Today I will have number 36 of my 36 treatments. My last treatment will be at 1:15 PM, February 22, 2007. I am ready to get this over with and return home to a “normal” life. We will probably be packed when I go to get my treatment, and we will leave for home from the hospital.
Patsy and I have made many new friends and will miss them all. However, this chapter of our life has ended and it is time to start a new chapter and move forward.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
MP3 Player
The “Bingo Queen” strikes again!
On a lighter side, Patsy has been named the “Bingo Queen” again. Even thought she only won 2 prizes this time, she won the Grand Prize again. It was an MP3 player. Patsy said, “What do I need that for?” I told her I would figure out something to do with it! I think the other players will be glad she played her last game in Durham, NC.
On a lighter side, Patsy has been named the “Bingo Queen” again. Even thought she only won 2 prizes this time, she won the Grand Prize again. It was an MP3 player. Patsy said, “What do I need that for?” I told her I would figure out something to do with it! I think the other players will be glad she played her last game in Durham, NC.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Birthdays and Goodbyes
We returned to Durham on Monday and got ready for my 33rd treatment. I was scheduled to see my doctor today because he was going to be out of town for my last treatment on Thursday. I will have a follow-up 6-7 week visit here at Duke. Because of the medication that I am on and the radiation that I have taken, the doctor will not be able to tell what, if anything, the cancer is doing after only 2-3 months. However, there is no doubt in my mind we won this war on cancer with the radiation, diet, exercise, and prayer!
We have made many friends while staying at the Caring House, and the time has come to tell some of them goodbye. About four close friends are leaving tomorrow (Tuesday). Others are leaving Wednesday. They have been here with us for seven plus weeks, and we have become really good friends. We will miss talking and visiting with them everyday. That means some new residents will be arriving within the next couple days, and that means more new friends. It is kind of like being in the Army! We were always saying goodbye to old friends, but always enjoying the new ones. Each one always touched us in some special way.
We had a birthday party tonight for one of the residents. She received some nice gifts and very thoughtful cards. It was a very moving experience for her. We had two different cakes and several flavors of ice cream. Patsy and I ate our supper before we had the cake and ice cream. That way I would get my good lentil soup before I filled up on sweets. My weight has not gone down despite the radiation treatment. In fact, I have surprised the doctors and nurses by gaining a few pounds.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Nearing the Finish Line
Nearing the Finish Line
I completed my 30th treatment today. We had our Wednesday night supper tonight and, as usual, plenty of good food. We have about ten people leaving within the next two weeks, and Patsy and I are two of the short timers here. A lot of new people have started moving in, and it is hard to get to know all the new ones and identify their spouses.
We took a few pictures of the group tonight after supper. Not all the residents are in the pictures because some were too tired, some were too sick, and some had other plans after dinner.
I will see my radiation oncologist tomorrow. He will probably not have much to tell me except to plan to return for a follow-up visit in about six weeks. Even by then it will be too early to know what, if anything, the cancer is doing. The hormone shots suppress the PSA score and will for at least six months. I have faith that the cancer will not return!
Some contractors are installing a large generator at the Caring House. A few years ago, the Caring House was without electricity for about a week because of an ice storm. So on Sunday the electricity will be off at the Caring House for about five hours to get the electricity connected to the backup generator. Since the weather forecast calls for very cold temperatures this weekend, we will plan to travel home and return Monday. Hopefully all the “bugs” will be worked out of the generator by then. I will have only four treatments left when we return Monday!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Life and Death
Life and Death
Monday, February 12, 2007
Today was a painful day. We returned to Duke on Monday for my 28th treatment. When we got back to the Caring House here at Durham, we learned that one of the residents had passed away over the week end. It was very heartrending information for Patsy and me because we had befriended the family involved. It was time to leave for the hospital for my treatment, so we had to get on with our lives while feeling sad for the loss of one of our friends.
It is sometimes hard to believe, but life continues despite our loss. At dinner tonight about five residents were sitting around the table and eating their meals. Of these five people, four were cancer patients and the other was a spouse. Believe it or not, they were joking, laughing, eating, and keeping a positive attitude. They were finding humorous things in life to talk about and making plans for their future. All of these people will complete their treatments within the next two weeks. They cannot wait to resume their normal lives!
The Caring House has many activities planned for the residents this week. It must be because of Valentine’s Day. Monday was board game night. Tuesday, we will have movie night. I can’t wait to see what they will pick for us to watch. Will it be action, western, or romance? Wednesday will be a big Valentine supper, with all types of food. Thursday we all plan to go out to eat supper at a local restaurant; that will be about 20-30 people.
If you are thinking, why are they always talking about eating? Cancer patients must keep their strength and weight up. The radiation oncologists do not want us to lose weight because our bodies need all the strength to fight the cancer. The radiation and chemotherapy require the body to use a lot of energy to overcome the toxins that are destroying the bad cells as well as the good cells. Therefore, most people lose weight without a large caloric increase. I have maintained my weight and enjoyed doing it!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Today was a painful day. We returned to Duke on Monday for my 28th treatment. When we got back to the Caring House here at Durham, we learned that one of the residents had passed away over the week end. It was very heartrending information for Patsy and me because we had befriended the family involved. It was time to leave for the hospital for my treatment, so we had to get on with our lives while feeling sad for the loss of one of our friends.
It is sometimes hard to believe, but life continues despite our loss. At dinner tonight about five residents were sitting around the table and eating their meals. Of these five people, four were cancer patients and the other was a spouse. Believe it or not, they were joking, laughing, eating, and keeping a positive attitude. They were finding humorous things in life to talk about and making plans for their future. All of these people will complete their treatments within the next two weeks. They cannot wait to resume their normal lives!
The Caring House has many activities planned for the residents this week. It must be because of Valentine’s Day. Monday was board game night. Tuesday, we will have movie night. I can’t wait to see what they will pick for us to watch. Will it be action, western, or romance? Wednesday will be a big Valentine supper, with all types of food. Thursday we all plan to go out to eat supper at a local restaurant; that will be about 20-30 people.
If you are thinking, why are they always talking about eating? Cancer patients must keep their strength and weight up. The radiation oncologists do not want us to lose weight because our bodies need all the strength to fight the cancer. The radiation and chemotherapy require the body to use a lot of energy to overcome the toxins that are destroying the bad cells as well as the good cells. Therefore, most people lose weight without a large caloric increase. I have maintained my weight and enjoyed doing it!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Treatment 25 today was a little longer than normal. The technicians had to perform some X-rays again today before they gave me my treatments. This was to make sure the X-ray beams were focused in the correct area. The technicians also had to remark the lines on my body so they could get me properly aligned in the mold. The lines tend to get washed off over time.
We had our Wednesday night supper tonight. Again it was a big success. We had more food than we could eat and had all types of food: turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, beans salad, mixed vegetable salad, pork pot pie, and a bean, spinach, tomato salad and about 5 different desserts, bread and tea. It is 3 hours after the meal and I am still full, but happy.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
"Bingo Queen"
Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007
The Bingo Queen
Today I completed my 24th treatment. That means 12 to go, unless the schedule is changed. At this time, I do not expect any changes.
My spouse was acting as a Good Samaritan today. Some people here at the Caring House are by themselves and do not have transportation to go to the store for food or, in some cases, even get picked up from the hospital. So Patsy volunteered to help the people living at the Caring House who are in need of transportation get where they need to go. She picked up a mother from the hospital today who was hospitalized to give stem cells for her 33 year old son. They are from Africa and have few friends in the US. Talking to the mother presents a problem because of the language barrier. It is very difficult to understand her. We were told the son may not have long to live because the stem cell transplant may not be working. That’s another family to add to our prayer list.
Tonight the residents played Bingo. The director of the Caring House gets 10-15 gifts for prizes for the winners. That makes the games more fun. Patsy has now been declared the “The Bingo Queen”. Tonight she won 4 games and yours truly finally won one. Patsy won the big prize also, a portable wet/dry Power Vac! If I could get her to Las Vegas, we may not have to work anymore.
Wednesday night we will have another Caring House dinner. We have a special white bean, spinach, and tomato dish that we plan to make. With all the items listed that people are planning to prepare, we will have a feast. Everyone looks forward to the Wednesday night dinners.
The Bingo Queen
Today I completed my 24th treatment. That means 12 to go, unless the schedule is changed. At this time, I do not expect any changes.
My spouse was acting as a Good Samaritan today. Some people here at the Caring House are by themselves and do not have transportation to go to the store for food or, in some cases, even get picked up from the hospital. So Patsy volunteered to help the people living at the Caring House who are in need of transportation get where they need to go. She picked up a mother from the hospital today who was hospitalized to give stem cells for her 33 year old son. They are from Africa and have few friends in the US. Talking to the mother presents a problem because of the language barrier. It is very difficult to understand her. We were told the son may not have long to live because the stem cell transplant may not be working. That’s another family to add to our prayer list.
Tonight the residents played Bingo. The director of the Caring House gets 10-15 gifts for prizes for the winners. That makes the games more fun. Patsy has now been declared the “The Bingo Queen”. Tonight she won 4 games and yours truly finally won one. Patsy won the big prize also, a portable wet/dry Power Vac! If I could get her to Las Vegas, we may not have to work anymore.
Wednesday night we will have another Caring House dinner. We have a special white bean, spinach, and tomato dish that we plan to make. With all the items listed that people are planning to prepare, we will have a feast. Everyone looks forward to the Wednesday night dinners.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Monday, February 5, 2007
Monday, February 5, 2007 – Treatment Number 23.
We arrived back at Durham, NC after lunch and in time for my 23rd treatment. The radiation treatment schedules were backed-up because they take X-rays on Monday to make sure that the beams of radiation are directed at the correct spots on the body. We had to wait about an hour before my treatment could begin.
I was scheduled to be in a 90 minute focus group discussion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Duke Medical Center about the impact of cancer. It was scheduled to start at 6 PM, and it was located about 30 minutes from the where I was receiving treatment. Tonight, of all nights, everyone wanted to cook at the same time. I was able to “gobble” down my supper and get there before the meeting started. I hope the group of cancer patients provided the NCI with enough insight to help other patients who will have prostate cancer in the future.
We arrived back at Durham, NC after lunch and in time for my 23rd treatment. The radiation treatment schedules were backed-up because they take X-rays on Monday to make sure that the beams of radiation are directed at the correct spots on the body. We had to wait about an hour before my treatment could begin.
I was scheduled to be in a 90 minute focus group discussion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Duke Medical Center about the impact of cancer. It was scheduled to start at 6 PM, and it was located about 30 minutes from the where I was receiving treatment. Tonight, of all nights, everyone wanted to cook at the same time. I was able to “gobble” down my supper and get there before the meeting started. I hope the group of cancer patients provided the NCI with enough insight to help other patients who will have prostate cancer in the future.
Treatment Number 22 of 36
Friday, February 2, 2007 - Treatment Number 22 of 36
Emotions were running high and schedules did not seem to be working out to our satisfaction. It was Friday, and we wanted to get home since we were not able to go home the weekend before. I got my radiation treatment at 9:15 AM, and we were hoping to get my gamma infusion of IVIG soon after that so we could leave for home. I got the call from Duke Hospital Admissions that they would have a bed for me for outpatient infusion around noon. I just knew that I would get in and out within 3 hours. I got in the hospital room around 1 PM. At 3:30 PM they still had not started the infusion. I think they have more paperwork than schools do! Finally, the infusion was started, was over, and we departed for home at 7:30 PM. We arrived home around 10:30 PM and tired was not the word for it.
Emotions were running high and schedules did not seem to be working out to our satisfaction. It was Friday, and we wanted to get home since we were not able to go home the weekend before. I got my radiation treatment at 9:15 AM, and we were hoping to get my gamma infusion of IVIG soon after that so we could leave for home. I got the call from Duke Hospital Admissions that they would have a bed for me for outpatient infusion around noon. I just knew that I would get in and out within 3 hours. I got in the hospital room around 1 PM. At 3:30 PM they still had not started the infusion. I think they have more paperwork than schools do! Finally, the infusion was started, was over, and we departed for home at 7:30 PM. We arrived home around 10:30 PM and tired was not the word for it.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
January 31, 2007 (treatment # 20)
January 31, 2007 (treatment # 20)
Wednesday night is the night for our Community Suppers. We have had a large turn-over of residents lately, so some of the newer residents did not attend the meal. They missed a good meal and good fellowship. One new couple lives near the Loris/Myrtle Beach area, and another couple is originally from the New York area, but they now live in NC. Some people are here for only 2 weeks for treatment, and some are like me and are here for 7-8 weeks. It all depends on what type cancer they have. We have one man and his mother here from Africa. They are really nice people. He is here for a stem cell transplant. They are gathering his stem cells and then giving him chemotherapy and then replacing his stem cells. He is a pretty sick young man. We also have another person living here who is receiving stem cells, but hers are being rejected. I don’t know what the next step will be for her.
If you look around, you will usually find people who are sicker than you. Sometimes we get wrapped up in our own problems and don’t see how good we really have it. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself, just stop and look around at other people and thank the Lord for all the blessings you have.
While I was waiting for my radiation treatment today, a man stopped by to talk to me as he was leaving the hospital. This was his last treatment; he had 41. He had his mold under his arm, of all things. That is the mold he has to be in during his treatment. It is used to help the technicians get the patient’s body lined up properly for radiation treatment. Someone in the waiting room asked him why he wanted the mold. (I have already told my wife I want my mold). He said his grandchildren will get to do a show and tell at school about his cancer. I thought that was a GREAT idea. Someone also suggested he could use it as a sled since we are scheduled to have ice and snow Thursday. He also thought using the mold as a sled was a good idea.
Wednesday night is the night for our Community Suppers. We have had a large turn-over of residents lately, so some of the newer residents did not attend the meal. They missed a good meal and good fellowship. One new couple lives near the Loris/Myrtle Beach area, and another couple is originally from the New York area, but they now live in NC. Some people are here for only 2 weeks for treatment, and some are like me and are here for 7-8 weeks. It all depends on what type cancer they have. We have one man and his mother here from Africa. They are really nice people. He is here for a stem cell transplant. They are gathering his stem cells and then giving him chemotherapy and then replacing his stem cells. He is a pretty sick young man. We also have another person living here who is receiving stem cells, but hers are being rejected. I don’t know what the next step will be for her.
If you look around, you will usually find people who are sicker than you. Sometimes we get wrapped up in our own problems and don’t see how good we really have it. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself, just stop and look around at other people and thank the Lord for all the blessings you have.
While I was waiting for my radiation treatment today, a man stopped by to talk to me as he was leaving the hospital. This was his last treatment; he had 41. He had his mold under his arm, of all things. That is the mold he has to be in during his treatment. It is used to help the technicians get the patient’s body lined up properly for radiation treatment. Someone in the waiting room asked him why he wanted the mold. (I have already told my wife I want my mold). He said his grandchildren will get to do a show and tell at school about his cancer. I thought that was a GREAT idea. Someone also suggested he could use it as a sled since we are scheduled to have ice and snow Thursday. He also thought using the mold as a sled was a good idea.
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