This is a project that I worked on for about a month. It took so long because I built it from 1×8 boards of clear pine…then ripped (cut with the grain) them down to .75x.75 pieces…glued them all back together to form the sides…sanded them down so they were smooth…glued and nailed them together to form the box…sanded them down again…then stained the whole thing. Presto…a box!
Well, chemo is officially over!!! I had my last treatment on Wednesday. The recovery is going according to plan…felt like crap up until today, the aches are almost gone, should be back to feeling ok on Wednesday.
Now I have a couple of follow-up scans to have done to make sure the cancer is still in remission, then I get to start radiation. Not really looking forward to that, but then again, who does. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as chemo was the second half. My oncologist said that the side effects should be minimal and confined to where I get the radiation…I might have a sunburn like feeling in the area and a sore throat for a little while. I just have to wait until it happens, just like with chemo, I just have to take it day by day because everyone reacts differently.
I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year. At first I was a little bumed because Melissa and I aren’t able to buy lots of great stuff for everyone, but we’ve made some stuff for people and bought small stuff for all the nieces and nephews (we’ve got about ten). I’m getting more excited the closer it gets because we are having my family over for brunch on Christmas day. Her family is small and they live close so it’s easier to see them all at once. My family is large and more spread out so it’s not easy to get us all together that often. I just can’t wait to have everyone at the house, it feels more like home when we have family over.
I hope everyone who visits the site has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…
Just to give me something to do, I started a youtube account and uploaded this video. So enjoy.
GO RILEY! GO!
As I’ve said before…how I feel after chemo is kind of a crap shoot. The aches and pains came early after this past treatment. The entire weekend was spent on the couch trying to ignore the pain and get comfortable. I even threw in a slight fever for fun…it got up to 99.6 on Saturday. Monday wasn’t any better. I got up early due to back pain, and pretty much spent the entire day on the couch trying to find something to watch on t.v. or in a vicodin fog. The vicodin didn’t really take the pain away, it just made me feel loopy so I didn’t pay attention to the pain. This is exactly why I don’t like pain meds.
On a brighter note…I feel better today. The back pain is still there, but the aches that move around my body have subsided a bit, so I’m able to move around without wincing. I have to try and get some things accomplished today or I just might go insane from watching daytime television…the only good thing to watch are repeats of the Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs, but at this point, I’ve pretty much seen most of them. I’d like to get back into reading again. I used to be an avid reader, but in the past few years I can’t seem to do it. I pick up a book and a couple of pages into it the eye lids get heavy and I end up passing out with the book on my chest. Maybe I’ll give it one more try today, it does beat having to listen to the weather channel again.
Ok, it’s time for me to go. I need a shower and a hair cut (what’s left). I’ve got, what I like to call, chemo head. I still have hair, but it’s so scarce that it looks like…well, it looks like chemo head (see photo below). Keeping it shaved at least makes it look like I meant for it to be that short.
Yes, you read that correctly. I’ve gotten through seven treatments so far, so that means one to go. Of course that’s if the scans after the last one show that the cancer is still in remission. It’s looking pretty good though. I’ll have a break after my last chemo and then we’ll start radiation treatments…five days a week for three weeks. Not really looking forward to radiation but my oncologist tells me the side effects shouldn’t be as bad as chemo, thank god.
I can’t wait to get this crap over with. This past treatment went well, I guess. So far I feel pretty good…but I’ll have to wait until Saturday to see how that goes. Saturdays after treatment have proven to be the worst days so far. The last chemo I had before this one was the longest recoup time so far, it lasted about five days. It’s so hard to judge how I’m going to feel, so that makes planning anything very difficult. I just have to wait day by day to see if I’m going to feel like crap or not. Here’s how a typical week after treatment has played out:
Wed. day of treatment: Get home, very tired, usually spend most of the day on the couch watching t.v.
Thur: Still pretty drained, not much motivation, get tired easily, again most of the day is spent on the couch.
Fri: Usually feel a little better on friday. Motivation has returned some, try to get some things accomplished around the house, but have to take several breaks. Only half the day is spent on the couch.
Sat: This is when the nausea and fatigue kick my ass. I’ve spent the past four saturdays after treatment on the couch, with a two hour or so nap thrown in around 2pm.
Sun: The rest on Saturday makes sunday a little better. I can usually get something accomplished but not much.
Mon & Tue: This is when the pain starts. It’s a dull ache that travels around my body and throbs like a tooth ache. The worst part is when it moves to my back…it’s like my spine is trying to push it’s way out of my skin. I don’t get a lot of sleep on these days.
Wed: Still with body aches. Fatigue is better but it’s been lingering after the past couple of treatments.
After Wednesday I usually start feeling back to normal, but the body aches come and go.
That’s been a typical week for me. But I only have one treatment left so hopefully all that crap is going be a thing of the past.
It’s kind of funny. The things I’m looking forward to the most after chemo is done: My Hair! I want my hair back so bad. I can’t wait to have a goatee again. I know it’s superficial but I love my goatee. I used to hate my hair, but now, when it comes back it’s going to be awesome! I also can’t wait to have a real steak again. I haven’t had one since I started chemo…they said I’d have to cook them well done, I hate well done steak. It has to be just short of bleeding in the middle, and then it’s perfect. Oh, and spicy food. I love spicy food, and because of the nausea, I haven’t had anything spicy. And of course I can’t wait to start working again, but with radiation and all I probably won’t be back to work until some time in February.
So, a quick summary: Food, Hair, and Work…this is what I want for Christmas this year! Oh, and for the cancer to be dead so that I can flush it down the toilet like the crap that it is!!!!
I have to apologize to everyone for not updating in a couple of weeks…actually I think it’s been three weeks since my last post.
It’s that time of year again, Thanksgiving. We are getting ready for the big day, Melissa’s family will be coming over tomorrow for the big meal, and Friday my family will be coming over for a little while. It’s tough trying to see both of our families on the holiday, but I’m guessing that you all know how that is. It got me thinking about what I’m actually thankful for. I’m thankful for my two families…they’ve been one of the pillars that have held me up through this whole ordeal…the other pillar being Melissa of course. Every day when she comes home from work I realize just how lucky I am to have such a wonderful wife. Whether I’m in a good mood or bad, she makes every day better when she walks through that door. I’m also thankful for finding this cancer sooner than later, and that I’ve tolerated the treatments so well. Sure I’ve had my ups and downs, but it could be a lot worse. And there are my friends…although I don’t see everyone as much as I would like, I’m great full for the times I have with them and all the memories we’ve made through the years.
So, as for treatments and how I’ve been for the past few weeks. Last Wednesday I had another treatment…it went pretty well. My oncology nurse Adonica called me in earlier than normal, which was nice because I got out earlier than normal. It all went according to plan, but for some reason this one kicked my ass a little harder than the others. I was exhausted when I got home. The week following proved to be more challenging as well. Saturday I was laid up most of the day with fatigue and nausea. Sunday I tried to be more normal and went to the new Bass Pro Shops with my brother in law, Bobby. It was pretty cool, they have just about everything you can think of. We walked around for quite a while, which reminded me that I’m not as spry as I used to be. The past couple of days were rough as well. I had a lot of body aches again…the kind that feel like I have a fever, and move around from one joint to the next. I tried to run some errands on both days. I was in Wallmart when I realized that I was shuffling around like an old man because it hurt to just move. Frustration took over pretty quick…it is the holidays and we have a lot to accomplish before Thursday and Melissa shouldn’t have to do everything, but I ended up spending the better half of Monday and Tuesday laying on the couch. None of the pills they gave me for pain do anything. It’s almost like the pain is in my bones…it’s deep and pulsating, I don’t even have to move for it to hurt. On a good note I feel better today and hope to get the house in order for the onslaught of cooking and prep work that will go on here tonight. Melissa’s mother and sister are coming over to give her a hand in getting ready for the meal tomorrow.
Ok, enough ranting. I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving and eats their ass off (that’s what the day is for….right?)
Have a slice of pie for me.
I had my fifth treatment yesterday. All went well and according to plan. When I got there my oncologist Dr. Kaddiss came over earlier than normal and gave me the results from the two scans I had the week before. The CT scan came back saying that the lymph nodes that were swollen had shrunk..that’s good…and the PET scan came back saying that there was no activity in any of them…THAT’S REMISSION BABY!!!!!!! This is great news, although I still have to go through the last three chemo treatments and three weeks of radiation, but I’m pretty happy to know that the cancer is no longer growing.
I’m feeling good today, just a little chemo mouth (hard to explain…a little dry…a little slimy and tastes funny). My energy level is great so far. I went to the gym and got a decent workout in without getting exhausted. So, again, I’m counting my blessings and thanking god that I’m getting through this with minimal side affects, and what side affects I’m having are pretty dealable.
I still can’t wait to get back to work on a normal basis. I’m able to keep myself busy here at home with all sorts of little projects like window washing, woodworking, and all sorts of stupid mundane crap like dishes and laundry. But I miss my customers and getting dirty and trying to trouble shoot heating systems. That’s what I love about my job…every day is different and my customers are always fun to chat with…not to mention seeing what people keep in their basements. I’ve seen some pretty weird stuff. I had one customer that was making dentures in his basement…and I’m not talking about stainless tables and a sterile environment…this was a dirt floor and old wooden work bench. Another guy showed me his collection of circus related toys…he had the biggest collection of animated circus toys on the east coast…it was a little creepy. But they are all great people, well most of them. I just want to get back to feeling useful again…get back on the road to getting Melissa and I to where we want to be. We want a house and kids and all that stuff…I just need to get back in the swing of things and get those things accomplished. Cancer has done one thing for me that I’m great full for…It’s given me a sense of direction, and made me look into the future and see the things that I want to do, and given me the insight into how to get those things done. AMEN!!
Well, it’s been another long week. I had a cat scan on Monday and yesterday I had my monthly Pulmonary Function Test (that’s to see if my lungs have been affected by the chemo drugs) and a Pet Scan. All sorts of fun being had around here…I can hardly contain my excitement. The lung function test went well, the doc said that all the readings were just about the same as my first test. I won’t be getting the results from the Pet and Cat scans until my next chemo visit…so I’ll just have to cross my fingers and hope that my little tumor buddies have shrunk or gone away completely. The Pet scan has got to be the longest test in the world. When I first get there they inject me with a radioactive dye that attaches it’s self to the tumors that are active. Then I have to wait 45 minutes until this dye circulates through my body…let me tell you it’s a blast sitting around in a hospital for 45 minutes with old magazines and, of course, they have the food network on the t.v. when I haven’t been able to eat all day. Once the dye has worked it’s magic, I get to lay on the scanner table for 30 minutes. As I lie on the table I wonder…hmmm, could there be a more uncomfortable material to make a table out of than this stainless steel with a sheet over it? The only thing I could come up with was concrete with glass shards. But anyway, I actually fell asleep in the machine. The only thing that kept me from getting my beauty sleep (I need lots of that these days) was the fact that the table moves every ten minutes or so.
Aside from the tests, it’s been a pretty uneventful week. The only on going problem that I’ve been having is body aches. Not the ‘I’m sore from working out’ kind of aches, but the I have a fever of 105 kind of aches, but without the fever. Last night was pretty bad. I couldn’t sleep, got up around 5am and took a pain pill and slept on the couch. Still a little ache today but not as bad just a little tired from lack of sleep.
That’s pretty much it for today. Trying to get my laundry done….
Well, I’ll start off by apologizing for the lack of updates. I had a great weekend and was able to get to the gym on Monday and Tuesday. I felt great, got a lot of stuff accomplished out in the yard and the house. We redecorated the living room with furniture acquired from Melissa’s brother. And we took down the breakfast bar in the kitchen, repainted the wall and put a table where the bar used to be.
I had my fourth treatment of chemo yesterday. This marks the midway point in my treatments, so I only have four more left…yeah! My brother Ray came with me this time, which was fun. We played pitch to pass the time…he won both games we played of course. We had a couple of good laughs which brought the nurse in to make sure we weren’t drinking, and it was the quickest treatment up to date, only lasting about three hours.
Today I’m feeling pretty good, trying to get some more things done before I start to feel like crap again. The belly button issue is pretty much cleared up, thank god. My hair has stopped falling out so far…it’s thinned a lot but I still have some up there.
I know you are all thinking, boy this guy is really up beat and positive about what he’s going through. Well to tell you the truth…I have my days. Not being able to work gets to me some times…I finally found a job that I love to do but I can’t do it. I’ve had to change just bout everything about how I live. Some days I find myself not wanting to do anything and forcing myself to do something so I don’t go nuts…or I’ll just sit and watch t.v. or stare out the window wondering what’s going to happen. I think the hardest part in not having control over this…I just do what they tell me and hope it works. But all in all if this is what I have to do to get through this than that’s the way it has to be.
On a slightly strange note, our house is covered with lady bugs!? I can’t walk into the house without getting bombarded, and now they are in the house. I’m guessing it’s the abnormally warm weather. This is going to be bad for next years gardens…there won’t be enough lady bugs to keep the aphid population down…so watch your plants next spring.
Yesterday was a good day up until I went to bed. I got a good part of my bird feeder done. When it’s finished I’ll post some pictures of it for you all to see. Going to sleep last night proved to be a little more difficult than the feeder. I had just fallen asleep when I woke up due to dull pains that would move around my body as if trying to find a place to settle. Moving to the couch, so I didn’t wake up Melissa, didn’t really help much. I watched t.v. until about 3:30am when I finally fell asleep. Ya know, there really isn’t much to watch on t.v. at those early hours. I found myself watching HGTV for the better part of the time. But let me tell ya…I could redecorate a room with the best of them now.
I heard from another good friend yesterday that I haven’t spoken to in a while. Actually, if you know me at all, you know that I drove out to California in early 2000. I stayed with my friend Erik Varga who had already been living out there for a while. He called yesterday after getting my e-mail telling him about my friend Hodge (that’s short for Hodgkin’s). If there is one good thing that has come from all this cancer crap…it’s that I’m reconnecting with old friends, friends that just kind of slipped away because we all get caught up in our daily lives and forget that all it takes is a phone call or a quick e-mail to get things rolling again. Ok, now I’m starting to sound like Oprah….I hate Oprah!
Anyway, I went back to see Dr. Kaddiss, my oncologist, today. The belly button issue has not been resolved. It’s still swollen and looks like an alien just might pop out. She told me it’s still an infection and gave me another antibiotic to take…let’s see, that brings me up to a total of 6 pills I’m taking on a daily basis now. That’s just a little ridiculous. I could start my own pharmacy counter pretty soon.
That’s all I have for today…plus the Red Sox are on tonight, so I must prepare…
Until then……..
