shot 41 on 9 and missed four birdie putts within five feet this morning......took pain pills first time since February

I guess you never understand the effects of pain on a person. I have chose not to take pain pills. I will take over the counter pain medications instead because of my concern for the liver and opiates. Well, I decided to take three norco pain pills in the last two days while golfing, and I felt like a kid again......I am seriously going to have to reevaluate medications over a year ago prescribed and not taken because the quality of my life has so declined........but heck I played 18 holes Tuesday, enjoyed a wonderful dinner with other couples Tuesday night, and not once was I in pain. Played golf this morning, but lightening stopped us at 9 holes, and again no pain.

I did get to drive by General Grant's home in historic Galena Illinois, and what a beautiful city which historic societies back after WW! began preservation of the 1850 buildings making the city very similar to when Grant worked in a general store in the city. If somebody gets a chance to visit this beautiful city, stay in the DeSoto House with it's famous curved staircase. My kids got to sleep in the hotel room twice which Lincoln and later President Grant addressed to citizens of Galena from the second floor room. The civil war museum in Galena is the best I have ever seen.

I took some great pictures, but they did not store because my battery ran dead.......home now and very tired and grateful to have done something I never thought I could do again. What a wonderful and beautiful city Galena Illinois is.

We have decided to take a road trip to Springfield Illinois to visit the Lincoln museum. My bucket list is getting smaller and the opportunity to see this museum is a huge plus. Gettysburg in the fall, and Bull run for a third visit.

So happy you enjoyed yourself without the pain.

That's great that you got to play a game you enjoy again. There's something therapeutic about that alone I'm sure.

I had to miss this group outing last year because of my breathing problems and the surgery in February gave me some borrowed time breathing. I get cat scans and hormone level blood tests next week. After I get the results I will try to see if the pulmonary doc can do another debulking of the lung tumors. If the answer is NO.....I am done, and after the 29th when I plan to try to golf again, my breathing will slowly be blocked and it will probably be pnuemonia in the final chapter, so I will not golf after the end of this month. However, they told me they could debu
at least twice.....and if I can breathe again, I will play again.

Beating really good golfers who are retired and play five times a week, and I played last in Feb. in Southern Florida........priceless.

I don't understand your concern for taking opiates when you're terminal? Explain that please?

Alcohol, most drugs are broken down by the liver. I have been told not to drink alcohol. Like Tylenol even a small amount of alcohol with that pain killer can destroy a liver. Endocrine Cancer is slow. All you get is time. Steve Jobs 7.5 years from first tumor to death. Seaoat 8.1 years from the removal of the upper lung lobe and first tumor. My chronic pain is bearable. Let me give you some perspective. Child birth and a kidney stone are probably a 8-9 pain level. The highest I have had was lung removal for two weeks in the 6-7 range, less than when I passed kidney stones. My chronic pain used to be 3-4 all of the time and has edged up to 4-5.......a level which I can live with and I have been blessed with a mechanism since I was a child to simply fall asleep when not feeling well. The tumor load makes me sleep a great deal now, and my sleep is very peaceful and without pain. So my decision to not over use pain pills for chronic pain is how ineffective it becomes over time as doses need to be increased to attack pain, and more load is put on the liver. I have followed doctor's orders, and when they ask me about the pain pills they are amazed that I still have about twenty of my first prescription from eight years ago, and about 90 of my second prescription from three years ago. I have had great quality of life with growing weakness concerning getting up out of chairs and walking, but as my golf buddies attest......I barely get out of the golf cart.....I drag myself over to the tee.....and then hit it 250 yards, forty yards further than younger healthy men.......being sick is good for your golf game....it slows your swing down, and you take money from your buddies. It has gotten so bad that a player who I used to give four strokes just demanded I give him ten strokes....he plays weekly.....I play once or twice a year now......so in their eyes I am just a sandbagger who happens to be dying.

Have your son take a weekend with the family and go to Galena for the weekend. Have him play the General and see what he says about a 41 on that course.........not exactly like a flat Florida course.......blind shots and lots of trouble......but when you are old and sick and swinging easy......keeping it in the middle is a piece of cake.....putting however only once or twice a year makes you realize the skill set of pros who can make six foot putts regularly.

I still hit the ball further than most of my peers, however these young kids.....yikes.