When the Web was in its infancy, the term "cob-webpage" came into existence to describe pages that nobody updated for a long time, implying that they might grow cobwebs.

It's been a few months since I wrote.  I had every intent of writing a few more updates as I made it past various milestones in returning to normal, but "normal life" got in the way.  It's a real eye opener as to how busy "normal" is that I didn't post as I was going along.  They were small steps in the grand scheme of this journey, but nonetheless significant, and I think that I now appreciate a little more both their significance, and how busy life can really be.

One I first started this process, I wrote a few entries on how many steps I had to go through...the process of being diagnosed and preparing for treatment.  I feel like I've been through a lot of steps in that return to normalcy, and they all hold personal significance.

• A well deserved vacation - Just my wife and I, six days and five nights in Saint Lucia.  She deserved this just as much as I did.  She was my rock, my superhero and my everything. We had an amazing time, and it was wonderful to just be able to breath and be us again, instead of us fighting cancer.
• I returned to work - Part time at first, and then full time after a few weeks. Basically, I had my classes to myself for a week and a marking period. I'm soooo thankful for all the people at work that helped me so much, especially my sub (I had one sub the whole year!) and my team, who continued to watch over me and have my back through the rest of the year. The students were great too, and showed an understanding and cooperation greater than I expected.
• I returned to my sports - I had played some disc golf while I was in treatment, but I was limited in how much I could handle. However, due to the nature of what I was going through, general weakness, germ (and other) factors, I hadn't played volleyball since early June 2018.  I've been able to play sporadically since April (my group is lacking numbers, so our scheduling has been inconsistent). I did get to work volleyball camp at school the week after school let out, and that was fun!
• The school year ended.  That was fast!  I'm a little slow from an organization standpoint, and a little scatterbrained, so it took a little longer than I expected.  Unpacking my room next year will be interesting.
• I had my first checkup. Blood tests were "stone cold normal" according to my doctor.
• I had my port taken out. It didn't really bother me much when it was there, but mentally, that's a big step forward!
• I returned to swim team.  I love being the announcer. This adventure started just as swim season started last year and the whole diagnosis and prep process overlapped the season. It felt good to be back and not have that hanging over me.

So, people ask me how I'm doing, and the answer is that I'm doing well.  There's still a few things that are a little off. My strength and stamina are returning slowly but surely.  As I said above, I'm also a little scatterbrained. Memory is a bit of an issue (another reason this is titled "Clearing Out the Cobwebs!").  When I first returned to school, I was overwhelmed.  I had to learn a lot of things that had changed this year.  I had to learn my students' names.  Students that I had taught last year and the year before would come and see me, and it was odd.  I wrote at one point about not being able to make connections.  Sometimes a kid I taught just last year would come up to me, and I'd recognize them, but I couldn't come up with a name. I could look right at them and say "You were in my second period class, sat on the left in the back and were friends with so-and-so and so-and-so" but I couldn't get their names. Sometimes they were even there with those friends.  It was much the same with the eighth graders.  It was REALLY frustrating.  I devised a system though.  It seemed I could make the connection if I got a small prompt or hint, so I started to ask for initials, and that almost always did the trick.  A lot of the time I only needed the first initial of the first name. Like I said, it was weird. Much in the same vein, neuropathy is a consistent, nagging annoyance.  I don't have tingling or much noticeable numbness, but I have some problems with small things, and I occasionally drop things I don't have a firm grip on.  I've returned to doing jigsaw puzzles to try to get an accurate measure on both those things, and because I find jigsaws very relaxing.  Oh! I'm glad to report that it's been close to three months since I've had a bad case of the hiccups!  That makes me very happy!

So I'm happy, and healthy, and if you're still reading, I'm glad you're sticking with me.  I'm curious if I'll have much more to post here. The journey from here forward is a big mystery.  I try to remind myself that I'm writing this for me, but if it can help someone else, I want to include what I can, so if there's something significant to me, I'll try to put up a new entry.