Keeping it Short

Today was another good day. Nausea continues to be at a minimum. Pain levels are staying in check for the most part. The periodic spikes are still quite painful but manageable (because they pass fairly quick). I’ve been able to stand in place for longer periods without the pain getting too bad. That’s a big difference from even a week ago.

It is late so I’m going to keep this short tonight. 😁

What’s Next

I had another 12+ (almost 13) mile walk day! It was another good day overall. For the most part I felt great today! I like the sound of that!

So, what’s next? We have one more week at home before we return to Mayo. We leave on Monday the 14th to fly back to Rochester. We have a pretty busy schedule on Tuesday - blood work, office visit with medical oncology, then my long day of chemo. Tuesday and Wednesday are both short chemo days….and then I’m done with chemo!!! Hooray! Nothing scheduled for Friday yet - but I assume I’ll get another shot of Neulasta (the white blood cell booster). On Monday the 21st we meet with the radiology oncologist and then we meet with the surgeon for a consultation. I believe this is when we will find out if he thinks surgery will be needed. I think the thought of surgery scares me more that anything else I’ve been through so far. We are also hoping at some point during this visit we will learn more about the ongoing plan of care. We do know that I will need a CT scan every three months for the next two years, but we don’t know what other tests will be needed. I think it will be easier to move forward with life if we know the cancer care plan.

I feel lucky every day. Thank you so much to everyone who is reading my blog. The blog has been such a therapeutic tool for me. More than I imagined when I started. Writing and sharing my journey continues to help me process what is happening. Your comments on the blog mean the world to me. I understand some people are not comfortable sharing comments on a public forum like this - that’s ok - just knowing you are reading means the world to me too. I feel fortunate to have your support. Thank you!

Clearer Mind

Today was a great day - probably my best in a long time. Nausea was at zero most of the day (just a couple short lived bouts). Pain was also low (except for a few short spikes). Energy level was good - I walked over 12 miles today. And best of all, my mind felt clearer than it has in awhile. I hadn’t realize how much of a fog my head was in until it felt clear today.

I worked a little on an art project - more of an experiment. I had an old black and white print that I wanted to add color. I don’t really like to paint so I added the color by using a screen printing method. Pictures will follow that may help explain. I was pleased with the results so tomorrow I’m going to try with other black and white prints.

The original one color print, printed in black.

Watercolor pencil added to the screen, then a clear transparent base is sqeegeed through the screen to get the color on the original print.

The finished product.

12 Weeks Ago

So…I had planned to create a little art today. That didn’t happen. I was just too busy. How can I be so busy when I don’t have any deadlines to meet….no real work responsibilities (for now). I’ll try again tomorrow.

Overall it was another good day. Jon pointed out that as of today I am now 4 weeks post my last radiation treatment. I can’t believe it has been that long already. When I look back at these last four weeks I vividly recall that 2+ of them were the worst of my life, but then I see that the past week has seen the most positive changes in my recovery. The radiation recovery road is long, but each day seems to get a little better.

It was also 12 weeks ago today that I received my cancer diagnosis. What a whirlwind this time has been. We have accomplished so much.

We visited Brandon and Amber today, at their home, so Brandon could show us his back yard. It was amazing. I wish I had taken some pictures. It’s like a mini self-sustaining eco system. My description will not do it justice. There were apple trees, along with peach, cherry and pear. All kinds of other food producing vegetation including a raspberry patch on a trellis system that Brandon designed. In the center was a chicken coop with what looked like 5-7 hens. The area included English gardens, strawberry patches, and paths that wove through all the plantings. I am in awe of all the thought and work that went into this.

Late in the afternoon (after a vet trip with Milton) we went for a walk with our friend Sue Caulfield. It’s always good to get to spend time with Sue.

By the way….Milton is fine. He had an exposed quick on one of his toes that we needed help with. He is now good as new and even completed his walk tonight with no complaints (unlike me, who was a little whiny tonight 😁).

Energy Swing

Today was an swing day for energy. I would have periods of high energy and get through some of my work and then periods of low energy where I just wanted to lay down and read or take a nap. All in all it was another good day, with little to no nausea and minimal pain, except for periodic spikes.

We were able to visit with our friend Jan over dinner. She brought over homemade chicken noodle soup (yum, it hit the spot) and some beautiful cupcakes from a shop in Lansing. Unfortunately Jan’s husband Jim was not able to join us.. hopefully we’ll see both of them before we head back to Mayo.

I’m hoping to do a little artwork tomorrow. Most likely some printmaking.

Repeat…

Tonight’s post is going to be short. Partially because I’m tired again (I need to start taking naps) and partially because today was a close repeat of yesterday.

Like yesterday, today was a pretty good day. The nausea continued at it lowest level (less than a “1” on my scale)…maybe even a ZERO for a good part of the day. The metallic taste is my mouth stayed away. And my energy level stayed high enough to allow me to work on my organizing project and actually complete some tasks.

The pain levels were again elevated at times today. That’s getting old. For the most part sitting is fine, walking is fine, but standing brings the pain on quickly and then it’s hard to get rid of.

At lunch today we had another safe distance visit - this time with our friends Andrew and Jen. It was so good to see them and spend some time catching up. Lunch was fantastic by the way - Nonla burgers., crispy chicken sandwiches, and french fries.

Good Energy

It’s late and I’m tired so I probably won’t write too much tonight.

Today was a pretty good day. The nausea was at it lowest level (less than a “1” on my scale). The metallic taste is my mouth was also absent most of the day. These two things by themselves made it a good day, but as a bonus my energy level was higher than it has been in awhile. I actually spent a couple hours sorting and organizing papers (both work and personal). When all this started 12+ weeks ago I just scooped everything on my desk into a box and forgot about it. It felt good to sort through all of it.

The pain levels were still elevated at times today, but that was ok. Most of it was self induced from the standing and sorting. When I would sit the pain would mostly subside and when I stood (to sort) it would flare back up. I eventually learned to sit and sort.

Tonight we were able to safe distance visit with our dear friends Mary and Zolton. It was a nice evening of delicious pizza and good conversation.

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Today started out to be not as good as Sunday. The pain in the rear returned in near full force in the morning but luckily subsided by lunchtime. Nausea remained at a “1”, so I can’t really complain there. One annoyances today was my “tasters” - all day I had this bitter metallic taste in my mouth. It goes away when I eat (that’ s good), but it is magnified when I drink something (that’s not good). I believe this is just another side effect of the chemo.

I also experienced some challenges today with my mental state. Late this afternoon I had a few bouts of sadness (and maybe even a little self pity) - for no real reason other than I was just feeling tired of not feeling normal. Lucky for me I have Jon. He is a good listener and helped by getting me to talk about what I was feeling and reminding me of how far I’ve come. It’s good that he lets me whine a little, while still trying to help me keep it all in perspective.

Looking back on my day the good far outweighed the moments of sadness. I got to eat lunch with some of my work family - Sue, Brendan and Daisy (Daisy brought some beautiful flowers from her garden). I had the best caramel ice cream sundae made by our friend Cherri at Cherri’s Chocol’art (oh man was it good). We got to go on multiple walks. And, to finish the evening, we got to play more bing bag toss with Herb and Beth. I am truly lucky for the network of people I have cheering me on. Thank you everyone for everything you do that helps me stay on track with this journey.

I’ve lost over 20 pounds so Jon is trying to fatten me up with ice cream.

Family Time

I seem to be caught in the mindset of measuring each day as either a “good day” or a “bad day”. I’m longing for the time when that becomes irrelevant and everyday is just a “normal day”. But, since I’m not there yet I’ll continue my measuring. Today was a good day - actually a really good day. Nausea was a “1” on a scale of 1-10. I’ll take that for now. The pain level was even lower (most of the day) - even after an hours ride in the car to visit family. We spent our afternoon visiting with Jean and Eric. After a great lunch, Eric brought out some old photo albums that included pictures of Jon before we met! I won’t make any comments in writing, but will say that I learned that Jon was quite the fashionista! It was such a relaxing and enjoyable day!

Milton and Izzy want to know what I’m eating for breakfast.

Almost home from our evening walk and this popped up out of nowhere.

It was a chilly day - trying to find some warmth in the sun - hence the hat to keep my head warm!

Bean Bag Day

I’m tuckered out so this will be a short post tonight. Today was a pretty good day. The nausea was present most of the day, but it seemed to maintain at a manageable level. What does manageable mean to me? It means that while I feel discomfort in my stomach, there isn’t a constant feeling of needing to throw up. Did I get the medication combination correct today or was today just a lucky day? We’ll see tomorrow. The pain level was also lower today. I did quite a bit of cooking this afternoon (which made me feel good), but I paid for the constant standing. The good thing was that the pain subsided quickly. We spent our evening enjoying dinner with Herb and Beth, followed by a couple friendly games of bean bag toss. It was probably the most relaxed I’ve felt for awhile. I’m looking forward to tomorrow being a better day!

Bummer of a Day!

This was a bummer of a day. The nausea was present most of the day. And the pain in the rear resurfaced late morning and stayed all day. There were some periods of relief, but not many. The medication is frustrating because the combination helps one day doesn’t help the next. Reflecting on today I’m hoping it was just a hiccup in my progress and that tomorrow I will be back on track for having better days!

There’s No Place Like Home!

I’m much too tired to write tonight, but wanted everyone know that today was a good day - especially since we got to go home. Travel was uneventful. We felt safe with all the precautionary measures Delta has in place. The nausea continued to be challenging throughout the day, but the pain was at a minimal level.

This may or may not have been our plane coming to pick us up!!!

Milestone are Great!

As of today I have competed 75% of my chemotherapy. Only one cycle left. The last cycle starts on September 15, so we are heading home tomorrow for a few weeks. I can’t wait to be home.

The nausea continued today, along with a few minor headaches. No appetite and food hadn’t been tasting good the last couple days. Jon says I need to eat more…he is right, so I try to eat even when it doesn’t taste good to me. This too shall pass.

I have one last appointment tomorrow morning to get the Neulasta shot before we head for home.

Nothing else to report so I will close this post with just a few pictures,

Ducks lined up on our morning walk!

One more trip for ice cream! Rock Road for Jon and Birthday Cake for me. Yum!

The moon on our evening walk!

Day Two

• The word of the day is………………..nausea. I woke up with it and it seemed to hang around most of the day. We talked to the nurse and doctor and they modified my drug regiment. It was like a rollercoaster all day. It would subside and then raise its ugly head. Later into the evening my friend on the other end seem to want to get in on the action, so I spent a fair amount of time dealing with him too. the silver lining was the pain in the rear has lessened enough to be manageable for the most part. We still managed to get several walks in throughout the day, which took my attention away from the nausea. Went to bed early and tried to write my blog, but I was too sleepy, so I’m finishing it up this morning. Last night was a rough night of sleep. I was up about every 20-30 minutes needing the bathroom for one thing our another. Hopefully thing settle down today. Never a dull moment.

Another beautiful sunset last night.

Chemotherapy: Cycle 3, Day 1

Today started my third cycle of chemotherapy. The first day of the cycle is always the longest. In all, I was there about 5 hours getting multiple infusions. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be about two hours each.

Today’s infusion was uneventful. Everything went well. Although part of the infusions are drugs to curtail the nausea, I still became nauseous by mid-late afternoon. I tried one of my pills, but it didn’t really seem to help. I tried taking a nap, but the nausea remained, plus I got a headache. Went for another walk and that helped a little. I took my bedtime nausea pill around 8:30 - and here I am an hour later and the nausea has calmed down enough that I think I’ll be able to fall asleep after I finish this post.

We learned today that at the end of this cycle (on Thursday) I will receive another drug called Neulasta. It is a white blood cell booster designed to help reduce the risk of infection because of a low white blood cell count caused by my chemotherapy.

It was still dark when we hit the trail this morning, but daylight arrived within 30 minutes of our start. The darkness gave a different perspective to our walk.

A walk in the dark…….

Just after sunrise

Sunset on tonight’s walk.

Sunset tonight

Another Good Day

Not much to report on the medical front. Today was another good day. I definitely feel like I’m over the hump and trending in the right direction in regards to the side effects of my radiation.

My third cycle of chemo starts tomorrow morning. It is the longer day of the three, with two chemo drugs to administer. I’m hoping the nausea will be better managed this cycle. I’m looking forward to getting another cycle behind me.

Today we tried a new trail - the Zumbro South Park Trail. It was a pretty trail, but Bear Creek Trail is still our favorite.

The Good Days Continue

Today was another good day. The nausea is mostly gone and the pain, while present, seems more tolerable. It seems more tolerable because both the frequency and the duration are less than past days. I still have problems standing - whenever I stand in one place for more than 30 seconds it feels like a knife is being jabbed between my legs. The weird thing is that this is relieved by walking, which is one of the reasons I walk so much here.

Speaking of walking - we walked a new route this morning that incorporated a loop around a small lake. It was beautiful. I wish we had these trails at home. We also visited the Rochester Art Center. The exhibitions were interesting, but the work was not really my cup of tea.

Busy, But Fun Day

Today was another day off before chemo starts on Monday. It was also another “good day” - probably the best in several weeks. This morning’s walk was also my best in many weeks - with a whopping 5.36 miles. I love this trail because every day is like a new discovery. We always do part of the walk together, and then Jon runs and I continue to walk. It’s good time for us to talk while we’re together and then for me to let my mind wonder when I’m alone.

Caught someone eating breakfast!

Our walk was just after a couple storms blew through

I still don’t have this selfie thing down!

After breakfast we went out for a second walk, racking up another 5.22 miles. This time we were on the sidewalks rather than a trail. Our belief is that my exercising (walking) is a critical component of my recovery!

After our walk we grabbed the car and treated ourselves to ice cream at Flapdoodles - it was amazingly good!

Rocky Road and Toasted Coconut Almond!

Butterscotch Malted…..

Outside the ice cream shop.

After ice cream we ran a couple more errands and then headed home for dinner. The highlight of my day……….I bought a belt to keep my pants from falling down. I’m sure the good folks of Rochester are thankful!

A dinner time visitor - he kept trying to come inside.

Day Off

Today was a day off -no tests, no treatments, and (best of all) no pokes! It was also another good day. I can tell the burning from the radiation is starting to heal. Pain levels stayed in check with only a few flare-ups.

To entertain ourselves we decided to go for a little drive, that turned into a long drive, through Minnesota. Whether we were on a highway or a backroad the scenery was beautiful. Unfortunately, everything I brought with us (a pillow, a towel, and an inflatable donut) failed to keep me comfortable riding in the car. But then we found a fabric store where I found a small piece of 2” thick foam. It saved the day and made the ride more enjoyable.

Tests

Today was a long day! The results of this morning’s bloodwork was good. Most of the numbers have either bounced back to where they should be or if they are still low, it is an expected low. The results of the CT scan were really good. The main tumor continues to shrink. The affected lymph node has shrunk from 8 mm to 3 mm, which puts it back to normal size. The best news is that the CT scan still shows no new involvement of the cancer - that it is still contained in the original location. I will now have a CT scan every 3 months for the next two years. Both my oncologist still remain encouraged by my progress.