First we had to go to QTC for my medical exams, as I explained in the last post. We got there only to find they had been cancelled. I almost went Postal on’em. Kat pretty near had to jump on me and hold me down. This was after initially trying to get them changed, being told ‘no way’ and leaving Mission early, and driving 400 miles to make the appointments. So I was pissed, but I won’t belabor the point. They got me in the same day and completed both of my exams and we were done 4 days early. So it worked out.
OK! I am told by my ‘faithful reader’ that she is kind of in the dark about all this VA medical stuff. And I guess I have to admit that I’ve kinda’ been ‘tap dancing’ around the issue. As they say, ‘my bad’! So here is the deal. My prostate cancer has returned in the form of a metastasized tumor near the prostate and spread some to the surrounding area. The initial prognosis was grim ( as in Grim Reaper) and scary but it is looking much better. I am being treated in San Antonio at Audie Murphy hospital. AND, the treatment is so far successful. My tumor has decreased in size from last October to now. That is due to the estrogen hormone therapy that I’m on. I have a ureter stent to unblock my kidney and bladder caused by the tumor. We’re here in San Antonio to have all that checked. I got my second hormone shot (every six months) and now go in for the stent replacement or removal. The decrease in size of the tumor may allow that this time. Cool!! That will be on the 19th and 26th of this month. At this point I don’t have any symptoms. I feel good since the stent relieved my kidney problem. I do have those damn Hot Flashes though, but I get no sympathy from Kat and the women I know. LOL.
But first I have to finish Houston where we had to go to get compensation and medical exams for VA benefits. My VA regional office is Houston because of our address so we go there for VA benefit issues, prostate cancer being an Agent Orange (from Vietnam) presumptive disease.
I guess I’m jumping around a bit here. But back in Houston where basketballs were everywhere.
I wrote this recently in an email…… Went into Houston today to the Galleria.Mall. It is supposed to be the second biggest in the country next to the Mall of America in MN. I don't know how they rate those things but this one is big.
But I can't believe they don't add a store or two so it would be real Texas and the biggest? I think Kentucky won my unofficial "Most T-Shirts" contest at the Mall. It's Final Four week and lot's of fans were out. VCU was in the lead for most of the day but then there was a late surge by KY and they won going away. Butler was third with UConn dead last, barely avoiding a shut out. But then they were all probably getting ready for the game with Butler. We ate at the Rain Forest Cafe. 
I splurged and had my traditional burger. Pretty good but kind of expensive compared to what we're use to. I can usually get a pretty good Cheese or Bacon burger in South Texas for about $5. That's with a water. Cheap! Here it was $10………….. Time to fix a hot dog for dinner. My kind of living burgers and hot dogs.
That was a few days ago. Then we drove out west of Houston to check out a couple of smokehouses and their barbecue. This seems to be one of the barbecue centers of the country. I know Memphis is another and there is one in the Carolina’s maybe. Anyway we see lots in the Texas Hill Country area. So we were curious. After about 40 miles of looking we picked Hinez (I think it was) and ate there. Real good! You could kind of tell by the looks of the joint. It was! A joint I mean. Right down to the two large Pin Oaks growing through the roof. No kidding! But I can’t speak much to the winner of Barbecue Capital of the US. I think it depends on the establishment more than the local. The Commissary in Memphis would be hard to beat. But so would ‘492’ in Mission????
Then it was on to San Antonio. We skipped the Space Center. Been to Cape Canaveral.
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