Max got a new bed

The MouseSkin update

The information that follows is from Sara, the nurse that is directly involved with this program. As you can see, even the MouseSkin family travels:

As I said on the phone yesterday, there are now a total of 12 mice in Maryland. From the initial implantation, there are 9 mice with measurable tumors and one more with a palpable tumor. There are 2 mice that were propagated into the next generation and both of these have measureable tumors. In addition, when these mice were propagated, tissue was sent to our facility in Texas to propagate additional mice there. There has been no change in these tumors. A few weeks ago, one of the mice in Maryland was found to have a cyst growing, and not a tumor and that mouse was euthanized according to protocol.

I will keep you posted as to the timing of the drug studies, but we need the mice to keep on growing a bit more so we can generate enough to study.

Take care.

Carpe Diem.

My weekend near Bernie's (Palm Beach house)

After trekking to Miami to see the Fontainbleau, Howard and I spent the rest of the weekend in Boca. Saturday morning we went for massages and then to Ilan's house to watch Man U (they won) and a few other matches. Ilan cooked a beautiful braii (BBQ) of borevors (farmer sausage) and it was a real treat. Jack, Bunda, Wayne and Howard Palte also stopped by. Howard and I went to a tiny hole-in-the-wall sushi joint for supper that seemed like it was popular with nearby Florida Atlantic University students. (Let's put it this way....this was not the cotton head crowd.....) I ordered some octopus, which Howard said reminded him of cold linoleum only linoleum tastes better. Then we came home and watched the World Series. I asked Howard a million questions about baseball rules and I'm happy to report that he only threw his shoe at me twice. The man is very patient and understanding and knows the game. I now know a hell of a lot more about baseball. Alas, I am still a huge footy fan but for Howard's sake......Go Yankees.

Sunday morning, I met Ilan, Robin, Bunda and Ellen for breakfast in West Boca (ie....inland). The company was great but the food was such drek (crap). I had been there before and should have learned my lesson. Robin came back to the apartment and Howard took her out snorkeling along the jetty. Conditions were good and they spotted a lot of fish. Sunday night, cousin Martin invited us to dinner with Lauren, her mother Marsha and his two daughters. First we stopped at his new house right on the golf course (see photo of me that Howard snapped at sunset). It's a fantastic place with a 100 inch TV in the middle of the living room. It's like being in a movie theater. Additionally, Martin has a TV in each room. Yes, each room. He took all of us to this great Italian restaurant off Federal Highway called Matteos. He ordered for all of us and got enough food for to feed a small army, but we ate well and cleaned out plates. It was delicious. Love that calamari.

Monday morning, Howard drove me to the airport at 7 a.m. and I caught the 8:15 flight to Baltimore. It was a great couple of days spent with my brother inlaw and some old Zim mates. The only thing I regret was that I never went for my usual overdose of Jamba juices. Oh well. Till next time.

Carpe Diem.

Fishing and a night at the Fontainbleau

I am down in Boca Raton with Howard and we are having something of a boy’s weekend. We kicked things off Friday morning with an 8 a.m. 4-hour fishing expedition Pompano Beach. Conditions were good; seas calm and the skies blue without a cloud. Temps were unusually warm. Howard pulled in a beautiful mutton snapper (although why a fish is named after a lamb confuses me) and two yellow tail. I caught a tiny fish called a French Grunt, which they let me keep. The only good thing for me was that I caught the first fish of the day! Howard’s snapper took second prize in the pool and he won a whopping $28. (Please don’t try to borrow from him….he already doled it out on tips.) I got a little flambeed by the sun. Kind of dumb. Our fish were the ones in the picture foreground.


We rested in the afternoon from the rigors of battling the behemoths from the deep and then drove down to the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami where Howard had a business appointment with the National Sales Director, Louis. A few words about pulling into the driveway of the ultra-chic
Fontainbleau Hotel, which just completed a billion dollar renovation and is now the outpost for all that is hip and happening in South Florida, which is to say the world. There are Beamers, there are Porches, there are Bentleys, there are Hummers. And then there is Adrian and Howard puttering up to valet parking in the Bobba-mobile, my mom's 10-year-old Toyota Camry that was covered fender to fender with God-awful dust from the relentless construction taking place at her building. They almost made us take the servants’ entrance. But we met Louis in the lobby and he showed us this unbelievably stunning hotel that is famous the world over for its sweeping and curving facade (remember the pool scene in Goldfinger at the opening…..it was shot at the hotel). Louis then took us to dinner at the hotel’s premiere Italian restaurant, where we had a outdoor table overlooking the ocean and the pool. The waiter was pushing the goat very hard but Howard said he had a goat sandwich for lunch before he left NY so we passed. Dessert was a delicious gold guava soup with custard and a sweet biscuit. Just perfect. Thanks How and Louis.

Carpe Diem.

A pain in the arse

I really enjoy traveling but I gotta tell you, it's a real pain in the arse. Shoes off, laptop out, jacket off, hip metal blaring yada yada yada. I think you get the picture. Don't I look trustworthy? Can't I just tell the security people that I'm really OK. No, you say!

The rest of the trip to Boca was fine. Nothing like Southwest Airlines business class and their fine cuisine. After landing and exiting the terminal, it was like getting smacked in the face by a toaster. Hot as hell. If only we could average the temperatures out. It would be nice to borrow a few degrees for January and February in Baltimore. Yea, I know. Move to San Diego.

Carpe Diem.

Chemo 7 (Round 6)

The maintenance therapy continues. Jen (the nurse) was back working with me. What a pleasure. Once again, my vitals were good, the blood work was good and my check up with Dr. Schraeder went well. What more could I ask for? Well, let me see.........

I'm still receiving the Alimta and the Avastin and as long as they are keeping things at bay we continue. It's kind of weird because the first couple of days I feel good and then I have a few rough days. Fatigue and slight nausea. Nothing a nap and a few good drugs can't take care of. I try and keep a journal every couple of months to see if the symptoms remain more or less constant. They seem to. Post chemo days 3-6 are tough and then sometimes days 7-10. Diana seems to know my schedule and symptoms before I do!

Carpe Diem.

What's coming up

This coming Monday is Chemo day. Tuesday I am going to see my Pulmonologist. I am trying to get some help with my breathing. Because of the fibrosis in the right lung it sometimes gets a little tough with the breathing/out of breath thing. No biggie.

The MouseSkin family continues on their merry tumor ridden way. I will get an update next week. It still seems like we will be on schedule to start testing them early next year. The good thing is that as long as the current drugs are keeping things more or less under control then the sense of urgency is somewhat diminished. But with this disease you just never know.

From a traveling perspective, there is loads coming up. Next week in Boca. November in London. December in Israel and Boca. And new years on a boat cruise. I love it. 2010 brings us to South Africa for world cup and somewhere before that, a possible trip to Zim to catch up with ZimKids. If anyone has any trip suggestions please let me know :)
I hope this weather is through Cape Town before we get there. This is a pilot's worst nightmare!

Carpe Diem.

OK say it

OK, say it. I've been a very naughty boy. Jeez, you know how many times I've heard that one!

Yes, I have been remiss in keeping up with the blog but maybe it's a good thing. I have been feeling fairly well lately. People tell me I look good. But in all honesty, who would walk up to someone with a known illness and tell them they look like crap. Come to think of it. Maybe I would. No, not really.

What I'm trying to say in a very round about convoluted way is I am grateful for what I have and how I am doing. I know this sounds weird but I obviously have no choice. There are so many family and friends enduring all sorts of awful stuff. Like I said before, If I have 5 lousy days and 21 good days between treatment I am ahead of the game. Sadly, there is always someone else worse off than me!

Carpe Diem.

What the Toronto trip was aboot

We (Diana and I) spent a couple of days in Toronto and had a jolly good time what. It's always nice for her to visit with her family and it's great for both of us to catch up with old friends.

Our primary reason for the visit was to attend Justin Polgar's Barmitzvah. Justin is the son of one of Diana's oldest (time) and best friends, Suzy. The Barmy was a hoot and it was great to all be together with so many good friends. I keep saying "old" friends and it seems like we should all be in nursing homes but the "old" refers to friends we have know for a very long time. Just like the mates I grew up with in Zim, a lot of the hoser canuck friends are who Diana grew up with in Toronto.

We also spent a lot of time eating out at restaurants that we have been frequenting for the past couple of decades. Damn, we are getting old! I did not get to see everyone I wanted to or eat at more places but there is just so much time in a day. Even in Canada. Til next time.

Carpe Diem Eh.

Is this grin too cheesey ?

Carpe Diem.