WoodWorkStuff
A Collection of Helpful Woodworking Goodies!
by Joe Lyddon




Information:

  • About Joe Lyddon

  • How did I get back into Woodworking?

  • About This Site


  • How did I get back into Woodworking?

    On 4-5-02, I had to go to the Hospital Emergency Dept. for a blockage in my colon (constipated as all get out!).

    After a few tests a Dr. showed up and proceeded to tell us that I had cancer (and had not even had surgery YET!).   Well, needless to say, that was a real S H O C K!!   I was scheduled for surgery to take care of the blockage.


    Email #1 to my Family and Friends:

    From - Sat Apr 27 09:29:34 2002
    From: Joe Lyddon
    To: To Special people from Joe
    Subject: What has happened and what is coming to Joe Lyddon

    Hi!

    I thought I'd take this moment to inform you of what has recently happened to me and to give you an idea of what will be happening (as best we can tell). . .

    On 4-6-02, I underwent surgery to solve a blockage in my colon. According to a CAT scan, there was a high probability that I had a malignant tumor in my colon.   It was confirmed during the surgery.   I have a tumor that has attached itself to my bladder and could not be removed.   Basically, nothing was removed.   The surgeon merely went ahead of the blockage and performed a colostomy and closed my up.

    After spending 10 days in the hospital, I came home, 4-15-02, able to eat, walk (slowly), and was feeling pretty good but still hurting where the incision is.   Learning how to handle the colostomy bag was quite a learning process.

    We met yesterday, 4-25-02, with the Radiologist for the game plan. . .
    1. About 5-5.5 weeks of Radiation and Chemo to shrink tumors as much as possible.

    2. 3-4 weeks to heal and get stronger.

    3. Major surgery to try to remove the tumors.   Depending on how it looks, the bowel could be reconencted removing the colostomy.   (I have a tumor that has attached itself to my bladder. . . .   the bladder may have to go and to pee to a bag.)

    4. Healing period along with Chemo.

    5. Back to 5-6 months of chemo.

    6. Hope for the best.


    Radiation will be on the pelvis area, where the tumors are.   Chemo is used to kill the microscopic cancer cells all over the body.   There are two types of Chemo . . .   one that causes hair to go and one where the hair stays. . .   I don't know which one I will get.

    The rough odds, & I mean rough, are 33% recovery / cure.

    So, we just have to stay positive, pray for the Lords' plan acceptance, have faith, and do the best we can.   I have thanked God for a wonderful life, let him know that I would like to do something to help Him before joining Him, thanked Him for forgiving me of all my sins, and just put my life in his hands.

    Again, thank you for your prayers and allowing me to be part of your life.

    Love,
    Joe Lyddon





    Happening #2 (email could not be found)

    On a subsequent meeting with Radiologist, to get fine-tuned into the type of treatment I was to receive, the Dr. could not find a Pathology report in my chart anywhere.   He called the Surgeon and asked him where it was...   He said "I just looked at it, didn't have time for a biopsy, it looked malignant to me."   We could not believe it!   They could NOT do any Radiation or Chemotherapy because they didn't know what kind of cancer I had!

    I ended up FIRING that surgeon...   Luckily, found a SUPER surgeon...   and he was able to handle my problem.

    After a few visits with my NEW Dr., and me trying to tell him what the "game plan" was, the Dr. told me   "Let's do it my way this time... I don't think you have cancer... I have seen this happen several times and it's not uncommon.   I think we should schedule your next corrective surgery."

    I said "OK!!" :)

    So, we scheduled it to be August 19, 2002!






    Email #2 to Family and Friends.

    Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 08:40:33 -0700
    From: Joe Lyddon
    To: " To Special people from Joe Lyddon, WB6UFX"
    Subject: Surgery date set @ 8-19-02 for Joe Lyddon

    Hi all!

    This is to get you up to date. . .   and to thank you for your continued prayers.

    I will be meeting with my surgeon on
    Sunday 8-18-02 at 7:30 AM
    for a pre-op examination then I will be checking in to the San Antonio hospital (here in Upland, CA)
    8-19-02 at 12:01 AM (one minute past midnight)
    after going through a preop preparation all day. . .
    I will probably be operated upon around 7-7:30 AM Monday morning (8-19-02).
    The surgery should take about an hour to 1.5 hours to do. . .
    THEN I will find out the details about any tumor(s), etc. (as well as seeing my ostomy reversed!).   I will be in the hospital from 5 - 7 days, then home again.

    I hope this will go better than the first time. . .   I will not have to learn about the ostomy thing. . .   I hope I heal fast so I can be walking, etc. real soon. . .   I wonder how long it will take for my colon to heal and to go to solid foods?

    I have a narrowing of my colon where a tumor or an inflamed diverticulitus is causing it. . .
    ...that small section of my colon has to be removed. . .
    ...the first surgeon thought it "looked" like cancer but didn't get a biopsy to prove it. . .
    ...biopsies all around the area from inside the colon are good and show no cancer. . .
    ...he also said the tumor was attached to my bladder. . .
    ...we shall see. . .   (my bladder has been working great!)

    My new surgeon doubts it and also doubts cancer (he has seen this many times). . .
    I am confident that my new surgeon knows what he's doing!


    Anyway, you know as much as I do at this time. . .   Thank you for your prayers. . .   I still need them. . .   I have been feeling pretty good and have been a diet and lost a few pounds. . .   down to 220. . .   will try to lose more before the surgery.

    See all of you later. . .   I love you all. . .   thanks again for your prayers,

    Joe Lyddon





    Email #3 to Family and Friends.

    Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 21:40:17 -0700
    From: Joe Lyddon
    To: " To Special people from Joe Lyddon, WB6UFX"
    Subject: Damon's for a great steak! . . . (etc.)

    Hi,

    If you ever get a chance to be in Glendale, Calif., and want a really good steak, check this one out!

    Damon's Steak House.

    The only thing I have ever ordered there, over the last 38+ years, has been a Tenderloin and drinks.   The salad is blessed with their own dressing which is fabulous.   The steak is almost as thick as it is wide/long. . .   tender as you would ever imagine. . .   and is just super good!

    We ate there tonight. . .   Monday morning is showtime at San Antonio Hospital. . .

    Thank you for your prayers.

    Thank you for your friendship.

    Talk to you later. . .

    Joe





    Email #4 to Family and Friends.

    Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 10:58:17 -0700
    From: Joe Lyddon
    To: " To Special people from Joe Lyddon, WB6UFX"
    Subject: Update on Joe

    Hi:

    Joe had surgery yesterday (Aug. 19) and is resting well in ICU.

    Dr. Turner found no tumor (he thought diiverticulitis may have caused the original diagnosis), did not think there was cancer (although did a biopsy - results to be in 4 days), and removed the narrowing of the colon and reconnected it, thus eliminating the colostomy.

    Apparently, all is well and Joe's main task is to make a good recovery.

    Thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts.

    Deanne and Joe





    Email #5 to Family and Friends.

    Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 10:08:10 -0700
    From: Joe Lyddon
    To: " To Special people from Joe Lyddon, WB6UFX"
    Subject: Joe's Good News

    Hi:

    Results of biopsy.....   NEGATIVE!   .......   NO CANCER!  

    Onward and upward!

    Deanne and Joe





    Well, I don't have to tell you...   I felt pretty GOOD!!

    I will never ever forget this...   I just laid back, closed my eyes, and talked to my friend, Jesus...

    "Thank you, thank you, thank you... very much... just guide me to what you want me to do."

    I immediately felt like my body, starting with my head and going down to my toes, was lighting up like a light bulb!

    It was just awesome...   like I was being electrocuted from head to toe...   I had never experienced such a feeling before in my life!

    I am convinced that it was His way saying "You're Welcome"...

    I felt SO RELAXED and WONDERFUL...   I just laid there with a BIG Smile on my face!


    After experiencing what I had gone through, I looked at Life a little differently...   by a long shot!



    Prior to the start of my problems, I spent almost all of my time monitoring the Stock Market...   stocks, news, charts, analysis, etc. (and not really making any money to speak of!).

    I asked a Dr. friend if STRESS, caused by such activity, could have caused my colon problems.

    He said "Absolutely! Stress can cause all kinds of problems."...

    I was really surprised!

    That was it...   No MORE STRESS for this puppy!!
    I don't think I've watched CNBC for more than 15 minutes since then!   I even try to stay away from the normal daily News on TV...   I get it from the Internet instead.

    I started asking myself...

    "What do I want to do to enjoy life?"

    That's when I remembered how much fun I had with woodworking in school (Jr. High)...

    I started watching The Learning Channel, HGTV, New Yankee Workshop, etc. etc. I started looking to the internet for things about woodworking...   ebay for equipment, etc. I found a couple of woodworking Forums that I liked a lot...

    I started bookmarking favorite stuff everytime I found something GOOD!   Next thing you know, I have bookmarks all over the place and don't know what most of them are!

    I had to come up with something better...   I whipped up a simple web page and included it on a Free site I had.   Everytime I found something I really liked, I would add it to the web page...   as it grew, I had to add a Table of Contents, etc.   It started to get kinda large.

    One day I thought

    "Hey, why don't I make this public so others can get some benefit from it too?"

    So, I just started posting the URL on the Forums...   It was still FREE...   It started to get really SLOW and it would even be down a lot...

    Finally, I got tired of not being able to look at my page when I wanted, so I found a way to get a Pay site, have my own URL, etc.   It was NOT FREE, but, it didn't cost an arm or leg either...

    Shortly after starting it up, I had to virtually double everything (disk space and bandwidth) including the cost...   Then, I noticed that Rockler had an affiliate program, thought that might be a way to help cover the costs involved.   I added some Rockler ads down the right side.

    So, I can honestly say that my web site is NOT out to make any money... :)

    The main reason for it, is to have a nice FAST & RELIABLE web site for everyone to view my woodworking collection of goodies.

    After you have experienced the type of thing I went through, you will realize that money is NOT EVERYTHING and just plain having fun is very much MORE important.

    Some people think that I'm doing it
    "just for the money"...


    I say "what money?"...
    The Rockler thing doesn't bring in that much...

    It appears that it will eventually cover most of the cost involved.

    I hope you now know that this web site is here to Help You and is NOT here to make money!   ... and I still get to look at it too! :)

    Thank you for understanding,
    God Bless you all!

    Joe Lyddon


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    Do you like this website?

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    Click Here if you would like to help Support this website.

    Thank you, Joe