A Focus on Normal Activities

Last appointment of the day: haircut by Emily. I’ve known her 30 years and look forward to our conversations. Earlier, managed to sandwich GED tutoring between a radioactive tracer injection and a whole-body bone scan. All those activities were on today’s walk: I choose to live as normally as possible.

Steps to New Options

Crossed an icy Mississippi on my walk to the University of Minnesota where I signed paperwork to participate in a Phase 3 prostate cancer clinical trial. Grateful for the lovely walk, grateful for promising treatment options.

Monthly Drug Run

Today’s the day for my monthly drug run (meds). Metro Transit does a remarkable job keeping the buses running in all kinds of weather.

Delaying Tactics

Today was the day for my quarterly labs. The tumor marker is slowly rising, so I’ll be discussing this with my oncologist this week. The longer I can keep this somewhat at bay with medications, the more new treatment options will become available to me.

Skin Care

Accompanied Dwight to his appointment to remove a basal cell carcinoma. The procedure went well, the lesion was shallow. As we walked towards the exit, chuckled at “Everyone will notice. No one will know.” Not our style.

Categorized as Health

Fallen Leaves

My monthly drug run, / Walking past the county morgue, / Leaves corralled by wind.

Categorized as Cancer

Double Vaccinated

Autumnal ride home after getting a ’flu shot in one arm, and a Covid booster in the other.

Categorized as Health

Lolling

Today I sound like a glum Harvey Fierstein, low energy, raspy throat. Grateful it’s only a cold, my first in over 2½ years: Covid tests were negative. It hurts to postpone getting with friends and fulfilling commitments, but it’s a day for lolling on the couch.

Monthly Drug Run

Today was my monthly “drug run” to a pharmacy about 10 miles away by bicycle. Picked up a med at Hy-Vee for $184; at my local Walgreens it’s $2,754. On the way, stopped to take in the slow decay of the former Fruen Mill.

Pills and Hot Flashes

As I do at the start of every day, took a small handful of Abiraterone and Dexamethasone. Later, at Methodist Hospital, got my quarterly Lupron shot and chatted with my oncologist. As the tumor marker graph (below) shows, it’s working, at least for now: it’s pointing towards zero, which is a good thing. I don’t…… Continue reading Pills and Hot Flashes