, give ten cameras to ten people in the OASIS program for a week, shoot there lives, what make them happy, sad, mad, ect. Take their shot, make a small video of sorts and let the show the rest of the class. It will be eye opening for allot of people, including me. I plan on giving some basic photography techniques and do a bit of editing. Most if not all of these people do not own computers, so I don't want to invest time in that part.

It should be fun. I can always use another digital camera if your willing to donate. Just looking for point and shoot types. Most people have one or two sitting in a drawer, never to be used again and not really worth anything on EBay anymore. If it works, please send it my way.

The ones that allow me to post their project, I have a link here.

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Well that's all for now. I hope everyone has a great day.

Bruce

f/16

Treatments have started!

Well the treatments have started, radiation on the neck and throat, 30 times, ounce a day, but weekends off!! The taste buds are starting to loose the battle, though they should come back, the saliva glads not so much. If the cancer go's, I can sure beat the other effects. Still scary in that machine everyday, still taking Ativan daily before I get into in.

There are more tests coming. An ultrasound of the thyroid and CT scan or the upper chest. I hope all go's well and nothing else shows up. We'll have to wait and see.

I want to thank you all for all the well wishes and prayers in the last few weeks, it has meant allot to Janet and I.

I also seem to be becoming a bit of a recluse, not really feeling sorry for myself at all, just wanting to stay close to home.
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My son and I joined the Movember movement today:

 

 

So far we've raised $100. and counting. You can donate here: http://mobro.co/brucejohnson5  We'll post updates as things start to grow back.

 

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Well the photo book is just about done, and should be sent to the printer very soon. Getting 12 people together on this project was a bit of a feat to say the least. After some heavy discussions I think we finely got everyone has happy as they can be. We're sending one away for proofing and then we'll let the ordering begin, just in time for Christmas!!

 

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That's all for now folks, we'll talk again soon,

 

Bruce

f/16

 

 

 

 

 

Well, if your still flowing me, we're both surprised! It's been some time since I've written here and so much has happened in the last 10 months. Where to begin is daunting on my part. Here go's.....

The spring and summer have whizzed past in a blur, more so now because of some health issues (more on that later).

 Janet and I celebrated out 25th wedding anniversary in May. I totally caught her off guard by getting some slightly Boudoir pic's of myself done, to say the lest, NOT what she expected. Well done I think. Everyone had a good laugh about the shots, including me.

Here is one:

 

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Photography:

The old D90 workhorse has worked it's charm again and again. We captured some great shots this summer in places like Waterton National Park, Creston, Ab and Dakota Dunes fireworks display. However, it's time to put her it someone else's hands and move on up as it were. Janet has been using the D5000, which is a great camera, but knobs and menus were a bit different compared to the D90. I was always flubbing my way through to get it to do what I wanted, my fault, not the cameras.

After some careful thought, Janet and I decided to pick up two D7000's. This way we both have the same camera and accessories. I think the shooting side will work much better than before. The great thing is that allot of the controls are not that much different than the D90, so the learning curve won't be a big issue for either of us.

We did one of the two wedding's I limit myself to, in Sept. The day was a bit rainy, but we pulled it off and the couple we're fantastic to work with. The final product is just days away from there hands. So far the teaser shot's they have seen have made they teary eyed, so that's a good sign. Congrats to Elaine and Sheldon.

A group of photographers I hang with are going to be publishing a photo book, more for family, friends and us really, but It should be available for sale as well before Christmas, we'll keep you posted on that.

Family:

Well we're going to be grandparents again!!!! A new one is one the way and should be here in late December, I can't wait, I'm much better prepared this time. Marcus is growing into a fine young man with a great curiosity, something I can work with. Congrats to Angela and Robert.

 

Alan is doing good, learning fast about how credit works and how fast it can become a BIG hole that is hard to climb out of. He'll make it out of that pit and do fine, a lesson we all have to learn I guess. More in that out is the way to live.

 

OK, as promised, more on the health issue:

Back in the spring I had a lymph node go crazy on me and by May the Doc decided to biopsy it. After three such events, two came back cancerous and one benign. I had a neck dissection to remove it and another 100+ lymph nodes, only one came back with cancer, which is good, so the doctors say. Some radiation and all will be good again. Not really that simple, but for the blog we'll leave it like that. My personal opinion is that they missed something and it's a much bigger problem than they can see right now, their fix is a band aid and to be honest, my feeling is that it's much worse that they know or have figured out yet, but I'm not a doctor, so I hope like hell their right.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd time you hear someone say cancer is WTF?? Me, really... now what. Natural in today's world is to hit the net and find a pill you can take to make it all go away, sorry folks, it don't work that way. You can try the natural cures that are out there, go with what the Dr's are telling you or do nothing. A combination of the both is what I'm trying, it's just really hard to stay up on the regime.

I've had a couple of more biopsy's, one on the tongue and another on some Lymph nodes in the right side of the chest. The tongue came back clean and we're still waiting to hear about the chest, fingers crossed.

After I had an aneurysm a few years ago I realized, with Janet's help, that I am a bit claustrophobic . Never really thought about it until the first MRI scan without taking something before I got in. They had to pull me out and give me a pill, so now every year I take a pill and slide in, all go's well.

 

With this new health problem, I've had some more scans on both machines, CT & MRI. Most went well. They made a hard mask so when radiation starts, I can't move my head and the treatments go to the exact point they want it to, fair enough. So one more CT scan and the treatments can start, good news, except that Bruce does not take a magic pill before hand. Bad plan! The CT I think I could handle without the pill anyway, however, with the mask on and your face bolted down to the table, it's very different feeling. To be honest, I have never been that scared in my life....ever! So, we had to put off the scan for a week and try it again, but with pill's to take me to my happy place. I'm up at 2:30 in the morning writing because, as I was crawling into bed hours ago, I thought about the upcoming scan and literally started shaking again. We'll relax a bit and hit the hay soon.

Janet has been amazing through all of this. Hanging out at appointment's and hospitals, all day in some cases. There are no words to describe her dedication to us has we go through this journey together. I do know for sure that I would be lost in a hospital somewhere, crying like a baby, and not having a clue when or where I have to be next if it was not for this fine lady. Pat her on the back, buy her a coffee, give her a hug whenever you see her, she deserves it. I can never say thank-you enough, I love you enough, ever.

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Well, that's it for now, and as I always seem to say, I try and keep on this blog and let you folks know what's happening. 10 months was a bit long, but we'll chat soon.

Take care and we'll chat soon,

Bruce  www.leddycreekphoto.com

f/16

 

Cold.... finely

Home Front:

Well it finely got cold in Saskatchewan. We all knew it would come, but it was so good to get half way through January with mostly above 0ºC temperatures. Of course we had to get some snow with it, just enough to make it a pain in the butt to shovel out. I shouldn't really complain though, Janet did most of the shoveling  around the house and work was done when I got there.

Well it's here, the big 49th.  Half-century is just about on us, no stopping now! After almost 50 years on the planet, what have I learned, relearned and still can't get through my thick skull, keep watching the blog. ( Janet may have something to say on this subject )

Made it to Playa del Carmen for a week of 'fun'. More of a bust than anything else. I was sick for three days, not sure if it was the massive bug bites, food, water or a cold I brought with me. Went shopping and have never been so overwhelmed with people harassing us every 10 feet, our shopping and site seeing trip was cut very short. So my first experience in Mexico is an D-, but we'll try one more time next year on the other coast.
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Photography:

We're going to push the portrait & wedding area of our photography skills. I believe Janet and I will make a great team on this project as we have done on most of the things we try together. So watch out world, here we come.

I have to send my camera in for a checkup, with a charity shoot and a wedding coming up, time for a good cleaning and once through before it starts to get warm.

Just bought Scott Bourne and Skip Cohoan book 'Going Pro 2010'  So far, it looks good, now that were back from holidays, we'll sit down and do some studying.

Kodak Files For Bankruptcy:

The Icon of the photo industry is at the brink and ready to fall into the abyss. I think when anyone says "Kodak", film and cameras is the first thing that comes to mind. I remember always seeing Kodak slides around when dad was showing his work. Kodak invented the digital camera as it were, but decided that it would let others build the bodies and that's was a major mistake I think.

Kodak was into all sorts of thing including building baseball grenades for the OSS in the 40's, who knew.

I spent some time at Kodak Canada in Toronto in the early 90's. It's where I got my first mini lab training. I was very impressed with their operation and the site was huge. Sad to see it fail, but that's what happens when you don't what to change.

I hope for the best for Kodak, but the writing is on the wall.

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We've been toying with the idea of writing about the stupid thing we see almost everyday.

Stuff like the lady on the plane back for Mexico that let everyone else know that the seat were too small and it was hard to get out to use the washroom. It was a bit tight for me as well, but when your 200+lbs, really, what did you expect? I did notice that the "Elite Plus" passengers had a bit more leg room, maybe spend the extra money and quit complaing.

Anyway, stuff like that. We'll see where it go's.


Have a great day and we'll chat soon,

Bruce
f/16