Kijam Blog

Since my last blog post, my back went beyond bad.  My legs weren't working correctly anymore.  I was stumbling, staggering, almost falling.  If I almost vomited from my new pain medication, pain shot down my spine and my legs.  After they saw that a couple days of radiation therapy on my back weren't making an immediate diffference, they decided I needed an immediate MRI of my back on Thursday, December 13.  I was in emergency surgery the next day.  A tumor was pressing against the spine's hard outer canal covering and another was wrapping around it.  These were removed in a 6-hour surgery during which I lost and had replaced almost my entire body's blood, about 7 pints.  I couldn't move at all in the intensive care room for about 2 days.  My pulse was always 120-130 bpm and my blood pressure was too low.  My temperature was 93.5 F when they first woke me up from the surgery, but that became normal in a few hours.  I didn't know if I'd really ever be able to move again but I had to do it because the consequences of no surgery would be definite paralysis and nerve damage and death. ...

Each day, I get to look forward to my back.  Which muscles will hurt today?  It changes.  Surprise!

Radiation is set up for a three-week course.  It better help.  Then I'm going straight to my third type of chemo.  Both the radiation and the chemo are 5 days a week, so we'll be going to Moffitt almost every weekday for a month straight.  We'll go crazy.  Since we're already insane, it might make us "seem" more normal.  Which reminds me--the movie Hud, starring Paul Newman, is the best ranching movie I've ever seen, and I hope it's the only ranching movie I ever see. 

Dad might make it down here again before the wedding to help out with driving to Moffia so Anastasia doesn't have to drive every day.  Cool, cool, but then we've got to feed him.  He may look like a leprechaun, but he eats like a barbarian.

Ana and I have been listening to the new Avenged Sevenfold every day in her Scion.  Excellent metal with catchy melodies, badass guitar harmonies and solos, with crunchy heaviness, hate, and heart.  A classic sonic apocalypse worthy of Revelations. 

That's about it for now.  A quick Friday check-in.  Oh yeah, I...

Got the bad news from Deconti. Doing radiation on my back next for pain alleviation, then on to the third chemo, since the current chemo has brought my heart to the bottom of the normal range and doesn’t seem to hurt the cancer much. When my Dad was down here, DeConti forgot to mention that the T12 area of my back looked worse lately. I asked if the radiation is supposed to shrink the tumors or if it just gets rid of the nerve endings in that area that feel pain. His answer? See quote above. I believe h minored in Medical Meteorology.

Daddy-yo may fly down here again quickly before the wedding because there will 5-days-per-week trips to Moffia x 3.  That's a lot of driving for them to kick your ass.  They better have awesome music for that radiotherapy LA-SER.

The Patriots-Ravens game was awesome. 11-0 versus a 4-7 team, and the Ravens only lost at the end when their Hail Mary was caught 2 yards from the goal and the guy was immediately tackled by 4 Patriots. Bastards!  Excuse me.  I Hatriots the Patriots!  Not really, but it could be catchy for idiots, since it rhymes. 

Anastasia had Sunday...