Sid Bacon

I am still doing pretty well with this most recent round of chemotherapy.  I have some nausea, but have various medications at home to help mitigate it. These past two days I have been able to eat a little bit and drink fluids throughout the day – and to keep it all down – so I am hopeful that I am not losing too much weight during these few days when I am most affected. I know I am going to feel better and better each day. Indeed, I’ll be back to those special pies that Cathy makes and ice cream very soon … :)

I haven’t felt strong enough to go on a walk, but I will do so tomorrow, if not tonight. Instead, I have been getting up and moving around the house as frequently as possible. I am able to do some professional work, which is very nice. Again, I can’t overstate how grateful I am to have such a flexible job. It is absolutely crucial to my successful fight against this dreadful disease.

Cathy and I will be going back to Piper early this afternoon to get the portable pump detached.  I also receive a shot that helps keep my white blood cell count high … in the normal range, we hope. Although it isn’t too bad to navigate around with the pump, it is always nice to be untethered. One less thing to think about when I get up to go somewhere or when I roll over in bed …

The temperatures are rising again in Phoenix, with highs in the range of 105 for the next several days. Still, the mornings and evenings are not bad at all, even rather pleasant.  It helps when the humidity is so low (it is actually crucial to have such low humidity).  So, I guess I am saying that I can’t blame the weather for keeping me off the pavement in the mornings ... I’ll have my running shoes ready in the morning (they double quite well as walking shoes). Distance and pace may be off a bit, but I’ll work back as quickly as possible to 3-mile walks at a 14- to 15-minute per mile pace.

This has been a fairly long fight thus far against my cancer, and it is only going to get longer, much longer. Laura and Dan started my Caring Bridge web site over seven months ago.  And you have been with me ever since. I am truly overwhelmed by your support, and so incredibly uplifted by it. I can’t possibly thank you enough for being with me at each step of the way.  You are an important prong in our multi-pronged approach to this fight! Each prong is crucial for my success. So, thank you very, very much! I clearly could not do this without you.

Cathy went on a run this morning while I was still sleeping.  I was able to make her coffee before she returned home.  After a small cup of coffee and after starting the newspaper, we embarked on a 35-minute walk.  I didn’t measure the distance, but it was probably a bit less than two miles. So, we went much slower, but it was just as enjoyable as ever.  I held her hand primarily for fun, but it didn’t hurt to have the stability either (at least that is what I told her! …).

On the walk, Cathy commented that it is a good thing that the order of the chemo regimens is what it is, with the more difficult, more toxic drugs coming second. Who knows how well I could have handled this more difficult regimen when I was so sick seven or so months ago. It is all working out for the better! And, indeed, it is all working out quite well.  We’ve been getting good news all along the way, and we couldn’t be more thankful.  I’m still waiting to see how my back pain all works out, but it feels somewhat better today, so I’m optimistic that I’ll get some longer term relief from the nerve block procedure. Just how much remains to be seen. We’ll deal with it, regardless of how it turns out.

It is certainly nice to be untethered and not getting any more chemo for now. The chemo really does wipe me out, as predicted.  But, so far I am still able to eat and keep it down.  Today has been a bigger challenge in that regard, but so far so good. And I haven’t had any of the other negative side effects that I had last time, so I’m optimistic that the folks at Piper have me at or near the precise dosage level that we need. My next trip to Piper for chemotherapy is scheduled for Monday 1 October.  I am optimistic that I’ll feel lots better next week and will be able to go in to work a day or two. We’ll see.  I just need to have energy, and perhaps a couch installed in my office, just in case … J.

Cathy has been and continues to be right by my side; she has things ready for me to eat, for example, particularly for those days when she teaches or has meetings and can’t be here at home with me (and, yes, I am enjoying her pie again!). She is a consummate professional, so it has been hard for her to let go of even a few things, to allow others to pick up the slack. I am so proud of her and glad that she is in our department.

In addition to Cathy’s support, I am grateful for your support and encouragemet. I feel the strength of the Team everyday. It means so much to me. Thank you! As one of my wrist bands states, “No one fights alone!” That sure is the case for me, and I’m reminded of it daily. Fight on!

It is always nice to be facing the weekend. I hope to feel well enough to do some fun things this weekend with Cathy; she certainly deserves it!  As I’ve said, it is not easy being the caregiver, although she does it with tremendous grace and love. I absolutely could not do this without her. I don’t know how people do this on their own, or at least with considerably less support. I need my entire Team.

I felt well when I got up this morning. It was the first day this week that I didn’t feel the need for any anti-nausea medication.  Cathy and I went on a nice walk … just under 2 miles at a pace of just over 18 min per mile. So, I’ve really slowed down quite a bit, but I’m still moving. And that is the important thing!

I had a decent-sized breakfast (fried potatoes and an egg), finished the newspaper, and then got cleaned up and worked my way through email and some editing work. I then took a nap, and unfortunately woke up feeling nauseous.  I guess I should have taken medication to stay ahead of the nausea, though I didn’t think that was necessary.  I now have been taking anti-nausea medication, drinking lots of fluids, and resting. I’m sure I’ll feel better soon. I thought one way to get better was to write my blog and get responses from you. Those always make me feel better!

The weather is supposed to be pretty nice this weekend, perhaps a little warmer during the day than we’d like (low 100s), but still pleasant in the mornings and evenings. Cathy and I may need to find a movie to attend during the heat of the day … there are several out that we would like to see, so it shouldn’t be hard finding one.  I think the forecast is for highs in the lower to mid 90s early in the week; that will be much nicer! It is gratifying to know that fall is not far away!

Although I haven’t had one of my “great” days for some time (those days when I have absolutely no pain or nausea and I have absolutely no fatigue), I have had good days, and I am definitely grateful for them. And, overall, I am very grateful that my cancer has responded the way it has to chemotherapy. We are definitely making excellent progress, and I am very hopeful that this chemo regimen will be at least as successful as the first regimen. Indeed, given its greater toxicity, I am hopeful that it will be even more effective at killing my cancer. It will be just over a month before we have another cancer antigen (blood) test and CT scan … those will provide good markers of our progress in this fight! Chemo is just one of the things in our arsenal.  I am, of course, counting on your continued love, support, prayers, etc. We are all doing what we can to beat this dreadful disease. I am so fortunate to have you helping me along the way. It is quite a journey, and I feel incredibly blessed to have so many friends and family helping me in this fight. You wouldn’t have to do this, but I am so grateful that you are. You are making a huge difference. I feel it. Cathy and I see it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Have a great weekend!  I’ll write more on Monday.

I hope you had a great weekend. Cathy and I had a relaxing one. I was hoping that I would feel well enough that we could get out and do something “special” (like go to a movie), but it wasn’t meant to be. I felt badly about that, but Cathy was great … she said something along the lines that she didn’t care what we did, that it was just nice to spend time with me. That bolstered my spirits, and of course I feel the same about spending time with her, but it is different when you are the one responsible for the inactivity … a little bit of guilt slips in, even if perhaps it shouldn’t.
 

Cathy went on some long runs over the weekend, especially Sunday. She also went on some pretty short (and slow) walks with me. Although I haven’t picked up the pace or increased my distance lately, I am still determined to get out and walk.  I know it is good for me. And, of course, when I get to walk with Cathy, it becomes my favorite activity of the day! So no wonder I take it as slow as possible … I take full advantage of the time I have with her!
 

We slipped in an extra stroll yesterday evening around sunset. Instead of walking in the streets, as we normally do, we walked in the desert behind our house. It was a beautiful walk. There were enough clouds in the sky to make for a colorful sky. And although the sky was not necessarily full of color, it was still one of those magnificent Arizona sunsets … something to be appreciated.
 

I have definitely dealt with this round of chemo better than I did the first. It isn’t all clear sailing, for sure, but it is a big step in the right direction. I still am dealing with nausea and back pain, which is why we didn’t do anything outside the house together this past weekend, but I am optimistic that we’ll get on top of those symptoms and I’ll have better days in the future.  It is hard for me to remember how I did with the first chemo regimen back when we started (in February). Towards the end (in June and July), I dealt with it extremely well.  In fact, I was hardly affected by it at all (other than its intended shrinking of the tumors!). That, of course, is what I remember.  We can hope that we’ll get to the point where I’m dealing with this regimen as well or about as well as I did with the first regimen.  That is our goal, and I think we can achieve it!
 

I sent an email to some of my medical care professionals at Piper this morning, and just got off the phone with one of them. They are so responsive. They are working hard as a team to get my symptoms under control and get me feeling better soon.  They are a big reason as to why I am so optimistic. They and Cathy are a big reason why I am able to stay as positive as I can. And the entire Team gives me strength to keep fighting … I couldn’t do it without you.

The weather is really starting to get nice in Phoenix.  Although it was 101 yesterday, the long-range forecast, starting today, has high temperatures in the low to mid 90s, with lows in the low 70s.  That means we may see overnight lows in the 60s in our area of Phoenix.  When that is coupled with low humidity, it makes for very comfortable temperatures. Fall is just around the corner.  Hooray!  Not only does this make for great walking weather, but it should be good for yard work as well.  I have neglected our yard for the most part for some time now, so I have plenty to keep me busy.
 

One of the recommendations yesterday from Piper was to increase the strength of my pain patch, in hopes that I will not need to supplement with pain pills, as they tend to make me nauseous.  The stronger patch seems to be helping a bit this morning, so I am optimistic that we’ll get the pain under control soon.  And I’m still hoping that the nerve block ultimately will be effective.  I understand that it can take some time, so I’ll wait as patiently as possible …
 

I have been somewhat dehydrated lately, so I am going to Piper this afternoon to get some fluids administered intravenously.  That should make me feel better.  I think we are going to add fluids to my regular routine, possibly on the day that we detach the pump. As much as I try to stay hydrated, I must be falling behind …
 

I have a ways to go to fight through the pain and nausea. Cathy is doing all she can to help me.  As I have said before, it is harder for the caregiver.  I have to remain optimistic that my symptoms will improve and that I’ll feel better each and every day. Today is better than yesterday, so we are on the right track! We need to keep moving forward, one day at a time. I appreciate your support in helping me do that.