Christmas Letter 2012
Odell S Hathaway, III
2000 NE 94th Ct
Vancouver, WA 98664
Dear Friends,
It is my custom at this time of year to celebrate with my friends by giving them the gift of self — to share some of what the last year has brought for me.
This year I am celebrating Christmas for the 51st time in my life, still hoping for a white Christmas like my first year at Heathway in New York, or like the one a few years ago (when I was much too sick to enjoy it). And yes, I still wish I had someone to share it with. I do, however, have a bikini hung by the chimney with care in case Saint Nick wants to fill it.
It has been another interesting year — and as the Chinese pointed out, that can’t be good.
The biggest news of the year, as most of you already know, is my service dog Phoenix. I got her in April when she was eight weeks old. It has been challenging, but we are doing great, and it’s wonderful to have her here. She is a service dog in training, and the training takes about two years to complete. When we’re done, she’ll be able to help me walk when I’m having trouble, pull my wheelchair if I end up in one, help me hear as my tinnitus gets worse, alert me if I start acting stranger than usual, and — most importantly to me — call for help if I get into trouble.
About four years ago, my doctor told me I should not be living alone because I could deteriorate quickly and would need someone who could get me help. I haven’t found a person, but soon Phoenix will be able to help with that.
Most of my year has been taken up with Phoenix’s training. We work together every day and go to class three nights a month. She has now gone out of town with me twice. We regularly go shopping together, visit the dog park, and walk along the river.
As a service dog she is legally allowed to go everywhere I can go. In fact, we are already making plans for cruises to Alaska, a trip to Maui, and dinner at Lawry’s. One of our trainers told me she once flew from Portland to Frankfurt — a 15-hour flight — with a full-grown service dog under the seat in front of her.
The rest of the year pales by comparison — though it was eventful, and not always in the best ways. In January, part of my roof blew off and I had to get a whole new one. Last year, as I wrote to you, I was remodeling my bathroom after finding dry rot in the floor. Then in September, somehow — I still don’t know how — I managed to knock two holes in my bathtub. So we had to remodel again: removing the vanity, cutting up the old tub and surround so it would fit out the door, and installing a new tub.
I didn’t get away much this year, as my time was taken up with other matters. My parents did visit me in June.
As to my medical condition — in January I got worse and started needing a walker to get around. The walker was mostly for balance. I could walk without it, but very slowly. In fact, my physical therapist told me I was walking so slowly I would not make it across the street before the light changed. In March they put me back on my IVIG treatment, and now I am able to walk again. But the treatment seems to be becoming less effective over time. I hope Phoenix will be ready before I need her. A fully trained service dog costs about $25K.
For several years now we’ve been tracking the growth of cancer in my neck. In June we decided to try to remove it, and I had my second neck dissection. They removed seven cancerous nodes — but even so, my blood work and PET scans still show there is more that hasn’t been eliminated. Fortunately, the cancer is very slow-growing (at the moment). One of my doctors even told me I should simply accept that I have “persistent cancer” — meaning I’ll need to be monitored and occasionally treated for the rest of my life.
Well, as usual, I am hoping that next year will be better than this one.
I want to thank all of you for your support, friendship, prayers, and for being you — my friends.
And as Tiny Tim said, “God bless us, everyone!”
Love,
Odell
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