Slowly, my health rebounds from the shock of high-dose chemotherapy. Even the doctor at my exit interview referred to this medicine as “poison.” Most of its lingering effects are invisible. The light-headedness and shortness of breath are mine alone to observe. My stomach’s orientation remains slightly tilted; unpredictable upsets remind me that the toxins ticketed … More This Is Not Who I Am, Or Is It?
Today is getaway day. We expect to arrive home this afternoon. I am tired and bored. There’s little desire to read or write. I lost my strength to explore Seattle. Television’s meaningless braying insults my intelligence, in fact, our collective intelligence. You need only be stuck in front of it for a period of time … More Do Not Hug
Sunday we got a break from our daily clinic visit and blood work. So, we went out to breakfast. Returning to the apartment, we then watched 300 hours of football, which wouldn’t be so bad but we’d watched 200 hours on Saturday. I am soooo tired of TV. Monday, it was back to the lab. … More Our Goal
The phone rang; I vomited. Granted, the ringer for the landline at our apartment blares like a fire engine, demanding attention NOW! I leapt up, relatively speaking, from my easy chair next to a sunny window. I chemo-shuffled at top speed to answer. I absorbed the thirty-second message. Then I reached for my “phucket” bucket, … More More Than You Ever Wanted To Know
Last Thursday, Marilyn and I hoofed it downtown to 1st and Union Avenue in Seattle. That corner houses SAM, the Seattle Art Museum. The first Thursday of each month is free to all visitors. We took advantage of the offer to check out the four floors of their permanent collection. We opted to not take … More Home Sweet Home
Marilyn and I went hiking yesterday at a small gem of an urban park, Carkeek Park recreational area. The trails were well kept and wandered through thick forest out to Puget Sound. There, a toddler’s heaven, complete with a sandy beach, playgrounds, and picnic areas, awaits families. We traipsed along the numerous short trails before … More Break Time
Day by day, my strength and stamina improve. Marilyn and I increased the length of our walks each of the last four days. Saturday, we walked the perimeter of Volunteer Park and then a portion of the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Sunday, we drove to Woodinville to visit with friends Kevin and Arlene. Together we ambled … More Walking, Walking, Walking
LISTLESS is the word of the day, and an apt description for John’s demeanor of the last few days. Suddenly the walk to the clinic is a challenge. With his white blood cells hovering around zero while his reds and platelets continue to drop, the question becomes, “What exactly IS circulating around my system?” While … More Bone Pain
Yesterday, Marilyn and I walked the peaceful circuit of the Seattle Arboretum. In the balmy evening, we ventured into the northeast hills. We ate dinner at a Thai restaurant. Afterwards, we saw Tell No One, a taut, twisting French mystery playing at The Egyptian theater. Then, the night: It began as pressure in my hips. … More Dealing With The Chemo
I’m sure that many of you reading this blog have experience with cancer as either a patient or family member, and the scenes we describe are old news. Let me just say that I have the greatest respect for all who travel this road. We see courage displayed on a daily basis at the Seattle … More First Chemo
Good Blood, Bad Blood 