Learning to Live Outloud

Musings and News - Matthew Costello

The Haunted Palace for Halloween

Oct 31, 2013

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It’s the October Country Ray Bradbury wrote about. Spooky and mysterious, it’s a time of shadows, ghost and goblins. I’m one of those people who enjoys a good scary movie. Not necessarily slasher films, but things that have the intensity of the unknown and unpredictable to them. The…

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Update – Keeping Up Two and a Half Years after Radiation Plaque Therapy

Oct 25, 2013

To all the readers of my blog, my apologies! I haven’t been ignoring you, but in the aftermath of my radiation and everything else that went on with the cancer, I found myself knee deep in getting back to work with my website business , acting, Voiceover and my music. These days, I think, time…

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Months of Mystery Before Diagnoses of Ocular Cancer

Dec 14, 2011

  “How did you know there was something wrong with your eye?” This is the most common question I have received. The first signs were a small visual effect in the inner right corner of my left eye.  I could only see it in certain lights. It was easily something I could ignore, as it…

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Update: SIx Months Post Surgery – A Patient Process

Dec 14, 2011

I have returned to UVA for several follow-ups with the surgeon who did the radiation Brachytherapy. At this point my impression is he doesn’t really see any change to the tumor. He says it takes about 18 moths to shrivel. He will begin taking pictures of it again in February, which will be 8 months…

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Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Beale to Donate CD Sales

Aug 25, 2011

  My friend Kevin Beale www.kevinbeale.com has offered to help by donating sales of his CD’s through September. I’m grateful for the help in managing the financial challenges I face. (See Some Not So Good News.) You can purchase them at the Kevin’s itunes Store. Please give the samples a listen and consider purchasing or…

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The Procedure to Remove the Plaque, Double Vision and Coming Home

Aug 11, 2011

  Pre-op Though my procedure to have the plaque removed wasn’t scheduled until 2 pm, we were called in a 9am and arrived at 8:30am. Suddenly after four days of being by myself or with Holly, I was around an entire hospital of people of all ages. I was acutely aware that I was radioactive…

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Notes on my Radiation Plaque Therapy (Brachytherapy)

Jul 25, 2011

  One of the purposes in setting up this blog was to not only share my experience with my friends & family but also with others who may be facing a similar challenge. The following is written for all those audiences. I realize some of the material may not be of interest to all, but…

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Upcoming Radiation Plaque Therapy

Jul 4, 2011

  My Radiation Plaque therapy is finally scheduled for late July. The procedure is outpatient surgery and will be performed at UVA. I’ll be able to come home for the few days in between. However, as I understand it, radiation protocol says I have to stick at home and not go out in public. I…

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Some Not So Good News

Jun 27, 2011

Family, Friends and Newcomers I find myself in the uncharacteristic position of publicly sharing some very personal challenges. You may or may not be aware that I am facing uncertainties caused by  life changing events. I know there have been times when friends of mine have gone through similar struggles (and worse) and after I…

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