Everett was able to walk onto the stage to accept the award, and it brought tears to everyone’s ears during a standing ovation. What an awesome moment and testimony to the mantra, “Don’t Give Up.”

My cancer treatments were completely debilitating. I could barely function at all for four months while I underwent intensive radiation therapy. There was no way I could work at all, or even take care of my family. It was horrible to be so sick, helpless, and dependent on others with no real timeline or even hopeful prognosis for a recovery. Thanks to my parents and my grandmother, and the best doctors in the world, I was able to get through those terrible months, but the bills piled up and that was probably the worst financial situation I’ve ever been in and recovering from a serious illness plus recovering from extreme financial distress took a very long time.

For some people in similar or sadly worse situations, all they can do is run up the bills for as long as they can and then try to file for Bankruptcy. I know there have been recent changes to the bankruptcy laws that make it more difficult to file, but I surely hope that honest people who have to face a serious or life threatening illness still have some hope of help with their finances.

I know that if anyone in my family or circle of close friends has to go through what I did, that I will be there at their side to help them through it as much as I possibly can. That’s what family and real friendship is for.

He’s been acting normal and eating regular food and doing everything like he was before he got sick, so that’s good news. Look at him sitting so pretty for me:

I haven’t left him alone all weekend and have watched him like a hawk. So far, so good, thank goodness.

At home he usually falls asleep watching TV and his mom moves him to his bed and leaves his clothes on him, then in the morning he gets a bath in a big hurry because he has to leave for school.

At my house (my rules!) he takes a bath after dinner and puts on pajamas, then he is allowed to watch TV or a movie and then he puts himself to bed. I tuck in the covers and say, “Sleep tight – don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

I was at the vet with one of the puppies for his routine exam and shots, and ended up sharing the waiting room with Leon Russell. He was there with his dog, and we had the chance to chat for a few minutes before he was ushered to one of the treatment rooms. What a nice man!

Leon was born and raised in Oklahoma but he’s been living here for years and keeping a low profile, not doing a lot of shows any more but doing a lot of behind the scenes things, like producing for other artists and some charity concerts. Until chatting with him at the vet’s, I didn’t realize that he has 16 albums out – I just know that one of his songs has been a classic in the DJ gigs I used to do, years ago. He does have an album out now, called “Angel in Disguise,” and I’m going to hunt for that at the store next time I’m buying music.

It is a documentary of the way prison officials in Arkansas and other states allowed the collection of blood from inmates that were infected with contagious diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis. This contaminated blood was then introduced into the nation’s blood supply and thousands of people were infested with HIV and Hepatitis.

The film is by Kelly Duda and well worth watching, because people are still dying as a result of their actions.