Keep In Touch: May 2010

Everyone has a favorite color. Mine isn’t red. Yet red is becoming very important for me. It’s the color of my new chemo pills that hopefully will do the job. I take 2 a day and so far they seem to work. It is too early to celebrate but it looks like I am in the right direction of getting the numbers down.

I go to Dana Farber every two weeks for blood testing. My blood is put in colorful tubes for analysis. However, every month in addition to these colorful tubes, three red tubes are added. These are the most important ones that will tell everything – the important numbers. And so every month I am nervous. Typically I call 24 hours after the test to know the result. I write my guess on paper and hope that the actual numbers are even better. Unfortunately, I miss a lot of times, except recently. The numbers were better than expected. Two weeks ago I flew to Virginia. Upon landing, the first email I saw on my Blackberry was from my doctor with just one number. This was good news.

Now I hope that the positive trend continues.

By the way, more red: the logo of Dana Farber, Shoshana which is a rose is also red.

Getting used to something better is easy. Unlike in early 2010, taking pills is a lot easier than a daily trip to Dana Farber, getting IVs, etc. With getting back my freedom, I work almost back to normal including business travel. Admittedly I stretch it a bit (a lot according to others). As long as there is no medical risk I will not really limit myself. It is the best medication.

In early April I went to Las Vegas for our annual trade show (the IPC). I missed this show in the last two years. It was good to be back on the floor, meeting many customers that I know well, working with our wonderful and professional team and snooping after the competition. Many of our customers know about my illness and were happy to see me live and kicking.

But there was something else: a return to the ‘crime scene’.

It was in Las Vegas in Oct. 2007 (fun trip with Shoshi) that I realized that something is wrong with me. I was huffing and puffing from going up a few stairs. Coming back from Vegas, we landed in Boston on late Thursday, on Friday I saw my doctor and on Tuesday I stated chemotherapy. It all went so fast.

This time it wasn’t easy either. The long hours of the show and the long walking distances made it more difficult, but overall it was very manageable. I had to put an “OK face” several times, which I am very much used to do.

I was concerned if someone sees me taking 14 pills for breakfast, they may think I am a junky and report me to security.

I have been to Vegas many times. What has apparently changed is that most of the people are young, not the old people in past years. There is a lot of alcohol all over everywhere. The combination of young people and alcohol is “interesting” to say the least.

Life is Needham is very calm. Shoshi and I call it “little paradise”. It is spring and everything is intense green. Every few days there is a rain and so far we were spared from a flooded basement, like many others in the area. Shoshi and I went hiking during a couple of weekends, including climbing on a steep hill. There were days that I simply took the camera a drove around to shoot someting nice. As you can see I have weakness for flowers.

Getting back to work on a daily basis was easy. I can’t stress it enough to all of you who work from home: there is no substitute for a face to face meetings. Just having coffee with a colleague and you get a new ideas or a task.

I usually eat a large breakfast before going to work, than take a few slices on a plate for the road. My car’s floor sometime has a nice collection of Corelle plates.

In April my mom and Dani came to see us and we had a short and a lovely visit: lots of coffee, kitchen talks and catching up.

Also in April, Lindsey (Inbal's friend) ran her 3rd marathon, in spite of my begging her not to destroy her knees. As in past years she ran in honor of her aunt and myself! Shoshi, my mom and I went to mile 14 of the run and were able to take a snapshot of Lindsey - the only smiling runner!

Once in a while I hear about another heart warming story as a result of my blog. This time it came from someone who I know well who works for our customer in Texas. He told me about a friend who was diagnosed with cancer and gave up on everything. Through my friend’s sticking by the sick guy plus showing him the blog, the situation now is remarkably different.

Very soon Inbal and Pierre will get married. After what seemed months away, we suddenly realize that it is happening and soon (late May). It will be exciting to see all the family and celebrate this happy moment. For my family, it will be yet another rare event in which all five of us are under one roof!

I can’t wait!

Yours always optimistic,

Guy