Verne Strickland's CANCER WALK -- Taming bone cancer and depression -- maybe now I can re-set my life clock

I've been saved. I've been blessed. Now I'm being healed.
























 













By Verne Strickland 021613
First published March 5, 2012

My walk with cancer began when I found that I was actually losing the ability to walk. Pain froze my hips, hobbled my legs, and forced me to shuffle along, barely lifting my feet. I was suddenly old and infirm. I looked it.

I turned 75 in 2012, but have enjoyed very good health most of my life. I've tried to watch my diet to curb cholesterol. I do light weight training, and stay off the smokes, which I quit over thirty years ago.

But then this "thing" happened. I had to curtail all my activities. I was grounded. My energy plummeted. I had no appetite, and my weight dropped markedly. Before I knew it, I was down to within five pounds of what I scaled in at when I was in boot camp at Fort Jackson fifty years ago.

I dropped out of sight. I could not function. Early onset of Alzheimer's worsened, and I was often confused and inarticulate. I couldn't think. To my family the change was evident, and alarming. We were all concerned. I didn't announce to friends until later what was going on. At the time, I didn't know.

Foolishly, I cut down on and then stopped altogether the dozen or more prescription medicines which glued me together, regulating my heart, breathing, digestive and circulatory systems, and my brain. As a result, I crashed, and dove into a depression so deep I didn't think I would get out. I questioned how long I could tolerate it. It was a desperate time.

I didn't know I would talk about this, but it's a part of the story. I entered a recommended mental rehab facility, which helped me get emotionally stable again. I needed that. While there for a brief period, I lived with unfortunates more desperately ill than I.

There is no shame in this for me. Quite the contrary. It was a priceless and touching opportunity to see the other side. Even to be on the other side for a time. It broadened my horizons. I can even liken the experience in a way to the crushing emotional burden and depression that many combat veterans feel, although to liken my own sickness to theirs would be disrespectful.

My fleeting passage through that dark world fed the kinship I feel with our soldiers and Marines like my dear friend Ilario Pantano, whose campaign I took pride in supporting. He has talked about the horrors of PTSD, which has beset so many veterans, and talks frankly about his own bout with these demons. I think perhaps I may understand that a bit better now.

It was a profound experience. We had nothing but the staff and each other. They helped me. I helped them. They were all good people with bad problems. I'm sure many of them are still there. I will never forget them.

With that fixed, I undertook the next step -- to find out what was physically wrong with me. We had only begun our search. My loving, caring family gathered around me. This was so important. We prayed for direction, courage and resolve. It all came, of course. Faith is wonderful when you have it, and a lifesaver when you need it.

We gave God the reins of our lives. He guided us to the man who took charge of our medical dilemma -- Dr. William McNulty, a board-certified Wilmington oncologist and internist of national reputation, a brilliant and cheerful physician who changed my life and gave me a new sense of hope. He is a founding partner of  Cape Fear Cancer Specialists in Wilmington

I surrendered myself to a procession of tests and probes -- bone biopsies, CT scans, MRIs, countless blood tests. The problems seemed to have originated in my pelvic structure, which seemed reasonable, because my ability to walk had been most seriously compromised.

Dr. McNulty early on suspected multiple myeloma, a type of cancer which starts in plasma cells. It's the most common type of plasma cell cancer -- intimidating, but treatable with what my oncologist described as "modern medicine" -- radiation, and creative chemotherapy -- utilizing an "old" drug enjoying a resurgence in popularity due to new creative techniques in IV usage. In my case it had attacked bone tissues -- primarily in my hips. It can metastasize if not properly diagnosed and promptly treated.

First came radiation therapy, which most often refers to external beam radiation therapy. During this type of radiation, the high-energy beams come from a machine outside of your body that aims the beams at a precise point on your body.

Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide. While both healthy and cancerous cells are damaged by radiation therapy, the goal of radiation therapy is to destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible.

This critical role in my treatment was undertaken by Board-Certified Radiation Oncologist Dr. Michael Papagikos at Coastal Carolina Radiation Oncology Center in Wilmington. He is one of the most knowledgeable, caring and inspiring physicians I have ever met.

Dr. Papagikos says: "My goal is to treat my patients with technologically advanced radiation therapy in an expert, compassionate, and respectful manner with the goal of improving and extending their life." 

It was after several weeks of intensive radiation treatment that I entered the unique world of chemotherapy with Dr. McNulty at Cape Fear Cancer Specialists. 

This is where we'll go next in this special medical series on USA DOT COM --

I've been saved. I've been blessed. And now I'm being healed.

Dr. Ben Carson is on Hannity tonight for the full-hour program. If you are conservative, you will love him.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 15, 2013 





























 DR. BENJAMIN CARSON


From the American Spectator: Dr. Paul Kengor of Grove City College on why the left-wing media hate Dr. Ben Carson, whose refreshing views have gone viral in the news (not MSM).

Excerpt:

Liberals continue their hysteria over remarks made by Dr. Ben Carson at the National Prayer Breakfast last week. Carson, a prominent pediatric surgeon from Johns Hopkins University, dared to weigh in on healthcare — something he knows something about, and certainly knows better than Barack Obama. In the liberal mind, Carson committed a grave transgression; he had dared to disagree with Obama, and in Obama’s presence.
In a discussion of Carson’s moral effrontery, Candy Crowley, host of CNN’s State of the Union, asked her panelists whether they were offended by Carson’s comments. “He [Carson] was talking about the idea of, you know, weaving the Bible into some objections he appears to have with the president’s approach,” said Crowley, as if the president would never likewise do anything so outrageous. Count Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky among the offended. She told Crowley: “I think it’s… not really an appropriate place to make this kind of political speech and to invoke God as his [Carson’s] support for that kind of point of view.”
In truth, what the likes of Crowley and Schakowsky object to is the mere fact that someone publicly disagreed with Obama on healthcare, and especially in the context of faith. This was sheer blasphemy. For liberal Democrats, conservative Republicans are never permitted to use their faith to disagree; no, only liberal Democrats enjoy such freedoms. I could give a thousand examples illustrating the point; I’ve written entire books doing so. For now, however, here are some particularly salient examples involving Obama, liberals, and healthcare reform:
From the very first year of Obama’s presidency, the Religious Left (Obama included) incessantly claimed God’s support for their vision of healthcare reform. This was no surprise whatsoever, just as it was no surprise that the liberal press was not only not outraged but silently supportive. There was nary a whimper of protest from liberal journalists, let alone their usual howls (when a Republican cites his faith) of “separation of church and state!”
For instance, in August 2009, Obama addressed a “virtual gathering” of 140,000 Religious Left individuals. It was a huge conference call to liberal Christians, Jews, and other people of faith. Obama told them that he was “going to need your help” in passing healthcare reform. Christ-like, Obama penitently invoked a period of “40 Days,” a trial of deliverance from conservative evildoers. He lifted up the brethren, assuring them, “We are God’s partner in matters of life and death.”
Like a great commissioning, in the 40 Days that followed the Religious Left was filled with the spirit, confidently spreading the word, pushing for — among other things — abortion funding as part of an eternally widening “social justice” agenda. A group called the Religious Institute, which represented 4,800 clergy, urged Congress to include abortion funding in “healthcare” reform. To not help poor women secure their reproductive rights was unjust, declared the progressive pastors. As the Rev. Debra Hafner, executive director of the Religious Institute, complained, federal policy already “unfairly prevents low-income women and federal employees from receiving subsidized” abortions.

Watch him Friday night for the full hour of Hannity.
My previous articles on Dr. Carson: 1) his opposition to Darwinism and his persecution by Emory University, and 2) the National Prayer Breakfast speech that rocketed him to national fame.

Parents complain about school ad excluding whites from tutoring program.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 14, 2013

THIS SHAMEFUL EPISODE IS BRAZENLY BIGOTED. 'FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR ONLY?' IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2013? IT'S ALSO GRIST FOR A BIG LAWSUIT.

 

February 13, 2013 6:18 PM

 

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – A school principal said no white children were allowed at an after-school tutoring program, and now some parents call it discrimination.

The principal at Mission Viejo Elementary in Aurora sent a letter telling parents the program is only for students of color. Parents CBS4 talked with said they were shocked to see, in this day and age, what they consider to be segregation.

“I was infuriated. I didn’t understand why they would include or exclude certain groups,” said parent Nicole Cox, who is white.

Cox’s 10-year-old daughter needs tutoring. After receiving the notice, other parents complained to the school’s principal, Andre Pearson. 

We have come so far in all of these years to show everybody that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated equally … this is a form of bullying,” Cox said.

Before Cox could complain to the school, Pearson contacted her directly. His voicemail only seemed to reinforce the segregated tutoring idea.

“This is Andre Pearson. It’s focused for and designed for children of color, but certainly, if we have space for other kids who have needs, we can definitely meet those needs,” Pearson told Cox in the voicemail.

Islamic fundamentalism wants to send Christians back to the catacombs.

Islamic fundamentalism seeks to send Christians back to the catacombs

 

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

By Clemente Ferrer 

The Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) basilica in Istanbul is the largest and only best of Byzantine architecture. Its construction was ordered by Emperor Justinian and came about between 532 and 537 AD. According to the annals of history, Justinian said of the basilica upon its completion, “Solomon, I have outdone you", making a direct connection to the Temple of Jerusalem ruined by the Romans less than 50 years after the birth of Christ.

 The huge dome bears a rich symbolism that embodies both Paradise and Creation, while the nave writes an accurate description of the Earth. The architectural lineage of the building comes directly from the Holy Land, where the martyria shelter the sites associated with the Passion of Jesus Christ and martyrs for the Christian faith. Other basilicas with the same affinities, built in Constantinople during the reign of Justinian, were built to honor the memory of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Saint Irene, and the Apostles of Jesus.

Famous for its monumental dome and recognized as the epitome of Byzantine architecture, the Hagia Sophia changed the history of architecture. It was the largest Christian church, or any building, in the world for nearly one thousand years.

From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, the basilica was used as the cathedral of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, except during a period between the 1204 and 1261 when it served as the cathedral of the Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople. 

It was in 1453 that Constantinople was over-run by the Muslim Turks and became known as Istanbul. For nearly 500 years, it served as a mosque, having been seized by the Ottoman Turks. Muslim architects added Islamic elements such as minarets and the mithrab. The stunning and rich mosaics on the interior of the church, illustrating the life of Christ and the saints were erased with plaster. However, following the overthrow of Ottoman rule by the dictator Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it was converted into a museum in 1935.

Turkey's parliament is now considering, as a first step, a proposal for the Hagia Sophia to revert to its status as a mosque. This is according to Adnan Ertem, the chief of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Foundations. The final decision was made by the Minister of Culture.

The demand comes following a decree by the Islamist government of Turkey to convert a church in Nicea, also called Hagia Sophia, into a mosque. Now known in Turkish as İznik, it was at Nicea where two of the great ecumenical councils of the Church were held, in 325 and 787 AD. Last summer, an idea was hatched to do the same with another Christian basilica of the same name in Trebizond, in the province of Trabzon Ili.

In the 1960s, the basilica church in Iznik was converted into a museum, as was the much grander basilica in Istanbul. The interior of the basilica is adorned with frescoes depicting scenes from the New and Old Testaments, which are an undisputed pinnacle of Byzantine art. The frescoes, which were covered with plaster, were discovered and restored when it was transformed into a museum and thus became a tourist attraction.

Radical Islamists are seeking to make Christian basilicas and temples of great historical importance into mosques, plastering over their essential Christian character. And it is these same Muslim fundamentalists who are thus aiming to banish Christians and Christian culture to the catacombs.

Spero columnist Clemente Ferrer is President of the European Institute of Marketing.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 14, 2013

On a film mission to Turkey some thirty years ago, I visited the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
It is breathtaking for its grandeur, and heartbreaking because of the Islamic movement's plans
to convert the structure -- now a museum -- into a mosque. All symbols of Christ and Christianity are already gone. Turkey today is a seething cauldron of tension, and its ties with the U.S. are
becoming tenuous.

Knut's real fur used for new museum statue in Berlin. Pride of the Germans.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 14, 2013

Published: 12 Feb 13 14:52 CET

A furry homage or creepy exploitation? Nearly two years after the death of Berlin's favourite polar bear Knut, the city's natural history museum is using his pelt for a new exhibit. But then we did stuff Trigger didn't we? Somehow the German equivalent is more alarming, especially after watching "The Pianist" tonight on The Movie Channel.



The German capital's star animal attraction tragically died at the age of four in March 2011 after he drowned following a seizure in his enclosure at the Berlin Zoo.

But the bear that captured the hearts of millions after he was raised by hand as tiny cub remains immensely popular in Germany, encouraging the museum to create a full-sized Knut model covered in his own pelt.

"It's important to make clear we haven't had Knut stuffed," museum spokeswoman Gesine Steiner told the daily newspaper Bild on Tuesday. "It's an artistically valuable sculpture with the original fur."



The new Knut will only be shown for four weeks starting this Saturday.

"We are creating an extra entrance into the museum solely for Knut visitors," Steiner said.

The sculpture will then disappear into the museum's archives until 2014, when it will be wheeled out for an exhibition on climate change and protecting the environment.

But Knut's fans creeped out by seeing him skinned can instead head to the Berlin Zoo, which unveiled a cute bronze memorial to him in October 2012.

C

Bachmann deplores "bigger government, smaller citizens" in Obama address

  Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 13, 2013

Many have written off Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. I don't buy that at all. She is still relevant, courageous, and on-message for America. Her take on Obama's re-treaded address is a repudiation of tired old liberal philosophy.

   

Credit Shawn Hogendorf

 

Sixth Congressional Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) released the following statement after President Barack Obama's Tuesday night State of the Union address:

"Tonight, we heard more of the same calls for bigger government—and smaller citizens—from President Obama. In his first term, President Obama’s answer to America’s economic challenges has been to tax more and spend more. Four years later, the unemployment rate is higher today than when the President was first sworn into office. The number of Americans on food stamps has soared by more than 46 percent—up to 47 million people. And median household incomes have dropped by 7 percent.
"These are not just numbers, they are real people with real stories. From small town bankers in Kimball, MN to job creators in Watertown, MN, the small business owners I’ve talked with are telling me that increased taxes and burdensome regulations are crippling their businesses and hurting their bottom line.
"When government takes even more of what we make, then we get to keep a lot less of what we earn. Sadly, that doesn’t lead to increasing wages or bringing down the basic costs of living for most people.
"When it comes to investing in our future, we need to reprioritize our spending to achieve objectives that will help all Americans, not just well-connected donors or companies with high-paid lobbyists. All spending isn't created equal. Too much money from President Obama’s stimulus package made its way to companies associated with his political contributors. Imagine if we spent that money on new roads and bridges that Americans desperately need.
"In Minnesota’s Sixth District, for example, we have real transportation needs. We need to expand I-94 and upgrade Highway 10. We’re also working towards regular air service out of the St. Cloud Airport to a major hub like Chicago. Just like the new Stillwater Bridge, these important projects will yield direct economic benefits to the community. These are the type of job-creating projects worthy of further investment – not politically-connected companies like the bankrupt Solyndra.
"Instead of President Obama’s laundry list of big government proposals, we should be laser-focused on getting to a stable, growing economy where wages expand and the cost of daily items like groceries and gas go down.  Here are a few solutions to grow the economy:

• Legalize America’s abundant energy resources, which would lead to an explosion in jobs and economic growth. The Keystone XL Pipeline is one commonsense example.
• Reform and simplify the tax code to make America more competitive in the global economy. America has the highest corporate tax rate in the world, which hinders economic growth.
• Expand school choice to make a quality education accessible to help every child succeed in school and life.  Making more classes available online would also help retrain our workforce.
• Focus on free market health care solutions that give patients more choices. The onerous medical device tax from Obamacare cripples innovation and sends jobs overseas. It must be repealed.

"Despite the bleak economic numbers from the last four years, I remain optimistic. Our nation’s history has been built upon the triumph of hard work and ingenuity. We ventured west, we invented, we went to space. No matter the obstacle, we overcame it. It’s in our blood as a nation. Our future and our children are depending on our getting the economy right."

Related Topics: Barack Obama, Michele Bachmann, State of the Union 2013, and state of the union address

Iran gives stealth drone secrets to Russia. If U.S. doesn't know what to do with them, Putin will.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 11, 2013  


 by Reza Kahlili Email | Archive

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Russia has helped decode an American stealth drone that was captured by Iran 14 months ago in exchange for its secrets, a source has told WND.

Last week, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards air and space division, announced the decoding of the drone, while Islamic regime media aired aerial footage below from the drone showing some of its operational capabilities.
“Some (Guards officers) believed that America would send its commando unit to destroy (the drone) while others were of the opinion that the U.S. would not risk having its forces get caught by us, creating a bigger problem for themselves, and that they might just do an air raid to destroy it,” Hajizadeh said. “We gave it a 10 to 15 percent chance on the air raid, and because of that we ordered an alert at all our missile bases to be ready to launch against all U.S. bases (in the region) if they did take any action.”
When the drone was captured, President Obama said, “We’ve asked for it back. We’ll see how the Iranians respond.”
According to Hamidreza Zakeri, a former intelligence officer of the regime who has defected to Europe, Iran and Russia had long been working on trapping a U.S. drone.
A Russian military team from its air and space division had secretly entered Iran days after a strategic agreement between the two countries in 2007 and was stationed at Revolutionary Guard bases to help the Guards with its weapons program and access to modern U.S. technology.
Get the inside story in Reza Kahlili’s “A Time To Betray” and learn how the Islamic regime “bought the bomb” in “Atomic Iran.”
After studying the stealth drone’s travel routes and its surveillance of Iran’s skies, the Russians successfully hacked into the system of one of the RQ170s and forced it to land in Iran Dec. 4, 2011.
With this collaboration, all the information of the stealth drone is now in the hands of the Russians, and much has been given to Iran’s Defense Ministry. Russia in turn provided Iran with the information on its anti-air defense system S300. Russia, because of international sanctions against Iran, could not deliver the actual S300 system.
Other information passed to Iran included technology on the American fighters F35 and X36, which eventually resulted in the Defense Ministry publicly unveiling its new jet fighter, the Qaher 313, with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasting of the advanced features of this super stealth fighter.
However, according to the source, the fighter shown by Iranian media was merely a shell model and not operational and that the regime has only tested the smaller size. The project originally was scheduled to be completed in 2016, but due to the sanctions and economic problems, the regime has had problems following through with the timetable.
Russian-Iranian collaboration goes back many years. After the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and the formation of the new republics, oil reserves in the Caspian Sea became an issue among the neighboring countries, resulting in disputes with Iran, which claimed half of the reserves.
Russia worried about the impact of the increased importance of this new market and the possible decrease in value of its Siberian oil fields, where over 40 percent of its income is based on its export of gas and oil. Vladimir Putin made a special trip to Iran in 2007 over the issue.
Because the Caspian-Caucasus region could play a significant role in the world economy and world policy, Putin in his meeting with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was able to significantly expand Russia’s collaboration with the Islamic regime. He also got an agreement on the division of Caspian oil reserves and a bigger Russian role in transporting the oil out of that area.
The 10-year agreement called for the expansion of commerce between the two countries of up to $200 billion and military and secret projects totaling $350 billion.
It was the first time a Kremlin chief visited Iran since Josef Stalin’s trip in 1943.
Russian collaboration extends to the regime’s missile, nuclear and even bio-weapons programs. Sources in the Islamic regime previously have revealed exclusively to WND the existence of secret bio-weapons site in Iran, where, with the help of Russia, Iran has mastered production of eight microbial agents, arming its missiles with biological warheads, and a nuclear site at which, with Russian help, laser technology is enriching uranium.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/iran-gives-stealth-drone-secrets-to-russia/#mD4bLXtAbdALb7El.99

Reza Kahlili, author of the award-winning book "A Time to Betray", served in CIA Directorate of Operations, as a spy in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, counterterrorism expert; currently serves on the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, an advisory board to Congress and the advisory board of the Foundation for Democracy in Iran (FDI). He regularly appears in national and international media as an expert on Iran and counterterrorism in the Middle East.Less ↑

Police plan to use spy drones in the hunt for Rambo-style ex-soldier and policeman.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / February 10, 2013



“The thermal imaging cameras the drones use may be our only hope of finding him. On the ground, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Will short-sighted activists still complain about drones used for all domestic use?

  

By: Mike Parker Published: Sun, February 10, 2013

  

 

 

Christopher Dorner is thought to be hiding in California’s snow-capped San Bernardino mountain.
 

They believe burly, heavily-armed Christopher Dorner is holed-up in the wilderness of California’s snow-capped San Bernardino mountains 80 miles east of Los Angeles.

The burnt-out shell of his pick-up truck was discovered in the nearby resort of Big Bear, where residents and tourists have been warned to stay indoors as the search continues.

Yesterday, as a task force of 125 officers, some riding Snowcats in the rugged terrain, continued their search, it was revealed that Dorner has become the first human target for remotely-controlled airborne drones on US soil.

A senior police source said: “The thermal imaging cameras the drones use may be our only hope of finding him. On the ground, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Asked directly if drones have already been deployed, Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, who is jointly leading the task force, said: “We are using all the tools at our disposal.”

The use of drones was later confirmed by Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Ralph DeSio, who revealed agents have been prepared for Dorner to make a dash for the Mexican border since his rampage began.

He said: “This agency has been at the forefront of domestic use of drones by law enforcement. That’s all I can say at the moment.”

Dorner, who was fired from the LAPD in 2008 for lying about a fellow officer he accused of misconduct, has vowed to wreak revenge by “killing officers and their families”.

In a chilling, 6,000 word “manifesto” on his Facebook page he has threatened to “bring warfare” to the LAPD and “utilise every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordinance and survival training I’ve been given.”

Dorner, 33, who rose to the rank of lieutenant in the US Navy and served in Iraq before joining the LAPD, also ominously warned that he has shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles to “knock out” any helicopters used to pursue him.

Last night, Brian Levin, a psychologist and professor of criminal justice at Cal State University, San Bernardino, said: “We’re talking about someone who basically perceives that a tremendous injustice has been done to him that took his life and identity.

“Now he is, quite literally, at war.”