Ice Cream For Breakfast

What can I say? The war torn, savaged insides of my mouth can’t take the abrasiveness of dry toast. Even with copious amounts of Miracle Mouthwash, it doesn’t remove the pain of swallowing it only mitigates it to the degree where I grimace with each attempt.

But I have chocolate ice cream, and it is the soft type so it melts in the mouth and slides on down and I can eat all I want. Only problem is I don’t want to. It still hurts, and it doesn’t taste all that good. Those taste buds better get their act together; I think they all took off on vacation.

Missed yesterdays nuke treatment so there will be an agenda change, just don’t know how much. But rest assured I’ll blog on it. Figured out blogging is easier when I feel good, like right after chemo. Among the multiple bags of stuff I get has got to be a Mr. Happy bag.

Headed to the weekly nadir, that’s the low point of the week, it’s a side benefit from getting all nuked up and poisoned, you learn new words. So far Thursday has been the nadir of the week for the last two so if it holds true to form I will be low volume blogging tomorrow.

Weight was down to 214 this morning; I got to load up the pockets with knives and coins so I weigh in a tad bit heavier. That’s funny because I remember in the Marines we were always weighing in and figuring out body fat percentages and nobody wanted to be on weight control. Saw Marines trying to get weighted without boots or even showing up in PT gear, any thing to save a pound or two.

On the nutritional front, I am trying to enlist a former co-worker who just got her masters in nutritional stuff. I figure with her as a coach to help me through the rocks and shoals ahead, I might survive. I get to be her first client and she gets to experiment on me. I’ll keep you posted if it works out.

I said work out, like I’m going to, NOT.

Todays shirt ---->

cahrley doesn't get ice cream for breakfast, he gets nuked, and the x-rays are going straight to his little black heart and blow it up. Talk about having a bad day, charley is in for a bad one. We coming for you charley.


I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Shirts Rule charley Drools

OK, maybe not the strongest jab in book but it did rhyme.
Finally decided how I am going to showcase the Kill charley Shirts, (KcS).

The KcS are beautiful items that have been received from supporters, family, and friends. For this action they (the supporters) are awarded horary membership in the Adams Clan with all right and things therein to pertaining.

Do not let a born–to clan member try to convince you that your first meeting will require you to buy the alcohol. It’s the second meeting that you attend that you will be buying. You'll need it.

By my calculations Four more Mondays, so there are Four special KcS and from the last day counting back the rest of the pack. I am saving out the first shirt to arrive for the One year check up and Miss Vicky’s shirt for the 6 month check out.

So as this draws to a close we‘ll get to see the beautiful shirts that are killing charley

Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were a low due to collateral damages. Funny how collateral damage is a nice way of excusing un-nice things till it’s you getting it.

Any way I am going to try something new, a status gauge(s)

Update #1 no shirt picture as someone on a back hoe chopped through the fiber optic link from the machine to the big controller computer. And since we don't want this thing going crazy spewing x-rays in all directions like a run away mad dog they have me on stand by to be nuked. If I miss a day the program gets extended by 1 or more days I have 6 hr window to get today on the boards.


Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Renewed Offensive and Wonders of Chemistry

After action Report: Massive nuking and chemo attach lays thousands if not million of charleys dead or dying. I know this to be true because the good Doctor Nguyen told me so.

Typical mask experience, still don’t like it but have not had an anxiety attack since the first one. Maintaining control helps.

Next stop is the chemo lab where those pink and blue clad angels of mercy await to administer the chemo attack on charley. It starts with a stab to the heart, well to the port that is plumbed directly to the heart, same thing, minor differences.

I start out with a liter saline solution to flush the pipes and to start loading up the kidneys, Next bag is for nausea but I don’t think it works because I haven’t felt nausea yet. Bag three is incase I have an reaction to whatever, it contains Benadryl and Mr. Feel-Good, I suspect this is true because I feel good as this bag starts to flow.

Heck, I felt good enough to scarf down a 900 calorie malt in the next 3 hours. Next bag is the poison Cisplatin, this bad boy is a stone cold killer and he HATES charley. Finally they hang a final liter of saline and I’m outta there by 4:30

Felling good, head over to Red Neck Heaven for a burger and non-alcoholic beer. Whoa chief! How is this possible? Last I talked about is how I couldn’t swallow or drink or do any mouthy things. It’s better living through chemistry.

Miracle Mouthwash, I got a prescription for Miracle Mouthwash. OMG, it works, it is a miracle. Comprised of .333% Lidocaine, .333% Mallox, and .333% Benadryl. Doesn’t taste to bad, and it works. After missing nutritional goals Saturday and Sunday, I busted through the 1500 caloric minimum I set for self. By my count today I consumed 2300 calories. Say no to feeding tubes.

Mondays fine shirt

Monday's fine shirt in it's native habitat,

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Smarter Than Your Avg Rat

Well, not to smart as it ate the poison I left out for him. It’s the kind that makes them thirsty so they go out side in search of water.

Not this one, he knows where there’s water, and he attacked the washing machine, again.
This time he ate the discharge hose and drain line and not finding water there decided to nibble on the tub to pump hose.

Major water leak when I tried to do a load of laundry, again. Hi–ho, hi-ho it’s off to Lowes we go in search of hoses that will serve as repair parts. They actually had a discharge hose so that one is a no brainer.

Tub to pump, different story, since this one is abut seven inches long and turns a ninety it’s going to be a tough one. Trying the second type of hose and if it doesn’t work then I am headed to auto zone for a radiator hose.

Auto zone comes through; I think it was a radiator hose for a 52 Packard that did the trick. On test it didn’t leak but then it never cut off filling the tub. Luckily we caught it be for another major mess. Tomorrow we trouble shoot that issue.

Fact! You can’t gargle oral gel, first of all the taste, really, really bad, second, burns like heck, and lastly, it doesn’t reach far enough back to do any good. It helps in the front but not in the back.

Today my Doctor told me to start killing people. Well maybe not in those exact words, but she did tell me to start reducing the stress in my life, so there you are, pretty much the same thing.

Note to self: When mouth is all blistered up and infested with raw sores and blisters, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT taste test hot sauces or pepper mash. One; your taste buds aren’t working right and two; it hurts.

Last night had the best call in a long time, got to talk to my grandkids and air warrior and his lovely bride. Hi Gosia, take care of them grandkids for me.


Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

OK, maybe two outta three, and the rock & roll is actually country.

Who’s my new best friend? Hydrocodone. That’s right, better living through chemistry. Drugs are my new best friend. The sun burn in my mouth is pretty bad and swallowing is almost impossible.

It quit being a joke some time yesterday morning. I was hoping that the two day R&R would allow some relief but it wasn’t happening. I missed my caloric intake by 1200 yesterday and suspect if I don’t choke down some water I stand the good chance of getting dehydrated.

I guess that means a little bit more dry humor is necessary. Anyway, by night fall I was pretty low in the sprit department, the mental kind, not the liquid form. But between the pain in the throat, (constant), and the intense pain on attempts to swallow, I had me an epiphany.

Them dudes I don’t like, the dentists, they give me some pain meds that I didn’t take, and I wonder if they might help? Hell yes, I was asleep in thirty minutes and on the odd occasion I awoke, a swallow of water didn’t bring tear to my eyes.

I’ll be checking with #2 doc on Monday about pain meds for the throat, think there might be one specifically for the issue and I want them.

I felt so good the muse returned last night and I mentally put together the most wondrous blog post of all time. Unfortunately I fell back asleep and having failed to put it on paper, I haven’t a clue as to what it was. But I do remember it was a good one.

As to the missing member of the trio, any volunteers?


Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Bird of Paradise Boxers

What can I say? They be beautiful.

Mean while back at the ranch . . Well, not at the ranch but I would be if possible. But it’s a weekend and that means R&R.

Last night I thought I’d give my kidneys a taste of the good stuff so I pulled the cork on a bottle of a White Merlo and found I couldn’t drink it.

Dang it Bobby. it doesn’t taste that good, but more importantly the back of the throat did not like the alcohol and acidity of the wine, it just hurt. Took several hours to choke down the first glass. Hey? What did you expect, I’m no quitter. I’m not going to waste a bottle of wine.

Yowee charley is in big trouble now, the good sisters at the Holy Angles Convent have enlisted in the spiritual effort. And I am here to tell you, they carry a big stick and I think they might have an in with the big Guy as well. And I need all the churching I can get.

Nothing scarier than a bevy of nuns armed with rulers at the ready headed your way. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. I strayed from the straight and narrow several times as a mere child.

I wonder if I could give up radiation treatments for lent, would that work? No, I think it has to be something you like. Guess that leaves food off the list as well.

Nutritional target is 1500 calories a day minimum. Must not be getting that as I have slipped a few pounds. Not that they will be missed but I got to stay away from the number that gets me violated once more. Even though I think I would look pretty durn good if I lost 23 lbs.




Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

IT Ninja’s are Re-Purposing My Throat

I know they are IT because only IT would work through the middle of the night.

I am sure of it. Last night they snuck in and unlimbered their little ninja knifes and then went all Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan on the back of my throat. Feels like they hacked and cut and were rude to me all around. Plus I think they left their dirty socks back there.

Can’t spit, can’t gargle, can barely swallow. Hope it get better as the day goes on. I swung by the donut shop to get a cup of coffee and decided the easiest of all donuts to eat are the donut holes. Not anymore. I had to gag them down. Seems like the ninja’s were messing with my tasters as well, sugar isn’t a good taste any more.

Not to worry another hunting buddy stepped up to the plate. I found on my front porch a care package from North Carolina. Yessssss! I got me some pickled pigs feet, Southern cured ham and possibly a jug of hooch! NOT.

Seems Jack is all serious and concerned, but he did send some soft easy to swallow Boost and I am here to say they go down as easy as anything tried tonight and a hell of a lot easier than some of the stuff. I think Sloany might be missing her I love the dentist doll but not to worry I have set aside 5lbs of Tannerite to take care of it.

I think the best part was the 400K he included. I plan to put one bar back for a celebration when this crap is over. The other three are going in the Vitamix with some peanut butter and Boost.

I guess the sweatshirt was to help hide my bloated body as I continue to gain weight thanks to good friends and neighbors. two days off and no nuking so I be chilling.

Here is a picture of the Vitamix preparing to make a fruit smoothie.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about my fine new boxer shorts.




Laissez les bons temps rouler

Attack of the Killer Potatoes

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting this morning. This led to several inquiries as to the state of my health. Not to worry, I was up and kicking but had stayed up late last night working on a downed site and started back up at 5 this morning.

Work got in the way of play :(

But where was I? Well yesterday I left off talking about 2012 Counter Space Odyssey. You remember the thing that’s more than a blender, the thing that is going to keep the Doctor from allowing me the pleasure of a feeding tube later down the line.

Today one sits on my counter. Thanks to a hunting buddy. Never saw that one coming, Heck, I was excited to think I was going to be able to borrow one. But he ups and delivers me one, new, in the box.

Then there was the flash of genius, James had schooled me pretty good in the day-to-day operations of this thing so I decided to partake on some potato soup.

Like most chef wannabe’s, I felt I didn’t need a recipe. James made an awesome soup without a recipe; I was betting I could also.

Almost; Threw two potatoes in the microwave to get started, to the Vitamix I added some spice, a clove or two of garlic, come shredded cheese, soy milk, Worcestershire sauce, cottage cheese, 4 little carrots and half a stick of butter. After the potatoes are done they go in also. I kick it into high gear and it makes, . . . . something.

Smooth as a baby’s butt. Almost the consistency of peanut butter just a tad bit thinner. Has all the tastes of the best mashed potatoes in the world, Slides down the gullet so that goal is met, but it’s not soup, guess I should have added more silk milk. Or used a recipe, and no excuse for that, I got a whole book full of them.

Oh, it also set up stiffer than concrete and glued the odd spoon to the bowl as well.

No morning nuke scheduled as they moved today’s torture up to 2:30.





Today's Shirt

Laissez les bons temps rouler

2012 Counter Space Odyssey

Looks like they used the dragnet po-po building as a model when they built this thing.

I’m talking about the piece of equipment that just might prevent the doctor from being able to have her way with me. She keeps explaining to me how I am going to lose too much weight and have to have a feeding tube installed.

I guess she doesn’t understand who she’s dealing with here. Most of my new shirts are in XXL sizes. I ask you, does that sound like I’m planning to waste away?

Not going to happen. No way Jose. Hunting buddy is loaning me his countertop wonder. He drug it over here this evening, It slices, it dices, it purées, whips, blends and cooks, it’s a smoothie making, soup cooking, nutritional marvel of engineering.

Shoot fire, we made cream of potato soup, we made cream of broccoli soup, and we made cream of corn, black bean and assorted other veggie soup. This thing makes things so smooth I can manage to swallow.

And just to show my appreciation I hit him with a packet of spit. I get mine in little single serving foil packs so I give him one. That way if he ever finds himself so mad he can’t spit, it’ll be there for him.

Hunting buddy doesn’t cook, he creates. This here piece of equipment might just be a life saver. I just thought yesterday I had the worst sore throat in my life, I just didn’t realize all I had to do was to wait for today.

I’m wondering if I can make coffee go down a little easier.

Thursday's shirt

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Ninja Math and Operational Update

Operational name needed, accepting all suggestions, will put them up to a common vote.

Scorched earth policy goes as expected. Thousands of charley’s have been swept asunder, laid to waste, bonked on the head. In addition to the main thrust of the attack, chemical warfare is actively destroying their repo-depots and preventing reinforcement.

Collateral damage is beginning to show up. Originally attributed to ninjas, it appears the issue is nothing more than a bad sunburn way back in the back of my throat. Might even be the worst sunburn I ever got, but it is scheduled to get worse.

Can’t yawn hurts too much

I finally got confirmation on the campaign length. 35 nuking sessions and 7 chemo attacks. So using my ninja math skills we are 22.857142857142…% complete on the nuke side and 28.57182857182…% complete with chemo.

Purdy shirt arrived from hunting buddy Marvin. But since it's such a nice one I suspect his better half had a hand in the selection.

And today’s shirt -->

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Making Sake and Running Shine

My first attempt at making sake is taking shape. First step was to get some rice all moldy. That took a few days. Cooked up 3 lbs or regular rice and added it tonight. The final step was to pitch the red star champagne yeast on it. If all goes well we’ll be drinking home made sake in 14 days.

Meanwhile, trusty sidekick and paint ball magnet is running the essential oil extractor in the kitchen. He be extracting some of them bourbon oils.

Now you might be wondering what all this has to do with the ongoing destruction of charley. It has everything to do with it. The quest to destroy it is not going to dictate how I live my life. It’s a necessary evil, and it is disrupting my day to day activities but it is not going to be all consuming.

I got bullets to reload, bills to pay, house to clean, and blogs to write. charley is lucky I spend the few minuets every morning that I do to get his ass nuked.

And speaking of the nuke sessions, throat might be reacting a bit, little tougher to swallow than I remember and getting a tad bit scratchy. Wonder what it’ll be like in the morning.

It's morning and it's not so good - ninjas snuck in and sandblasted the throat, crafty lil devils, did it while I was asleep. Hurts to swallow water, gonna be interesting, I still have fourty-nine eleven cups of coffee to drink today. Man has to get his daily coffee allowance.

FYI the date time on these posts is off by 6 hours, another ninja conspiracy. Ninjas set my time zone to somewhere in South America but I fixed it, again.

Tuesday’s shirt

Insurance Companies and Suing charley

Due to the mature nature of the following content no names were changed, they are not innocent. They need no protection.

Amazing how much paper work is generated by visiting doctors. I’m mad at charley myself. Mad enough that I’m going to kill him. Fight’s on, we are winning, charley is dying left and right.

So now, yesterday, I get more paperwork in the mail. I get more paperwork than bills and junk mail combined now. But this one? It’s special!

Return address is Customer Care Center. Normally that alone is good enough to trigger file 13 but a second glance is at the postage, it’s first class!

Whoa thar hoss, this might some kind of customer service survey and I’m all like, members of the kill charley coalition gets all the perks and atta boys that I can throw at em. Lets’ rip this thing open and get to checking exceeds expectations check boxes.

No wait, the company is something called Meridian, a national subrogation vendor. For the uninitiated, that’s a fancy name for a cesspool of lawyers, one that sues other parties to special events. Apologies to the lawyers on the kill charley team, they are non-cesspool varieties.

Anyway, these guys get involved in events like when you break your leg at a buddy’s house, they want to sue your buddy because he has insurance. Seems like insurance pays a claim but they want to get the money from some one else.

QOUTE “The nature of services rendered on the date noted on the attached questionnaire indicates an accident may have occurred.” And a bit later this gem, “…help determine if others may be responsible for your medical bills.”

The service in question? it was the first scan to get a look at charley. The start of the 75K+ bill trail, I can’t wait to see how they pull this one off. Sue the bastard! I want some money for pain and suffering, but not to much, only a mill or two, I’m not greedy.

But overall – I like the idea, let's sic some junk yard dogs on charley, where is that number for “the hammer”, Jim Adler?

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Semi Serious Good News

This is the start of week two – One week of CHEMO and 5 nuking sessions, done, in the bag, el completeto. Looks like 5 weeks to go but is finally based on the radiation oncologist and her treatment.

Down side – felt a little queasy Wednesday and Saturday, but if I stayed busy not too noticeable. Slept 12 hours on Saturday.

Up side – blood lab today showed an improvement over the starting labs. Maybe being on the wagon has had a good effect?

Oncologist was surprised I had no significant reaction to the chemo, he expected colorful toilet talking and lying in bed nauseated to the point of not being able to function.

HA! This is no girly boy you talking about.

Also tumor/mass in neck has reduced from 3.8CM to 1.3CM which he found very interesting.

charley is dying and we are doing the killing, Minimal collateral damage has surfaced, some nausea(transient), dry mouth(transient), slightly fatigued, may need to take it easy at work(you listening Russ?)

Laissez les bons temps rouler

R E S P E C T it’s the little things.

Aretha sang it, I say it, respect
Tuesday morning nuke session coming up. Today I got to waxing poetic in my throughts as I lay suppline in repose on the nuke treating table.

Wasn’t much else I could do. Crap, I'm like bolted down and as the chinch up the mask even tighter than the time before. It's all like "stick you chin up in there", CLAMP, "tilt your head back a bit", CLAMP, "can you move? No? good!" CLAMP, CLAMP, CLAMP.

HA HA HA HA, I can wiggle my toes . . .

Did you ever get a dental x-ray? They position you just so, lay a lead blanket over the important parts, then they don a suit of lead that weighs about 200 pounds, waddle behind a lead covered wall, looking out through lead x-ray proof glass, then PFFFT it’s done. They might take 4 or 5 but they want to limit the exposure time, for you and them alike.

Fast forward to Radiation Oncology lab, I’m bolted to the table, No lead apron is shielding the important parts, and the first blast is like PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT, I counted, 38 seconds. And we ain’t talking namby pamby dental x-ray here. We talking super conduction, linear accelerator, super colliding destructive forces of nature X-rays, Yeah capital X-RAY.
And we ain’t done, machine moves to get a different angle and administers another 45 second blast, and moves again and goes after me like a frankfurter in a Microwave. I counted a total of 345 seconds of DNA altering, cell blasting, cooking going on.

Speaking of which, In the mask I can’t see what’s going on but damn it I can smell and I can hear. I think they were popping popcorn on me while nuking me up. And they didn’t offer me any after they set me free, just patted me on the head and said sweetly, “see you tomorrow”.

Ya got to love ‘em, Laissez les bons temps rouler

Monday Morning Coming Down Part II

Here the Monday morning crew that drug my sorry carcass to the treatments this morning.

As you can see my shirt today was palm trees , hibiscus flowers and a sunset at sea on a blue background.

Ron is a friend and former co-worker but Laynette is a drinking buddy. Ron is default designated driver. And has helped pick certain peoples up off of kitchen floors, sometime the floors can get really slick.

Setting in the chemo lab wasting time we researched more of the drugs available to me.

Just found out one of the wonder drugs, Ondansetron lowers the cravings for alcohol. In one cognitive-behavioral therapy study, Ondansetron patients had fewer drinks per day and reported more days without drinking at all, as compared to the other groups in the study. They trying to dry me up?

So as I see it, I’m a complete contradiction in symptoms,

Drugs to stop my drinking, ok these are for the nausea and vomiting if it comes to that.
2.5 liters of fluids while I’m in chemo
Drinking coffee non-stop
Using the facilities every 20 minuets
Got the dry mouth
Still thirsty after a route44 drink from sonic and two large ice teas from cici pizzas.

Monday Morning Coming Down

One thing I hate is wasting a good three day weekend by not being at the ranch. But my presence is required today so I passed on the possibility of making the trip to see if something needed to die.

That’s another thing, I’m missing out on day three of the three day weekend. Anyway, enough already with the whining, but, I plan to do some wineing with the support staff at the clinic today. That is to say, they get the wine, my homemade kind, and I get the poison.

R&R was adequate but semi boring. And now week two unfolds with renewed assaults on charley. We are going to start with a little bit of nuke action, just to heat things up, and follow up with a chemical warfare assault. I do believe we got the sucker on the run.

Parrot head friends Ron and Laynette are providing my movement to contact this fine morning. I suspect they too will be outfitted in Hawaiian shirts. Been trying to get Laynette to do a grass skirt but she’s all like, Nooooo. Oh well, hope springs eternal.

I think I got my act together now in regards to the photos. The plan is to add the daily photo on my return to the casa. Add it to the morning rantings of the Skitzo lunatic, AKA X-ray Kid.

While a recent comment was posted where a supporter was concerned about the use of the wonder drug prochlorperazine on me in an effort to control instances of Mal-der-Mer due to the fact that in older adults with dementia-related conditions or if they have brain damage, they should not use prochlorperazine.

If I could remember if I had any of those symptoms I would fire off a rebuttal, but for now I’ll just watch the dust motes play in the sun light.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Mo Shirts

The rest of the shirts used so far. By the way, these pale in comparison to the ones I recently received from members of my support team.

Shirt shirt shirts

The shirts to date. Had trusted side kick take the pictures of shirts worn previously. They were in a pile waiting to go to the cleaners. Plus a few pictures taken by my nuking ladies. Hope to have them take the rest of the pictures but I have forgot my phone on occasion.

Each shirt was wore on a single day that some sort of procedure was performed.

Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod

Wasn't any of that sailing off in some old wooden shoe. But I thought I’d lay down for little of that prescribed rest and relaxation that I previously had mentioned.

I noticed the bedside horological device read 7:05. A little early for bed time but I just need a wee bit of rest. Check the eyelids for possible light leaks.

Aside from the minor interruptions required to facilitate visitation to the facilities, I remained horizontal till 6:49.

Eleven hours, forty-four minuets of relaxation, not bad considering I wasn’t tired slash exhausted. This might be a record for me staying in bed.

On the bright side, it was dark when this took place so it’s not like I lost a whole day or anything. Now the suns up and it’s not raining so this is the start of a great day.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Crazy as a Outhouse Rat

Yeah, I think my doctor might not be telling me everything. The weekend is supposed to be devoted to R&R. That’s right, rest and relaxation.

So what do I find happening this fine Saturday morning? Nausea, the kind that seems to make an appearance after a long night of imbibing strong drink.

Only I’m being good to my liver and kidneys, well, except for Thursday night. Last night the strongest thing I had to drink was a bit of cola on my ice cream float.

So I find myself cracking open one of the medicine vials, the weak one for nausea, not the strong one for nausea and vomiting, the one just for nausea. Hope this works.

But inquiring minds want to know, what is this wonder drug Prochlorperazine?

To the Web! And I’m all like what? Is there something I should know? It’s used to control severe nausea AND treat the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia , a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions. Ok, two out of three might apply but really, me Schizo?

Don’t answer that, it’s better if I don’t know.

mmmmmwwwwahahahahahaha – Evil genius at work. Make that sick evil genius at work.

Shirts Off Your Back

Out of sight, out of mind, some people are like that. Most days they won’t give you the time day. They can’t, their lives are full of things that need their attention, important things, things that matter. Hell, we are all like that. Me more than most.

But get a rallying point and, well, it’s different. They’ll give you the shirt off their back, sort of.

My plan to wear a different Hawaiian shirt to each treatment/diagnostic session has become a bit more interesting. It was going to be close – after all, when I checked, I only had fifty one of them available for service.

That all changed yesterday. I arrived home to find my mail box was stuffed full of Hawaiian shirts. And I’m not talking the cheap ones that I buy. Damn, these are some fine classy accouterments to my wardrobe. I be styling in the future.

It’s the little things that make life easier, and these big things help a lot. Knowing I have support in this battle helps. I continue to be amazed at the support I am receiving.

Knowing, that in the future, I can head into the final week of the campaign, decked out in the most eclectic collection of ensembles, surely to be the envy of any
fashion maven. Priceless.

Gypsies, Vagabonds and Thieves

Pretty sure there were some Carney’s that might have been involved as well. And where was trusted sidekick, the coach part deux?. Oh yeah he was tasked with the observation of pre-pubescent dribbling, what fun.

Mean while back at the ranch an innocent entreaty of “Come on it’ll be fun”, was the lure. “Patty will be there, Mellissa is coming, Laynettes and Ron are already there with Bruce and Rene!!!” Fun on my foot, that is a dangerous combination.

Back-up side kick is like, NO!, NOPE!, NOT TONIGHT!, I got to take care of the kid. But 5 minuets later it’s “for one drink, get in the truck:.”

Next thing I know I am drug down to den of ill re-puke and forced to drink strange drinks, strong drinks, all in the presences of beautiful women. But what did you expect? You think I would surround myself with women of my advances years, old crones in as bad as shape as I am in?

Heck no! I roll with a covey of young beauties. And due to my advanced age and infirmed condition I still manage to get home by 11.

Last night a whole group of gypsies, vagabonds and thieves camped out in my mouth cause that what it tastes like this morning. And I am running late, less than an hour to the last nuke of the week.


Laissez les bons temps rouler

PS note to self - Over indulgence while on chemo and radiation still results in feelings of mal de mar, or is it the chemo?

Diamonds

Diamonds are where you find them. Today I found a few more. I’m blessed to have such a support group.

It seems like one good thing after another happened today. Had a good dose of radiation and didn’t freak out. Dr was pleased with the reactions or more likely lack of reaction to the chemo and radiation.

I actually have gained weight, not what I wanted but the doctor was pleased. Came home to a flood in the utility room but that’s no big thing.

Looks like a rat ate through one of the hoses on the washing machine and it leaked about 50 gallons of water which is a heck of a lot. Nephew and I wet vacuumed it all up and a buddy brought over a big blower so we can dry everything out.

So there wasn’t much else to do but go to happy hour. Lots of good friends there and a great time was had by all.

Biggest thrill, I received the shirt that will be the last shirt I wear in the treatment plan. Thanks to Sissy and her crew for such a fine piece of apparel. It’s a bona fide outstanding awesome shirt!!

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Got a Map?

One thing about this adventure, there aren’t any maps. Never know what the new day brings or what’s around the corner.

Yesterday it was the dry mouth. Finally getting to use some of my special spit. Today it brought me a overall feeling of queasy.

Now the dry mouth isn’t all that bad, more like an inconvenience. This here queasy, I’m not likening it at all. [ Sissy Lou, is likening the correct phrasal verb form to be used in this context or am I showing the world I am actually a degenerate hacker with access to a thesaurus?]

Anyway, added another pill to the mix. I added the one for nausea, I’m saving the one for nausea and vomiting for next week. Of course this might be the result of trying to consume the daily dairy output of a small creamery.

Lets see what the day brings, if I’m not hollering for my buddy RALPH or engaging in colorful toilet talking, then it’s a false alarm and I wasted a pill.

In any event, Laissez les bons temps rouler

Technically Challenged

So I'm slow, I finally figured out how to get away from that depressing black schema. Crap, this thing is about an adventure not something dark and dreary.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but now I got to go get some spit. And its time for my daily nuking.

Let the good times roll

It’s the little things

Everyone’s a critic. Get up this morning and find the fine piece of commentary I had prepared late last night is AWOL, gone, missing, nowhere to be found.

It were a good one too. I laid into to all things uppity and persnickety. Cut them boys a new one! I laid it on them, thick and hearty.

My bad, I’ve been messing around computers for more than a week now, and if there is one thing I have learned, or should have learned, is that on Wednesday - save your work.

Between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning if you leave the machine powered up Billy boy sneaks on and updates his stuff and then reboots your machine. I even told him not to, but looks like it happened last night.

And what was written was so good and pithy, I can’t recall what was said. Oh well, like Ron Whites says, when life gives you lemons, find some with vodka and have a drink.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Food for thought

Why bless his heart! My nephew is thinking I need fatting up. After my episode with the proprietors of the little shop of horrors, I mentioned I could eat cottage cheese and I liked it with fruit.

So the young man rushes to the local Wally-World and picks up 4 pears, a pineapple and two tubs of cottage cheese. While I managed to choke down the cottage cheese, I actually do like it. I also explained that when I add fruit to my cottage cheese I usually use one of those little prepared fruit cups.

Tonight he made another trip to Wally-World, looks like the dairy case was cleaned out and little children around town will be going to school without fruit cups.

Looks like a gallon of cottage cheese and 24 fruit cups await my epicurean pleasure.
My nephew is a good kid. And at least he got me an assortment of fruit.


Laissez les bons temps rouler

Suffering Succotash, SPIT

Spit spit spit spit I gotta spit. A case of the dry mouth, is this what the doctor was warning me about? Is it time to break out the spit? I case I haven’t mentioned it, or in case you forgot, one of the unexpected things I received recently was a FedEx package.

You get, I get, we all get ‘em. But, I didn’t order this one. It came unannounced, from someone I don’t know. I rack my brain for things I might have ordered on line, nada. I rack my brain for people I have pissed off enough to make them want to send my a bomb, nada. I think really, really hard for people I’ve been nice enough to that they would send me a gift in thanks, short think, nada.

So I carefully open it, and it’s spit. Dried spit, not the expectorated kind just dried on the inside of the package but teeny tiny foil packets containing instant spit. I calculate that there’s 450 spatooies of spit in there.

Happy days, under doctors orders I can spit up to 10 times a day and I got to spit, instructions say not to swallow, I got to spit. Hot damn I’m getting a spittoon at my desk, they are going to hate it.

Life is good


Laissez les bons temps rouler

The dark of the moon, a shadow moves

Nope, no shadow, just me. I’m sleepless in Lewisville. Unexpected side effect this adventure is having is my sleep routine disrupted. Until the start of this crap my semi-normal sleep cycles were to try to be in bed by midnight.

Midnight was good, once or twice a week it might slip to 12:30 or 1 but mostly midnight. First alarm is 4:30, that’s the first manual alarm, my aging body always seemed to want me up at 3:30 or 4 to visit the head, (bathroom for those not familiar with the lingua franca of a retired Marine).

Backup alarm is on the phone at 5 and I am usually out the door by 5:30. It’s a good schedule, I get downtown before 7 and usually get caught up on emails by 8.

Now this thing come along I find myself having to keep modified banking hours. My earliest appointment I can get in to get nuked is 9 and it’s usually 9:15 before I get called back.. So I’m out of there by 9:45 and on the way in.

Goody, goody. I got an extra 4 hours to kill every morning, I’m not even setting alarms any more, just getting up after a the second bodily request to visit the facilities. Sitting here and its already 7 AM, I’ve been dressed for an hour, taken my meds and written a blog entry. Actually two blog entries, wonder if that is allowed?

Brhaahahahahahaha – more time to think up evil doings.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

The gargle is back

This great adventure is fraught with surprises. My gargle is back.
Yeah, you heard me, my gargle is back.

Ten years ago I when through a private sort of hell known as a rhinoplasty. Or, as us veterans of such a procedure refer to it, we got our sinus roto-rootered. An infestation of polyps in the nasal cavities reduces the ability to breathe through our noses to zero, zilch, nada.

Short out patient procedure and you’re good as new. Of course it looks like you took a Louisville slugger to the face for a few days, and if I remember right, if feels like it also.

Mine had a side effect that couldn’t be explained; I had lost the ability to gargle. Any attempt to gargle and I had a gag reflex that sent spew all over the bathroom mirror. I couldn’t gargle. In fact I seem to have acquired a super gag reflex. Oh well, I learned to not try to gargle or stick fingers down my throat.

This week I discovered that the loss of teeth seem to have included my gag reflex. I can gargle again; I just spent a good ten minuets entertaining myself with gargle music. You do it to, try gargling some tune and enjoy it.

See – a new side effect, I assume this is one of the quality of life issues. Gargle is a good thing.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

It's all a roller coaster

Life’s a rollercoaster, starts slow and steady then you have a series of ups and downs and sometimes these are scary.

One of the reasons I delayed telling so many of the issues I’m facing is I wanted to try to figure out how to spare them the roller coaster effect. I have a sweet niece who’s upset and worried. But she hasn’t come to see this from my perspective.

She’s sad and worried, that’s a luxury that youth really has. Old farts like me have seen some ugly stuff and realize in perspective that some things are not all that bad. One of my mantra’s is if they can’t kill you or put you in jail, it’s not that serious.

I worry about another niece, a lot. That one has some medical issues that would be scarring the britches off of me if it was me in that condition. Hell I worry about all my nieces and nephews; they got to survive this thing called youth.

My days are not a series of ups and downs, after a round of chemo I’m not supposed to drink alcohol and should limit caffeine intake as well. Seems the chemo is pretty caustic stuff and I’m supposed to give my kidneys a break.

All I did today was retire a shirt and get nuked. Pretty easy from my point of view.

Not drinking? , now that makes it hard to live my motto - Laissez les bons temps rouler

Changes in attitude, changes in latitude, changes in Hawaiian shirts

For those that know me better than most I seem to favor the Hawaiian shirt. A Hawaiian shirt and shorts is what I refer to as urban camouflage. It’s what I typically hunt in and that includes weather that tends to be a tad bit on the cool side.

It's what I drink in, work in, play in.

This crap is supposed to life changing and it is to a certain degree. I pledged to the Chief Radiologist and Dr IIahi that I would wear a different Hawaiian shirt every treatment. I am currently down 7 and have 51 to go.

As They retire I am sending them to the cleaners, lets see if I can make it.


Laissez les bons temps rouler

Gamma Ray Man out The X-Ray Kid in

Chief Radiation Officer explained her machine uses high power X-rays not gamma rays so I can’t be Gamma Ray Man. Number two name of choice is The X-Ray Kid.

Strange enough, The X-Ray Kid says Laissez les bons temps rouler As well.

Zapping Pete went well, of course all I do is lay there. No panic attack and I was able to keep my mind on other things. If your ears were burning I apologize for what I was thinking.

Here I am On the board with butt load of x-rays on the assult:

From the room with the big xray machine I headed to the lounge. Kind of like the admirals club at the airport except no free drinks, lots a juice and stuff but none of the good stuff.

I picked out one that has a sign behind it saying Marine Parking Only. I parked my big butt in that chair. And the drink service was quick and efficient. They actually hooked me up so I didn’t have to do anything. (7K medi-port paying off!!)

For the next 6 hours I sort of choked down 2 cups of coffee, Had to get those myself, a Liter of saline, 500 milliliters of something that is supposed to help with nausea, then 250 of a Benadryl solution, another liter of saline and the thing I been waiting on, charley poison, Cisplatin

Cisplatin is one bad muther. There are going to be side effects. But not to worry they go away after treatments are over.

Common side effects occurring in 30%+ of all patients:
Nausea and Vomiting – just like after happy hours but with out the guilt of having drank to
much.
Kidney toxicity – hence all the extra water I am drinking
Low white blood cell counts
Low red blood cell counts
Less common –
High Frequency hearing loss – no sweat, I already got that
Loss of appetite
Taste Changes – I guess Hawaiian shirts are out
Hair loss
Fertility – whoa thar hoss, we isn’t going there

Actual chemo isn’t all that bad, except for the need to go pee every 15-20 minuets. But they want to keep the kidneys flushed out

D+1 is radiation only as is D+2,3,4. We do round two chemo on D+7 and start the Radiation treatments over for that week.

We should start a pool on the time I blow chunks for the first time, all monies going to Bruce's Livestrong collection efforts. http://laf.livestrong.org/goto/BruceLeslie his company and he is matching whatever you can donate.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

D-Day

It’s early. We had some snow last night and there may be some ice on the roads but I am planning to be there early. charley must die and I am going to help kill it.

Took my morning meds plus I loaded up the battery on the kindle. Not taking a lap top so I won’t be posting from my couch at Texas Oncology. Aw heck, I won’t be able to work, too bad, so sorry, the customers are on their own today.

Today will give me a better idea as to what I can expect for the next 10 weeks or so. Hopefully I can remember to post when I get back in. I think I get to adopt a new Noms de guerre. I’m leaning towards Gamma Ray Man

No matter how bad it gets, remember, Gamma Ray Man says Laissez les bons temps rouler


I still hate dentist but that’s the least of my worries.

D-4 Final pictures and a run through

It was a disaster. There are no other words to describe what happened. Only needed to take a final film and set the machine that does the radiation treatments.

On the table, laid down and the mask is placed on and clamped down. Seems tighter than normal and the pressure on my larynx seems to be a hell of a lot more than I remembered from the he previous times.. Two or three minuets in and I am FREAKING OUT. I feel that I am choking and the heart deigns to race. I can’t breath, crap this is going south fast.

I got to get out of here, I know it’s illogical but f**k, I want out. Then the tech asks if I’m ok. Of course I answer, “I’m doing good” but then I blurt out “No I’m not, this is bad!” Can you hang in there? Only a few more minuets? I feel calmer and say I can but I am really freaking but I have it under control. Then it’s over.

I feel the clamps releasing and the relief is indescribable. I am shook up, there is no reason I should have felt that way, what’s the matter with me? The offer of drugs for the real thing is a blessed relief, I am embarrassed by the fear I felt and can’t really account for why.

An hour later on the train to down town I am still feeling the adrenalin rush and I don’t like it. In the office I relate the experience to a co-worker and begin to freak out on the thought of being in the mask on Monday. To night I am picking up the drugs to counter act the feelings. What a woos I am.

I’ve had two days to ponder and all I can think is the pressure on my larynx was the trigger, tomorrow I just need to get adjusted before the clamps.

D-1, check list ready and plans made. Weather is moving in so it might run late tomorrow but that’s not going to be a problem. Like any good operation we are attacking in multiple directions at once, sort of a time on target approach. . .

Tomorrow charley starts to die . . .

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Laissez les bons temps rouler

What can I say? I have a week to recuperate and only two appointments. I am talking easy street. This is the account of events that take place between D-10 and D-4. I am finally getting caught up and soon will be blogging real time.

Several things happened this week – I lost 6 pounds. I need to work on my gumming methods, pretty much getting to eat mush and creamy style peanut butter, cottage cheese and avocados. I don’t know how toothless crack whores can survive.

Hunting buddy Josh drug over a big ol calendar and week noted med times and appointments. That’s going to be a big help. I have morning pills, mid day pills, night pills, and on demand pills.

Received a box of spit via fed ex this week. Yeah looks like about 1000 doses of spit. Just tear the foil packet, mix with 1 oz of water swish and spit. I got to do this up to 10 times a day!. It’s for later. I think this is the doctors’ way of letting me know my spitter is going to be on the fritz.

Let oldest boy know the score, my brother found out via face book from a friend that knew. Still haven’t told my mom or the sisters, that’s gossip central if they find out. May do that D-2.

Tried all you can eat Chinese food buffet, I can’t do that any more. You ever tried gumming a won-ton or an octopus/squid? The noodles were good, as were some of the shrimp, had a lot of trouble with the sushi.

I need to get this over with so I can get me an appliance for my mouth.
Yeah, that’s what the dentist called it, an appliance, If I get a choice I’m asking for an ice maker.

Let the good times roll.

Little Shop of Horrors – part 2.5

Ok, we left off with a pending remodel of my choppers’ garage. But the good doctor has plans to make it painless. I’m going to be asleep, or damn close to it.

Since I don’t have a choice in the matter I make sure there is a sushi lunch the day before. The condemned get a last meal and I want one as well.

Big day arrives and I arrive with less than overwhelming enthusiasm. I noticed they wanted the 5032.50 up front. But shortly there after I am in a chair and the IV is started and la-la land here I come.

Not totally out, there seems to be a shovel, jack hammer and someone’s fist in my mouth. ‘nudge him a bit’, as I hear this, I slip back to my happy place.

There’s a cover over my eyes, I feel a tugging and a scraping going on and holy crap batman that hurts!! As I settle back to the chair I’m gone again.

You doing ok?, I’m wondering why I can’t talk, I can mumble, and for the most part I feel a bit unstable. But, up and at ‘em. I find myself in the front office, and then in the truck. No trip to Bass Pro shop this time, I throb all over and my mouth is not OK.

Home and wondering if now would be a good time to take some of the drugs I’ve gotten. Mouth is so dry I don’t know if I can swallow. Oh yes I can swallow, I took the test, but first I pull out a handful of gauze. That’s better, but wait, I realize there’s more. Two more handfuls and suddenly I’m doing a heck of a lot better. Wonder if he meant to leave that stuff packed in there?

The next morning the mouth hurts, and near as I can tell I’v lost all the teeth from the canines back, on both sides, top and bottoms, and for some reason the 4 in front on the lower jaw. I have become a toothless ol Geezer. Looks like I will be gumming some food in the future.

I still hate the dentist, maybe not the doctor, but the whole abstract concept of ‘the dentist’. I’m a hater. And I still have to return for a follow up.

Next up, Simulation, some labs and D-day. At this point in time It’s D-10. The sim is on D-4, labs on D-6.

Little Shop of Horrors – part deux

Dollar signs to donuts this is going to cost me.

He’s the damn Professor and Chair, Department of Periodontics at Texas A & M Health Science Center, Baylor College of Dentistry.

He is board certified. Of course I have learned in my lifetime that if you need a professional get board certified, it’s well worth the money.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, don’t know what that means but I think he gets to charge me an extra 20%.

He is a retired Colonel in the U. S. Army. Okay, that’s in his favor, I trust officers for the most part.

He works me in which as I understand it is no easy task as he sees patients only 1 day a week. Does an exam and works up a treatment plan to get me ready for the treatment I really need. I am scheduled to have a major remodel of my mouth.

Seems the radiation treatment is going to have a lot of long term adverse effects on my mastication abilities. Better to take preventive measures than take the chance that later on I have issues.

Oh, and I was right, this is going to cost me.

Little Shop of Horrors

Talk about an irrational fear, clowns don’t bother me, zombies and vampires are pansys, but whisper the word dentist and you got my attention.

If I pay good money for someone to hurt me I hope there’s high heeled boots, black leather, a mask and whip involved. My experience with the tooth doctor is pain = money and the amount of services I need is directly correlated to available cash I got or can get.

My nuclear Physicist doctor says I got to have a dental screen before they can apply the charley killing zap rays to my carcass. So I call my favorite dentist, who I see every 10 years, even if I don’t need to, Dr Russell Stover, yeap, just like the candies.

Luckily for me the first available appointment is like 2 months away, that is until I say cancer screen, then it's all like “How about tomorrow at 7:45?” Existing appointments are cancelled, rescheduled and I am shoe horned in. Dr Stover and staff bend over backwards for me. And I hate Dentists. It’s an irrational fear, but it’s mine damn it.

Dr Stover comes up with a treatment plan to get me ready. A bit pricey, but, if this is what I need, so be it. Then, at the last moment, his associate calls in a favor and I get referred to a high dollar, big shot, this sounds expensive, specialist.

I'm pretty sure a high dollar, big shot, this sounds expensive, specialist is.

Who Was that Masked Man?

Talk about weird, I’m getting fitted for a mask.

I’ll have to wear it while I get radiated.

The treatments I am scheduled to get is an external-beam radiation therapy called 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). 3D-CRT uses sophisticated computer software and advanced treatment machines to deliver radiation to very precisely shaped target areas.  Mostly my head.

But in order to be precise about what’s getting nuked, they need to ensure I‘m not flopping about like a fish out of water.  Hence THE MASK.

Sounds dramatic but getting fitted was weird.  I’m laying on the treatment table with my head in the headrest when they picked up a flat sheet of plastic, immersed it in warm water then stretched it tight over my face. About 20 seconds later, I has mask.

I’ll wear it for treatments and they will bolt it down so I am a captive patient. The mask helps keep the head from moving so that I am in the exact same position for each treatment.

The target, AKA charley, is gonna burn, scorched earth policy is in effect.

This image is similar to my mask except I don’t have eye or mouth holes in mine.

Two things:
1. The new watch phrase Laissez les bons temps rouler
2. Have I mentioned my feelings about dentists?

Just a Note

Just a note – I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few people who are making my life a hell of a lot easier right now.

Russ, Yvette, Cliff , Todd, Rick and others at the office for understanding the fact I’m not going to be keeping a consistent 8 hr day or 5 day work week.

Drinking buddies Ron and Laynette, the tuaca peeps, my neighbor Dee, friends Bushie, Donna, and Bruce.
The brothers that know, Paul and Ben, my nephew Brandon, hunting Buddies Marvin, Jack, James Jerrid and Josh and a whole slew of co-workers.

I am blessed to have friends like these. Charley hasn’t a chance, The fights on and the ass kicking is fixing to begin.

I still hate dentists.

Getting a Valve Stem Installed

Well technically it’s not a true valve stem as it’s connected directly to the heart.  And anybody that’s watched enough TV knows injecting air in your blood stream is a way to catch the death.

It has two major parts:
  Part one is the part I call the target, it lies like a golf ball just under the skin and its where they plan to jab needles into me.
  Part two is the garden hose that runs down into the just before the heart.  They threaded it into the major vein returning blood to the heart.

You can check it out at http://www.markfuscomd.com/port.htm

The process took about 3 hours, I was in la-la land during the procedure, semi awake but caring not a wit. Come to think of it, I was a pretty good mode about 6 hours after.  I remember heading to Bass Pro to buy something, found the receipt in among the paperwork. Can't remember what I bought but it cost 86 dollars.

I digress, this thing gets its first use next Monday. I’m sure to make note of that experience.

All this fun and games cost me the equivalent of a new Barrett 50 cal.  Things are happening at a pace that is almost untenable, there’s a lot to keep up with. Got a chemo class to attend,  a mask to be made, and the dentist, I hate dentists.

It's Only Money

Totals to date:
    Billed  out                   $32,006.56
    My out of pocket:         $7,537.36
    Insurance has payed     $7,444.42

Still a lot of charges out.  This is what I have receipts for or EOB documentation.
And right now looks like I'm winning.

Gotta love insurance

Real Men don’t Swallow

 But for some reason the doctors want to know how well I do.

Jeeze, look at my gut, and you know I don’t have any trouble getting a couple of quarter pounder's down or the odd T-bone every now and then.

Ok, they want a base line because they seem to think I will have decreases abilities later on.  Well they are the experts so off to the hospital and say goodby to another couple of hundred dollars of co-pay and out of pocket money.
Here’s how it went down.  I was asked to consume several different concoctions, all made up of a mixture of barium sulphate.  All in different consistencies and including a pill of the stuff.

As I swallow a series of fluoroscopy images are taken as the crap heads south. We are talking movies here! And I’m not the star, I’m the screen. The fluoroscopic images track the movement of the barium sulphate mixture through the throat and esophagus.

Didn’t take to long and for a reward for being a good sport I got 4 pages of tongue exercises and pharyngeal swallowing exercises.  And they want me to do these things 10 to 20 times after every meal or 3 to 5 times daily.

My tongue and throat is going to be buff after all this. Probably be able to do chin ups with it.  Next on the list,  a valve stem installation.

Oh and another thing – I hate dentists

Getting up a Game Plan

Well I’m still catching up on what happened last month.

First off I got a PET scan. They use this to locate the cancer.

It begins with injection of a glucose-based radiopharmaceutical.  This stuff ends up wherever the cells are doing the most activity.  The cancer literally glows, but in case you are wondering, my brain was pretty damn dim which is no great surprise.  The thing I have now named charley is in my neck..

The PET scanner detects the gamma rays emitted from the patient, and turns those into electrical signals. These are processed by a computer to generate the images. The CT and PET images are assembled by the computer into a 3-D image of the body. If an area is cancerous, the signals will be stronger there than in surrounding tissue, since more of the radiopharmaceutical will be absorbed in those areas.

 Pretty cool,  shoot a person up with sugar water and a radioactive tracer. Then scan. Pretty much this was just a confirmation but is also used to determine treatment options.

Next in line was a swallow test.  First thought is whoa there buddy, you threading on thin ice.  The jokes naturally followed.  Ya got to love friends with dirty minds.

Oh and another thing – I hate dentists.

As the world turns - the next steps

Crap, got the C, what to do next?  Lucky for me there were a boat load of doctors ready to spend my money.  I was sent to Texas Oncology in Lewisville for a meeting with the oncologist that will be be my guide in the upcoming field exercises.

There is so much info no one person can keep it straight. So far only my hunting buddies knew but that was soon to change.  I had to let my boss know so that he could arrange coverage as I expected to be out a lot. My doctor, Dr. G, was making appointments faster than I can track.

PET scan, swallow test, medi port. And drugs out the wazoo. And on top of it all, I need a dental screen and clearance before treatment.  I hate Dentists.

What Happened.

Life is what happened.  Crap, my plans to live forever came off the rails pretty damn fast.  Last summer I thought I had a slightly swollen lymph  gland under my jaw. meant to ask the doctor about it but it slipped my mind in July.

Fast forward to September and the result was a notation that I had a slight sinus infection and that was the most likely cause. Damn those cedar trees, we should burn them all down.

Not it's December and still there, in fact its actually larger now. So I ask for a consult and I get sent to a ENT doctor.  Got to love insurance companies.  A biopsy and inconclusive results. at least that's encouraging.  But after Christmas it a ultra sound guided needle biopsy and this time it's not so good news.

"The histologic sections show fragments of a lymph node and soft tissue with nests and sheets of tumor cells. The tumor cells are small to medium sized with marked nuclear pleomorphism, scattered nucleoli, numerous mitotic figures, and a small amount of cytoplasm."

or in lay terms, looks like cancer.

Doesn't take a genius, I got trouble in river city.