Stability Is Constant (at least for now)

I left work yesterday telling my co-workers I was going to “spin the wheel” again at my oncologist’s office.  The wheel appears to have stopped once more on, “stable.”  I tell everyone that I would be happy to remain stable for the rest of my life.  I won’t get tired of that word, stable. I hope you don’t mind my repeating it.  Thank you for your prayers.

The current test results that were available right away showed no notable change.  The results for the test that really tells what’s going on will not be available for a few days.

Maybe something like this?

During the exam, the doc asked if I was experiencing any pain or numbness, or anything unusual.  I told her that next time I see my urologist; I was going to ask him about my belly button.  It’s been “weird” since the prostate surgery. 

There’s a little skin bubble where the button used to be.  She took a look and said it’s herniated.  She said it won’t be a problem unless some “bowel” gets into it (or, unless a head with slime dripping fangs pops out of it).  I wondered out loud about the rare opportunity to incorporate that little bubble into a three dimensional tattoo; an eyeball tattoo would be perfect there!

Also very rare, our cats sitting quietly together. Probably resting up for the late night cat races

Busy Days, Life is Good

That’s me cutting access to bathroom (shower) plumbing

People ask how I am.  I tell them I am stable. It’s good to be stable, and it’s good to be busy. I’m thankful I am able to be busy.

October’s days were packed.  Every weekend, most evenings, and even some week days were spent working at our vacant rental house.

As the tenants were moving out, we discovered a mysterious, spongy hump growing under the linoleum in the bathroom floor. The tenants said they hadn’t noticed it.

It turned out the water heater had been leaking and the underlayment was mostly destroyed.  There was also some previous or ongoing damage to the laundry room floor.

Plywood holds up better if exposed to water
Particle board underlayment
Diane filling the first of what must have been 300 holes in the walls

Once the work began, the list of things that needed repair rolled out like a scroll, including things that, “now” was as-good-a-time-as-any to do.

Brandon & Emily at Southwestern University

We spent Thanksgiving at Brandon and Emily’s house in Georgetown, Texas. Brandon is teaching there.

Robin and Aubrie joined us the day after.  I’m glad we got to spend that time together.  It felt like a summer break for us as we did most of our strolling around in shorts and sandals.

Emily, Brandon, Diane, Scott, Betty, Robin, Aubrie. That’s all of us. Thanks for the picture, Robin
We played some serious board games

Keep Drinkin’ That Dew!

I picked up Diane today in the ‘57 and drove to my appointment with the Oncologist.  This was a follow up to my last set of x-rays.  The Doc had good news. 

She said the x-rays look good, all the blood numbers are good (as in no change), and the M-Protein number that had increased and prompted the substitute doc (in for my vacationing doc) to send me for x-rays may have been a false alarm due to the fact that the lab that usually tests my blood gives the resulting number only to the tenths as in 1.2, but the lab that tested this time reports to the hundredth, as in 1.29; so, the 1.2 could have been up to 1.24 all along (assuming they round up at .05) making the increase to 1.29 extremely small.  

That’s the longest sentence I have written in a while, I almost had to rest my arms.  The doctor said just keep drinking that Mountain Dew and come back in three months.  Okay, that’s not a direct quote.  She said to keep doing what ever it is I’m doing and come back in 3 months.  If I’m still in your prayers, I thank you.

Egyptian Mt Dew (didn’t taste anything like Mt Dew)

Spin That Wheel

I left work at noon telling the guys I was going to my 3 month cancer check appointment to “spin the wheel.”  That’s kind of what it feels like.  Today the wheel landed on 1.29.  That’s my M-spike, or M-protein number, the main indicator the doctor watches to monitor this cancer. 

Although my bone marrow biopsy in June had actual good news, today’s 1.29 (up from 1.2 in June, up from 1.0 in March) is not.  This prompted the Doc to prescribe another skeletal survey (a full body set of x-rays) to see if there are any bone lesions or tumors under construction. 

I will go back in two weeks to discuss the x-ray results and the next step, if any.  Note to self:  Thank God for a wonderful year beyond the Multiple Myeloma diagnoses.  If I get more years, thank him for those also.

Living on the edge