A Good Thing

I don't know what to say about today. I have been so busy that I have barely taken a breath.

The day started with a good tennis game. Do you know what a good tennis game is? ......One that you win! A good rally in tennis is one where you win the point!

Then I spent the standard hour doing the breakfast routine and did a lot of computer work and house work. Do you know what good work is?     For many, there is no such thing as good work!

After another helping of Matzo Ball soup, I set off to do a number of errands. Do you know what good matzo ball soup is?.........I do!

I got all the errands successfully accomplished and returned home hungry and a little tired, but more hungry than tired. Do you know what a good dinner is?    Anything when you are hungry!

I invited the research manager out for dinner to our favorite Thai restaurant. Do you know that a good research manager is? If you have been reading my blogs, I know that you do!

We got home and I did a bit more work. It is now just after 10:00. Do you know what is a good thing to do at 10:00 after a busy day?      Go to bed!

Good Night!

No High Heels

What an interesting day. I had good energy all day, although I am ready for a sleep as I write this.

I got up early to change the bedding and open my newest find.........air gel memory pillows from Cariloha.

After tennis, I did some banking and had breakfast with the research manager at our favorite breakfast restaurant.

By the time we got home, I needed to deal with my leg bumps. I had phoned the cancer center and was told to go to see my primary doctor. I went to the local clinic (home of the nurse practitioner - NP.) It was a new NP who insisted on calling me "sweetie." The older I get, the more I am called sweetie, dear, cutie et cetera. I guess it is safe to talk to old guys in such an endearing manner.

The NP gave me a prescription for the ring worm but was sufficiently concerned about the bumps that she gave me a referral for an ultrasound in an emergency room. The need was to check that I did not have deep vein thrombosis or blood clots. We opted to go to Morton Plant.

I am really impressed by the way they do things. Everyone I talk to says " I hope you'll feel better." They care, they are well organized and they are very professional.

After waiting an hour, I was taken to a room and told to get ready for the ultrasound. I was driven through a myriad of hallways on my hospital bed by Aaron, the best hospital bed driver ever. He even found the Ultrasound Room. On the way, we passed two nurses carrying flowers. I thought they must be for me and they said that they were but I was not allowed to have them in my room. Oh well.

Joseph did the ultrasound very professionally and Aaron drove me back in record time.

The doctor came in to tell me that I merely had varicose veins. While that is obviously a relief, it struck me that it was only a few years ago that I viewed varicose veins as an old person's disease. Apparently, younger people can also suffer from this. :)

The research manager was ecstatic, in part because of the result but mostly because she had diagnosed the problem correctly. Would you believe she walked around the hospital pumping her fist in the air yelling "YES, YES, YES!"

I do need to be mindful of the condition and should exercise, watch the salt, elevate the leg when I can and a few other things. The bad news is that I cannot wear high heels. Another bad side effect from chemo - no high heels.

The Mouse

It was a red shirt day. My bowels behaved overnight (Thanks, Imodium AD) and my dry mouth only woke me up twice. So I felt pretty good this morning.

I played tennis and by the time breakfast was done, I had had three fruits/vegetables checked off the list for the day. Orange, Avocado and Spinach.

I sort of ran the game at the club. I had an assistant and let her do the work so I could play with one of the kids from the Bridge Day Camp. It was fun and he did pretty well.

After the game and the clean up, we left to go to.......now here is where the fates come in. Apparently, I was not supposed to have any Chinese dumplings today. First, the two dumplings that I had in the fridge from last night disappeared over night. (This is not the first time - mice seem to appear often to eat the leftovers from the night before!) Then, rather than going to Ha Long Bay as promised by the mouse, we went directly to Earth Origins for a Wheatgrass shot and then home.

By the time I got home, I slept for two hours and got up to be greeted by an exotic, but decent, salad of lettuce, beans, red onion and other things. This was followed by Matzo Ball Soup which was kindly given to us by a dear lady at the club. It was very good and we have a good supply for future meals.

A word about red onions. As much as I didn't think that I would like it, it was mild and quite good in the salad. I think that I could even eat it as is. Red onion is very effective in fighting cancer and it will be part of my future life. After the discovery of the benefits of red onion by the mouse, I read in Time magazine that red onion extract is 4 times more effective in fighting cancer than white onion extract. It is a good thing that actual red onions are palatable because the only place that seems to have red onion extract is China.

Tonight I get to watch Idiot Test on the Game Show Channel before Cash Cab comes on. The mouse is sleeping on the couch and always appreciates a foot rub.

Tomorrow, we face a new challenge. Just below my ringworm is a small fatty bump under my skin. Three more of these appeared over the last few days on my shin on the same leg. So, I will be going to the cancer center to have these looked at. Always better to be cautious.

Battle for Attention

Well, what can I say about today. I sort of felt good and had a decent amount of energy.

I played tennis this morning, had breakfast and then headed off to get my blood test. It takes me a long time to do breakfast, pills, supplements and to remember all the things that I need to take with me. Even then I forget things and have to back to get them while the research manager gets the car, shaking her head at how forgetful I can be.

My blood results were good, but I took the time to ask about my dry mouth and mouth sores. I scored big time by doing this because the nurse consulted with the nurse practitioner and she approved giving me a sample of something called MuGard which is worth $800. I can also get a Biotine Spritzer which will help and got a prescription for some magic medicine (yes, I forgot the name) that apparently costs a few dollars also as the pharmacy left a message that they need to talk to me about pricing.

Meanwhile, my stomach was jealous of all the attention being paid to my mouth and decided that to get attention, it would help me to lose 3 pounds today. Calling for more Imodium AD!

Cash Cab has already started and so I will be signing off. We'll see what wins the attention battle over night.

Vulnerable

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.

In general, I feel pretty good and have good energy. Today was tennis, acupuncture, chores, a brief rest and bridge. All went pretty well.

The worst of times is that my problems with a very dry mouth and a sore in the center of my upper gum make it difficult to eat some things and thus wreaks a little havoc on my appetite. That is kind of a drag on my spirit.

When the immune system is weakened, you are vulnerable. The vulnerability takes two forms. You can get infections, like the ring worm that is slowly healing on my leg.

This raises the second vulnerability. Women can take advantage of such things. One sly tennis player asked if she could see my ringworm. I had not disclosed the location of the ringworm, but it was on my upper thigh. I was compelled to show it. Talk about vulnerable.

A Striking Contrast

Well, here I am two weeks after the day that I lost 5 pounds, 5 days after the most recent chemo began. The contrast with two weeks ago is striking. I am doing very well.

Today went pretty well. I got some work done, ran a game in the afternoon and am still working at 9:00 this evening.

The only aggravation at this point is that my mouth gets very dry and I have sores on my upper lip. This wakes me up at night. (4 times last night) Oh, yes, also my neuropathy on my fingers is still strong. I have to get the research manager to crack eggs. Better cracking the eggs than cracking the whip, although she seems to manage both.

All in all, things are good.

It being Sunday, I want to acknowledge an email that I got this week. (btw, I am always glad to get emails!) It reminded me that I am on the prayer list of a local church and I know that I am being prayed for by many. I so much appreciate that and am delighted by all the ways that God is working to heal me even though some of the remedies don't taste as good as I would like.

Low Battery

This evening, I feel like the energizer bunny..........after the battery has run down.

We had along day playing in a team game in Naples. It was fun but, boy, am I tired.

I find that I am still sensitive to cold (mouth and hands) and I get cold just standing in a store near the frozen food section and even in the car when the A/C is running. It may be worse when I am tired.

Dealing with the whole cancer thing also takes up a lot of time; for me, assembling all the things that I have to take/do and for the research manager, doing more research and making sure that I am doing what I am supposed to. I am not sure which takes the most time for her.

Finally, I have developed a case of ringworm on my leg. Something else to think about!

We did get some interesting new research ideas to pursue. Someone was advocating a plant based diet. I can't imagine eating the output of a cement plant or an electrical plant, but then I was also dubious about chaga mushroom tea.

Just slightly off center

Good things continued to happen today. I felt generally good all day.

The day started with spinach, avocado and a grilled tomato and cheese sandwich.

We travelled to Naples to play in a bridge tournament and did pretty well.

The interesting thing is that a few things were just a little off.

My stomach felt like it didn't want to eat much. I ended up having my first fast food in three months. I had an Egg McMuffin for lunch. I still feel a little off in my stomach.

The second thing that is off today is my emotional state. All things being equal, I was able to deal with things as they happened, but any thing out of the ordinary prompted me to tears. When you cry when a contestant on Let's Make a Deal wins $4,000, you know something is off. This happened more than once today.

My reaction to some sadder news would always be understandable, but was even greater today.

This journey is an emotional one and impacts virtually every aspect of your life, including your feelings about so many different things.

Another woman in my life

This has been an amazing week.

I had chemo on Tuesday and things went well. My ANC (white blood cells) was the highest that it has been since I started chemo.

Despite wonton and riotous living during my cruise, my blood glucose was at an acceptable level.

I have had energy, more than most expect and more than previous weeks.

Many people say that I am looking good.

My blood pressure today was 138/75....much better than previously at the cancer center.

We have been trying to sort out why this is. Yes, I am taking B12. Yes, the lypo-spheric C is effective.

However, I have to credit the new woman in my life......Dr. Zhang, my acupuncturist. Her goal is to get me through chemo (reduce side effects) and then to strengthen my immune system.

Don't tell the research manager, though. I'm hoping that she thinks it is all due to the cruise!

New Energy Source

Today, I am going to reveal one of my sources of energy.

I may not be quite as energetic as I was on the cruise, but my energy level is pretty high.

I am wearing a yellow shirt today which is the second best color. Many people said that I looked good. I am always surprised when they are surprised by this. Why should I not look good? I prefer to assume that I will feel good as opposed to the opposite.

Why is my energy better than after the previous chemo?

Clearly, the B12, the acupuncture and the lypo-spheric vitamin C may all take credit. They are all recent additions.

But now that I am home after running the game this afternoon and dining at Ha Long Bay (did I mention that I love the Har Gow there?), I can kick back and access my ultimate energy source........the House of Pop on MTV (channel 138). That gets me going. It is almost as good as the VH1 top 20 on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Let's see what the research manager says about that!

Oh, yes. I got my wheatgrass shot on the way home. I read that a one ounce shot provides the benefit of 2.5 pounds of vegetables. Wow, I could have had three bottles of V8! I prefer the wheatgrass personally.

Drama

Today's chemo session promised high drama and lots of tension.

This was my first blood test after the cruise.

When I got caught taking a small chocolate cookie last night, I could tell that the research manager was convinced that my glucose levels would be high. Since I was away, I am sure that she thought my white blood cell count would be lower than two weeks ago.

The drama heightened when my weight was up 8 pounds. One would assume that carbs were the culprit.

We met with the nurse practitioner and she was genuinely pleased with my weight increase.

We got the results of the blood test from her and my ANC (related to white blood cell count) was the highest that it has been since the first treatment.

But the pressure was still on. What about the glucose?

We got the results and they were negative (the blood sugar was ok!)

It looks like I should go on a cruise every other week. :)

One other quick note. We are doing a lot of organic food now. Today I got an email offering to make our bridge club website organic. That would have to mean that we would be the healthiest bridge club to play in.

Bob and I are late for Cash Cab. See you tomorrow.

Back Home

Well, I am back home and back in the swing of things.

I did have an exciting adventure this morning. After getting off the ship, I went straight to the acupuncture clinic and was treated immediately. Then I was able to take an Uber from Tampa to St. Petersburg. This was my first ever Uber experience. It may be old hat to some of you, but it was exciting to watch where my driver was on my phone and then to send a link to the research manager so that she could track where I was and when I would arrive.

It is a good thing that they didn't have the ability to track where I was on the cruise! I might not have been able to have pancakes on Sunday. There is some photo evidence, however.

Once home, I had to finish preparing for a board meeting. I then had a short rest, ate dinner and off we went to the board meeting and then a bridge game.

I am amazed that so many people observe what color shirt I am wearing. Today was another red day.

As for tomorrow, I will have to decide what shirt to wear. I am optimistic about dealing with the side effects with three acupuncture treatments and B12 under my belt. I am hoping for yellow and red all week.

Don't Tell the Research Manager

Well, the cruise is ending and I am still feeling good and strong. It has been a good break for me.

I have been able to keep up all the vitamins and supplements and I have met or exceeded the daily fruit and vegetable goals each day. It is getting easier each day. Multiple helpings of watermelon, pineapple and spinach each day.

Things that happened on the cruise...........Hmmm......which of these is true and which is fiction?

1. I lost $5000 at the casino
2. My table joked about me meeting women and so I have pictures of a few that I met that I showed them
3. I had chocolate melting cake each night for dessert
4. I threw out the whole bag of brazil nuts
5. I have decided not to get off the ship.
6. I had pancakes one day.
7. Some of these are included to make the true ones seem not as bad.
8. None of the above is true
9. All of the above is true.

Ask me about this when I see you, which I hope is true.

When the cat's away, the mice eat chocolate.

Another good day. I wore a red shirt!

There is not a lot to report. The contrast between chemo week and the week that follows is amazing.

Having said that, I took it easy today and even slept an hour after breakfast before going into Cozumel. This is the site of one of my favorite stores Cariloha, which sells bamboo sheets and clothing. I could not resist adding to our collection. It feels so good.

In Monopoly, we have Reading Railroad and today, I had "reading cruise ship." I read most of Grisham novel "The Appeal" today. A typically good story.

I could make up more about today, but it would be a "good story."

Not every day has to be exciting, but it is nice when they are good and that is what today was.

I received word today that "mice" at home had eaten some of my precious dark chocolate. At least their health will be better as a result! Did you know that Dark Chocolate (with no milk and virtually no sugar) has the following benefits?

Protection from Disease-Causing Free Radicals.

Potential Cancer Prevention.

Improved Heart Health.

Good for Overall Cholesterol Profile.

Better Cognitive Function.

Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Aid.

Antioxidant-Rich Superfood

 

Maybe I should just eat dark chocolate!

Life is Precious

My energy level has continued again today.  

My Energizer bunny routine has run for most of the day, but I did get a 2 hour sleep before dinner.

I realize that I get a lot of my energy from interacting with others and in the same way that I emulate my grandfather by humming to myself, many of my social interactions copy my father, with the possible difference that my jokes are better. :) Happy Fathers Day this weekend, Dad.

I am following most of the eating directions of the research manager and the veggies/fruit, vitamin, supplement routines are intact, with the odd loose screw. I loved downing my Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C at the card table in front of others and feeling an obligation to explain what it was.

However, I received sad news today in that a dear friend passed away early this morning.

Life is precious. Please do all you can to preserve it. I certainly am trying with the guidance of the research manager and the energy of others, including you. Thanks.
.

Try to keep up.

Today I am Mr. Energy.

I have been contacted by Florida Power to see if they can harness some of my energy. Either that or they want to know my source.

Possibilities

1. Acupuncture
2. Vitamin B 12
3, Joy of going on a cruise
4. The normal cycle of things a week after chemo.
5. The contrast to how I felt this past Sunday.

Whatever the source it feels good.

How did the energy manifest itself?

Well, here are some indicators: Woke up at 6:15 to draft my Sunday weekly email; Played Tennis; Did several errands before leaving for the ship; Carried my own luggage from the car onto the ship; Walking up and down stairs on the ship (some of the time); Leaping tall buildings; Standing in the open air for an hour for the muster drill.

Bottom line. I am on a cruise, having fun and joking with other passengers.

Still doing my veggies and pills and supplements.

I hope that you can keep up!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya Tomorrow

What can I say? I felt good all day today. I wore a yellow shirt and was told that I looked good.

I guess that the vitamin B12 and the acupuncture may be giving me energy.

I played tennis (not well), prepared a healthy breakfast (did pretty well) and went off to the club to run the game.(which I did well.).

I had a little fun signing in people, joking around a little sarcastically. The research manager will be delighted that I have moved from being acidic. However, she may be disconcerted to learn that I was acerbic instead..

It has to have been a good day when we end up dining at Ha Long Bay and I have 8 pieces of Har Gow to eat (which I did very well!)

Tonight, I am sort of taking it easy, but I am still at my computer and may be for a while.

I only have the Chaga Tea and one more of the powerful vitamin C to go.

Speaking of Chaga, we are delighted to announce the birth of some new Chaga growing out of previously used chaga chunks. In a few years, we may have enough new Chaga to feed two servings to a mouse.

Big News! Tomorrow, I am glad to say I'm going away (to Cozumel). I won't be back for many (4) a day. My heart will be down, but in two days, I'll be turning around and heading back to the research manager in St. Petersburg Town.

Energy

Today was a pretty good day. I played tennis and came home to find that we had been invited out for breakfast. It was a pleasant break.

On the way home, we stopped for a wheatgrass shot and to purchase some vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 gives me energy. I took one pill when I got home and immediately started dancing. I think that the research manager thought that I was kidding and I was, but it seems to have had some effect on my day. The only question is how long does one pill last.

It reminds me of the story of the man who had a very sick bird. It was near death. He called a veterinarian and the vet came and forced a dropper of gas into the bird. The bird immediately jumped up and started flying all over the place. He carried on for several minutes and then dropped to the floor. Everyone thought it was dead, but it was just out of gas.
,
I think I will keep taking vitamin B12!

We then left to see the acupuncturist. On the way, I saw that there was a silver alert. I looked closely to make sure that it did not say "an old guy with gray hair and a red shirt in a white Honda Odyssey."

After another peaceful visit with Dr. Zhang, we headed off to do my weekly blood work. The red and white blood counts are down, as is normal after chemo, but they are a bit lower than the last time. This calls for at least three actions:

1. Build up the immune system. I have been taking vitamin C from the start, but now we have upped the ante here with Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C which is a liquid that is far more effective.

2. Take care to wash hands and avoid hands to the mouth et cetera.

3. Avoid situations where I might be exposed to other illnesses and infections.

It is almost Cash Cab time and I am still feeling good.

It augurs well for tomorrow. I am looking forward to it.

A Better Day

Peeking eyes out from under the cover. Is it morning? Wow.....I just had 6 straight hours of sleep. That is amazing!

Lingering a little longer in bed, I was able to partially negotiate what I would have for breakfast. I did have to agree to an over ripe avocado, but got to eat cereal with coconut almond milk. I did not feel that tennis was a good idea given the events of yesterday.

I had the energy to work all morning and then had a variety of things for lunch. We even agreed on a little dark chocolate. My stomach and bowels seem more settled and I am happy about that.

I went out this afternoon to get my wheatgrass shot and picked up a chicken and some spinach for dinner.

We then went to play bridge and had a sub par game. I also virtually lost my voice. That chemo is fun; there is always some side effect. You just don't know which it will be.

On the way home, I discovered that the glove box on the research manager's car was stuck. I researched how to fix it to no avail. When we arrived home, the research manager reached over and opened it with no problem. I guess I am just too weak to open a glove box!

All in all, a much better day than yesterday. I intend to play tennis tomorrow. I watched Nadal in the French Open and figure I now know all I need to know to be a winning player.

I'm sorry, David

Apparently, it is necessary to be single for longer than one night to have any health benefits.

I was up three times during the night and countless times during the day today.

Now, let me tell you. Teenagers 50 years ago could be cruel. Sometimes, we would sit around and ask things like, "David, do you know how to lose 20 pounds of ugly fat?" The answer was "Cut off your head."

David got me back in part today. I have lost 5 pounds of something in just one day.

So, I am sorry, David.

The blitz seems to be over as of the start of the hockey game tonight and I have successfully consumed one cup of organic chicken noodle soup.

I did sleep for about 3 hours from 5-8. Hopefully, a good night's sleep is in my future. All I have to figure out is where to sleep.

Single?

Today was another challenge. My bowels are behaving badly.

However, I managed to play tennis this morning and did a few other things before going off to run and play in a game at the club this evening. Things went well and I was grateful for the help of many to help make the evening a success.

The research manager told me this morning about a lady who lived to be 117. She had 3 raw eggs each day and was single. I am not sure what I am supposed to do with that information, but I will sleep in a separate bed tonight to see if that helps!

68

Today started as another challenging day. I did not feel well and did not feel like eating anything. I struggled through half an avocado and eventually had some eggs.

This followed a much interrupted sleep in which my bowels and mouth caused me trouble.

So, what do you do?

I held on till 12:30 at which time, we left for my first meeting with Dr. Zhang, the acupuncturist doctor in Tampa.

What a great experience! The office radiates relaxed peacefulness. Would you believe that after many high blood pressure readings (like 180/90), my blood pressure was 127/68? That's right, folks.....68! The same as my age...68!

That was almost enough treatment right there.

We met with the doctor and had a great discussion in which she outlined two goals for acupuncture in my situation. The first is to help me weather the storm, dealing with side effects. The second is to build up my immune system. She described the immune system as a wall or fence meant to keep bad cancer cells out. Obviously, my fence was broken. So, I need to be mending fences. That is what many of the research manager's supplements and vitamins are meant to help with.

I then became a peaceful pin cushion for 25 minutes. It was restful and I think that I felt a little more energetic afterward.

We went on to have dinner at a restaurant on the Gulf and came home to have a two hour sleep.

I awoke just in time to watch a little of the basketball game.

I will fall asleep before it is over and expect to wake up in the morning ready for adventure.

86 or 68?

Today was a tougher day. I woke a little late and did not feel like eating. I settled for watermelon for breakfast.

The Comey hearings got me through till it was time to say good-bye to Bob.

 Getting rid of Bob is always a relief and the research manager said that I looked like I was 50 as I left the clinic. I felt like I was 86. On average, I guess that is about right.

I still did not feel like eating, but settled for a grilled cheese, tomato and bacon sandwich for a late  lunch, followed by more rest.

The research manager went out to play bridge tonight and I am taking it easy, watching the hockey game.

One interesting side note. My grandfather used to hum to himself when I was a youngster. I have found myself doing that of late. However, since the chemo affects my voice it sounds more like a record being played through faulty speakers. If you don't know what a record is, you either are too young or don't do your own DJing with "vinyl."

Back to resting.

Feeling Blue

I had a decent day. In general, I felt more energetic than previous day 2's. While I still had the neuropathic sensitivity to cold and my appetite was a little off, neither was as bad as it sometimes has been.

It is likely that the fasting before the chemo helped.

I am anxious to find out how things are tomorrow. I have planned to play bridge tomorrow night, which is a small risk if the good feeling does not continue, but I feel as if things will be fine,

The veggie/fruit count stayed high though. Avocado, tomato, grapes, carrot, salad, wheatgrass and tonight, watermelon and blueberries.

I am now up to 3375 mg of curcumin.

We did go to Sweet Tomato for dinner and I was delighted that about 50 people chose to join us. The fact that none of them knew who I was and had never read my blog in no way diminished my enjoyment of the dinner. We had to work out the seating plan with so many people. It worked out that the research manager and I were at the same table. Lucky me.

I started the day wearing a red shirt, but was given a nice dark blue one at the club. Notwithstanding the historic reputation of blue, several people said that I looked good in the new shirt. We have two light blue cars in our parking area at home and the research manager hates them. She says they are finky blue. I guess that applies to shirts also. However, dark blue has been elevated to feeling good status.

And that is how I feel!

Amazing Day

Today has been a fascinating day.

The big news was my meeting with Dr. Patel. While we knew there was some improvement from the report from the imaging center, I was not prepared for what I heard. Dr. Patel said that the colon tumor was almost all gone and that the lesions on my liver reduced in size by about 15 %. He indicated that more significant liver lesion reduction usually takes longer. He was delighted that the report said that results were compatible with good treatment response twice, indicating that Imaging reports seldom say that. The combo of Chemo and Carol is working.

I was moved to the edge of tears after speaking with the doctor. This is an emotional journey!

The chemo went well. There will be four more sessions and then another petscan.

As noted yesterday, I fasted from about 7 last night until after my chemo today and it may be a coincidence, but I felt good tonight and my side effects seem to be minimal.

After chemo, we went to Sweet Tomato for a late lunch/early dinner. Today and tomorrow are the last two days this month for their fabulous mushroom soup. I also love the Wonton Happiness salad with sesame oil.

We are planning on going again tomorrow. I expect we will be there (13101Seminole at Ulmerton) about 4:45. If  you want to join us for a little party, I would be delighted to see you.

I ran into a new scam this evening while running the game at the club. One of the female players, playing on her nurse credentials asked if she could see my port. I was wearing a polo shirt (blue) and had to practically remove it, thus revealing my carefully sculpted chest. I suspect that this is similar to what Rafael Nadal experiences. I will need to be cautious about this.

Time for Cash Cab. I hope to see you tomorrow in person or through the blog.
.

Fighting Cancer Cells

Today was another red shirt day. I felt pretty good all day and only had a short rest.

Those veggies are piling up. Avocado, tomato, celery, three shots of wheat grass (Don't ask how that happened!), broccoli and blueberries. I also upped curcumin to 2250 mg and it will edge up to 4000 soon.

Now I am fasting until after chemo. The theory is that the good cells kind of shut down with no food coming in and thus the chemo primarily attacks the cancer cells.

I learned today that a dear friend has had a third recurrence of cancer after having been cleared recently.

While I do not know much about this thing, I am learning a little. The reality is that cancer rarely "goes away for good." The cancer cells still are lurking.

That is why the research manager has been working so hard on diet and supplements that strengthen my immune system and fight the cancer cells. They will have to be kept at bay for the rest of my life.

I owe so much to the research manager for all that she is doing to not only deal with the current cancer but also to position my body to fight those evil cells in the future.

And that is why I personally paid the $21 grocery bill this afternoon.

Raising Curcumin

Another red shirt day. I got some work done, prepared and ate a good breakfast and had a short rest before heading out to accompany the research manager on one of her Guardian visits to Bradenton.

It must be me, but for the second time since I began chemo, while the research manager did her visit, I was left in a potentially hot car with only the keys and air conditioning and my ability to open the car door and walk around to save me.

After the visit, we had a very late lunch at Pier 22 and then drove back to St. Petersburg. On the way back, we stopped at Earth Origins for my wheat grass shot. While I went to order it, the research manager did some shopping. I downed the shot and went to my most frequented place - the washroom. I came back out to find that the research manager did not think I had ordered my shot and ordered a second one. For some of these regimes, she says that she will do it too, but somehow, I ended up with the second shot as well. I am going to end up more alkaline and energetic than your car battery.

One good thing. I was able to successfully get my low sugar, no milk, dark chocolate bar out of the store and home. The research manager asked what I intended to do with it. My answer - have a piece of it every once in a while. She kind of stared at me as I went on to say "Like every 30 seconds or so." I think she thought that I was serious.

The research manager has determined that we should up my daily curcumin intake from just over 1000 mg to almost 2000.. Fortunately, the new curcumin is more digestible than the earlier version. The interesting thing is that while she was researching this this morning, she would say that we were going to up the dosage and I would say okay. Then she would read more and exclaim that we were going to up the dosage and I said okay. By the time this happened five times, I think that she felt that I had gotten the message. (Ed note: Perhaps not. As I went to get my 750 mg for the evening, she told me again that we were upping the dosage!)

I am just now finishing my dinner of Caesar salad, watermelon and blueberries. Who would have thought that I would happily do this?

One final note. About three weeks ago, I cut my thumb. Because of low platelets, it formed a scab and has been sore ever since. We can celebrate the fact that the scab came off today. I'd celebrate with a glass of champagne, but it is not on the acceptable food list. How about water with lemon?

How to feel better

Today was another red shirt day. I was told that I was looking good, but that despite the good intentions for the peach/orange shirt, I did not look good in that color yesterday.

This morning I had one of the research manager's smoothies. I have not been told what was in it, but I suspect it included every good thing that she has ever thought of.

I played tennis. We played bridge. After a quick lunch, we went shopping and got even more healthy things. I found some really good dark chocolate - no sugar - no milk. I did not notice when we checked out of the store, but magically it did not make it onto the check out conveyor belt. This marks the second time that this kind of thing has happened. I will have to settle for blueberries tonight.

Now, how to feel better.

The first requisite is that you need to have chemo brain.

One of our stops was at Barnes and Noble. As is often the case, I drifted off to the washroom. We finished our purchases and went off on our way home.

At home, I settled in for a short rest, but began to develop a strange feeling. I looked around and could not find my phone. I thought back and became convinced that I had left it in the B & N washroom. Talk about chemo brain! The research manager was on the phone and I interrupted her to tell her where I was going.

She was clearly upset that I might have lost my phone and so was I.

I got to B & N and the store manager produced my phone. I felt better. I called the research manager and told her that I had retrieved my phone and she said that she felt better.

And that, my friends, is how to feel better!

Orange

Today was a great day. I played tennis, made and ate breakfast, attended a board meeting by phone, had a second phone meeting, got my haircut, played bridge in the Tampa Regional (winning!) and then had a wonderful dinner at Brio.

Today, I wore my peach/orange shirt. Why would I do that and what does it mean?

Well, I always seem to have something going on that wakes me up every two or three hours during the night. At one time, it was my bowels. However, most recently it has been a very dry mouth and gums. It really hurts, particularly the gums.

This happens because the chemo attacks fast growing cells and the ones in your mouth and gums are faster growing. Chemo is violent on those gum cells.

When I wake up in the middle of the night, three things happen.

1. I immediately drink a lot of water to ease the dryness pain
2. I visit the bathroom
3. I read the news on my phone. I love news. Even if I am bleary eyed.

Imagine my surprise when I read at 3:30 this morning that today was "Gum Violence Day" and that you were supposed to wear orange to show your opposition to "Gum Violence." It was only when morning came that I realized it was "Gun Violence" that they were talking about.

So I still wore peach/orange.

It was also National Donut Day. The research manager assured me that it was really National "Do Not" Day.

Off to bed. No Cash Cab tonight.

Strange World

I was told today that I was looking green. I felt fine and decided that I would wear a less clear shirt color. That was my Irish green shirt. I am thinking of developing a whole range of shirt colors that reflect the colors of the rainbow. I will keep you posted.

I had a board meeting this morning and was the last one to arrive. I settled into my seat. Quite a while later, I went to shift in my seat and felt as if I was falling over. Wow, I thought, I am really dizzy. I was thankful when I discovered that one of the legs on the chair was shorter than the others and it was the chair that was off balance and not me.

Having said that, it can be argued that I am not fully balanced. Take for example, our most recent project - acidity versus alkaline. I am still on the acidity side. Hence, we are doing five veggies/fruit a day and lemon in my water. I am trying to figure out how to do something with alkaline batteries. I would be shocked if that worked though.

Today, it was wheat grass, avocado, asparagus, tomato, salad (lettuce plus) and blueberries and perhaps watermelon tonight. Of course, a few nuts and pumpkin seeds got into the mix as well.

When I was much younger, I heard a wacky politician decrying the "Fruits and Nuts of society."
and now that is what I am eating. Strange World!