Stuck with Needles

This week I’ve been stuck with needles several times. Decided I may as well have one more stick, a COVID bivalent booster. Rewarded myself with a caramel sundae at DQ. My CDC card is beyond maxed out on both sides.

Categorized as Health

Nothing New

Cycled over to the university for a CT scan and a PET/Bone scan. The whole process takes about four hours and I do this every six weeks for the study. Within a few hours, reports for both scans popped up in my phone app, with nothing new to report, which is good.

Categorized as Cancer

Payday

Today I received my monthly stipend for participating in the clinical trial. I feel uncomfortable being paid for receiving great healthcare, so the payments will go to a University of Minnesota Medical School scholarship fund.

Categorized as Cancer

Happy Places

Chatted with nurse Danielle about her upcoming trip to Portugal while she set up an infusion line. I’ve now had two (of four) Lutetium-177 PSMA I&T (!) infusions and early results are promising. Danielle is excited about her first trip to Europe on Friday.

Turning on a Dime

Climbed above Palm Springs through a desert that had become a meadow. Sprained a knee, leading to an excruciating descent and a knee brace at Eisenhower Urgent Care. Rest is advised for a week, which is a bit like flying Delta One; Dwight reminded me he’s here for my safety.

View from a Couch

Lying low feels good while we both wait out stubborn colds. A 10-minute walk to a cafe for coffee and Madeleines provided a sufficient sense of accomplishment. We’d rather be up on the trails, but our bodies say otherwise.

Atomic Me

Got the first of four radioactive infusions. For a few days there’s no kissing or flying, which is easy, as I’m in Minneapolis and Dwight’s in Palm Springs. When I do return to Palm Springs, I may set off an airport radiation detector, which could be interesting.

Buying Time by Sticking It to Cancer

These drugs are becoming less effective against my prostate cancer. Today I was randomized to a study drug on a phase 3 clinical trial. I’ll be injected 4 times with a drug that selectively sticks to tumor. A radioactive metal stuck to the drug may “stick it” to the tumor. I’m grateful and hopeful.