February 2010
15 posts
The New Normal?
When all this started, one of Judy’s wise remarks was “Maybe this is the new normal.” After all, everything changes — why shouldn’t “normal life” change?
Doctors keep warning me about the onerous side-effects of treatment, and while I wouldn’t recommend going through what I’m going through, diet and medication and meditation seem to be helping...
Avanti!
This is the fifth week of treatment. They warned me and rewarned me that this week and next will be rough. I don’t want to be cocky or dabble in hubris, but although I do have intense episodes of discomfort, so far my side-effects are manageable. I started chemo again today. My platelets and white cells are down, as expected, but not so far that treatment needs to be suspended. The infusion...
Surrounded by teachers
I’m surrounded by teachers — friends, others who have undergone treatment for cancer, and magical soul teachers like Bengali poet Rabindrinath Tagore. My good friend Phyllis Florin took this photograph of Mamie and I cheerfully paddling a two-person inflatable kayak into a rapid on the Rogue river some years ago. Phyllis has a wonderful talent for enhancing photos into inspirational...
I love my caregivers
When I got my diagnosis, I asked my GP if I ought to be at Sloan-Kettering or MD Anderson — the big, famous cancer hospitals. He told me, considering the three-opinion diagnosis, the rarity of my disease, and unanimity of opinion regarding treatment options, that this would be like importing a Ferrari mechanic to change my tires. He liked the oncologists, and the equipment is state of the...
Into the rapids
I’ve done a LOT of whitewater. On my first exposure to the freemasonry of adrenaline-freaks who throw themselves into enormous hydraulic turbulence for fun, I PADDLED the length of the Colorado in small rafts with 16 professional river guides. Mamie and I have done the Rogue more times than I can remember. The Salmon. Middle Fork of the Salmon. The Klamath. The Green. The Stan before the...
My lucky day: December 13, 1967
First, a progress report. In general, the news is good. Latest blood tests need to be repeated, but they show that chemo has depressed platelets and white cell count, but not enough to warrant suspending treatment. Radiation treatments will continue daily, and another week of chemo scheduled for Feb 22. I’m on top of onerous side-effects, and although I’ve been told that they will grow...
I salute you, Mamie Rheingold
My daughter Mamie, a Googler, works 50-60 hour weeks — and longer. It’s the way she has always been: she won’t stop until she’s done everything on her list, and she’s not satisfied until she’s done everything as perfectly as possible. Despite her very significant work obligations, she has managed to do her job and to support me magnificently.
Yesterday, we got...
I'm feeling well enough to teach today
Long day. Mamie will drive me to 7:40 AM treatment, then I meet with radiation oncologist, then I wait in line for a blood test, then Mamie and I will have an unhurried breakfast and she will drive me to Stanford. She’ll pick me up after class and drive me to the city, where Judy will pick me up.
As long as I’m feeling well enough and don’t look to skeery, I’m going to try...
Heading for the rapids
I’ve been through a couple of episodes of not feeling so hot. They are definitely episodes that subside in ten minutes or an hour. I had one yesterday, for example, but was able to walk my dogs for over an hour in the afternoon. The episodes are becoming more frequent, lasting longer, and more onerous. However, it’s really no big deal yet, particularly in comparison to what so many...
I'm feeling pretty good today
I had a not so good morning yesterday, probably in part due to my own overindulgence in some extremely yummy cookies. My refrigerator and freezer are full of delicious soups and stews that friends have contributed. I eat soup for breakfast — something I’ve done for a long time to keep my blood-sugar level below that of a diabetic — so this is a great relief from the store-bought...
Good news -- the rest of my body is CLEAR of...
I thought that I had posted the results of my PET scan, but maybe I didn’t. A PET scan offers a detailed look at the entire body, and through the use of a radioactive glucose (tumors love glucose), it is a good way to detect even tiny tumors anywhere in the body.
The results of my PET scan were that the rest of my body is CLEAR of metastases (secondary tumors). This is VERY good news, and...
Side effects of treatment are starting to kick in
Clearly, I’m not being squeamish about the details. And neither do I want to, uh, bombard my readers with micro-reports on the functioning of my lower gastrointestinal tract. So I’m going to describe the expected side-effects of my treatment and allow y’all to read between the lines in the future.
I’m told that most patients have little problem, except for some fatigue,...
What do you say to someone who has cancer? (Hint:...
I’ve heard from so many friends and colleagues. And I’ve NOT heard from some people who undoubtedly have heard the news. I definitely understand what is inhibiting them. It was only a few weeks ago when I was a person without cancer who didn’t know what to say to a person who has been diagnosed.
From this side of the line, my advice is to to reach out through the least intrusive...
Off to Stanford today
Stanford has been totally supportive (thank you Barbara and Jim!) and I’ve set up contingency plans for days when I’ll need to attend class via video. But today I feel well enough to make the trek, so I’m leaving in 5 minutes for a 7:45 treatment, then meet with radiation oncologist, then Judy and I get breakfast and head for Palo Alto, where she will hang out ALL DAY and pick me...
