Still no word from Karena on those Halloween pics! What's up with that?
Mom insisted I add this video. But really, is there anyone left who hasn't seen the Evolution of Dance?
Best 6 minutes on YouTube...
Friday, November 03, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Before it starts to echo in here, I thought I'd give the tiniest of updates, and hope that in doing so I can flush out Karena's Halloween pictures that Chase swears she took. Karena, where are you?
Judith dragged Chase shopping for winter clothes today. I'm sure that was fun. But he has something warm to wear to this weekend's NC State game here in Raleigh. And he went for a run. Really, if he needs exercise, my lawn needs mowing...and I have cookies!
He has just under 2 weeks to recover from chemo before he gets stuck back in the hospital for the next round on November 14th. This second round might even be a bit easier since the first round was 5 days of Cisplatin (which is supposed to be the worst) along with Etoposide, and the next will be only 3 days of Vincristine and Cyclophospamide. Two more cycles, one of each, ending around the first of the year, then 3-6 weeks of radiation. Somewhere.
Updates will be sparse until the 14th, so shoo! Browse around the blogsphere; play some Bejeweled (or for the more erudite, Bookworm). Mow my lawn (remember - cookies!) Check out the Waiter Rant blog (PG 13, but it's really good, and not all about being a waiter). Watch these guys make a Mother's Day card. Hee! I always think of Chase and Jacob when I see this (and I mean that in the nicest way ;-). Laugh at celebrity clothing choices on Go Fug Yourself (again, PG13 and not for everyone). See if you can catch the geyser on the Old Faithful WebCam (I've yet to time it right myself). If you're really bored, you can dust off my old blog about bathroom remodeling and other expensive hobbies (scroll all the way down to start at the beginning). I was learning how to blog along with a bunch of more creative Clay Aiken fans, so there are a "few" Clay mentions mixed in with the renovations, garden stuff, travel stuff, and just stuff.
Or start your own blog and see if you can post when there ain't no news!
Judith dragged Chase shopping for winter clothes today. I'm sure that was fun. But he has something warm to wear to this weekend's NC State game here in Raleigh. And he went for a run. Really, if he needs exercise, my lawn needs mowing...and I have cookies!
He has just under 2 weeks to recover from chemo before he gets stuck back in the hospital for the next round on November 14th. This second round might even be a bit easier since the first round was 5 days of Cisplatin (which is supposed to be the worst) along with Etoposide, and the next will be only 3 days of Vincristine and Cyclophospamide. Two more cycles, one of each, ending around the first of the year, then 3-6 weeks of radiation. Somewhere.
Updates will be sparse until the 14th, so shoo! Browse around the blogsphere; play some Bejeweled (or for the more erudite, Bookworm). Mow my lawn (remember - cookies!) Check out the Waiter Rant blog (PG 13, but it's really good, and not all about being a waiter). Watch these guys make a Mother's Day card. Hee! I always think of Chase and Jacob when I see this (and I mean that in the nicest way ;-). Laugh at celebrity clothing choices on Go Fug Yourself (again, PG13 and not for everyone). See if you can catch the geyser on the Old Faithful WebCam (I've yet to time it right myself). If you're really bored, you can dust off my old blog about bathroom remodeling and other expensive hobbies (scroll all the way down to start at the beginning). I was learning how to blog along with a bunch of more creative Clay Aiken fans, so there are a "few" Clay mentions mixed in with the renovations, garden stuff, travel stuff, and just stuff.
Or start your own blog and see if you can post when there ain't no news!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Pardon any chocolate smears on the blog tonight, but it is Halloween. Chase, as far as we know, is currently wandering around on Franklin Street. I don't see him, do you?
I hope Chase doesn't mind that he travels with an entourage consisting of his mom and his aunt. Think like a Rock Star, Chase! This afternoon he and his peeps went to see the Radiation Oncologist, another good doctor (there seem to be a lot of them here!) By good, I mean he talks so we can understand him, makes sense, and answers all our questions, even if it does take more than an hour and lands us all in rush hour traffic.
The Proton radiation still seems like the best overall choice. I don't think it necessarily works any better on the tumor, but it should keep side effects to a minimum (and we're looking at the 50 year plan here). The two possible stumbling blocks are finding him a slot, and getting the insurance company to pay for it (which shouldn't be a problem, but we don't have a definitive answer yet). We'd drag him and his surgical masks to Boston during flu season if that's the only place with room.
When we shook hands to leave, I slipped the doc a $20 and mouthed "Jacksonville". Think it'll work?
Wait, here's a closer picture:
Oh yeah, that helps...
I hope Chase doesn't mind that he travels with an entourage consisting of his mom and his aunt. Think like a Rock Star, Chase! This afternoon he and his peeps went to see the Radiation Oncologist, another good doctor (there seem to be a lot of them here!) By good, I mean he talks so we can understand him, makes sense, and answers all our questions, even if it does take more than an hour and lands us all in rush hour traffic.
The Proton radiation still seems like the best overall choice. I don't think it necessarily works any better on the tumor, but it should keep side effects to a minimum (and we're looking at the 50 year plan here). The two possible stumbling blocks are finding him a slot, and getting the insurance company to pay for it (which shouldn't be a problem, but we don't have a definitive answer yet). We'd drag him and his surgical masks to Boston during flu season if that's the only place with room.
When we shook hands to leave, I slipped the doc a $20 and mouthed "Jacksonville". Think it'll work?
Monday, October 30, 2006
Nothing much to report tonight. He's home and, while not exactly feeling normal, he's hanging in there. If chemo's so tough on the digestive system, why's he craving Mexican food? Maybe he's looking forward to a trip to Texas, but I'd rather he be craving some fish, caught fresh off the coast of Florida, if you know what I mean.
Sadly, unless Mom offers up a more persuasive argument than I've managed, it seems we'll be missing out on the Disney magic this January. No Kennedy Space Center, no beach, just a lot of gas (not from Mexican food) driving to Houston. What fun!
I guess I've flogged that dead horse about enough now....
Bald head, complete with surgery scars, USPS jersey and bike shorts, surgical mask, IV pole & bag - what's this? Chase is going as Lance Armstrong to tomorrow's big Halloween shindig on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Dry Press release here; scary news item here. His doctor said it was okay to go and I hope he'll have fun.
Actually I hope it gets cold and rainy and he doesn't want to go.
Stay safe! And bring back pictures!
Sadly, unless Mom offers up a more persuasive argument than I've managed, it seems we'll be missing out on the Disney magic this January. No Kennedy Space Center, no beach, just a lot of gas (not from Mexican food) driving to Houston. What fun!
I guess I've flogged that dead horse about enough now....
Bald head, complete with surgery scars, USPS jersey and bike shorts, surgical mask, IV pole & bag - what's this? Chase is going as Lance Armstrong to tomorrow's big Halloween shindig on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Dry Press release here; scary news item here. His doctor said it was okay to go and I hope he'll have fun.
Actually I hope it gets cold and rainy and he doesn't want to go.
Stay safe! And bring back pictures!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Home!
Nobody sent me a picture of him kissing the front walk, but I'm sure he did, right? Anyway, he was released this morning with lots of instructions, prescriptions, and a box of surgical masks. Last I heard they were watching his tail lights disappear as he left to visit friends. I guess he's not too sick yet! Really, he did extraordinarily well on his first run through, but he does get tired a bit earlier than the average teenager.
The kicker today was a visit from the radiation oncologist. No matter how well the chemo shrinks the tumor, he's going to have to endure radiation treatment too. Traditional photon radiation helps destroy the tumor, but it can damage adjacent tissue as well, so it's worrisome. We want to keep that fine brain working well for our future president...
There's a relatively new form of radiation therapy called Proton Therapy. It does its job a bit more precisely, so it causes less collateral damage. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's only available in a few places here in the US: the Loma Linda, CA and Boston, MA centers are old hands, then there's Bloomington, IN, Houston, TX, and the newest in Jacksonville, FL, which just treated its first patient in August. Have they worked out the bugs yet?
The doctor mentioned Boston as the place they generally refer. Boston? In January? :: shivers :: MD Anderson in Houston is relatively new, but Judith and Buddy have contacts there who might help smooth the way. Jacksonville's an easy drive from NC, close to the beach for restorative weekends, close to Disney World for exhausting weekends, close to the Kennedy Space Center for infomative weekends, and Mom might even be able to get a time share there, which beats the heck out of hotels for the minimum 3 week treatment span.
And did I mention it's an easy drive from NC? I wonder how many of Chase's friends would drive down for a weekend...especially if some nice aunt slipped them some gas money.
Not that I'm leaning in any particular direction, mind you.
Nobody sent me a picture of him kissing the front walk, but I'm sure he did, right? Anyway, he was released this morning with lots of instructions, prescriptions, and a box of surgical masks. Last I heard they were watching his tail lights disappear as he left to visit friends. I guess he's not too sick yet! Really, he did extraordinarily well on his first run through, but he does get tired a bit earlier than the average teenager.
The kicker today was a visit from the radiation oncologist. No matter how well the chemo shrinks the tumor, he's going to have to endure radiation treatment too. Traditional photon radiation helps destroy the tumor, but it can damage adjacent tissue as well, so it's worrisome. We want to keep that fine brain working well for our future president...
There's a relatively new form of radiation therapy called Proton Therapy. It does its job a bit more precisely, so it causes less collateral damage. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's only available in a few places here in the US: the Loma Linda, CA and Boston, MA centers are old hands, then there's Bloomington, IN, Houston, TX, and the newest in Jacksonville, FL, which just treated its first patient in August. Have they worked out the bugs yet?
The doctor mentioned Boston as the place they generally refer. Boston? In January? :: shivers :: MD Anderson in Houston is relatively new, but Judith and Buddy have contacts there who might help smooth the way. Jacksonville's an easy drive from NC, close to the beach for restorative weekends, close to Disney World for exhausting weekends, close to the Kennedy Space Center for infomative weekends, and Mom might even be able to get a time share there, which beats the heck out of hotels for the minimum 3 week treatment span.
And did I mention it's an easy drive from NC? I wonder how many of Chase's friends would drive down for a weekend...especially if some nice aunt slipped them some gas money.
Not that I'm leaning in any particular direction, mind you.
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