Rocco Maiolo's Ramblings and Musings

So here’s a brief health update. First of all, physically, I’ve been feeling good even though I’d been neutropenic for the better part of the last two years. I think the math goes something like this: my neutrophil count did a slow decline from normal when I started chemo in June 2014 until I was finished in November 2014. Sometime during my maintenance treatments -- February 2015 until December 2015, my count hit an all time low of 0.0 (normal range is 2.5 - 6.0). Plain English of above: not to over-dramatize, but I was in constant danger of infection because white blood cells, when working properly, help fight off infection. Getting an infection/fever could land me hospitalized -- if not dealt with quickly and efficiently the result could’ve been sepsis and death. Last August 2015, I ended up with an infection/fever and was hospitalized in Kincardine, Ontario while on vacation. Fortunately, I received immediately intravenous antibiotics and lived to tell the tale. Long s

... but only better :)

True Religion vs Tribal Religion Last night on CBC news, a very impassioned journalist editorialized regarding Trump’s win and blamed the American bible belt. She said she was shocked that evangelical Christians obviously voted for Trump, a man who has proven to be racist, sexist, xenophobic, 3X divorced, allegedly abusive to women and the list goes on. She went on to say that America’s version of Christianity is a farce. This morning someone I know posted on Facebook that a win for Donald Trump is a victory for Jesus. I can’t totally agree with the first assessment above. Things are way more complex than that. And I certainly can’t agree with the second statement. When I was a kid I always wondered what adults meant when they said stuff like “religion and politics don’t mix.” And “there should be no talk of religion or politics at the dinner table.” Now I get it. I can see how this could totally separate friends and families. I see evidence of this as I track with Fac