Three to go...

With the arrival of Day Five, this session is basically coming to an end. It has been the uncomfortable process that became the norm about three sessions ago, though nothing worse arose. Just the incredible fatigue, and "ick" feeling that lasts for about 48 hours. I'm taking it slowly this morning, and should be much better by tomorrow...but there is no avoiding how crummy this all makes me feel. And guilty for not being able to do as much as I could the first few sessions, when nothing really dropped out of the week.

The best news is that there are only three to go. One the week after the holiday, and then the last two fall upon each other quickly. It is unfortunate that summer will come to an end at about the same time, but I'm willing to consider this a lost spring and summer...if I can get to the end of the journey successfully. It will be interesting to see how I respond with the last couple, because I'll be so mentally excited to be at the end of the trail, yet my body won't be quite as happy until we're all done.

The oddest part is my complete inability to remember names. I pick up the phone to call friends and can't remember whom I'm calling. Staff at the office want to know whom to contact, and I haven't a clue. We need that to improve quickly, once August is here and I'm done...

Otherwise, on to the July 4 Holiday. Blueberries, fireworks, and an accounting final. Yahoo!

Back at it...

It was actually nice to be in the office today. After more than a week, for vacation and clinic visits, today was my first day back. Thankfully, folks are so supportive and handling my "stuff" that it really did feel like a vacation. I guess they figure I'm there so little that SOMEONE must get it done, so they get creative and solve problems without me.

Lompoc was a great week. Played golf twice, went to Disneyland with Carrie to do some neat visiting and see the California Adventure, watched soccer and the fun OSU run through the looser's bracket. Those kids played well. Even got to watch Dalton play Babe Ruth baseball, one on the same field I played what back when. It looks like it needs a good groundskeeper though, I'm not sure they've tried to do anything abou tthe edges of the grass to dirt in the infield. Still the same bad hopes when it hits that ridge...

Judy came yesterday to sample a "day one" infusion session. We got to catch up on her plans for the Africa trip, she'll have a ball. More animals than anyone can count, I'm sure. Otherwise, the session was uneventful. I'm not looking forward to Thursday and Friday, those are the messy days of the week with this stuff, I've learned. But today isn't bad, and tomorrow will have a lot of "employee appreciation stuff" at work, including a nice lunch to visit with people and just enjoy the sunshine. I'll stay a little later, because of that, and go get the pump off later in the afternoon.

It makes me really red in the face, starting about now. Yesterday Judy didn't notice it much, and asked when I turned red, since she's seen me a lot AFTER the sesssions, but I tend to manage them on my own by myself when they are really going on. Don't feel like being around other people that much, and like to stay quiet at home. Taping soccer and lying around to watch later in the day will be a highlight this week, before I hit the books really hard for the final in Accounting. I have to do better on the final than the quizzes, but nobody wants to hear me whine about that.

Vacation is a nice word...and better thought.

Here it is, the middle of the week. Taste buds have finally recovered, and we went to "all you can eat seafood" last night. As much lobster and crab as you could stuff in, for $21.50 at the local Indian Casino. (Chumash Casino and Resort, to be exact.) Only one within a few hundred miles, and they simply have a license to print money over there. But at least the food was good.

I get really melancholy on these "off" weeks. Waiting to start back up, and yet not wanting to do so. Watching others with much more difficult times in life, whether related to cancer diagnosis or other issues. I feel lucky, and a bit guilty. Otherwise, life is pretty wonderful on vacation. Out tonight with my younger sister to sample the beer garden here in the local town festival...and compare it to Chautauqua Festival. The 54th annual Flower Festival is barely older than I am, but I haven't been in dozens of years, so I have no clue what things are like. I'm curious as to whether I'll know that many people, compared to being at home...

Flower Festival is simply part of being in town this time of year....the odd part is that very few flowers are grown here for their seeds, so the name doesn't like it did in the original days. But I think the "Windy City Beer & Brawl" is probably taken by Chicago...

Back at it on Monday afternoon, which is a bit of a switch because of work. This will be my only "afternoon session" series in the 12, and though I don't expect it to be much different, I'm not sure how it will pan out. Stay tuned for more next week...

Rush is Over

Well, with all the rush to have people here, get the session done, and get kids back on airplanes, it has been hard to settle down. The session is complete, though...and although today was a pretty tough day four, I think I'll be fine by the weekend.

It is a good thing, because this boy is off to California. Tackling La Purisima on Saturday, helping Carrie Ellen celebrate her fiftieth that evening. When I get back, session nine begins and before we know it we'll be done. Each is more challenging, unfortunately, but work continues on. I'm able to make it to the office, things get figured out. Phew...is a vacation a time to rest, or a time to rush through things?

Eight Isn't Enough...

Today begins session eight. Nothing noteworthy as yet, but it is still early. My goal is to maintain my rest schedule so that I'm not overwhelmed when I fly to Lompoc on Friday. Last time I traveled on a chemotherapy week, to CdA, I wasn't a very happy camper. This time, I have to recuperate in time for Carrie's Fiftieth on Saturday evening.

It will be a good chance to visit with her friends, see the different circles that she and Steve have built in the last twenty years, and perhaps see some old friends from HS. Glover will be in town for awhile, we'll catch up on both our adventures and play a little golf if all goes according to plan.

Having the family here for Vickie's graduation was an "event" to plan. People kid me about printing out schedules for the entire weekend, but even though they need amending we all found ourselves in the right places at the right times...and we were able to spend time chatting about nothing in particular, instead of spending the whole period deciding where to eat dinner, what time to connect, and who's riding with whom...Vickie had a relaxing, wonderful time and was able to share the day today with Lizzie, looking at wedding dresses. No report yet on how that went, though tomorrow night Lizzie is here for dinner and we'll get to catch up.

For now, that's about it. Let's just say that I had a better day then Team USA, but that wouldn't have been too difficult. I'll update as the week goes by, let's hope that all remains well and I don't go overboard on this one.

Five to go!

The pump came off this morning, officially ending session seven. A rather smooth session this time around, though I need to watch my rest for the next couple of days. With Nate home, working odd hours at this PT job he found, it may be difficult...but the weekend doesn't have a lot of activity built in. I actually planned ahead to rest up this weekend, given all the excitement of graduation week next week.

The best news is that I'm "go" for the final four sessions. Those will get scheduled, on the dates I've already plannned, and the end of the tunnel is in sight. It has daylight at the end, rather than an on-coming train. We're managing my sleep with the right drugs, I'm getting enough rest, and I'm working on exercising. So that feels pretty good. The golf game, as mentioned in the last note, doesn't really suffice for exercise, but it keeps my mind active and my schedule pretty full when I'm not working.

Had a long chat with one of my docs yesterday, who shared his six month effort in the same kind of chemotherapy, followed by a course of radiation for two months. It is amazing how many lives are touched by all this sort of thing, when people actually take a minute to share their innermost thoughts. His was ten years ago, and much more invasive in his life. Had to stop practicing for a bit, lost all his hair, etc.

So I remain a very lucky boy. Although the hair I'd normally lose isn't really growing back, no one can say that I've "lost it" and look much different. And oddly enough, that's how people across our society judge how healthy we seem. So I'll just keep "seeming to be healthy" and manage around the sessions that remain.