Yet, a month has gone by since the last one and I feel compelled to tell you what's going on in the medical and personal fronts.
Needham High School, winter in Mass., colorful glasswork)
On the medical side, no news. In two weeks, I will complete another treatment cycle as part of the clinical trials and then will undergo tests. Depending on the outcome, the doctors will decide between staying the course or changing to other medications in their arsenal.
During my weekly treatment I look at the results and take my doctor's advise not to take it too seriously. There are ups and downs, just like the stock market (not really that bad...) and the long term approach is the best way to look at the situation.
While there is no good news yet in terms of reducing the cancerous cells, other parameters have improved, which explain why I overall feel really well most of the time. Sometimes, when I get all sort of small and normal irritating problem, the first thought is that it is all because of my illness. I found this approach dangerous, because we all get sometimes stomach ache, head ache, etc. So, I am used to telling myself that all the little irritations have nothing to do with my big problem. Putting all of this aside helps me to feel better.
Time flies. It is almost five months that I have been in chemotherapy. I must admit that initially I planned on a few months of treatments, having a good bye party with the doctors and forget about the whole thing. It is clear that due to the slow progress it is going to be a longer 'adventure'.
Yet, I am ready and the basic plans have not changed, just will take longer to get there. Getting into a routine helps a lot. My week is as follows: I go to the office for 2 days and the rest work from home. Tuesday is my treatment day.
A typical Tuesday: I drive to the hospital in Boston, get the few hours of treatment and drive back home. While there, I try to concentrate on my laptop's screen which looks a lot better than the patients around me.
To make sure that I am on track after a long treatment, going to the office on Wednesday is really important. This is my way of putting aside all the little annoyances, irritations and leftovers from Tuesday's treatment.
with all 3 girls at our home, Shadow (our cat) pretending to relax next to Trevor the fish
Having most of the girls at home is a huge plus. Of course I wish it could have been under different circumstances. Yet, it is most enjoyable to have the family around you. Today, Sunday (Easter), was a good example. After a very lazy start of the day, we decided to go out strolling along the ocean. We dressed properly and took off to the unknown in a very clear, sunny and chilly day. Lior was driving (with some four back-seat drivers) and I played with the GPS until we found our destination: the promenade along Quincy Shore Drive.
Closing my eyes and smelling the sea reminds me of many memorable moments as a sailor. From the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, beautiful sunsets, stormy seas, huge waves, dolphins and the missions. In front of me the Atlantic Ocean with the Boston skyline in the background, brings no memories of sailing, as I have not sailed in this part of the world, but instead, our many years here in Boston.
After walking on the sandy beach we found a good restaurant and finally at 3 pm had our first meal of the day. Everyone was happy.Next update I hope to report progress.
Closing my eyes and smelling the sea reminds me of many memorable moments as a sailor. From the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, beautiful sunsets, stormy seas, huge waves, dolphins and the missions. In front of me the Atlantic Ocean with the Boston skyline in the background, brings no memories of sailing, as I have not sailed in this part of the world, but instead, our many years here in Boston.
After walking on the sandy beach we found a good restaurant and finally at 3 pm had our first meal of the day. Everyone was happy.Next update I hope to report progress.
Yours, always optimistic,
Guy
Sunday afternoon by the Atlatic Ocean
