%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 A blog of no uncertain musings. What goes on in my mind is often a source of wonder to me. |
|
My mind and my life are wonderous things ... as are yours, I'm sure. I have more slips of paper and pages of notebooks with musings and thoughts than I really know what to do with. Someone, actually several someones, have suggested I start a blog ... or a journal as a means of focusing some of this mental energy. To be honest, I don't even know what the difference between a 'journal' and 'blog' is--or if there even is a difference. Read on, my friends, and you can judge for yourself whether it even matters. And so....  I'm JACE. Yep ... that's me! And somewhere in all my writings my last name may be posted. But I'll just leave it at Jace for right now. I'm 70 years old and heading full tilt to 71. It's strange that while I'm going through some rather serious medical issues, I still consider myself to be in the prime of my life--pretty good shape physically AND mentally, though I don't run for competition anymore  . I love to ... dang, if I put this stuff here, I won't have anything for my blog.Guess you just have to be patient until such stuff leaks out.  Perhaps 2025, having embraced my retirement, will see more participation in my journaling efforts. Well, one can hope.... |
| People have been searching for sources for most of history--the source of homo sapiens on the African plains, the source of the Nile River--and for me, the source of this kidney cancer. Why did I get this particular cancer? I seem to have no family history for kidney cancer. Lung cancer, yes; kidney cancer, no. And these two forms seem to have little relationship with each other. And of the four persons in my family who died from lung cancer, heavy smoking was involved with all. I found a link online to WebMD’s “A Guide to Kidney Cancer.” An interesting guide, indeed. The main points of who might get kidney cancer include:  Be between 50 and 70. Check, but hardly conclusive. Men are 2 to 3 times more likely to get it than women. Check, again not conclusive. African-American people have a higher chance of getting it than other groups. Non-check. Having high blood pressure. Non-check. Having a family history of kidney cancer. Non-check. Smoking doubles the risk. Non-check. Being overweight or obese doubles the risk. Non-check. Exposure to certain substances at the workplace such as trichloroethylene. Ah, the light comes on. Trichloroethylene (or TCE) is a colorless, synthetic solvent found in certain consumer products including adhesives and wood finishes and stains. While it can contaminate air, soil and groundwater, I think it’s safe to say, my association with TCE came in the form of the finishes I used in my woodworking business over the past 35 years. No matter how careful one can be using safety equipment--masks, respirators, and proper ventilation--30-plus years of association has to take its toll. My surgeon tells me that tumor may have been growing for several years, meaning it took almost 30 years to manifest within me. Of course, this is all conjecture on my part. I believe TCE to be the source of my cancer. Yet, I wouldn’t have changed my vocation for anything. I literally had the best job … ever! I did what I enjoyed, and I was very good at it. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
