My Cancer Journey - The Next Steps

 

On August 5, 2023, I woke up at home for the first time in ten days. It was lovely not to be awakened to have my vital taken or my roommate buzz for the nurse at O’dark early. 

The most significant adjustment was feeding myself through the tube. However, even that was becoming a habit, even though it had only been a few days since I used it. I worked out a schedule to do three feedings a day.

I was also looking forward to the upcoming oncologist appointment. I had roughly figured out his fist moves, chemo port and a PET scan. These were two steps that Valerie had done before her first actual chemo treatment. I spent the remainder of the weekend resting and getting some of my strength back. Having not eaten much since mid-July, my strength and energy level were at an all-time low. My weight was also below what I had been in high school. I bottomed out at 158 pounds, which was down from 240 pounds. 

On Monday, we went to see my oncologist, and it was refreshing to see the old faces of him and his nurse. Not only were those two there, but his old PA had also returned to the practice. I hoped I would never have to see any of them again, but having them for my healthcare team meant a great deal. 

When the doctor came in, he was pretty blunt. Being stage four in cancer is terminal. There is no cure since the cancer has moved from its original location to a secondary location. He outlined the suggested treatment: chemo with immune therapy every two weeks. Yes, doing treatment was totally up to me. But he told me without treatment, I had a few months. But with it, I was looking at years. I told Valerie I would see Lexi make it through high school, so yes, I was doing treatment. Not doing treatment was never part of the equation.

I was told the next steps would be a chemo port and a PET scan. The PET scan looks at the body on a cellular level. It uses a radioactive tracer to view every place cancer could be. The CT I had gave a rough overview of where the cancer was. I spoke to the doctor about possibly going back to work. Again, he was rather blunt and honest. He told me the cold, hard truth: I would be in treatment for the foreseeable future, and it would be best for me to apply for disability.

Honestly, I was not expecting to be told some of the things I was on my first visit, but at the same time, it made my resolve far more resolute. 

On August 10th I had my chemo port implanted. This was an odd procedure since I was awake the entire time. My chest was numb, and I was in a very dazed state. One of the drugs they gave me was fentanyl. Yes, you read that right. I joked with the PA when he told me about that. He laughed and assured me they didn’t “buy it on the corner.”

As I was lying on the table to have the port put, the nurse covered my face with a towel. I could feel the pressure on my skin as they cut into it. Then I could feel tugging as they put the port in and fed the small tube under my skin to the vein in my neck. Yeah, it was a little strange feeling. Things went quickly, and I was back in the car riding home before too long. 

Back home, it was time to rest and let the pain from the waning anesthetic come. I called my mom and texted my sister, letting them know I was doing well. The time for my first chemo appointment was coming quickly, Monday, August 14th. Little did I know that I was also around 24 hours from having my life thrown into a major loop.

My Cancer Journey - The 9 Days

July 27th, 2023, began like many other days for me. I woke up and went to work. I knew I had cancer and planned to let my co-workers know that morning. I was having issues swallowing water that morning and had told Valerie I would probably leave at lunchtime so we could head to the ER. 

I informed both the Engineering Manager and Director of Engineering about my diagnosis. They then let everyone know we had a quick meeting. This was when I let them all know what was happening. I did not know much about what would happen since I had just found out the day before. 

My original plan was to undergo treatment and still work. I did get choked up a couple of times while telling them. I finally contacted my gastro doctor, who emphasized the need for me to get to the ER. So, I left at lunch and drove home. Valerie and I then headed to Gainesville for the ER. That particular hospital is the best one in our area. They are cardiac specialists and have a clinic for the cancer center at North Side Hospital. I knew I was in good hands. 

When we arrived, there was a short wait before I was taken back so the testing could begin. Of course, plenty of blood was taken, and then a CT was taken. While waiting for results and to be admitted, we sat in our little cubicle, observing the people around us. 

Now, this following exchange was a double slam. This doctor, whom I had not seen, walks over to us. He makes sure who I am and, in a rather shitty manner, tells me I have stage four cancer. This was the first time we had heard about it spreading to my liver. His demeanor was just as shitty as his delivery. Then he walks away, leaving us to reflect on his crappy delivery. Later, the doctor who had seen me came over to tell me the news. He was far better with his delivery. The following day, after I had been admitted, the house Doctor came by to tell me again. She had the nurses leave the room and sat on the bed to tell me. She handled things well and was unhappy when I told her about the first guy. 

Not much happened during my nine-day stay in the hospital other than waiting. I did have a feeding tube inserted into my stomach and was started on my liquid nutrition. Most of my time was spent watching TV and getting blood drawn. My blood sugar was a constant issue since the IV fluids I was also on were dextrose-based. 

Getting the feeding tube was a little strange. They took me down to the interventional radiology group. They use a live X-ray to guide them in what they are doing. I had a tube inserted into my stomach through my nose. This was used to inflate my stomach. I was very much awake during the whole procedure but was feeling very dopy, so I didn’t care what was happening. A larger needle was then poked through my belly into my stomach. The feeding tube was inserted, and two stitches were used to hold it in place. 

While I was gone, my sister-in-law Judy showed up. She and my brother live about 30 minutes from the hospital. My brother was in Alaska doing a summer job driving a bus for a resort. He does that since he is retired. Judy is a nurse, and it was very nice to have her come over. I would have to wait twelve hours before the liquid nutrition would go through the feeding tube.

Later that night, my stomach began to wake up and started moving. The tube, being new, was a source of some intense pain. That pain was brief but intense while things were starting to return to normal. When it was time to start the nutritional liquid, I made my nurse laugh. He was hooking up a large liter bottle of the liquid through the IV pump. I looked at the bottle and said, “I’m not a fan of chocolate. Is there another flavor?”

He paused momentarily, then started to laugh, and so did I. Laughing was a little painful due to the tube. He had a big smile and said, “That’s a great attitude.” Humor and mental sharpness are essential at all times. 

Now, to some of the business side of all of this. Cancer is expensive to treat. I have access to the VA medical, but there are specific rules to follow when using their system. I am lucky, in this instance, because I live outside the limit that would force me to either do treatment in Atlanta or Ashville, NC. But, to get to use a doctor of my choice typically requires a request ahead of time. I was going to go through the process backward. 

I called the VA and let them know what was happening. Since I am already seeing a therapist for depression and PTSD, the VA knew I was eligible for community care. That is the care outside the VA. I also made an appointment with an oncologist who practiced with Dr. Kallab. He is the doctor who saved Valerie when she had breast cancer, so I wanted him. I was assured by the lady in Atlanta they would get me set up for community care for the cancer treatments. 

As many people can imagine, the VA typically can drag its feet. I know some veterans who have waited long to be seen, so I was worried. But, two days after I called them, I got a call from a nurse at the oncologist. She was the same nurse he had in 2007 and remembered me. She told me I would see him and set up an appointment. She also told me the VA had been in contact with them. Later that day, I was called by the VA and told I was approved for community care for one year for the treatments. Two days!!!! Two freaking days to get me to see who I wanted. Talk about a massive emotional boost. 

Then, the other boot dropped with the VA; ordering my nutrition fluids took them a little longer. That delay kept me in the hospital for a few extra days since I could not go home until I had supplies there.

Eventually, I was taken off IV fluids and started to do my feedings through the tube using a large syringe. I was in the hospital from July 26th to August 4th. I had been through an emotional wringer since finding out I had cancer. I was now a person with stage four cancer and needed a feeding tube to meet my nutritional needs. August 7th was my initial appointment with my oncologist. I was both excited and scared to see him. I knew treatment was going to be my only hope. But, I had confidence in him and his team. 

All the while I was in the hospital my mom kept calling me. I had called her and told her about my diagnosis when I found out on July 25th. That was a hard call to make. Some things are hard to do over a phone call, but I had to do it since she lived in Illinois. When I found out I had stage four cancer, I wanted to tell her in person. So, I was making plans to do that. 

When I went home, my mother-in-law was hesitant to cook. She made supper for us every night and always had cookies or other treats. She loved cooking and was worried it would bother me to smell the food. Before I started on the liquid supplement, smelling food made me hungry. I was starving myself before the tube was inserted. But, afterward, food didn’t bother me nearly as much. Yes, I did miss eating and wasn’t sure if I would ever get to eat again. I spent the weekend resting and getting my mental state focused on the coming fight. I will go into more detail in the next part. But let me say this: my plans went to hell after my first conversation with my oncologist. 

In the immortal words of John Paul Jones, 

“I have not yet begun to fight!”

 

My Cancer Journey - The Beginning

July 26th 2023, is the day I heard you have cancer. I have been thinking about writing down my thoughts and feelings about my journey for a while. I am not sure what I will get written, but I will do it. This will end up being a multi-part sort of post. 

Going back almost a year to July of 2022, I noticed I was starting to lose weight. At the same time, I also began to see and be treated for my diabetes by the VA. I attributed this weight loss to the medication I was taking at the time. I also noticed that I couldn’t eat as much as I previously could. Again, I put that as a side effect of the medication I was taking. Was that the case? Were those both side effects from medication, or was it the cancer starting to grow?

I need to rewind a few years to a trip I had taken to my mother-in-law's house in Panama City. She made some fantastic steaks for dinner, and I eagerly enjoyed mine. I was so eager that I cut off a piece too large and did not chew it properly. The steak became stuck in my esophagus, so Valerie took me to the emergency room. The doctor who removed it stated he thought I had Barrett’s Esophagus. This was later confirmed and treated. I was also told I had a Hiatal hernia.

Now, jumping back to the present, in late 2022, I noticed I was having an issue swallowing food. I thought this was the Hiatal hernia acting up again. So, I made sure to chew my food well and also take smaller bits. I was also losing weight slowly. 

From January until early May, I lost weight and was still having issues swallowing. Early in May, I actually had part of a grilled cheese get stuck and not allow me to swallow anything. I went to the emergency room, and eventually, the blockage broke loose. I made an appointment with a doctor to get things looked at. However, the doctor canceled the appointment a couple of days before that appointment. They claimed there wasn’t anything the doctor could do for me. I tried to get another appointment with a doctor I had seen before. I explained what was happening, and they made an appointment for me in three weeks. 

I had an upcoming appointment with the VA and made another appointment with a gastro doctor. But these weren’t until late in July, early June. I was not able to eat much at all at this time. I was still able to drink whatever I wanted, but eating was getting worse. I also started to drop weight faster at this time. 

I admit I was slow to react to my initial problems, and hindsight proves me correct. Would my cancer have become so bad had I gotten help sooner? Who knows. Had I gotten help sooner, I might not have gotten to see the oncologist I have now. So, I will not beat myself up for my lack of urgency. 

I finally got to a gastro doctor on July 25th, who scheduled me for an endoscope on July 26th. I could not eat or drink after midnight, and the procedure was scheduled for the afternoon. Needless to say, I was a little dehydrated when I finally was being prepped for the procedure. The endo was done, and while waiting for the doctor to give me a run down, I was upbeat that he had done something to allow me to swallow. 

Well, that wasn’t the case. The doctor came in with a somber face and told me that I had cancer. We discussed the next step, and I told him I would only see a specific oncologist. This was the same doctor who had treated Valerie’s cancer back in 2007. I was happy to hear that was the doctor I would get a referral to. I was also told there was a blockage still, and if I couldn’t drink water the next day, I would have to go to the emergency room. A slight shock: I had to go to the emergency room the next day, July 27th.

While there, I had a CT scan and some other tests. After the CT, I was given some shocking news: I had stage 4 cancer. The cancer had spread to my liver, and there was a small tumor near my belly button. Talk about getting a significant gut punch. This emergency room visit led to a nine-day stay in the hospital. 

Needless to say, my emotional state when I was wheeled to my room the night of the 27th was beyond words. Getting a cancer diagnosis is bad, but being told you have stage four cancer is the worst. 

Not only had my world been turned upside down, but so had my families. Believe it or not, things were about to get far worse for me and my family. I will talk about all that as I go forward. 

But, know this!!!!! Valerie asked me early on where my mind was. She wanted to know if I was going to fight. My reply was direct and honest. I said, “Fuck yes, I’m going to fight.”

 

The Journey - Part Four - Settling In

 

Breakfast was certainly interesting. I took way too much to eat and couldn’t finish it. We all pretty much just followed the crowd when it was time to leave. I am also pretty sure they did not give us our full-time to eat.

Before I left the galley, some recruit screamed at me. I had no clue what I had done. It turns out I stepped on the brightwork. I looked at him and asked him what the fuck brightwork was. Well, that made things worse. So, I wiped my supposed footprint off his shiny brass. Our company formed up outside the galley, it took a while for everyone to show up. But, once we did it was time to head out again. 

The next stop, haircuts. My hair had always been thin, but I had never had it clean shaved before. I doubt any of us had. We stood there waiting to go inside as our CCs walked around talking about shoes. We were able to wear tennis shoes for some of our time in boot camp. PT was one time and our initial couple days matching was another. A couple guys had their shoes pointed out as too flashy. I had bought a new pair just for boot camp. But, I was smart; I got plain white Nike cross-trainers.

A few of the new recruits had long hair. I spent most of the morning talking to one particular sailor who had hair down to his butt. After he had it shaved, I didn’t recognize him at all. When we were all getting done with our hair cuts, the sun started to creep into the sky. It turned the sort of cool, humid morning into one hot day. We made our way back to RIF and started getting our clothes.

RIF was a term that was not popular. We were talked down to by the senior companies. And in reality, pretty much every company out of P-days would give us grief. Our uniforms stunk, we marched differently, and we pretty much didn’t have a clue what in the hell we were doing. When our company started to get some seniority, we hassled the RIFs too. 

Talk about one long borning event. Stand around get new clothes. Learn to stencil your name in the right spot with the proper color stencil pen. We also were given a box to mail our clothes home. If it didn’t fit, it went into the garbage. Oddly a few guys couldn’t fit it all in.

Also, the order to wear our Navy-supplied swim trunks made sense now. We had to walk around in them while getting out new clothes. Slowly our gear began to reflect Navy attire. By lunchtime, we were all clad in stinky stiff dungarees. Back into the RIF formation and off to eat. This time we were greeted by sniffing noises. Yeah, we smelled like mothballs. At that time, I knew that the sooner we started training, the better we would be.

Back to RIF for clothes, and as the afternoon drug on, we loaded up our sea bags and matched over to Division 4. We were to spend the next 8 weeks on the ground floor of the north wing facing the main sidewalks.

We were not assigned our racks yet; that happened the next day. Our first night was pretty uneventful. I did somehow manage to scratch my right eye on the pillow’s zipper. So, that led to medical a few days later.

We were set of P-days now. This time was spent learning how to fold clothes. How to make our racks. How to clean our compartment. How to march. And most importantly, how to shut up and listen.

C077 was just getting started.

Since I originally shared my experiences, I have found the letters I wrote to my family. I have also spoken to several others RTC Orlando veterans and pieced together a better picture of what happened. I will be looking at those aspects of our time there over the coming weeks. Remember, I am talking about what happened in 1990; your experience will be different. 

The Journey - Part Three - To Orlando

 

On February 20, 1990, I woke up in a totally civilian world for the final time. I had to be at the recruiter’s office mid-afternoon for the final steps before being sent into Chicago. I was at my parent’s house in Lindenwood, and we planned on a big lunch at Red Lobster. I called my fiancee one final time before we left to say my goodbyes to a few family friends in town. 

Lunch was just my mom and me. I made sure to really pack it in since I wasn’t totally sure when my next meal would happen. We had a couple of final things to wrap up at the recruiter’s office, and then he took us to the bus. One other guy was riding along to O’Hare with me. Once we were there, we had to take another bus to MEPS. My recruiter did not explain much of what would happen once we were at MEPS again. I thought we would be put on a plane to Orlando that night. But, instead, we got on a bus and went to the hotel in Des Plains again.

This time the marines there treated us a little harsher. They did not really tolerate our sloppy replies to their orders. It was a rather eye-opening experience since the next day would get totally real for us all. As we left the bus, I lost track of the other guy from Rockford. He was going to Great Lakes and then to SK school. We were all given rooms and told when it was time to eat. We were also told when we would be woken up the following day. One other piece of advice, get some sleep since tomorrow promised to be a very long day.

Not sure how I swung it, but I got a single room. Most people had to pair up. While at dinner, I sat with a guy going back into the Army. We spoke about his prior service and our plans for our respective services. A little later, he and I found the bar in the hotel. We enjoyed a beer when one of the Marines barged in and started giving us a hard time. Since most of the people there that night were minors, he thought we were too. After showing him our IDs, he sat down and had a beer with us.

His attitude slacked up considerably during that 15-20 minute talk. He reminded us not to get drunk since tomorrow would be a very long day. He even let us in on a secret; they would be getting us earlier than they initially told us. Sort of a welcome to the military they do to everyone.

After the Marine left, we had a couple more beers and then found our way to the game room. It was jammed with people just having one last night of fun. Some were dancing, some got in final smokes, and some were trying to score one last time. Myself, I played some pool won $10. I then went to my room pretty early, around 9:00 PM. My room was close to the game room, and the noise stayed pretty constant. Lucky for me, I can typically fall asleep even with the noise. Around 1:00 AM, the Marines broke up the remaining crowd.

At 5:00 AM, there was a pounding on my door. The Marine from last night was correct. It was earlier than the 0600 we had been told. I was up, showered, and eating before most of the others. Many did not eat since they did not get up on time. We were on the bus to MEPS at 0600.

At MEPS, we basically sat around until after lunchtime. Then we were all jammed into one large room. Groups of names were called out, and one person was given a packet of papers for the group. Each group was assigned when their transportation would take them to O’Hare.

One guy, Paul, and I were going to Orlando. We finally made our way to O’Hare by midafternoon. Our flight wasn’t until maybe 9:00 PM, so we had plenty of time to wait. A few groups from MEPS passed us going to their flights. I bought us a couple rounds of beers, and we ate while waiting.

As the time drew closer, I began more excited and more scared. The flight down went smoothly. After we landed, we sort of blindly looked around the airport until we saw another group of confused people. Eventually, we found the bus and made our way to the base. Excitement built as we passed the guardhouse.

We stopped at the RIF building and stood in a hallway, waiting to begin our next steps. I recall it was a humid night. A Chaplin came down the hallway and spoke to each of us. He spent more time with some since he noticed they looked scared.

Finally, we made our way into a large room, where we started filling out some paperwork. Men on one side, women on the other. There was a blackboard with our company numbers, C077 and K051. That is who we would be for the next eight weeks.

Our bags were searched for another “illegal,” we were given orders to shower, shave, and get in a rack. I had a mustache, so that had to come off. Most of what happened that night is a blur. It was already after midnight, and I was pretty tired. The room with all the racks was already dark, so finding an empty one was difficult. But, we all finally did find one.
Oh yes, sleep. It felt oh so amazing. You all know what is coming next, don’t you, the trash can.

Not sure if they just banged on it or tossed it into the compartment, but it did the trick. All of us jumped and made it to the “line.” In the middle of the room paced one of our Company Commanders. He introduced himself and the other CC. Chief Engley, who is a member here, then went on to introduce Petty Officer First Class Adams. Now, I admit I was totally disoriented and confused, but I seriously thought he meant me. Why not? After all, my last name is Adams. So, sure he had to mean me.

I nearly took a step forward when the actual Petty Officer Adams walked past me. That was close to my first be mess up. After some fine words of encouragement, we stumbled outside into the dark morning. Humidity hung in the air, and totally foreign sounds filled my ears. It was the sounds of recruits heading to the galley. Their cadences filled the air in a melody I had never heard or imagined before.

All of the new people marched to the galley in RIF formation, 5 wide and with a monotonous left/right cadence being called. We still had long hair and were in civilian clothes. Oh my, this was going to be interesting. I’ll wrap up that first day tomorrow. 

The Journey - Part Two - MEPS Enlisting

 There are two different times when you go to MEPS. First, get your physical and take the ASVAB. The second time when you actually leave for boot camp. The first time I really had no clue what was going on. The recruiter drove me there and left me with a bus ticket to get back to Rockford. He told me to do my best on the test and pick the job I wanted.

So, I go with my bag to sit down and take the ASVAB inside. I have no idea how many are sitting in this massive room. But, there is a mixture of every sort of person you can imagine in there. We take the test and then get herded onto busses to ride to some second-rate motel in Des Plains. This place was probably only kept open because the military used it to stay.

If I recall, the military people watching us were all Marines. Since none of us were actually in the military, they were pretty easy on us. It was getting late, so we got rooms and were down for the night. I have no idea how I got lucky, but I didn’t have a roommate. Up early the following day for breakfast before heading back over to get our test results and physicals.

It seemed as if some people went to take the physical, and some reviewed their test results with their various branches. I went to the physical part. I never imagined they could look at you to ensure you were fit for the military in so many ways.

The building we were in was pretty old. I would guess it dated back to WWII. We sat down and filled out some more paperwork, then stipped down to our tighty whities. Then it was into a series of rooms to get poked and prodded. Then came the turn your head and cough time. The room was full of young guys all in their underwear. You could tell some weren’t comfortable walking around like that. And probably many of them were those kinds of people who hated taking a shower after PE in high school. 

This old black doctor walks to the front of the room and tells us how we will go through this next portion. He points to the back of the room, telling us, you will go behind the curtains one at a time. Drop your underwear to your ankles and follow the doctor’s orders. I was standing in the back right next to one of the curtains. So, I get to go first. Not that that bothered me, I was starting to get hungry and just wanted to get done.

They tell us to start, so I step behind the curtain to face this short old Asian lady. Since she is a doctor, I figure she has seen it all before, so I drop them. She takes hold of me, and we do the coughing. She writes done something. Looks me over again and tells me to pull up my shorts. I can only imagine some of those green-looking kids when they had to drop their shorts in front of a woman. 

Funny side note, I talked to another sailor, and he mentioned this old Asian lady who felt him up at MEPS. Turns out it was the same lady, and this guy went through a little later than I did in 1990.

After being cleared medically, it was now time to take the Nuke test. One other guy and I took it that day. He was actually an engineering student in college. I seriously have no idea how I passed, but I did. That test was a bear, but I not only passed it, but I also passed it 5 points higher than I needed. That was probably the hardest test I had ever taken. I had been out of school for close to three years and hadn't used any of the math I'd learned in all of that time. So, when it was time for the math part, I sort of froze. I did my best. 

Not only was there math, but also a good deal of questions on nuclear physics. What in the hell did I know about that? Sure, some of the questions guide you to the correct answer, but damn, it wasn't easy.

By this time, I was really getting hungry. Lunch was almost over, so the Navy group had some E4 take me down to eat. Before I left, I was told, don’t talk to anyone. After getting my food and sitting, the E4 tells me he must use the bathroom. And before he leaves, he reminds me not to talk to anyone.

No sooner does he leave than an Airforce person sits next to me. He starts talking, and the conversation goes something like this.

“So, which branch are you joining today?”

“Navy.”

“Nice. What rating are you looking at?”

“I think nuke machinist, mate. Why?”

“Oh, just curious. Ever consider the Airforce?”

Before I could talk, that third-class returns.
“Hey, leave my guy alone.”

Airforce guy laughing, “Can’t blame me for trying.”

“What was he doing?” I ask.

“Trying to poach you. I’ll show you when we get back.”

Back at the Navy area, I am shown the brag board. It lists the highest-scoring recruits and their comparable scores for the other services. I was in the top 5. Plus, out to the right, there was another field, NFQT (Nuke Test), with my score, and it was circled.

I go back inside and get signed up for boot camp as a Nuke MM volunteered for sub duty. Then time for fingerprints and our first swearing-in. I ran back into the other guy who took the Nuke test too, he didn’t pass. But, he was still joining the Navy.

When all was said and done, I would be back there in late February to start my Navy career. Less than a month. A van took me to O’Hare and dropped me at the bus line. Then the ride back to the terminal in Rockford. My recruiter met me and took me home. I spent the next month getting my apartment packed up to move my fiancee and daughter to her parent’s place. It was also winter and cold as hell out. I couldn’t get in much running, but I did try.

I knew my fiancee was not happy with me joining the Navy, but I was on cloud nine. I couldn’t wait to get started. On Feb 17, we moved from our apartment to her parent's place. On Feb 19, I left there and drove to my parent’s house in Lindenwood. My car was parked in my grandparent’s garage. The next day, it would be time!

 

To be continued…..

The Journey - Part One

A short introduction of myself before I start off on my retelling of tales. I am originally from a small town in northern Illinois, Lindenwood. Lindenwood was your typical small Illinois town. It is located about 10 miles south of Rockford. I will begin a retelling of my time in Orlando 32 years ago. When I first did this, I lacked some vital information that I could recover of time. Getting letters I wrote home helped out greatly. Also, finding one of my CC’s here helped out a little. I had initially planned to talk about the events on the days they happened back in 1990. So, the next three days will be rapid-fire. Today is the day company C077 formed in 1990 Orlando and started on our journey.

And we begin…..

Thirty-two years ago, I set out to adventure at US Navy boot camp in RTC Orlando. Let me rewind a little and set up how I wound up going to boot camp at twenty-two. I had recently lost my job as a draftsman/detailer at a small company in Rockford, Illinois. The owner was slowly running the company toward bankruptcy, but people were unaware of that yet. The company was cutting payroll, so the new people were the first to go.

I had actually soured on that sort of work, and I saw this as a great chance to do something I had felt like doing for a few years, I was going to join the military. I seriously was going to talk to both the Army and the Navy. But, when I entered the hallway with all of the recruiting offices, the Navy was the first door I came to. I guess you could say they hooked me.

My initial contact was on a Monday afternoon. I was given a list of documents I needed by Tuesday afternoon. A birth certificate and a high school trans script were necessary. I had to drive from Rockford to Rochelle and get my transcript. I asked if the transcript from my two-year college was needed and was told no since I had the high school one. This miss would play out later on once I made it to boot camp.

Tuesday afternoon, I returned to the recruiter, and we started filling out paperwork. I did not know it yet, but I would be heading into MEPS to take the ASVAB Wednesday evening and follow up with the physical on Thursday.

I was engaged at the time, and we had a daughter together. So, that even created a minor issue. Of course,  the recruiter worked around that as well. During the whole process, he was pretty straight with me. As I saw it, the only drawback was he was so focused on me enlisting as a Nuke. Of course, I would have liked to hear more about other jobs available from the Navy in hindsight. Nonetheless, I did get the issues settled later on regarding Nuke school.

We didn’t finish all the paperwork Tuesday, and I was told to come back the next day. I still had not been told I was heading into Des Plains to MEPS. When I returned the next day, we wrapped up the paperwork, and as my recruiter grabbed his coat, he asked me to get my bag and meet him at his car.

Since I was clueless about going to MEPS, I did not have a bag. Lucky for me, I lived just a couple blocks away. So, he followed me there, and I got what I needed. We then drove the 90 minutes toward Chicago to the old MEPS station in Des Plains. I was dropped off in a state of confusion. I was given a ticket for a bus ride from Ohare to Rockford.

This happened on January 22, 23, 24, 1990.

Some people have also asked me, “Why the Navy?” Well, that is a rather complex answer. As a midwesterner, I did not have much contact with the ocean. When I was a senior in high school, I went out on a fishing boat, but that was my only real experience with the ocean. I am a history nut, and World War II was a big era I concentrated on. I guess the many naval battles I read about had stirred an interest. I am also an aviation nut, and the yearly air show in Rockford would bring in numerous Navy planes.

In the spring of 1989, I was in Daytona and spoke to several Navy aircrew members at an airshow there. I even went to what I thought was the recruiter’s office in the summer of 1988, but it had moved. I wasn’t sure where it had moved to, so I dropped it. So, although I did entertain ideas of joining the Army, I think the Navy had me firmly in its grasp.

Next, MEPS, and how I came to enter boot camp as a Nuke. 

 

December 19, 1991 - I did the Ditch

The Ditch

The various canals around the world are known as “The Ditch.” The one I am talking about is the Suez. This one really is a ditch since it was dug at sea level. When USS Scott left on its Med Cruise, Med 1-92, initially we were to operate in the western Med. But that changed. On December 18, 1991, we arrived in Port Said.

I’m not sure when we began our trip south, but I was standing oil king watch. Since there were two of us qualified, we were on 12 on 12 off rotation. I had the midnight to noon watch. I did go outside as we traveled through Port Said heading south. It was a rather chilly early morning too. Odd to think that area of the world is cold. But it was cold outside at 2 or 3 AM.

I must have been outside when we first started heading south since we were in the middle of a city. As we passed a mosque, I heard the Muslim call to prayer for the first time.  That was a strange feeling to be honest. It’s hard to explain why I felt that way. I guess it is one of those things you had heard about or even heard on a newscast but just never expected to hear in person. The minarets around the building were a dead giveaway.  

After the sun came up, I went outside and primed the JP5 piping in the refueling stations. Does anyone remember that yellow primer we used?

It was pretty interesting to be out there painting while we were passing through the desert. To the west was Africa and to the East was Asia. Nearly the entire trip heading south, there was nothing but desert on the canal’s east bank. Both banks did have a large berm on them. The western side also had a road on top of the berm. For as long as I was outside, Egyptian military trucks drove on the berm, following the ships down the canal.  

There were three or four Egyptians on board to act as pilots. Several of them were in the crew rec room selling trinkets they brought on board. They also were allowed to use the enlisted mess facilities. They ate like crazy.

The convoy must stop on the Great Bitters Lake to allow the North Bound convoy to pass on the southbound trip. Several of the crew took the time to fish. Some even caught something. I know this was after I was officially off watch at noontime. I stayed up a few more hours watching the trip but finally hit my rack to get some sleep. By the time I woke up, we were in the Red Sea and heading toward the Gulf of Aqaba.

It was an interesting event to be part of. It is one of those places you might read about or even watch a documentary about and never imagine you will ever get to be there. Growing up, I read a good deal about Eqypt and never did imagine one day I would get to be there. I know some sailors were less than enthusiastic about being there. But, it was part of the job. December 19, 1991, was the day I did the ditch.

 

(Photo info. That is Scott making the transit in August 1990 reporting fr duty during Desert Shield. I was Great Lakes at the time. The picture was taken while Scott was passing a portion of the canal near Ismailia Egypt.)

 

What's the Plan?

 

Oh boy, back to blog posts. It has been a long time since I’ve written here, so I need to get back into it. 

My biggest news is I have started a new series, Flawed Hearts. This is a departure from my Always and Forever series. It is set in present-day North East Georgia, my backyard. The main characters will be a mixture of military veterans, first responders, and just regular people. But, no matter what, they will all have issues from their past that will impact their ability to fall in love.

It is hard to explain to some people. Still, as I was trying to wrap up my third book in the Always and Forever series, Under the Blue Sky, the characters from Saving Dare wouldn’t let me finish it. So, I began to write Saving Dare. I even wrote this one differently than I do typically. I wrote this book from start to finish.

I still wrote it in sections, but it was from start to finish with very little skipping around the timeline. I typically jump around the timeline when I write.

As I wrote Saving Dare, even the plot of the story changed along the way. I became very emotionally drawn into the story as I wrote, and I hope that the reader will as well.

Even after wrapping up the writing on Saving Dare, I hoped to get Under the Blue Sky out in December but realized it was a mess. So, I pushed out the release date as long as I could to Mar 9 now.

Saving Dare will release, Dec 21 and Under the Blue Sky no later than Mar 9, 2022.

Book two in the Flawed Hearts Series, Rescuing Caden, is slated for mid-2022, and book 4 in Always and Forever fall 2022. BUT! Be warned, you never know what will push its way into the order. I still have the 1877 Romance I started a while ago to get moving along. And, there is a Sci-Fi idea in my head. So, stay tuned. 

Cover Reveal - Saving Dare

 

Well, it certainly has been a while since I’ve written a blog post. Hell, the last one I was supposed to write, I totally forgot the publish!

Things get crazy at times, and we slowly stop doing some things we had been doing. For me, it was the blog. I was into writing and getting ready for swim season. Yes, swim season.
Oddly, swim plays a big part in my newest release, coming on Dec 21.

Saving Dare is the story of Darren Watkins. He first sees Kaylyn Shaw at a swim meet, and the story goes from there. I will be writing some posts specifically about that book and some of its parts.

BUT!!! Today, I have my cover reveal for Saving Dare.

Saving Dare is available for pre-order now and will be available in paperback on Dec 21, 2021. (Maybe Hardcover too.)

Blurb:

Kaylyn Shaw knows what it means to start over. After her husband’s trial, she changed everything about herself: new identity, new job, new city. But, her trust issues persist.

Darren “Dare” Watkins thought he’d hit rock bottom when his combat injury forced him to be medically discharged from the Navy. Slowly but surely, he’s managed to piece together a new life.

While volunteering as a swim official, Dare meets Kaylyn. Sparks fly for him, but she isn’t as easily impressed. Just when things start to change between them, Dare stumbles upon confidential information about Kaylyn’s past.

He wants to protect her – to keep her safe. Kaylyn has other ideas. Will her trust issues prove too strong, or will Kaylyn be able to take a chance on love?

Saving Dare is a stand-alone contemporary romance. It features strong steamy scenes and intense imagery. Trigger warnings include suicidal ideation in a main character, threat of rape, descriptions of violence, combat injuries, and PTSD.

US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HXW55HD

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HXW55HD

DE - https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09HXW55HD

FR - https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B09HXW55HD

JP - https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B09HXW55HD

AU - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09HXW55HD

CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09HXW55HD 

New Release - Across The Sea

 

Experience new love at its finest. The exploration and finding what drives the other over the top.

Steamy, Sexy, Sophisticated, Suspenseful with happily ever after.🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥


“It's An Officer and a Gentleman with just a dash of Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Naples seemed like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it had only been a month, a month since Emily Rosen fell in love. After heartbreak and loneliness, she had finally lowered her barriers and allowed a man back into her life. Every day she spent with Gene made her more sure that he was the man for her, the man she wanted to spend her life with.

Gene Bain relished the feelings Emily roused inside of him. They hadn’t known each other long, but Gene was already sure that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. When their ships reunited in Haifa, Israel, Gene was ready with a plan: a plan involving a ring.

But despite the love growing between them, Emily and Gene were already married... to the Navy. With new mission assignments in hand, Emily and Gene would find themselves separated again, forced back into danger. Would their love survive, or would they be lost at sea?

This is the second book in J.E. Adams’ Always and Forever series. The story can be read on its own, but works best when read after the first book in the series, In the Stars. Across the Sea is a full-length military romance featuring steamy scenes, committed love, and no cheating. Happily ever after is the mission.

New Release - Playing the Field

*~*~AVAILABLE NOW~*~*

Playing the Field

❤ Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers

❤ Fake relationship

❤ Sports romance.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/1790707



TBR: https://bit.ly/3gKp4Zm




Work hard. Play harder.


I’m a player - both on and off the field.

Avery and I have been friends since we were kids.


In a moment of weakness, she winds up being the latest addition in my playbook and everything falls apart – our friendship and my life.


I’m spiraling out of control, and with my football career on the line, there is only one person who can save me.


Even though she hates me, Avery agrees to pretend to be my girlfriend to help repair my reputation. We’ve already blurred the lines of our friendship once, and playing this game isn’t making it any easier.

Will my fear take control, or will Avery be the one to finally get me to quit playing the field?