Thursday, January 31st 266/336 Shot #39

The beat goes on. Woke up feeling groovy. Today I went and picked up our 2 cars from the shop. I couldn’t walk to the park due to inclement weather. M is overwhelmed with all of the papers she has to write so I am going to write one about the psychological effects of the Cuban missile crisis, parts of which I remember very well.

I cooked pasta for dinner and I was only given a C+ by M. Considering the fact that she has food issues from being raised in Poland that’s not to bad.

Tomorrow I’m turning 60. Where has the time gone? Shot 39 is on board and I’m hoping it’s an easy week. M, TVB and I go to SF tomorrow for a birthday dinner with my kids. Brunch Sunday with Johnathan and then back to Carmichael. We will have a full house at the loft as M has invited some others. One has a dog who wears a diaper after 6 months and refuses to be house broken. Yuck!

All is well and bye for now.

Wednesday, January 30th 265/336

I went in to the lab today at 8:00 to have blood drawn after fasting to check my tri-glyciride level. At the start of tx it was a very normal 121. Last test it came in at 400. This seems odd as I’m a vegeterian, I’ve lost 10 or 15 lbs since I started tx, and I don’t eat a lot of fat. I take 7 ribavirin pills a day (aka Rebetol). The interferon shots boost one’s immune system to the point that it’s like an immune system on steroids. The Riba’s keep the virus from replicating and kills while the boosted immune system does more killing. It can be described as follows: the interferon is the shock and awe and the Riba is the marines fighting on the ground. One reason the virus is hard to knock down are the sheer numbers. I started with 5,200,000 copies in the blood sample. One multiplies that times 6000, the total amount of blood in one’s body, and we come up with 31,200,000,000 I can’t even pronounce the number, but I think it’s about 31 billion. If one survives, you’re toast and you relapse. This disease is tough and the treatment is a nightmare for the patient and the caregiver.

So back to the tri-glycerides. The ribas are absorbed by binding with fats in the stomach. My theory is, that since I take the ribas with fat, the ribas are pulling the fat into my blood stream as is reflected by the high count. At any rate, stay tuned.

Today, I told M that if I were pregnant, I would be having my baby next week. M just looked at me and said, “You’re really nuts”. She’s been saying that a lot lately. All is well and bye for now.

Tuesday, January 29th 264/336

I woke up today feeing groovy Tuesday. Tuesday and Wednesdays and Thursdays have been behaving themselves as of late. 264/336, 36 under 300 and 36 over 300. What does that mean? It means all tx and no play makes Terry a bored boy.

Magda’s car is in the shop and the mechanic had a heart attack so who knows when we’ll be seeing it. My truck has a leaky gas tank so it’s the same story. M needs my other car for school so Billy and I are marooned on Stanley Avenue in the pouring rain.

M is overwhelmed with her school schedule, already. All 4 of her classes are writing intensives, she didn’t do it on purpose, it just worked out that way.

I slept a lot of the day as I walked about 5 miles yesterday. It’s like my nurse says, you only have so much gas in the tank on tx. So true, and the beat goes on. All is well and bye for now.

Mazatlan 1979

Monday, January 28th 263/336

All through my treatment I have been having very vivid and detailed dreams that have mirrored my sub conscience.

It does seem that the combo meds do bring out many demons of the past as our regressed physic is brought to the forefront and any unfinished emotion will slowly creep up during treatment. I don’t think that there is anyone on these meds or who have been on these meds has not faced regressed feelings and are rummaging through them now as the interferon and riba unlocks doors to the past.

For the first part of the treatment, I had recurring dreams of delightful conversations between me and my ex wife, more like pipe dreams, I suppose. I wouldn’t want to be with her, but I would have enjoyed a friendship, if it were allowed. Mark Twain said it best when he said, “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned”. Now the dreams have passed so I take that as closure and resolution for me. I have always wished her the best and I hope she can let go so she can get better.

My more recent set of dreams have to do with my father. I never liked him, even as a child. I saw him very early on to be an evil jerk. He died 11 years ago and I never shed a tear. Prior to his passing we had not talked for 29 years. It has been 40 years since we had any interaction at all. I had a dream last week and he and I met. I looked at him in all sincerity and said, “I really don’t like you and my only regret is that I didn’t kill you when I had the chance”. Well, I’m glad I finally got that one off my chest. Stay tuned!

All is well and bye for now

The end of our walk

Sunday, January 27th 262/336

We left SF and drove home this morning. Light traffic and a little rain. It’s really rained a lot this year. Took a nap, read the paper, did M’s taxes etc. Not a lot to report today except that I’m 78% done with tx. So near yet so far away. TVB has a date tonight and he seems very happy.

Three people who have been there all the time while on tx are shown below. JB has already gone 48 weeks and relapsed and he his getting ready to hit it again for 72 weeks. He and Chrissy met as the result of having Hepsie. They will be getting married in May. Chrissy treated 48 weeks with no sides and she is now cured. Uncertain busted my balls pre tx and was a deciding factor in my choosing to treat. Her famous “you’re not getting any younger, tick, tock, tick, tock did it. She treated for 24 weeks and she too is cured. She is very cute and available for the movies, dinner etc. All is well and bye for now

Chrissy Uncertain JB

Saturday, January 26th 261/336

Woke up feeling really crappy so I stayed in bed until 11:00. I describe how I feel when I’m sick as having gone to Chernoble and eating uranium and then washing it down with a swig of bleach. Came out of it in time to go to Zuni Restaurant with M & Jonathan and Gretchen. Things went well for lunch and we had a great time. Jonathan goes for his biopsy on Monday and that should tell the tale as to wether or not he tx’s. Got home and got sick again and now I feel better. Evil brew these meds. My doc called me today and I was afraid she was going to tell me I had a viral break through but she told me that my triglycerides have gone from 121 to 400 since being on tx. She said it mightbe from the meds and I didn’t tell her that I never fasted before the test. I go in Thursday for a follow up. All is well and bye for now.

Zuni Restraunt courtesy of iphone

Friday, January 25th 260/336 Shot

Today I have been experiencing massive flagellation with the pungency of all the 17 pills ingested. Other than that, even if the day was more than usually exciting the brain fog and weakness made me unable to fully appreciate to the fullest all the wonderful things that happened. It started with breakfast in Marin with David and his cute Ukrainian assistant Natalya, who is a UC Berkeley graduate. She is also an aspiring artist working her way up by doing bookkeeping for David and organizing his W-2 forms from the casinos:) Just kidding David, we know she does more than that. M and I think David is a bit taken over her bookkeeping skills, but he knows she is just a “baby”. I was so full after the big scrumptious breakfast, but rushed right over to have lunch with Mike and Jessie. Mike, same old story, of worrying, where to find a mausoleum big enough to burry his 20 million dollars, after he dies, and Jessie as a good realtor tries to find him an appropriate place. As one can imagine the conversations are quite heated. I really admire Jessie for being such a young man, only 27, he has really made it in the real estate business all on his own, starting at 13. Came home at 2:30pm, and have not been able to get out of bed since. The sides are back, I forgot them for a few days. Written by Magda. All is well and by for now.

Thursday, January 24th 259/336 Shot #38

The day was good until I took my shot and then I went to sleep for 2 hours. Oh well, only 10 more to go.

I went to Sac State this morning to plead my case with the powers that be as to why I should be allowed into the 60+ program (think free tuition). You’re supposed to be 60 as of today, but alas, I am only 59 & 51 weeks, as in 1 week shy. The governor has called for a 10% across the board budget cut and the state workers are all running scared. The registrar says absolutely not. I mention that I know of instances where waivers have been granted, still no dice. I thought, maybe it's time for him to die, OMG homicidal ideation is listed as a side effect of interferon. OK, I don’t really care to go to school while I’m on treatment. So it was all just a big waste of time.

M and I are off to SF for fun and games

All is well and bye for now.

Wednesday, January 23rd 258/336

Another fabulous day in the neighborhood. Lately, I have felt as though I’m skiing down a hill. I take shot 38 tomorrow, and hopefully my good fortune will continue. Starbuck’s, the park and then shopping at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I bought a couple of t-shirts at Arden Mall. I haven’t looked at my stock portfolio for a week. It’s true when they say ignorance is bliss! Our friend Laurie had her Biopsy yesterday and it looks like she’s good to go for tx in about 10 days. We always welcome new members to our very special club. No pain no gain, this is one of those character building experiences.

I have been doing really well since I relived the walk back from the gas chambers at Auschwitz. I guess the power of positive thinking is a force to reckon with on tx and in life. Check out Magda’s guest blogger, Fabian, a very inspirational post.

I feel as though I have been doing this for a very long time, well you have stupid, see above (258/336).

All is well and bye for now.

Laurie

Tuesday, January 22nd 257/336

Woke up today feeling very groovy, my good fortune continues.

TVB(M’s ex) and I are starting to sound like two old grouches, it got to the point today that TVB lost his glasses and was looking all over the house to find them. It was starting to irritate me so I joined him on the floor and found it under the couch after he had spent an hour searching drawers etc. It seems the maids vacuumed them under the couch. Now we are working on our next project, which is taking photographs documenting his art collection. We have been having heated discussions about the resolution of the cameras, together we should finish the documentation in a week,( a project that should take a day). TVB was 1st asst to Robert Rauschenberg for 20 years and I’ve been seriously shooting photographs for 40 years, so, we both know all there is to know about this topic.

M finishes her winter session at school Thursday and we’re off to SF for a few days. Bfast Friday with David and Jimmy and lunch on Saturday with Jonathan and Gretchen at Zuni. Jonathan is a fellow hepsie and he does a biopsy very soon. Seems to be the age all us old hippies are in,

All is well and bye for now.

The famous and gorgeous TeaStarWitch. She finished 72 weeks of tx 6 weeks ago and she is almost back to normal. We are all very proud of her. 48 weeks is a challenge, 72 weeks, forget it.

Monday, January 21st 256/336

The easy ride continues for another day. Very mild sides and tx has been quit doable lately. That’s good as I was ready to take a fly off the GGB a couple of weeks ago.

The iphone is the shit A Fabu to the max. I pretty much have it figured out and I was having so much fun playing with it that Magda got very envious and off we went to the apple store to buy another one. This is from the woman, who only yesterday, decided she was going to give up the cell phone for good. When we got to the Apple store, there must have been 200 customers and 50 employees inside. We did our biz and left.

I went to get air in my tire as M said, “I don’t do dat”. While there, I had a very sincere plea from a man who needed gas as he was married 3 days ago and he had been laid off his job at Levitz recently. He was so persuasive and I was having a good day so I gave him a twenty. As we drove out of the station, we watched the woman he was with (wife?) run down the street and buy a bag of crack. Shameless MF’ers. My bleeding heart liberal girlfriend is still in shock, she couldn’t believe it and she had to call her friend Cindy and discuss the situation. The two of them came up with the hope that the crack heads would some day find rehabilitation and the 20.00 was a small price to pay for a lesson learned. I thought it was the cost of a good laugh. All is well and bye for now.

Crack Head

Sunday, January 20th 255/336

DJLSFO has won the contest and solved the riddle. Enjoy your fries!

The answer was that Magda has restarted her blog. magdavanbrunt@blogspot.blog

Clue #1: Look out ole Maggie is back

Clue #2 Sit about a glob=It’s about a blog

Thank you all for playing!

The easy days of tx continue. Not to bad at all, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and the dark days of winter are fading. Today I broke down and bought an iphone. Actually, M bought it for me for my birthday on the 1st of February. It is very chalenging and it will take me all of 2 weeks to make everything it does work. The brain fog makes my technological phobia much more apparent. I’m going to do one thing a day so that it doesn’t overwhelm me. I think I might have to go to the Apple store to take a lesson. All is well and bye for now

Saturday, January 19th 254/336

We're going to have a contest to see who will be first to solve the mystery. The winner will recieve a certificate for extra french fries from the fast food outlet of their choice. Limit is $1.00.

Today's clue is a Cipher: SIT ABOUT A GLOB

Another great day, no sx's-Gimme More!

Another game to play courtesy of Uncertain

It's the latest, greatest, blog-friend game, spreading through the Blogosphere to a blog near you:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle. (Betcha' didn't think someone my age even HAD an iPod, did you!)

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
Questions start below the line.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY?" YOU SAY?

Superman (Five for Fighting)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
My Back Pages (The Byrds)


WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
What’s so Funny ‘Bout Peace, love and Understanding (Elvis Costello)


HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Man on the Moon (R.E.M))


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Walk Away Renee(Linda Ronstandt)


WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
I’m Waiting for my Man (Lou Reed)


WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
When a Man Loves a Woman (Percy Sledge)


WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Laugh, Laugh (SF’s own Beau Brummels)


WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
Just a Little (SF’s own Beau Brummels)


WHAT IS 2 + 2?
To Sir With Love (Lulu)


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
The River (Bruce Springstein)


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Freshman (The Verve Pipe)


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves)


WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Working My Way Back (The Spinners)


WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Won’t back Down (Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers)


WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
San Francisco (Scott McKenzie)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Connection (The Rolling Stones)


WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Lightning Crashes(Live)


WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
I Got a Line on You (Spirit)


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Love is Divine (Seal)


WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Mixed Emotions (The Rolling Stones)

All is well and bye for now

San Francisco's own

Friday, January 18th 253/336

The good days continue and I feel OK. Last night I got a little edgy and I took an Adivan(1st time yet on tx) and that seemed to calm me down. Got up, had the Frappachino, took the dog for our walk, or does he take me, I’m not sure.

M went to lunch with her school mates and TVB and I stayed home and played on computers. M is studying drugs and their effects and TVB and I know all about it from the 60’s.

They are cutting down the huge tree across the street. Thank goodness as it was leaning toward my bedroom and if it fell it would have been a huge problem as in “smash”

I went and picked up my car from the repair shop and it was $550.00. They were great,it would have been $1,200.00 at the dealer. We were so impressed that M dropped off her car too.

This week, tx has merely been a nuisance, thank God for small favors. I hope my good fortune continues for awhile. All is well and bye for now

We're going to have a contest to see who will be first to solve the mystery. The winner will recieve a certificate for extra french fries from the fast food outlet of their choice. Limit is $1.00.

Today's clue: The Beatles said, "Look out! Ole Maggie is back!

Thursday, January 17th 252/336 Shot #37

Yesterday a big beautiful robin flew against our plate glass window and knocked itself out. I tried to revive it with no luck so I placed it in a safe place and I hoped for the best but I figured it was curtains. When I checked on it today it was gone so I think it made it.

Today was a study doctor day. When I arrived, my 2 nurses and my GP thanked me for the Starbuck’s cards I gave them at Christmas. I looked through my 30 week bloods and found the following:

Viral Load=Undetectable

Hemoglobin=12.9

Platlets=211

White bloodcell count=2.78

ANC=1600

Glucose=91

Hemocrit=4040

WBC 2.72

ALT=23

AST=34

Everything is looking good

Some of the forums I belong to have been discussing gradually reducing Interferon at the end of tx as a means of putting your immune system back on track. She said that she’s read a study that showed Sustained viral response(think cure) to be the same with gradual withdrawl and rapid cessation. Her take is “You either kill it or you don’t”

All is well and by for now

Wednesday, January 16th 251/336

Woke up feeling extremely groovy. No fatigue, no sides, no mental illness, truly a miracle day. It’s nice to remember what life used to be like and what it will be like again. With that I’ll say that all is well and bye for now.

Tuesday, January 15th 250/336

Woke up today and started feeling groovy 1/2 an hour later. Today was a famous and rare no nap day. A walk in the park and then I came home and worked on my taxes. My return is starting to get easier to organize as I slip into retirement. I did M’s taxes with H&R Block software and it was really easy once I got past the 1 hour of download tech support. I’m now working on filling out her federal educational grant application. Hopefully, the government will pay her to go to school.

I got phone calls today from my daughter Jenna, my brother Steve and David. I have 3 friends with the hepsie getting biopsies this month, Jonathan, Laurie and Cindy. As we age, more and more people are getting diagnosed with the hepsie.

Light day for sides and hopefully, tomorrow and Thursday will be the same. I go to the doc on Thursday for my 36 week checkup. I also take shot 37 on Thursday afternoon.

All is well and bye for now.

Monday, January 14th 249/336

I had to ask M what I did today so I could write my blog, she just laughed. Got up at 9:00 and we went to Peet’s for coffee. M left open my blog on her desktop and she was afraid that Erin might see it so we had to rush home before she woke up and read it. Mission accomplished. Took a short nap and then M and Erin and I went for a 2.5 mile walk in Ancil Hoffman Park(we can do this everyday!). M psycho-analyzed Erin and told her she needed to grow up. Some things never change. My car has had a dead battery so I called AAA and they started it. I took it for a ride and when I got home it wouldn’t start again. AAA again tomorrow. Reconcilled my checkbook and started to work on my taxes, farted on the cat etc…

The steroidal cream stopped the itching of the Riba rash and it’s a great discovery. How did I feel today? Crappy, fatigued, with chemo head, brain fog and Clorox bleach body. In other words, the usual. Not much further to go now, this tx takes way too long!

All is well and bye for now.

Sunday, January 13th 248/336

Today's entry is by a mystery writer

Today was a very exciting day in Carmichael. It started with the usual daily dose of vitamin W (whining) from TL. At noon while in the middle of my study session, got a call to go get him coffee, so the king TL and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, our dog (Billy) could get out of bed without straining their muscles too much. After the consumption of the extra bold frapuccino the usual walk happened, Billy, the brat took TL and me for a long stroll, it was very beneficial for the oxygenation of TL’s brain, because as soon as he got home, he decided that all of the FBI and police were stupid and he would be the one to solve the Zodiac murder case! After spending many hours searching though the FBI files on line the investigation ceased due to lack of sufficient evidence, but the conclusion of Zodiac lack of intelligence was reached. If that was not enough stimulation for the day, my friend Erin (how usually puts TL over the edge, showed up), threw herself on the floor and proceeded to pray, asking God for guidance on how to break up with her boyfriend. Erin is a born again Christian and during her prayer in the middle of our family room, God has spoken to her and told her that she needs to ask her abusive boyfriend for permission to leave. Now both of my kings are distressing from this activity charged day and getting ready for the excitement of tomorrow.

Saturday, January 12th 247/336

My Rebetol has given me a rash on both sides of my neck since December 1st. it itches like crazy at night and keeps me awake. I started with the steroidal cream today so we’ll see how it goes.

The interferon settles in one’s cerebral cortex and causes all sorts of problems mentally. The Prozac helps with the seratonin but not the brain fog and dopamine depletion. This is why I can still get depressed even though I’m still loaded up on Prozac. I’ve developed some new tools to avoid the depression when I feel it coming my way. I avoid situations that might trigger it. The funeral yesterday is an example. The holidays totally blindsided me to the max. Today when it started circling I used my new tool. I revisit a situation where I have felt totally alive and grateful. I relived our visit to Auschwitz and remembered the 1/4 mile walk from the train to the gas chambers. I relived the feeling I had as being one who got to turn around and walk away.

Auschwitz not only warehoused and disposed of jews, gypsies and gays, it also held the polish freedom fighters. Magda’s grandfather and his twin brother were among them. Magda’s grand father stole a cat and made cat soup for the prisoners. He was caught and made to hang upside down for 3 days, a sure death. In the middle of the night, they switched the twin brothers and they both lived. The twin brother died in the camp a little later and the Grand farther died from Cirrosis(sp) at the age of 45. It was moving to see M’s great uncle’s photo on the wall.

So what’s this all about anyway. It’s this, we don’t have any problems on tx when we put things in perspective and life is what you make it. We have a choice.

All is well and bye for now.

The path back from the gas chamber

Friday, January 11th 246/336

I had restless night from the interferon shot and Magda woke me at 8:00 so I could go to my friends funeral. Peg & Riba were playing tricks in my mind, it felt like they were trying to tie it in a knot. They dragged all of my thoughts, feelings and emotions toward the dark side. I thought to myself, I need to do something now to turn this train around. Going to a 2 hour funeral and seeing all of my old friends and Chloe’s children sobbing wasn’t on my day’s list of recommended activities. I felt guilty but what could I do? I sent the kids a check for $300.00 and called the karmic debt paid. I’m glad I skipped as my mood changed when I got back to Carmichael and I saw M and Billie. Billie and M were all kisses.

We went food shopping and I took a nap and now we are going to watch a movie. Sac State called and the registrar won’t let me in the 60+ program because I won’t be 60 on January 25th but rather February 1st. How pissy! I guess I’ll go and meet with them and start my huge pain in the ass act. All is well and bye for now.

Restless Sleep

Thursday, January 10th 245/336 Shot #36

It was slow going as usual waking up today, but I finally made it to Starbuck’s around 10:30. Frappachino, crossword etc. Off to Chow for lunch with Mike, Pete & Jesse. We talked about Chloe, who’s service is tomorrow, and what bad straights the kids are in. They are 18 & 20 and she had life insurance but they can’t get it until they turn 25. After Chloe, Mike and I told fire department stories and we really enjoyed ourselves. I came home and took a 2 hour nap and then went to my stepdaughter’s to see me new grand daughter. It’s so cute, she says “Mama”. Her husband is an attorney and he has 3 offers to be corporate council for different alternative energy companies. Tomorrow it’s Chloe’s service and then back home to Sacto.

All is well and bye for now.

Chloe Alexander

Wednesday, January 9th 244/336

My friend David started calling at 8:30 this morning. 2 calls and then he left a message which which I count as another call. He said he was with Jimmy and we should go to breakfast. They picked me up and we swung by Starbuck’s on our way to the Good Morning Café in Tiburon. 3 pancakes and 3 Rebetol later I was feeling pretty good. We went grocery shopping for David and they we drove Jimmy home as his lithium seem to be failing. We went to see Anne and she was as happy as a clam and her back wasn’t bothering her. I tell you, after 60 it’s patch, patch, patch. David took me home and I took a 2 hour nap. I’m going to meet him to see “Charlie Wilson’s War” and then it’s off to dinner and then home. All is well and bye for now.

Tuesday, January 8th 243/336

Another good day is turning out to be a good week. Today I’m off to SF via the train to spend a few days in the City. Don’t worry, this is an authorized trip pre approved by the big M. M drove me to the station and told me not to steal the NY Times as she would be in school till 6:00 and she wouldn’t be able to bail me out of jail. I said I wouldprobably pay for it today. Well, mystery solved, they were all sold out. The train leaves at 12:10 and stops at Davis, Fairfield, Vallejo. Richmond, Berkeley and Emeryville. The Amtrak bus takes me from Emeryville to Fisherman’s Wharf and then I walk the 5 blocks to the loft in North Beach.

Took a 2 hour nap and then went to Safeway. Lunch this Thursday with Mike, Jesse, and Pete. My friend Chloe Alexander died on Friday and I am going to her service this Friday.

M and I have a friend and she has the hepsie. She went to the GI and he said that from her blood work he could tell that she has advanced liver damage. Another one joins the club. It seems as though our age is starting to factor in to our hepsie damage. Old hippies don’t die, they just go on interferon.

All is well and bye for now.

Monday, January 7th 242/336

Magda called Whole Foods 3 times today and finally they are open. We got there and there was very little to choose from. Oh well. It’s been a good week and I hope for more.

After Peet’s coffee and Whole foods, I came home and took the dog or the dog took me for our daily walk to the river.

I’m starting to think about school again. I still can’t concentrate and I have brain fog but I am eligible for the 60 plus program at Sac State next month. I will pay $3.00 a semester as opposed to $1500.00. This means that I can drop classes if I can’t do them and not be penalized. Time will tell.

“the wisdom to know the difference” is found through inward reflection. What works? What doesn’t? What will change? Our life experience tells us the answer if we are real in our search.

All is well and bye for now.


Go Obama!

Sunday, January 6th 241/336

Yet another good day for the kid. This crap is so unpredictable and it has a mind of it’s own. I took the dog for the walk to the river and he wanted no part of it. We made it about 100 yards and he turned the train around. I think that his paws got too cold.

M is in a dither. Whole Foods is closed due to power failure and she’s reliving her food shortage filled childhood from when she grew up in Poland. This can’t be happening, This is America, I’m a citizen of these United States and I should be able to shop at Whole Foods any time I want!

M and I went for a long afternoon walk with the dog at Ansel Hoffman park. When I was finished, I felt like I had been jogging. A few years ago, when we were first seeing each other, we went for a walk there and M said, “You know, we can do this every day if we want” Well, here we are and I couldn’t be happier…except for this rotten tx.

All is well and bye for now.

Ancil Hoffman Park

Saturday, January 5th 240/336

I’m having a reprive from tx, I’m having a good week with little or no sides……..So far! One never knows what’s coming with this stuff. In order to post my blog I have to drive over to the apartment that we lived in while we remodeled our house. I park on the street and sit in the car and post the days report through their airport wireless. All of the phones on our block are dead until at least Monday. We forget how often we use the net until it’s not there anymore.

Today M is scrounging the neighborhood for oranges that the storm has blown out of peoples’ trees. My little commie is really jazzed about the prospect of getting free food, just like in the old country. The neighborhood is a mess from the storm and many big trees were just snapped in half by the winds. Fortunately, our house escaped the wrath of the storm. Several houses have been crushed by falling trees and there is 10 feet of new snow in the Sierras.

So far, my 100 day treatment plan is working well, stay tuned for further updates. DSL is back!

All is well and bye for now.

Friday, January 4th 239/336

Blog has not been posted due to DSL being knocked out by the storm

Another lovely day in the neighborhood. Woke up feeling groovy and went to the shrink @ 9:30. She was helpful as she knew all about interferon as her father in law treated with it. She asked what I thought about the Interferon and I told her that I thought that it was “very special”. Last time I went to med-psych the doctor knew nothing about it. She gave me her card and said to call her the next time I cross over to the dark side and we will treat immediately. I really enjoyed her as she knew about the tx and the sides.

We aren’t supposed to have hurricanes in Sacramento but we got one now. Trees flying all over the place. Driving home, I had a large tree branch fall from the sky and just miss my car by inches. Winds are 70 miles and hour here and 100+ at the summit in the Sierras. The poor Donner party.

This afternoon I took a 2 hour nap because the storm kept me awake all night. Today was a good day and M went and got more hair color. She first did it on Wednesday, highlights like a suicide girl, and now, she went back for more. She came home looking very good and very sophisticated. A $400.00 hair week, if you got it, flaunt it. I guess it evens out as I don’t have enough hair to incur any costs.

All is well and bye for now.

Thursday, January 3rd 238/336 Shot#35

I woke up today feeling groovy and I went and did some chores. Picked up the dry cleaning, grocery shopping, bank, post office and Starbuck’s and then off for the walk to the river with my dog. I came home and paid some bills and worked on our October trip to India. It’s shaping up nicely and it should be a lot of fun.

While on my walk I decided that with the new year I would start a new treatment regimen. I’m 2 days into a short 100 day treatment and I’m going to forget that I even treated last year. It’s all new for 2008.

My nurse called and asked how I’m doing and I said that I’m very tired and that I thought the crisis had passed for now. Tomorrow I go see the shrink for an evaluation. I’m thinking of taking M with me. On to the finish line and the death of the dragon.

All is well and bye for now.

Wednesday, January 2nd 237/336

I’m so glad the holidays are behind me. I have always had a hard time with them and tx just intensifies it. I refer to it as the wretched excesses of Christmas. Emotional/materialistic homage to the retail Christ. Thank you Madison avenue.

I can’t wait for spring, it will be so nice this year with an end to tx and a return to health

Woke up feeling groovy. I caught a break today and tx was very tolerable. Walked the dog to the river and went to Starbuck’s for the frappachino. Came home and did some chores, like that. Magda started school today and that’s great as we were having a lot of together time and we were picking at each other. Me a little more than her and that’s not how I am. We’ve made a peace and the drugs are about 80% of the problem. I have to remind us of this fact every day.

M took a class today and the phd in neuro-science mentioned that Tylenol is the worst drug a person with liver problems can take. Why are all of these medical professionals telling us to take this? He says that next year, there will be a warning label. He also mentioned that it wouldn’t be available without a script if it came one the market today.

I’ll feel OK tomorrow and then the insanity and sickness will start again on Friday or Saturday. All is well and bye for now.

Tuesday, January 1st 236/336

Tomorrow the countdown begins, the final tx 100. I will be so glad when this is done.
I was a slug all day as the meds have beat me down to a mere shadow of my former self. At the start I was always happy and positive, now, I’m just a plain old beat dog. I feel and act like a walking sack of chemicals, extremely tired and very cross and edgy. Feeling like a shut in and resisting the urge to isolate are a couple of my challenges. I don’t recommend doing this unless you have to when you get near your 60’s. Your body just doesn’t bounce back like it used to. I feel as though I should start the song, “100 bottles of beer on the wall, 100 bottles of beer, take one down and pass it around, 99 bottles of beer on the wall….