Sid Bacon

It is always good to get to the end of the week.  The weekend is such a great time to rejuvenate, which is why I think I will continue to refrain from writing in the journal on the weekends until further notice.  I hope you understand.
 

I am feeling well today.  Cathy and I slept in a little later than usual, which meant that we went on our morning walk a little later than usual.  Fortunately, there was a nice breeze, so it didn’t feel too hot.  Also, the high temperature is only supposed to be in the mid to upper 90s today, a little reprieve from the low 100s we have been experiencing lately.  We picked a good day to sleep in.
 

We had a little more excitement yesterday than we would normally like. Laura called about noon from the ER to let us know she had broken her left wrist (she is right-handed). She had fallen from the top of an 8-ft ladder while working construction.  It could have been a lot worse, so in some ways she was lucky.  Cathy and I joined her at the ER (next to Piper …).  Once the orthopedic surgeon arrived, he set the wrist and gave her a temporary cast. I finally left the ER around 4:00 PM; Cathy and Laura left around 5:45 PM. Laura was pretty nauseous after having so much pain medication on an empty stomach, so Cathy brought her right home before going back to Laura’s house to pick up Laura’s dog and some personal essentials.  She didn’t get home until about 8:00 last night.  Through all the pain and nausea, Laura seemed most concerned about not being able to take care of me. Wow!  She has been so attentive for so long, she just couldn’t let go of her desire and apparent need to be my caretaker.  What a daughter.   I am truly blessed with such a loving and supportive family: Cathy, Laura, and Dan are all amazing!!
 

I am scheduled for chemotherapy Monday afternoon.  We’ll hope for a sufficiently high platelet count (50,000) to enable treatment.  I am confident that the count will be high enough and that I’ll be able to have chemo, but I must admit to some uncertainty, given all the troubles we’ve had lately.  I’ll certainly let you know, sometime late Monday afternoon. 
 

Have a wonderful weekend.  Thanks again for all your love and support and for helping me fight this fight.  I couldn’t do it without you.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.  We took it easy at the Bacon household.  It was very enjoyable.  Laura is recovering nicely … she is no longer nauseous and is in less pain; she also is able to bathe, get dressed and sit up and watch NBA playoff games (great entertainment).  She has her (first) follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow afternoon.  We are hopeful that she will not require surgery.

Cathy, Laura, and I are at Piper.  I took Cathy into work this morning; Laura and I picked her up on the way to Piper.  We weren’t at Piper long before Laura had gotten me some crackers and ice chips (I’m a little nauseous today … probably as a result of having the anti-nausea patch on a less-fatty area of my upper body than ideal; we may try my stomach or upper arm with the next patch).  Laura is a natural caregiver; if she doesn’t want to work construction, she certainly could find a successful career in a health-related field.

We are waiting for the results of my blood draw to see if I’ll receive chemo today.   I’m also scheduled for an exam with one of the nurses. 

We just heard that my platelet count was 67,000, so we are good to go. Hooray! It is great to get two treatments in a row.

And now I just met with the nurse; she confirmed that the anti-nausea patch was not in the best location, so she gave me a new one (sample) and put it on my upper arm.  This should help.  Moreover, it is recommended that you put a new patch on the day of chemo, so this will be perfect! 

I’m going to keep this short so I can get some rest during the infusion; it helps my nausea when I am in a horizontal position, which is not particularly conducive to typing.  I’ll write more tomorrow.

Thanks for all your love and support and for helping me fight this fight!

Makes for a Terrific Tuesday …
 

I am battling what I’d call low-grade nausea, but otherwise I am feeling great and looking forward to feeling even better throughout the week.  The nausea is definitely a side effect of the chemo; you won’t find me complaining about having chemo, however, so I’m not going to complain about the side effects. Sure, it would be nice not to have any side effects, but the health professions have come a long way towards making it so that patients have fewer and less-severe side effects associated with chemotherapy drugs.  I am sure I’d be feeling a lot worse if I were having chemo 20 years ago. 
 

It is nice to have the anti-nausea patch in a better location, too, as I am sure that will help with my nausea.  The patches are larger than the anti-pain patches, which makes it more difficult to find a spot on your body where movement doesn’t challenge the adhesive.  Also, because the medication is absorbed and dispensed through fatty tissue, the upper arm is a better location than the back.  (Although I held my ground at weigh-in yesterday, I still don’t have many fatty areas … never really did, and certainly do not now.)
 

Cathy is currently taking Laura to her follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon who set her wrist in the ER last Thursday.  We are hoping that the excellent job he did re-setting the wrist has held and that surgery will not be indicated.  If it has held, it is likely that he will want another follow-up appointment in a week before making a final decision about surgery.  He told us that he would refer her to a different surgeon if surgery were indicated, a surgeon who specializes in hand and wrist, so there is no conflict of interest regarding a decision for surgery.  About 50% of the time, breaks of this sort require surgery.  We are keeping our fingers crossed (Laura on one hand only …). 
 

During my marathon medical ordeal (make that ultra-marathon ordeal) and Laura’s sprint medical ordeal, we see the importance of family over and over again.  I have been trying to take care of Laura, Laura has been taking care of me, and of course Cathy definitely has been taking care of both of us.  It is during these “crisis” times that the beauty of family comes through.  The love that exists is so uplifting … I could not make it without it.  And let us not forget Dan, who calls every day and does all he possibly can from afar. I write most often about my immediate family, but it is also the case that my extended family provides tremendous love and support as well.  From siblings to parents to nephews to cousins, the unwavering support has been there from the beginning.  It is so much appreciated … and needed.
 

The love and support from friends and colleagues also have been overwhelming and have been so incredibly important for my recovery.  You remind me that I am not fighting this disease alone.  I gain strength from your support.  I cannot thank you enough.  

My nausea subsided yesterday afternoon, a combination of time lapse after chemo and an effective anti-nausea patch.  I also am without pain and have a high level of energy.  All is well. 
 

Cathy and I went on our usual walk this morning.  When we get to the point where we separate and she starts her run, I always give her a kiss goodbye.  This morning, a woman driving by rolled down her window and said “Ahhhh … we need more of that”.  I agree.  We need to show more affection to those we love.  We shouldn’t wait until we are dealing with a serious illness to do this … We need to show people we love them now.
 

Today’s picture is from a research reunion held this past weekend of people who have spent time working at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, NE.  It is a fantastic facility focused on communication sciences and disorders.  I was there as a visiting graduate student in 1979 and again as a postdoctoral fellow in 1985-1986.  Dan was born in Omaha in January of 1986.  I was sorry I missed the reunion, but I was definitely heartened by the group photo.  It is so amazing to have such support from so many people.  I am indeed reminded daily that I am not in this fight alone.  Thank you all.   

I am feeling good today and looking forward to some cooler weather this weekend.  We have had near-record high temperatures this week, with temperatures close to 108 degrees, but today’s high will be in the upper 90s and the high on Saturday is supposed to be only in the low to mid 80s.  This is yet another example of fairly extreme temperature swings in a short period of time.  We’ve had that several times this spring, with swings as large as 30 degrees in a week.  The 80-degree temperatures won’t last long, only a day, but we’ll make the most of them.  It is especially easy when you are trying to live one day at a time, trying to live in the moment … and it is also easy when you’ve lived here for over 20 years and know that summer is just around the corner, and that you need to cherish every “cool” day possible until we finally reach the cool temperatures of the fall. 
 

We have a 3-day weekend coming up this weekend, as Monday is Memorial Day.  I’m looking forward to it.  I am hoping that Cathy and I can go out and do some fun things together.  We need to take advantage of the times when I am feeling so well.  And we’ll hope Laura can join us, if she is still staying at our place.  She may, however, move back home for a few days to minimize her boredom.  Her surgery will not be scheduled until late next week at the very earliest.  She has a follow-up appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday.  We’ll see if surgery can be scheduled on Thursday or Friday. The sooner she has surgery the better, so she can start her recovery road. 
 

Because of the holiday on Monday, my chemotherapy is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.  We’ll see if my platelets can hang in there with a count greater than 50,000 so that I can have treatment.   I sure hope so, but if not we’ll deal with it.  It certainly won’t be the first time we’ve had a small set back.
 

I read an article in our neighborhood newspaper today by a woman whose mother has stage IV cancer.  She pointed out how awful cancer is and how it would be nice to get rid of it from the planet, but she also commented on the blessings that come from having cancer.  Her mother has been able to receive all sorts of love and support from friends and family, and it is a real blessing to experience that.  I’ve written about this myself.  I know exactly how the author feels (and probably even more so how her mother feels).  I would not wish my disease on anyone, but I am so grateful for the blessings it has bestowed upon me.  So many have given me so much.  I have experienced so much love and support, more than I could ever have imagined.  I am incredibly thankful for it all.  I have learned so much from my family, friends, and colleagues.  I know better how to love and to show that love.  For that and much more, I thank you. 
 

Team Bacon is thriving; it is strong.  We are fighting together!