Sid Bacon

8 … 1 … 81 … that is a wedding date that even I can remember!  Thirty-one years ago today I married the love of my life, and haven’t looked back since.  “For better or for worse” … for the most part, our life together definitely has been on the “better” side.  The last six months obviously have been more challenging and have veered towards the “worse” side, though in many ways we have gotten even closer during these difficult months.  Cathy has been and continues to be there for me at each step of the way.  I couldn’t do this without her. 
 

To celebrate our anniversary, we are going to a nice restaurant tonight in Scottsdale.  Although I was nauseous yesterday, I feel better today and should be eager for a good dinner tonight.  (And if I’m not feeling all that well, I have anti-nausea medication I can take …). 
 

My endoscopic exam and follow-up appointment with a GI specialist is scheduled for next Monday at Mayo.  I certainly hope we can determine why I’m battling the occasional nausea … and make it so that I am not! Intermittent problems are probably the hardest to diagnose, but I feel confident that the specialists at Mayo are as likely as anyone to get to the bottom of this. 
 

Although I didn’t feel all that well yesterday, I want to focus on the fact that for the most part I have been feeling exceptionally well lately.  I have had no pain or nausea and have felt energetic and strong.  I’m especially glad that I felt well for our trip to CO.  What a blessing that was, as I didn’t want anything to get in the way of celebrating our godson’s wedding.
 

I know that Cathy isn’t the only one with me at each step of the way.  Team Bacon provides me so much support, for which I am immensely grateful. Thanks for everything!

After exchanging hand-made anniversary cards, fighting back a few tears, and enjoying a heartfelt embrace, Cathy and I drove to the restaurant last night for our anniversary dinner.  It was so nice to go out and celebrate our lives together, to acknowledge and appreciate the gift of 31 years of a strong and blessed marriage. To extend our evening, after dinner we strolled hand-in-hand along the water front (a canal that runs through parts of Scottsdale), enjoying the warm evening air.  Although there may be many ways to celebrate an anniversary, the only way that matters to us is that we spend time together. That we did. And thus, at least in that respect, it was a perfect evening …
 

Although I was nauseous on Tuesday, I felt much better yesterday and feel even better today.  On Monday morning we had removed my anti-nausea patch, as it had run its seven-day cycle.  We did not replace it, believing that I only need it to fight the nausea associated with my chemotherapy treatment.  We started to question that belief on Tuesday, but I am glad that we did not rush to slap a new patch on me.  I currently do not need it.  Also, it is useful to see how well I do without the patch, to see how pervasive the nausea really is. That information should be useful to the GI specialist we see on Monday.
 

Awhile back I asked for book recommendations.  Erin sent me several excellent ones. I read samples of them, and will probably read them all in their entirety.  The one I started reading first, however, is entitled “Zeitoun”, by Dave Eggers.  This is a non-fiction account of one family’s experiences with Hurricane Katrina.  It is a fascinating book, which I highly recommend. The husband/father, Zeitoun, stays in New Orleans to take care of his house and business while the rest of his family flees New Orleans. One thing that strikes me about Zeitoun is his incredible generosity. At one point in the book, he is navigating the streets of New Orleans by canoe, helping anyone and everyone he can, even stranded dogs. His selfless generosity is inspiring. I wish I could be more like him.
 

We probably all know people like Zeitoun, people who give selflessly without expecting anything in return. I am married to one.  Indeed, I am surrounded by caring and compassionate people, from family, to friends, to the professionals at Piper.  I am so grateful for them all.  Cancer is a scary foe, and the fight is not for the faint of heart. But with all the love and support I receive, I feel comforted and know that anything is possible.

I feel good today, with no pain or nausea.  What a treat! 
 

Cathy and I went on a long walk together this morning.  It is always nice for me when she forgoes her run and walks the entire distance with me, as she did today. Before we started our walk, I was thinking about how nice it is to have essentially an entire month between chemo treatments … and to feel good during that month.  It is a real blessing, and I am very grateful for it. In many ways it provides a sense of normalcy for both of us, something that is incredibly important to have.  We talked about this on our walk.  And we talked about the fact that – in some ways – we miss going to Piper.  Those visits are comforting to us … a real testimony to the people there. It is also the case that I am eager to have chemo, as part of my fight against the cancer that has invaded my body. Nevertheless, the next round of chemo will come soon enough, and we’ll be back to fighting our fight with the full arsenal available to us.  For now I’ll simply enjoy the break, and we’ll continue to fight the fight without chemo.
 

Although we are getting a sense of normalcy during this break, I am afraid I can’t put the cancer completely out of my mind.  Fortunately, it isn’t there 24/7, but it is there more often than I’d like.  And it is not there because of the various medications I take throughout the day, although my mini-pharmacy is certainly reminder enough. No, it is just there, as a reminder of who I am (a cancer patient) and what I face (an uncertain future).  I am, I regret to say, envious of those who do not have cancer. When I meet someone new, or just see people in public settings such as an airport, I think to myself that they are so lucky to not have cancer. Of course, I don’t knowthat they don’t have cancer.  Moreover, they could be struggling with terrible things themselves.  They could have a broken marriage or a dysfunctional family, or their life could be devoid of loving and supporting friends.  I wish that I did not have cancer, but I am so thankful for the love and support from family and friends.  Cancer has blessed me with the palpable realization that I am loved.
 

On Monday I have an endoscopic exam at Mayo in the morning and then an appointment with the GI specialist in the afternoon.  Our day will be busy with appointments and driving between Mayo and our house.  Consequently, I will not write another entry until Tuesday of next week, at which time I hope to have some news to report. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  And thanks for all your support.

I hope you all had a nice weekend.  Cathy and I certainly did … a nice mixture of relaxation and getting some things done around the house.  It is currently too hot for me to spend much time outside, as, for example, the predicted highs this week are in the 110-114 range. Although that is a little hotter than average, it is more or less what we expect in the summer.  It is the price we pay for roughly 8 months of fantastic weather.  In the meantime, I’m letting the yard work slowly pile up for the fall … once we hit mid to late October, the weather in Phoenix will be great for being outside.  Until then, well, I have an excuse … (Actually, I like working in the yard, and thus I look forward to cooler weather so that, among other things, I can be outside tending to our desert plants.)
 

I had my endoscopic examination at Mayo yesterday morning, and then an appointment with a GI specialist at Mayo in the afternoon (he specializes in the pancreas).  The reason for these appointments was to see if we could figure out why I have occasional nausea. 
 

On the bright side, there was no indication from the endoscopic examination of anything particularly serious.  That was a relief, even though I didn’t really expect there to be anything serious.  It was also a relief to know that my stent is completely clear. The exam did, however, reveal a garden variety ulcer.  We don’t know exactly when I got the ulcer or if it is the cause of the nausea, but we are working under the assumption that I’ll feel better once the ulcer is healed.  I certainly think I will.  I don’t heal very quickly in general due to the chemotherapy, but I will increase my dosage of Prilosec from one to two capsules per day and will change a few things in my diet.  This will help heal the ulcer.  I am doing this for 6-8 weeks.  I also have now stopped taking Aleve, which was prescribed under the assumption that my occasional back pain lately was due to an inflammation. It is hard to know, but the Aleve may have caused the ulcer … In the meantime, I will start adding some core and back-strengthening exercises to my routine, in hopes that I can mitigate the pain by having a stronger back.  Regardless of whether it helps with the pain, it is a good thing to do.
 

So, in summary, I’m a work in progress. The nausea and back pain remain a bit of a puzzle, although we may have a clue to the nausea. I find the nausea and back pain to be an annoyance, but nothing much more than that, really. Indeed, I consider myself to be incredibly fortunate to have responded so well to chemotherapy.  I believe I am one of the truly lucky ones. I need to embrace that good fortune, to focus resolutely on that, and not dwell on the more minor annoyances. Who knows, if I do that, perhaps the pain and nausea will take care of themselves …
 

I know I sound a bit like a broken record when I thank you for your support, but it is important to me that you know how much I appreciate all the support you are giving me.  It means a great deal to me and Cathy, more than you will know, regardless of how often I tell you that. Team Bacon is fighting this disease with a great deal of strength, which I believe is a major reason for our success thus far. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your support.  Let’s keep on fighting!

I had a great day yesterday, and I think I’ll have a great day again today.  Both days started with long, brisk walks, with the extra bonus that Cathy walked the entire routes with me.  I know that won’t last much longer, but it is certainly a treat when we walk the entire three miles together.  It is a great time to talk, without any of the distractions that we often have, such as the newspaper, radio, or TV (iPad, cell phone, computer, etc.).
 

My GI specialist called me yesterday afternoon.  He wanted to let me know that all the biopsies that were done from the endoscopic procedure were negative.  This was expected, based on the exam itself, but good to hear nevertheless. I simply have a common ulcer.  Moreover, he firmly believes that the ulcer is the cause of the nausea as well as the back pain, particularly given the exact location of the ulcer.  This was really good to hear, and it made me optimistic that I’ll feel even better once the ulcer heals.  Indeed, that news already made me feel better. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to get rid of the pain patch once the ulcer heals, or at least decrease the strength of the patch. I only want to use the medication that I truly need … if I can decrease what I need, that would be great!
 

I have written before about how much I appreciate this physician, that he is very kind and caring.  The only time I had seen him previously as a patient was just prior to my diagnosis, although he did visit me in the hospital a week or so later out of great concern for my then-deteriorating condition. He is the one who has called me at times to see how I am doing and at other times to express how pleased he is to see the promising results of my CT scans. I feel so fortunate to have him as one of my doctors.  There are legitimate criticisms and concerns about healthcare in this country, but I must say, based on my experiences these past seven months, there are a lot of things that are done “right”.  I, for one, am receiving outstanding care.
 

I have been going into my office at ASU this week (except on Monday), and am really enjoying it. It gives me a sense of normalcy (plus, I get to carpool with Cathy!). That, coupled with how well I feel, is a real blessing. I am certainly enjoying my time off from chemo, as it gives me the greatest opportunity to feel well and to get even stronger before I start the new treatment regimen. I do not know how I will react to that new regimen, although it is certainly to my advantage that I am feeling well and am stronger now than I have been since my diagnosis.  Indeed, given all that, I am optimistic that I will fare quite well. Time, as they say, will tell.
 

Thanks for following my progress and providing so much support! It means a lot to me and Cathy.