Greetings fellow Earthlings…
I’ve been a bit of a Hermit for a few months, underwent some chemotherapy, which pretty much sapped all energy.
But if you see me on Facebook, where everyone presents the spin that life is great, you would not know that. Which is an interesting commentary on Social Media. So yes, Lisa and I have seen a few concerts (from Rod Stewart to Collective Soul), but the pictures don’t show me unable to drive, using a cane to get to the theater. And when I took a flight on Alaska Airlines with an old friend who is now a Captain, you didn’t see the part where I was wheelchair assisted to get to the gate. On December 18th, our 42nd wedding anniversary, when Lisa and I got married by Elvis, it was all I could do to stand for 30 minutes. But the pictures came out great! And back in November we enjoyed a Bob Rivers Show reunion as the show was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in New York City.
Cue Monty Python: “Always look on the bright side of life!”
But behind the scenes, day to day life was challenging. IYKYK. And I didn’t.
But now I do.
I never even googled “chemo symptoms” because I figured I’d get them all just from the power of suggestion. And after 4 months, I got most of them, and I cried “Uncle”. Does anybody remember when somebody got you in a headlock they wouldn’t release you until you cried “Uncle?”
The hardest part was losing my voice. That put the kibosh on podcasting and dropping in on the Jack and Spike Show. And I’m behind on talking to dozens of friends who’ve reached out.
How are things now?
Much better. I’m off chemo for 2 months… So I may dip my toes back into the water on a few podcasts. If my voice is a little raspy, I hope you understand.
And by the way, medically, my last scan was great. I debated whether to write about all of this. But I’ve never been a private person, and have always been grateful to have an audience… I believe that the majority of you are affected by the Big C one way or another, so we might as well share our experiences. Whether it’s you or a loved one, we live scan to scan, and every day is a gift. It also helps a lot to have a soul mate and best friend to get you through it. Lisa was my best friend and partner through thick and thin. I love her more than ever. And we love being in Vegas, where we can Uber to shows, and everything we need is close by.
What now? Well, for the spring, in addition to a few podcasts and a few pop ups on the radio, I’ll be continuing to work on the Alan White movie soundtrack, and drumroll please: It’s Maple Syrup Season!
Yes, Hank and I will make Vermont Gold this year. I’ll write more about that in the next blog.
Until then, Enjoy every minute, every day, look on the bright side, and go easy on yourself.
And enjoy Maple Syrup on your Waffles. ( Now taking Pre-Orders for 2024! ).
Bob Rivers
