November 25, 2001|

Pass the Turkey and Shingles

At first I just thought I was really sore from taking so many naps. Then I started to scratch and itchy zit on my neck. The next thing I know I have a whole row of these itchy zits going from my hand to my ear and a fever of 101. What the heck was going on? Happy Thanksgiving! Ah yes, with a little investigative work and a few family friend nurses on the prowl, we discovered my recent ailment, shingles! http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50895

Like the article says, 13%-15% of Hodgkin’s patients come down with shingles, so it was only a matter of time. My streak of healthiness came to startling halt. I am definitely anti-shingle. They itch like crazy, they are painful and look horrible. I forever indebted to the inventor of the turtleneck sweater. I was able to go to my 5th year high school reunion, and not have anybody see the streak of redness protruding off my neck. The week was hard though. I slept a whole lot, the only relieve from the pain and itching. Today was the first day I didn’t take a 3-hour afternoon nap. So anyway, hopefully this week they will clear up, as the anit-viral medicine kicks in.

Back to New York

The folks, Billy and I are off to New York City early tomorrow morning. I have a PET Scan tomorrow afternoon (no eating or drinking anything for 6 hours beforehand- eek!), an appointment with my doctor and the bone marrow specialist on Tuesday, and Wednesday and Friday 5 hour Rituxin drips. In between those I hope to study for the GMAT and figure out this whole grad school thing. Stuff like this past week’s bout with shingles makes me wonder if I should wait to apply when I am good and healthy. Who knows what could happen after the bone marrow transplant? Who knows if it will work? Ah, the cancer wild card, always making the game of life that much more interesting.

More pictures and news come next week!

November 14, 2001|

So Where You Going to School?

It’s been awhile since I last posted. There are a number of theories, but the reasons are as follows: a. I lost my domain name for a week and couldn’t get into my web site or e-mail, b. Nothing of note has gone on, and c. I have been in applicationland. Yeah, it’s that time of year again when students of all shapes and sizes eagerly open their mailboxes, hoping that it’ll be stuffed with brochures and booklets from their favorite colleges. The same holds for me. I am applying to grad schools for the fall of 2002, more specifically PhD Programs in Organizational Behavior/Management. I have been scouring the web and these brochures, deciding what school is best for me. I have also been writing essays, studying for the GMAT and updating my resume, no small task. It’s all about action verbs. I’ll give you more details about what schools and the application process in later postings.

The Benefit Deux

Some of you will be interested to know that it appears that we will have another benefit dinner (which you can read about in my late January and early February postings)- only this time not for me. The foundation of the Art Canning Foundation have been put in place and the wheels are in motion. While I don’t want to prematurely write anything about the foundation, I do want to get word out, so that if you are interested in helping get this foundation and dinner off the ground, we can get you on board.

Here’s the premise. There are a LOT of incidental expenses that come when you get sick. Any illness. I was fortunate to have this past benefit dinner to help pay those expenses. Many don’t, especially in Youngstown, especially students in the Youngstown City Schools. So if we can carry on the momentum of the previous benefit, and help someone else, let’s do it. While I am not thrilled about using my name as the title for the foundation, if it brings more people out, I will do it. So if you are interested in helping with the foundation, contributing in anyway, pop me an e-mail. This looks to be the start of something amazing.

1 Part Water, 2 Parts Chemical

Tomorrow I am back on the road, sans headphones (see previous posting), to Philly and New York. Quick conference, quick wedding. Next week, Thanksgiving in Ohio, the day after- 5th year high school reunion. The next week, back in New York for the entire week. I am getting chemo on like two days, 5 hours each. New drug- rituxin. No side effects. Cool. After that I disappear. I reappear December 13, the day after the GMATs. (If I do one more math problem I am going to explode.)

Make sure to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Youngstown Connection will be on again. Look for them to start off the show with the group America Sings. They will be the kids in the front.

Make sure to e-mail me if you want to help with the Art Canning Foundation! You don’t have to be local to help!

Have a happy Thanksgiving, let the Christmas season begin!

November 7, 2001|

Back Up!

I am sure you are wondering what happened to the site that past couple days. I was wondering the same thing. I spent days harrassing my web and domain provider, with no answer. Finally, Patrick figured it out. I hadn’t renewed my address. Hypothetically speaking, anyone could have registered www.artcanning.com these past three days and went bonzonkers. We were fortunate no one else caught the lapse. 🙂 www.artschmanning.com is still available for those who want to go bonzonkers, by they way.

So anyway, yeah, I let my domain name lapse. art = meathead.

If you tried to e-mail me in the past few days, and it bounced back to you, just resend it now, it will work. It should work. My apologies, it won’t happen again, at least not until 2004. 🙂