Catching Up

Art Competition:
Judging the artwork was a great experience. Seeing each piece was like meeting 600 new cancer survivors. They all had a story to tell. Hearing about their treatments, surgeries, and personal experiences created a guilty feeling then when I would issue a low score. However, as the judging progressed, certain pieces definitely shined. It was wonderful to read the narrative and see the art all come together. Who knew one could be inspired through art? The competition not just provided an outlet for those 600 entries, but engaged so many through a forum that even the toughest of men wanted to pick up a brush.

Baseball Fever:
On Tuesday, I headed to the red sox/orioles game. Unfortunately, the huge red sox fan (Meghan) had to work late, but it was nice to see my friends. I enjoyed a few Miller Lites and salty peanuts too! (Grammatically speaking is the plural form Millers Lite or Miller Lites? Just like is it Tours de France or Tour de France’s?) Normally, or at least over the past year, the cumulative effect of chemo created an increased sensitivity to sodium, salty or processed foods, and alcohol. I would have to shy away or at least limit my intake, but now that I’ve had a little break from treatment it was nice to indulge.

Doctor’s Appointment:
Scheduled a meeting for next Tuesday. I’m 90% certain we’ll go with the doctor in Colorado’s recommendation of taking the oral pill (Tarceva) again. I advocated getting another CT scan as well. It’s probably been 7-8 weeks since my last CT and it will be good to use as a baseline to be more precise in our evaluation and effectiveness of Tarceva.