Personal update, 7/19 Last year, I attended a week-long singing/improvisation workshop led by Bobby McFerrin. It was an amazing experience, musically and spiritually, indeed one of the high points of my life. I decided I would go again this year. But after the difficulties with my trip to Mississippi, I decided that the mature, grown-up thing to do would be to let go of my desire for the workshop, and just lay low and concentrate on my healing. When I told my doctor this, he replied, Oh no. If you really want this thing then you should do it. So I rethought it and now I am signed up to go, August 13-28, with a clear intention to monitor my body and my energy carefully, rest when I need to, and not repeat the errors that got me into such trouble in MS. I know I am capable of doing this, and I believe that being in the workshop will enhance my healing. I have just completed chemo round III; this one was a little more difficult, and the first night I was plagued by hiccups and vomiting, and almost no sleep. But the 2nd and 3rd days were much easier, and today I feel pretty normal, tho there is a bit of a ‘hangover.’ I am having no trouble @ all with my heart and its stents, nor with the biliary blockage problem that made me so sick in MS. My living situation is more or less normal, [it’s a new normal, of course]. I am comfortable in my 1 bedroom apt. in the Castro, I get my exercise vigorously walking the neighborhood to the post office, library, etc. My pOrtland kids have been coming to visit and to help me through the procedures, and my many friends in this area have been attentive and kind. My next chemo treatment is scheduled on Aug 6-8. Following that i will have a CT scan, the first imaging since I started treatment, which I hope will show progress in shrinking the tumor, and preparing the way for the surgery that I expect will get rid of the cancer. I am feeling generally hopeful, but I also never forget that my situation is still dangerous, and I am not assured of a good outcome. I am also exploring adjunctive treatment possibilities; I have appointments coming up with an acupuncturist/herbal expert, and also with an MD/acupuncturist/ayerveidic guy. And I am pursuing getting a medical Marijuana card. My main man in all this is my medical oncologist, Dr. Andrew Ko, in whom I have great faith, and I will be deferring to his judgement regarding alternative ideas. Some of you have asked about my Santa Fe house and especially about my dog, Luna; I have rented the house to people who have two dogs, and from all reports, everyone is getting along just fine. I do miss Luna a lot and frequently, and I miss my house and my Santa Fe friends as well. San francisco is great, but it ain’t home anymore. Love, Bill
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 22:10:16 +0000
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