Today is Tuesday and I am still in the slump after chemo. Need to get more energy back.
This whole thing is a lesson in humility. I was used to be strong and in good shape, to be in a physical condition that let me hike up to high peaks and enjoy the views from the top: snow fields, lakes, peaks in the horizon. Now I try to will myself walking in town, going up the stairs ... and my legs and lungs are not there. The leg muscles are gone and instead I have a nice Buddha belly, it is good for "wishing" rubs :-) Humility, take what I have and make the best of it.
Slowing down let's me appreciate the beautiful things around me. Oakland is a beautiful city, great architecture. I get to appreciate the Cathedral (apartment or office) building in Broadway and Telegraph, the Rotunda building just across the street, City Hall, the Fox and Paramount Theaters, the many old apartment buildings around Lake Merritt ... So much to enjoy.
It also lets me appreciate people, people I do not know but the all feel nicer, people I know and they cheer me up (thanks!). It is good to slow down.
Cheers
Es Martes y todavia estoy recuperandome del bache despues de la quimio. tengo que recuperar mas energia.
Este proceso es una leccion en humildad. Estaba orgulloso de mi buena forma, de como subia montes como una cabra, llegar arriba y disfrutar de las vistas: campos de nieve, lagos, otros montes en el horizonte. Ahora tengo suficiente con dar una vuelta por Oakland y subir las escaleras en casa ... mis piernas y pulmones no estan ahi. Los musculos de las piernas han desaparecido y en su lugar tengo una bonita barriga como un Buddah. Humildad y tomar lo que ahi, hacer lo mas que se puede con ello.
Andar a ralenti tiene sus cosas buenas, me permite apreciar muchas cosas buenas. Oakland es una ciudad bien bonita, con arquitectura preciosa. Muchas cosas me maravillan: el Cathedral building (no es una catedral) en el cruce de Telegraph y Broadway, la Rotunda en la otra acera, el ayuntamiento, los teatros Fox y Paramount, los edificios en el lago Merritt (Angel sabe de que hablo!)
Y la gente, gente que no conozco pero que tienen pinta maja cuando los veo en la calle, gente que conozco y dan apoyo continuo (Gracias!). A veces, es bueno el ralentizar y observar.
Aupa
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
In the second session ... en la segunda session
El Lunes fuimos a UCSF (University of California San Francisco) para una consulta. El oncologo no tuvo mucho que anadir al tratamiento que llevo. Quedamos en ver como va y (como en Stanford) decidir si hay que cambiar o considerar unos estudios clinicos mas tarde.
El martes tuve el segundo tratamiento. Todo va bien, han aparecido algunos effectos secundarios, como la ultima vez, pero a muy bajo nivel. Ademas como ahora tengo "experiencia", estoy preparado y la cosa va incluso mejor que hace tres semanas.
No es cosa de agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo, pero el martes los dos oncologos, el principal y el radilologo, tuvieron dificultad encontrando los tumores que estan cerca de los nudos linfaticos en la garganta. Se han reducido bastante. Toca madera, todavia hay otros peces que pescar ...
Aupa.
We visited UCSF on Monday for a second-second consult. They did not have much to say that we did not know already. As with Stanford, they (and I) are interested on clinical trials after we see how the current treatment progresses.
Tuesday was day two for chemo. All is going well, some (very mild) secondary effects have popped up but since now I have the experience of the first treatment, I can be prepared and it is even easier.
Some good news is that on Tuesday both oncologists in Dublin had difficulty finding the tumors (by touch) near the lymph nodes. It seems that they had reduced in size considerably. It is way to early and still there are other tumors that need to improve too, but one takes what he gets ....
Cheers to all.
El martes tuve el segundo tratamiento. Todo va bien, han aparecido algunos effectos secundarios, como la ultima vez, pero a muy bajo nivel. Ademas como ahora tengo "experiencia", estoy preparado y la cosa va incluso mejor que hace tres semanas.
No es cosa de agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo, pero el martes los dos oncologos, el principal y el radilologo, tuvieron dificultad encontrando los tumores que estan cerca de los nudos linfaticos en la garganta. Se han reducido bastante. Toca madera, todavia hay otros peces que pescar ...
Aupa.
We visited UCSF on Monday for a second-second consult. They did not have much to say that we did not know already. As with Stanford, they (and I) are interested on clinical trials after we see how the current treatment progresses.
Tuesday was day two for chemo. All is going well, some (very mild) secondary effects have popped up but since now I have the experience of the first treatment, I can be prepared and it is even easier.
Some good news is that on Tuesday both oncologists in Dublin had difficulty finding the tumors (by touch) near the lymph nodes. It seems that they had reduced in size considerably. It is way to early and still there are other tumors that need to improve too, but one takes what he gets ....
Cheers to all.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Hoy no hay mucho que contar.
Manana Lunes ire a UCSF (Universidad de California en San Francisco) para una segunda (tercera) opinion. Eso me dara la oportunidad de conocer otros estudios clinicos ademas de los de Stanford. El viernes esvimos en Stanford para habler de esos tratamientos. Si el tratamiento que estoy tomando ahora no va bien y si el test the ALK da positivo, entonces tomo parte en el estudio clinico. El martes tendre la segunda sesion the la quimio Y veremos como va.
Today I do not have much to tell.
Tomorrow Monday we will go to UCSF for a second (really a third) opinion and find out about other clinical trials besides those at Stanford. Last Friday we visited Stanford to discuss those trials. If the current treatment does not work and the ALK test comes back positive I will enter the trial. Tuesday I will take second dose of chimio. Let's see how it goes.
Cheers.
Manana Lunes ire a UCSF (Universidad de California en San Francisco) para una segunda (tercera) opinion. Eso me dara la oportunidad de conocer otros estudios clinicos ademas de los de Stanford. El viernes esvimos en Stanford para habler de esos tratamientos. Si el tratamiento que estoy tomando ahora no va bien y si el test the ALK da positivo, entonces tomo parte en el estudio clinico. El martes tendre la segunda sesion the la quimio Y veremos como va.
Today I do not have much to tell.
Tomorrow Monday we will go to UCSF for a second (really a third) opinion and find out about other clinical trials besides those at Stanford. Last Friday we visited Stanford to discuss those trials. If the current treatment does not work and the ALK test comes back positive I will enter the trial. Tuesday I will take second dose of chimio. Let's see how it goes.
Cheers.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Buen fin de semana ... Good weekend.
Este fin de semana fue muy bueno, me he sentido lo mejor desde que empezamos los tratamientos. El sabado dimos un paseo bien largo por el centro de Oakland y alrededor de Lake Merrit. El domingo fuimos de compras y luego al cine. Cae bien el hacer cosas normales y mantener el nivel de energia. Ayer tuve otro analisis de sangre (seguro que Contador no tiene tantos) y los resultados fueron muy buenos: todo esta a niveles normales. Estos son los dias cuando siento la necesidad de dar las gracias a todos los que me estan ayudando. GRACIAS.
Last weekend was good, so far this is the best I have felt since the treatments started. On saturday we took a walk down Broadway to the civic center area and then we aimed for Lake Merrit, the farmers market at Grand and back home. That was a nice and long walk. Sunday we run some errands and went to the movies. It feels so good to do "normal" things and do not have an energy drain. Yesterday I had another blood test and the result were great: all levels are normal. These are the days when I feel the need to thank to all who are helping and supporting me. THANK YOU.
Last weekend was good, so far this is the best I have felt since the treatments started. On saturday we took a walk down Broadway to the civic center area and then we aimed for Lake Merrit, the farmers market at Grand and back home. That was a nice and long walk. Sunday we run some errands and went to the movies. It feels so good to do "normal" things and do not have an energy drain. Yesterday I had another blood test and the result were great: all levels are normal. These are the days when I feel the need to thank to all who are helping and supporting me. THANK YOU.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Chemo life ... viviendo con la quimio
Dear all, I am the worst blogger in the history of ... blogging?. Let me mend my ways.
After the last post, some secondary side-effects popped up, no biggies. In fact I cannot complain at all. In any case, it made the weekend uncomfortable, especially on Monday. But the good news is that the all but minor things (light buzzing in the ears, metallic taste, ... ) went away and today I feel great. So far we have had two blood tests (Tuesday and Thursday) and the profile looks good: the chemo is not killing me, just the cancer. I am all for that.
This morning Lynnette and I went to Stanford for a consult. Really it was the Stanford Dr that wanted us there to sign consent forms for possible clinical trials if my last test is positive for the ALK mutation (EGFR and KRAS are already negative). I did. Now we have to wait for the ALK test results and see the progress that the chemo drugs are making. Obviously, as long as the current chemo protocol works, we will not need the trials. I am all for that too, even if means missing the clinical trial :-)
It is funny how this works. One day I feel like I have no energy whatsoever, other days I am energetic and gun-ho. Where is the middle way? But that is why I do not complain. I think that overall I have it easy.
Still I try to keep moving and get some exercise everyday, even if I have to shuffle my feet. That is one of the things that aggravates me the most: walking so slow when I used to walk so fast ... . But I have my Lynnette by me and she patiently follows my pace.
Waiting for the second session of chemo on 3/14.
Hola, soy el peor blogger de la historia. Aver si mejoro.
Despues de el ultimo mensaje, aparecieron algunos effectos secondarios pero nada importante. De hecho no me puedo quejar, creo que por ahora va bastante bien. Me han hecho dos examenes de sangre y todo tiene buena pinta: la quimio esta matando al cancer pero no a mi! Esto me agrada :-)
Lynnette y yo fuimos hoy a una consulta en Stanford University. En realidad, el medico de Stanford queria que fuesemos para firmar unos documentos para ser parte de un estudio clinico. Si mi última prueba da positivo para la mutación ALK (EGFR y KRAS son ya negativas) y la quimio que estoy tomando ahora no funciona, entonces entramos en el estudio. Firme, y ahora toca esperar a los resultados del examen ALK y ver el progreso que los medicamentos de quimioterapia están haciendo.
Es curioso como la quimio funciona. Un dia estoy agotado y otro (como hoy) estoy lleno de energia. Donde esta el punto medio? pero por eso no me quejo, tengo muchos mas buenos dias que malos.
Intento hacer algo de ejercicio cada dia, incluso si significa que tengo que arrastrar mis pies un poco. Esta es una de las cosas que mas me fastidian: el caminar tan lento cuando solia ir tan rapido ... pero tengo a mi Lynnette a mi lado y a ella no le importa ir a mi ritmo, con paciencia.
Y ahora a esperar al segundo tratamiento de quimio el 3/14.
After the last post, some secondary side-effects popped up, no biggies. In fact I cannot complain at all. In any case, it made the weekend uncomfortable, especially on Monday. But the good news is that the all but minor things (light buzzing in the ears, metallic taste, ... ) went away and today I feel great. So far we have had two blood tests (Tuesday and Thursday) and the profile looks good: the chemo is not killing me, just the cancer. I am all for that.
This morning Lynnette and I went to Stanford for a consult. Really it was the Stanford Dr that wanted us there to sign consent forms for possible clinical trials if my last test is positive for the ALK mutation (EGFR and KRAS are already negative). I did. Now we have to wait for the ALK test results and see the progress that the chemo drugs are making. Obviously, as long as the current chemo protocol works, we will not need the trials. I am all for that too, even if means missing the clinical trial :-)
It is funny how this works. One day I feel like I have no energy whatsoever, other days I am energetic and gun-ho. Where is the middle way? But that is why I do not complain. I think that overall I have it easy.
Still I try to keep moving and get some exercise everyday, even if I have to shuffle my feet. That is one of the things that aggravates me the most: walking so slow when I used to walk so fast ... . But I have my Lynnette by me and she patiently follows my pace.
Waiting for the second session of chemo on 3/14.
Hola, soy el peor blogger de la historia. Aver si mejoro.
Despues de el ultimo mensaje, aparecieron algunos effectos secondarios pero nada importante. De hecho no me puedo quejar, creo que por ahora va bastante bien. Me han hecho dos examenes de sangre y todo tiene buena pinta: la quimio esta matando al cancer pero no a mi! Esto me agrada :-)
Lynnette y yo fuimos hoy a una consulta en Stanford University. En realidad, el medico de Stanford queria que fuesemos para firmar unos documentos para ser parte de un estudio clinico. Si mi última prueba da positivo para la mutación ALK (EGFR y KRAS son ya negativas) y la quimio que estoy tomando ahora no funciona, entonces entramos en el estudio. Firme, y ahora toca esperar a los resultados del examen ALK y ver el progreso que los medicamentos de quimioterapia están haciendo.
Es curioso como la quimio funciona. Un dia estoy agotado y otro (como hoy) estoy lleno de energia. Donde esta el punto medio? pero por eso no me quejo, tengo muchos mas buenos dias que malos.
Intento hacer algo de ejercicio cada dia, incluso si significa que tengo que arrastrar mis pies un poco. Esta es una de las cosas que mas me fastidian: el caminar tan lento cuando solia ir tan rapido ... pero tengo a mi Lynnette a mi lado y a ella no le importa ir a mi ritmo, con paciencia.
Y ahora a esperar al segundo tratamiento de quimio el 3/14.
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