Latest Posts

My Old, Corrupted Nature

High maintenance and unpredictable.  That’s the best way to describe me these days.  I’m a far cry from the old, predictable, plain vanilla Jeff that my wife grew used to.  These days, there is nothing predictable about me. Photo by melalouise; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode…
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My Motive for Breathing

 I’ve wrapped up another trip to Houston.  This is my third time since going home after the transplant.  The planning and logistics have become fairly routine.  I stay at the same place, take generally the same flights, see the same…
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The Gift of Suffering?

I like gifts as much as the next person.  After twelve years of marriage, my dear wife knows me well, so birthdays and Christmas bring some of my favorite things, namely coffee and gift cards to Best Buy or iTunes. …
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Anchored

In my early twenties, I struggled frequently about finding the purpose for my life.  After I graduated college, I attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course and then started a great job at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati.  I waffled back…
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No End in Sight

It’s one thing to persevere when you can see the finish line.   It’s quite another when the end seems to be nowhere in sight.  Such situations require mental as well as physical stamina.  This is why elite military units often…
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America’s Greatest Problem

There aren’t many benefits to insomnia.  I experience it occasionally due to the medication I take.  Ambien helps, but I try not to take it every night since I get up at 5 am for work. There has been one…
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Leaving a Legacy

I’ve had ample time to think over the last fifteen months.   Hours spent alone in the hospital have provided the opportunity to ponder life’s many questions.  Today, my hour-long commute does the same when I’m not listening to a podcast. …
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Traveling Mercies

It’s 5 am and I’m sitting at the gate at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.  It’s way to early for my 7 am flight, but I tend to err on the side of caution when traveling.  Thanks to checking in…
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In It to Win It

Yesterday, July 22, 2014, was the six-month anniversary of my stem cell transplant. The first six-months post-transplant is the most perilous time.  Chances for relapse and life-threatening GVHD are highest; at the same time, patients are at their weakest.  It’s…
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Working for the Man

It’s 5 am and time to start the day again.  He rolls out of bed and wipes the sleep from his eyes.  Groggily he shuffles to the bathroom to brush his teeth and a sense of dread comes over him…
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