Dave Taylor
What I learned from dying: Who was I?
By Dave Taylor I watched a documentary the other day about Val Kilmer, the actor whose career was cut short by throat cancer, and I found myself tearing up after it was over because I identified with his story so much. It didn’t help that I’d just seen him in the sequel to Top Gun,…
Read MoreWhat I learned from dying: Hospitalized again
I’m writing this from a hospital bed… again. It’s a quick and firm reminder that things can change any minute. Just a few days ago I felt so good that I went in to the office for a little bit and I convinced my wife to go to Owensboro just to get out of the…
Read MoreWhat I learned from dying: Resolutions revisited
Now that 2022 is nearly six months old and since my death has been postponed, it’s time to look at the progress I’ve made on my New Year’s resolutions for the year. I made several resolutions and honestly wasn’t sure if I’d get to do much about any of them but I think I’ve done…
Read MoreWhat I learned from dying: No bones about it, cancer stinks
So apparently my bones are being slowly eaten away by cancer. I don’t like it. My most recent CT scan showed that the cancer in my spine, hip and shoulder have all grown and they’re causing me pain in those spots because there are gaps or missing bone in places. But there is good news.…
Read MoreWhat I learned from dying: My obituary
Lately I’ve been hurting all over and it’s gotten me scared that my cancer is growing and spreading. That fear has returned my thoughts to my obituary, which I had planned to write but then got busy living and let it go. How do you sum up your entire life into just a couple hundred…
Read MoreWhat I Learned From Dying: The power of baby steps
Today is my anniversary. This day one year ago was the fateful day that a gastrointerologist said “I’ve found cancer and it’s bad.” I’m quite certain I was supposed to be dead long before now. Now I’m thankful for baby steps and small victories. Today I’ll be taking my 1954 Bug to a restoration shop,…
Read MoreWhat I Learned From Dying: I’m getting nervous
I’m getting nervous. Things have been going very well lately and I’ve sort of forgotten that just two months ago I was told to go on Hospice. I’m getting used to things going well but I wonder if I’m setting myself up for a big, devastating disappointment. I’m scheduled to have another CT scan on…
Read MoreWhat I learned from dying: I’m a married man
Last Saturday I made one of the best and easiest decisions I’ve made in my life when I married my fabulous fiancee Jamie Hunt. I highly recommend finding a fantastic girl and marrying her. We had a simple, laid back ceremony at Hawesville Baptist Church’s gym and even livestreamed it on Facebook, where something like…
Read MoreWhat I Learned From Dying: Now I lose my other dog?
Almost exactly six months after my beloved dog Lech Walesa died, now my other dog Little Face has joined him. To say we were not prepared is quite an understatement. My fiancee Jamie let her out to go to the bathroom Monday while I was in Owensboro running errands. When I got back soon afterward…
Read MoreWhat I Learned From Dying: Pleasantly surprised
Just one month after being told I should go on Hospice, my doctor told me he’s “pleasantly surprised” by my progress. That’s a far cry from when he told me this new chemotherapy was more likely to kill me than the cancer would. My latest CT scan showed that the cancer spots on my liver…
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