Everything Fred – Part 123

16 September 2023

It was a 2:30 am wake up this morning. Actually, I feel pretty good. I did the last time I had an hydration infusion and I think it’s a good thing they’ve scheduled me for that every Friday after every Tuesday infusion. I’ll probably get a nap in some time today but I got 5 hours of sleep even with getting up at 2:30.

Yesterday I mentioned reading encyclopedias. I made a mistake about the Encyclopedia Britanica. It was the World Book Encyclopedia I read as a kid. Apparently, they still publish it. I used to love thumbing through the pages and stopping on something that caught my interest and reading about it. Maybe that’s why I can answer some of the clues on crosswords.

I purchased my own copy of the Encyclopedia Britanica when I was in graduate school and move it with me every time I changed locations. Later, when I taught at Itawamba Junior College, I gave Mantachie High School my E.B. Their’s was so old (I think the edition was in the 50’s) and mine was in the late 70’s. They were happy to get it. I think I must have doubled their collection when I left teaching at Mantachie because I gave them my entire library of books.

Yesterday, during the infusion, one of the nurses asked if I was on magnesium pills. I answered no and she suggested I ask Dr. Velez about them next infusion. My magnesium levels are always low and they always give it to me in IV form. It doesn’t matter to me but I’ll check in with him on Tuesday.

I was dragging when I went in for the hydration yesterday. Not only the diarrhea was bothering me but I also did my usual Friday rake, sweep, clean pool filter, pool deck and patio. By the time I had sat in the chair for four hours, I was feeling pretty good.

I made a bee-line to Walgreens to pick up some glucose test strips and lancets. I did the drive-thru and the pharmacist told me she had signed for me but next time I had to come in and sign for the supplies myself. These are regulated by the federal government and they don’t want people who aren’t supposed to sticking their fingers with lancets.

As I was driving over to Walgreens, I got a text message that UPS had tried to deliver my iPad. When I got home, they had left a sticker on the door that has a whole list of options for the driver to check as well as initial his name. Nothing was checked. I have no idea what they intend to do. Previously, I had gone to the UPS web site and opted to leave the package without obtaining a signature. That’s why I asked the neighbor to keep a watch for them and take the package to her house. Apparently, that held no water with the driver.

I’ve had similar experiences with UPS. One year, they were to deliver my new (two computers ago) iMac. I was home. They never rang my door bell but did deliver it to the neighbor next door even though I had not clicked that option. Strange.

Not only did they not meet the 9:30-12:30 time frame they set for the delivery, it was after 5 pm before they attempted. UPS has provided the ability to check where the delivery truck is. From 9:30 am until around noon it was at one location on Davie Blvd. I periodically checked on it during my 4 hour infusion and it was all over my neighborhood but never delivered the package until I left the cancer center. I assume they’ll try to redeliver the package next “business” day. Of course, I have my Covid booster scheduled for 2:30 pm on Monday so that’ll be when they try to deliver.

And yes, I did make it to Winn-Dixie. I made away with three 15 oz bags of Tootsie Roll miniatures! Also, the dietician suggested coconut water as an excellent electrolyte replacement. I decided what the heck and bought two containers. I’ll see if my taste buds will accept it. If so, I’ll stock up on that. I really do like coconut. Mother would make the most wonderfully moist coconut cake icing with sweetened dried coconut. It would melt in your mouth. Thai restaurants are big into coconut ice cream and I’ve also come to love that stuff but I haven’t ever seen any in the ice cream aisle of supermarkets.

Today is clean house and wash clothes. I feel well enough (and it’s early enough) I may try to walk, do yoga and swim before I get to the household chores. That’s how good I feel at 4:07 am in the morning. Of course, my stomach is making noises since I’m upright, so there’s no telling what form that will be when it comes out.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 122

14 September 2023

3:30 am again! Seems to be a habit these days. I’m sure some of the drug regimen I’m on is causing this but there’s not much I can do about it but get up, make coffee and eat breakfast and get an early start on the day.

As a kid, I heard my Mom ask over and over again “Is that money burning a hole in your pocket?” She knew any time I had change in my pocket I was itching to go to the fruit stand to buy a coke and potato chips and I couldn’t wait to spend it.

This week, my pocket spontaneously combusted. I replaced every Apple device except my laptop (which I’ll probably replace next year). I have great excuses for each and every device I replaced at great costs.

My iMac (26 inch screen) is so old (2015) that Apple no longer supports upgrades to the operating system. The new one I ordered is a 24″ screen but it shouldn’t matter since I’ve learned how to magnify images on the iMac. There was no rebate on the iMac and all they offered was to do a free recycle of the device.

My iWatch was so old that it was the same as the iMac. They’ll recycle it but that’s it. The new iWatch has a few features that I like. One is that if you are in an automobile accident, it will notify 911. My old watch does that if you fall but the auto accident is a new feature. It also has a few more bells and whistles which will make it fun.

I’ll at least get a rebate of $260 on a new iPad. I went with he iPad Pro which has some features that will allow me to do video editing and photoshopping more easily. My old iPad often hangs up. I’ll be working on something on it and it freezes. It drives me nuts.

Lastly, I pre-purchased the new iPhone 15 ProMax. I did the surveys that asked if you should replace your current phone (iPhone 12 ProMax) and to be honest, the best features of the new one are the camera, the camera and the camera. The iPhone has become my camera of choice and I only take a pocket Canon with me as a back up in case I lose my phone. The iPhone takes better photos. I’ll get another $260 rebate on my old iPhone. Now, I need to start saving pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, etc. to build back my reserve. It’s a good thing I like ramen.

The next couple of weeks will be transferring data from one device to the other and hopefully not losing anything. It sounds simple when you read how to do it but then there are always glitches even if you have everything backed up to the cloud.

Next year I’ll replace the laptop. It has a bad habit of inserting text midway in some previous text I’ve written and start a new sentence in the middle of another. There’s been some complaints about this particular model jumping around in the text. At first, I thought I was accidentally hitting the track pad but it seems to be a design flaw. Oh well. I only use the lap top when on trips (and when I’m immobile in the chair for chemotherapy).

Yesterday, I had just finished filling up the yard waste container for Friday’s pickup when I looked around and noticed a palm frond from my royal palm (Roystonea regia) had fallen off. My royal palm is a volunteer in the yard and it’s still pretty much a baby.

This thing will get about four or five times the size you see here. These are massive palms.
The palm frond was 17 feet, 7 inches long and weighed 9 pounds.

Most of these palms get to around 50-60 feet here in Florida. If this had fallen off a 60 foot royal, the impact force would be equivalent to having 17 pounds drop on your head. However, if the palm were 60 feet tall, I would suspect the palm frond would weight much more than my 9 pounds. You can see why walking the streets in the neighborhood can be dangerous.

Over the years, coconuts have narrowly missed me and I’ve dodged a few palm fronds. Then of course, there’s always falling iguanas to watch out for.

I did manage to do my walk this morning. Yesterday on my walk, when I was trying to beat my diarrhea home, I noticed I was getting out of breath. Today was much better and I didn’t have to race the diarrhea.

Not only did I walk twice the distance of yesterday but I was able to complete my yoga routine and swim routine, although I will admit to having to rest longer between sets in my swimming. I can complete my exercise routine but I can tell my stamina is not what it used to be. I’ll try to work on it daily.

I seem to have recovered well from the surgery. I still get a little pulling on the left arm area but less and less every day. I should have complete range of motion on the left side before hurricane season is over.

Hopefully, there is a nap in my future this afternoon.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 121

13 September 2023

I feel pretty good this morning even though it started at 3:30 am. Seems the saline solution they give me along with the drug infusion makes up for some of the fluids I’ve lost through diarrhea. I felt good enough to start on my walk and was about halfway through when I got those stomach rumblings. I barely made it back to the house.

In reality, prior to the walk I had one semisolid bowel movement and then the diarrhea hit. After the walk, I had a second bout but I still seem to feel OK. Enough OK that I decided I need to trim the Heliconia. It gets out of control quickly and the dead leaves really detract from their appearance.

I didn’t get to trim this one because I filled the yard waste container with a second one on the side yard but you can see what I mean by the dead leaves.

I trim with an old home-made knife my Dad had that still can be sharpened to a razor’s edge. It cuts through the leaf bases pretty well and I’ve learned to wear gloves (the hard way) so I don’t slice a finger.

I have no idea how old this knife is but it is home-made. I don’t know if Dad made it or he had it made. It’s a perfect cutting tool and it can take an edge when sharpened.
This is the one I trimmed today and it looks much better. I also had to pare it back so Trevor can get his lawn mower between it and the fence. Every few years, I actually cut the whole thing down and it grows back within a few months.

I really enjoy how the leaves poke up under my Bahama shutters in the bedroom and bring a little green into the room.

I’m waiting on AAA Modern Air to show up for a check up of my A/C unit. I have a contract with them and they should call between 8-12 today. They clean the coils, check the coolant, and do a few other things. The main thing is for me to order more A/C filters. I change them once a month unless it’s winter and then it’s every two or three months. As you might guess, the filters are irregular in size so you kinda have to buy them from the company. I get two service calls a year and only pay for one.

I also spent some time on the phone with my insurance company. They send you a questionnaire and then ask you to submit it. Then they call and want to know what you want. I told them I was satisfied with my coverage at present, but who knows. They insure my house through Citizens, so they have no control over that. My car insurance is with them and I don’t think there’s anything I want to change on that. I guess it’s good they at least call you for once.

I’ve now been scheduled every Friday at 1:15 for a hydration infusion to follow up on the chemo infusions on Tuesday. I admit to feeling better after the hydration infusion and since it falls on day 4 when my diarrhea normally hits hard, I suspect I need the fluid replacement. No telling how long I’ll be with the hydration but I estimate at least two hours. I’m glad I no longer need the Filgrastim every three days so I’ve cut my visits to the cancer center down from four days a week to two days a week.

Nancy and Michel came over last night and brought massive amounts of Thai food from Heart Rock Sushi and Thai on Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. I used to go to that place quite often for sushi but haven’t been there since Covid. They brought two containers of Nam Sod Salad (minced chicken, ginger, roasted peanuts, red onion, scallions, cilantro, lettuce and lime juice) and Beef Pad Thai and a Broccoli Stir Fry with Beef. I’ll be eating left overs for a week. It was all delicious.

Better yet was visiting with Nancy and Michel. Today was their anniversary of my introduction of them. I took them on a date to Las Olas Cafe (long since gone) and they seemed to hit it off. Imagine me as a matchmaker! I think it’s now been some 20+ years they’ve been together. They left this morning for a golf tournament in the Dominican Republic and I told them to make me proud. Nancy said about 7 are going from the Fort Lauderdale area but there are 100 entrants from all around the world for the tournament.

We discussed heading to Key West for our birthdays. Michel and I are close on our birthdates and we say all three of us should celebrate in Key West. We did that years ago before Covid and just simply haven’t gotten back. We had such a great time together when we did it before.

October 13, 2019 – just before Covid hit. This was taken in the lobby of The Saint Hotel. We had a few drinks at their Burgundy Bar before the photo. Apparently there is another hotel in New Orleans. Maybe we should try that one next.

Well, the A/C person called and the stomach is making noises.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 119

10 September 2023

My cousin Jimmie reminded me that she had stage 0 breast cancer. It was her I alluded to in the last post but I didn’t want to put her name to it unless she was OK with it. She also mentioned our Aunt Edna Lee (her aunt, my great aunt) has “female” cancer which Jimmie suggested may have been ovarian cancer. Cousin Jo and I mentioned Aunt Eddie but neither of us could remember if it was cancer. It now looks like both sides of my family have the tendency towards cancer. Normally, I think mostly of strokes and heart attacks in relation to my family.

Jimmie also mentioned the DDT we were exposed to as kids. Rachel Carson published her ground breaking book Silent Spring in 1962 and before that DDT was the pesticide of choice throughout the U.S. It was quite common for towns and cities to send trucks to spray/fog the area for mosquitos. It was a broadcast spraying and it would permeate the neighborhood. It worked well on keeping the mosquito population under control.

Jimmie, Jean and Jo’s house was a long house with a garage that ran under most of the length of the house where Uncle James parked two vehicles. When the mosquito control came by, and Uncle Jame’s cars were gone, it was common for them to drive into the garage spraying DDT fog. Jimmie and I love the smell of the fog and we would run into the garage and play in the mist after the vehicle pulled out of the garage.

DDT can stay in the soil for up to 15 years and in humans, it is often found in fatty tissue, in mother’s milk, and can be passed on to the fetus. Jimmie and I would certainly have received significant doses. It was banned in the U.S. in 1972.

Again, there’s no way to determine what caused my cancer. It’s just that I’ve had plenty of opportunities over the years for carcinogenic exposure.

The good news of the day is so far I’m diarrhea free! I do admit to low energy today. I think the last few days have really taken it out of me. I slept until 8 am this morning and by the time I was ready for my walk, it was well after 10 am and getting too hot to make the effort. Hopefully, tomorrow will see me on my walk, doing yoga and swimming laps. I did manage to grocery shop today but that pretty much sums up my day.

I wasn’t going to but I ended up watching the Ole Miss/Tulane football game. It was actually a pretty good game, especially since Ole Miss won. Again, college ball has become more semi-professional than amateur but it brought back memories as a college student.

Years ago, I made it to a Tulane game in New Orleans. I think their old stadium was under renovation and the game was played on some small stadium near the campus with metal bleachers. The exciting part was not the game but going to New Orleans. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the first time I’d eaten at the Camellia Grill. Even when I was stationed at the Coast Guard Communications Station in Belle Chase, I would often take the St. Charles streetcar to the Camellia Grill for breakfast or lunch. I’m not sure the food is any better than any other restaurant/grill in New Orleans but the place has presence. It’s also two years older than I am.

Tulane and Ole Miss used to be frequent rivals. Tulane was a charter member of the SEC along with Ole Miss, Sewanee, and Georgia Tech. I also remember listening with my Dad to Ole Miss/Tulane football games broadcast via WWL in New Orleans at the Roosevelt Hotel. Saturday’s game was the 73rd in the series – one of the longest in Ole Miss history. The longest rivalry is Vanderbilt at 97 games.

Several years ago, I met my brother and sister-in-law at the Roosevelt. They took the train which turned into a disaster when they had to disembark and take a bus into New Orleans. In any case, we stayed at the Roosevelt for two nights.

The Paris Exhibition Clock in the Lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel

I had a Ramos gin fizz in the history Sazerac Bar in the hotel. It was Huey Long’s favorite drink.

New Orleans is a magical city. I’ve attended 3 Mardi Gras there, was stationed there for two years in the Coast Guard, sailed up the Mississippi River on the CGC Reliance, made lifelong friends in the city, and have eaten some of the best meals of my life there. One item that should be on the bucket list of every person is beignets and coffee with chicory at Cafe Du Monde. I love strolling the market just off Jackson Square and hitting the dive bars all along Bourbon Street. I think back to my first visit to Bourbon Street and seeing all the strip joints for the first time with hawkers outside trying to get you to come in for a drink (although I was much underage – money was money to them).

My cousin Jo introduced Jimmie and me to Pat O’Briens and hurricanes. There were two piano players that night in the main bar and they were kind of dueling. One would break out into a melody or song and the other would interrupt with snide comments and jokes. I remember that particular year, either LSU or Tulane had played Texas and lost. The piano players got into a side gig of talking football and playing fight songs for teams mentioned. For example, one player would say something about the University of Michigan and then play the fight song of Michigan. This went on for a while and they eventually included Texas and “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You.” Then one shouted lets play a song for LSU. They played “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You.” It was great.

Warning! Two hurricanes will knock you on your a**. It was also there at Pat O’Briens that Jo told Jimmie and me that she was going to introduce us that night to the person she was going to marry. She qualified it by saying “He doesn’t know it yet.” That was when we met Ken for the first time. So, you can see, New Orleans holds a lot of memories for me.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 118

7 September 2023

So far, it’s been a productive day: morning walk, yoga stretches, laps in pool. Of course, the day started at 3:30 am. I was out of bed by 4, and breakfast, computer stuff, and all the exercising done by 9.

I headed to Walgreens to pick up a prescription of Lomotil and while there got my flu shot. In talking with the pharmacist, I asked about the Filgrastim used to boost my white blood cell count and how that might work with/against the flu vaccine. He said it was perfectly safe but might degrade the overall effectiveness of the flu vaccine to about 50%. I know I’ll be on Filgrastim for quite a while and decided 50% protection from the flu was better than no protection. I’ll be back for the new Covid vaccine later this month.

While at Walgreens, I cruised the anti-diarrhea isle and found buy one Imodium at full price, get 50% off the second so I stocked up and purchased 6. With 24 in a package and now alternating with Lomotil, it should last me a while. Still no word on whether or not my insurance will pay for it so I’ll keep the receipts just in case I can file with Medicare.

From Walgreens, it was breakfast/brunch with Joel and John at Peter Pan Diner. That’s the second time I’ve eaten there this year. It was voted the best diner in the state not too long ago but if that’s the case, other diners must be in real bad shape. The food is OK but nothing to write about so I’ll stop.

Yesterday, Barb stopped by for a visit. I hadn’t seen her since her trip and wanted to catch up. She brought rice pudding from Publix and I made some cheese/turkey/ham wraps and we had those and coffee and caught up on each other’s lives. If you remember, she’s the one who stayed the night with me after my second surgery. She left me with the rice pudding. I have to admit, Publix does a great job with the rice pudding. Just add a dusting of cinnamon and you are good to go.

Barb is so easy to talk with. We’ve been friends for years and every time we get together we have great conversations. I really appreciated the company – and the rice pudding!

Later today I’ll drive to the cancer center and get my second Filgrastim injection. I’ll have a third on Friday and when they do my blood work on Tuesday before my chemo infusion, I’ll find out if it’s working to get the white cell count up. As it is, I now visit the cancer center four of the seven days of the week. Then, this afternoon, I had a call from central scheduling about another echocardiogram (Herceptin can cause heart problems). They, so far, have not scheduled a hydration infusion this week but anything is possible.

The best news of the day seems to be that Hurricane Lee will veer northward before getting to the Florida coast. I have no desire to go through a Category 5 hurricane. Hopefully, it’ll stay out to sea and dissipate. I did fill the jeep up with diesel just in case it changes its mind.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 117

5 September 2023

I had one of the most enjoyable evenings last night at the Pillars Hotel and Secret Garden restaurant with great friends, tasty cocktails, and a wonderful Thai dinner prepared by Chef Hammi.

View of the Pillars Hotel from poolside. It’s consistently been voted once of the best small boutique hotels in the U.S. At the upper left, you can see the state bird of Florida – the crane.

It was a little too warm for outside dining and on the recommendation of Yelena, our server, we agreed to inside dining. We had agreed to meet for cocktails at 5 pm and we requested Yelena, our go-to person at Secret Garden. She mixes some great drinks. We always like to hang out in the lobby for pre-dinner drinks.

Left to right: Me, long time friends Kurt, Holley, Tom and Jim. Holley and I had an espresso martini, Kurt a vodka martini, and Jim and Tom had margaritas. Yum!

Over the years, we’ve gotten to know Yelena quite well and Holley wanted to do something special for her so when she saw a flower vendor along Sunrise Boulevard, she purchased a dozen roses. We haven’t seen Yelena nor have we been to the Secret Garden since before March of this year. Yelena was taken aback by the flowers and kept mentioning how no one ever brings her flowers. They were a definite hit with her.

On Mondays, Chef Hammi does a prix fixe menu and tonight was Thai.

I


Among the five of us, we managed to hit every item on the menu. As usual, it was excellent. I believe this is the best restaurant in Broward County. It has everything: ambience, great food, and great service. We sat down to dinner around 6 pm and didn’t leave until around 9 pm. Yelena kept telling us to take our time and stay as long as we wanted.

On top of all that, when it came time to settle the bill, Yelena compted us with a bottle of very expensive Reserve Chardonnay. She told us that she gets to do that about once or twice a year and she wanted to do that for us.

By the time we left, the sun had set and you can see the type of view you get when you sit outside and look over the New River and Intracoastal Waterway.

Once I got home, I turned out the lights around 10:00 pm and found myself wide awake at 3:30 am. I seem to be setting a pattern here on chemo infusion days. Subconsciously, I seem to be a little anxious so maybe I need to take advantage of the Xanax prescription and take one the night before chemo treatments. At least, since I got up so early, I may be able to get my morning walk in before I have to head to the cancer center.

7:00 am

I did manage my walk down Riverland Road. It was pitch black but I met three couples out for a stroll. By the time I got back to the house, dawn was breaking.

I had a little time to kill but when it reached 8:30 am, I left the house for the cancer center and made it a little after 9:00 am for a 9:15 check-in. The waiting room was packed. I think most of those waiting were not going for infusions. Stephanie is my nurse today and she said they start infusions at 8 am and are now thinking of starting them at 7:30. I suspect Holy Cross is getting popular as a place for chemo.

I always watch nurses’ processes when getting things ready for my infusion. Stephanie was meticulous and I told her she had excellent axenic technique. She’s thinking of going for her masters in nursing but hasn’t decided what particular specialization.

10:05 am

I’m waiting for the results of my blood test. From there, they’ll determine if I need anything other than the Taxol infusion. The last two infusions they have given me magnesium and for the hydration infusion, they did the same.

10:17 am

The first test results are in. For the CBC with Auto Differential, my white blood cell count is high, my red blood cell count is low, hemoglobin and hematocrits were low, neutrophils relative high, lymphocytes relative low, and neutrophils absolute high.

10:39 am

For the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, my glucose was high (240). Otherwise, everything else was normal.

My magnesium level was also low again, so I suspect I’ll be getting another dose of that.

Stephanie added the pre-infusion drugs: Zofran for nausea, Benadryl (nausea), Pepsid to coat the stomach and Dexamasone (steroid). After the Taxol, she’ll administer the magnesium. I’m also getting a saline solution which should help with my dehydration (magnesium deficiency is the key).

I did ask if I could get a prescription for Imodium. I bought six packs of 24 at Walgreens (their brand) and it was BOGO. That ran to over $60. If I can get a prescription, my insurance will probably cover it at a much reduced cost.

11:40 am

Stephanie began the Taxol infusion. It’s on slow so it’ll take about 1 1/2 hours. If I don’t have any adverse effects this infusion, the next infusion of Taxol will take around 1 hour. Progress! It’s also a good thing I had the dental appointment changed to yesterday instead of today at 3 pm otherwise I would not have made it. These infusions make for long days.

Noon

Danielle, the nurse practitioner in charge of the floor, came by and suggested upping the number of times I take Lomotil to the same frequency I take Imodium. She’ll write a script for Imodium and Dr. Velez will renew the script for Lomotil. That way insurance will cover both.

1:24 pm
The Taxol finished in 1 hour and 34 minutes. Stephanie is now rigging the IV for magnesium. She said my level was very low and I’m to get the full bag and that will take two hours (2 grams/50 ml).

You learn something new every time you visit. Today I learned there is not one bathroom in the infusion center but three! That’s a very important tidbit of information considering how often I have to go pee with these infusions. All three are on the same side of the building. Out of four visits to the infusion center, I’ve been in the east wing (with the bathrooms) twice and in the west wing twice. It’s not really an imposition because the farther I have to walk the better. At the moment, there are two bathrooms on either side of me in cubicle 4D so I feel pampered. Of course, one of the bathrooms doesn’t have hand towels. That particular room has a sign that says “Flush twice.” I’ve read that on some of the paper instructions they pass around but the sign is only in that one room. I’m sure the idea is the chemicals infused are so toxic that the aerosol from the flush is hazardous to people.

For example, Stephanie has just been in a regular (albeit stylish gray) uniform all day until she hooked me up to Taxol when she put on a gown. That tells you something.

Mainlining magnesium. What a rush!

I’ll probably stop at the grocery store on the way home. I need some fruit and I’m running low on Blue Bell ice cream. Maybe that’s why my glucose hit 240 today. That and the steroid will probably make it go higher. Again, I figure I need to eat what I want to eat and worry about the details later.

Looks like I’ll get out of here around 4-4:15 pm. That’s eight hours of infusions. Who knew it could be so tiring. Sadly, the Benadryl did not put me to sleep. I suspect I’ll take a Xanax tonight to make sure I do sleep and hope for no hangover. They have not scheduled me for a hydration infusion but I’ve had almost a liter of saline which they would do for a hydration infusion. They also have not mentioned any injection to boost my immune system so they are probably satisfied with the results.

Now, on to the grocery store! Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 116

4 September 2023

I heard tell that variety is the spice of life. I decided to spice mine up a little. Instead of having my fruit and yogurt for breakfast this morning, I opted for Shredded Wheat – and not the mamby pamby little tiny squares but the manly large biscuits. Life in the fast lane!

The Eagles “Life in the Fast Lane.”

I walked 1.5 miles this morning in my new gauzy shirt.

On one of my morning walks, one of my neighbors was commenting on the heat and suggested I wear a more loose shirt instead of a tee shirt. She thought it would keep me cooler. I thought she made a good argument so I ordered two of these linen gauze shirts. I didn’t bother ironing the since they are linen and will wrinkle anyway. Today was my first walk with the shirt and I think she’s correct – it did seem a little cooler.

Yesterday I was eager to try my yoga stretches and swimming today. I was awake by 4:30 am and finally got out of bed at 5. By the time it was yoga stretch time, I really, really, really didn’t want to do yoga or swim. I was so incredibly sleepy. I finally psyched myself up to do the yoga stretches.

I was about half way through my yoga when I realized I had forgotten most of the sequence of positions I usually do. It’s been that long since I’ve done yoga. Again, variety is the spice of life. After completing my out-of-sequence set, I went back and added the correct sequences I missed to begin. The real question I had was how my left side (breast, arm pit, arms) would react. There were a few twinges here and there but otherwise, I think I’m getting back the full use of my arm.

My yoga stretches take about 18 minutes. By the time I was done, I was ready to swim. Then I had to hunt for my swim cords which allow me to swim in place. I hadn’t used them since the renovation from the flood damage. They turned out to be the second place I looked. When they replaced everything in the utility room for me, they kept the swim cords in sight.

I try to do 4 sets of 50 strokes of the American crawl to warm up. From there I do 100 strokes of the American crawl, 100 strokes of breast stroke, 50 left side strokes, 50 right side side strokes, 100 backstroke and 100 American crawl to finish things off. I managed a complete set and only had a little twinge on one of the strokes – you guessed it – the breast stroke. I was more than pleased with myself that I was able to do yoga and swim. A couple of times during the swimming I got out of breath and had to rest a little longer between sets but I did finish. That was around 20 minutes of exercise added to yoga and morning walk. I hope that I can keep that up. Tomorrow is a wash because of the chemo treatment but I should be back at it on Wednesday.

I usually get a text notice about dental appointments to remind me. I did this morning after the swim. My problem was the appointment was for 3 pm tomorrow. I go in at 9:30 am for my chemo and I have no idea how long that will last. They do a blood workup first and from that, they determine what “extras” I need in addition to the Taxol. The last time I finished at 2:30 which would give me only 30 minutes to get across town.

I called the dentist office and they worked out an appointment at 4 pm on Tuesday. If I finished at 2:30 pm, it would give me plenty of time. I agreed to the new time. A few minutes later, they called back and asked if I could come immediately. I told them it would take me around 15-20 minutes and they said come on. I walked in about 15 minutes later and they did a full set of x-rays, cleaned my teeth and had the doctor check the x-rays and perform an exam. It worked out perfectly and I don’t have to worry about rushing anywhere after the treatment tomorrow.

The last bout of diarrhea was on September 2nd at 2:25 in the afternoon. Since then it’s been semi-solid stool. I’m still on two Imodium every four hours. I don’t want to chance a change in medication since chemo is tomorrow.

Tonight is the Secret Garden but I think after lunch, it’ll be nap time.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 115

3 September 2023

Eleven and one half hours! That’s how long I slept last night. I was exhausted, apparently from the diarrhea. I did take two Advil and one Xanax and they may have had something to do with it but diarrhea just saps you. Not only that, but I’ve been dressing for winter lately. Sitting still watching Vera seems to bring out the chills. The interesting thing is we have had very low humidity today – 70% which is a considerable break from 96%. I’m still cold and wearing long sleeved shirt and long pants. Since I waked at 10 am this morning, I didn’t walk. I probably would have been reported for being drunk in the neighborhood if I had walked.

I still have no appetite but did manage to eat my fruit and yogurt this morning. My sweet tooth is in overdrive and I did cinnamon rolls for lunch along with apple sauce. Hopefully, I’m on the road to recovery from the diarrhea since I actually had a real bowel movement this afternoon. I’m now 24 hours from the last diarrhea episode but I intend to continue with the 2 every 4 Imodium AD. I’ve been burned too many times by cutting back the dose.

Maybe later today I’ll make it to the pool. I hope to be able to do my morning walk, yoga and swim laps tomorrow morning. It’ll be the first time since my original surgery for breast cancer, sometime in July.

I gave Trevor a check for his lawn mowing for me and he also took out the 6×6 post for bulk trash pickup and put it on his own pile. He reiterated to let him know if he could ever do anything for me. They’ve volunteered to help in any way they can.

Jon stopped by with Dink this morning. He had changed phones and not all of the numbers transferred and he wanted to get my telephone. He also volunteered to help in any way he can. Jon and I met dog walking. At the time he had a border collie called Memphis and I, of course, had Rocky. They got along and so did Jon and I. Memphis has since passed and his new one is Dinky.

Jon’s an outdoorsman who used to work for many years for an outdoor store (think boats, kayaks, paddle boats, etc. His real talent is sculpture. He has some very interesting pieces at his home, both inside and out. He’s been a good conversationalist over the years about his experiences and he shares my enthusiasm for the outdoors.

I’m better this afternoon but still a little blah. I don’t know if that’s the after effects of Xanax or the diarrhea or both. Hopefully, I’ll be up to dinner at the Secret Garden tomorrow night with Jim, Holley, Tom and Kurt. It’s my favorite restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. We always ask for Yelena who is originally from Estonia. She’s great and always is fun to be around. She never pulls any punches with her suggestions and let’s face it, she puts up with us – a rowdy bunch at best.

I talked to Judith and Chris yesterday and Chris seems to have caught my diarrhea. I emphasized the importance of taking 2 Imodium every 4 hours and I think he’s been doing that since my phone call.

I noticed my Kinsa thermometer has shown a steady, upward creep of the number of cases of Covid. For quite a while it was showing a number around 14. It’s lately creeped up to 34 and today it was 36. The number represents the number of hospitalizations per 100 k of population and my info is based on Broward County, so 36 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. The US Census reports a 2021 population in the county of 1.931 million people. I suspect it will continue to rise as more and more people are forsaking the masks and going to crowded venues.

I’m curious how the Tuesday infusion will go. They’ll do a blood test first thing and I want to know how its been affected by my diarrhea. I’m also curious as to how the hydration infusion affected the blood results. Tuesday will be my third Taxol infusion and the fourth, a week from Tuesday, will be both Taxol and Herceptin.

It’ll be a tight schedule Tuesday. I have a dental appointment at 3 pm on Tuesday. The infusion starts at 9:30 am. I need to see the dentist since it’s been about 6 months since my last visit and I haven’t told her about the chemo yet. Also, I’ve had some mouth sores and want her to check those out. It makes eating more difficult than it has to be. Yes, I’m still using baking soda. At least they won’t need to spray the stuff after the cleaning.

I had a good conversation with my cousin Jimmie. We try to FaceTime every Sunday around 3 pm and catch up with our week. We do a lot of laughing which is probably the best medicine you can get.

Tonight, I’m trying a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan. It sounds good. You sweat the egg plant disks, dust with flour, egg wash and then bread crumbs. Bake eggplant for 30 minutes at 350°F and then coat bottom of dish with marinara sauce, add eggplant disks, top with mozzarella and parezan, repeat. Then bake at 400 for 30 minutes. We’ll see.

Eggplant parmesan. It looks good. Now, if only it tastes good!

I took a dip in the pool to let it cool. While heading to the pool, I noticed the Lady of the Night had picked up a co-worker.

I never noticed the potential bloom yesterday. It’s safer to work in pairs, anyway.

I think I’ve mentioned I’ve had mixed results with gladiolas. Looks like these are really going to open up and be attractive.

As you can see, I haven’t really cleaned the house this week. Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 114

2 September 2023

I must be totally addled this morning. I kept trying to work a crossword puzzle and when I got stymied, I used my phone to check the answers. It’s the L.A. Times crossword and Saturdays are the most difficult. I always print out two crosswords: the L.A. Times and the New York Times. The New York Times also has yesterday’s answers at the bottom, not so the L.A. Times. I kept Googling for the L.A. Times answers to the Saturday, September 2, 2023 puzzle on the phone and it made absolutely no sense. None of the clues were the same.

So, when I came in to do the blog, I realized I had left both of today’s puzzles in the printer. I was trying to solve the New York Times puzzle for May 12, 2023, not the Saturday L.A. Times. I print both puzzles daily and always work on the L.A. Times but sometimes don’t the New York Times. Some days I do one puzzle, some days four. In the end, I have a stack of printed puzzles of the New York Times I keep on hand to work in case of hurricanes and boredom. It bit me in the butt this morning trying to solve the May 12th NYTimes puzzle.

Part of my addle-ation may have to do with bouts of diarrhea last night and first thing this morning. Then I did my morning walk and managed 1.5 miles. The temperature was nice (77°F) but the humidity was 93%. I knew I was a little wobbly on the walk so it’s no surprise I got confused on the crosswords.

Today is the day I would do my monthly clean but I suspect with the way I feel, it’ll be much less than normal. The toilet definitely needs some work but the rest may be a cursory clean. Then there’s always the wash.

I meant to write about this yesterday when I was waiting for my injection to boost my immune system. I count myself most fortunate when it comes to medical insurance. Medicare pretty much pays everything cancer related and what Medicare doesn’t pay, United Health Care does. After two surgeries, one emergency room visit, one hospital stay, and three infusions, I’ve paid out $9.31.

While waiting, numerous people walked up to the window at the cancer center with insurance problems. Some had no insurance, some had large (and I mean large) deductibles. To the credit of the staff at the window, they handled each and every case with tact and support. If they had to ask someone to wait, they would get back to them when free and work with them on insurance. When you add money woes to cancer diagnoses, you can see some of these people are at their wit’s end. I appreciate the effort Holy Cross goes to to assuage the anxieties of their clientele. I’m fortunate that I don’t have those problems (or at least haven’t been billed for them yet).

College football season technically begins today. There have been some early games, early upsets, and early speculation, but the rubber hits the road today. I used to love going to high school football games at Morton. The team was pretty good but they just never could beat Magee or Mendenhall. College football was a lot of fun and I have great memories of games at Ole Miss and Memphis and Jackson. After all, it was the Archie Manning era at Ole Miss.

Today, college football has become semi-professional. Athletes can sign contracts for the use of their names and images and endorsements. I’ve already mentioned how some high school students are held back one or two grades so they can better compete as an older athlete. I’ve seen some college quarterbacks who look like they are in their late 20’s when they should be in the 18-21 year range. I still watch a little college football on tv but nothing like I used to. It’s lost some of its luster and excitement when you consider it’s semi-pro ball. It’s certainly a far cry from the original intent of intramural sports.

I used to turn on baseball games when I needed a nap. The lack of action on the baseball field and the quiet comments by the announcers was a sure fire way to put you to sleep. It looks like college football might also be a take on the insomnia cure.

Monday, I’m scheduled to eat at the Secret Garden with Jim, Holley, Tom and Kurt. Tuesday is the third Taxol infusion. I assume I’ll be scheduled for a hydration infusion either on Wednesday or Thursday and probably more immune injections that week. I’ve also scheduled to go to dinner with Daryl and Bill on Monday the 11th. Each of the dinner invitations I’ve had to give the caveat of having to cancel if my diarrhea isn’t under control. Fortunately, my friends understand and realize there are exigencies. I’ll let you know how things turn out.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 113

1 September 2023

I got into the pool today! Not for swimming. I got out of bed too late for that since I had an injection at Holy Cross today. After I tended the leaf garden this afternoon,

Looks like my leaf garden is on the way out for the season.

cleaned the pool filter, cleaned the patio and pool deck, and sprayed for weeds, I jumped in. Wouldn’t you know it, the minute I started to get in the water, it started to sprinkle. At least there was no lightning. I needed to wash off the weed killer anyway.

I turned on my outside speakers, luxuriated in the pool, listened to some Bob Dylan and Bob Seger. I probably didn’t stay in more than 15 minutes but it was perfect. I had no more gotten out of the pool and rinsed off in the outside shower that I got a notification on my phone about lightning in the area. I timed it perfectly.

While tending to the backyard chores, I noticed my Ladies of the Night orchid (Brassavola nodosa) had bloomed.

Ladies of the Night (Brassavola nodosa)

Usually, the orchid produces three blooms (I assume that’s where the plural of lady comes in) but this was one lonely street walker. Another possible reason for the common name is that it only produces an aroma at night. To me, it smells like a very strong clove smell. Wikipedia describes the smell as citrus and gardenia but it’s nothing like that to me. The reason for the night aroma is to attract pollinating moths. I really love this orchid.

I stopped by the Cancer Center for injection of Filgastim at 11 am. It was quick and easy and again with the Claritin tonight. The real problem was a bout of diarrhea before I left the house. It was a harbinger of things to come.

After the injection, I wanted to stop at the Nova Southeastern University Museum of Art in downtown Fort Lauderdale. My friend Barbara is a docent there and she convinced me to renew my membership which had long ago lapsed. When I moved to South Florida in 1985, the original museum was called the Fort Lauderdale Art Center and was in an abandoned supermarket on Las Olas Blvd. In 1986 it moved to its new digs and from time to time, I rejoin. Lately, it’s had some very interesting exhibits. It partnered with Nova Southeastern University in 2008 and that’s helped it financially.

I parked in the city garage next to the main library and very near the art museum. I always walk the stairs and as I did, I met two workers welding on the staircase. They had not blocked off entry to the stairs from the parking garage but had at the base of the stairs. I had to dodge a shower of welding sparks as I exited the staircase.

The museum had an exhibit of Toulouse-Lautrec posters which were excellent and I had seen on a previous visit. Also seen previously was a “Hooray for Hollywood” exhibit of famous actors but also photos of Elizabeth Taylors jewelry.

What surprised me was the exhibit “The Swans: Artwork by Karen Kilimnik & Dresses from Stephanie Seymour.” Matched with artwork by Kilimnik were famous couture dresses. I was fascinated by the design and quality of workmanship of the dresses – not so much by the artwork of Kilimnik. All of the famous Parisian designers were represented.

It was about this time that I urgently sought out the bathroom. I made it just in time. It looks like I’ll be on two Imodium AD every four hours for the next 6 chemo sessions. It just will not stop.

One of my favorite views in the museum is where the main elevator is located. They allowed a Haitian artist an entire wall to produce lighted panel with voodoo images.

Edouard Duval-Carrié’s lighted panel near the elevators.

Another striking exhibit was Joel Gaitan’s Puerto Por Una Traición. He’s a Haitian artist and he merges metal (gold leaf?) and terra cotta. The vessels were exceptional. Unfortunately, the photo doesn’t do justice to the beauty of the work.

Joel Gaitan’s Puerto Por Una Traición

The last thing that caught my eye was the tapestries of Kandy G. Lopez. The work in fibers were amazing.

Work by Kandy G. Lopez

By then, it was around noon (I don’t linger too long in museums. It either interests me or it doesn’t. I stopped at the museum’s little cafe and was suggested the tuna sandwich which turned out to be excellent. It came with a very fresh side salad. I was pleasantly pleased. Museum food is either exceptional or dreadful. This was so good I asked for a box to take the second half of the sandwich home with me.

I made it home around 1:30 pm (traffic was very slow) and I curled up in bed with my iPad and read briefly before getting a nap in. I’ll probably have HoneyNut Oats for dinner. It’s so hot during the day, I prefer to eat simply at night and cereal seems to fit the bill.

I talked with my friend Stephanie up near Monticello, Florida. That’s in the Big Bend area and where the hurricane came ashore. Her manufactured home is fine, she is safe and her pets are safe but her yard is a disaster with downed trees and limbs. She can get out with her vehicle but Monticello has no power so there’s no need to go there. She has a generator but it runs on propane and she has to limit the time it runs. She runs it for the refrigerator and freezer. She indicated she was gonna sleep on the screened porch since it was cooler than inside the trailer. I wish I could help her out but it’ll be weeks before she gets electricity. When Katrina and Wilma came through my area, I was without electricity for almost a month each.

Stay tuned!