Monday, 29 November 04
Finished the first half of the sixth round of chemo. Now, I get to rest for two weeks (e.g. stop the Temodar, but continue the Celebrex and Accutane).
Sunday, 28 November 04
Aimee was a mouse in the Nutcracker, a production of the Lake Cities Ballet. The presentation seems to get better each year. Being able to watch events like this one is great in view of the dramatic medical events of this year!
Thursday, 26 November 04
Thanksgiving day, and I am profoundly thankful this year just to be able to be a part of the activities. Throwing the football in my mom's backyard, like we used to do decades ago, brought back memories, such as my involvement with the Clarkston Packers, a 5th grade flag football team in Tyler, Texas that went undefeated during the 1968 season.
Mom presented me with a collection of pictures she had found in the archives regarding my 1976 Trans Am, which I foolishly sold upon my graduation from college in 1981. How I wish I had that car back now!
Tuesday, 23 November 04
Had my eyes checked today - the annual routine examination that you are supposed to get, which I had not accomplished since 1999. When asked what medications I was on, I replied "Temodar, Celebrex and Accutane." I summarized the medical situation: surgery in February, radiation in March/April, chemo ongoing since March, and five clean MRIs post-op. All of this, I noted, made possibly by the grace of God. The examination went very well - no issues or problems. I need a slightly stronger lens, but no abnormalities were noted in the photographs, the glaucoma pressure test or the inspection with dilated pupils.
During the exam, the prayer pager continuously made its presence felt and heard. The pager is loud even when in vibrate mode. The doctor finally commented on the fact that someone was trying to get a hold of me, and how she appreciated my staying focused on the appointment rather than attending to the pager. "There is a story behind the pager that you really need to know," I replied. So I proceeded to explain the function of the prayer pager to her, and how the folks of FBC Richardson and other people and churches and groups were basically carrying me on a cloud of support. The thing went off at least once, maybe twice, during my explanation! The doctor seemed quite surprised, impressed and pleased to learn of this ministry, and I invited her to read all about it at www.jerrykline.com/pager.htm.
And another thing...during a business meeting a couple of weeks ago, the pager sounded so many times that the entire meeting was disrupted and I had to remove the battery to shut the device off!
Monday, 15 November 04
My latest MRI is clean - the 5th MRI, and the 5th clean report, since surgery in February! I appreciate the people who are praying for me, many of whom document their activity via the prayer pager. CBC results also look good. All of this permits me to begin the fifth round of chemo tonight. As with other scans, Dr. Stark-Vance seems almost as happy as I am upon reviewing the film and the radiologist's report.
Friday, 12 November 04
The MRI was accomplished this morning. My preliminary review of the scan and a comparison to the scans from 10 September 04 and 12 July 04 lead me to believe that I am clean. Official word will come on Monday at the oncologist's office. These are anxious moments! I am trusting the Lord as best as I know how, but I still find myself worrying about the MRI report - as if worrying will change anything.
Wednesday, 10 November 04
This morning, my Ford Taurus would not start. The engine wouldn’t even turn. Dome lights okay, radio okay, etc, but no juice to the motor. I figured the starter had failed. The folks at Kwik Kar, just three miles up the road, were kind enough to send a mechanic to my home to take a look at the situation so that I might to be able to avoid the expense of a tow truck. He connected a jumper pack to the battery terminals and I prepared to try to start the car. Only then did I notice that the interlock key, normally located underneath the steering column in a mating socket, had been dislodged and was lying on the floorboard. This anti-theft feature disables the starter in the absence of the interlock. I restored the interlock to its proper location, inserted and turned the ignition key and the Taurus roared to life (can a 6 engine cylinder roar?) as it has for more than five years now. I proceeded to follow the mechanic all around our yard apologizing for the inconvenience. Fortunately I had a hydraulic jack that was ‘broken’ that I could give to Kwik Kar to help atone for the trouble. I have not messed with the interlock more than 2-3 times since I bought the car new in April of 1999. The interlock is out of sight and therefore out of mind, and I had just forgotten about its existence. There is a lesson here to be learned about assumptions and jumping to conclusions. If I ever figure out what that that lesson is, I will let you know.
I welcome any dumb bunny stories you might have to offer to possible attenuate or augment my story. Of course, I have other incidents to report, like the time I drove home from work in high school with the parking brake set in my 1974 Ford Pinto…
Tuesday, 09 November 04
Our ten Golden Retriever puppies, born 15 October 04, are growing rapidly and will be ready for permanent homes in mid-December.
Thursday, 04 November 04
My current list of dietary supplements are as follows:
Omega Oils, 1200mg/day (Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids)
Green Tea Liquid Caps 1260 mg/day
Milk Thistle, 250 mg/day
Sea Kelp, 41 mg/day
Mushroom extract, 2000 mg/day
Liquid Mint Chlorophyll, 100 mg/day
Ruta-6, eight small (ball bearing-sized) pills/day
