Posted by Wayne Jones on October 2, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Deer NPNers,
I have not commented or posted for the past month. I have never been an “every day” presence in NPN, but I don’t think I have had a break this long before. I think an explanation is in order to all those who have been so generous in helping me with your thoughtful comments.
To make a long story short, for the past year or more, I was increasingly bothered by fatigue and gastro-intestinal problems that I assumed were just annoying manifestations of getting older. After retiring in June it got worse, in spite of attempts to get into shape. In July, I started talking with my doctor and scheduling tests. By the time September got here, I needed blood transfusions for severe anemia, and we got serious about more testing fast. The diagnosis came back about a week ago. I have a kind of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called mantle cell lymphoma. (Many kinds of lymphoma -- the most common kind of blood cancer -- respond very well to chemotherapy, immunotherapy and bone marrow transplants. The kind I have is sometimes a “difficult” one, but every case is unique. It is an incurable disease, but some patients go into remission for up to three years at a time, so I am praying for some healthy time in 2009 and beyond.)
RIGHT NOW. I am back home after more time in the hospital, where I started chemotherapy last week. So far, chemo seems to be going well, although we won't know for sure for a couple of months. Side effects are not as bad as I thought they would be, but it’s leaving me pretty tired.
Meanwhile, I thank God every morning for allowing me to be part of another day.
Knowing the nature of many NPN members who are so thoughtful in your comments, I’ll update this discussion forum once in a while when my condition improves. It seems like a slow process, with the next really informative tests scheduled around early December after my third chemo cycle. As the side effects of the treatments get easier (I hope) I plan on visiting the NPN galleries, commenting and posting a few images I shot when I was more mobile. Mostly, I’ll be enjoying the beauty of Nature for the next few months through your lenses.
Thanks in advance for the inspiration, and for all your prayers and good wishes.
Wayne W. Jones
29 Nicklaus Drive
Gansevoort, NY 12831
wwjoutside@nycap.rr.com
Posted by Larry Lynch on October 2, 2008 at 1:33 PM
I wish for you nothing but the best and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Posted by Carol Hyman on October 2, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Wayne, My thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope you can conquer and win this battle. I, for one, am looking forward to many more postings from you.
Best wishes,
Carol
Posted by scott lanz on October 2, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Wayne, very sorry to hear about your health problem. Best of luck in dealing with this.
Posted by Bill Chambers on October 2, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Wow, so sorry to hear about your illness Wayne, but it sounds llike you have a great attitude, and that's a huge part of any battle. I wish you and your family the best.
Wayne, sorry to hear about your health issues. A positive attitude certainly goes a long way toward making a successful recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and your NPN family is here whenever you need a boost, and hopefully viewing all the beautiful photos posted here will impart a sense of peace and happiness on you until you can get out there and make your own beautiful images again.
What can I say - what Bill says feels right for me - the positive spirit will help you!
Posted by Kim Kaiser on October 2, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Wayne, you might check with Wayne Nicholas, he used to frequent here and still does occasionally, i think he may have had similar situation and seems ot be well, just got married, the whole thing, he may have some insight and encouragaement for you,
Posted by Pam Colander on October 2, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Hi Wayne,
You have been given a mighty challenge. Be strong and keep a positive attitude. If nothing else this sort of thing makes us appreciate the little things in life we tend to take for granted. Sending lots of wishes for renewed health and peace your way.
Wayne, as a 18 month survior of Liver cancer myself, I truly understand and sympathis with your situation. My expeience is that attitude is everything when battling cancer, any kind of cancer!!! My very best wishes for a speedy recovery and may your shutter keep cliking away.
May God bless you.
Wayne, you've been missed. I had no idea you were having this difficulty. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I'll be praying that God will give you the strength you need and that the treatments will be successful. Best wishes.
Philip
Posted by Kent Staubus on October 2, 2008 at 11:58 PM
I once had a patient in a nursing home named Rollie. He was a retired dairy farmer. One morning I got there early just before dawn. There sat Rollie in a comfortable chair in front of the big window, already dressed. I went over to him and said, "Rollie, you don't have any cows to milk now. You don't have to get up so early." In a Norwegian accent he replied, "I wake up and I realize God has given me another day. I get dressed and come here to sit. I don't want to miss a minute of it." I never really considered myself to be a very good therapist. I almost always learned more from my patients than they learned from me.
Wayne after being ill myself the last year all I can say is a lot and I mean a lot of positive thoughts and something to keep those thoughts occupied as much as possible.
I wish only health and strentgh for the coming years and my thoughts are with you .KEEP STRONG
Posted by Lon Overacker on October 3, 2008 at 12:45 AM
Wayne,
You will be in my thoughts and prayers as you fight this tough battle. As mentioned many times, a positive attitude and determination is so important and it sounds to me like you've already got that. Stay strong.
Lon
Posted by Richard Wong on October 3, 2008 at 1:04 AM
I hope this works out for you Wayne. We'll try not to let you down here at NPN.
Posted by Pedro Bento on October 3, 2008 at 4:30 AM
Hi Wayne,
Your positive attitude will certainly help you combat your illness. Here in NPN we will give force and hope all the best for you.
All the best for you friend!
Pedro Bento.
Posted by Jim Erhardt on October 3, 2008 at 5:51 AM
You will be in my thoughts and prayers keep up the positive attitude as you fight this tough battle.
Posted by Mike DiRenzo on October 3, 2008 at 8:17 AM
Wayne, I know how you feel. I had the grim reaper chasing me around for while a couple of years ago. Taking my medication religiously and working-out to stay in shape and get back my health really made the difference. I'm sure you can kick this if you are diligent. Best wishes.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on October 3, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Thanks for letting us know, Wayne. Stay positive and have faith. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Posted by Steve Foss on October 3, 2008 at 9:53 AM
God bless and Godspeed, Wayne. You've got a lot of support from folks in here, and we'll all be thinking about you.
Posted by Greg Cope on October 3, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Wayne, hang in there, stay positive, and keep fighting. My thoughts are with you
Posted by Tom Nevesely on October 3, 2008 at 10:23 AM
My thoughts are with you, Wayne.
Posted by Dan Baumbach on October 3, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Best of luck with your treatments. I hope you get to spend some time in the wild and enjoy the beauty.
- Dan.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on October 3, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Wayne, I think Guy Tal said it best, that you have a very positive attitude about it all. Reading through the thread and seeing all that have written for encouragement was really neat to see. And that you thank the Lord each day will certainly be your strength that gets you through all this. We look forward to that remission time for you and hope that it comes quickly!
Posted by Andreas Resch on October 3, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Your mind shows you the way and your body will follow, Wayne. Stay strong - I wish you all the best for the future.
Andreas
Posted by Barbara Logan on October 3, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Will be praying for you Wayne. Keep your chin up! Your attitude is very important! Take care
Posted by Ken Atkinson on October 3, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Wayne, many other people have been in similiar situations, have fought the battle with a positive attitude and have won. I am sure you will also. My best wishes go with you.
Ken
Posted by Arni Cheatham on October 3, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Hi Wayne,
Being a cancer survivor, I know from experience that the road is not an easy one to walk. What's nice is that, as you can see from all the replies above, you're not walking it alone and I think that helps a lot. As others have said, attitude is a powerful medicine in its own right. If you continue as you are now, good things can and will happen. Meanwhile, I'll keep you in my prayers!
Hang in there. Keep enjoying the beauty you see and take heart in knowing that medical science is at the highest level ever, and that it will continue ever upward. I know from experience that your attitude is important. Tell your doctors you have to get well because there is nature photography you must do!
Meanwhile, I thank God every morning for allowing me to be part of another day.
That is the way to be. Another cancer survivor here... Nature is also a healer... soother when things are rough. I think you already know that. I will be thinking of you.
Barb
Thoughts and prayers are with you...hang tough and let your body and nature tell you what is right for you. I noticed you were missing...glad to have you back. Sharon
Posted by John Duggan on October 3, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Wayne: It really is all about attitude!
As a past member of NPN, I too ran straight into that brick wall of one’s concept of mortality in April 2007 at the age of 54. Our stories and blood cancers are similar, mine being Multiple Myeloma (cancer in the bone marrow) which is also incurable. It started to show itself as fatigue (the age factor thing right?) and then a back ache which wouldn’t go away, culminating with me becoming paraplegic from the tumor which had been encircling my spine.
The past fifteen months have been both life changing, and yet life reinforcing, as priorities and energy become more clearly focused on the job at hand of just getting back health.
This time has been spent being: hospitalized, surgery, radiation treatments, acute-rehabilitation, chemotherapy, and finally a bone marrow stem cell transplant.
But the results have been worth it: I’m walking once again and in full remission from cancer right now.(although damage to bones and nerves are still present)
Yes I know the cancer will return, but now I know that I have an ability to beat it back when it shows up again. This battle is all about time. If we have to sacrifice some months to gain more years between recurrences, then it is worth what we have to go through to get there.
Stay the course until a cure is found; it may come sooner than you think.
Keep Positive! Know that you’re in it for the long haul. Faith, Family, Friends, and Fortitude will support you all the way.
It’s those first steps that seem the hardest when moving forward after such a great set back, and at times they seem so small, but in time, you will see the giant strides that have been made.
Feel free to contact me about my experiences with cancer or visit my blog if you would like to follow its chronicle. http://solitaryviews.com
You will be in my prayers tonight.
John Duggan
Posted by Don Miller on October 3, 2008 at 7:06 PM
Hi Wayne,
My girlfriend passed away last week after 3.5 years with ovarian cancer. We knew at the start she would not beat it. But even with that diagnosis she had many days when she forgot about her illness. She did well day by day. Her last years was her most content time of her life.
My only advise you already know: "I thank God every morning for allowing me to be part of another day". . Three years ago I would have guessed at this point I would have more advice. Perhaps the secret is that there is no secret. Maybe it takes a serious illness to get us focused.
Don't worry if you don't feel positive every day. It seems to me that cultivating gratitude is the basis of living a good life. The "incurable" will be cured some day. Perhaps you will be here when that happens. Either way, we all have a limited number of days. That is natures way and it really is O.K.
Don Miller
My friend:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/chi-hed-price-26-_sep26,0,6264068.story
Posted by Paul Wegemann on October 3, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Wayne, you're in my thoughts and prayers. Being a glass half full type of person, I look forward to seeing more of your work here on NPN. All the best to you!
Paul
Posted by Nathan Buck on October 3, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Wayne, sorry to hear about your health problems. I am impressed with your attitude. Best of luck with your health. I hope to see more posts and images from you here in the future.
Hi, Wayne. So many thoughts shared here with you. I am glad you reached out to us and hope we can provide some measure of comfort to you. It must have been such a shock to have your health turn so drastically and then to get such a diagnosis... "Cancer" is bad enough, but "incurable" on top of that is just plain imponderable at first. Looks to me like you've already made some strong first steps in the process of healing just by the way you are thinking about it now after getting down the road a ways with your treatment. Hope is a powerful thing, along with Faith and Love. My hope for you is that God may grant you all of those three in plenty for your needs every day and that your heart may be open to receive.
I can only say 'Amen' to all of the people above who mention attitude. Curing the incurable is often associated with luck or alternative treatment, but i believe it is really about empowering yourself to defeat your adversary. So like Dan said i hope you can get out to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and maintain that great positive spirit. I am rooting for you, Wayne, and look forward to many more posts and comments!
Posted by Mike Moats on October 4, 2008 at 6:41 AM
Hi Wayne, sorry to hear about your condition. Be strong and keep the faith.
Posted by Don George on October 4, 2008 at 2:32 PM
Wayne, Sorry to hear about your condition. I have been dealing with Bladder cancer for the past 5 years. Not as serious as your condition but something I have left in Gods hand. My wife and I will keep you in our prayer time that we have daily.
Posted by Patty Benway on October 4, 2008 at 8:07 PM
Hi Wayne: We were hoping you would tell the NPN members of your condition as we know you will receive a lot of encouragement and kind thoughts from them. Any time you are in need of our help we are only a phone call away and as we said in our last email we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. John & Patty
Posted by Wayne Jones on October 4, 2008 at 8:10 PM
Dear NPN Family,
Thank you so much for your wishes of support and encouragement. I am overwhelmed by the warm wishes from all of you. I hope you realize how much your support means to me. It lifts my spirits.
I just had a couple of busy days (well, for somebody who needs to take frequent naps, anyway ). I felt so well that I drove myself to two doctors and a lab for pre-surgery testing. In fact, if I did not have those appointments, I would have been in the woods behind my house with the macro, shooting raindrops on the leaves. I’ll get to do that again after taking care of first things first – it’s a good investment of time. Oh, the surgery is no big deal this time. It’s just implanting a mediport under my skin. (That’s a device to provide easy access for injections or blood samples without poking veins all the time.)
You are correct. A positive attitude is important for many reasons, and you have made my positive attitude super-positive.
Thanks again.
P.S. John and Patty: Next time we are climbing out of a gorge together, I promise not to lay down in the middle of the trail unless I am shooting up at the trees and cliffs... and if I do that, I'll warn you first!
Posted by Gary Gulash on October 4, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Wayne, I'm wishing you the best as you manage your way through this health problem. Your photo friends here are with you fully! Take care.
Posted by Jack Graham on October 5, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Wayne, ( AND JOHN TOO)
I was just about to complain about heading out at 7AM this morning.... we'll ... you can bet I won't.
Mid 50's are a drag and with some similar feelings here maybe I should get checked up too.
I pray both of you fine gentlemen kick this thing about as far as you can,... somehow I can tell in your words you have the determination as well as the spirit to. My prayers are with you both.
Best regards,
Jack
Posted by Kah Kit Yoong on October 5, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Good to see you back on the boards Wayne. I'm sure you outlook on life as evidenced by your photography will hold you in good stead.
Posted by James Fillip on October 5, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Wayne, Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I wish you the best.
Wayne, at this time I can only share with you in the hopes of a quick and speedy recovery overall. Having myself gone through numerous medical issues in the past and certain present ones too, it is never easy to put on hold even for just short periods of time the strong desire to get out and enjoy the natural world. However, the need to attend to the medical needs does take priority until things are well under control. Please stay in touch as much as you possibly can under the circumstances. Take care!
Welcome back, Wayne. Stay positive and keep the great attitude you have!
Posted by Peter Conway on October 6, 2008 at 4:38 PM
Wayne,
I had not looked at the forums for some time so I am just reading all of this now. You and I don't know each other at all and yet I feel as if we do. I so identify with the photos you have posted here. Small quiet scenes along the water that put me where you were, in the only catherdral I really identify with.
Your comment have always been helpful and good for me.d
Just know that all of us genuinely hold you in our thoughts and wish for everything good. You may not remember but I once expressed the desire to spend a day with you on some stream in a canoe. I'm there with you in thought.
Peter
Posted by Ed Cordes on October 6, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Hey, Wayne, all the comments should be an indication of the support you will receive from NPNers. We are like a family. We certainly hope you are in remission soon and can get back to enjoying life..
Posted by Pat Sampson on October 7, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Wayne,
Just read this. I always enjoy your images and have appreciated your comments and suggestions. I'll certainly keep you in my thoughts and I wish you well.
Pat
Posted by Tony Kuyper on October 8, 2008 at 3:20 PM
Something to care for, someone to love. If you have these, every day will have meaning. It's always good to have a diagnosis to make sure you're fighting the right battle. Best wishes,
Posted by Walter Rowe on October 9, 2008 at 2:13 PM
I second what Jim and everyone else has said. Keep up the good fight, stay positive, and get well soon!
Hi Wayne, so VERY sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I only just saw this and want to get in on this HUGE NPN group HUG to you!!! When I was diagnosed with Acute Promyeloctic Leukemia last year, Cindy Mead let the people know and I found out then that this community is the best when looking for love, encouragement and support. Several of the comments here in your thread struck home to me and you should take them to your heart and definitely keep the faith! God bless!! And I KNOW about keeping a good attitude and what it does. I keep telling people I'm not done taking pictures! Someone mentioned (not in their words) the Great Outdoors being their Cathedral...well, that's my very thought. Good luck to you and if you'd like, email me. Take care!!
Discussion
60 repliesI have not commented or posted for the past month. I have never been an “every day” presence in NPN, but I don’t think I have had a break this long before. I think an explanation is in order to all those who have been so generous in helping me with your thoughtful comments.
To make a long story short, for the past year or more, I was increasingly bothered by fatigue and gastro-intestinal problems that I assumed were just annoying manifestations of getting older. After retiring in June it got worse, in spite of attempts to get into shape. In July, I started talking with my doctor and scheduling tests. By the time September got here, I needed blood transfusions for severe anemia, and we got serious about more testing fast. The diagnosis came back about a week ago. I have a kind of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called mantle cell lymphoma. (Many kinds of lymphoma -- the most common kind of blood cancer -- respond very well to chemotherapy, immunotherapy and bone marrow transplants. The kind I have is sometimes a “difficult” one, but every case is unique. It is an incurable disease, but some patients go into remission for up to three years at a time, so I am praying for some healthy time in 2009 and beyond.)
RIGHT NOW. I am back home after more time in the hospital, where I started chemotherapy last week. So far, chemo seems to be going well, although we won't know for sure for a couple of months. Side effects are not as bad as I thought they would be, but it’s leaving me pretty tired.
Meanwhile, I thank God every morning for allowing me to be part of another day.
Knowing the nature of many NPN members who are so thoughtful in your comments, I’ll update this discussion forum once in a while when my condition improves. It seems like a slow process, with the next really informative tests scheduled around early December after my third chemo cycle. As the side effects of the treatments get easier (I hope) I plan on visiting the NPN galleries, commenting and posting a few images I shot when I was more mobile. Mostly, I’ll be enjoying the beauty of Nature for the next few months through your lenses.
Thanks in advance for the inspiration, and for all your prayers and good wishes.
Wayne W. Jones
29 Nicklaus Drive
Gansevoort, NY 12831
wwjoutside@nycap.rr.com
Best wishes,
Carol
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
You have been given a mighty challenge. Be strong and keep a positive attitude. If nothing else this sort of thing makes us appreciate the little things in life we tend to take for granted. Sending lots of wishes for renewed health and peace your way.
Pam
May God bless you.
My thoughts are with you.
Guy
Philip
--->Rollie had it right.
Best of luck,
Kent in SD
I wish only health and strentgh for the coming years and my thoughts are with you .KEEP STRONG
You will be in my thoughts and prayers as you fight this tough battle. As mentioned many times, a positive attitude and determination is so important and it sounds to me like you've already got that. Stay strong.
Lon
Your positive attitude will certainly help you combat your illness. Here in NPN we will give force and hope all the best for you.
All the best for you friend!
Pedro Bento.
- Dan.
Andreas
Ken
Being a cancer survivor, I know from experience that the road is not an easy one to walk. What's nice is that, as you can see from all the replies above, you're not walking it alone and I think that helps a lot. As others have said, attitude is a powerful medicine in its own right. If you continue as you are now, good things can and will happen. Meanwhile, I'll keep you in my prayers!
Hang in there. Keep enjoying the beauty you see and take heart in knowing that medical science is at the highest level ever, and that it will continue ever upward. I know from experience that your attitude is important. Tell your doctors you have to get well because there is nature photography you must do!
Pete D.
That is the way to be. Another cancer survivor here... Nature is also a healer... soother when things are rough. I think you already know that. I will be thinking of you.
Barb
As a past member of NPN, I too ran straight into that brick wall of one’s concept of mortality in April 2007 at the age of 54. Our stories and blood cancers are similar, mine being Multiple Myeloma (cancer in the bone marrow) which is also incurable. It started to show itself as fatigue (the age factor thing right?) and then a back ache which wouldn’t go away, culminating with me becoming paraplegic from the tumor which had been encircling my spine.
The past fifteen months have been both life changing, and yet life reinforcing, as priorities and energy become more clearly focused on the job at hand of just getting back health.
This time has been spent being: hospitalized, surgery, radiation treatments, acute-rehabilitation, chemotherapy, and finally a bone marrow stem cell transplant.
But the results have been worth it: I’m walking once again and in full remission from cancer right now.(although damage to bones and nerves are still present)
Yes I know the cancer will return, but now I know that I have an ability to beat it back when it shows up again. This battle is all about time. If we have to sacrifice some months to gain more years between recurrences, then it is worth what we have to go through to get there.
Stay the course until a cure is found; it may come sooner than you think.
Keep Positive! Know that you’re in it for the long haul. Faith, Family, Friends, and Fortitude will support you all the way.
It’s those first steps that seem the hardest when moving forward after such a great set back, and at times they seem so small, but in time, you will see the giant strides that have been made.
Feel free to contact me about my experiences with cancer or visit my blog if you would like to follow its chronicle. http://solitaryviews.com
You will be in my prayers tonight.
John Duggan
My girlfriend passed away last week after 3.5 years with ovarian cancer. We knew at the start she would not beat it. But even with that diagnosis she had many days when she forgot about her illness. She did well day by day. Her last years was her most content time of her life.
My only advise you already know: "I thank God every morning for allowing me to be part of another day". . Three years ago I would have guessed at this point I would have more advice. Perhaps the secret is that there is no secret. Maybe it takes a serious illness to get us focused.
Don't worry if you don't feel positive every day. It seems to me that cultivating gratitude is the basis of living a good life. The "incurable" will be cured some day. Perhaps you will be here when that happens. Either way, we all have a limited number of days. That is natures way and it really is O.K.
Don Miller
My friend:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/chi-hed-price-26-_sep26,0,6264068.story
Paul
Nathan
Thank you so much for your wishes of support and encouragement. I am overwhelmed by the warm wishes from all of you. I hope you realize how much your support means to me. It lifts my spirits.
I just had a couple of busy days (well, for somebody who needs to take frequent naps, anyway
You are correct. A positive attitude is important for many reasons, and you have made my positive attitude super-positive.
Thanks again.
P.S. John and Patty: Next time we are climbing out of a gorge together, I promise not to lay down in the middle of the trail unless I am shooting up at the trees and cliffs... and if I do that, I'll warn you first!
I was just about to complain about heading out at 7AM this morning.... we'll ... you can bet I won't.
Mid 50's are a drag and with some similar feelings here maybe I should get checked up too.
I pray both of you fine gentlemen kick this thing about as far as you can,... somehow I can tell in your words you have the determination as well as the spirit to. My prayers are with you both.
Best regards,
Jack
I had not looked at the forums for some time so I am just reading all of this now. You and I don't know each other at all and yet I feel as if we do. I so identify with the photos you have posted here. Small quiet scenes along the water that put me where you were, in the only catherdral I really identify with.
Your comment have always been helpful and good for me.d
Just know that all of us genuinely hold you in our thoughts and wish for everything good. You may not remember but I once expressed the desire to spend a day with you on some stream in a canoe. I'm there with you in thought.
Peter
Just read this. I always enjoy your images and have appreciated your comments and suggestions. I'll certainly keep you in my thoughts and I wish you well.
Pat