Long slow October

It's been a long slow October.  Not much going on health wise.  The heat here finally broke and the cooler temps have me feeling better.  I did an all day big day as part of the Great Texas Birding Classic dispersed team.  It was fun and frustrating as these things usually are.  Thanks to everyone who helped me out, starting with Marianna and Luciano at the National Butterfly Center and Javier and John at Estero Llano Grande State Park.  

I finally realized they never called me about my appointments for November so I called oncology.  The Doctor appointment was scheduled, but the CT not yet (though I got four letters of approval from the insurance reviewer).  Got that scheduled with their default, which I will likely have to change.   

Lots of work on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and the Spring Chirp though both were cancelled this year.  The RGVBF is going virtual and I'm doing my best to make that happen.  

Successful vet visit a couple weeks ago though I got overheated trying to catch the farm owners horses.  She forgot it was float day.  Juan saved the day and caught the reluctant mares.  I still cringe from seeing the damage my old horse Dickens had happen to his teeth when he fought the speculum, so I make a point to not miss the day.  Dickens is long gone (never forgotten) but Storm and Dreamer have their own issues.  All went well, but I do worry about them more than I used to because of Dickens. Yay, all over but the bill.   

In my mind the tumor is growing.  I hope not!  I had gained weight last port flush so am cutting back on bingeing (or I'm trying to cut back).   

Reprieve!

Well, things are yet to be scheduled but it sounds like as long as everything stays constant I won't have a medical test or appointment (other than the port flush, which hardly seems to count these days) until mid November.  Blood work from a couple weeks ago stays the same, all normal and a very slightly elevated cancer marker (down from way way WAY high).  We went over the results of the ultrasound again, partial occlusion in two blood vessels but no total occlusion, definitely an improvement from the CT scan in early August.  I'm on blood thinners for the long haul.  

We've had some nice breaks in the heat and humidity, earlier than normal and cooler than normal.  It's been a wet fall and that shows no signs of changing.  All in all so far a nice fall. 

Test and retest

Well I made it back to work last week, working about two and a half days.  The heat is still a problem but I am mostly sitting in my car with the AC on.  Hard on the engine, easy on the body.  Still, ten hours is a long day.  This week I made almost full time in three and a half days.  I am looking forward to the weekend!  

I seem to be past the worst of the fuzzy headed side effects from the new meds. Friday's ultrasound showed reduced clots but some still present in smaller arteries.  At least they're gone from the jugular and other nasty places.  I'll find out what the doctor wants to do in a couple weeks, for now stay on the blood thinners for sure and maybe retest sooner rather than later.  I may still have to have the port removed, but I'd rather not expose myself to the number of humans in the hospital.  Covid19 is still severe here.  

I braved the mall and got the battery in my phone replaced.  I haven't been in that mall in years!  The phone is working great now, and I can actually go for hours without having it plugged in.  Before it would turn off every time it lost charge, and most of the time I had to warm it up on a heating pad or on the dashboard to get it to charge and turn on.  I'm glad I saved it from the landfill, and postponed getting a new one until 5G. There's still the question of whether to stay iPhone or switch with the next phone.  I have mixed feelings, not as bad now with the iPad. I can keep those Apple only apps.  

As the new job site develops I'll have to do more walking, for now it's not too bad but the site is rough.  I hope it doesn't rain!  We were fortunate to have Hurricanes Marco and Laura miss us by hundreds of miles.  

Anticipation and Frustration, August 2020

 I know I’ve talked before about the agony of waiting for test results. I had a CT last week and then had eight days waiting for results.  Somehow the weekend is worse, less going on work-wise and more time to ponder. 

Last week I went out to a field site and quickly overheated.  The first time out of the truck I forgot my cooling towel and the second I forgot my water. I ended up having to go sit in the truck in the AC.  As much as I’m feeling ok in the new normal, theoretical exercise is much easier than actual exercise(!). 

The mosquitos have been HUNGRY    I went to a local refuge with a researcher and fed them.  Bug spray kept them off until you let up on the button.  They were ferocious.  That's Hurricane Hannas lasting present.   I had a few branches lost to the hurricane, hungry skeeters, and lawn growing WAY WAY too fast.  

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So my CT scan showed continued reduction (though slow) of the tumors (yay), and a blood clot (boo).  One of the drugs I was on is a risk factor for blood clots, as is the chemo port, and the tumors, so that is a triple threat for blood clots.  One of those things is readily controllable, and I have to stop the hormone therapy drugs that were working.  If not for the COVID we'd probably remove the port, but we'll wait for COVID to be less pressing before removing the port unless the blood clots persist.  Going forward we're switching to another hormone therapy and adding in a blood thinner as soon as they get the prescriptions in.  There's a chance we could go back to these drugs that worked in the future, but I have to be off them for several months.  There is optimism that I will have good results with the other drugs as well.  The nodes in the lungs are stable, that was the big worry and the reason for the quicker CT scan.  

Blood work continues to be good.  

That's the news, such as it is.   

I made it!

For a while there while going through the scary cancer diagnosis and initial treatment I wasn't sure I was going to make my 60th birthday, and then for a while I was sick enough I was scared I would.  I am feeling good now (60 does beat the alternative) and am working on stamina and energy which are still lagging.

I failed completely on my twin quests or goals, to see 800 ABA species before I hit 60, and to see 800 species in Mexico.  The ABA area is basically the USA and Canada.  I came close on both, but the twin problems of being sick and not feeling up to travel, and more recently issues with COVID 19 restricting travel kept me from making those personal goals.  Maybe I'll just re-up them for 65, we'll see.  I have made it without chasing ABA birds for several years and I want to travel elsewhere in the world, so many places to go, so many birds to see.

I even missed a potential first US record located about 40 minutes away this week.  I would have been crushed, but now I’m disappointed and no more.  I must be getting older.

I had a good day on my birthday, dipping on the Blue-and-white Swallow in the morning but visiting with good friends.  Lunch at home was followed by a lavish birthday dinner.  Food is important and my appetite is a little too good.

Hurricane Hanna came in and brought more rain and wind than forecast.  I had some damage to an non-native columnar cactus, now to get rid of it completely.  It's a good week for county listers, with coastal birds moved inland with the storm.

No news is no news (neither good nor bad)

June was busy with a tree rubbing my electric line causing me to be without power overnight.  After far too heavy pruning of trees in June and AEP splicing the line all is good for now.  Still issues with my car and my phone, and I need to schedule my AC guy who wants to check for leaks (and keep me cool).  Anything requiring action is stressful to me.  I can't explain why I'm so anxious about this crap, I just am.

Another month to the next CT to see what's going on with the nodules in my lungs as well as the tumors.  I still feel pretty good though I got seriously overheated walking in the sun yesterday.  I did get the lawn mowed without stopping today, haven't done that in a while.  Usually I take a lawn chair and sit part way through, but I made it all the way for my tiny front lawn.

Almost time for another grocery run.  Overdue for another stab at car issue diagnosis.  And I really should get a new battery in the phone after another day without it charging.  But it's easier to do nothing.  So that's what I do.

Stay tuned, no news is just no news.  COVID is taking off in the LRGV, and I'm not, I'm staying home and wearing my mask.  I get out to nearby nature sites and I should get out to the horses (but it's so hot)…

Shrinkage....

Well, I like this telephone appointment thing except when I'm having trouble understanding the doctor (Doctor #9).  He has a heavy accent, and we both have background noises to contend with.  But we got it done.  I'm happy to not be in the waiting room for hours!

The CT shows mixed results.  Both tumors are less dense according to the radiologist, with the abdominal tumor (the one that doesn't matter) shrinking in size (a very little) as well.  Less dense is a good thing.  The peritoneal nodules seem to be reduced or smaller.  But some nodules have grown.

Blood work was not nearly normal, it was freaking normal including the cancer marker.

So overall I'm happy.  We'll retest sooner and see what's up with the nodules that grew, are they still at it or not.  

Other than that it's all about the same.  It's hot.  I melt.  The birds here are pretty stock model, Arizona is racking up the rarities though!  I love having a Clay-colored Thrush singing in the yard every day, and some other resident or summer birds drift through as well.

Bird on.