Got up kind of early West coast time and resumed my metro-sexual lifestyle with a really good breakfast with Phil and Han. Lil was still sawing logs. After breakfast, back for another incredible hot stone massage. That was followed by a brief black jack stint with Martin. Phil won, I broke even.
Then, while the girls went shopping, I went back to the spa for an incredible shave and haircut. If I may say so, I do look quite good. Heads were turning at the pool. Not!!! Another brief stint at the cabana with a huge lunch, followed by a trivia session in the shade with Lil and Han where I taught them US geography. Han got an F, Lil was a B, but then we moved on to medical stuff and Lil excelled. Too damn hot to sit down there for too long, back to the room for a siesta.
In the evening we went to see another Cirque Du Soleil show called "O". Quite similar to "Mystere" in all it's acid tripping weirdness but, none the less, really good. The main difference being "O" was water based. To coin a phrase from a good friend..........These shows were are real "mind F%#k".
After the show we went to a really good Chinese Restaurant in the hotel that overlooked the front lake of the hotel where they had the choreographed to music water fountain displays every fifteen minute. We had a very good view and equally as impressive show.
No gambling tonight. Too tired. Or maybe that's a better strategy! Off to bed.
Carpe Diem.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Where in the world is Carmen "Adrian" Sandiego
In Las Vegas of course! At the Bellagio where I met Phil, Han, Lil and cousin Martin. What a magnificent hotel. Talk about being pampered and spoiled rotten. I have definitely discovered my "metro-sexual" side.
We sat at the cabana and sweat like stuck pigs. Really hot. We ate well and then we all went for the most fantastic massages. A nice shower and then off to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. Excellent show. It was like being on an amazing acid trip, with weird costumes, music, and dancing, and a bit of comedy thrown in. And that's not even mentioning the grown man dressed as a baby walking around on the stage in a diaper. Back to the hotel for an amazing dinner: Kobe beef, Dover sole, filet mignon, mushrooms, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomato soup, and so on. I have no idea how I stayed up so late and ate so much. I must have put on half a pound!!! Lil wanted me to stay up and teach me craps, but I couldn't. She did really well losing her money in seven minutes though.
Carpe Diem
We sat at the cabana and sweat like stuck pigs. Really hot. We ate well and then we all went for the most fantastic massages. A nice shower and then off to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. Excellent show. It was like being on an amazing acid trip, with weird costumes, music, and dancing, and a bit of comedy thrown in. And that's not even mentioning the grown man dressed as a baby walking around on the stage in a diaper. Back to the hotel for an amazing dinner: Kobe beef, Dover sole, filet mignon, mushrooms, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomato soup, and so on. I have no idea how I stayed up so late and ate so much. I must have put on half a pound!!! Lil wanted me to stay up and teach me craps, but I couldn't. She did really well losing her money in seven minutes though.
Carpe Diem
Monday, August 25, 2008
More about Chemo 3 (Round 3)
Wow, wow. That was my wife's first post. What an incredible post. Thanks XXX.
My last chemo (optimistically) went just fine except for one minor hitch. The infusion was supposed to take about 2 hours and ended up taking about 4 1/2 hours. My blood work came back just fine except that my potassium was low. I'm not going to explain what that means suffice to say my doctor was not "alarmed". They did however, give me IV potassium which took 2 hours. I'm also on a potassium supplement until my next blood work in mid September.
I will be meeting with Dr. Erlich on September 2nd and after he reviews my blood work and EKG (ECG) he will be starting me on the one a day oral medication called Sutent. Hopefully all will go well.
In the mean time, as Diana so aptly put it, I'm (we are) grateful for every day as a truly wonderful gift.
From now on I will be signing each post with the phrase "Carpe Diem" (seize the day).
My last chemo (optimistically) went just fine except for one minor hitch. The infusion was supposed to take about 2 hours and ended up taking about 4 1/2 hours. My blood work came back just fine except that my potassium was low. I'm not going to explain what that means suffice to say my doctor was not "alarmed". They did however, give me IV potassium which took 2 hours. I'm also on a potassium supplement until my next blood work in mid September.
I will be meeting with Dr. Erlich on September 2nd and after he reviews my blood work and EKG (ECG) he will be starting me on the one a day oral medication called Sutent. Hopefully all will go well.
In the mean time, as Diana so aptly put it, I'm (we are) grateful for every day as a truly wonderful gift.
From now on I will be signing each post with the phrase "Carpe Diem" (seize the day).
Chemo 3 (Round 3)
This is the wife (Diana/Lil).
Now that we've reached yet another milestone (albeit a favourable one), it's time for me to write. Well, it finally came - the last round of chemo. A 5 month odyssey that will forever be etched in our minds. One that I hope no one else will have to endure, yet undoubtedly, one too many will.
I can vividly remember Ade's first session. There we were, the 3 of us (me,Ade,Russy) - neophytes - alternating bursts of laughter with tears of fear and apprehension. We quickly grew accustomed to the routine of being "hooked up", as our many dear friends and family accompanied us to the seemingly endless chemo sessions. To be honest, there have not been many "up" sides to this journey. Only 2 come to mind: the eradication of the tumor, and, learning the true colours of people - especially my 2 sisters-in-laws. How can I ever repay them for the care, concern and love they showered me with? Me, not Adrian - their out-law! To my transatlantic flying, and Amtrak commuting, sisters - I love you both. To the MATMMISH boys, flying friends, relatives, and anyone else reading the blog, thank you for all your love, prayers and support.
Ade, you're a lucky man to be surrounded by so many people who love you. I guess they see in you what I first saw 26 years ago. Who knows what the future holds for any of us? If there's one thing I've learned, it's that each day is a gift.
Now that we've reached yet another milestone (albeit a favourable one), it's time for me to write. Well, it finally came - the last round of chemo. A 5 month odyssey that will forever be etched in our minds. One that I hope no one else will have to endure, yet undoubtedly, one too many will.
I can vividly remember Ade's first session. There we were, the 3 of us (me,Ade,Russy) - neophytes - alternating bursts of laughter with tears of fear and apprehension. We quickly grew accustomed to the routine of being "hooked up", as our many dear friends and family accompanied us to the seemingly endless chemo sessions. To be honest, there have not been many "up" sides to this journey. Only 2 come to mind: the eradication of the tumor, and, learning the true colours of people - especially my 2 sisters-in-laws. How can I ever repay them for the care, concern and love they showered me with? Me, not Adrian - their out-law! To my transatlantic flying, and Amtrak commuting, sisters - I love you both. To the MATMMISH boys, flying friends, relatives, and anyone else reading the blog, thank you for all your love, prayers and support.
Ade, you're a lucky man to be surrounded by so many people who love you. I guess they see in you what I first saw 26 years ago. Who knows what the future holds for any of us? If there's one thing I've learned, it's that each day is a gift.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sunday and going home
On Sunday, the weather was fantastic, so we decided to go to the beach in the morning. We all had a great swim in the ocean, including my mom. The water was calm but a little murky (and green). We still had lots of fun. Back to the pool for a swim and off to the mall for some last minute shopping and Jamba-Juicing.
The flight back to Baltimore was relatively easy, on time, and had no weather problems.
The flight back to Baltimore was relatively easy, on time, and had no weather problems.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
August 23rd and we all celebrate this international holiday
I never ever pay attention to horoscopes, but my cousin Martin cut a horoscope out of the paper today, and I felt compelled to reproduce it here.
"Your values, both emotional and material, will undergo a profound change over the next 12 months. A new way of looking at life will capture your imagination and alter the way you think and act in subtle, yet far-reaching ways. Looks like you've found The Key."
Very weird.
The rest of the day was fantastic. Lots of phone calls with very weirdly-singing people and lots of really nice emails. Still no presents!!! No cool train sets or scale electric cars. Not even a cool BMX bike. What the hell is going on? But, Bobba got me a $2 scratch card, and I won $50! She also got a lottery ticket, and I'll let everyone know later if I am the grand prize winner.
We all sat out at the pool and swam. The water was a very senior 82F. No beach swim today, but maybe tomorrow. Afterwards, we went upstairs to the apartment and, lo and behold, there was a birthday party for me: cake with candles that almost set fire to the apartment, a bit of champagne, and decorations. What more do you need? Presents.
In the evening we went to Abie & Louie's, A really nice steakhouse here in Boca. The Suskin gang, Our Mom, Phil and Hannah, Ilan and Robin, and Martin and his daughters (Arielle and Yael) all attended. Great company, but others were missed (Russ). Food just kept coming - onion soup, lobster, filet mignon, chicken, salmon, mashed potatoes, onion rings, asparagus - it was a never-ending feast! The final touch was a fantastic creme brulee which came topped with fruit and berries. All I can say is that Mike sampled most of everything on the table, including half of Hannah's apple pie. A couple of good words were said by Ilan and me, and then, Ilan and Robin presented me with a bracelet with chamsahs ("evil eyes" in Hebrew). There is an amazing story behind this bracelet. Their brother-in-law wore it and, as a cancer survivor, wanted to pass it on to someone else suffering this terrible disease. That person was me. I can't wait to pass this on once I am officially a cancer survivor, and I hope that this bracelet will help someone else once again.
After dinner, we went to Deerfield Beach and sat outside on the benches looking out to the ocean like old people; a shoutout to Bobba, Russ, and Phil for hosting the birthday dinner.
"Your values, both emotional and material, will undergo a profound change over the next 12 months. A new way of looking at life will capture your imagination and alter the way you think and act in subtle, yet far-reaching ways. Looks like you've found The Key."
Very weird.
The rest of the day was fantastic. Lots of phone calls with very weirdly-singing people and lots of really nice emails. Still no presents!!! No cool train sets or scale electric cars. Not even a cool BMX bike. What the hell is going on? But, Bobba got me a $2 scratch card, and I won $50! She also got a lottery ticket, and I'll let everyone know later if I am the grand prize winner.
We all sat out at the pool and swam. The water was a very senior 82F. No beach swim today, but maybe tomorrow. Afterwards, we went upstairs to the apartment and, lo and behold, there was a birthday party for me: cake with candles that almost set fire to the apartment, a bit of champagne, and decorations. What more do you need? Presents.
In the evening we went to Abie & Louie's, A really nice steakhouse here in Boca. The Suskin gang, Our Mom, Phil and Hannah, Ilan and Robin, and Martin and his daughters (Arielle and Yael) all attended. Great company, but others were missed (Russ). Food just kept coming - onion soup, lobster, filet mignon, chicken, salmon, mashed potatoes, onion rings, asparagus - it was a never-ending feast! The final touch was a fantastic creme brulee which came topped with fruit and berries. All I can say is that Mike sampled most of everything on the table, including half of Hannah's apple pie. A couple of good words were said by Ilan and me, and then, Ilan and Robin presented me with a bracelet with chamsahs ("evil eyes" in Hebrew). There is an amazing story behind this bracelet. Their brother-in-law wore it and, as a cancer survivor, wanted to pass it on to someone else suffering this terrible disease. That person was me. I can't wait to pass this on once I am officially a cancer survivor, and I hope that this bracelet will help someone else once again.
After dinner, we went to Deerfield Beach and sat outside on the benches looking out to the ocean like old people; a shoutout to Bobba, Russ, and Phil for hosting the birthday dinner.
Oh, by the way...........my Mom got me a scratch off lottery ticket for my birthday and I won $50. Awesome.
I can't wait to go into the ocean tomorrow, and I'll keep you posted...
I can't wait to go into the ocean tomorrow, and I'll keep you posted...
Friday, August 22, 2008
Friday in Boca (must be something medical)!
The trip down from Baltimore yesterday was fine. Ilan was kind enough to pick us up from the airport and was rewarded with a bowl of "ox tail" when we arrived at my Mom's place. It was good to see him. It was fantastic to see my Mom again. It's was also so nice for her to see the kids and Diana as well, and for all of us to be spoiled rotten with food and meals (snacks). I really need this.
Friday, feeling I was in south Florida, I felt the need to spend the day seeing doctors and having tests. I am of course, saying this "tongue in cheek" with all the due respect to the south Floridians. But the truth of the matter was I did in fact spend most of the morning and lunch seeing a doctor and having chest xrays. Let me explain. I have had this cough now for quite a few days (no it's not cancer)!!! In Baltimore I was put on an anti-biotic and an inhaler. When we arrived here in Boca there did not seem to be any improvement, this after 4 days. So Diana called Dr. Erlich in Baltimore and he wanted us to get a chest xray. We went to my mom's Internist where after lots of paper work and questions they listened to my lungs and determined everything seemed ok. Especially after I coughed. I guess that's the whole idea of coughing. We then went to the nearby hospital for the xrays as they could give us the report right away to fax to Dr. Erlich in Baltimore. Once again, after much paper work and questions, we hurried up and waited for the xrays to be taken. After all this was completed we were in touch with Dr. Erlich and he looked at the report and seemed to think a lot of this still has and had to do with the post radiation effects. He put me on Prednisone which is a steroid. The down side is my Olympic prospects were shot down but at least I may put on weight with this regimen.
Friday, feeling I was in south Florida, I felt the need to spend the day seeing doctors and having tests. I am of course, saying this "tongue in cheek" with all the due respect to the south Floridians. But the truth of the matter was I did in fact spend most of the morning and lunch seeing a doctor and having chest xrays. Let me explain. I have had this cough now for quite a few days (no it's not cancer)!!! In Baltimore I was put on an anti-biotic and an inhaler. When we arrived here in Boca there did not seem to be any improvement, this after 4 days. So Diana called Dr. Erlich in Baltimore and he wanted us to get a chest xray. We went to my mom's Internist where after lots of paper work and questions they listened to my lungs and determined everything seemed ok. Especially after I coughed. I guess that's the whole idea of coughing. We then went to the nearby hospital for the xrays as they could give us the report right away to fax to Dr. Erlich in Baltimore. Once again, after much paper work and questions, we hurried up and waited for the xrays to be taken. After all this was completed we were in touch with Dr. Erlich and he looked at the report and seemed to think a lot of this still has and had to do with the post radiation effects. He put me on Prednisone which is a steroid. The down side is my Olympic prospects were shot down but at least I may put on weight with this regimen.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Off to Boca
Out of the way "Fay"! We are heading down to Boca for a couple of days. Looking forward to seeing my mom and also looking forward to a change of scenery.
I'm still not feeling great from Monday's chemo and Tuesday's Neulasta shot. The Neulasta shot elevates my white blood count to help ward off infections. But the shot makes me tired and achy. Combine that all with my cough which does not seem to be going away as quick as I thought. Hopefully relaxing in Boca will help all of this.
I'm still not feeling great from Monday's chemo and Tuesday's Neulasta shot. The Neulasta shot elevates my white blood count to help ward off infections. But the shot makes me tired and achy. Combine that all with my cough which does not seem to be going away as quick as I thought. Hopefully relaxing in Boca will help all of this.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Chemo 2 (Round 3)
Today was my second last chemo treatment. You have no idea how thrilled I am that this stage of the treatment is almost over. It went well today and my blood work was fine. They have given me an anti-biotic and an inhaler for my cough so helpfully that will take care of things.
We leave for Boca on Thursday to visit my mom and celebrate my 52nd birthday. Jeez, that seems old! Phil will be coming in with Hannah (my niece) and we will all have a great dinner together on Saturday night. Hopefully, all will be OK with my mom and her apartment with regards hurricane Fay. Bloody nuisance.
We leave for Boca on Thursday to visit my mom and celebrate my 52nd birthday. Jeez, that seems old! Phil will be coming in with Hannah (my niece) and we will all have a great dinner together on Saturday night. Hopefully, all will be OK with my mom and her apartment with regards hurricane Fay. Bloody nuisance.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Weekend Update
It's been a bit of a slow weekend. I have not been feeling that great the past few days. I seem to be coughing a bit more than usual. It seems to get worse if I talk too much or try and take deep breathes. Yea, I know. Me talk too much? We will discuss this tomorrow, at my chemo treatment, with the doctors.
Phil came in Saturday to spend the day with us. Her visits are always uplifting for me. We did not do much except for me to try and eat and try and converse (and cough). I also had a massage in the morning and Sue (the masseuse) told me my skin was really dry and it did not look like I was drinking enough fluids. She gave me this electrolyte powder to try so I have been making a conscious effort to consume more fluids.
Sunday we watched Man U play to a draw with Newcastle. It is so nice to have our English Premiership Football (soccer) season back on TV. Combine that with good Olympic coverage and what more do you need? Hmmm!
Phil came in Saturday to spend the day with us. Her visits are always uplifting for me. We did not do much except for me to try and eat and try and converse (and cough). I also had a massage in the morning and Sue (the masseuse) told me my skin was really dry and it did not look like I was drinking enough fluids. She gave me this electrolyte powder to try so I have been making a conscious effort to consume more fluids.
Sunday we watched Man U play to a draw with Newcastle. It is so nice to have our English Premiership Football (soccer) season back on TV. Combine that with good Olympic coverage and what more do you need? Hmmm!
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