Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I
am still here and things are generally good. A lot of people have been
asking for an update and I will write a more detailed one but it has
been awhile and there is a lot to type and it is a busy time at
Christmas.
Suffice it to say that I am up and about, working on my alternative
treatments, and waiting for a drug trial that will hopefully occur in
February. I am still laying low for the most part to conserve energy
and to focus on getting better but I do appreciate the e-mails and phone
calls (so sorry if I miss your Christmas party or other group events).
I promise a more detailed update sometime after Christmas.
Until then, all the best to you and your families!
Cheers,
Rob
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Friday, 19 August 2011
The Bitch is Back
The Bitch is Back - Elton John
Hi all,
Not going to get into a lot of details other than to say that the
cancer is back.
I am looking into alternative options (thanks to those who have
already recommended some) so if you happen to know anything good from
friends or family, I would love to hear about it.
I am already looking at Forsythe in Reno, Burzynski in Houston and
Bill O'Neill in Ottawa.
Cheers,
Rob
Hi all,
Not going to get into a lot of details other than to say that the
cancer is back.
I am looking into alternative options (thanks to those who have
already recommended some) so if you happen to know anything good from
friends or family, I would love to hear about it.
I am already looking at Forsythe in Reno, Burzynski in Houston and
Bill O'Neill in Ottawa.
Cheers,
Rob
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
How to throw your friends under the bus...
There were some complaints on the length of the last update so in
order to allow everyone to read this one in its entirety I have made
every effort to keep this short (although you would think that Kevin
could just print this off at the office, keep it in the washroom and
finish it all in no time).
Anyway...
Shaman says I am not dead yet... but still very itchy.
That is all.
Cheers,
Rob
order to allow everyone to read this one in its entirety I have made
every effort to keep this short (although you would think that Kevin
could just print this off at the office, keep it in the washroom and
finish it all in no time).
Anyway...
Shaman says I am not dead yet... but still very itchy.
That is all.
Cheers,
Rob
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Cancer Sucks... and so does Postherpetic Neuralgia
Another update on what is going on... my apologies in advance for the
Tolstoyesque length so I have made mini chapters. For those who are
impatient or do not have time to read all of it, skip to the last
chapter.
The Naturopath Experience
The Shaman has been doing his good work and making me feel pretty good (pneumonia aside) but his diet is a tad restrictive and I had fallen to a mere 150 lbs and was looking a little too heroin chic for some peoples' liking. It was suggested to me to try out a Naturopath/Homeopath to get some dietary suggestions and perhaps some tinctures to clear up any other remaining issues and gain some weight.
It started out well enough, with the usual discussion of my current health and what my goals were going forward. Then the Naturopath took some of my blood to put on slides and look at under an electron microscope. Kind of cool.
Had a big hit of nostalgia for my old high school science classes and it was interesting to look at my own blood under the scope. For the first 10 minutes anyway. Then it started to get stale as she wheeled back and forth on the slide showing me what my problems were (funny shaped red cells, red cells grouping together, white cells not being active enough, striations, specks, globules, and other weird things) and comparing them to this printed page of "problems". This went on for 1.5 hours.
Just in case you missed it, please let me repeat: ONE and a HALF HOURS of looking at blood on slides. Suddenly seeing Johnny Depp do Pirates 4 does not seem like such a comparative waste of time.
By the time we had finished discussing treatments and diets (EVEN MORE restrictive than the Shaman's - how does one live on potato soup 2X a day?) I had been trapped in the office for almost 3 hours. When I was told the cost of her time and the various tinctures and supplements, I quickly paid. After all the ransom was less then what is requested by most of the Mexican drug gangs so I figured I had gotten off cheap. FREEDOM! Yes, freedom never felt so good.
I am afraid that I may be suffering some adverse effects from my time in captivity though. Stockholm Syndrome is a common occurrence to those who have been held against their will. They say you start to relate to your captors or something. Not sure what that means exactly... but I am going back for meeting #2 next week. I can only hope it goes as well as the first. I LOVE Naturopathy, don't you?
Shingles - God I wish it meant just re-doing the roof
I made the mistake of downplaying the Shingles in my last missive (#11) and talked about wearing turtlenecks in the summer. Well, the Shingles weren't really the problem. They have cleared up fairly nicely after two doses of anti-virals and the use of a steroid (that started the issue in the first place). It is that Shingles can lead to postherpetic neuralgia. This typically only affects 15% of older sufferers (over 60) OR people with compromised immune systems... like someone who had cancer.
What is postherpetic neuralgia? Well the wiki on it describes it thus: Postherpetic neuralgia is thought to be nerve damage that causes nerves in the affected dermatomic area of the skin to send abnormal electrical signals to the brain. These signals may convey excruciating pain, and may persist or recur for months, years or until death.
Not a bad description although excruciating might be a tad severe. I was both very itchy (which led to ridiculous scratching) and in constant pain (about 2 or 3 on the pain scale [out of 10]) but this was bearable - it was the occasional ratcheting up to 7 that was problematic as it was a bit more debilitating and was affecting my sleep.
The scratching was interesting, as if I did it right (at least at the beginning), I could get such an incredible wave of pleasure at relieving the itch. The problem was that if you went too far with the scratching, not only did you damage your skin, but you tweaked the nerve so it was a complete S&M session of pleasure and then pain.
Maybe that is wrong. With S&M is it pain and then pleasure? Can someone who partakes please enlighten the group? Just hit reply all. No judging here.
(Quick aside - I have been told several times that these updates could be the basis for a book and a couple of times that if I were to do a book I would need to add some sex to spice it up. As of this moment, the above comments are the only approved sexual mentions I am allowed. Please discuss with Claudine if you feel more is required.)
Unfortunately scratching the right amount is no longer really possible as the relief is short lived, if at all, and the pain is now almost guaranteed. I am really trying to curtail the scratching but sometimes it is impossible. This causes the occasional "pain take". So please note, if you see me wince, it is not a direct commentary by me on your conversation or lame joke. It is pain. Horrible excruciating pain.
Yes, it might be the pain of me having to listen to your weak attempts at humour, but I am more susceptible to the pain receptors now so it is not my fault. It really is yours. Seriously. Watch some Russel Peters on YouTube or something and get some new material.
Did I mention that the constant pain has got me a little grumpier and short tempered than usual?
I am on a new drug in order to try and minimize the pain. So far it has had limited effectiveness as the itching has increased, as has touch sensitivity, but the deep rooted nerve pain (7 out of 10) has decreased significantly. I have to wait to see if it is a time based recovery for the nerve endings or if I have to increase my dosage.
In the meantime, I am trying to minimize skin contact to my left shoulder. This means going all Matthew McConaughey and not wearing a shirt (just the weight of the shirt adds to the pain, now a standard and annoying 3 or 4, as well as increasing the urge to scratch). This allows a new series of great games though... count Daddy's ribs, find the surgery scars and connect the tattoo dots. Fun for all ages!
While this may sound horrible, and in some ways it is, the words of my new mentor still ring in my ears and I truly believe this to be true: "Life is sweet, braw".
Ah, Matthew McConaughey just does not get enough credit. Yes, he did make Sahara and Fool's Gold but Dazed and Confused is all we really need to know, right? Because high school girls really do remain the same age.
One last thing for those of you who are tracking at home:
Got Pneumonia and was not diagnosed which also inflamed the Radiation Pneumonitis.
Was given steroids to treat the Radiation Pneumonitis.
Steroids decreased my immune system.
Got Shingles due to decreased immune system.
Got anti-viral to minimize damage of Shingles.
Got anti-bacterial to treat Pneumonia (now diagnosed).
Got another anti-viral for the Shingles due to the itching.
Got Postherpetic Neuralgia due to the Shingles and a compromised immune system (due to the cancer and subsequent treatments)
Got a new medicine (Lyrica) to try and minimize the pain of Postherpetic Neuralgia.
Yeah Western Medicine!
Speaking of which, that leads to our last chapter (thank God) - results.
Results of Tests and such
My most recent CT scan results were as follows.... no significant change in the tumor. Lots of other stuff going on in the rest of the chest (due to what exactly - Radiation Pneumonitis? Pneumonia? Fibrosis? What?).
What this means: I may never have a "normal" CT scan again - there will always be something that they cannot tell exactly what it is. But at this time the doctors do not think there is any active cancer that they can tell is growing. They would not go as far as to say remission (can you say CYA) but this is still very good news.
With the Pneumonia gone and despite the lack of sleep and nerve pain, I am feeling pretty good. I am getting more active and my blood counts continue to improve - I am not up to normal red blood cell counts yet but should be back to normal by the end of the summer.
Next CT scan will not be until November or so and that should provide some further confirmation of my status but until then I am in waiting mode but going with the "I am currently cancer free" approach until something says otherwise. As long as I continue to feel strong and improve my health, strength and weight (now over 160 lbs) then I am going to work hard to get back to normal and plan on getting back to "real life".
So remember - Life is Sweet, Braw.
Cheers,
Rob
The Naturopath Experience
The Shaman has been doing his good work and making me feel pretty good (pneumonia aside) but his diet is a tad restrictive and I had fallen to a mere 150 lbs and was looking a little too heroin chic for some peoples' liking. It was suggested to me to try out a Naturopath/Homeopath to get some dietary suggestions and perhaps some tinctures to clear up any other remaining issues and gain some weight.
It started out well enough, with the usual discussion of my current health and what my goals were going forward. Then the Naturopath took some of my blood to put on slides and look at under an electron microscope. Kind of cool.
Had a big hit of nostalgia for my old high school science classes and it was interesting to look at my own blood under the scope. For the first 10 minutes anyway. Then it started to get stale as she wheeled back and forth on the slide showing me what my problems were (funny shaped red cells, red cells grouping together, white cells not being active enough, striations, specks, globules, and other weird things) and comparing them to this printed page of "problems". This went on for 1.5 hours.
Just in case you missed it, please let me repeat: ONE and a HALF HOURS of looking at blood on slides. Suddenly seeing Johnny Depp do Pirates 4 does not seem like such a comparative waste of time.
By the time we had finished discussing treatments and diets (EVEN MORE restrictive than the Shaman's - how does one live on potato soup 2X a day?) I had been trapped in the office for almost 3 hours. When I was told the cost of her time and the various tinctures and supplements, I quickly paid. After all the ransom was less then what is requested by most of the Mexican drug gangs so I figured I had gotten off cheap. FREEDOM! Yes, freedom never felt so good.
I am afraid that I may be suffering some adverse effects from my time in captivity though. Stockholm Syndrome is a common occurrence to those who have been held against their will. They say you start to relate to your captors or something. Not sure what that means exactly... but I am going back for meeting #2 next week. I can only hope it goes as well as the first. I LOVE Naturopathy, don't you?
Shingles - God I wish it meant just re-doing the roof
I made the mistake of downplaying the Shingles in my last missive (#11) and talked about wearing turtlenecks in the summer. Well, the Shingles weren't really the problem. They have cleared up fairly nicely after two doses of anti-virals and the use of a steroid (that started the issue in the first place). It is that Shingles can lead to postherpetic neuralgia. This typically only affects 15% of older sufferers (over 60) OR people with compromised immune systems... like someone who had cancer.
What is postherpetic neuralgia? Well the wiki on it describes it thus: Postherpetic neuralgia is thought to be nerve damage that causes nerves in the affected dermatomic area of the skin to send abnormal electrical signals to the brain. These signals may convey excruciating pain, and may persist or recur for months, years or until death.
Not a bad description although excruciating might be a tad severe. I was both very itchy (which led to ridiculous scratching) and in constant pain (about 2 or 3 on the pain scale [out of 10]) but this was bearable - it was the occasional ratcheting up to 7 that was problematic as it was a bit more debilitating and was affecting my sleep.
The scratching was interesting, as if I did it right (at least at the beginning), I could get such an incredible wave of pleasure at relieving the itch. The problem was that if you went too far with the scratching, not only did you damage your skin, but you tweaked the nerve so it was a complete S&M session of pleasure and then pain.
Maybe that is wrong. With S&M is it pain and then pleasure? Can someone who partakes please enlighten the group? Just hit reply all. No judging here.
(Quick aside - I have been told several times that these updates could be the basis for a book and a couple of times that if I were to do a book I would need to add some sex to spice it up. As of this moment, the above comments are the only approved sexual mentions I am allowed. Please discuss with Claudine if you feel more is required.)
Unfortunately scratching the right amount is no longer really possible as the relief is short lived, if at all, and the pain is now almost guaranteed. I am really trying to curtail the scratching but sometimes it is impossible. This causes the occasional "pain take". So please note, if you see me wince, it is not a direct commentary by me on your conversation or lame joke. It is pain. Horrible excruciating pain.
Yes, it might be the pain of me having to listen to your weak attempts at humour, but I am more susceptible to the pain receptors now so it is not my fault. It really is yours. Seriously. Watch some Russel Peters on YouTube or something and get some new material.
Did I mention that the constant pain has got me a little grumpier and short tempered than usual?
I am on a new drug in order to try and minimize the pain. So far it has had limited effectiveness as the itching has increased, as has touch sensitivity, but the deep rooted nerve pain (7 out of 10) has decreased significantly. I have to wait to see if it is a time based recovery for the nerve endings or if I have to increase my dosage.
In the meantime, I am trying to minimize skin contact to my left shoulder. This means going all Matthew McConaughey and not wearing a shirt (just the weight of the shirt adds to the pain, now a standard and annoying 3 or 4, as well as increasing the urge to scratch). This allows a new series of great games though... count Daddy's ribs, find the surgery scars and connect the tattoo dots. Fun for all ages!
While this may sound horrible, and in some ways it is, the words of my new mentor still ring in my ears and I truly believe this to be true: "Life is sweet, braw".
Ah, Matthew McConaughey just does not get enough credit. Yes, he did make Sahara and Fool's Gold but Dazed and Confused is all we really need to know, right? Because high school girls really do remain the same age.
One last thing for those of you who are tracking at home:
Got Pneumonia and was not diagnosed which also inflamed the Radiation Pneumonitis.
Was given steroids to treat the Radiation Pneumonitis.
Steroids decreased my immune system.
Got Shingles due to decreased immune system.
Got anti-viral to minimize damage of Shingles.
Got anti-bacterial to treat Pneumonia (now diagnosed).
Got another anti-viral for the Shingles due to the itching.
Got Postherpetic Neuralgia due to the Shingles and a compromised immune system (due to the cancer and subsequent treatments)
Got a new medicine (Lyrica) to try and minimize the pain of Postherpetic Neuralgia.
Yeah Western Medicine!
Speaking of which, that leads to our last chapter (thank God) - results.
Results of Tests and such
My most recent CT scan results were as follows.... no significant change in the tumor. Lots of other stuff going on in the rest of the chest (due to what exactly - Radiation Pneumonitis? Pneumonia? Fibrosis? What?).
What this means: I may never have a "normal" CT scan again - there will always be something that they cannot tell exactly what it is. But at this time the doctors do not think there is any active cancer that they can tell is growing. They would not go as far as to say remission (can you say CYA) but this is still very good news.
With the Pneumonia gone and despite the lack of sleep and nerve pain, I am feeling pretty good. I am getting more active and my blood counts continue to improve - I am not up to normal red blood cell counts yet but should be back to normal by the end of the summer.
Next CT scan will not be until November or so and that should provide some further confirmation of my status but until then I am in waiting mode but going with the "I am currently cancer free" approach until something says otherwise. As long as I continue to feel strong and improve my health, strength and weight (now over 160 lbs) then I am going to work hard to get back to normal and plan on getting back to "real life".
So remember - Life is Sweet, Braw.
Cheers,
Rob
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Maybe this can be made into a show... apparently the CBC does not care if anyone watches...
Ha. Ha. Ha. It 'tis to laugh.
So the radiation pnenumonitis that has been such a pain spiked because
I had gotten pneumonia. For the last three weeks. They decided to do
a culture test... somehow they figured this out despite my not having
any culture... badumpcha! Anyway...it's walking pneumonia because I have
been walking... and swimming... and doing lots of things I apparently should not have been doing.
Which I thought was a great idea for a show. Walking Pneumonia. A
horror drama. I immediately pitched it to a production company I know
but apparently there was a big hit show this year called The Walking
Dead about these slow walking zombies that are trying to eat your
brains. It was suggested that this was scarier than a lurching sick
guy coughing phlegm being out and about when he should be in bed.
I do not know about you, but don't you think think that seeing an
overly skinny, sickly looking dude moving slowly towards you down the
airplane aisle, coughing up great big wet wads of phlegm and you
realize that the only free seat still available on the plane is...
beside YOU!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I am having nightmares just thinking about it... and
I am the skinny dude with cough.
Anyway, I am now on another course of antibiotics to be followed by a
course of penicillin (just to be sure this time). The reality is that
this diagnosis is actually good because you like to know why you are
not feeling as good as you should be (or were last week). I have been
told I am pushing things (the cancer group I went to looked at me like
I had two heads when I mentioned I was out and about after a stem cell
transplant in January) so I am going to try and be a better patient.
It is just hard. When you learn to look at each day as a gift and
that there is joy everywhere (even in this weather), you really do not
want to spend it inside taking it easy. But, patience is a virtue and
discernment is something else probably good. Like chicken wings.
I hope this finds you all healthy and happy (or healthier and happier
than when I last wrote).
Cheers,
Rob
So the radiation pnenumonitis that has been such a pain spiked because
I had gotten pneumonia. For the last three weeks. They decided to do
a culture test... somehow they figured this out despite my not having
any culture... badumpcha! Anyway...it's walking pneumonia because I have
been walking... and swimming... and doing lots of things I apparently should not have been doing.
Which I thought was a great idea for a show. Walking Pneumonia. A
horror drama. I immediately pitched it to a production company I know
but apparently there was a big hit show this year called The Walking
Dead about these slow walking zombies that are trying to eat your
brains. It was suggested that this was scarier than a lurching sick
guy coughing phlegm being out and about when he should be in bed.
I do not know about you, but don't you think think that seeing an
overly skinny, sickly looking dude moving slowly towards you down the
airplane aisle, coughing up great big wet wads of phlegm and you
realize that the only free seat still available on the plane is...
beside YOU!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I am having nightmares just thinking about it... and
I am the skinny dude with cough.
Anyway, I am now on another course of antibiotics to be followed by a
course of penicillin (just to be sure this time). The reality is that
this diagnosis is actually good because you like to know why you are
not feeling as good as you should be (or were last week). I have been
told I am pushing things (the cancer group I went to looked at me like
I had two heads when I mentioned I was out and about after a stem cell
transplant in January) so I am going to try and be a better patient.
It is just hard. When you learn to look at each day as a gift and
that there is joy everywhere (even in this weather), you really do not
want to spend it inside taking it easy. But, patience is a virtue and
discernment is something else probably good. Like chicken wings.
I hope this finds you all healthy and happy (or healthier and happier
than when I last wrote).
Cheers,
Rob
Sunday, 8 May 2011
One way, or another, it's going to get you, it's going to get you, get you, get you
Hello all,
I have been a bit remiss with the updates so I will dive in with what
is going on:
I had my Hickman Line removed. Not really a big deal - a little local
freezing of the area, a LOT of tugging on the line (seriously, I
thought the doctor was trying to land a record sized marlin) and then
nothing. The doctor then showed me the foot and a half of line that
was in my chest, still covered with some blood. I was tempted to
cradle it in my arms and take a photo but apparently that is not the
standard process after getting these things removed. Oh well. Yet
another opportunity for a relatively original Facebook profile picture
gone.
I had two PET scans. Both were considered inconclusive as they did
light up but this was at least possibly due to the radiation
pneumonitis. It did mean I did not qualify for the drug study that I
was looking into but the reality is this is not necessarily a bad
thing. This drug could have been a gateway drug and who needs to be
all hooked on phase 3 clinical cancer trials - constantly searching
for the next new cancer drug to cure my fix? Best to just pass on the
whole process, I say.
I mentioned the radiation pneumonitis - I got a chest cold and that
seemed to spark a recurrence of the pneumonitis. Not as bad as the
first time which completely knocked me out but it certainly weakened
me.
We went down to Florida to get some much needed sun in the middle of
March (and get away from Toronto's one day "It's Spring!" teases
before slamming us with frigid, cold, rainy weather). The kids loved
the warmth, the beach and especially the pool. It was great to get
away but I was having issues with the cough and fatigue down there and
had to go see a doctor.
I had an interesting discussion with him... the probable cost of my
treatments for the lymphoma would exceed $500,000 (and possibly get to
$1 million) in the US. Try paying for that with no insurance... ouch.
I really wonder why so many Americans were against universal health
care.
Anyway, when I returned I got a script from my doc for a steroid to
minimize the inflammation of the pneumonitis. Unfortunately the
steroid also affects the immune system (lowering it) and allowed me to
get my first case of Shingles (adult chicken pox if you have had
chicken pox as a kid).
You kind of have to laugh.
I am now on an antiviral to minimize the effect of the Shingles. It
does not look pretty but it does not seem to bother me too much. It
is not particularly contagious as unlike chicken pox it is not
airborne. You would have to touch an open blister (and almost none of
mine have opened) and I am wearing turtlenecks to cover up anyway. It
is also seemingly only contagious to those who have never had chicken
pox.
Anyway, this could take a week or weeks to clear up (everyone is
different) so of course we suddenly finally get some nice weather here
in Toronto so my turtleneck style choice looks totally ridiculous.
Ahhh, what we we do for fashion. Anyone who wants to support me by
wearing turtlenecks as the temperature approaches 20 degrees Celsius -
feel free to join the revolution! Summer is obviously the time for
neck wear!
Anyway - the bottom line is this, I feel pretty strong despite some
complications and I am in a good head space. I hope that this finds
all of you in a similar situation.
To all the mothers out there, have a very happy Mother's Day. I know
that my mom, my mother in law, and my wife all deserve it, they are
fantastic people who do a tonne and sacrifice a lot - especially for
me. So, please accept my thanks from the bottom of my heart - I
definitely do not say it enough.
All the best,
Rob
I have been a bit remiss with the updates so I will dive in with what
is going on:
I had my Hickman Line removed. Not really a big deal - a little local
freezing of the area, a LOT of tugging on the line (seriously, I
thought the doctor was trying to land a record sized marlin) and then
nothing. The doctor then showed me the foot and a half of line that
was in my chest, still covered with some blood. I was tempted to
cradle it in my arms and take a photo but apparently that is not the
standard process after getting these things removed. Oh well. Yet
another opportunity for a relatively original Facebook profile picture
gone.
I had two PET scans. Both were considered inconclusive as they did
light up but this was at least possibly due to the radiation
pneumonitis. It did mean I did not qualify for the drug study that I
was looking into but the reality is this is not necessarily a bad
thing. This drug could have been a gateway drug and who needs to be
all hooked on phase 3 clinical cancer trials - constantly searching
for the next new cancer drug to cure my fix? Best to just pass on the
whole process, I say.
I mentioned the radiation pneumonitis - I got a chest cold and that
seemed to spark a recurrence of the pneumonitis. Not as bad as the
first time which completely knocked me out but it certainly weakened
me.
We went down to Florida to get some much needed sun in the middle of
March (and get away from Toronto's one day "It's Spring!" teases
before slamming us with frigid, cold, rainy weather). The kids loved
the warmth, the beach and especially the pool. It was great to get
away but I was having issues with the cough and fatigue down there and
had to go see a doctor.
I had an interesting discussion with him... the probable cost of my
treatments for the lymphoma would exceed $500,000 (and possibly get to
$1 million) in the US. Try paying for that with no insurance... ouch.
I really wonder why so many Americans were against universal health
care.
Anyway, when I returned I got a script from my doc for a steroid to
minimize the inflammation of the pneumonitis. Unfortunately the
steroid also affects the immune system (lowering it) and allowed me to
get my first case of Shingles (adult chicken pox if you have had
chicken pox as a kid).
You kind of have to laugh.
I am now on an antiviral to minimize the effect of the Shingles. It
does not look pretty but it does not seem to bother me too much. It
is not particularly contagious as unlike chicken pox it is not
airborne. You would have to touch an open blister (and almost none of
mine have opened) and I am wearing turtlenecks to cover up anyway. It
is also seemingly only contagious to those who have never had chicken
pox.
Anyway, this could take a week or weeks to clear up (everyone is
different) so of course we suddenly finally get some nice weather here
in Toronto so my turtleneck style choice looks totally ridiculous.
Ahhh, what we we do for fashion. Anyone who wants to support me by
wearing turtlenecks as the temperature approaches 20 degrees Celsius -
feel free to join the revolution! Summer is obviously the time for
neck wear!
Anyway - the bottom line is this, I feel pretty strong despite some
complications and I am in a good head space. I hope that this finds
all of you in a similar situation.
To all the mothers out there, have a very happy Mother's Day. I know
that my mom, my mother in law, and my wife all deserve it, they are
fantastic people who do a tonne and sacrifice a lot - especially for
me. So, please accept my thanks from the bottom of my heart - I
definitely do not say it enough.
All the best,
Rob
Monday, 21 March 2011
Let it grow, let it grow, let it be white as snow.
A
sort of quick update - my hair (facial, top of head etc) is starting to
grow back after taking a 2 month hiatus. Eyebrows are still pretty
thin and leg hair is quite patchy. All in all it looks pretty funny so
getting hair growth back is probably pretty good but I must admit I will
miss not having to shave. The beard has taken a turn and has a LOT of
white hair. Very salt and peppery - I would give Hodgy a good run for
his money. Hopefully that is not the case with the top of the head. I
guess we will find out but the hair on top will remain shaved until it
is coming in thick enough to look normal (as opposed to a commercial for
the Hair Club for Men or that stuff you spray on top of your head) and
then we will see what I end up with.
Should have some serious results in the next few days - I had a CT scan that showed the tumor is about 3cm by 3cm. This could be dead tissue and is not considered a major issue by the docs. I had a PET scan on Friday that will let us know if there is any activity that we should be worried about or if I am in remission. I got the PET scan only because I have signed up to be part of a clinical trial of a drug that is in stage 3 of testing. The drug is supposed to increase the chances of staying in remission permanently (current odds without the drug is between 20-30%). 66% chance I get the drug and 33% chance of placebo (1% chance the Leafs make the playoffs). I only qualify for the study if I am in remission so a lot hinges on the PET scan results.
Heart and lung tests show normal results although not as good as prior to the radiation and stem cell transfer. This just goes to show that there is still a ways to go until I fully recover.
I had promised some preaching with the next update so here it is.
What is important in your life? What are the priorities? Do you try and maximize your time with the priorities and most important things?
I have spent a lot of time in touch with a friend from Queen's who is living in Tokyo. He was in a building during the earthquake and he said it was swaying 20-30 feet for about 2 minutes. Luckily it was Japan and they are obsessed with building structures that can survive tremors (apparently even big ones). He got his family out of Tokyo as soon as possible but he stayed because he had responsibilities at work. A couple of days later when things at the nuke plant were looking grim he finally got out.
Why do I bring this up? Because you never know when the earthquake, tsunami or illness might hit and then it could be too late. Nobody ever says "I wish I had spent more time doing things that weren't that important to me in the grand scheme of things". Although Chandler may have wished to spend more time with his Weenus.
Also, there are times when we have responsibilities and these are important as well - we have to juggle these with the life priorities... but do not lose sight of what is MOST important. For the people from Queen's, that probably involves drinkng.
And of course, I would still love to get updates as to what is happening with you. Seriously. I am fully versed on what is happening with me so it would be a nice distraction to read about someone else for a change.
Cheers,
Rob
Should have some serious results in the next few days - I had a CT scan that showed the tumor is about 3cm by 3cm. This could be dead tissue and is not considered a major issue by the docs. I had a PET scan on Friday that will let us know if there is any activity that we should be worried about or if I am in remission. I got the PET scan only because I have signed up to be part of a clinical trial of a drug that is in stage 3 of testing. The drug is supposed to increase the chances of staying in remission permanently (current odds without the drug is between 20-30%). 66% chance I get the drug and 33% chance of placebo (1% chance the Leafs make the playoffs). I only qualify for the study if I am in remission so a lot hinges on the PET scan results.
Heart and lung tests show normal results although not as good as prior to the radiation and stem cell transfer. This just goes to show that there is still a ways to go until I fully recover.
I had promised some preaching with the next update so here it is.
What is important in your life? What are the priorities? Do you try and maximize your time with the priorities and most important things?
I have spent a lot of time in touch with a friend from Queen's who is living in Tokyo. He was in a building during the earthquake and he said it was swaying 20-30 feet for about 2 minutes. Luckily it was Japan and they are obsessed with building structures that can survive tremors (apparently even big ones). He got his family out of Tokyo as soon as possible but he stayed because he had responsibilities at work. A couple of days later when things at the nuke plant were looking grim he finally got out.
Why do I bring this up? Because you never know when the earthquake, tsunami or illness might hit and then it could be too late. Nobody ever says "I wish I had spent more time doing things that weren't that important to me in the grand scheme of things". Although Chandler may have wished to spend more time with his Weenus.
Also, there are times when we have responsibilities and these are important as well - we have to juggle these with the life priorities... but do not lose sight of what is MOST important. For the people from Queen's, that probably involves drinkng.
And of course, I would still love to get updates as to what is happening with you. Seriously. I am fully versed on what is happening with me so it would be a nice distraction to read about someone else for a change.
Cheers,
Rob
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Things to test border crossing security
It has been awhile and a bunch has happened so I thought I would send out an update.
Last I updated I was looking to get out of the hospital and get
home. I cannot stress how much I appreciated getting home and seeing my
kids who I had not seen in 17 days. I had been very fortunate that
Claudine was able to visit me everyday in the hospital and spend so much
time with me but it was so nice to be home. PMH can be a little
depressing - the people are great (doctors, nurses, other patients) but
knowing that everyone being treated there has cancer
can get depressing. Thanks to all the friends and family that managed
to stop by (and to those who wanted to come but were told no during that
time I was not able to deal with extra visitors).
Anyway, getting home was a plus and I was starting to feel stronger
and was getting around and going out of the house. Unfortunately I
seemed to get sick about a week into being at home. This completely
weakened me and left me bedridden for several days. The doctors were
concerned and worried that I was getting dehydrated so this meant that I
was put back on fluids (a nurse would come in daily to give me an IV
drip of 1L of fluid over two hours). That meant I was having 2L to
drink and 1L in fluids for over 3L per day. Talk about the need to
pee! I am finally off the fluids but am still having to drink over 2L
of fluids (water) each day... how much are you drinking?
Anyway, after 13 days of this sickness (no fever, no elevated white
blood counts, lots of coughing, and coughing up yellowy phlegm) they
then determined that I might be at risk for pneumonia and put me on
anti-biotics.
A few days later Riley and Maddie got ill with a virus that had
them coughing and vomiting and later something else that had them
dealing with issues at the other end. I got shipped off to my parents
in order to try and avoid getting this illness or illneses. The ban
ended up lasting 10 days (thanks Mom and Dad for allowing me back... I
guess I am never to old to move back home). Through some miracle,
Claudine managed to stay healthy during this despite nursing two very
sick children (and prior to that one needy adult).
Meanwhile I am still going to appoitments (seeing the Shaman, my
doctors etc) but the anti-biotics do not seem to be doing a tonne to
make me healthier although I am slowly getting stronger again and am no
longer spending most of the day in bed... I had finally graduated to the
couch. At one of my appointments the doctors determined that I had
actually contracted Radiation Pneumonitis. This has similar
characteristics to pneumonia (minus the usual fever) and can occur when
you have radiation treatment to the mantle area such as I had. It
typically takes between 1 and 3 months after treatment to manifest
itself and occurs in 5-15% of cases.
I am not sure if I should be annoyed that it took the docs 27 days
to figure this out or if I should be happy that I am starting to show a
propensity to land on the rarer side of the odds (something that I hope
will continue on in the future in my upcoming tests).
Anyway... it has now been 34 days with the Radiation Pneumonitis
and it is getting better on its own (typically steroids are prescribed
but the docs have been trying to avoid that and since they tend to
really wire me, I am willing to bear with it for a bit longer). I am
not coughing up much phlegm anymore and the coughing is getting rarer
with the exception of during my pulmonary test. Pulmonary testing
involves breathing into tubes and taking in big breathes and then
exhaling everything until your lungs are empty. This is tough and
really agitated my lungs and caused a lot of coughing. Based on the
test I am not sure that the lung capacity is up to snuff so it does not
look like I will be able to be back in the lineup should the Leafs
manage to make the playoffs. :)
Speaking of tests, today saw me participate in one heart test
(MUGA) and a CT scan. For both these tests there is contrast dye or
nuclear materials used in order to help light up and reveal data for the
scans. What is interesting about this, other than the lead lined
needles they use, is that if I were to try and cross the US border now
or anytime in the next few days, they would be able to see me coming
from over 5 km away. Apparently I would really light up and the
border is able to detect these sorts of things. Luckily I am not
heading to the US for awhile so I should be able to avoid the no fly
list.
Up next test wise is another heart test (the heart tests and
pulmonary tests are used to compare to my November tests to see if the
radiation or stem cell transfer did any damage to my heart and lungs)
and then the PET scan. The PET scan will show if the cancer is still active or in remission. So I should have a good idea of what is going on in the next couple of weeks.
That said, regardless of the results, the treatment and recovery
continues and seems to drag on. My doctor had to write a note for
Claudine to explain her absence from school (I could not get Tiffany to
crib her one like I used to do in high school - sorry Mom and Dad...
although I think you figured it out when you saw I had missed 24 French
classes) and in so doing he stated my condition, my treatment and that I
would need care and follow up for a further 6 months before being near
back to normal.
6 months! Sacre bleu! I am not sure if this extension from what I
thought was 3 months is due to the Radiation Pneumonitis or if I
misunderstood previously or if he is just being conservative but that
puts me in August or September before being back to normal. That is a
long haul... so... am I back to work first or the NFL? Bets can be made
with your local bookie.
On a side note, my diet continues (no sugar, no dairy, no pork or
beef) although I am allowing some small adjustments. I have added
asparagus (4 tbsp) to my morning and evening meals based on
recommendations and internet survival stories. Who knows if it works
but who can say it will not. I continue to known as crazy diet guy at
the hospital as I refuse to eat all the ice cream and Ensure products
they suggest. They want to fatten me up as I am currently at 160 lbs.
As for the 160 lbs... I am now crazy fast as I have basically gotten rid
of that fridge I was carrying around so look out.... For those of you
scoring at home, this would give me a BMI of 20, which is considered
normal, whereas prior to the disease I was at 205 lbs (of which maybe
5-10 was excess) and had a BMI of 25.6 which is in the obese category.
HA! Those Victoria Secret models have nothing on me now! Anyway, I
found this whole BMI thing quite funny as I really look like an
emaciated scarecrow at the moment (but an emaciated scarecrow that is
getting stronger everyday and can totally rock a leopard print bra and
thong).
This has gotten quite long so I will skip the preaching that I had
planned and save it for the next update. Instead I will mention this - a
few people who I have not been in touch with all that much over the
last few years sent me updates in what is happening with them (spouses,
kids, jobs, extracurriculars etc) and I cannot say how much I
appreciated hearing about it. If you have not kept me updated on YOU in
the past few months or years and can spare 10 - 15 minutes for an
e-mail or a phone call to talk about yourself, I would love to hear it.
After all, as much as I may think so, I cannot all be about me can it?
Cheers,
Rob
Friday, 28 January 2011
They say don't sweat the small stuff... but sometimes the small stuff is out to get you.
I have a giant cancerous tumor in my chest and I almost get capped by a multivitamin? Seriously?
Let me explain. I arrived to get my chemo (the good stuff) and
after a couple of days they then re infuse your stem cells. I had three
bags - it was two but apparently I had so many white cells in the mix
they added another bag. This would be impressive (and apparently good)
except the re infusion made me a little nauseous so the extra bag was
not as appreciated as might be expected.
I got nauseous because the preservatives that store your stem cells
and white blood cells smell and taste like creamed corn while being re
infused. This apparently lasts for a few days but luckily I only
smelled it during re infusion (those around me however, not so lucky).
Anyway, after that you start to head down the road of feeling
crappy. I will admit that this process really kicked my ass (compared to
the previous chemo or radiation treatments).
Your blood counts are dropping (red blood cells which increase
fatigue as they get lower, white blood cells and neutrafils which
indicate your immune system, and platelets that help clot the blood) and
that makes you feel worse. This also can lead to secondary symptoms
such as dryness in the throat.
This is where the multivitamin comes in. They were providing a
series of medicines to take orally to help while my immune system was
shut down - anti biotics, anti virals, vitamin K, etc. They also
provided a horse pill that they called a multivitamin. The thing was
huge. Anyway, I started having throat issues earlier than most and on
Day 2 I choked on the multivitamin. In fact I could not breathe. I
managed to shift it but it was still stuck in my throat and causing
considerable pain. This aggravated my throat issue and I was not able to
swallow. I was not able to swallow anything and so did not eat or drink
for 9 days. I hate to say it... but I may have post-pill traumatic
syndrome.
Anyway, that is the story of how I almost got taken out by a
multivitamin. Let's just say that going forward, I will be looking for
the Fred Flintstone gummy bear multivitamins.
Good news is I am starting to swallow again (slowly) and my blood
counts made a VERY rapid recovery (platelets, white blood cells and
neutrafils - red blood cells (for fatigue) will take at least 3 months
to recover) so that I should be going home tomorrow. This will include
me trying to drink 2L of fluid a day and eating what I can (so far
watermelon, cooked carrots, apples and applesauce and soup).
I look forward to seeing my kids (who I have not seen in 2 weeks) and just settling in at home.
More to do after this of course and no testing for a couple of
months to see how I am doing but in the meantime, I will continue my
dietary restrictions, see the shaman once I am feeling up to the travel,
and generally try and get healthy again. I have a ways to go to
rebuild muscle and energy levels.
If you want to see me, I will start seeing people again around
Tuesday (I want the weekend to be family only). While I do have an
immune system and I do like visitors, lets continue the no visiting if
you are sick or were recently around someone who was sick. I will not
be attending any large group events for a little while (at least a
month, maybe two) so please do not take it personally.
Call me if you want to visit next week.
All the best,
Rob
Sunday, 23 January 2011
I may be down but I can still type - too bad for you!
Welcome to the town of AssKicked - population: me.
In keeping with the results, I will spend the next 5 minutes of the e-mail groaning.
I am currently neutropenic - I have no immune system (Neutralphils
are 0). I had to get an infusion of platets as I dropped below 10. I
am hovering on the edge of getting a transfusion of red blood cells
(currently 79) but have remained the same for 3 days.
These are the bad days - I should be better in about 5 days.
Thanks for all the well wishes, and offers to visit but I am not looking
for any guests until Friday at the earliest,
I will probably be in the hospital for the weekend and if I am lucky, I will be out by the 30th or so.
The nurses and staff and the patients for that matter are all
great. The only issues are that you get poked and prodded constantly
when you are asleep so to get 3 - 4 straight hours is a rare and
precious commodity.
Short and sweet as I should go puke or give blood or something.
All the best,
Rob
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Stop! Hospital time! Do, do, da do
Short and sweet.
I was admitted to PMH yesterday to start my stem cell transfer. I am on the 15th floor, in room 728.
Guests are limited to 2 at a time so...
Let me know when you are coming if you want to visit.
Let me know if there are going to be more than 2 of you (there are
lounges we can go to - but not in the room with that many guests).
Do not come if you are sick, are maybe starting to feel sick, think
you could be sick, were exposed to someone who was sick etc. I do like
guests but not only is my immune system compromised but so is my 70
year old roommates so I do not want him or I to get ill.
One final thought - apparently doctors do not appreciate it if you self medicate.
I got a friend to give me a script for an antibiotic on the 26th of
December as I was getting sick and I know that they are proactive about
ensuring it is nothing serious when you are in my situation. While
this was the right call, apparently not going through proper channels
was a no-no. Handslap number one.
I was then told off for stopping my Fragmin (low dose blood
thinner) despite it being the requisite number of months because I just
did not renew my script. Yes, I was going to have to go off the meds
when I was in the hospital but the 2 weeks that I was off prior to that I
should have been on (supposedly). Handslap number two.
So... tell your doctors EVERYTHING that is bothering you or strange
or different, do not self medicate (even if you are right), do not poke
the doctor bear with alternative medicines (do them, but do not flaunt
it).
Cheers,
Rob
Friday, 7 January 2011
Tumor meltdown vs. CDN Juniors meltdown - which is bigger
He's
baaaaccckkk....
Okay, I have an update and since we all need something to take our minds off of yesterday's Canadian Junior meltdown here we go.
Saw the doctor on Wednesday and here is what we found out. The CT scan shows that the tumor is smaller. How much smaller you ask? Great question. I asked the same thing and was told... smaller. They did not measure it so they do not know how much smaller.
Why do I get a picture in my head of the doctor holding the scan further and further from his face and saying... "looks like the tumor is getting smaller to me". If he gets someone to hold the scan on the other side of the room, the tumor might practically be gone.
Regardless, the smaller size is a plus. Now is this due to the radiation? Or due to the Shaman (healer, quack or other term you prefer)? I have to say that giving any credence to the success of the shrinkage to the Shaman went over like a tonne of bricks down at PMH. Man, a lot of Western doctors do not have a sense of humor about this stuff.
The Shaman is, of course, ecstatic as he had stated prior to the scan that the tumor had shrunk and now he has proof. The Shaman has stepped up his healing/energy transfer and almost made me pass out. I must be storing a lot of bad energy because it seriously is taking a lot out of me. He was doing something to the kidneys and I could feel the heat transfer and then boom, I got seriously light headed. Take that tumor!
I also got my Hickman line put in yesterday. Good times, good times. Sure the 4 hour wait for my minor surgery was annoying but it did allow me to play a lot of Plants vs Zombies. If I am the Plants and the tumor is the Zombies, the tumor is getting its ass kicked. I am way better at this game than I am at Angry Birds or Cut the Rope.
Anyway, back to the Hickman line - this is a line that they put into your chest (and into an atrium in your heart) so that they can put in the chemo/intravenous and take out blood etc. I have about a foot of tubes hanging out of my chest and apparently about the same inside my chest (in a vein). Unfortunately it does not look anywhere near as cool as the CT biopsy needle to the chest looked (which looked like the sword coming out of some guy's chest in Braveheart) so I am less inclined to take a picture of it and make it my Facebook profile photo.
Having the Hickman line means that I could end up in the hospital at anytime. Chances are I will be in early next week. It will be one day of fluids, two days of chemo, a couple days of recovery and then stem cell transfer. First week will probably not be pleasant. Two weeks of recovery and then home for further recovery. Healthy visitors are welcome anytime but note that they are big on hand washing so expect that this will be mandatory. I will be at PMH, probably on the 15th floor.
Last thing - I had a great surprise tonight. My buddy Ross from Ballarat Australia showed up at my door tonight in the snowstorm. He and his family are taking an extended vacation in Europe and he flew over from Salzberg to spend a few days with us in T.O. Really nice unexpected surprise. Especially since he brought some Aussie Footy paraphernalia for me from my team, Collingwood, which had just won the recent championship. To put this in perspective, it was like a Leafs fan buying a Habs fan a championship jersey just after the Habs won the cup. Ouch. I know that had to hurt Ross (and Matty too, who shopped with him) so thanks a bunch!
If anyone has any suggestions for something really fun to do in Toronto for the next couple of days, feel free to drop me a line.
Otherwise, I will let you know when I am in the hospital and where I am, when I know.
One final thought - can someone explain to me why when the latest round of chemo caused a lot of hair to fall out and to stop growing, the white hairs were the first to recover? I get sporadic facial hairs in my beard and they are ALL white. Not only is it weird, it is annoying as I have to shave every few days just to cut these 25-30 white hairs that keep popping up.
All the best,
Rob
Okay, I have an update and since we all need something to take our minds off of yesterday's Canadian Junior meltdown here we go.
Saw the doctor on Wednesday and here is what we found out. The CT scan shows that the tumor is smaller. How much smaller you ask? Great question. I asked the same thing and was told... smaller. They did not measure it so they do not know how much smaller.
Why do I get a picture in my head of the doctor holding the scan further and further from his face and saying... "looks like the tumor is getting smaller to me". If he gets someone to hold the scan on the other side of the room, the tumor might practically be gone.
Regardless, the smaller size is a plus. Now is this due to the radiation? Or due to the Shaman (healer, quack or other term you prefer)? I have to say that giving any credence to the success of the shrinkage to the Shaman went over like a tonne of bricks down at PMH. Man, a lot of Western doctors do not have a sense of humor about this stuff.
The Shaman is, of course, ecstatic as he had stated prior to the scan that the tumor had shrunk and now he has proof. The Shaman has stepped up his healing/energy transfer and almost made me pass out. I must be storing a lot of bad energy because it seriously is taking a lot out of me. He was doing something to the kidneys and I could feel the heat transfer and then boom, I got seriously light headed. Take that tumor!
I also got my Hickman line put in yesterday. Good times, good times. Sure the 4 hour wait for my minor surgery was annoying but it did allow me to play a lot of Plants vs Zombies. If I am the Plants and the tumor is the Zombies, the tumor is getting its ass kicked. I am way better at this game than I am at Angry Birds or Cut the Rope.
Anyway, back to the Hickman line - this is a line that they put into your chest (and into an atrium in your heart) so that they can put in the chemo/intravenous and take out blood etc. I have about a foot of tubes hanging out of my chest and apparently about the same inside my chest (in a vein). Unfortunately it does not look anywhere near as cool as the CT biopsy needle to the chest looked (which looked like the sword coming out of some guy's chest in Braveheart) so I am less inclined to take a picture of it and make it my Facebook profile photo.
Having the Hickman line means that I could end up in the hospital at anytime. Chances are I will be in early next week. It will be one day of fluids, two days of chemo, a couple days of recovery and then stem cell transfer. First week will probably not be pleasant. Two weeks of recovery and then home for further recovery. Healthy visitors are welcome anytime but note that they are big on hand washing so expect that this will be mandatory. I will be at PMH, probably on the 15th floor.
Last thing - I had a great surprise tonight. My buddy Ross from Ballarat Australia showed up at my door tonight in the snowstorm. He and his family are taking an extended vacation in Europe and he flew over from Salzberg to spend a few days with us in T.O. Really nice unexpected surprise. Especially since he brought some Aussie Footy paraphernalia for me from my team, Collingwood, which had just won the recent championship. To put this in perspective, it was like a Leafs fan buying a Habs fan a championship jersey just after the Habs won the cup. Ouch. I know that had to hurt Ross (and Matty too, who shopped with him) so thanks a bunch!
If anyone has any suggestions for something really fun to do in Toronto for the next couple of days, feel free to drop me a line.
Otherwise, I will let you know when I am in the hospital and where I am, when I know.
One final thought - can someone explain to me why when the latest round of chemo caused a lot of hair to fall out and to stop growing, the white hairs were the first to recover? I get sporadic facial hairs in my beard and they are ALL white. Not only is it weird, it is annoying as I have to shave every few days just to cut these 25-30 white hairs that keep popping up.
All the best,
Rob
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
All I want for Xmas is high dose radiation...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
2011 has to be a better year than 2010, right? I mean, it is a bigger number. It's not divisible by 2. That alone makes it cooler. In fact, 2011 is a prime number. That has to be worth a lot. So bam, I am already feeling better about this year. Maybe I will win the lottery.
I mean last year I won the cancer lottery. No really, this is not a joke (ha ha), I really won the cancer lottery. My co-workers were very nice to purchase me a ticket in the Canadian Cancer Lottery and I won $100 in the December draw. Of course, I did not look to see if I won until... say it with me, 2011. So yep... this will be a good year.
Okay, so radiation is completed. Not really a difficult thing to endure (at least for me) in that the side effects were minimal. Bit of a throat issue (trouble swallowing) and some fatigue but the biggest pain was getting to the hospital daily. Big thanks to all those who were volunteer drivers. Avoiding parking and all that entails was a great help.
Just in case you were thinking about going for some radiation in the mantle area (maybe you have this on your bucket list, I don't know) - here is what you need to know.
In other news, I have added to the classic Western Medicine approach of chemo (as let's face it, they were not having a good year - 0 fer in the killing the Cancer department) with a "healer". Okay, bio-rhythm guy. See sidebar on this below and how he has convinced me to change my diet:
Sidebar:
For those who do not know, I went to see an "energy healer". You may say Quack if you want. One of Claud's friend's swears by him and he was pretty good at diagnosing what my issues were and where they were.
He noted that I had lower back issues (this has flared up again only recently), that I had blood problems (he saw my bald head but went with this rather than just any cancer - so score one for him on the blood cancer angle), he asked if I was constipated (again, not usually an issue but happened to be one that day - sorry if I am sharing too much), and about my left hip (this is not a problem as far as I know but it is where they did the bone marrow biopsy... we will call this a miss at this point).
I will give him 3 of 4. He noted that the cancer was in the chest - not a bad guess although he was a little left of the site as far as I know. I think his knowledge was pretty good and you can "feel" some form of heat or energy transfer from his hands while he treats you. I do give him some props - during one session I actually felt weak and spent.
Anyway, since I am open to alternative therapies at this point and since I do believe that some people have "gifts" in things like charisma, it is not a huge stretch to healing. So... I am going with it at least until the cancer is gone.
Anyway, the healer has suggested I change my diet (and in a lot of ways) so now I am going to be like that annoying Vegan that you really do not want to invite to your dinner party.
No Beef or Pork - chicken, turkey, lamb, veal (less hormones I am led to understand), and especially goat are fine. That said, less meat is probably a good thing.
No milk/dairy - exception is goat's cheese. The goat apparently gets a free pass. Not sure who the goat pissed off.
No sugar. Yikes, I should be pleasant to be around.
No caffeine - fine for coffee and tea, and I can live with no coke but it includes chocolate (ahhh! but this was probably included in the sugar).
No alcohol. Whatever. It was always funnier seeing you all hammered and the silly things you did anyway.
No bread or pasta. This is getting difficult. Apparently the KFC Double Down is the way to go.
No salt unless it is sea salt.
What can I eat:
Lots and lots of water and fresh veggies and fruits. Nuts. Seeds. See meats above. Rice. Chick peas assuming they are dried and not from a can (why? who knows?).
I also need to exercise and get more oxygen into my lungs - apparently cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.
Anyway, long story short, I am going to try and adjust my diet... good luck, I know. I will try and focus on the no beef, no pork, no dairy, no sugar, and limit breads and pastas as much as possible. I should have no problem with this when I go back to work (mmmm... Craft Burger).
This was a little longer than I expected so I will leave off here...
Cheers,
Rob
2011 has to be a better year than 2010, right? I mean, it is a bigger number. It's not divisible by 2. That alone makes it cooler. In fact, 2011 is a prime number. That has to be worth a lot. So bam, I am already feeling better about this year. Maybe I will win the lottery.
I mean last year I won the cancer lottery. No really, this is not a joke (ha ha), I really won the cancer lottery. My co-workers were very nice to purchase me a ticket in the Canadian Cancer Lottery and I won $100 in the December draw. Of course, I did not look to see if I won until... say it with me, 2011. So yep... this will be a good year.
Okay, so radiation is completed. Not really a difficult thing to endure (at least for me) in that the side effects were minimal. Bit of a throat issue (trouble swallowing) and some fatigue but the biggest pain was getting to the hospital daily. Big thanks to all those who were volunteer drivers. Avoiding parking and all that entails was a great help.
Just in case you were thinking about going for some radiation in the mantle area (maybe you have this on your bucket list, I don't know) - here is what you need to know.
- The tattoos are kind of lame. I could claim that I got the entire world tattooed on my chest 4 times or I have 400 angels dancing on the head of 4 pins but it really kind of looks like 4 blue dots. Probably not going to impress my prison friends.
- Scuba diving is good practice as you have to breathe through a snorkel (seriously) and you have to hold your breath, not pearl diving hold your breath, but at least a minute helps.
- Other than that you just sort of lie there (perfectly still without moving) for about 15-20 minutes depending on if the computer crashes. Based on my experience, 5 crashes in 20 sessions, I now know where all the old Commodore 64's got to.
- Bonus is you are allowed to bring in your own music to play while you are lying there. Apparently the ska/punk combination was a bit of a novelty in the radiation ward. I was told that they have a lot of Indigo Girls folk type music, mellow melancholy tunes or Tom Jones. Yes, Tom Jones is not unusual to be played by everyone... dadadada... sing it with me.
In other news, I have added to the classic Western Medicine approach of chemo (as let's face it, they were not having a good year - 0 fer in the killing the Cancer department) with a "healer". Okay, bio-rhythm guy. See sidebar on this below and how he has convinced me to change my diet:
Sidebar:
For those who do not know, I went to see an "energy healer". You may say Quack if you want. One of Claud's friend's swears by him and he was pretty good at diagnosing what my issues were and where they were.
He noted that I had lower back issues (this has flared up again only recently), that I had blood problems (he saw my bald head but went with this rather than just any cancer - so score one for him on the blood cancer angle), he asked if I was constipated (again, not usually an issue but happened to be one that day - sorry if I am sharing too much), and about my left hip (this is not a problem as far as I know but it is where they did the bone marrow biopsy... we will call this a miss at this point).
I will give him 3 of 4. He noted that the cancer was in the chest - not a bad guess although he was a little left of the site as far as I know. I think his knowledge was pretty good and you can "feel" some form of heat or energy transfer from his hands while he treats you. I do give him some props - during one session I actually felt weak and spent.
Anyway, since I am open to alternative therapies at this point and since I do believe that some people have "gifts" in things like charisma, it is not a huge stretch to healing. So... I am going with it at least until the cancer is gone.
Anyway, the healer has suggested I change my diet (and in a lot of ways) so now I am going to be like that annoying Vegan that you really do not want to invite to your dinner party.
No Beef or Pork - chicken, turkey, lamb, veal (less hormones I am led to understand), and especially goat are fine. That said, less meat is probably a good thing.
No milk/dairy - exception is goat's cheese. The goat apparently gets a free pass. Not sure who the goat pissed off.
No sugar. Yikes, I should be pleasant to be around.
No caffeine - fine for coffee and tea, and I can live with no coke but it includes chocolate (ahhh! but this was probably included in the sugar).
No alcohol. Whatever. It was always funnier seeing you all hammered and the silly things you did anyway.
No bread or pasta. This is getting difficult. Apparently the KFC Double Down is the way to go.
No salt unless it is sea salt.
What can I eat:
Lots and lots of water and fresh veggies and fruits. Nuts. Seeds. See meats above. Rice. Chick peas assuming they are dried and not from a can (why? who knows?).
I also need to exercise and get more oxygen into my lungs - apparently cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.
Anyway, long story short, I am going to try and adjust my diet... good luck, I know. I will try and focus on the no beef, no pork, no dairy, no sugar, and limit breads and pastas as much as possible. I should have no problem with this when I go back to work (mmmm... Craft Burger).
This was a little longer than I expected so I will leave off here...
Cheers,
Rob
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