New FlagStatus Updated - May 20
  


PROGRESS
New ItemMay 01/10
 Progress, progress, progress; yet another specialist (Dr. Mennen - looks like he just got out of High School), apparently one of the best gastroenterologists in the city (for sure one of the youngest). Talking to him before hand he said that from examining my latest scan and talking to my other doctors, he was convinced I had a blockage of some kind somewhere but he couldn't be sure what or where until he "got a look inside". Yep another scope! I won't go into all the details, suffice to say he was right. As it turns out the blockage was twofold: 1) in the remaining (good part) of the esophagus and 2) at the end of the stent, entering the stomach. Apparently initially he couldn't even get the scope down to where he needed it. That was when he decided to knock me right out instead of leaving me in my then current state of just not caring about anything. Turns out the esophagus had collapsed (likely weakened from radiation treatments) and was preventing anything I ate from getting to my stomach. He figures this to be cause for most of the pain I felt high in my chest behind the ribs. Nothing was moving; I won't comment further, you can imagine the affect of undigested food for yourselves. Additionally he found that the tumor had partially blocked the entrance to my stomach, so that even if food had got that far I'd still have had problems. The end result was that he "stretched" the esophagus and cleaned out the blockage and then using a laser he "burned" out the part of the tumor causing the second blockage. Today as I write this I feel like I've just had my tonsils out but the pain is no where as intense as it has been for the past 8 - 10 weeks. Dr. Mennen says that this procedure is repeatable if necessary (Yuk) but he suggested that if the esophagus collapses again he would suggest inserting an additional stent to hold it open. That would help dealing with tumor growth a little easier as well. My only complaint in all this is the sadistic definition doctors have for "discomfort". Whenever a doctor says you will feel discomfort, make sure you have a good supply of pain meds, because you'll need them. Hopefully over the next few days I'm going to try eating again very cautiously, so far the popsicles and jello that I've had have gone down very well, and tasted great. Next apt May 19th. More after that.
Apr 09/10
 Well I finally got the results of the ultra-sound exam that I had last week. The exam was quite painful but very thorough. Results show that Spleen, Pancreas, Kidneys, Liver & Gall Bladder all working as they should. No sign of gall stones or anything else that should cause the constant pain that I'm feeling. My surgeon guarantees that there is nothing wrong with the stent or the feeding tube. The GP is convinced that it's (the pain) got something to do with the liquid food, but he doesn't know what. I talked to the Dr's at Credit Valley this morning. Their only (short term) suggestion is to double up on taking pain meds. My prime Dr. says he will confer with several colleagues to see what else they can come up with. Hopefully those discussions will come up with something because the way things are this is quit debilitating in that there's not much I can do except sleep, caused by the pain meds. My power of concentration is shot, just can not get interested in doing much and am getting quite 'down'. 

More to come as I learn more.
Mar 09/10
 Had yet another C A T scan this morning. Appointment was for 7:15am, will never accept one that early again. Holy smokes had to get up at 5:00am and even before that had to wake up at 3:00am to stop the overnight feed. Couldn't wait to get back home and back to bed. Poor Kim, she had to go to work after dropping me at home at about 11:15 (HA!). Next appointment is for March 23rd to get results of this scan. This one is in the afternoon - I guess there goes my afternoon nap (can't win). While there I met with the palliative care folks. Reviewed with them the affect of the new pump food they've asked me to try. So far it's caused more problem than good but we worked out new dosage, combined with the original stuff and we'll see how that works over the next week or so. The new pain drugs I got during last weeks visit seem to finally start working. It took a couple days to get worked into the system but things seem to be much more manageable. Also got new drugs today aimed at helping digestive and bloating problems I've been having which cause horrible stomach and back pains. Will start these 4 times a day along with the stuff I already have and see if we can get the pain at least to a point that it will allow me to stand up straighter, rather than looking like I'm about to fall over on to my already too large nose. That's about it for now - stay tuned.
Nov 13/09
 I went yesterday(November 12) to meet with both medical oncologist and palliative care doctors. Blood work showed that things are almost normal even though pressure was down a bit and I still have to be careful because my immune system isn't quite back to normal. The palliative care doctor has recommended that I get the H1N1 flu shot but has warned that it will likely make me drowsy, will affect my attention span adversely and my arm will be sore. All of this will likely last 4-5 days. I also got a prescription for a new drug (doctor thought I was already taking it) that is supposed to help with my appetite and eating and digesting real food. I will give this a shot and hopefully it will help cut the number of hours that I have to be connected to Oscar (my feed pump). Additionally I have appointments scheduled for December 23 for more blood work and another C A T scan. I then go back on January 7th to get results and figure out "what's next". Generally both doctors seemed happy with progress to date. 31 shopping days left until Christmas
Oct 01/09 Well, I hope you all heard the bell ring. It just about got pulled off the wall. The event occurred at approx 4:50 pm EDT. "CHEMO IS FINISHED!!!!" With the unexpected exception of needing to get 2 more units of whole blood the day went very well. The one thing that could have made it better would have been if the Leafs had beat Montreal in the opening game of their hockey season. Detailed analysis of my latest CAT scan has shown that the chemo has done what it was intended to do. Nothing has been cured however ALL previously infected lymph nodes have shown to have shrunk significantly (a good thing). There appear to be no new infected nodes anywhere. A review of the head scan, still shows (much to my chagrin) that there's nothing in it. No wonder I feel light headed! The result of all this is that for the next 4 weeks I'll have no new drugs and all I will be taking are those required for pain management. These seem to be working pretty good in that I haven't had one of my infamous headaches in almost a week, since I started taking the latest drug. To quote the doctor, "All we have to do now is figure out why you feel so crappy". Hopefully as the chemo works its way out of my system over the next few weeks, my feeling of well being and my appetite should improve considerably
Sept 24/09
 This week's visit to the hospital although long was relatively uneventful. I had a CAT scan first thing, head, chest, stomach and pelvis. Should get the results next Thursday when I go in for blood work and to see my medical oncologist. This should be my final day of chemo as well, so I'm looking forward to ringing the bell (I hope you can all hear it because it's going to be louder than anyone at the hospital has ever heard). Also had a long meeting with my palliative care doctor, because I was complaining that the meds he had prescribed 2 weeks previous didn't seem to be doing anything except make me feel worse. The result was prescriptions for new antibiotics and pain medication. I got the prescriptions filled on the way home and took them for the first time Thursday night. Maybe it's too soon to tell, but I swear that I already feel a bit better. Time will tell. I expect that one way or another next Thursday will be a "big day", stay tuned and I'll do an update as soon as I can thereafter.
Sept 18/09
 Well the second stage of the 3rd chemo cycle has begun fairly uneventfully. Checks showed that hemoglobin was up acceptably as was blood pressure. Home hydration has been discontinued which means I'm back to being on IV only 11 hours a day (down from 16). My appetite hasn't improved much but at least I did not lose any more weight this past week. CAT scan has been scheduled for next Thursday (Sept 24) along with the final chemo refill. Hopefully by the following week I'll know what affect all this chemo has had. Still counting the days until I get to ring "the bell" (signifying end of chemo) - Should happen Oct 1. That'll make it a nice (early) birthday present however I will miss seeing the cute chemo nurses. I think that is true of Ed as well - I'm convinced that's the only reason he insists on picking me up at the hospital every Thursday.
Editor's Note - Those nurse are cute but oh so young looking!
Sept 11/09
 A 10 hour visit to Credit valley hospital finally started my third and final 3 week cycle of chemo therapy. It was a very long and tiring day, made even worse by the fact that the afternoon Blue Jay game was not available on the TV's. The day started with some blood work which indicated that my hemoglobin was very low again as was my blood pressure. Both these contributed significantly to the length of the stay in that I had to receive intravenously two units of whole blood, additional saline solution and then my normal chemo cocktail. Additionally home care has been charged with additional daily visits to initiate more daily saline IV's for the next 5 days. This increases my daily IV connect time to about 14hrs from the normal 10 and also limits my mobility because I can not disconnect form the saline IV like I can from Hank (my feed pump) whenever I want to. Consultation with the oncologist also indicated that the medication I've been given for headaches in combination with the cumulative affect of the chemo is what is affecting my feeling of tiredness and causing me to sleep more during the day. Another CAT scan has been scheduled for Sept 24 and this will finally tell me whether or not this chemo has done any good. I'm now counting the days for when I can "ring the bell" indicating the end of chemo and the get rid of this damn fanny pack with the chemo cocktail to which I'm connected 24 X 7. This too should get rid of some or most of the tubes hanging constantly out of my stomach and chest. That in itself will be a good thing. I continue to "hang in" but must admit it's getting difficult especially since I have no real indication if the chemo is doing what it is intended to do. I'm not used to waiting so long to see results
Sept 04/09
 After the shock I suffered last week when I found out that my head is truly empty, I started taking the new meds that had been prescribed. The doctor warned me that the pain meds would take a few days (1 pill a day) before I'd start to feel any improvement. Well so far it's been 5 days that I've been taking these things and so far all I've noticed is that the headaches are more frequent and more intense. For sure this is not what I expected. Another new phenomenon that has started over the past couple of days is nose bleeds. So far they haven't been too bad and fairly easy to stop. My plan is to suffer through the long week end with the new meds and if by Tuesday there hasn't been a change for the better I'll phone and suggest to the doctor what he can do wit the meds. A more serious complication I've had is extremely low blood pressure, to the extent that for the next 5 days I'll have a nurse come to the house to give me intravenous saline solution during a 4 hour period which will be aimed at getting the BP under control. The biggest problem right now seems to be finding a "Chemo Certified" nurse available to work over the Labour Day week end. So far they've found a regular nurse but that will involve 5 additional punctures in one or both of my arms for the new IV. I've shot that idea down because that was the express purpose of having the Port installed in my chest. I already feel like a pin cushion and I've got enough tubes hanging out of me. Oh well we'll see what develops.
Aug 29/09
 Last week I started cycle #2 of chemo and it hit me really hard. This past week has been much better but I'm running low on energy. At least the pains experienced last week have subsided quite a bit. I had some X-rays on my head this week to see if they can find the cause of the headaches that I've been experiencing. Everyone still refuses to believe that they have anything to do with the chemo. Much to my chagrin the X-rays confirmed what many people have been telling me for years. The head is completely empty! The Dr. could not find anything (that he could nab as the culprit for the headaches). This has resulted in two additional prescriptions, one for pain medication and one for nose spray. Time will tell if these do any good. Other than what I've already said it has been a fairly uneventful week. Hopefully it stays that way .
Aug 07/09
 Our house is becoming more and more like an isolation ward of a hospital all the time. I started a regimen of 3 x 21 day cycles (total 9 weeks) of chemo therapy a week ago. I'm in part 2 of phase 1 as of yesterday. I'm not going to go into a lot of details about treatments, side affects etc. except to say that I have a pouch (fanny pack) containing a bottle of drugs to which I'm connected 24hrs / day 7 days a week and I have to return to the hospital every 7 days for tests and a refill of drugs. The major side affect that I have to be concerned about is that the treatments are going to wipe out my immune system over the 9 weeks. That means that I have to be very careful not to catch anything (even a cold) in addition to the disease I already have. This limits where I can go, when and with whom, but more importantly it affects who we can allow to visit me at home. I must monitor my temperature constantly and if it reaches 38.4C for a period of 2 consecutive hours I have to get to the nearest hospital emergency centre for concentrated antibiotic therapy (whatever that may mean). The long and short of all this is that if you've got a cold, flu or anything else, stay away. The first week of chemo started out OK, and for the first few days I felt pretty good. They warned me that after a couple of days I would "crash" and man did I ever. The last 3 days of the 7 day cycle were sheer hell. At some points I didn't really care if I lived or died and I seriously considered pulling the damn fanny pack off and pulling the needle feeding me the drugs out of my chest. Luckily that seems to have passed and when I went for a refill yesterday, my blood work indicated that some minor change to the drug cocktail was required. This has been done and hopefully this next 7 day cycle will be better, only time will tell.
July 27/09
 Well, when things move, they really move. Last week the decision was made that perhaps chemo could do me some good. I was told that it could take 2 to 3 weeks before we could get started. The 2 - 3 weeks turned into 1 week. This Wednesday July 29 I have to report for surgery at Credit Valley hospital to have a "Port" installed in my chest. The Port will facilitate insertion of intravenous chemo in the chest which is safer than the normal back of hand or arm, since it must stay in place for 9 weeks. Any other spot there is too much danger of it coming out or of the vein becoming broken or infected. Once installed the IV is inserted and connected to a cassette that I wear on my belt which will contain the required drugs. Chemo is scheduled to start on Thursday July 30. As described earlier (in July 23 Status update), once chemo starts I will have 2 injections of drugs directly into the port and then the IV will be installed. Following this I return to the hospital every 7 days for 2 more injections and a refill of the cassette. After 9 weeks I'll have another CAT scan to see what affect the drugs have had. To say I'm nervous is an understatement even though Kim & Krys and I attended a 2hr seminar last Friday afternoon which was meant to explain how / why chemo works and answer any questions so as to build up confidence and dispel fear. In my case it only partially worked. Don't know what I'll feel like later this week and during the 9 weeks so updates may become a little more infrequent, unless someone else takes over for me. Stay tuned!
July 17/09
 Not much to report. The weather has been better this week and that's helped to keep me feeling a bit better. This summer I'm finding the humidity to be a real problem giving me some serious head aches. CCAC has been back to visit and I'm now listed in their palliative care unit. Immediately that means that nurses visits have begun on a once a week basis to monitor vital signs and pain. Visits will increase as necessary and I've been lucky to have had my favorite nurse Aina reassigned to my case. I've also made contact with the Dorothy Ley Hospice and will visit them on July 29 to get registered and to find out more detail on services that they can provide to all three of us (Kim, Krysta & me). I've heard nothing but good things about this hospice and hopefully by registering now, it will make it easier for me to get in there when I need it. I also have a consultation scheduled with a medical oncologist at Credit Valley hospital on July 22 to discuss the risk / benefit of possible chemo therapy. We'll see what happens.
July 09/09
 Details of where I'm at can be seen in the July 9 status update. They are not all bad, but neither are they all good. The radiology I went through did its thing, but the disease is fighting back by changing its course slightly. July 22 I'm to meet with a medical oncologist and we'll see what, if anything, chemotherapy could do for me. In the meantime I have to get off my ass and become a little more physically active (daytime TV sucks anyway). I have to learn to ignore the pain and discomfort that this will surely bring (it already does) to see if it eventually improves (lessens) and I start to see benefits such as improved appetite, strength and stamina. That's the plan for now. Hopefully the weather will cooperate (not too hot and humid) so that I can get out and walk (more that I do now) and maybe do some odd jobs around the house. I have a deck that needs to be stained, lawns that constantly need cutting, cars that need washing, a driveway that needs patching and painting with protective sealer. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. I'm certainly willing to give it a try. In the meantime this coming week end is Toronto Indy week end, and since I don't feel I can handle the crowds, heat etc. down there I will be glued to the tube all week end.
May 17/09 Well I figured that since there's been no update for a couple of weeks I'd better get off my butt and do one today. Really there's not much to say, I'm kind of in a holding pattern until my next CAT scan in July. The nice weather and my new deck have allowed me to get outside more, which feels great. I've even been able to cut the lawn a few times which has given me some exercise, also contributing to feeling better. I do find that I don't have a lot of stamina though so I have to be careful when I'm doing anything to take breaks, drink a lot of water and not do anything stupid like lifting stuff that's too heavy, and then rest afterwards. My eating has started to improve a little, but not as quickly as I would like. As an example last night for supper (not counting what I get from the pump) I had a couple of ounces of mashed potatoes, an ounce of fresh green beans and about an ounce and a half of excellent, tender roast beef (first meat I've been able to eat in 3 months) all of which was smothered in home made gravy. I must admit though that I did suffer afterwards with acid reflux and heartburn, but it was worth it (I think). Haven't checked my weight lately, but when they did it at the hospital 2 weeks ago I had gained .8 lbs from my previous visit, so I guess the fact that the losses seem to have stopped is also positive, when I get my nerve up I'll check it here at home too. That's about it, except to say to all of you reading this stuff, thanks for your continued support and encouragement!
May 05/09
 Finally met a dietitian that knew what the hell she was talking about and had some empathy for what I've been going through for the past few months. To say I was happy about the result of the consult is exemplified by the fact that I offered to marry the woman on the spot. Unfortunately (for me) she's already married. At any rate we came away with sample menus, suggestions on where and what to shop for, recipes and how to modify them to increase caloric content, instructions for balancing normal food intake vs. the stuff I get from my friendly but annoying pump / feeding tube. Even though she had never met me before this lady had all kinds of documentation for us to take away with us and lots of suggestions for how best to prepare and store foods that I can eat. She also explained why I have so much trouble with any kind of meat (the affect of radiation on taste buds) and how this will take likely a few months yet to get back to having things taste normal again. In the meantime I guess I'll be largely a vegetarian although so far I have been able to eat some fish. Best of all (it may be too early yet but ...) she said there is absolutely nothing wrong with having an occasional glass of BEER (that's when I offered to marry her) because it will help to stimulate my appetite. Basically she said that I have to keep close eye on my weight and as it increases that will be the measure for when I can try more and more "good stuff" like meat. Again both Kim and I were really impressed. I can't wait for the next time my current dietitian comes to visit at the house. She's going to get a real lesson as to what a real dietitian should do.

May 01/09
 Happy May Day to everyone. This is just a quickie (always fun) to let you know I'm still kicking. I've finally started eating a bit more so that's a positive sign (I think). Hopefully it will help stop the weight loss which has been getting me down. Weather has been crappy so haven't been able to get outside much this week. Week end should be a bit better. I do want to encourage you folks to keep posting to the Guest Book. It really helps in two ways; keeps our spirits up and tells us that folks are checking out the site which encourages us to keep it up to date. Haven't got a new hat this week but will keep looking. Still looking forward to oncologist meeting next week.
Apr24/09 The switch Well finally, the switch seems to have flipped (14 days after radiation completed) and I'm starting to feel a little more human again. Not sure if the switch has gone all the way yet, I hope not, because I'm still spending too much time being fed by my friendly but annoying pump. At least I'm coming to the point that I no longer get nauseous from the smell when Kim or Krys cook their dinners. Not sure if that's a function of the switch or they are finally learning how to cook. At least the smoke detector hasn't been going off too frequently. To date their best meals seem to come as result of them making phone calls (thank god there are lots of places that deliver). Stay tuned for future updates. May 5th for oncologist review is coming. Hope you like my new hat!
Apr10/09 Well radiation is complete and I now glow in the dark just like the face of my watch. Must admit that I'm glad it's over. You can really feel the accumulative affect of the daily treatments, no matter how hard you try to fight off the side affects of nausea, head aches, fatigue etc. By the end of the first week you need that 2 day week end break and that's even more true after the second and third weeks. Right now I sleep for anywhere from 16 to 20hrs/day in periods that can range from a couple of hours to a few minutes at a time. The best part of this is that since I'm attached to the pump anyway, at least I'm getting nutrition while I sleep. They tell me that "things keep cooking" for 7 - 10 days after radiation stops and the magically things start to get better and you start to feel better. Waiting is going to make that time seem like an eternity because I'm sick of feeling like crap. Can't say enough for the folks at Credit Valley though, they have been great, always happy smiling faces and always ready to listen to any complaints and offer advice with related problems. Don't miss those hospital gowns though. Now I have to work at regaining some appetite and start forcing myself to eat (never thought I'd be saying that about myself "forcing myself to eat") so hopefully I can turn some of the weight loss to weight gain. Could be that sometime this summer we could be having one hell of a used clothing sale here of stuff that I expect will always be much to big for me from now on, everything from jeans to suits to shirts to shoes etc. etc. keep tuned for sale time and date.Garage Sa;e
Mar 23/09 Well, radiation treatment # 1 is complete. Except for the X-Ray machine breaking in minute 14 of a 15 minute treatment everything went smoothly and as predicted I didn't feel a thing. During the last minute of the process, the aiming mechanism broke so that they couldn't shoot the beams where they needed too. That caused a 1/2 hour delay and then I had to go through the set up etc. again so that they could complete the last 60 seconds. We'll see how it goes tomorrow, only 14 more sessions to go. An interesting exercise for anyone interested to try, lay on your back on the floor, with your chin pointing towards the ceiling. Raise your arms above your head crossing your wrists, held about 4 inches off the floor by a couple of books or something like that under the wrists. Stay in that position for 15 minutes without moving (at all). Sound like fun? Give it a try it's harder than it sounds. Remember you are not allowed to move a muscle at all. More to come as treatments progress.
Mar 13/09 Hey it's Friday the 13th. Sure glad I can stay hunkered down here at home. Not that I'm superstitious or anything but why take chances. It's been a pretty good week. The new bed is helping me sleep better, I've been trying a few more solid foods ( mashed sweet potato; a soft boiled egg mashed with butter, yogurt) even though only 2-3oz at a time. At least I get to taste it. The bad part of the week was that my beloved Maple leafs lost more than they won, albeit they lost in an exciting fashion. Other than that not much to say. I'm waiting for March 23rd and the start of radiation (another new experience). Want to thank everyone adding to the guest book, I appreciate the encouragement. I read and re-read your comments, especially when I start feeling down and they never fail to "pick me up again". Thanks.
Feb 27/09 Although I said that there wouldn't be any more updates for a while, unless something significant happened, well something significant did happen. The nurse that came to see me this morning was "male" (no wedding ring) . I couldn't get Krysta out of my room while he was here. She even stayed and watched while he changed the dressing. Havent seen so many smiles from her in a long time.
Feb 25/09 Wally Feb 25Well I've completed one of the strangest days of my life. I'm hooked up to a pump 24x7 that is pumping some sort of smelly beige coloured stuff directly into my stomach through the tube inserted there. I'm now starting to feel all of the symptoms that the doctors were surprised that I didn't feel prior to the diagnosis (intense stomach pain, nausea, headaches etc.). This stuff is supposedly full of vitamins and essential nutrients - I guess that's why it looks and smells so bad. The home care nurses come twice a day to check that the pump is working and that Kim & Krys are keeping it full, flushing it and administering pain meds. K & K are doing a superb job. My throat is starting to feel a bit better; I drank almost a whole bottle of cranberry juice in the past 12 hrs. All I can ingest through my mouth right now is clear liquids (if you can't see through it I can't have it). I cancelled my appointment at CRV today because of the pain (didn't think I would make it there and back) and being attached to the pump. We'll try for next week. Can't wait for the next time I go through security at the airport - wonder if the wire mesh in my throat will set off the alarm and how to explain it. Hey how about my Maple Leaf coach killers -two coaches have been fired now immediately after losing to the Leafs - I guess they're doing something right. Unless there's some sort of major change (like the Leafs securing a playoff spot) I probably won't write another progress for a few days.
Feb 24/09 This will likely be the first negative update. While the surgery went OK I was completely unprepared for what came afterwards. The stent is in and although being tender it's OK. The stomach feeding tube is another matter; I've never felt such intense pain. I don't have any pain meds (yet). I was given a prescription for Food (not sure what) and was told I'll be on essentially an IV directly into the stomach for the next 5 -7 days. That is seriously going to limit my mobility, haven't figured out what that'll do to future hospital visits (radiation etc.). That's all I'm going to say for now. Gotta go try to get some comfort.
Feb 23/09 Folks.  Kim phoned around 7:00 PM  wanting everyone to know that Wally, Kim and Krysta are now at home.  Everything went well with the surgery and Wally will give us all an update on Tuesday.  I understand that he he is eating chicken soup at this moment!
Feb 20/09 According to the doctors, so far at least I've been doing the right things to try to slow weight loss and maintain energy and nutritional levels. I have been having some problems sleeping over the past few nights which has necessitated "napping" during the day. Have also noticed that occasionally I have trouble swallowing some liquids also. Don't know if that's caused by nervousness about upcoming surgery / treatment etc. or the way the Leafs have been playing lately. The doctors yesterday told me that once the stent is in place I should be able to drink beer again (in moderation - ha!) and other carbonated stuff. Sprits are still good and I'm getting a "kick" out of reading the comments (keep 'em coming folks) in the guest book regularly. Hopefully getting Monday's surgery out of the way will be a big help. Interesting to note that the first surgery of my life involved my throat (tonsils) and the next (some 60 years later) is also involved my throat. Hmmm!, wonder what that means. An interesting note that at Princess Margaret yesterday the Thoracic cancer department shares space with the Proctology cancer department. Am sure glad that in my case at least efforts / examinations etc. were "on the right end". Sure glad they didn't get confused. I guess it's really an "in and out" place!
Feb 11/09 Figured I had better write something, it has been a while since the last update. Gotta say Rose's home made soup is working. Weight loss was limited to just under 1 lb last week. I'm now almost down to my "playing weight" of 20 years ago. Got lots of tips from my massage therapist yesterday (she's also a nurse) re. things I can do to keep up strength and stamina. I'm off to see my surgeon today. Both girls are coming (my body guards). Kim will be driving in her new Toyota Matrix (she loves it), good to see her smile again. Hopefully we can get a treatment plan finalized and get this show on the road.
Feb 1 /09 Still feel good ! K & K are hounding me to drink Booste to keep caloric and nutritional intake up. I have to psyche myself up for it. Besides after seeing what they've been eating this week (I have not done any cooking) I think they should drink this stuff too. I have completed all of the tests that we talked to Dr. Irshad about last Tuesday. My arms feel like pin cushions and they are pretty much black and blue from being stuck. Dr Irshad and Dr. Ford and Dr. Harrison should all be getting copies of test results starting tomorrow. Now it is sit and wait time. I have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Ford for Feb 5th, but none of the 3 of us can remember for what, or for what time. It could have been made by Krysta, just because she thought he was rather cute. I guess we shall see. (BTW - he is married).