Not much to report. I went back to work today. Endless popping of pills is going fine. It's actually 8 capsules twice a day. It beats chemo and it, um... beats dying. Really, I'd swallow a Yaris daily if you told me it would work.
My brother's culinary exploits have generated quite a few comments. Yes, growing up Ted was almost constantly eating. Usually some place he wasn't supposed to be. When taken by surprise Ted would engage in caching behavior very similar to grey squirrels and stuff his prize into the nearest orifice or dark space. Unlike a squirrel he had no intention of going back to retrieve the morsel. At least I don't think so judging by the number of mummified bagels and dried up cups of yogurt my mother found under the couch.
Of course he was not the only one to engage in clandestine eating. Let's face it we all do it. After a roast chicken my Dad would take all the meat off the bones and put it in a food saver (it was not pretty to watch --let's just say Happy Hal had all the surgical precision of a paper shredder). No chicken pot pie or chicken a la king made from that mess of meat tasted nearly as good as fishing out a nice piece of thigh while standing at the fridge and stuffing it in my mouth. Yes, you've done it. Admit it.
Here are a few other delicacies that come to mind beyond the obvious smear of icing off a cake:
-No casserole tastes as good after baking as it does waiting to go into the oven. My favorite is Mac and Cheese but I'll eat raw tuna noodle casserole in a pinch. No making faces. It's all cooked. It's just going in the oven to brown! Get over yourself.
-Licking the lid from any can of creamed soup tastes better than the actual soup.
-Handfuls of cereal taste better than bowlfuls.
-Ice cream tastes better in the carton. I got caught once and told my mother I was just "saying hello."
-The best part of a jar of peanut butter is that first swipe with your finger through the unbroken pristine surface.
You have a better one? Post it in the comments.
These tales all pale in comparison to the undisputed master of clandestine eating: Uncle Bill. That is a story so legendary, so epic, it deserves it's own entry. I will need some time to prepare...help me Obi Bill. You're my only hope!
In the meantime, I'll finish by telling you I went to the grocery store today and walked by the Christmas baking supplies. The only candied fruit sold are the neon cherries or a tub labeled "fruitcake mix." I couldn't make myself buy it. I just couldn't distinguish what the bright green squares were. I will check out the other supermarket chain. If they have the pure stuff I will make some mini-fruitcakes and then I will hold a lottery. You'll need to send me your address if you want to be entered. I will randomly pick out three winners to receive a little loaf of heavenly, brandy-sodden goodness.
Dr. Bif
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A jet setter? Me?
Hello bloggers,
I've made it into the clinical trial at Sloan Kettering. I have also been randomized to the experimental drug which means I will not be on chemo and I will be taking a pill a day. My blond dye job gets to stay. In about an hour I leave for the airport to start racking up my frequent flier miles. I have to fly to NYC today just to take a pill.
This heralds my entrance back into the real world. I go back to work next week for a half day or so. I'll ramp up pretty quickly I think. The original purpose of this blog which was to keep you updated and let you know if we needed anything is probably past. I think I'll keep writing though because it's fun. Of course, the new drug may not work and I may end up getting chemo (think good thoughts now).
In other news, I've been issued a challenge by my mother. I complained that fruitcakes are too easy these days. When I was a little kid my mother would round up the three of us kids into the kitchen for the annual ritual of slicing the candied fruit for her fruitcakes. I don't know when she started baking them. It's not a long family tradition. She tried the recipe out when we were very young. Within a few years she had escalated to a small factory with us employed as child labor. Well, she has seven other siblings, one for our neighbor, some for us. I think she made at least a dozen.
My favorite job was cutting the citron. Citron is a citrus fruit that is essentially all peel. It's candied and it used to be sold in big blocks. I loved the stuff. Mom was very particular about the size. Not too small, not too big. Didn't matter to me, I ate my mistakes. We also chopped candied orange and lemon peel (not as good as citron) and cut up rings of candied pineapple which would do in a pinch if the citron was all cut up. Neither Kate nor I liked the cherries too much until they were in the cake. Even as a kid I was deeply suspicious of a neon green cherry. If you put a red cherry in green food color you get...brown. What unspeakable thing does one need to do to a cherry to turn it neon green?
Mom made the batter and monitored quality control (stop eating!). Ted would eat anything, even the cherries. That batter was good too, like liquid brown sugar. Sometimes a mixer bowl of batter and fruit would be left on the counter while another batch was in the oven. There's a reason some of those cakes were smaller than others...
After they came out and cooled (and had any large pieces of fruit sticking out removed-purely for quality control purposes, you understand) they were then prepared with all the ritual of an egyptian mummy. They were wrapped first in cheesecloth and then in tin foil. Before being sealed up in their little sarcophogi they were annointed with that blessed liquid, brandy. And plenty of it.
I actually hate brandy to drink, it's like drinking gasoline. However, a magical transformation happened to those cakes as they rested in their dark little wrappings and soaked up the amber goodness. If you don't like fruitcake it's because you haven't put in enough brandy. This ritual was referred to as "watering the fruitcake." It would be repeated several times during the fruitcakes ageing period. Even after the thing was aged enough to eat it would get a little dry. After all the thing was dense; I mean black hole dense and a whole slice was a lot to get through. Although Ted could manage it just fine. Let's face it anyone who used to eat in the shower probably wouldn't have a problem with one whole slice of a fruitcake. "Mom, the fruitcake needs watering!" It would be annointed again and sent to rest in it's cheesecloth for a day or so.
Not everyone had the same response to the fruitcakes. Some of my mother's sisters made cracks about them. Uncle Bill held his in a sacred place in his freezer carefully doling it out until the next one arrived. One year my mother got sick of the jokes and didn't make any. You'd have thought Frosty the Snowman had been killed by a salt truck.
Nowadays you can go to the supermarket and buy little tubs of pre-cut fruit. Where is the challenge? Where is the sticky paring knife and tacky finger tips turning green and red from the cherries? The uncut stuff isn't even there if you wanted it. That's when I told my mother it was too easy these days and she issued the challenge, "oh yeah?" I don't think I have enough time to age anything before Christmas rolls around. They'd have to be New Year's cakes but I do have a secret weapon: mini loaf pans.
Dr. Bif
I've made it into the clinical trial at Sloan Kettering. I have also been randomized to the experimental drug which means I will not be on chemo and I will be taking a pill a day. My blond dye job gets to stay. In about an hour I leave for the airport to start racking up my frequent flier miles. I have to fly to NYC today just to take a pill.
This heralds my entrance back into the real world. I go back to work next week for a half day or so. I'll ramp up pretty quickly I think. The original purpose of this blog which was to keep you updated and let you know if we needed anything is probably past. I think I'll keep writing though because it's fun. Of course, the new drug may not work and I may end up getting chemo (think good thoughts now).
In other news, I've been issued a challenge by my mother. I complained that fruitcakes are too easy these days. When I was a little kid my mother would round up the three of us kids into the kitchen for the annual ritual of slicing the candied fruit for her fruitcakes. I don't know when she started baking them. It's not a long family tradition. She tried the recipe out when we were very young. Within a few years she had escalated to a small factory with us employed as child labor. Well, she has seven other siblings, one for our neighbor, some for us. I think she made at least a dozen.
My favorite job was cutting the citron. Citron is a citrus fruit that is essentially all peel. It's candied and it used to be sold in big blocks. I loved the stuff. Mom was very particular about the size. Not too small, not too big. Didn't matter to me, I ate my mistakes. We also chopped candied orange and lemon peel (not as good as citron) and cut up rings of candied pineapple which would do in a pinch if the citron was all cut up. Neither Kate nor I liked the cherries too much until they were in the cake. Even as a kid I was deeply suspicious of a neon green cherry. If you put a red cherry in green food color you get...brown. What unspeakable thing does one need to do to a cherry to turn it neon green?
Mom made the batter and monitored quality control (stop eating!). Ted would eat anything, even the cherries. That batter was good too, like liquid brown sugar. Sometimes a mixer bowl of batter and fruit would be left on the counter while another batch was in the oven. There's a reason some of those cakes were smaller than others...
After they came out and cooled (and had any large pieces of fruit sticking out removed-purely for quality control purposes, you understand) they were then prepared with all the ritual of an egyptian mummy. They were wrapped first in cheesecloth and then in tin foil. Before being sealed up in their little sarcophogi they were annointed with that blessed liquid, brandy. And plenty of it.
I actually hate brandy to drink, it's like drinking gasoline. However, a magical transformation happened to those cakes as they rested in their dark little wrappings and soaked up the amber goodness. If you don't like fruitcake it's because you haven't put in enough brandy. This ritual was referred to as "watering the fruitcake." It would be repeated several times during the fruitcakes ageing period. Even after the thing was aged enough to eat it would get a little dry. After all the thing was dense; I mean black hole dense and a whole slice was a lot to get through. Although Ted could manage it just fine. Let's face it anyone who used to eat in the shower probably wouldn't have a problem with one whole slice of a fruitcake. "Mom, the fruitcake needs watering!" It would be annointed again and sent to rest in it's cheesecloth for a day or so.
Not everyone had the same response to the fruitcakes. Some of my mother's sisters made cracks about them. Uncle Bill held his in a sacred place in his freezer carefully doling it out until the next one arrived. One year my mother got sick of the jokes and didn't make any. You'd have thought Frosty the Snowman had been killed by a salt truck.
Nowadays you can go to the supermarket and buy little tubs of pre-cut fruit. Where is the challenge? Where is the sticky paring knife and tacky finger tips turning green and red from the cherries? The uncut stuff isn't even there if you wanted it. That's when I told my mother it was too easy these days and she issued the challenge, "oh yeah?" I don't think I have enough time to age anything before Christmas rolls around. They'd have to be New Year's cakes but I do have a secret weapon: mini loaf pans.
Dr. Bif
Monday, December 8, 2008
New York, New York it's a hell of a town...
Hi Gang,
Back from the big city. Two and a half days in Manhattan have cured any illusions I have about channeling one of the Sex and the City girls. I can't handle bumper to bumper traffic at 11pm on a Saturday night! I am absolutely not kidding when I tell you that walking down 5th avenue around midtown was like trying to get to the bar at an Irish wake (I may be Jewish but I'm part Irish too lest you find that insulting).
Ok, now the news. I saw the doc at Sloan Kettering. I saw him initially for a second opinion last year. He offered me a spot in a clinical trial this time. If I am randomized to the study drug I would be taking a pill every day and going to Sloan for weekly visits (hello frequent flier miles). The other arm of the study is a chemo regimen that is much nicer than what my local doc suggested. Just horrible rashes and cardiotoxicity, no biggie, right? I find out on Wednesday which arm of the study I will be randomized to. Cross your fingers everyone. Cross your toes, your legs and your eyes. Think happy thoughts. I want that cool new drug that could make this go away.
Katie and I made a weekend of it. We stayed at Le Parker Meridien and paid an exhorbitant amount for a room. The bed was a little slice of heaven though. We ate at the Modern at the Museum of Modern Art. Very pricey. Very good. Katie and I split a half bottle of the best french chardonnay I've ever had. Their cosmos left a little to be desired though. Pretty much straight vodka with the Cointreau and cranberry just waived over the glass. Why do I talk about booze so much? I confess, I love cocktails. I like the history of the recipes, the different glasses, the big shakers, the sense of festivity it lends even to a dinner at home (let's face it, having a glass of wine from a half drunk bottle isn't all that exciting). Lest you all think this is an AA blog I dislike getting really trashed. Ugh. Hangovers are just brutal with me. My intestines pay the price and I just want to be taken out back and shot. I won't lie, it's not like I've never tied one on. I've got a good hangover story but I'll save that for another time.
So back to Manhattan. We ate expensive food and then we went to the expensive spa. Everyone should have a massage and a facial once in their lives. Every person on the planet needs one. If we had just sent Arafat and Sharon to the spa together the middle east wouldn't be such a mess. You can't be pissed off at anyone when all your muscle fibers are simultaneously saying, "aahh!"
Now I have some friends who are very concerned about that particular issue so I'm gonna just back off...
Before I sign off for the day I want to thank everyone so much for all the kind thoughts and deeds. Somehow I feel funny putting your names down here but you know who you are. Thank you for the flowers, cards, little gifts, donations in my name and food. It has all meant a tremendous amount to me. Hey, my family has to do this kind of thing; you don't. I am very grateful to have so many friends and I love you all. This blog thing feels very self-centered. I'm enjoying writing the stories and at some point I'll stop updating you all on the cancer thing because I don't want that to become the focus of my life. We all have crap to deal with. Mine just lends itself to drama. My recovery is going well and if there is something I can do for you please let me know. It'll feel good to get my life back into balance. Right now everything seems to tip towards me. God knows we don't need to make me any more of a ham than I already am.
Last thing, if you leave a comment on the blog and don't put your name down I have no idea who you are!
Dr. Bif
Back from the big city. Two and a half days in Manhattan have cured any illusions I have about channeling one of the Sex and the City girls. I can't handle bumper to bumper traffic at 11pm on a Saturday night! I am absolutely not kidding when I tell you that walking down 5th avenue around midtown was like trying to get to the bar at an Irish wake (I may be Jewish but I'm part Irish too lest you find that insulting).
Ok, now the news. I saw the doc at Sloan Kettering. I saw him initially for a second opinion last year. He offered me a spot in a clinical trial this time. If I am randomized to the study drug I would be taking a pill every day and going to Sloan for weekly visits (hello frequent flier miles). The other arm of the study is a chemo regimen that is much nicer than what my local doc suggested. Just horrible rashes and cardiotoxicity, no biggie, right? I find out on Wednesday which arm of the study I will be randomized to. Cross your fingers everyone. Cross your toes, your legs and your eyes. Think happy thoughts. I want that cool new drug that could make this go away.
Katie and I made a weekend of it. We stayed at Le Parker Meridien and paid an exhorbitant amount for a room. The bed was a little slice of heaven though. We ate at the Modern at the Museum of Modern Art. Very pricey. Very good. Katie and I split a half bottle of the best french chardonnay I've ever had. Their cosmos left a little to be desired though. Pretty much straight vodka with the Cointreau and cranberry just waived over the glass. Why do I talk about booze so much? I confess, I love cocktails. I like the history of the recipes, the different glasses, the big shakers, the sense of festivity it lends even to a dinner at home (let's face it, having a glass of wine from a half drunk bottle isn't all that exciting). Lest you all think this is an AA blog I dislike getting really trashed. Ugh. Hangovers are just brutal with me. My intestines pay the price and I just want to be taken out back and shot. I won't lie, it's not like I've never tied one on. I've got a good hangover story but I'll save that for another time.
So back to Manhattan. We ate expensive food and then we went to the expensive spa. Everyone should have a massage and a facial once in their lives. Every person on the planet needs one. If we had just sent Arafat and Sharon to the spa together the middle east wouldn't be such a mess. You can't be pissed off at anyone when all your muscle fibers are simultaneously saying, "aahh!"
Now I have some friends who are very concerned about that particular issue so I'm gonna just back off...
Before I sign off for the day I want to thank everyone so much for all the kind thoughts and deeds. Somehow I feel funny putting your names down here but you know who you are. Thank you for the flowers, cards, little gifts, donations in my name and food. It has all meant a tremendous amount to me. Hey, my family has to do this kind of thing; you don't. I am very grateful to have so many friends and I love you all. This blog thing feels very self-centered. I'm enjoying writing the stories and at some point I'll stop updating you all on the cancer thing because I don't want that to become the focus of my life. We all have crap to deal with. Mine just lends itself to drama. My recovery is going well and if there is something I can do for you please let me know. It'll feel good to get my life back into balance. Right now everything seems to tip towards me. God knows we don't need to make me any more of a ham than I already am.
Last thing, if you leave a comment on the blog and don't put your name down I have no idea who you are!
Dr. Bif
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Good news, bad news...
Well hi!
So the good news is that I saw my oncologist today and she told me the resistance assay she sent off on the badness she removed from my belly is not resistant many chemo regimens. That means there's a lot of chemo to choose from. The bad news is that she has picked one that I know and loathe. She wants me to go back on the original regimen I started with which I didn't enjoy much. I was also bald. Goddammit, I really like this haircut! I hate wigs. I will not wear one. Well, maybe I will. No sense freaking out my patients.
If we start this regimen as planned next week I will be admitted to Highland on Wed. for a desensitization protocol because I am allergic to the stuff and they have to trickle it in. It also means a crazy dose of steroids which Dr. Angel insists on even though I, the allergist, tell her it is unnecessary. There is no arguing with the lady. Hey, she's a surgeon. I wouldn't say she eats her young because she's really very nice but I'll bet she puts the heads of her defeated foes up on her spear.
To make a short story long (what can I say, I have a gift) Alain might need a casserole next week. If you are planning on dropping one off please leave a comment on this blog so we don't get inundated with mac & cheese (although that would make Sam very happy).
The only caveat to this whole scenario is that I am going to Sloan Kettering on Friday for a second opinion. I'll still need chemo no matter what but maybe they will suggest something different than taxol/carboplatin which make me sick like dog.
I'm going with my sister if you're curious and we're going to make a weekend of it. Originally we thought of going to a show. It turns out neither of us are really broadway babies. Katie finally had the bright idea to go to a spa. Bye bye Broadway! Ooh, I'm into this. I'm a little nervous though. Frankly I'm intimidated by Manhattanites. Hopefully we will be promptly put into lovely bathrobes so no one has to look at the tacky stretchy pants I have taken to wearing in my post-op phase. I know what you're thinking, screw them. Ok, everyone think that at once now. C'mon use the force. Here I go, I'm clicking my heels three times and saying "I will not be intimidated by fashionistas, I will not be intimidated by fashionistas..."
Shortly after I graduated from college (ah, here comes the story) I decided I hated the book publishing world. It hated me right back. My mother once again swept in to save the day with some sage advice. She said, have you ever thought about applying to medical school? That fit the bill. I not only hated my megalomaniacal bosses who wanted me to sell book club rights, do marketing, answer the phones and clean the warehouse but I grew increasingly aware that if I were to get struck by a bus on the way to work no one outside of my immediate family and friends would give a damn. Some days the only human beings I saw were my boss and the UPS guy. I needed to feel useful.
Ok, enough Mother Theresa stuff. So I was going to medical school. I had to study for the MCAT's and was doing so when my sister invited me to Long Island with her for a weekend at a timeshare she shared with some co-workers. I didn't really get the whole Hamptons thing. How stupid does it sound now for a young single woman to go the Hamptons for the weekend and bring her biochemistry to study, her knitting and a speedo?
Katie's friends were true Long Islanders. They had big hair, they wore little swim suits that never touched water and said things like "oh my gawd, I am not going out thay-er, there is a bee by the pool." Honest to god, that girl never set foot outside except to go get a really expensive dinner. What they must of thought of me.
All for now.
Dr. Bif
So the good news is that I saw my oncologist today and she told me the resistance assay she sent off on the badness she removed from my belly is not resistant many chemo regimens. That means there's a lot of chemo to choose from. The bad news is that she has picked one that I know and loathe. She wants me to go back on the original regimen I started with which I didn't enjoy much. I was also bald. Goddammit, I really like this haircut! I hate wigs. I will not wear one. Well, maybe I will. No sense freaking out my patients.
If we start this regimen as planned next week I will be admitted to Highland on Wed. for a desensitization protocol because I am allergic to the stuff and they have to trickle it in. It also means a crazy dose of steroids which Dr. Angel insists on even though I, the allergist, tell her it is unnecessary. There is no arguing with the lady. Hey, she's a surgeon. I wouldn't say she eats her young because she's really very nice but I'll bet she puts the heads of her defeated foes up on her spear.
To make a short story long (what can I say, I have a gift) Alain might need a casserole next week. If you are planning on dropping one off please leave a comment on this blog so we don't get inundated with mac & cheese (although that would make Sam very happy).
The only caveat to this whole scenario is that I am going to Sloan Kettering on Friday for a second opinion. I'll still need chemo no matter what but maybe they will suggest something different than taxol/carboplatin which make me sick like dog.
I'm going with my sister if you're curious and we're going to make a weekend of it. Originally we thought of going to a show. It turns out neither of us are really broadway babies. Katie finally had the bright idea to go to a spa. Bye bye Broadway! Ooh, I'm into this. I'm a little nervous though. Frankly I'm intimidated by Manhattanites. Hopefully we will be promptly put into lovely bathrobes so no one has to look at the tacky stretchy pants I have taken to wearing in my post-op phase. I know what you're thinking, screw them. Ok, everyone think that at once now. C'mon use the force. Here I go, I'm clicking my heels three times and saying "I will not be intimidated by fashionistas, I will not be intimidated by fashionistas..."
Shortly after I graduated from college (ah, here comes the story) I decided I hated the book publishing world. It hated me right back. My mother once again swept in to save the day with some sage advice. She said, have you ever thought about applying to medical school? That fit the bill. I not only hated my megalomaniacal bosses who wanted me to sell book club rights, do marketing, answer the phones and clean the warehouse but I grew increasingly aware that if I were to get struck by a bus on the way to work no one outside of my immediate family and friends would give a damn. Some days the only human beings I saw were my boss and the UPS guy. I needed to feel useful.
Ok, enough Mother Theresa stuff. So I was going to medical school. I had to study for the MCAT's and was doing so when my sister invited me to Long Island with her for a weekend at a timeshare she shared with some co-workers. I didn't really get the whole Hamptons thing. How stupid does it sound now for a young single woman to go the Hamptons for the weekend and bring her biochemistry to study, her knitting and a speedo?
Katie's friends were true Long Islanders. They had big hair, they wore little swim suits that never touched water and said things like "oh my gawd, I am not going out thay-er, there is a bee by the pool." Honest to god, that girl never set foot outside except to go get a really expensive dinner. What they must of thought of me.
All for now.
Dr. Bif
Monday, December 1, 2008
It's a good thing that kid is cute...
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you all survived your respective gatherings. The Leblanc division survived intact. I am doing ok. However I may have gotten a stomach bug from my nephew. As I said above, good thing he's cute...I'll put out the call for a casserole or two if I'm laid up with this. Right now a cup of coffee and a bottle of gatorade seem to have improved things immensely.
I'll be seeing my oncologist and the good folks at Sloan Kettering this week to find out how my life will be made better with chemicals (aka a chemo regimen). I can't wait.
Thanksgiving at the Friedman's was every bit the food orgy promised. Everyone made it there safe and sound. I think the Friedman/Tehrani contingent had the most stressful trip. Mixing connecting flights from Little Rock with a 10 month old with diarrhea is one of the ultimate tests of marital vows. This was my first time seeing the little spud and he is, as promised by the photos, ridiculously cute. Unfortunately his condition made him a little cranky. His poor Mom and Dad had to cart him around almost continuously.
I managed to put in some really good couch time and worked on a sweater I've been knitting on and off for two years. I call it the cable nightmare. I will finish it, I will finish it... Sam put in some couch time too watching Spongebob. Katie hauled her brood off to the ski store multiple times. We used the neighbors house for the price of walking their dogs. In an effort not to neglect them we walked the pups so much those dogs will remember this holiday ever after as the Thanksgiving Death March. They will cower whenever they see my Dad and whimper, "no mas! no mas!" Guilt overwhelmed many and the treadmill in the basement was in continuous use. I was not one of the guilty.
You wondering about that 3 Mile Island comment in the last post? Ted and I usually hollow out a well in our mashed potatoes, fill it with gravy, cap it with more potatoes and simulate a reactor core meltdown. Ted was too busy shoveling food into his pie hole to be bothered this year. My reactor core breach was delicious.
That other comment about the association between caramel corn and trash bags? Several years ago Doug undertook an afternooon project of making caramel corn from his mother's recipe. Apparently the recipe is only good if you make it in bulk. Doug made a Sam's Club quantity of this stuff. There was no bowl big enough to put it in, hence a small trash bag was employed. My mother was miffed at the time because she was on a diet. She stood in the kitchen with one hand in the bag putting fistfuls into the front of her turtleneck. "Goddamned you Doug!" she snapped as she carted away her haul to go watch football.
Now, of course many of us being physicians at the house we have rationalized this "snack" as a healthful, whole grain bowel cleansing regimen.
And now, a few things for which I am grateful this season:
I am not dead. Hey, it sucks to have the cancer back but it could have killed me a long time ago. I still got plenty of fight left in me.
A really cute little nephew, even if he was a big poop machine. We all have our moments.
Portable DVD players and headphones. You parents know what I'm talkin' about.
Regularly spaced rest areas on I-90.
Gummy worms, the perfect car snack.
The invention of the cocktail (this season's was the Brandy Alexander).
That's all for now. My cousin Susan has suggested I report on the history of child labor and the making of fruit cakes at the Friedman house. I think that's a winner. See you next time.
Beth
I hope you all survived your respective gatherings. The Leblanc division survived intact. I am doing ok. However I may have gotten a stomach bug from my nephew. As I said above, good thing he's cute...I'll put out the call for a casserole or two if I'm laid up with this. Right now a cup of coffee and a bottle of gatorade seem to have improved things immensely.
I'll be seeing my oncologist and the good folks at Sloan Kettering this week to find out how my life will be made better with chemicals (aka a chemo regimen). I can't wait.
Thanksgiving at the Friedman's was every bit the food orgy promised. Everyone made it there safe and sound. I think the Friedman/Tehrani contingent had the most stressful trip. Mixing connecting flights from Little Rock with a 10 month old with diarrhea is one of the ultimate tests of marital vows. This was my first time seeing the little spud and he is, as promised by the photos, ridiculously cute. Unfortunately his condition made him a little cranky. His poor Mom and Dad had to cart him around almost continuously.
I managed to put in some really good couch time and worked on a sweater I've been knitting on and off for two years. I call it the cable nightmare. I will finish it, I will finish it... Sam put in some couch time too watching Spongebob. Katie hauled her brood off to the ski store multiple times. We used the neighbors house for the price of walking their dogs. In an effort not to neglect them we walked the pups so much those dogs will remember this holiday ever after as the Thanksgiving Death March. They will cower whenever they see my Dad and whimper, "no mas! no mas!" Guilt overwhelmed many and the treadmill in the basement was in continuous use. I was not one of the guilty.
You wondering about that 3 Mile Island comment in the last post? Ted and I usually hollow out a well in our mashed potatoes, fill it with gravy, cap it with more potatoes and simulate a reactor core meltdown. Ted was too busy shoveling food into his pie hole to be bothered this year. My reactor core breach was delicious.
That other comment about the association between caramel corn and trash bags? Several years ago Doug undertook an afternooon project of making caramel corn from his mother's recipe. Apparently the recipe is only good if you make it in bulk. Doug made a Sam's Club quantity of this stuff. There was no bowl big enough to put it in, hence a small trash bag was employed. My mother was miffed at the time because she was on a diet. She stood in the kitchen with one hand in the bag putting fistfuls into the front of her turtleneck. "Goddamned you Doug!" she snapped as she carted away her haul to go watch football.
Now, of course many of us being physicians at the house we have rationalized this "snack" as a healthful, whole grain bowel cleansing regimen.
And now, a few things for which I am grateful this season:
I am not dead. Hey, it sucks to have the cancer back but it could have killed me a long time ago. I still got plenty of fight left in me.
A really cute little nephew, even if he was a big poop machine. We all have our moments.
Portable DVD players and headphones. You parents know what I'm talkin' about.
Regularly spaced rest areas on I-90.
Gummy worms, the perfect car snack.
The invention of the cocktail (this season's was the Brandy Alexander).
That's all for now. My cousin Susan has suggested I report on the history of child labor and the making of fruit cakes at the Friedman house. I think that's a winner. See you next time.
Beth
Monday, November 24, 2008
Annie Get Your Pliers!
Doing great, no concerns, no needs at this time. Now that I have taken care of business I feel a song coming on...maestro if you please...
The staples come out tomorrow!
Bet your bottom dollar that I'd take a pair of pliers to them myself!
Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I'm metal free tomorrow.
Throw those instruments of torture away!
(with apologies to Broadway fans, although if you actually like Annie...)
Alain came back from the Philadelphia Marathon with a big, silly grin on his face. He ran a fantastic time which I can't remember right now and has probably qualified for the Boston Marathon. He was elated and I am so happy he had the opportunity to do the race he had trained so hard for.
Tomorrow we leave for the Great White North. We're driving to New Hampshire for my mother's annual food orgy. We'll break up the drive with a motel which will make my son, Sam supremely happy. He has developed a sincere fondness for the service industry and thinks motels are akin to a Las Vegas resort.
Some people might be bored with how we do Thanksgiving at my parents' house but I can't think of a better way to pack on a few pounds. Here's how it usually goes: everyone is coming this year so the house will packed to the gills. Many of us sit around doing nothing all day except my sister, The Organizer who will cart her brood off to the ski store or to "do something." My husband is also less tolerant of the inactivity and will occasionally round up one or both of my kids for a trip to the playground or a walk when he has deemed that Sam has had too much TV by the greenish glow of his skin or Adam looks like he's auditioning for Rain Man: the Early Years (what a good Dad).
Doug likes to work/play on his computer a lot. My Dad excels at getting in my mother's way with vacuum cleaners and brooms while she's trying to cook. My brother Ted and I have traditionally parked our butts on the couch for large parts of the day. Of course Ted has a new baby this year so the previous scenarios may be history.
At about 4:30 the tempo changes. The "do-ers" have usually come back from whatever stimulating activity they were forced to do and the "relaxers" are starting to get a little energy. We all converge on the kitchen for pre-dinner libations. Alain, Doug, and my Dad will start in on the fancy beers. Either Alain's homebrews or some microbrews. Ted and I are into the cocktails. We favor gin and tonics, gimlets and manhattans but occasionally get creative. Kate sometimes will have some wine or a drink, sometimes not. Mom will sample the dinner wine or get one of Alain's beers.
The one variation to this routine is if the men get bored before 5:00 and start making trips to the basement early. Then they take turns trying to piss off each other's wives by offering each other multiple refills before dinner.
Someone will usually make up a cheese/pate platter with whatever fancy stuff my mother has bought. We all like the fancy stuff, especially my sister's kids who have dubbed smelly, french cheeses "Franny cheese" in honor of my mother. The pate has come to be known as "brown cheese." We all decide on our favorites.
Dinner follows shortly after and is bound to be a very gourmet affair prepared by Granny Franny with a lot of skill and a little yelling (Jesus Christ, Hal! Don't start washing the dishes now!). Dinner is a game of defensive drinking, meaning you watch the wine bottle and refill your glass before my Dad polishes it off.
Relax if you're thinking of planning an intervention. Nobody gets tanked (too much protein).
I can't think of a better way to put on five pounds. I hope your holidays are as much fun.
Coming up, more on the association between caramel corn and trash bags and why Three Mile Island still causes trouble in New Hampshire.
Dr. Bif
The staples come out tomorrow!
Bet your bottom dollar that I'd take a pair of pliers to them myself!
Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I'm metal free tomorrow.
Throw those instruments of torture away!
(with apologies to Broadway fans, although if you actually like Annie...)
Alain came back from the Philadelphia Marathon with a big, silly grin on his face. He ran a fantastic time which I can't remember right now and has probably qualified for the Boston Marathon. He was elated and I am so happy he had the opportunity to do the race he had trained so hard for.
Tomorrow we leave for the Great White North. We're driving to New Hampshire for my mother's annual food orgy. We'll break up the drive with a motel which will make my son, Sam supremely happy. He has developed a sincere fondness for the service industry and thinks motels are akin to a Las Vegas resort.
Some people might be bored with how we do Thanksgiving at my parents' house but I can't think of a better way to pack on a few pounds. Here's how it usually goes: everyone is coming this year so the house will packed to the gills. Many of us sit around doing nothing all day except my sister, The Organizer who will cart her brood off to the ski store or to "do something." My husband is also less tolerant of the inactivity and will occasionally round up one or both of my kids for a trip to the playground or a walk when he has deemed that Sam has had too much TV by the greenish glow of his skin or Adam looks like he's auditioning for Rain Man: the Early Years (what a good Dad).
Doug likes to work/play on his computer a lot. My Dad excels at getting in my mother's way with vacuum cleaners and brooms while she's trying to cook. My brother Ted and I have traditionally parked our butts on the couch for large parts of the day. Of course Ted has a new baby this year so the previous scenarios may be history.
At about 4:30 the tempo changes. The "do-ers" have usually come back from whatever stimulating activity they were forced to do and the "relaxers" are starting to get a little energy. We all converge on the kitchen for pre-dinner libations. Alain, Doug, and my Dad will start in on the fancy beers. Either Alain's homebrews or some microbrews. Ted and I are into the cocktails. We favor gin and tonics, gimlets and manhattans but occasionally get creative. Kate sometimes will have some wine or a drink, sometimes not. Mom will sample the dinner wine or get one of Alain's beers.
The one variation to this routine is if the men get bored before 5:00 and start making trips to the basement early. Then they take turns trying to piss off each other's wives by offering each other multiple refills before dinner.
Someone will usually make up a cheese/pate platter with whatever fancy stuff my mother has bought. We all like the fancy stuff, especially my sister's kids who have dubbed smelly, french cheeses "Franny cheese" in honor of my mother. The pate has come to be known as "brown cheese." We all decide on our favorites.
Dinner follows shortly after and is bound to be a very gourmet affair prepared by Granny Franny with a lot of skill and a little yelling (Jesus Christ, Hal! Don't start washing the dishes now!). Dinner is a game of defensive drinking, meaning you watch the wine bottle and refill your glass before my Dad polishes it off.
Relax if you're thinking of planning an intervention. Nobody gets tanked (too much protein).
I can't think of a better way to put on five pounds. I hope your holidays are as much fun.
Coming up, more on the association between caramel corn and trash bags and why Three Mile Island still causes trouble in New Hampshire.
Dr. Bif
Friday, November 21, 2008
All quiet on the western front...
Nothing new to report today.
Alain has set off for Philadelphia. He says he doesn't know how he's going to do. However he hasn't been too crabby lately, a sure sign of pre-race jitters so I expect he'll do well. We think he's got the tallest French-Canadian category nailed down.
My folks and I went out for lunch today. I was watching Bizarre Foods last night and told my Dad the soup they were describing (Vietnamese pho-a noodle soup made with beef and beef "parts") was actually delicious and I knew where to get him a bowl. This tells you a lot about my Dad. I personally admire someone who is not only willing but interested in trying a food he has only seen on a TV show with the word "bizarre" in the title. I'm the same way. Assuming something is edible, I'll eat anything once.
My mother was not such an easy sell. She has a hard time with things that slither or look like they do. However the more I waxed on about how good this soup is the more irritated she became and finally said: Ok, I'm coming. Really this stuff is good. It's rice noodles with beef broth seasoned with cilantro, thai basil and cilantro. You add lime juice and chili sauce. They bring a massive portion to you and so far I have not mastered the art of eating those long noodles out of a soup bowl without getting it all over myself. I love the stuff. Why it was featured on Bizarre Foods is because the native version frequently has stomach, liver and other parts in it. This was much tamer with just a tiny bit of tripe (yes, that's the stomach). Mom and Dad got the chicken version (pansies!). I think they liked it but can't see what all the fuss is about. Frankly I can't see what all the fuss is about caviar.
Really now, caviar is just salty and crunchy. Big deal. Sure I'll eat it on blini with a little sour cream but I won't pay hundreds of dollars for it. Frankly I won't pay hundreds of dollars for any single item that I am planning on putting in my mouth.
Dr. Bif
Alain has set off for Philadelphia. He says he doesn't know how he's going to do. However he hasn't been too crabby lately, a sure sign of pre-race jitters so I expect he'll do well. We think he's got the tallest French-Canadian category nailed down.
My folks and I went out for lunch today. I was watching Bizarre Foods last night and told my Dad the soup they were describing (Vietnamese pho-a noodle soup made with beef and beef "parts") was actually delicious and I knew where to get him a bowl. This tells you a lot about my Dad. I personally admire someone who is not only willing but interested in trying a food he has only seen on a TV show with the word "bizarre" in the title. I'm the same way. Assuming something is edible, I'll eat anything once.
My mother was not such an easy sell. She has a hard time with things that slither or look like they do. However the more I waxed on about how good this soup is the more irritated she became and finally said: Ok, I'm coming. Really this stuff is good. It's rice noodles with beef broth seasoned with cilantro, thai basil and cilantro. You add lime juice and chili sauce. They bring a massive portion to you and so far I have not mastered the art of eating those long noodles out of a soup bowl without getting it all over myself. I love the stuff. Why it was featured on Bizarre Foods is because the native version frequently has stomach, liver and other parts in it. This was much tamer with just a tiny bit of tripe (yes, that's the stomach). Mom and Dad got the chicken version (pansies!). I think they liked it but can't see what all the fuss is about. Frankly I can't see what all the fuss is about caviar.
Really now, caviar is just salty and crunchy. Big deal. Sure I'll eat it on blini with a little sour cream but I won't pay hundreds of dollars for it. Frankly I won't pay hundreds of dollars for any single item that I am planning on putting in my mouth.
Dr. Bif
Thursday, November 20, 2008
It's a whole new Wegmans
Howdy,
Not much new at the ranch. My mother is, at this moment, surfing through every single channel we have to find the NFL channel. We have digital cable. She's going to be at this a while. My parent's took me to Wegman's today. I rode around on one of those scooters. I felt so sheepish about it that I periodically made a point of getting out with obvious discomfort. Wegman's looks very different from the lower vantage. Everyone appeared to be wandering around like zombies. Amazing how many people looked like they had no idea where they were. And yes, many of them ran into me. You're there to shop people.
As promised, the updates first before the mindless drivel. Alain is leaving tomorrow afternoon for Philadelphia to run a marathon. Sam and Adam will be duly entertained by Molly and her Mom on Saturday. We'll be hanging out on Sunday and the kids will have to miss Hebrew school but life will go on. The only thing I'd need on Sunday is a shout out from someone to let me know I could call if we needed something. I can't drive yet.
Well, Franny never found the NFL channel. Apparently we don't have it. Franny is bitter.
In other news, I'm feeling well. The ostomy is doing it's thing. I imagine some of you think that I might be feeling a little (oh gosh, do you think she's really going to say it?) bummed out about the appliance (of course I have no shame!). Honestly, with all the surgery and radiation I've had it's a relief to have it in the bag. Besides for someone as fascinated by the digestive process as me it's not a bad fit.
You know I originally wanted to be a gastroenterologist. Something about being very pregnant while I was interviewing put a damper on the whole thing. My mother urged me to consider immunology. That decision took about 10 seconds. Never looked back.
I think my interest in going into GI started to get serious right before medical school. I had lunch with my mother in the doctor's lunch room one afternoon. There were a few attendings in the room and once they found out I was about to start medical school they all started to spout off about their chosen fields. I think it was Dr. Nordgren, the pediatric neurologist who argued that if you don't have a neural net there's not much worth bothering about. A pulmonologist suggested that if one couldn't perfuse there was nothing to talk about either. A few other candidates made their own suggestions. Dr. Cimis, the gastroenterologist was busy shoveling in his lunch. He lifted his head for a moment and proclaimed "Look, if you can't take a good shit life isn't worth living!" then resumed his lunch.
That ended the conversation and I believed I had found my people.
All for now,
Dr. Bif
Not much new at the ranch. My mother is, at this moment, surfing through every single channel we have to find the NFL channel. We have digital cable. She's going to be at this a while. My parent's took me to Wegman's today. I rode around on one of those scooters. I felt so sheepish about it that I periodically made a point of getting out with obvious discomfort. Wegman's looks very different from the lower vantage. Everyone appeared to be wandering around like zombies. Amazing how many people looked like they had no idea where they were. And yes, many of them ran into me. You're there to shop people.
As promised, the updates first before the mindless drivel. Alain is leaving tomorrow afternoon for Philadelphia to run a marathon. Sam and Adam will be duly entertained by Molly and her Mom on Saturday. We'll be hanging out on Sunday and the kids will have to miss Hebrew school but life will go on. The only thing I'd need on Sunday is a shout out from someone to let me know I could call if we needed something. I can't drive yet.
Well, Franny never found the NFL channel. Apparently we don't have it. Franny is bitter.
In other news, I'm feeling well. The ostomy is doing it's thing. I imagine some of you think that I might be feeling a little (oh gosh, do you think she's really going to say it?) bummed out about the appliance (of course I have no shame!). Honestly, with all the surgery and radiation I've had it's a relief to have it in the bag. Besides for someone as fascinated by the digestive process as me it's not a bad fit.
You know I originally wanted to be a gastroenterologist. Something about being very pregnant while I was interviewing put a damper on the whole thing. My mother urged me to consider immunology. That decision took about 10 seconds. Never looked back.
I think my interest in going into GI started to get serious right before medical school. I had lunch with my mother in the doctor's lunch room one afternoon. There were a few attendings in the room and once they found out I was about to start medical school they all started to spout off about their chosen fields. I think it was Dr. Nordgren, the pediatric neurologist who argued that if you don't have a neural net there's not much worth bothering about. A pulmonologist suggested that if one couldn't perfuse there was nothing to talk about either. A few other candidates made their own suggestions. Dr. Cimis, the gastroenterologist was busy shoveling in his lunch. He lifted his head for a moment and proclaimed "Look, if you can't take a good shit life isn't worth living!" then resumed his lunch.
That ended the conversation and I believed I had found my people.
All for now,
Dr. Bif
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Eagle has landed....
Hey everyone, I'm home. The nurses thought anyone who could drag an IV pole that fast needed to get out of there.
I'm going to start off these blogs by taking care of business so you don't have to read through all my rantings to figure out what's going on with the "health thing" and whether we need anything. Here we go. My parents are here and Fox News is already on the tube. Obviously Alain doesn't read this blog. We are set with food. My mother ate Indian food last night and liked it. Will wonders never cease?
Here's our current dilemma: Alain has trained for months to run the Philadelphia Marathon which is this weekend. His original plan was to leave Friday and come home late Sunday. My parents are here until Saturday. I am not moving very quickly and cannot drive. Would any of you out there in the blogosphere be able to help me out with the kids Saturday evening and Sunday during the day? Act now 'cause otherwise I'm selling the little buggers on Ebay.
Well, I don't have anything to rant about today. I think the auto companies ought to take their licks with bankruptcy just like the rest of us poor slobs. One silver lining of this failing economy is that there will be a lot fewer rude or inattentive service personnel out there when there are 15 guys lined up behind them for their jobs. Case in point. This summer I went into a local bike store to buy a new seat. I stood in front of the array of seats while several 20 something's hung out by the register. I was about to complain when one finally sauntered over. I guess I didn't look enough like a friend of Lance (even though I picked the Tour winner correctly this year). He asked if I needed help. I told him I would like to go on a bike ride that did not feel like a two hour gynecologic exam. I got the seat I wanted and he has a very disturbing mental image to live with.
Cheers,
Dr. Bif
I'm going to start off these blogs by taking care of business so you don't have to read through all my rantings to figure out what's going on with the "health thing" and whether we need anything. Here we go. My parents are here and Fox News is already on the tube. Obviously Alain doesn't read this blog. We are set with food. My mother ate Indian food last night and liked it. Will wonders never cease?
Here's our current dilemma: Alain has trained for months to run the Philadelphia Marathon which is this weekend. His original plan was to leave Friday and come home late Sunday. My parents are here until Saturday. I am not moving very quickly and cannot drive. Would any of you out there in the blogosphere be able to help me out with the kids Saturday evening and Sunday during the day? Act now 'cause otherwise I'm selling the little buggers on Ebay.
Well, I don't have anything to rant about today. I think the auto companies ought to take their licks with bankruptcy just like the rest of us poor slobs. One silver lining of this failing economy is that there will be a lot fewer rude or inattentive service personnel out there when there are 15 guys lined up behind them for their jobs. Case in point. This summer I went into a local bike store to buy a new seat. I stood in front of the array of seats while several 20 something's hung out by the register. I was about to complain when one finally sauntered over. I guess I didn't look enough like a friend of Lance (even though I picked the Tour winner correctly this year). He asked if I needed help. I told him I would like to go on a bike ride that did not feel like a two hour gynecologic exam. I got the seat I wanted and he has a very disturbing mental image to live with.
Cheers,
Dr. Bif
Monday, November 17, 2008
Not much news from the front. Things are still looking well. At best I'll be out late tomorrow. More likely the morning after. I need to leave...no really, I need to leave. This nursing is outstanding here but at a certain point all the crap they do to you in here starts to unravel the reason you came in, presumably to get well.
I already mentioned the sleep deprivation. We don't even have to talk about the food. One things hospitals do well is control severe pain but they really don't get discomfort. Two nights ago after having fallen asleep for about an hour a tech walked in at midnight and threw all the lights on. She stuck the thingy in my ear, stuck the thingy on my finger, squeezed the ever living shit out of my arm with the BP cuff, finally she jabbed me in the finger to get my blood sugar. On her way out she turned off the light and said, "there, I'll let you get back to sleep now." mmm hmmm.
A few minutes later the evil heparin shot-fairy showed up. So I called for back up. Mr. Ambien.
Happy Hal and Granny Franny (my parents) are showing up tomorrow. So there will be gourmet dining, Fox News and football to look forward to with my Mom. Dad's become the master of the afternoon nap. Alain, would you put the TV remote up somewhere real high?
We're good with food right now. Thanks to all who've fed my brood. I'm sure I'll be fine after the surgery. I haven't needed any pain medication at all for this 10 inch incision. I may put up the white flag again when chemo starts. If you will pardon me now, it's time to do a little christmas shopping on the internet. Yeah, call me a Jew-wannabe. But that's another blog.
dr. bif
I already mentioned the sleep deprivation. We don't even have to talk about the food. One things hospitals do well is control severe pain but they really don't get discomfort. Two nights ago after having fallen asleep for about an hour a tech walked in at midnight and threw all the lights on. She stuck the thingy in my ear, stuck the thingy on my finger, squeezed the ever living shit out of my arm with the BP cuff, finally she jabbed me in the finger to get my blood sugar. On her way out she turned off the light and said, "there, I'll let you get back to sleep now." mmm hmmm.
A few minutes later the evil heparin shot-fairy showed up. So I called for back up. Mr. Ambien.
Happy Hal and Granny Franny (my parents) are showing up tomorrow. So there will be gourmet dining, Fox News and football to look forward to with my Mom. Dad's become the master of the afternoon nap. Alain, would you put the TV remote up somewhere real high?
We're good with food right now. Thanks to all who've fed my brood. I'm sure I'll be fine after the surgery. I haven't needed any pain medication at all for this 10 inch incision. I may put up the white flag again when chemo starts. If you will pardon me now, it's time to do a little christmas shopping on the internet. Yeah, call me a Jew-wannabe. But that's another blog.
dr. bif
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Things are looking up. I won't get into details but the new appliance is starting to work. I may still have a day or two in the big house though.
Just wanted y'all to know the ban on visitors is lifted. There never really was one it's just after a big surgery like that having a bunch of people in the room is work. Now I am thoroughly bored and fighting the tendency to become nocturnal. So feel free to come by for a quick visit if you like. That's all for now.
Just wanted y'all to know the ban on visitors is lifted. There never really was one it's just after a big surgery like that having a bunch of people in the room is work. Now I am thoroughly bored and fighting the tendency to become nocturnal. So feel free to come by for a quick visit if you like. That's all for now.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Here's a strange conversation I had last night...
god, please don't let me die of this.
ok, can I put you down for getting hit by a bus then?
You never know, right? Not good to have deep thoughts late at night to the hum of an IV.
I'm a little whacked right now not having gotten more than an hour and a half of sleep at a time. I am also admittedly depressed that it does not appear that we can cure this thing. My oncologist tells me that we have moved to the chronic phase of this mess which could be years of treatment. Or I could get struck by lightning. Also she reminds me that we are going to try some new stuff like Avastin and there are some gene targeted therapies that may work against my kind o'badness. Sometimes what appears to be perfectly awful like having a cancer gene can have a silver lining (hey, what's Warren Buffet doing with all his?). A ton of money is being poured into research for BRCA positive breast cancer. I no longer need to have pink ribbon envy.
My gut may have started to wake up so I may be out of here before too long. Not a moment too soon.
See you all soon.
love,
beth
god, please don't let me die of this.
ok, can I put you down for getting hit by a bus then?
You never know, right? Not good to have deep thoughts late at night to the hum of an IV.
I'm a little whacked right now not having gotten more than an hour and a half of sleep at a time. I am also admittedly depressed that it does not appear that we can cure this thing. My oncologist tells me that we have moved to the chronic phase of this mess which could be years of treatment. Or I could get struck by lightning. Also she reminds me that we are going to try some new stuff like Avastin and there are some gene targeted therapies that may work against my kind o'badness. Sometimes what appears to be perfectly awful like having a cancer gene can have a silver lining (hey, what's Warren Buffet doing with all his?). A ton of money is being poured into research for BRCA positive breast cancer. I no longer need to have pink ribbon envy.
My gut may have started to wake up so I may be out of here before too long. Not a moment too soon.
See you all soon.
love,
beth
Thursday, November 13, 2008
hello,
The bad news is there was more cancer than expected. The good news is tht Dr. Angel got most of it out. There is still some residual left on the bladder. I do have a colostomy. fun, fun, fun.
I am not taking anything by mouth yet, until my intestines wake up so I am getting nutrition through the IV. Sleeping a lot. Not much else to report.
beth
The bad news is there was more cancer than expected. The good news is tht Dr. Angel got most of it out. There is still some residual left on the bladder. I do have a colostomy. fun, fun, fun.
I am not taking anything by mouth yet, until my intestines wake up so I am getting nutrition through the IV. Sleeping a lot. Not much else to report.
beth
Surgery is done. (Posted by the husband)
Beth had the surgery Tuesday morning. There was cancer and they were able to remove most of it. Dr. Angel seemed happy with how it went. Beth is still at the hospital and will be there for a few more days. No word yet on what treatment or when it will start.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The story so far...
Hello everyone,
Thanks for coming. Can I get you a drink?
Welcome to my blog. As many of you know I'm going under the knife in a couple of days. Tuesday, Nov. 11th at Highland to be exact at el crack o'dawn. I've created this blog to post information about the surgery and what's going on so I can get a jump on the tabloids. I don't want to see my face splashed all over the checkout aisle magazine racks with "Famous allergist goes back to rehab!" or "Dr. Bif's botched boob job!"
Now you see the downside to blogs. Just wait until I really get going. Let's talk for a minute about that patient who was questioned by her pharmacist about a medication she has taken for years so she decided to call me about it SUNDAY AT 8:00 AM! What is wrong with people?
Ok, and back to me. After all this is my blog and you're just priviledged to be in it (heh, heh...blog humor). Again, as many of you know I have been to the ovarian cancer rodeo several times. The last time was just over a year ago. I finished treatment for that recurrence in April of this year. Five months later I limped through a half marathon. It wasn't pretty but none too shabby considering a pre-training hematocrit of 30.
I get regular blood tests for CA-125 which is a marker for ovarian cancer (although other things can elevate it). My post treatment level in April was 15. On Halloween it jumped up to 215. BOO! I had a CT scan which shows a pancake like mass near the bladder and the rectum and covered with some loops of bowel. It is not possible for interventional radiology to stick a needle in it to confirm that it is a malignancy. Therefore the dynamic duo of Drs. Angel and Caldwell are going in Tuesday morning to biopsy and remove if possible. Here are the possible outcomes:
1. No cancer. Whahoo. Details of the huge party I will throw to follow.
2. Cancer and it comes out with or without a permanent colostomy. (I already did this once for 6 months. I can poop into a bag and watch TV simultaneously. It's called multi-tasking).
3. Cancer and it can't come out. Too many adhesions or other problems. Dr. Angel is quick to point out that this is not a death sentence. I would be treated with chemo alone.
There will certainly be chemo after the surgery even if the mass is removed. There may be complications because the surgeons are going into previously irradiated tissue and it doesn't heal well. Dr. Angel thinks I may be in the big house for a week.
Alain will take me to the hospital on Tuesday. Ann will man the fort (with Morgan) for a little while until the kids get up. Alain will come home after I go to the OR. Vicky our intrepid nanny will come over Tuesday so Alain can come see me after the surgery or so Sam and Alain can go to a movie. It's Sam's birthday on Tuesday (I know, just shoot me).
Please don't call the day of the surgery unless you would like to listen to me drool. I'm pretty sure I won't be up for visitors that day yet either. It's ok. I know you're all out there sending good vibes. A couple friends have offered casseroles this week and I'm going to the store tomorrow so I think we'll be good. I will post here if we could use any food. Our freezers are kind of full right now so a deluge of comestibles would actually be a problem.
That's all the news now. I'll have Alain update while I'm at Highland. Thank you all.
Beth
p.s. Dr. Bif is an old nickname of mine. It's from my initials, BF. We used to initial everything when I was a medical assistant. Dr. Fine, an impossibly British doctor with wire rims and a goatee looked at a form just after I started working and said, "who the hell is Bif?". It changed to Dr. Bif once I went to med school.
Thanks for coming. Can I get you a drink?
Welcome to my blog. As many of you know I'm going under the knife in a couple of days. Tuesday, Nov. 11th at Highland to be exact at el crack o'dawn. I've created this blog to post information about the surgery and what's going on so I can get a jump on the tabloids. I don't want to see my face splashed all over the checkout aisle magazine racks with "Famous allergist goes back to rehab!" or "Dr. Bif's botched boob job!"
Now you see the downside to blogs. Just wait until I really get going. Let's talk for a minute about that patient who was questioned by her pharmacist about a medication she has taken for years so she decided to call me about it SUNDAY AT 8:00 AM! What is wrong with people?
Ok, and back to me. After all this is my blog and you're just priviledged to be in it (heh, heh...blog humor). Again, as many of you know I have been to the ovarian cancer rodeo several times. The last time was just over a year ago. I finished treatment for that recurrence in April of this year. Five months later I limped through a half marathon. It wasn't pretty but none too shabby considering a pre-training hematocrit of 30.
I get regular blood tests for CA-125 which is a marker for ovarian cancer (although other things can elevate it). My post treatment level in April was 15. On Halloween it jumped up to 215. BOO! I had a CT scan which shows a pancake like mass near the bladder and the rectum and covered with some loops of bowel. It is not possible for interventional radiology to stick a needle in it to confirm that it is a malignancy. Therefore the dynamic duo of Drs. Angel and Caldwell are going in Tuesday morning to biopsy and remove if possible. Here are the possible outcomes:
1. No cancer. Whahoo. Details of the huge party I will throw to follow.
2. Cancer and it comes out with or without a permanent colostomy. (I already did this once for 6 months. I can poop into a bag and watch TV simultaneously. It's called multi-tasking).
3. Cancer and it can't come out. Too many adhesions or other problems. Dr. Angel is quick to point out that this is not a death sentence. I would be treated with chemo alone.
There will certainly be chemo after the surgery even if the mass is removed. There may be complications because the surgeons are going into previously irradiated tissue and it doesn't heal well. Dr. Angel thinks I may be in the big house for a week.
Alain will take me to the hospital on Tuesday. Ann will man the fort (with Morgan) for a little while until the kids get up. Alain will come home after I go to the OR. Vicky our intrepid nanny will come over Tuesday so Alain can come see me after the surgery or so Sam and Alain can go to a movie. It's Sam's birthday on Tuesday (I know, just shoot me).
Please don't call the day of the surgery unless you would like to listen to me drool. I'm pretty sure I won't be up for visitors that day yet either. It's ok. I know you're all out there sending good vibes. A couple friends have offered casseroles this week and I'm going to the store tomorrow so I think we'll be good. I will post here if we could use any food. Our freezers are kind of full right now so a deluge of comestibles would actually be a problem.
That's all the news now. I'll have Alain update while I'm at Highland. Thank you all.
Beth
p.s. Dr. Bif is an old nickname of mine. It's from my initials, BF. We used to initial everything when I was a medical assistant. Dr. Fine, an impossibly British doctor with wire rims and a goatee looked at a form just after I started working and said, "who the hell is Bif?". It changed to Dr. Bif once I went to med school.
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