Ok, so on Friday I got all my blood work and CT scans redone. Today I met with the doc. It was just about exactly what I expected.
My cancer markers didn't move any during round 4 of chemo. Remembering that I started at well over 900, my current level of 8.9 doesn't seem like much. (they want to get it below 5)
And the CT scan didn't change any either. That means that surgery is next. The doc said that he'd set up a meeting with the surgeon "in a few weeks". I took that to mean that he's happy with my progress and that there's no rush towards surgery. He even went so far as to say that I'm "breezing through this".
So, even though surgery is going to kinda suck, it sounds like I'm on the right track.
Drain: I realize how this timing looks like it's going to work out. No worries man--I'm scheduling cancer around you, man. There's no way I'm missing your big day.
28 July, 2008
23 July, 2008
Help
...need new music. The stuff I've got is getting really old.
What do you recommend? (artists as well as specific albums would be helpful)
I'll listen to almost anything good.
What do you recommend? (artists as well as specific albums would be helpful)
I'll listen to almost anything good.
21 July, 2008
Updates
Ok, sorry folks. Believe it or not, but it's been fairly busy around here. Let's see if I can catch you up...
Chemo: Round 4
As expected, round 4 was much easier than round 3. Mostly. I was able to work through most of this round. That made things a lot less stressful.
That's with the exception of last week. For some reason, the nausea finally set in. I didn't hardly eat for 4 days. Finally, after going back to MD Anderson, they gave me this magic anti-nausea shit that worked almost instantly.
Now I'm back to work, and since round 4 is officially done, I'm heading towards recovery. I re-do all of my tests this Friday and get the results Monday afternoon. I'm expecting that we schedule my surgery then.
Get Off My Lawn!
Dangit. My lawn was doing so well. But then a cascade timeline of me continuously being sick and nobody here to help me keep it watered means that my lawn is toast once again. You just can't let this stuff slide in Houston during June/July.
My lawn guys say that plenty of fertilizer and water will bring it back to life, but I have my doubts. I guess time will tell. Until then, I'm going out every morning to give it at least an hour's worth of watering.
Weekend Relaxation
A couple I know has a family lake house up on Lake Travis (near Austin). I got the invite to head up the other weekend.
Holy crap. This place was a mansion. It had to be at least 8,000 sq ft. It had its own pool that overlooked the lake. It had a cabana house that was almost as large as my last apartment. This was literally the nicest place I've ever stayed.
Even the pictures don't do it justice. I'd post a couple here, but it doesn't seem cool to post pictures of someone else's place. Next time you see me, just ask.
I didn't want to leave.
Luxury Items
I splurged and bought a couple of luxury items last week. I know that I don't need either of them--so no lectures. These fall under the category of "just wanted."
First is the iPhone. I had to stand in line for about an hour at the Apple Store, but apparently that's one of shorter wait times around.
I love this thing. It is without a doubt the "coolest" electronic gadget I've owned. It's slick, shiny and works like a champ. Now if I could only find an Apple enthusiast to call me back and help me on a couple of items. (cough)Adam(cough)
The second is a new coffee maker. Every time I go to Europe, everyone has these nifty one-touch coffee makers. Set down your mug, press a button or two and out comes a steaming cup 'o joe. That's just so damn cool.
After some research, I found out that there are a couple of halfway decent ones to be had in the states for less than a king's ransom. So I invested in the Keurig.
Now, before the coffee purists start throwing things at me, let me say a couple of things:
1) The French Press isn't going anywhere. When I need the best, it will still be handy.
2) Yes, it's more expensive per cup than drip or French Press--that's why I called it a "luxury item".
But the Keurig makes some pretty darn good coffee. The little coffee packets come from good places: Timothy's, Caribou, Diedrich, Green Mountain, et al. I can't get this good of coffee anywhere this far south.
Now I can just walk in the kitchen, press a button and have a really good cup in less than 30 seconds.
Chemo: Round 4
As expected, round 4 was much easier than round 3. Mostly. I was able to work through most of this round. That made things a lot less stressful.
That's with the exception of last week. For some reason, the nausea finally set in. I didn't hardly eat for 4 days. Finally, after going back to MD Anderson, they gave me this magic anti-nausea shit that worked almost instantly.
Now I'm back to work, and since round 4 is officially done, I'm heading towards recovery. I re-do all of my tests this Friday and get the results Monday afternoon. I'm expecting that we schedule my surgery then.
Get Off My Lawn!
Dangit. My lawn was doing so well. But then a cascade timeline of me continuously being sick and nobody here to help me keep it watered means that my lawn is toast once again. You just can't let this stuff slide in Houston during June/July.
My lawn guys say that plenty of fertilizer and water will bring it back to life, but I have my doubts. I guess time will tell. Until then, I'm going out every morning to give it at least an hour's worth of watering.
Weekend Relaxation
A couple I know has a family lake house up on Lake Travis (near Austin). I got the invite to head up the other weekend.
Holy crap. This place was a mansion. It had to be at least 8,000 sq ft. It had its own pool that overlooked the lake. It had a cabana house that was almost as large as my last apartment. This was literally the nicest place I've ever stayed.
Even the pictures don't do it justice. I'd post a couple here, but it doesn't seem cool to post pictures of someone else's place. Next time you see me, just ask.
I didn't want to leave.
Luxury Items
I splurged and bought a couple of luxury items last week. I know that I don't need either of them--so no lectures. These fall under the category of "just wanted."
First is the iPhone. I had to stand in line for about an hour at the Apple Store, but apparently that's one of shorter wait times around.
I love this thing. It is without a doubt the "coolest" electronic gadget I've owned. It's slick, shiny and works like a champ. Now if I could only find an Apple enthusiast to call me back and help me on a couple of items. (cough)Adam(cough)
The second is a new coffee maker. Every time I go to Europe, everyone has these nifty one-touch coffee makers. Set down your mug, press a button or two and out comes a steaming cup 'o joe. That's just so damn cool.
After some research, I found out that there are a couple of halfway decent ones to be had in the states for less than a king's ransom. So I invested in the Keurig.
Now, before the coffee purists start throwing things at me, let me say a couple of things:
1) The French Press isn't going anywhere. When I need the best, it will still be handy.
2) Yes, it's more expensive per cup than drip or French Press--that's why I called it a "luxury item".
But the Keurig makes some pretty darn good coffee. The little coffee packets come from good places: Timothy's, Caribou, Diedrich, Green Mountain, et al. I can't get this good of coffee anywhere this far south.
Now I can just walk in the kitchen, press a button and have a really good cup in less than 30 seconds.
06 July, 2008
Round 4: Freedom
Yeah, I really didn't blog anything about round 4. That's because it's really boring and repetitive. (I guess I should get some new content out then...)
I'm back home and doing well. The 3 weeks of recovery since round 3 really made a difference. I feel good enough that I plan to head back into the office tomorrow.
I'll let you know when I get test results and stuff, but that won't be for another couple of weeks.
I'm back home and doing well. The 3 weeks of recovery since round 3 really made a difference. I feel good enough that I plan to head back into the office tomorrow.
I'll let you know when I get test results and stuff, but that won't be for another couple of weeks.
01 July, 2008
Round 4: Day 2
It was good to see everyone that could make it last weekend. To everyone else--expect a visit at sometime in the future. (although it may be a little while...)
I got checked-in yesterday and got my first infusion of chemo. This should be a little easier of a schedule. This time they start my infusions at 2PM instead of 11PM like last time. (that means fewer beeping IV machines and people in my room in the middle of the night)
It's been the same usual stuff so far. I've just been crashing in my room and staying glued to the laptop. I'll probably get bored of that in the next day or two and venture out. Maybe I can go keep the kids entertained like last time. (dangit--should have brought the mullet wig)
I got checked-in yesterday and got my first infusion of chemo. This should be a little easier of a schedule. This time they start my infusions at 2PM instead of 11PM like last time. (that means fewer beeping IV machines and people in my room in the middle of the night)
It's been the same usual stuff so far. I've just been crashing in my room and staying glued to the laptop. I'll probably get bored of that in the next day or two and venture out. Maybe I can go keep the kids entertained like last time. (dangit--should have brought the mullet wig)
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