Rain...And Then Sun And Then Rain

We seem to be out of our dry spell. We had rain on Monday and Tuesday and on Wednesday the sun is shining and it is partly cloudy. Then why does my weather app predict rain today? I can look at different weather apps and see different forecasts for today and the remainder of the week. One has showers on Saturday and one calls for snow. I wonder if the difference in the forecasts is that one gives me forecasts for the entire Denver metro area and the other is more specific? Will Saturday be snow, a mix, or rain?

On Wednesday morning I found that an unknown critter opened the can with the birdseed and peanuts and feasted on peanuts. I have not been securing the top of the can because it has not been bothered before. Now I know I have to secure the lid. I suspect a raccoon. Grackles have invaded the bird feeder. How can I dissuade them and the red wing black birds and not the finches?

Chemo reaction wise I am faring pretty well. I noticed this morning that my eyebrows were thinning by quite a bit even though I still have fuzz all over the top of my head. I was hoping to keep those darn eyebrows. Darn. The past couple of days I have had bone pain as a result of the Neulasta doing its thing to grow white blood cells. Tylenol to the rescue. I am weaker than I was before but continue to try to push through it. Walking up and down stairs is my only exercise and I do get a bit winded going up. My lips and tongue are feeling odd but I can still taste. My appetite is good, perhaps too good! Last night I had boiled shrimp, salad, and bread for dinner. I followed by a dessert of vanilla custard and strawberries. All was good and tasty. 

I am working on out 2016 tax return and it is a real pain. Normally our taxes are simple. This year we have complicated it with the sale of two houses and the purchase of one. And, we have lived in two states, plus sold property in a third. Today I have to dig through boxes in the basement looking for our closing statement for the purchase of 386 Montclair in 1992. I know I have it somewhere! 

Cycle Three Done

Aside from the problems getting an IV started on day one of cycle three, the remainder of the cycle went well. I continue to tolerate the chemo with minimal side effects. Yes, neuropathy has increased and I have a bit of tingling in my fingers and I don't have the energy I would like to have and I pee constantly but otherwise I continue to feel better than I did before chemo. I do have a new symptom and that is some tightness in my vocal chords. I feel I have to clear my throat often and if I talk much my voice cracks. I tolerated the Neulasta injection this week with only a little of long bone pain last night and some jaw pain yesterday morning. I consider this to be very positive. I am experiencing a bit of pain in my left lower arm and I believe this to be my vein that was used for the chemo this week. It is complaining as it was not meant to be attacked by chemicals for three days in a row. It is not too bad but I can not wear a watch and I feel naked without a watch.

Speaking of constantly peeing, this week I could not make it from the hospital to home without a stop. About half way home I told Sharon we would have to stop and luckily there is a great spot. I discovered that Buffalo Wild Wings has a toilet just inside the front door! And, as a bonus, we were right by Costco so we were able to make a stop there. All we needed was dish soap and kitty litter. $150 later we walked out with those plus fresh tuna, shorts, a tee shirt, butter, olive oil, toilet tissue, and popcorn. Don't go to Costco when you drive a convertible Camaro with the top down. Trunk space is fine with the top up but when you put the top down it goes away. We filled the trunk and the back seat. And, with the top down things tend to blow about in back. I had to move the popcorn and my jacket to under my feet and hold hold onto the toilet tissue. We were quite a sight but Sharon looked good tooling down the highway at 79 miles an hour with the top down.

Living where we do it seems that most of our driving is on the highway, with only a little bit of short trip in town driving. This certainly helps our gas mileage.  Our trips to Aurora to the hospital are about 100 miles round trip and almost all highway. The trips to the airport are about 80 miles round trip, also almost all highway. We've got 75 mph limits on most of those trips so they go quickly. With over 2,100 miles on the Camaro now, we have averaged 23.7 mpg which is better than normal for this car and pretty darn good for a 455 hp V8 and just about the same as I saw in the Miata. We see about the same mileage in the Jeep which, though it has a V6, is pushing more weight and four wheel drive. We are very happy with our expensive garage and its sporty and practical vehicles.

Sharon is at Orange Theory right now and I am sitting at Panera drinking coffee and using their WIFI. I've got a nice view of the Boulder foothills. The clouds are slowly clearing and it promises to be another beautiful though cool Colorado day.

Today we met with David Perlick who handles wills, trusts, and probate. We will be putting our assets into a revocable trust which will make it easier down the line if something happens to either or both of us. We are also doing medical power of attorney and advance directives and new wills. We are covering all the bases. We want to get as much of this done before I go in for the stem cell transplant. John and Kristie and Kathy, we will be talking to you about this as each of you are involved.

Sharon, top down.

Spring in Boulder

 

Fu**ing Cancer

I've been feeling great the past couple of weeks. Yesterday I went in for a PET scan and blood work. The PET showed a number of lymph nodes with little or no cancer activity and the ones in my upper abdomen lower chest showed about a 50% reduction. The blood work was looking good. Dr. Kamdar was hoping for a 70% reduction, but Sharon and I are thinking a 50% reduction halfway through looks good. Dr. Kamdar talked with us about an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant and it sucks.

An Autologous Stem Cell Transplant means they collect my bone marrow stem cells, then kill my bone marrow stem cells with heavy duty chemo, then put my stem cells back in. The whole process sucks and has me in the transplant area of the hospital for almost three weeks. None if the process is easy and I don't look forward to it. Look here for info on the procedure. It involves heavy duty chemo for six days in a row that will wipe me out.  

Today's chemo took 6 1/2 hours including five attempts to start an IV. My veins did not cooperate and it took two nurses five tries. I came home with an IV still in me, hopefully it will flow tomorrow for no more pokes. The temperature in the infusion area was way cold today and it took heated blankets, heat packs, and hot tea to get me warm. It does not help that the chemo drugs are cold going in.

 

Photo descriptions - a hot air balloon as seen from our shower, a turkey smoking on the Traeger, first rosé of the season, Shelby blocking the stairs, garage project  

Hair Or Not

My mustache is vanishing. I tried to trim it this week and there wasn't much to trim. A couple of hairs were long, but there is not much else there. I had a few long hairs on my head and when Sharon tried to "clean me up" today she said I had lost all my hair in some spots while others were still growing. I still have eyebrows! I got a new beanie today to keep that balding pate warm.

Sharon is off to Norfolk/Chesapeake Virginia again this week. We trip there this time was much better than last week but there were still a couple of glitches. It is not easy getting to Norfolk apparently.

Today I visit BCH for an Oncology Massage. I am hoping the therapist is as good as Pete! I want some neuropathy relief. Otherwise I continue to feel well. I can feel something going on in my upper abdomen but other than that and being low energy I am doing well. 

And, I am back from my massage at BCH and feeling wonderful. My therapist went beyond just my feet and hands and also did a very light lymphatic system massage. Results? I can feel my toes and my fingers feel a bit better but overall I feel very good. She told me that in her experience with patients going through R-CEOP chemo that I am very healthy and look very good. This was encouraging. I've made another appointment in three weeks. As with this one, it will be two weeks after chemo. Let's hope I am feeling as good as I am today.

This morning I washed the Camaro and drove to and from Boulder with the top down enjoying the 70º weather. I was comfortable and the drive was fun. I stopped at Your Butcher Frank and got a 12# frozen Red Bird turkey. I am going to smoke a turkey on Saturday and we are having friends over. I had a taste for smoked turkey!

 

Pondering

Last night as I was driving the Camaro to the airport I was pondering the differences between my 2006 Miata and the 2017 Camaro. First is that the Camaro is much more comfortable to drive to the airport! Bigger seats, quieter, smoother, and of course faster. They provide very different driving experiences. The Miata was bare bones. No electronics, very basic fun transportation. The Camaro is optioned out with pretty much every electronic convenience. I never thought I would want built in navigation, now I love it (except when it thinks I am in a construction zone when I am not.) Early on in my Miata experience I described getting in as "putting it on" because I almost "wore" the Miata. I really felt a part of the car. The Camaro is a very different experience. While the seats hug your body, they are bigger than the Miata seats and more comfortable, softer - and I do not "wear" the Camaro. It feels a lot bigger, and I suppose it is. The Miata was around 2,500 pounds while the Camaro is around 3,500 pounds. The Camaro is 31" longer, 7" wider, and 4" taller. And I ponder, in a time when there are more electric and hybrid cars around, here we are buying a car with a big V8 engine. Well, darn, the power sure is nice and the gas mileage is surprisingly good. We are seeing better mileage than we did in the Miata.

Sharon and I are sitting at the hospital waiting on results of my blood tests. This is a normal check of my blood counts halfway between chemo cycles. This would normally be on a Friday but there were no appointments available until very late in the day. Perhaps we should schedule them sooner. I am feeling pretty darn good right now. This cycle overall has been better than the first one. Side effects are minimal. My mustache is getting thinner and thinner as is the hair on the top of my head. My mouth feels different, the tip of my tongue is tender and I have a cold sore. But my taste buds are still working and I have a good appetite.

One down side of Longmont is late night dining options. Even on a Friday night, the places we normally would go close their kitchens at 10:00 p.m. which is fine unless I am picking Sharon up at DIA at 9:00 p.m. But last night we tried a new place to us - Old Chicago Pizza. They seem to be the late night place to go. They have some food and drink specials after 10:00 p.m. plus all of the regular menu. We had wings and then Sharon had a burger and I had a small pizza and all were good. We will be back next time I am picking up Sharon in the evening.

Chemo Costs

I logged onto my Medicare account today after receiving a notice that a statement was available. My first chemo cycle was billed to and approved by Medicare for $37,599.60. Mind you this is just the drugs. Administering them and blood tests and doctor visits are all separate and additional. This was just the drugs. And, I am not sure it is the whole three day cycle. If I didn't have AARP supplemental I would be billed about $2,000. Poor people cannot get cancer.

Wind, Take Three?

I think the wind is done today. We shall see. Currently WSW at 5 mph. Sunny and going to 71º here. Not bad if it is for real!

Chemo update. Long bone pain, mostly in my upper femur of both legs. It is a dull ache, more annoying than painful. I also have lower back pain, which I suppose could actually be my pelvis. Pelvis makes sense because there is plenty of bone marrow in there. It is just an indication that the Neulasta is doing its thing and promoting my bone marrow to produce white blood cells. I slept well and long last night, despite my hourly trips to urinate. I am feeling a bit more energy today and will attempt to get a few things done around the house. And that's all I have to say about that.

I made it to Rocky Mountain National Park today. Packed a lunch and water and went. It was about 70º here with little wind but 55º there with a lot of wind. Not too many visitors and the roads were pretty empty. A nice drive there and around and back. 

 

Wind?

During the night I could still hear the wind blowing against the bedroom window.This morning, thankfully, it is done. We are looking at 10 mph winds today. Much better than before. I am considering some sort of weather station that include an anemometer so that I can track winds here at the house. I need something more accurate than; "Geez, the grill is blowing off of the patio!" It is also warming up today to the md 60s, much nicer than it has been the past few days. I plan on getting outside and enjoying it.

Went out to fill the birdfeeder again and found that the wind knocking it around for the last couple of days did some damage. Now glued and screwed together and clamped. The birds will have to wait for their seed.

On the chemo symptoms front, this morning I think the Neulasta is at work in my long bones. I have slight, dull pain in both my femurs and in both humerus (or should it be humeri?) Not bad, but I can feel it. Otherwise I am OK. Right before I got in the shower this morning the bed called my name for about 15 minutes. I just had to lay down. What's with that? I still have a lot of hair, and it is growing. What's with that? Not complaining mind you, just curious. I am complaining about my lack of energy. I don't seem to have energy to do much of anything and that bothers me. I know it is due to the chemo but I don't have to like it.

Last night I met Chuck and Joan in Niwot at Ajuaa. It is a Tex-Mex chain that does a pretty good job. But the best part was spending time with Chuck and Joan. Good friends, good conversation.

The wind is BACK! West winds at 24 mph.

More Wind

It is Tuesday and the Chinook winds are blowing downslope once more. We have 20-30mph winds again with gusts over 40mph. The winds contributed to Sharon's bad day yesterday. Yes, she had a very bad travel day.

I dropped Sharon off at the Denver airport at 6:00 a.m. on Monday. They boarded her plane late because of bad winds. Then when they finally left, they turned around and came back to the gate because one of the engines was not idling correctly. After hours of excuses and work, Sharon said they unloaded bags from the plane and rebooked her on a 5:00 a.m. Tuesday flight. She got it changed to a 2:15 p.m. flight Monday, but that was delayed as well. Last night at 8:25 p.m. she texted me from Milwaukee. They were diverted. She finally made it to Chicago at about 10:00 p.m. and stayed at the airport Hilton. Bad, bad day. She should have been in Norfolk, Virginia by at least 4:00 p.m. on Monday. She is just arriving there as I write this Tuesday morning. Her bag is on its way to LaGuardia and won't be in Norfolk until this evening.

I on the other hand did little or nothing all day long after taking Sharon to the airport. My body told me to lay low and I listened. The chemo is slowing me down, though I do not feel fatigued, just slow. I'm thinking I will be able to do more today. The only thing on my list though is shower, dishes, pick up the house, and income taxes.

I feel a need to update on chemo symptoms. Except for the incident Sunday evening when I got lightheaded and suddenly hot, I have had not other issues the past couple of days. Dr. Kamdar cut ack on Vincristine this last cycle, and I have had no noticeable worsening of neuropathy. That is a big deal. My appetite continues to be good and my taste buds are mostly there. Food is appealing and I am eating. My energy level is low but as I said above, I am not fatigued. Overall, halfway through this chemo I feel I am still tolerating it very well.

Yesterday the wind blew all of the seeds out of our bird feeder. And, with the winds blowing again today I will not refill it. The red wing blackbirds are not happy. They have been hanging around, waiting.

 

 

Windy Monday

The Longmont weather forecast for today calls for 25-25 mph winds with gust to 40. I believe it! I drove Sharon to the airport this morning and on the return trip, driving north on I-25, there was debris blowing across the road, big trucks were weaving, and many cars seemed to have a hard time going in a straight line. The Camaro handled it well. That thing is planted on four huge tires.

John sent me a picture last night, we shaved his head and looks pretty darn good. I think I've got more hair than he does now, and I need a shave.

 

Yesterday was a good day - mostly. Sharon and I went to breakfast at City Cafe and then hit the Home Depot for some yard items. When we got home I was tired and took at nap then chilled for a while. We made a trip to Safeway for a prescription renewal and some dinner items, then back home. I laid down on the couch and caught another short nap. Chris and Amanda came over for dinner. Chris brought and prepared a vegetable dish, Sharon made a nice salad and a loaf of bread and I made polenta and baked two branzini on the grill. Everything was delicious. We did put Chris to work filleting and serving the branzini. He can't come over without us putting him to work in the kitchen. About the end of dinner I had to go upstairs and lay down. I suddenly got very warm, started sweating, and got light headed. Perhaps the wine and not enough water? I felt better later and am feeling fine today. I suppose I just need to learn to take everything more slowly. 

 

A Beautiful Weekend

The sunrise yesterday morning was beautiful and the day progressed to beings mostly clear blue skies with a few clouds for interest. We got up to 70º here in Longmont which made for a good time to be outside and driving with the top down. In the morning Sharon pulled weeds in the back yard and I watered plants and fiddled with the pond. Somewhere in the piping between the pond skimmer and the falls there is a leak, I could not easily find it yesterday, but will investigate more today.

Last night we had neighbors Jerry and LEslie over for dinner. We had flounder, salad, and bread that were each delicious. We bought two whole flounders at Whole Foods and had them filet them. We took home the carcass and Sharon made some lovely fish stock! I cooked the flounder filets on the gas grill on the flat top and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. That was all they needed and they were delicious. 

On the chemo report for this weekend, I am tolerating this week's treatment very well. Very little bone pain from the Neulasta and minor abdomen soreness from the chemo. My energy level was good until about 2:00 or so yesterday then I kinda crashed. I slept well last night, put was on the pee run all night long again. Two nights in a row on the 1/2 hour to hour pee schedule. I believe it is my body getting rid of the liters of chemo pumped in this week. My hair is falling out, but slowly, except for the side of my head I usually sleep on.

A Coke Afternoon

Losing It 

Shelby's Rough Life

Key Holder Project

Morning Cafe Con Leche

 

Cycle 2 Day 3

It is the morning of day three and I am feeling pretty darn well. Yesterday was tough but by the evening and after having a comfortable meal of chuck roast and mashed potatoes, thanks to Sharon's excellent culinary skills, I slept well and woke up feeling great. I have been busy this morning puttering around on different projects. We will head for the hospital this afternoon for another dose of Cyclophosphamide. Goody, goody!

 

Day 3 continued...

 

It went well, and we were in and out pretty quickly - about 2 1/2 hours. The only hitch was with the IV that they inserted Tuesday and left in. It was fine on Wednesday but the nurse could not get a good blood return on Thursday.  That meant starting another IV, no big deal but it did slow us down some. During the infusion I noticed short white hairs on my black t-shirt. My hair is beginning to fall out but slowly so far. I was moving slower after my session today, and peeing more. A little nausea when I got home but I have drugs. We picked up some dinner from Whole Foods and brought it home and I ate well - even had some ice cream for dessert. Last night I slept well except for having to pee every hour.

 

Sharon has pointed out the I was getting Etoposide today. I was confused. I am not getting straight R-CHOP but R-CHOEP or R-CHOP Plus Etoposide. CHOEP: Cyclophosphamide, Hydroxydaunorubicin, Oncovin, Etoposide, Prednisone. Throw in some Rituximab and you've got it.

Cycle 2 Day 2

Quirky Birds

 

One page of my watercolor bird experiments. I am finding my watercolor style, and it does seem to be somewhat quirky. I'll see what develops over time.

 

Last night was rough one, I was sleepy and tired but couldn't sleep. My left hip was aching and I could not get comfortable. I have had this off and on for quite a while but normally when my hip hurts, two or three ibuprofen do the trick. My chemo team does not want me taking ibuprofens but rather acetaminophen which does not do as good a job on muscle and joint aches and pains. I tossed and turned an sometimes slept for a few minutes and then was up walking around. I tried Salonpas which helped for a while, then pain relief cannabis cream which helped for a while. I didn't want an Ativan because that seemed to be too much. I kept watching the clock until 5:00 - my target. I was soon downstairs drinking apple juice and cafe con leche. Don't you love reading this stuff? It does me good to get it out.

 

Chemo was at 7:40 this morning and we left the house at about 6:30 for a very uneventful drive - I drove today because I wanted something to do! In yesterday's blog entry I said today would be an easy day, and it would have been if I wasn't so wiped from having so little sleep. The infusion itself went well but I was done in by the end of it and hit a wall walking to the car - shortness of breath and no energy. I have been out of sorts this afternoon but I have gotten a couple of naps in. My side effects today are and increase in neuropathy in my fingers, a bit of nausea, and generally not feeling great. Drugs are available for all of those. Sharon was most amused when I was watching Rachel Maddow on my iPad and she heard it play about 5 times. She looking at me at the dining room table with my head hanging down and sound asleep. I don't think I caught any of Rachel. I got out of the house for a few today, riding with Sharon to the gas station and the car wash. Riding home in the snow yesterday afternoon really trashed the Jeep. Months ago we signed up for unlimited car washes and have not regretted the decision.

 

Time to paint.