Half Way

Well I didnt think it would ever happen but we are half way through the radiation treatments.

All in all these daily trips to the cancer clinic have gone reasonaly well. Beth insists on coming to all the treatments in case I get radiation poisoning or something and she will drive home. She is a very good driver, but not such a great passenger. She is always telling me to put the windows all the way up before I turn off the motor ( I like to leave them down a little so the car doesnt get to hot).
So the other day we park and beth gets out first, before I have turned off the engine.
" Dont forget to put the back window all the way up". she says.
So I dutifully press the button for the back window. Suddenly there is a blood curtling scream from outside the passenger side of the car.

Several heads seem to appear out nowhere all looking at me.

Beth shouts rather loudly.
" Put the window down, put the window down"
So being a very quick witted ex air traffic controller _(did I mention we were driving beths car?)
I instantly pressed the down button the way it worked on my car.
"No, no down not up." There might have been something about an idiot in there somewhere, but I'm not sure. Beth screemed so loud more people jumped out of cars to see what was wrong.
Anyway I eventually did it the proper way round and all ended well - except for the black fingernail that is about to fall off.
It seems when she yelled put the window up ,she was holding on to it as she reached into the car to get my bag. See our little daily trips aren't borring at all.

Actually the treatments dont bother me at all. Well that is not quite true - as this big scarry large round eye sort of sneeks up on me from out of eyesight under the table on my left side and (making all sorts of wirring and clicking sounds) slowly goes around my body before coming back and stopping over my lower bladder area where it stays for several seconds making louder and more ominous sounds it makes me imagine all sorts of things.

For instance just before they start the machine the two techs run like mad to the exit. Now its just me all alone with this large, extremely powerful, high voltage machine - run totally
BY A COMPUTER. Now I have nothing against a nice little computer. But I worked for several years with some excellent professional computer people, some engineers others programers.

One little tidbit I remember from somewhere, was ( I'm not saying it is true) that for every 500 lines of code written for a program there is probably one error. Now it may be just a teeny little bitty error and never show up for a thousand years - but on the otherhand I assume there are hundred's of thousands of lines of code in this machine. So while I lay there (with my eyes closed) I think of programers and the big eye spewing out a few zillion volts (or whatever) of gamma rays into my little body - I may not be able to feel them but they are doing something - as the rather long list of side effects attests. I dont like it.

It started

Well every day I go in for the treatment the first thing the cheerful radiation tech ladies do is ask me if I,m doing ok - " no diarea?" I have always (except the time I took a mild laxitive - which is another story) said no.

Speaking of nice ladies this is a picture Beth took of two of the nicest - inside the zapping room - a few moments befor my treatment was to begin.

The large machine is just behind but I guess you annot realy see it.

However the past three days I have had it quite bad, and they say it will continue for the rest of the treatment - 26 days, but whose counting.
They gave me some medicine last week to help shrink the prostate - I had a reaction - first night one hand was itchy all night - no big deal - third day in the evening my feet swoll up- my lip also - but the worse thing was my chest began to get quite tight - needless to say I have quit the medicine. It seems I am rather alergic to almost any sort of medicine. The ladies at the clinic were very worried about me and got the doctor down right away. He gave me the older version of the same medicine to try - we will see.

I did go in to see my eye doctor yesterday about my Glucoma it is not getting worse - 14 in one eye 16 in the other - that is good news.

radiation begins

Had my second radiation treatment today - no problems, just have to lie real still. The people at the clinic are very nice - they do not expect me to any side effects for a week or two.

Decided to buy a 7week parking pass ( I will be going every day for another 36 days) from the cancer clinic - they only take cheques!
Would not take cash. Finally gave me the pass if I promissed to come back with a cheque
in a few days - if you stay less than an hour the pass does not save you anything, but less hastle.

Hace been having more trouble with my numb feet have tripped a few times and fallen - have great difficulty getting up due to the pseudo gout in my knees. The Cancer hasnt bothered me much these past 9 months - but I believe the injections have made me quite weak and it appears have also worsened any ailments I had before treatments. It has been pretty warm lately (30C)
and since I still get the hot flashes several times a night I do not get a great sleep.

Beth has been extremely tired the past 4 or 5 days as well as having sever back pains, She had bones scan of her back two weeks ago - havent heard results yet. I think she has been worrying about me to much - I tell her things are going fine (sort of) and to stop worrying - of course she ignores me. I think to take her mind off of things she has decided to rearrange most of the furniture, and shoes/toothbrushes/books/pictures/beds and anything else that isnt nailed down.
She does this almost every day - to say it confuses me just a tad is a gross understatement- but it makes life interesting - especially when she at times doesnt remember where she put things - we do have this in common!!

Went with Glenn for a boat ride out the Fraser river last evening - it was wonderful - and he bought us both fish and chips after returning - lovely time.

Had a bit of confussion with getting a dentist appointment - decided to go with beths guy - unfortunetely I gave the surgeon who operated on me the name of her doctor rather than her dentist (so he could forward the exrays to him). A few days later I realized what I ahd done and called the surgeon and gave him the proper name of Beths dentist. All is well - not quite - the surgeons receptionist being very alert and profficient sent them to another dentist who just happened to have the same name as beth doctor (BROTHER AS IT TURNED OUT). Anyway to make it short I ended up with two appointments at two different places on the same day 20 minutes appart. Off course beth and me thought it was her dentist that kept changing and reminding me of new times etc etc - ended up having no appoint ment since all the info went to the wrong dentist etc etc.

Side effects-

As with any strange gunk one puts into one's body I reckon there must always be some adverse consequence.

In the medical world they call it a side effect. With the stuff I'm getting injected there is a rather long list. The doctor's and druggist say they are usually quite rare. For the first few months I have relatively few side effects. Then I began to get hot flashes - still do - disrupt a persons sleep. Then I began to notice old injuries (broken ankle, fractured skull, tendinites, gout in knees, and of course my peripheral neuropathy) were suddenly getting considerably worse particularily at night. Of course this all does not help sleep much. I don't think my brain is working up to scratch either- (sigh)

I just sold my motorcycle for all of the above reasons.

Now, possibly due to all of the above I am getting very weak - to the point if I squat down I at times cannot get up without rolling over and grabbing something - this is rather pathetic.

I am due to start the Radiaton treatment within a month or so - this make you weaker evidently, Just what I need. I am also expected to take the shots for another year or two.

I go to see Dr. Nazif in two days, will talk it over with him, my inclination at this time is to stop all this and try and return to some sort on normalcy.

I guess I could be in so much worse condition I should be thankful I have all these wonderful people looking out for my welfare - and I truly am.

But I am starting to feel almost like someone else - and I don't know if I particularily like him.

This all looks rather depressing, but it isnt that bad - just thought maybe it may be able to help someone going throug the same thing I am.
I do laugh a lot with freinds and especially Beth and familly.

with
love

March 2nd -

We went to the wildlife refuge for Carols birthday

( I ate more cake).

This is our precious GreatGrandaughter Morgan talking to the duckies.

Results

This is a before and after pictures of my driveway project

Well we just got back from my appointment at the Cancer Clinic. All my test so far are looking good.

My PSA has dropped from 38.5 in October to .97 - that is very low - that is the good news.

The not quite so good is that Dr. Ingledew wants me to continue the shots for another two and a half years! That means I will continue to be weak - have aches and pains - and Hot Flashes.

Yes I have began to have Hot Flashes in spades - Maybe ten times a day, and several times a night in bed. This means I get very hot, wake up, throw off the covers, get very cold, etc etc which means I do not get a good sleep. I am also getting other rather expected side effects like tingling arms, week legs, pain in bones at night etc.

One thing that is definitely bugging me - I have put on about 8 pounds in the past six weeks or so - (all on my stomach, my pants do not fit) I have been eating about the same as usual - well maybe the package of cookies a day is a bit different.

As of last week I have decided to stop eating sweets - bad time to make such a resolution - had two birthday parties for Carol, ate several large pieces of cake - but am starting again right now. These darn female hormones are making me rethink my glib answer to all the dieting problems in the world - "Eat half as much, and do twice the excercise." It may not be quite so simple.

It is no big deal, but I dont like these effects.

Dr Ingledew also wants me to start Radiation treatment in about two months. Im not so sure I really want to have these treatments, they have several different side effects as well as making me even weaker. Beth and I are giving this some serious consideration.

I would like to stop the Shots in a few months and try and regain strength and vitality.

All things considered, I am grateful for feeling as well as I do, things could be much worse.

My weekly visits to patients at Peace Arch Hospital, makes me appreciate all I have to be thankful for. They are so appreciative of my short chats with them, it is quite rewarding to be of some comfort when they are in need.

I have been feeling a bit stronger the past week or so - have started to dig up the driveway to widen it and put in new concrete. See driveway mess above left.

Well all for now - must go and watch Judge Judy!!

Well have had a few more tests. Had a CT scan on stomach on the 10th..
We actually thought it was to be an ultrasoundsince I had to drink lots of water before
I arrived. Went through the normal (now) proceedure, gown on right way around,
wait here, wait there, - finally they take me into a room with several beds and intavenus
bags attached to each one. I thought it was strange I was here, but they were not for me! Wrong before I realized what was happening the had the needle in my arm and I was dripping away.

I was about an hour wait on the bed - then I was taken (dragging my little bag with me) to wait in one of two chairs outside the CT room. Almost immediately my good friend Maryse came along and sat next to me - she was getting a scan as well - what are the odds.

Our son Ken and his son Hobey have been here from Australia the past 11 days - it has been great having them, they both have great senses of humour. They left last night - seem lonely around here now. Unfortunately I have had a bit of the flue or something,o the past 5 days so I havent been too much fun to be around.
However Ken's oldest son Tyler will be arriving in two days so he will cheer us up.
I receive another shot in my stomach in thre weeks, and a CT scan on my back a week later, not much else I dont think for awhile.
Am going to watch the hockey game now - on our old TV set - my Son-inLaw Randy Just installed a new HD 50 inch set in his living room - wow the game look great. All I want is a little 32 inch one - not too much to ask for I dont think - although as Beth says there are all the starving children all over the place, so maybe we will just sponsor another child instead.

All for now
Bye

January 10
We are looking forward to a great year of lots of new adventures,
especially with family and friends.
Ken and Hobie are arriving from Australia, I think to check up
how we really are doing. Tyler comes later.

Things are just coasting alond right now and that is okay.

Thank you, all you young at heart people, who have responded.