Update about Barbara's surgery

Thank you to all of you who have been contributing your prayers, treatments, positive intentions, visualizations, healing energy, and/or positive thoughts about my friend Barbara Gentlemoon, her surgeon, and all medical personnel involved in her treatment.

Barbara’s surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24th. It will last at least 5 hours. Reminding you … it is high-risk surgery because the tumor is very near her aorta and because the major vein and artery for her left arm and one of the nerves to her vocal chords are involved.

Also reminding you … If you’d like to post a prayer on a Beliefnet Prayer Circle that I’ve created for Barbara, go to http://www.Beliefnet.com/rd.asp?milestoneTypeID=6&q=74322. I know that she looks at it; she’s told me so. And she’s excited and grateful for the number of people who have sent or posted prayers – many of whom she doesn’t even know.

Here’s a small part of Barbara’s most recent e-mail:

“Just this week we were told that my latest brain scan and PET scan are all clear. The cancer hasn't spread! Woo-hoo! That cleared me for surgery. Yesterday we met with the surgeon and his staff at UW in Seattle.

“I am so eager to get on with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“My surgeon is absolutely the most awesome person - immediately upon meeting him you'd just instinctively trust him with your life (which I'm doing....). This is his specialty - and absolutely everyone says he's the best. I believe so.

“I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Please keep your prayers coming.... they're working... we're on the home stretch now!!

“And thank you forever and ever for riding this one out with me. Your Being in my life matters more than you will ever know.

“Love (HUGE),

“Barbara”

I have faith that through the power of God and the power of all the prayers, intentions, and visualizations of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of people who are supporting Barbara, all will be well and that the perfect outcome will be made manifest. I see Barbara healthy, happy, loving, enthusiastic, and free (as she usually is), totally free of all dis-ease in her body and mind. The light of God surrounds her. The love of God enfolds her. The power of God protects her. The presence of God watches over her. Wherever Barbara is, God is, and all is well. And so it is. Amen.

I add my love and gratitude to hers.

Michael Dickerson Deluno

The neurologist says

OK, here’s the report. The neurologist is going to go over my MRIs more carefully with another doctor, and on first look, there’s no reason for me to think I might have a tumor or M.S. Apparently I do have Trigeminal Neuralgia. He said the symptoms I reported are the common ones. He and his colleague are going to try to find where it is in my brain when they look at the MRI films.

He was very positive about it and thinks we can take care of it. I like that about him. We’re going to see if the meds will take continue to prevent the pain. If not, and if my life continues to be as disrupted by the TN as it has been, he recommends Gamma Knife Surgery. That’s a process using a laser of radiation to do some kind of brain surgery to solve the problem. It’s also the procedure that Antoinette found mentioned in the newspaper. She cut out the ad and gave it to me. His opinion is that the other type of surgery (MVD) is out of date.

I also discussed side effects of Neurontin with him. The depression is lifting, and my feet aren’t as swollen as they were a couple of weeks ago. So, he isn’t concerned about them at this point (nor am I).

He prescribed more Neurontin for me, and I made another appointment for a month from now. We’ll see how things are then.

So, none of the possibilities I was concerned about appears to be true, and I seem to be going into another period of quiescence with the TN like I did during this past summer.

I choose to imagine the best for the future.

Namaste,
Michael

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How to raise money

As I wait to learn the results of my MRI, I need your help solving a problem. I have faith that many people focusing at least a little attention on this will make a difference.

I'm in a financial crisis. Because of my ill health I was only able to work about half of the past 14 months. I have no medical or dental insurance and put a significant portion of what I made into medical, dental, and medication expenses.

I need to raise about $1000 to cover immediate expenses. Among them is that my rent for January is late.

So, the problem is … how can I do that? Do you have any ideas for me of how I can raise $1000 ASAP? Consider this a brainstorming exercise. That means that all suggestions are acceptable, and I won’t use all of them. But now isn’t the time to talk about how I got into this situation or what to do about it long run. For right now I just need suggestions for the immediate problem. I'll listen to the other stuff later.

Here’s what I'm already doing: I'm already praying and using the Law of Attraction. I'm preparing to sell anything of value that I can live without. (I'll post it all online at http://forsaleinsantafe.blogspot.com if you’d like to take a look. It will take me some time to get it all posted.) I’ve already cut as many expenses as I possibly can. I'm preparing to offer special offers on my work for anyone who will pay for it in advance. (That will also be posted online – sites to be announced.)

Here’s what I know isn’t an option: I can’t get bank or other financial institution loans. Unpaid medical expenses have ruined my credit, and I have nothing to use for collateral.

I know that everything will be OK longer term. I’ve already begun working on plans for getting my real work going much more than before. I’ve been going to casting calls for movies. And I'm also applying to substitute teach in a different school district that pays more than the Santa Fe Public Schools do. As a back-up, I’ve also requested the forms to apply for disability if my trigeminal neuralgia continues to prevent me from working.

I have absolute faith that the right and perfect solution to this difficulty will appear somehow in some way for the highest benefit of everyone concerned. I accept it, and I allow it in. I feel the flow of all abundance coming to me from every direction.

Namaste,
Michael

Ask me anything!

What would you like to know about me?

I'm inviting you to ask me any 5 (or fewer) questions about myself, no matter how personal, impersonal, revealing, obvious, profound, or trivial, and I guarantee you that I'll answer them truthfully. If I'm willing to post the answers for everyone to see, I will. If not, I'll send the answers to you personally.

Please restrict the questions to things about me – facts about me or my opinions. Please no questions like “what is quantum physics?” or “who was the 14th President?” Those aren’t about me. Also, I won’t violate anyone else’s confidentiality, so I won’t tell you anything personal about anyone else by name.

If you want to keep your questions confidential, send them to me at ohanamd@earthlink.net, and I won’t reveal who asked them, though I may post the questions anonymously.

Want to see what others would like to know about you? Repost this (or your own edit of it) in your own blog and/or send it to all of your friends. You may be surprised at what people want to know – even, perhaps, your closest friends.

Taking a deep breath,
Michael

My life path number

Your Life Path Number is 11

Your purpose in life is to inspire others Your amazing energy draws people to you, and you give them great insight in return. You hold a great amount of power over others, without even trying. You have the makings of an inventor, artist, religious leader, or prophet. In love, you are sensitive and passionate. You connect with your partner on a very deep level. You have great abilities, but you are often way too critical of yourself. You don't fit in - and instead of celebrating your differences, you dwell on them. You have high expectations of yourself. But sometimes you set them too high and don't achieve anything.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

I find this interesting because I've had a fascination with the number 11 for quite a while.

More about my brain scan

I’ve received some feedback about MRIs that helps me put things into perspective. Despite what the tech told me, other people have said that the length of my MRI was about the same as the ones they’ve had. So, maybe mine wasn’t really any more extensive than usual.

Barbara assured me that they really do take all kinds of tests to rule out things and said she’s had lots of those tests just to rule things out.

She’s also pretty spiritually intuitive. She said that she thinks all of my medical problems are temporary and related to lessons. My guidance tells me the same thing.

Sigh. Now I just need to get my mind to shut up with the disasterizing. Turn again, Michael. Keep turning to the positive. It reminds me of what Stephen Levine has said about meditation – that everyone’s mind wanders and that the real value is in learning to return to the breath (or whatever the focus for the meditation is) sooner and more easily.

An online friend suggested that maybe the noise of the MRI made me tired and compared it to being at a loud party. When I leave, she reminded me, I’m drained partly because it was a lot of sensory stimulation. Yes, as an introvert and as a Highly Sensitive Person, that makes a lot of sense.

It has also occurred to me that the stress of the waiting and the actual procedure could have tired me. Yes, I think both of those – noise and stress – are contributing factors.

Now I need to just keep myself from stressing about it until Wednesday. What’s something happy and calming that I can turn my mind to? I wish I had a CD of the best hippie music of the late ‘60s. What else? I don’t have a romantic partner to put my attention into. That really helped when I was with Antoinette. What are other good ideas of happy, calming things to think about? I'm open to suggestions.

Peace and relaxation to all of us,
Michael

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Tribute to MLK

A tribute on his birthday to

~*~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.~*~


“We must learn to live together as brothers

or perish together as fools.

Hatred paralyzes life;

love releases it.

Hatred confuses life;

love harmonizes it.

Hatred darkens life;

love illuminates it.”

“I have a dream …”

Your dream is still alive.