Month: November 2023

8 November 2023

As I go through a day, I get certain ideas that I think might be interesting on the blog but when I start to write the blog, the good idea is lost and I forget to include it. Such was the conversation with the first Uber driver the other day.

He was a talker. Most Uber drivers take the hint from the passenger as to whether or not enter into a conversation. Not this one. He jumped right in. He assumed I was retired and asked what I used to do. When I informed him I was an ex-professor of biology, that threw him into high gear. When I mentioned, as I always do, that I taught a few years too long, he wanted to know why. I mentioned students and administrators both became problematic.

He offered the opinion that it was due to unions. I then informed him I was a past president of the college union and he quickly let me know he didn’t mean me, of course. I ventured the opinion that one of the big problems were helicopter parents who often pestered faculty at the college about their kids grades. He was taken aback this was even an issue at the college level.

He offered up he had an MBA. It was then he said that only a few MBA programs in the U.S. were of any quality and that companies preferred those programs. I said “Like the Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Yale and Penn?” and he said exactly. I then opined that I had met several Harvard people in my profession and was not impressed with a Harvard degree. Dead silence. I suspect Alfred had his MBA from Harvard.

To his credit, his silence didn’t last long after I changed the topic. In contrast, the second Uber driver didn’t care to hold a conversation until I pointed out he was taking the wrong exit to the house. I’m usually easy. I’ll talk if someone wants to talk and stay silent if that’s their preference. The first Uber driver was the first person I’ve run into that really puts his opinions out there.

I only got about 4 hours sleep last night. By 4 am I was making coffee and getting my breakfast ready. By 6 am, I was ready for a nap. I set the alarm for 8 am thinking it would give me plenty of time to shower and get ready for my 10 am appointment. I did sleep for an hour but got out of bed the second time at 7.

I don’t know how to describe how I feel. I feel OK but because of the numbness in my feet and toes, I have balance problems and real problems walking. However, I decided I was good enough to drive to today’s appointment.

The Holy Cross Orthopedic Center was busy. Usually, they take me in pretty close to the time I am scheduled. Not today. It was about a 35 minute wait. Put it down to my 3 bathroom breaks. Of course, most of the people in the waiting room were either recovering from surgery or needing surgery so were much worse off than I.

They called me back around 10:40. The nurse was new and didn’t quite understand why I was coming to the doctor. I finally got him to check my Holy Cross records and at least I didn’t have to give him a list of my medications (which is growing daily). He could have pulled height, weight, etc. from my online chart.

Dr. Fingado came into the room limping. I asked him about it and he said his MS was acting up. Apparently he’s lived with it for over 20 years. We got into a conversation about my mastectomy and chemotherapy. He wanted to know my hematologist and I told him Dr. Velez. He agreed he was an excellent physician. We then talked about the talented nursing staff at the infusion center. He’s apparently had chemo there also. We both singled out Pat and Kathy for praise. I told him Kathy had left the infusion center and now was Nurse Navigator for the surgical team.

He injected me with steroids in both thumb joints and the middle finger joint of the right hand. As far as my pinky fingers, he prescribed 3% Declofenac gel but only on the top of the arthritic part of the pinky fingers. He gave me a coupon for a discount at my local Publix. One problem after the injection was my middle finger went completely numb. It’s really hard to pick things up and handle them with a “dead” middle finger, much less expressing personal opinions.

On the way home, I stopped at Walgreens for the prescription Dr. Velez sent in for Tamoxifen. I’m still confused as to when he wants me to take it. In my chem confusion, I thought he said wait until I feel better from the effects of the Taxol (no where near there). I sent him a text to clarify.

The side effects of Tamoxifen are scary. Dr. Velez mentioned blood clots, and aching lower extremities. The information sheet includes liver cancer and possible death. Oh well. Worse living through chemistry.

From there, I headed to Publix. The prescription for Declofenac will be ready this afternoon but I’ll probably pick it up tomorrow after the blood draw at 8 am. By this time I was wasted. I came home and took a nap.

It’s now time to stagger to the kitchen and think about dinner.

Stay tuned!

6 November 2023

I thought I misread the weather report on my iPhone when I got up this morning. It read 61°F. I stepped outside and looked at the outdoor thermometer and it also read 61 and it actually felt like 61. Snowfall report soon to follow. It’s a good thing I made hot chocolate yesterday. I feel a cup of it coming on now.

I seem to be getting a consistent 6 1/2 hours of sleep a night. The good news is most of that is core sleep with periods of awake scattered through the core and REM sleep. I would say the Jardiance is making me pee more but in reality, it’s about normal for me since chemotherapy – 4 to 5 times a night.

My hands started aching somewhere around 2 am and I downed a few Advil and finally drifted back off to sleep. When I do wake and visit the bathroom, there’s usually some small thing I do each time – like readjust my “sweat” towel or add Sarna to an itchy spot. Life certainly has been interesting since the chemo.

Jim and Holley texted me yesterday afternoon and asked if they could bring me anything from Flanigans, Publix or Whole Foods. I would normally say no but there was nothing at the house I wanted to eat. I asked if Flanigans would be OK (it’s close to my house) and they agreed. I asked for a full rack of ribs, a salad, and baked potato. I also asked if they would join me. They wouldn’t let me pay.

The arrived around 5:30 and we promptly dug in. Something about this particular Flanigans – their ribs are simply the best. We all ate ribs and salad and we all had left overs for lunch or dinner today. I was glad to see them and have their company. I get a little stir crazy here at the house, particularly when I don’t feel up to chores. They always lighten my load, so to speak.

Today is the eye exam. This is a new ophthalmologist for me. She is associated with Holy Cross but doesn’t seem to be tied into their computer app. The office is in the Holy Cross building complex so I should have too much trouble finding it. Your guess is as good as mine as to how long it takes.

Eye exams have turned into major affairs since I first started having my eyes checked. That was years ago in Fulton, Mississippi when I was teaching at Itawamba Junior College. The town only had an optician but he was very good. He told me I didn’t need glasses. In essence, he only did a refraction and I don’t remember if he dilated my eyes or not.

When I moved to Florida, I saw my first ophthalmologist. It was eye-opening, pun intended. He did the dilation and prior to that the refraction. He actually did the refraction – not some technician. He probably spent 15 minutes on the refraction. It was only much later that he gave me the option of wearing glasses or not. I took the option.

Later, he retired and I was foisted off on another practice. The new guy lasted only a short while and after that I would go in annually and find a new ophthalmologist every time. That eventually settled down and I’ve had the same person for at least three years. He’s good but he is a DO and not an MD. I decided to break with his office after a cursory refraction from a technician I didn’t trust and how the opticians group gave me static when my now pair of glasses kept breaking. Only time will tell if I like the new person or not.

In any case, today they map your eyeballs, check peripheral vision, and do a lot more tests than a simple dilation and refraction. Fortunately, my insurance pays for everything but the refraction. I guess you can say that’s one benefit of being diabetic.

If I don’t feel up to driving (yet to be seen) I’ll schedule an Uber to drop me and pick me up. I’ll have to wait until it’s closer to time to make that call.

Sometime this week I need to buy groceries. Lately, I haven’t been up to going to the store and do the shopping myself so I get them delivered. It’s a little more expensive but I’ve gotten into the habit again and depending on how I feel today, I may or may not have them delivered again. It’s a great convenience and the shoppers do a pretty good job of selecting items. You gotta really know your grapefruits to get the perfectly ripened one.

If I find out anything from today’s exam, I may do an update after I get back. If not, then until tomorrow, stay tuned!

5 November 2023

I’m at least 50% better than yesterday. To be honest, just about anything is better than yesterday. However, I still am not up to a walk nor do I have any inclination to clean house nor do much of anything except rest and relax.

It’s a pleasant 68°F outside with partly cloudy skies and even though the humidity is 89%, it’s tolerable. We really must be in our “winter” season now which coincides with our dry season. However, forecasters are predicting a “wet” dry season for South Florida. I’m not sure what that means but I hope it means I won’t be adding water to the pool as frequently since new water rates went into effect this past month.

I did have enough energy to walk around the back yard and pull a few fallen palm fronds out and put in the yard waste bin. I also noted that a plant given to me by my neighbor Martime was in bloom.

This is native to South America but like so many plants in Florida, it’s been brought in as an ornamental. The reason I like it so well is it reminds me of a tree that was growing outside the window of the Parker House in San Francisco. The Parker House is a guest house I used when I went to the opera back in the day. So many guests had asked, over the years, what the name of the tree was that the hosts had put up a photo in the breakfast room with the name and its history so they didn’t have to answer the same question thirty times a day.

The tree got so big over the years (it was close to the house) they had to cut it down and root some cuttings to plant elsewhere in the yard.

I’m not sure it’s the same genus and I know it’s not the same species but I suspect the two plants share the same family, Melastomataceae. A common genus of the family in the U.S. is the genus Rhexia (Meadow beauty).

It’s interesting what evokes memories. For me, plants are right at the top of my list. I’m sure most of the senses are all evocative of past experiences and for the most part, at least for me, they are good experiences: the smell of Grandma Laura’s tea cakes baking in the oven, the taste of a ripe watermelon on a hot summer day, the smell of gardenias on a summer’s night. At certain times of the year, newly mowed grass evokes the scent of cutting into a ripe watermelon to me.

I used to explain to my students that taste and smell are often very individualized. For example, gardenias. Some people (like me) like the smell. For others, the smell is overly sweet and is off-putting. I like the taste of cilantro but others seem to taste a soapy taste. There are actually people who think skunks’ odors smell good (I’m not one of those). The sense of smell of one item may evoke a totally different memory in two different people.

A lot of that is due to genetics. We used to run an experiment in bio lab where students were asked to put a paper strip in their mouths. The strip had been soaked in phenylthiolurea. For most, all they got was a soggy paper taste. Tasters would give you the most awful face because “tasters” reacted to a bitter sensation. For the record, I’m a non-taster.

This week is busy. I have an eye exam on Monday, Herceptin infusion on Tuesday, hand doctor on Wednesday and hydration infusion on Friday. Hopefully, I’ll feel well enough to drive myself to all the appointments.

Stay tuned!

4 November 2023

As I was getting ready for bed last night, I had to decide whether or not to spread a towel over the fitted to sheet in case of night sweats. The previous night wasn’t bad and I knew I would change sheets tomorrow, so I opted not to put the towel down. Of course, one hour later I woke up soaked. I put the towel down and finished the night out OK. According to my watch, I got 6 hours and 49 minutes (plus an hour nap this afternoon).

It’s been a rough day. My nervous system is out of wack. Not just toes and fingers. If I stand in one place for any length of time I start swaying back and forth and, unfortunately, I don’t mean with rhythm. My energy level was zero. My thinking is more muddled than usual.

It took a while but I finally got the bed linen changed and a wash on. I got the garbage cans emptied (they fill up with old Depends and Kleenex). That was pretty much it. I had to go back to bed for a while.

The wash eventually got done and I actually ironed a shirt and a new pair of jeans. Little acts wipe me out. I did start watching the Ole Miss/Texas A&M game but gave it up at half time for a nap. I got the tail end of the game and Ole Miss pulled it out.

I seem to be ordering online a lot these days. Not only did I get a new pair of jeans courtesy of L.L. Bean but I also got a new pair of slippers. I have a pair of their fleece lined slippers that resemble moccasins, but they have leather ties that constantly come undone and I’ve lately started tripping over them. These were my answer to the tripping.

There is not tie on these to slip on and they ride higher on the ankle and foot. I like them. As you can see, they are also fleece lined. Ever since the Taxol treatments, my feet and toes are always freezing.

Actually, I’m always freezing. Half the day I wear long gym pants and a knitted shirt and the other half I’m hot and wearing shorts and a tee.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day. I feel marginally better as I write this but it’ll be an early to bed, early to rise sort of day. Remember, we set clocks back tonight. Thankfully, most reset themselves these days!

Stay tuned!

3 November 2023

As I was cleaning the pool deck, I got a telephone call from Holy Cross asking if I could come in early. Apparently their entire computer system went down and they were unable to confirm chemotherapies and had to cancel everyone with a chemo treatment. Since I was a hydration, they wanted to fill their time slot with me. I told them I wasn’t sure what time but I would come early. They said that was OK, they couldn’t guarantee a time slot anyway. I was a little hesitant, thinking I would be sitting in the waiting room for a couple of hours until a chair became available.

I finished with the pool filter, pool deck, patio and the pool and hopped into the shower. I started in the opposite direction by heading to Pools ‘n More to pick up a basket for the pool pump and some pool chemicals. I then set course for Holy Cross.

I arrived around 11:30 am and to my surprise, it was only 12:05 pm when they called me back. The nurse was Stephanie and she had given me a Taxol treatment once before. My neighbor was Bob.

Bob wanted to talk. All the nurses doted on him. Yes, I was a little jealous until I learned why. He has terminal bone cancer. It was his fourth cancer. He was pretty realistic about it. He just stated it without any “woe is me” attitude. Apparently his blood cell count was too low for treatment so they gave him an injection to boost his blood cells and scheduled him to come back for the chemo treatment. I assume all they are doing is prolonging his life and trying to mitigate the pain.

My blood tests came back with the best results I’ve had in a while. My magnesium was 1/10 of a point below normal so they gave me only 1 mg of the 2 mg drip. My Comprehensive Metabolic Panel was perfect except fore high glucose (115 – not too bad). The CBC Auto/Differential showed my red blood cells as low (typical) and my hematocrit and hemoglobin as low, also typical.

My Neutrophils Relative were high, Lymphocytes Relative were low and Monocytes Relative were high. That’s what it has been for quite a while. I was finished by 3 pm and it took me until almost 4 to get home because of traffic. ‘Tis the season with snow birds migrating south.

Whatever has happened has happened quickly. I had plenty of energy today before the infusion. It seems the effects of Taxol are beginning to taper off. None to soon, I might add.

Stay tuned!

3 November 2023

Perhaps this is an auspicious date. I got out of bed around 4 am and actually felt pretty good for the first time in 3 weeks. Dare I hope that I’ve turned the page on Taxol? By my calculations, I’ve not walked the neighborhood since October 10th. Today, I managed to walk two blocks or 0.45 miles. Normally, I would be embarrassed I hadn’t even walked half a mile but I consider this a major victory! It was good that it was still dark on the walk so people didn’t think I was drunk in the neighborhood. Little victories, one step at a time.

If I continue to feel this well, I’ll probably drive myself in to the hydration infusion this afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed.

My friend John brought over a BOGO from Honey Baked Ham last night (with potato salad). He also brought over a birthday card with an Amazon gift card. We caught up with each other but by 8 pm, I chased him off. I could tell I was fading fast. I think he could tell. I’ve learned I have limits.

It’s amazing to me how quickly I could get ready for bed when I was younger. These days, it takes as while before I’m ready to pull the sheet up over me. First, there is the second round of medication before bed. Then there’s the flossing, proxabrushing, and the baking soda tooth brushing. I set the alarm, check the doors, and put the kitchen in semi-order.

As I pull the covers back, I spread a towel down to soak up night sweats (which weren’t too bad last night). I make sure I have water by the bedside, change into pajama bottoms, and crawl in to read a little. Once the medication hits, I pull the comforter back halfway and turn on the ceiling fan (I start out freezing and by the time I turn out the light, I’m hot).

Add to all of the above and that I’m not too steady on my feet and it takes up about 45 minutes to an hour. Hey! At least I can still do all of that!

I need to stop by the pool store this morning. The strainer basket in the pool pump has now split on two sides and it’s on its last legs. I tried to find it on Amazon as well as anywhere on the internet but my pump is so old, it’s not recognized and the filter part no longer exists. The pool store will be able to tell me what will fit (for a higher price). Today is also clean the pool filter day, clean the pool, pool deck and patio deck.

By the time I get ready to have the hydration infusion, I’ll probably doze off. Either that or I need to work in a mid-morning nap.

I have to say something seems to be working with the Pedialyte. I seem to stay hydrated more since I started (I’m on four a day right now). Combine that with the Metamucil and Enterade and the lack of diarrhea, some of the biggest problems seem to have been eliminated. Now if I can only get rid of the numbness in extremities.

Next week is a busy one. First, daylight savings time ends on Saturday night, Monday I go see a new ophthalmologist, Tuesday is a Herceptin infusion, Wednesday is the hand doctor for my arthritis and Friday is another hydration. Hopefully, I’ll be able to drive myself to all the appointments. Just let me give a shout out to Joel for transporting me these last two weeks.

Stay tuned!

2 November 2023

Someone pointed out yesterday I had now lived 3/4 of a century – not sure which sounds worse – that or 75? I used to think back on what my Dad saw in his lifetime. He was born in 1913. For example, he was 10 years old when the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, NC. [I claim chem brain. The Wright Brothers flew in 1903. Dad hadn’t been born yet. I saw a difference of ten years and went the other way. I noticed this is my 666th post. Perhaps the devil made me do it. Thanks to Jim for catching the error.] He saw the development of television, the discovery of penicillin, fought in both WWII and Korea, and saw the first moon landing. He was even around for the beginnings of the computer age.

When I was born in 1948, it was, at that time, considered the last of the baby boom era. They’ve since extended the time span for baby boomers, but I stick with the original 1948. According to The People History Home, in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, Israel declared an independent state and the U.S. was the first to recognize the state, the British National Health Service went into effect, North Korea became a state, and the Berlin airlift commenced.

The average cost of a home in the U.S. was $7,700 (my mortgage in 1985 for this house was $79,000) the average annual wage of $2,950, a gallon of gas cost $0.16, and a loaf of bread cost $0.14.

Today the average home price is $348,539, the average wage is $59,428 (when I retired inn 2014, my salary was $77, 645) the average price of regular gasoline (that’s all there was in 1948) is $3.46, and the average cost of bread is $2.50 (and the loaves are much smaller).

When I started teaching at Itawamba Junior College in Fulton, Mississippi, the average teacher’s salary in the 1979-1980 fiscal year was $11,850. When I moved to Broward College in 1985, I got a $5000 raise from Mississippi.

I lived with the Vietnam conflict hanging over my head (not a declared war) from the Eisenhower years (1948-1956) to the Nixon years (1969-1974). Dear to my heart as a biologist, I was around for the discovery of DNA, cloning and genetic engineering. I got in on the semi-ground floor to computers. I didn’t do programming of computer punch cards but I was actively programming stuff for my biology classes using BASIC and the TRS-80 by Radio Shack. Later, something called the internet became important. Then cell phones.

I’m sure each generation has milestones. One that was significant to me was the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. I remember exactly where I was when it was announced (study hall at Morton High School) and stunned with the majority of the students stood up and cheered. After school was dismissed, I was glued to my grandparents black and white TV and I swear I was home on the day Lee Harvey Oswald was assassinated by Jack Ruby on live TV and saw it as it occurred – not the re-run.

While I was a counselor at Camp Kickapoo, Boy Scout Camp near Clinton, Mississippi, I saw the moon landing on July 20, 1969 on TV. It was a Sunday and a new bunch of campers were coming in. We were meeting with the Scoutmasters about their coming week and we stopped the proceedings and viewed the landing and “first step” comment together. It was a joyous moment for staff and Scoutmasters.

On December 1, 1969, I was in my dorm room at Ole Miss when Lyndon Johnson drew the first number for the Vietnam conflict draft. At the end of the night, I knew I was number 19 on the national list and later found out I was number 7 in the county (Scott County, Mississippi) and the county was drafting the first 9. I had one year of student deferment left, but knew I would be called up. Indeed, in 1970, after undergraduate graduation at Ole Miss, I was sent for the dreaded draft physical in Jackson and later ended up with four years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard.

I also remember exactly where I was on September 11th. I was swimming laps in the pool before time to get ready for class and I had the radio playing over the outdoor speakers. In between laps, I heard the first information about a plane crashing into one of the twin towers in New York. I got out of the pool and turned on the TV and I saw the second plane hit on live TV.

Life is strung together by these moments. They unify one generation with another. It also speaks to our own mortality as one generation passes into the next. At 75, there is no way to predict how long I have left on the planet. The cancer diagnosis was certainly a set back but I’ll hope for the ten year life span (and more) that all cancers are judged by.

As you can probably deduce, I’m in a philosophical mood today. I had a good night (even though I still have night sweats – at least I put down a towel now so I don’t soak the fitted sheet). My friend Daryl recommended Pedialyte for hydration and it seems to be helping more than GatorAde and coconut water. She’s right, it’s very sweet – as in Southern iced tea sweet. I’ll choke it down as long as it helps.

When I got out of bed this morning I felt better than in quite a while. Hopefully, this means some of the effects of Taxol are wearing off. I no longer have to blow my nose to free blood clots like I did. I wasn’t as dizzy this morning when I got out of bed and I feel I have more energy than all of last week.

I’m going to take each day as it comes, hope for the best with the numbness, and continue the Herceptin treatments and hydration treatments. Wonder what’s gonna happen in the next 10 years?

Stay tuned!