Yesterday was the third anniversary of the colonoscopy that found the sigmoid colon cancer that I have. It saved my life. In some ways I can’t believe that it’s been so long. In other ways it’s been the longest three years of my life.

And I know I say this a lot but talk to your doctor about when you should start your own screening, as young as 45 but often lower if you have symptoms or family history. Colonoscopies save lives, it’s that simple.

Official good news from the oncologist - still monitoring the lesions on my liver with frequent scans and blood tests over the next few months but overall things are looking good.

I look forward to the time when I have a lot of other stuff to post here that isn’t about my cancer. I am sure you do as well. Thing is, it’s been almost three years and I still feel like I am right in the middle of it.

Even with the relatively good news from the doctor, it hangs over me. And I am symptom free, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to still be in the midst of treatments. It’s just so consuming.

I hope to get back to music and more soon.

1980

Bob Seger Aug 18, 1980 Poplar Creek

1981

.38 Special / REO Speedwagon Feb 13, 1981 International Amphitheater

Rolling Stones Nov 25, 1981 Rosemont Horizon

1982

Journey May 21, 1982 Rosemont Horizon

Billy Joel Nov 4, 1982 Rosemont Horizon

1983

Billy Squier / Def Leppard Apr 1, 1983 UIC Pavilion

Jackson Browne Aug 28, 1983 Poplar Creek

1984

Yes Mar 8, 1984 Rosemont Horizon

Billy Joel Mar 31, 1984 Rosemont Horizon

Roger Waters Jul 26, 1984 Rosemont Horizon

Elton John Sep 11, 1984 Rosemont Horizon

Jethro Tull Nov 4, 1984 UIC Pavilion

Lou Reed Nov 17, 1984 Holiday Star Theatre

1985

Eric Clapton Jul 5, 1985 Poplar Creek

Robert Plant Jul 10, 1985 Rosemont Horizon

Dire Straits Aug 3, 1985 Poplar Creek

Bruce Springsteen Aug 9, 1985 Soldier Field

1986

John Cougar Mellencamp Feb 6, 1986 Rosemont Horizon

ZZ Top Feb 26, 1986 Rosemont Horizon

Rush w/ Marillion Mar 21, 1986 Rosemont Horizon

Joe Jackson Jun 15, 1986 Poplar Creek

Bob Dylan w/ Tom Petty Jun 29, 1986 Poplar Creek

The Monkees Aug 7, 1986 Poplar Creek

Elton John Aug 23, 1986 Poplar Creek

Genesis Oct 9, 1986 Rosemont Horizon

Emerson, Lake & Powell Oct 19, 1986 Rosemont Horizon

Billy Joel Oct 31, 1986 Rosemont Horizon

Peter Gabriel Nov 15, 1986 U of I Assembly Hall

1987

Johnny & The Leisure Suits Apr 18, 1987 UIC Pavilion

Eric Clapton Apr 19, 1987 Rosemont Horizon

The Kinks Jun 14, 1987 Poplar Creek

Beach Boys Sep 3, 1987 Poplar Creek

Roger Waters Sep 9, 1987 Poplar Creek

Pink Floyd Sep 26, 1987 Rosemont Horizon

Roger Waters Nov 14, 1987 Arie Crown Theater

Yes Nov 25, 1987 Rosemont Horizon

1988

Robert Plant May 29, 1988 Poplar Creek

John Cougar Mellencamp Jun 11, 1988 Poplar Creek

Jethro Tull Jun 12, 1988 Poplar Creek

Bob Dylan Jul 14, 1988 Poplar Creek

1989

The Who Aug 13, 1989 Folsom Field

Elton John Aug 22, 1989 Fiddler’s Green

Paul McCartney Dec 3, 1998 Rosemont Horizon

Paul McCartney Dec 4, 1998 Rosemont Horizon

Jackson Browne Jul 5, 1989 Poplar Creek

The Who July 29, 1989 Alpine Valley

1990

Little Feat / John Hiatt Aug 4, 1990 Poplar Creek

Paul McCartney Jul 29, 1990 Soldier Field

Billy Joel Apr 21, 1990 McNichols Arena

The Radiators Nov 14, 1990 Lory Student Center Theatre

1991

Yes May 9, 1991 McNichols Arena

Jackson Browne Jul 20, 1991 Fiddler’s Green

Tom Petty Aug 29, 1991 Fiddler’s Green

1993

Lyle Lovett Jul 3, 1993 Chicago Theatre

John Mellencamp Jul 28 1993 World Music Theatre

Allman Brothers Band Jun 25, 1993 World Music Theatre

1994

Elvis Costello May 28, 1994 World Music Theatre

1995

Chicago Aug 19, 1995 World Music Theatre

1996

The Who Nov 1, 1996 United Center

1997

John Mellencamp Jun 26, 1997 World Music Theatre

Counting Crows / Wallflowers Jul 5, 1997 World Music Theatre

Further Festival Jul 19, 1997 World Music Theatre

The Who Jul 20, 1997 World Music Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Aug 16, 1997 World Music Theatre

1998

The Allman Brothers Band Aug 8, 1998 World Music Theatre

Farm Aid Oct 3, 1998 World Music Theatre

Eric Clapton Apr 10, 1998 United Center

1999

Brian Wilson Mar 10, 1999 Rosemont Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Jun 18, 1999 World Music Theatre

REM Aug 20, 1999 World Music Theatre

Koko Taylor Nov 26, 1999 House of Blues

2000

Gov’t Mule Apr 15, 2000 The Vic

The Who Jun 25, 2000 World Music Theatre

Fleetwood Mac Jun 27, 1990 World Music Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Jul 3, 2000 Red Rocks

Roger Waters Jul 8, 2000 World Music Theatre

Brian Wilson - Pet Sounds Jul 22, 2000 Chicago Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Aug 26, 2000 World Music Theatre

John Fogerty Sep 1, 2000 World Music Theatre

Neil Young / The Pretenders Sep 2, 2000 World Music Theatre

Phil Lesh And Friends Oct 19, 2000 Riviera

B.B. King / John Hiatt Dec 31, 2000 Great Hall Union Station

2001

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 19, 2001 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 20, 2001 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 22, 2001 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 23, 2001 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Aug, 7 2001 Chicago Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Aug 8, 2001 Chicago Theatre

Phil Lesh And Friends Nov 8, 2001 UIC Pavilion

Gov’t Mule Sept 29, 2001 The Vic

2002

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 16, 2002 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 18, 2002 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 19, 2002 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 21, 2002 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 22, 2002 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 23, 2002 Beacon Theater

Paul McCartney Apr 10, 2002 United Center

Gov’t Mule Apr 19, 2002 Riviera

Allman Brothers Band Jun 19, 2002 Chicago Theatre

Allman Brothers Band Jun 20, 2002 Chicago Theatre

Allman Brothers Band Jun 22, 2002 Chicago Theatre

Robert Randolph June 28, 2002 House of Blues

Rush July 20, 2002 Tweeter Center

John Mayer w/ Robert Randolph Nov 16, 2002 UIC Pavilion

Gov’t Mule Dec 30, 2002 Beacon Theater

Gov’t Mule Dec 31, 2002 Beacon Theater

2003

Joe Jackson Band - Mar 30, 2003 The Vic

Lonnie Brooks Apr 19, 2003 Frankie’s Blue Room

The Allman Brothers Band Jul 29, 2003 Chicago Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Jul 30, 2003 Chicago Theatre

Gov’t Mule Oct 25, 2003 The Vic

Lyle Lovett - Oct 29, 2003 Chicago Theatre

Gov’t Mule Dec 29, 2003 Beacon Theater

Gov’t Mule Dec 30, 2003 Beacon Theater

Gov’t Mule Dec 31, 2003 Beacon Theater

2004

Deep Purple / Thin Lizzy Feb 24, 2004 Chicago Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 22, 2004 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 23, 2004 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 25, 2004 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 26, 2004 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Sep 1, 2004 Rosemont Theatre

Gov’t Mule Sep 13, 2004 Roseland Ballroom (Album Release Party)

Gov’t Mule Oct 22, 2004 Riviera

Gov’t Mule Dec 30, 2004 Beacon Theater

Gov’t Mule Dec 31, 2004 Beacon Theater

2005

Lyle Lovett / John Hiatt Feb 11, 2005 Chicago Theatre

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 14, 2005 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 15, 2005 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 17, 2005 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 18, 2005 Beacon Theater

Joe Jackson / Todd Rundgren May 14, 2005 Cadillac Palace

Gov’t Mule June 16, 2005 Skyline Stage @ Navy Pier

Gov’t Mule June 15, 2005 Skyline Stage @ Navy Pier

The Allman Brothers Band Aug 13, 2005 Rosemont Theatre

Paul McCartney Oct 19, 2005 United Center

2006

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 20, 2006 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 21, 2006 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 23, 2006 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Mar 24, 2006 Beacon Theater

The Allman Brothers Band Sep 1, 2006 Red Rocks

Gov’t Mule Sep 2, 2006 Red Rocks

Lyle Lovett and his Large Band Sept 8, 2006 Ravinia

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush Oct 12, 2006 House of Blues

Gov’t Mule Dec 9, 2006 Riviera

2007

Lyle Lovett / k.d. Lang Jun 30, 2007 Ravinia

The Allman Brothers Band Aug 29, 2007 Rosemont Theatre

Gov’t Mule Oct 26, 2007 Riviera Theatre

2008

Lyle Lovett July 12, 2008 Ravinia

Gov’t Mule July 14, 2008 Skyline Stage

Gov’t Mule Nov 12, 2008 The Venue

2009

Lyle Lovett July 22, 2009 Ravinia

Making of the new Gov’t Mule record. I’m so looking forward to this.

As I type this I am thinking that very soon it will have been three years since my cancer diagnosis and I realize I am not sure how to feel about that.

October 18th, 2018 is the day I had my first colonoscopy and the day the doctor found the tumor in my sigmoid colon. It took a week for the biopsy to come back but we knew it was cancer, the biopsy just made it official.

At the time of my diagnosis I was scared and overwhelmed. Those feelings continued through my chemo and multiple surgeries over the next 16 months. I sit and think back and I wonder and I marvel at how I was able to get through it all.

And yet, I did. It’s been nearly 17 months since my last reversal surgery and while I still see my oncologist quarterly and still undergo frequent CT scans, my treatment is essentially behind me.

This year as I approach the date of my diagnosis, I feel differently than I did last year. The shock has passed, the treatments ended and I start to wonder how I will commemorate the day this year.

I bet if you had asked me three years ago how I would feel about this I would say that I’d just like to forget it all. By ignoring the day I would save myself from thinking about all that happened during the treatment process.

Now though, I honestly think it is a day worth not just commemorating, but celebrating. They say you become a survivor the day you are diagnosed. Without the diagnosis, I wouldn’t have had my surgery and I wouldn’t have had the treatments, both of which I believe saved my life. My tumor was stage II but had attached itself to my colon wall, it very shortly could have spread to my lymph nodes or liver.

So this year on my diagnosis day I will celebrate good health and remember that I was able to endure all the challenges that came my way during my treatments. I was able to find strength that I didn’t know I had and I should be proud of that.

Obviously my feelings would be very different if I wasn’t looking at my treatments through a lens of success. Not that I will ever put the experience behind me, but it’s a lot easier to feel comfortable with this mindset than if my treatments were still ongoing or if I was still currently facing medical challenges. My heart goes out to all of you who may still be struggling.

I also understand that not everyone will feel the same way that I do, that there is no right or wrong way to feel about this.

I am curious as to how others handle this situation, how you feel about your diagnosis day and other notable days during your treatment. How do you commemorate these days?

Since my Cancer diagnosis in October of 2018, I’ve had follow-up CT scans every three to six months. I don’t usually worry too much about these, they have always come back clear with no changes worth noting. This last one was different though, and it’s been a really stressful experience. More so than it needed to have been.

You see, I had the test on July 21 but my appointment with the doctor wasn’t scheduled until August 17th. I wasn’t worried about the delay because I wasn’t worried about the results.

Just two days after the test, the results were sent to me in the online charting system offered by the hospital. I made the choice to read the results and was surprised to read that there were two new lesions on my liver and that metastasis could not be excluded.

This shocked me, but it also left me wondering what the results really meant. Should I be worried, should I go to the emergency room, I mean, this was all but telling me I had Cancer again.

I called the doctor’s office hoping to talk to him or the nurse practitioner to get some context for the results. I was told they don’t discuss them over the phone but that the doctor did want me to come in earlier than my Aug 17 appointment. I scheduled for Aug 3, a week away and then I waited, and worried.

On the 3rd, I was finally able to see my oncologist and we discussed the results. The lesions were concerning but not conclusive. Lesions don’t necessarily mean Cancer and they are normal and unremarkable if benign. He gave me an order for a follow up PET scan with a potential biopsy based on the results. I left feeling concerned but confident that all was being done and that I was armed with all the information I needed.

And then I started to get angry. Why would the hospital release such test results directly to the patient before they are processed by the doctor? What was the purpose of my being able to read these results without also having the opportunity to directly speak to my provider about them? Why did I have to have stress for a week when it wasn’t necessary.

For me stress manifests itself pretty deeply. I break. I shut down. I can’t concentrate on TV or reading. I try to play a game on my computer but am immediately overcome with anxiety and dread. Some people face stress by keeping themselves busy. I am unable to be busy so I sit and worry about things I know better than to worry about.

I know and understand that I made the choice to look at the results but I don’t think I am the only one who would do so. How many others are put in to the similar position because they don’t delay the displaying of the results until they can be interpreted by the doctor? Without the appropriate context such results are dangerous.

I got the order for the PET scan and called on Wednesday to schedule it. They said they could get me in on Monday which worked for me. On Thursday I got a call from them telling me that my insurance hadn’t yet authorized the test and that there was a chance they would need to postpone or cancel the test based on whether that auth was still pending by Friday at 2pm.

I thanked them for the call and then I got to thinking. Why would they tell me this? I couldn’t do anything to convince the insurance company to give me the authorization. I knew my doctor’s office had given them the appropriate justification and were working with them. What was the purpose of having me stress and worry about something that was outside of my control and would probably work itself out. Worst case scenario they call me to tell me that the test would need to be postponed. What was the purpose of letting me know it could?

Navigating Cancer is a full time job and comes with it a fair amount of stress and corresponding anxiety. I’ve been dealing with that for almost three years now, sometimes successfully, other times not so much. But I’ve managed to get this far. What I don’t need is stress that could have been avoided.

Now I just need to convince myself not to read the PET scan results when they hit my chart. I don’t see the oncologist again until the 17th…

When the cover is better than the original.

Pay at the mill was low – and when I came along, we became a family of seven children. That’s a lot of people dependent upon the labor of one man. I remember Mom telling me that she’d suggested at one point that Dad strike out on his own – build a full-time business of his considerable and sought-out talents. But Dad feared the loss of the steady – albeit paltry – paycheck and chose to continue working at the mill. He wanted to ensure his ability to provide something for his family, unwilling to risk the leap that held a possibility of greater income – and greater personal satisfaction for him.

Gina has the rest of the story

Here’s Paul saying “y’know” for 10 minutes to help you celebrate.

“I’m sorry. You have to come and smell it first."

Hey, it’s Gong. I picked this album up used a hundred years ago and still love this song.

The new Oregon Trail season starts July 13. Gina and I have been looking forward to this, we really enjoyed the previous seasons.

If you’re not familiar, each season the same cast puts together an entirely new story. It’s really well done.

New Blackberry Smoke featuring Warren Haynes. Good Stuff.

Steve and Gregg sounded so good together. They just couldn’t capture it again after this album. And then Gregg left…

Talk from the Rock Room details three iconic Les Paul guitars used by Allman Brothers founder and guitarist Duane Allman.

I was familiar with the Gold Top and its history but it’s nice to read about the others.

Anti-Maskers Ready to Start Masking—to Protect Themselves From the Vaccinated

An anti-vaccine conspiracy about the vaccinated are leading some anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers to contemplate wearing a mask and social distance.

People are crazy.

Mark Knopfler knocks it out of the park here. Just beautiful.

Tedeschi Trucks announce new LP which is a live remake of the Derek & the Dominos ‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.’

I remember when this show happened and wanting to hear more than the clips that were posted around that time. Glad to see it getting a proper release in full.

The album also features guests Trey Anastasio and Doyle Bramhall II and will be released mid July.

The Band recently released from The Ed Sullivan Show archives.