Wanna Be Arrested???

STAY AT HOME

Some States have STAY AT HOME ordinances and if you violate those ordinances then you could be arrested, jailed, and/or fined.

Is this behavior appropriate?

The question pertains to both sides...  enacting the law in the first place and violating the law in the second place...

Should a Democracy enforce laws like this against our freedoms on behalf of the whole?

I BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD...

Our New Heroes

Rescheduled

Today, I rescheduled my dermatology appointment from this month until June because of COVID-19 and not wanting to be out in-the-public unless I have to and my doctor there told me that I MUST come in June regardless...

I am going to see the Dermatologist because of my metastatic melanoma and because my treatment for lymphoma causes skin cancers...  a double whammy...

I have already rescheduled my appointment to see an allergist because of my constant sinus problems but am keeping my appointment with my urologist for possible prostate cancer and my regular oncologist because of my cancers he is treating.

I have a slipped disk in my back due to a fall several weeks ago and have been experiencing back issues but they are manageable so I might decided to push that one out until June since it is scheduled this month.

Authorities say that TN is not going to peak until the end of this month or May...   PISSER...

My biggest concern is that I am in the HIGH RISK category...

US Naval Ship COMFORT

USNS Comfort arriving in NYC harbor today...

ANTICIPATION...

Ready for Covid-19 patients...

Self Quarantine

PROSTATE CANCER

 

COVID-19\\: East TN

There are over 1,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the State of TN, 33 confirmed in Knoxville, and 5 confirmed in Jefferson City where I live...  this increase took place in less than 10 days...  and, the last time I was out and about, no one was protecting themselves at all unless you were coming into a hospital...

How STUPID is stupid?

Of course, that is a rhetorical question.

I two weeks, I have been out-of-the-house twice, once to get gasoline and wore gloves to pump the gas but no face mask since there was no one else within 10 feet of me and then to the Hospital's Cancer Center for my monthly treatment where I wore a face mask and gloves but no one else was except nurses who greeted everyone in the lobby.

NOT EVEN THE CHEMO NURSES WORE FACE MASKS AND/OR GLOVES...

Some patients wore face masks but took them off when they saw no one else was wearing one...  and, I am reminded of Forrest Gump's mother saying:  "STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES..."

For the next two weeks, I will go NOWHERE except to see a Urologist for the first time because my PSA count doubled since last year which is an indication of possible cancer in the prostate...  hopefully, that is not the case, but I requested the appointment as soon as I heard my numbers from my primary physician...

At my age (72) and with two types of cancers already in my body, I don't want to take any chances of let's wait and see...

It's Been A Week...

… since President Trump has asked the American People to self-quarantine...  and, how have we responded?

Well, the USA now LEADS the world in the number of COVID-19 cases...  I would say that Americans did not follow the President's advice...  but, that is to be expected... I mean, we are Americans after all...

What if I were to die???

I think about that reality more than I ever have before these days, especially now that I am fighting two cancers:  non-Hodgkin's "B" cell Lymphoma and Metastatic Melanoma.  But, in two weeks I go to see a Urologist because my PSA doubled since last year, and I may have Prostate Cancer on top of my other two cancers...

Of course, I am hoping that is not the case, but what if it is?

That would make dying and death more of a reality for me...  and, is everything in order?  To that question, I would have to rely YES...

If I were to die today, and if and when my wife needed to sell the house and move into an apt. she would have enough money to pay the bills for the next 30 years or until she reaches 97 years of age...  However, if she were to remarry or decide to live with someone, she would obviously have more money to leave in an inheritance to her son.

How does that make me feel?

Wonderful about the money...   but, about another man...  well, over the last few years we have grown apart and having another man take my place then or NOW, might just be a relief...

The fact of the matter is that cancer patients have to think like this and deal with these issues, even though they are hoping and praying they live more than the odds say that they will live...  if, they ignore this because they think their prayers will be answered, then they are doing a disservice to their families...

CANCER IS A BITCH AND THEN YOU DIE...

COVID-19 UPDATE

The U.S. has overtaken China as the country with the most cases in the world of the novel coronavirus, marking a new milestone in the fight against the global pandemic.

China had held the top spot since the deadly virus began spreading there in December.

Read the full story here...

Chemo Day Debrief

WOW...  is really all I have to say...  there are almost 1000 COVID-19 cases in TN and when I got to UT Medical Center - Cancer Bldg., only the nurses at the entrance checking your temp wore face masks and gloves...  otherwise, it was NADA...  no one, not the doctors, nurses, or patients gave me the impression that they were very concerned about this at all...

I wore a mast but forgot my clothes but I did bring wipes and used them on my lounger before I sat down...  My mask was worn not to protect other people but to protect ME from other people...  so, in that sense I did what I needed to do.

This visit was labs and treatment, no doctor visit...  I will get labs, doctor, and treatment next month.  So, once I checked in, I betcha I did not wait more than 5 minutes before my name was called for labs and then the labs nurse took me to my assigned chemo suite where I waited for tests to be performed that would indicate if I was a good candidate for treatment.  OPDIVO is the only drug that I have taken when I have to meet certain lab qualification in order to receive treatment.

My treatment started at 9:00 after checking in at 7:45 and I was done by 9:30...  a good hour or before I am normally done when I see the doctor.

The only side effects of OPDIVO that have affected me are FATIGUE and NAUSEA...  And, over the last 18 months, I have only had to take nausea pills a dozen times or so...

It seems like every time I go for my chemo, I hear about someone having it worse than me and always consider myself very fortunate because I have had minimal problems...

Chemo Day

My monthly visit to the hospital's chemo suite has arrived...  and, my check-in time is 7:45 am...  but, it will be 9:00 or 9:30 before I get called in after my labs are taken because one of my pre-tests for OPDIVO takes 60 minutes complete...  and, once in my lounger, I still might wait another 30 minutes or so before my toxic cocktail is ready to infuse into my body.

My treatment takes 30 minutes to administer which is a hell of a lot better than the 4-6 hours it took me to have RITUXAN infused into my body.

There are no pre-meds administered for OPDIVO to prevent nausea, even though nausea is one of the side effects...  which sounds strange but so far that does not seem to bother me.

The nurses are friendly but no overly so and none of them seem to hurry around with any kind of urgency so a 30 minute treatment could last 60-90 minutes by the time you are walking out the door.  However, there is this female volunteer on the floor who is in her 80's I would say who asks if there is anything that she can get you like a blanket, something to drink, or some crackers.

The first time we met, she fussed at me for not smiling and I told her that this was just the way my face was made; but, when I see her coming, I give her a great big smile like a possum eatin' shit... and, she always has to stop and talk with me, as if she had really missed me.

OPDIVO is considered immunotherapy as opposed to chemotherapy.

Covid-19 Update

Covid_19 as of 24Mar20

To check out the latest data, click here...

Taking a break...

How to make a face mask

What Is Lymphoma?

Every Once In A While...

… I can go outside and work in the yard all day long and feel great for the rest of the night and then I can go outside and work 30 minutes and in the early evening hours feel like I have been hit with a "ton of bricks," and can barely keep my eyes open.

Yesterday, was one of those days...  I had about 20 minutes left of weed eating from the day before when my tired body said it needed to stop...  so, I went at it the next day and not feeling tired, decided to work a few minutes with a pic axe preparing a garden bed and after a few minutes of that, my body said it needed to stop.  Mind you, I was not swinging the axe from over my head but was bent over slightly and moving it from my should down into the ground.

Around 7:00 pm, my eyes would not stay open and I felt like I had had no sleep the night before.  I laid on the bed and closed my eyes and did not wake up until 12 hours later.

Sometimes, I think that if I am due for my monthly infusion of chemo that my body reacts inappropriately the closer we get to that deadline.  My Oncologist says that there is no connection but it could be that nobody ever bitched about it before like me...

One Day Ago

Health care professionals at hospitals and medical centers across the country are having to reuse and ration personal protective equipment like masks, gowns and face shields, due to stock shortages amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

“The situation is terrible, really terrible,” Dr. Niran Al-Agba, a pediatrician in Washington state told The New York Times. “I don’t think we were prepared.”

Medical supplies such as surgical masks have quickly dwindled in the U.S. during the coronavirus outbreak. Physicians and nurses have to frequently change their masks since they are in close contact with patients that have the illness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all healthcare professionals use surgical masks to cover the mouths and noses while working, but some hospitals, according to the Times, have required employees to wear N95s — thicker, tighter-fitting masks that do a better job of filtering out smaller particles than regular surgical masks.

This week, Vice President Pence advised construction companies to stop ordering masks and to donate what they have to hospitals. Additionally, Surgeon General Jerome Adams told the public to stop buying masks to help preserve what stock is left.

There are more than 13,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. with at least 176 deaths.

Night Sweats

One of the side effects of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation is having NIGHT SWEATS...  and, like all good cancer patients, I am no exception to this...  sometimes, these night sweats are intense and sometimes they are mild but they are nonetheless an ongoing activity with me but are intermittent in the occurrence.  That is to say, they do not happen every night or every other night or once every 4-5 days or even once a week, they just happen when they happen and it could be a week or more between each episode.

I keep two folded sheets beside my bed in case I need to use them to cover the wet spots but if both the bottom and top sheets are wet, then I typically put on a bathrobe and simply get back into the bed and finish my sleep which is not always easy, especially if these sweats happen early in the morning, then it is difficult to fall back asleep again, so I usually just get up, feed the cats, and make coffee.

Sometimes, they taken place a day or two before my next chemo session but the Oncologist says that there is no connection and that it is just a coincidence, but I am not sure if I agree since I have notice that happening more than once...  in fact, it happens more often than it does not happen.

COVID-19

My wife and I had booked a condo at Destin, Florida during the middle of April this year and now because my this VIRUS and the Presidential request to practice SOCIAL DISTANCING, we are now thinking that we should "eat the money" and stay home.

We heard today that the beaches in Destin, Florida have been closed until the end of April and we could simply spend the week in our condo, but we still have to drive down there, stop for gas, food, and restrooms which increases my risk more than if we were to just stay home.

If I was still receiving monthly infusions of IVIG, I would be in a better position to make the journey but since IVIG was stopped, there is absolutely no protection at all for my lack of immunity to ward off disease.

In the past, cancer patients oftentimes did not die from the cancer but from contracting other diseases due to a destroyed immune system...

Even here at home, I don't leave the house unless I have a doctor visit that cannot wait or to receive my monthly infusion of OPDIVO...

I Have No Taste

After 12 years of chemo once a month, I am left with the sensation of taste when it comes to eating or drinking most of the time...

I love coffee, but I cannot taste it really.

I love apple pie but I cannot taste the apples.

I love scrambled eggs, grits, and sausage but I cannot taste the various flavors.

BUT, I eat and drink anyway.

Oddly enough, I think the taste of Apple Cider Vinegar is delicious although it has a bit of a tang to it which is fine for me because I like sour.

My sense of smell is off/on but I think that is more due to sinus issues than a side effect of chemo although I am sure it is all intertwined.

IT WAS WHEN I TURNED 60

My life was completely changed and turned around, when I turned 60...

Prior to being 60:

• I was extremely healthy and physically fit
• I had low blood pressure
• I had low cholesterol level
• I was within my weight limits
• I ate healthy
• I stopped smoking at age 40
• I exercised daily
• I walked 5 miles a day
• I was never sick

But, all that changed in 2007 when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's B cell Lymphoma and in 2008, experienced a heart attack while walking on the treadmill.  My LAD was blocked 100% and two other arteries on the left side were blocked 90% and I was told that I needed a triple bypass...  but, my brother put me in touch with a doctor in NYC who cleaned out my arteries and inserted stints.

NO ZIPPER ON MY CHEST

My treatments to keep my Lymphoma in check caused me to contract Melanoma in 2012 which at times appeared to be taking over my body and life would soon be over for me...  but, then my body gained the advantage with the help of radiation and immunotherapy.

NOWADAYS, I live with:

1. fatigue
2. nausea
3. sinus infections
4. weight gain
5. flu like symptoms
6. no immune system
7. bruise easily
8. slow blood clotting
9. no taste
10. no smell

Could all of this been prevented?

Perhaps, but I do not know what I might have needed to do differently...  I basically did everything right when it came to keeping my body healthy.  Poor stress management caused my heart attack, but not sure where my Lymphoma came from and there is a good possibility that it had been lying dormant in my body for decades...

I am tolerating my illnesses well because of my HEALTHY BODY and for that I am thankful and will always be thankful.

We can learn something from that...  but, everyone is different.

Chemo Brain

Chemo brain is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur during and after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, cancer-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction.



Last night, I had night sweats again...  not bad, just a mild episode, but it still wet the sheets...  so, I slept on the other side of the mattress.

This morning, I am in a fog...

tired...

        confused...

                      without an appetite...


My cats don't understand me when I am this way...  but, they do still accept me...  and, patiently wait on the foot of the bed until I awake so that I can give them a treat...  then, one wants a drink out of the bathroom faucet while the other one wants me to check their food bowl in the other room, and the third one (the Siamese) wants me to give him some attention as if I have not been around for years...  although, if that were really the case, he would ignore me because of being pissed off that I abandoned him.

Today, this was my routine.

Tomorrow, it may be the same or it may be different.

However...  I am always tired...  always feeling like I need more sleep...

I have been up for 4 hours and I am still not hungry...  perhaps, it is the coffee that has filled my stomach sufficiently enough.

Myt treatments are on-going

As mentioned earlier, I am in my 13th year of being treated for Lymphoma having being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's "B" cell Lymphoma in 2007.  Also mentioned earlier, I have had numerous types of chemo therapies that have kept the cancer from growing but now I am on immunotherapy and take daily pills of IMBRUVICA, 2 capsules of 140mg which seem to be working and which are rather expensive with my out-of-pocket expenses being around $8-10,000 annually; however, I have been able to get a grant from the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society each year to cover all those costs...

Needless to say, I have been lucky there.

IMBRUVICA leaves me with constant fatigue and flu like symptoms and has also been causing me to have repetitive sinus infections about every 6 weeks.

In addition to this drug, I am receiving monthly infusions of OPDIVO for my Melanoma which I discovered I had in 2012 or 8 years ago...  on the bottom of my left foot which was surgically removed...  NO TREATMENT GIVEN...

In 2017/18, the Melanoma reappeared in my groin with a vengeance and I was started on Yervoy and Opdivo which had little affect other than to keep it from growing which I suppose is GREAT...  then, in the summer of 2018, I received 6 radiation treatments while continuing my infusions but just with Opdivo.

The combination of radiation/OPDIVO worked and my Melanoma reduced substantially.

Needless to say, I was again lucky.

Both radiation and OPDIVO have side-effects of extreme fatigue...

So, there you have it.

GAINING CONTROL OVER MY WEIGHT

All of us, from time-to-time, have made an effort to go on a diet for one reason or another and most of the time, we have discover that we gewt into a cycle of losing weight then gain weight then lose it...  as frustrating as it is, we still manage to keep trying.

I remember that around 1990, I decided to lose weight by counting my FAT GRAMS and focused on eating complex carbohydrates because the body stores them then converts them to sugars as needed for energy.  This is exactly why LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS bulk up on pancakes before a long distance race.  Interestingly, at least for me, counting fat grams did help me lose weight.

My ongoing battle with cancer has cause me to gain somewhere between 30-40 pounds and recently I decided to watch what I eat but this time instead of counting fat grams, I am counting CALORIES while making sure I eat the recommended daily allowance of PROTEIN, DAIRY, GRAINS, VEGETABLES, AND FRUITS.

To help me with this, I created the following template:

According to my research, one loses weight if one eats between 1600-2000, maintains weight between 2100-3000 (depending upon how active one is...  so, if not too active, then it should be 2100-2500 or so) and gaining weight would have us eating above 3000 calories each day.

Of course, one must be dedicated to this process so that he or she is willing to fill out this template on a daily basis.  

I have also discovered that calories and the daily allowance can be averaged over a 7 day period of time, but it is not recommended because it throws the body out-of-balance.

LIVING WITH CANCER 2020

It's been several months, since I posted anything here...

I am not sure why that is other than when I write about my illness, I tend to think about my illness and those types of memories are not always the best to have...

Well...  here is what's happened since my last post.

Due to a shortage in IVIG, I was removed from the schedule since my illness and low immune system was not life threatening.  About 3 months ago, I started having sinus infections, resulting in me going to the clinic about every 6 weeks for antibiotics and a steroid shot.  My last episode caused me to lose my voice due to all the sinus drainage.  

I mentioned this problem to my Oncologist who sent me for a CT scan of my sinuses only to find NOTHING REMARKABLE...  so, I am destined to live with this for now or until I can get put back on the IVIG schedule.

Meanwhile, my 6 month check-up with my family physician revealed not only that my prostate was enlarged but that my PSA test results were twice the number they were last year...   so, now I am off to see a urologist to be tested for prostate cancer.

Right now, I cannot seem to get motivated to do much of anything and this lack of motivation is one of the reasons why I have not posted anything in so long...