Jay "The Birdman" Stumpff - My Story

Today is a very special day. Today is my wife's birthday. What can I say about Dianne that many of you do not already know. You know what a loving person she is and that she would go to almost any extreme to make someone else happy. She is one of the most selfless humble people you'll ever meet.

You may already know what a great mother Dianne is. One look at my kids shouts volumes about the kind of mother she is. I have hard working, caring, loving, and smart kids which is just a reflection of their mother.

Dianne is one of the greatest people I have ever met. My life is complete with her.

To my wife and my best friend, Happy Birthday! I pray that today will be a special day that you can relax and let the blessings be heaped on your head. My you feel the love of your friends and your family as you love to show to them.

I love you, Dianne, Happy Birthday!

Jay

Post a comment to 'Happy Birthday Dianne!'

From time to time you find yourself drawing a number in the sand. Which ever it may be about age, weight, money, it is a number that has real meaning and value to you.

I founf a line where I drew in the sand a long time ago and was pretty drepressed I crossed it. The number? 250. I weighed more than 250 pounds. Well I had to move the line again to 275. Last year I had pushed that number back again to 295 becuase I weighed in at 283.5 pounds at one point last year while I was in Canada. I swore to myself that I was not going above 300 pounds and that was the defining line for me.

I mad some changes while in Canada. I walked everywhere, I stopped drinking pop and drank more water, and the biggest thing was to cut my portions. That helped. In no time I was below 280 and flew past that line of 275. Then I flattened out based on just those things alone I got down to 255 pretty good and I kept it there for 6 months. That is almost 30 pounds off that I didn't work all that hard at but just changed habbits to acheive.

The doctors tell me that with the removal of the tumor I could see more weight loss of some 30 to 50 pounds. I am going to start working out when my doctor releases me to do so. That will help my days pass.

I did pass a milestone today however of 244.2 pounds this morning. That is nearly 40 pounds I've lost in one year. My new goal is 215 pounds. I have not been at that weight in 10+ years. Mu biggest goal is 185 but that is still a way off. If I can hit it this year that would be amazing. I didn't even hit that in college.

So for now I celebrate 244.2 and put my sights on 240, 235, 230, 225, 220, and finally 215.

Bird

Post a comment to 'Magic Line in the Sand'

It is so nice to be at home and able to heal here. Although I find it is harder to manage what I eat. I wanted Sonic tonight so Dianne bought me a hamburger tots and a lemon-berry slush. The lemon-berry slush had way too much sugar. I am not diabetic but I am watching that and I had started to get a headache and goofy feeling. Part of it is drug induced but it could also have something to do with the sugar.

I guess I need to start going to rent movies so I can have something to do. I sleep most of the time so if I rented movies I can watch them until I fall asleep then rewind what I miss. I have watched 10 episodes of Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs but I don’t think that I watched the full thing at all. I am getting tired of watching them build a cool device only to see it do something completely different than what I had originally started watching the show for. They were going to blow something up then they had Mike Roe cleaning up a sewer. It makes Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs a little more interesting to start out Mythbusters and end with Dirty Jobs.

NCIS marathons on USA is great too. It never turns out to be the same person that I had originally thought it was going to be. I didn’t even know that Ziva and Kate were on the same show. At least in my mind that is how it all worked out.

I am off to take more meds and go to bed. More later.

Jay

Post a comment to 'Its Good to be Home'

I am out of the ICU and into a new room. That sounded good until I got here. This is not a private room. The guy next to me had surgery today and is in recovery. His IV is going off and I would pay 50 bucks for someone to turn it off. Whew! The nurse just turned it off. I can save 50 bucks!

The temp in the room when I came in was 80 degrees. Yikes.

My doctor seemed to think that an extra night was best for me. I wish I would have talked him into letting me go home.

I have a headache but it is being controlled with meds. It is a different headache than before so I don't mind so much.

I am just ready to go home. I am tired of laying around.

The kids came in to see me tonight. Christi hasn't seen me since Tuesday. Trey came with me Wednesday but got kicked out of the ICU because he wasn't old enough. He was rather bumbed.

Well I will probably go home tomorrow. If you haven't came yet you may want to wait until tomorrow.

Post a comment to 'Change in Latitude is a Change in Attitude'

Well today's the day. My surgery is on tap for this morning at 7:30am.

I got up at 3:40am so Dianne and I could get ready to leave the house by 5am to make it to the hospital by 6am. I went into the bathroom and "Pop!" the light burns out in the bathroom. I search the house for a light bulb but I could not find one. Luckily Dianne found some after I took a shower by flashlight light. It is always darkest before the dawn I guess. I changed the bulb for Dianne but it was a rather interesting morning.

Please pray for me and my family today. We are not only facing this surgery but spiritual warfare. Stress got the better of me last night. I got angry at Dianne and I should not have. I said some things that should not have been said and for that I am very and truely sorry. We have been at each other all day today and I am afraid that it will continue until after this morning. I love Dianne so much and I cannot go through this without her. She is part of me and I feel very alone today because of my actions last night. Please pray for healing over this and for me too.

Well I will post more on the other side. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Jay

Post a comment to 'Boom Boom Out Go The Lights'

My surgery date has been as erratic as the weather has been the last few months. Last week I was told that it was going to be Monday (Today) 02/02/09. Then on Wednesday last week I got a call saying that the time had been changed to Friday 02/06/09. Then today I received another call saying that the date will be Wednesday 02/04/09. We were told that Wednesday was out and only Monday and Friday were the only options. So Wednesday it is at 7:30am at St. John's Hospital.

Post a comment to 'Surgery Date and Time Finally Set in Stone'

Welcome to the new readers to Stumpff.net. I've had a lot of people asking about what is going on and why I am having surgery.

First let me send this word of warning to the new reader of Stumpff.net. What you are about to read may cause tears of sympathy, laughter of stupid things I do or say, but the biggest warning is what the readers of Stumpff.net already know. If you come to Stumpff.net to get the latest information and cutting edge, moment by moment commentary, well, I am not the fastest of bloggers or the most current. But I might make you laugh once every 6 months!

Now that you are fair warned, as Paul Harvey would say, this is the rest of the story.

I have a tumor on my pituitary gland that has grown to roughly the size of a golf ball or a tiny unborn kitten or puppy. This tumor and its location cause the pituitary gland to malfunction and allow the tumor cells to produce a hormone called prolactin. Pro meaning highly tuned, well trained, and handsomely paid athlete (I don't see the proceeds though). And Lactin meaning hormone that produces lactate. That is what nursing mothers do to produce breast milk. No, before you ask, I didn't recently, nor am I expecting a baby, I am just husky. I don't produce milk but according to some research I've done on the internet it can cause guys to do that. And as you know the internet is full of nothing BUT truth. As you can imagine that type of hormone is not healthy in men. That's why I take a drug to counter act that hormone and stops the production of it. This drug is tiny but packs a punch enough to make me sick for a few days. I only take one half pills every 3 days.

The tumor is not cancer.

I've known about the tumor since 2005 and tried to control it with the drug mentioned above. The drug should work as long as I take the drug. I didn't like the way the during made me feel and I didn't like paying 90 dollars for 12 pills after insurance picked up the other 3000 dollars for those 12 pills. Had I known what I know now I would have stood in line to pay 3000 for it when I stopped.

The tumor had not grown since March 2005 through January 2007 even 1mm. That was the last time I took the dostinex drug and the last time I had an MRI.

Some time in the last 2 years the following happened.

I was flying back to Oklahoma fro California one afternoon on a business trip. We had reached altitude and were about 20 minutes into the flight when I felt a stabbing pain in my sinus area around my left eye. It hurt so bad it brought tears and I though about telling the flight person that I thought I was going to pass out in pain. I didn't want to be that guy that caused everyone else to land in Nowhere, New Mexico so I just sucked up the pain and by the time we landed I was better. I didn't think about the tumor or what was going on other than I figured it was sinus pressure from the flight. About a month later I started getting headaches on a regular basis but nothing I did seemed to trigger the headache or cause it to stop hurting. That is until my left eye started to get blurry and I could see dark spots in light colors.

I told the neurosurgeon this story and he paused and asked me, "How did you even make it off the plane? That was a 'mini-stroke' in the tumor that had it bleed out instead of back into itself would have killed me before we would have landed."

The bleeding caused the tumor to triple in size to where it is today.

I am back on the Dostinex to stop the prolactin so the tumor is stable but it isn't going anywhere without surgery.

I was told this week that the surgery would be on Monday, Feb 2nd but on Wednesday I received a call saying that the ENT guy was not available until Friday, Feb 6th.

I saw the ENT today and he told me about his part. He will make the approach to the tumor through the nose and pay that way too! The doctor is going to make the septum straight so he said that I will benefit from that alone and it will help with snoring. Bonus! He said that my left nostril is blocked and this will help that.

After the surgery I will spend 24 hours in the ICU to monitor my water intake. I will be out of the office for 3 weeks and part time for 4 weeks after that. I cannot have caffeine, chocolate or sugar for 4 weeks and I cannot blow my nose for 3 weeks after the surgery (my brains might blow out my nose!). I could cause some damage after the surgery if I blow my nose.

That is about it.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Paul Harvey, Good Day!

Bird

Post a comment to 'Surgery Information'

It is January 22nd 2009! That means it is the 10th annual Christiana Day!!!!

This day in history, Christi was born.

Happy Birthday, Sweety! I hope and pray that it will be a good day for you and that you will enjoy every moment. May God bless you. I pray that you will always follow God's will and answer His calling. I pray that you may have the vision to see the needs of others and always be willing to serve without hesitation in a humble heart that is not of yourself but filled with the Holy Spirit.

We Love You!

Mommy and Daddy

Post a comment to 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTI!!!!!!'

This week is a good week so far.

Monday was a little rough. I worked about a half day. By 2:30 in the afternoon I could hardly walk my body was so tired. I went to lunch with the guys and by the time we got back from lunch I was really dragging. We all got out of the car to walk back into the building at the same time. Wayne, my boss (and if you are reading this Wayne, you are an awesome boss, I could not ask for a better boss! But if you don't read this then, you are just okay. Kidding, in case you do.), parks at one block and the building entrance is about a block away. I got about a half block and the guys were already at the corner to go into the building. They all had a worried look at me and asked if I felt alright. I am sure that I was white as a sheet and a little green at the gills. I stuck around until almost 3 and went home.

Tuesday was better. I got a little sick after lunch and stayed that way until after dinner. I got to looking at things about my tumor and the possible surgery up coming. I got really anxious and extremely sick. That probably set me off to be so sick.

Wednesday, today, was great. I felt really good. I am not tired at all like I have been for a while. After lunch I had energy and I got a lot done. I've set up a contingency plan for the Australia training. I put together a good document of links, numbers, and functionality for the person that may fill my shoes if I cannot go to Australia.

The person we have chosen to go to Australia in my place will be Jessica from Calgary. I got to meet her while I was up there for the P2P roll out for the Canadian business unit. Jessica is very smart and is knowledgeable of ePayables. I know that she will do a good job, *IF* I cannot make it.

I had a training class with the Australian Central Processors. I love to teach. I got so jazzed that I felt the best I have in weeks. My friend Abhay said that after the training class I looked refreshed, like I just came into work and not that I was at work for 11 hours. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others and interacting with others and it really recharges my batteries. I would much rather do training or teaching than anything else.

That brings us to now...

I just took the dostinex so that I wouldn't have to take it on Christi's birthday tomorrow. I would have taken it today but I knew I had a late night with the Aussies tonight and I couldn't afford to be drained and sick.

Up next...

Tomorrow is Christi's 10th Birthday!! Yeah!! She is so excited!

Friday I go back to the doctor to see a neurosurgeon. All I need is a rocket scientist and we can all walk into a bar and be a joke, "So this brain surgeon, a rocket scientist, and an idiot all walk into a bar..." I will let you know how that turns out. I don't think it will be very funny.

Just to leave on a good note...

What is the difference between a Fiddle and a Violin?
A Violin has strings...
A Fiddle has strangs!

Happy Wednesday,

Jay Bird

Post a comment to 'This Week'

I would like to say something about this week in history. This week saw an end to an era and a beginning to another. It is amazing to see the advancement in humanity. It was only 150 years ago that we as a nation allowed slavery, it was only 40 years ago when we as a nation treated other races as less than human, but this week the nation has shown that we can change to have love for our fellow man, no matter the color of skin. Congratulations to our new president, Barack Obama.

I hate to see George Bush go. I think history will be more kind to him than the media over the last 8 years. The war against terror will be thought of as a success more so than it seems now. Mr. Bush said yesterday that he always did what he thought was right, it may not have been the popular thing to do but it was right. Was it a popular thing to go into a country and topple their leader? Gosh no! Was it the right thing to take away power from a ruthless dictator? Absolutely. I am rather glad though that we are out of the Bush years. It was time for someone new and that everything from my car not starting to my pituitary tumor was Bush's fault, according to the media. I guess he mess things up so bad that my tumor is still up there. Oh well. Thanks Mr. Bush.

Post a comment to 'Changing of the Guards'

Tonight the elders and David came to anoint my head with oil, lay hands on me, and pray for the healing Power of Christ.

It is humbling and amazing to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit. I know that God will hold my hand through this ordeal and never leave my side. Jesus slept in the bottom of a boat while the seas roared and the winds blew and nearly sunk the ship yet, He never left the men on the boat but calmed the storm.

Please pray for me that I will be contented like a weaned child while I rest in the grace of God during this time of trouble. Ask for patience while I wait for answers and not be like the men on the boat that thought they were going to drown but have faith that Jesus rides beside me and He will be there to quite the storms.

Post a comment to 'Anointing of Oil and Laying of Hands'

Today was a good day. I went to church and saw many good friends. That was comforting. Thank you all for the prayers and encouragement. There are truly some very good people at East Bartlesville Christian Church! I seemed to have more energy and I ate more than I have in a week. Dinner tonight I had a Quizno's sandwich (It was yummy!), chips and an iced tea from Quenchbuds. I hit the dostinex again tomorrow and that will be a big test of returning to normal if I can bounce back from that okay.

I am going to try to go into work tomorrow. I don't know if I make it all day or not because I do take the dostinex tomorrow. Since I am getting some strenght back I should make it for most of the day.

I went to get my hair cut Saturday afternoon. My car wouldn't start because it is a Ford and it had been cold this week so naturally Fords just don't start in cold weather. I need to get that car checked out some day when I have time and money on the same day. Anyway about the hair cut. My dad came and got me from the house. He took me over to his house and I had lunch with him. I said hi to my mom and sister while I was there too. That was fun! No really it was fun. Well it wasn't like ice cream and pony rides but it was a good time nontheless. So after lunch I was going to drive my dad back to work and just use his truck to drive to get my hair cut and go pick him up again and have him drop me back off at the house. Since we were having such a great time at my parents house I didn't notice the time so it was too late to take my dad back to work so he just dropped me off at the hair cuttin place. (that's what it is called when you don't want to call it a beauty salon or hair stylist when the guy that cuts my hair is not really a barber because he is an awesome hair stylist. John Godinez 918-336-2484 at hat's off. Mention that you saw his name on my web site and get an extra half inch taken off the back of your hair! Anyway John is a hair stylist but I don't see a hair stylist so it is just a hair cuttin place) When I got done I decided that it was a really nice day and that I could walk home. It was only about 11 blocks home so I thought that I could do it. I got 1 1/2 blocks away and knew that I could not make it that far. That was a little disappointing. (Wow, what a long paragraph for the punch line of "that was a little disappointing". Just remember what you paid for your subscription to www.stumpff.net!)

I cannot say enough about all the great people at East Bartlesville Christian Church and all of my friends at ConocoPhillips and others that have offered so many wonderful comments and prayers or even airline miles if I need to fly to see a doctor. Luckly I am going to be here in Bartlesville to see the neurosergeon and just in Tulsa for the other doctor and/or surgery.

On another note. I have a virus. On my PC. I let my McAfee run out and now I cannot log in to McAfee to renew. There is a hijack program that keeps poping up to ask me to pay for another service for antivirus. May be time to bury this paperweight of a PC in the back yard and bite the bullet and get a new PC. We had planned on trying to do that with VCIP and/or tax return but with surgery looming and all the doctor visits I've had to pay for I don't know if that will happen right away. I've got to try to fix this thing. More later.

Bird

Post a comment to 'Today'

I forgot to put in what I found out today at the eye doctor's. It is the tumor, it makes me forget thing. I know this because I spent 6 whole minutes googling pituitary tumor and memory loss with no results so I made it up.

So I do have some blind spots in my eyes. Both eyes have issues but my left eye is worse. Directly head on I mad it perfectly but closer to the bridge of my nose and to the upper outsuide of my let eye I have blind spots. It isn't really blind because I can see in those spots but failed the vision test.

The doc said that even with surgery I may or may not get the vision back. That is the hardest pill to swallow.

You know, I have done a lot of stupid things to damage my body. Stayed up all night broken bones, ate junk food, torn ankles loose, even dank way way too much but it was all bones or dead brain cells that I never deal with. But this was perhaps the dumbest thing by not taking the medication has now cost some of my vision. It is funny, some people damage their bodies by taking drugs legal or illegal but who would have thought not taking drugs cost me part of my eyes.

Post a comment to 'Oops, I Forgot'

What a week! I've had more needles shoved in my arms than an average pin chusion.
It's been a very tiring and trying week. I had the adrenline test MRI,eye tests,EKG,and a visual field test.
Ihave an appointment with a neurosurgeon next Friday to consult about removing the tumor.

I took 4 diffent drugs today and my stomach is doing flips or atleast it feels that way. We went to dinner last (Dianne and I) and I couldn't hold that down. It seems like the only thing I can keep down is toast as well as a Subway sandwich. (By the way I do not recommend rice when you are sick becuase it dosen't come back out well!) When I am not going to see doctors or other tests that I didn't know existed I am usually resting.

I am going to try to make it back to work Monday. Even though I am sick and I have a hard time keeping stuff down I am feeling much better than Wednesday. I think trying to get back into a normal schedule will help.

Thank you to everyone that has sent notes and comments to me through facebook, email and on this website. By the way, if you make comments on this site it may take a few days for it to show up. Because of the large load of spam comments it takes time to filter and remove all the junk.

Thanks again for your continued prayers.

Jay Bird and family

Post a comment to 'Done For Now Anyway'

Last night I started on the drug that makes me sick. I remember now why I hate this drug so much. The pill is no bigger that this letter "U" but it is pwoerful! Within 2 hours of taking it I started falling asleep. I was talking to Christi and Dianne and the next thing I know I am waking up from a little nap 15 minutes later. That kept happening all evening.

This morning I woke up and began to get ready for work. I started feeling sick and began throwing up. (Sorry if you are eating while reading my blog) I continued for a while even after the shower. I went back to bed and slept. I went to bed last night around 10pm but I just woke up no more than 30 minutes ago and Dianne had to wake me up.

My headaches are much worse now. I don't know if it hurts worse or if knowing what is causing it makes it that much worse because I am thinking about it now.

In the mean time, please keep Dianne and the kids in your prayers. They are going through this just as much as I am. Besides they have to put up with me.

Post a comment to 'I Remember This Feeling'