Happy Radiation Day!!!!

20 up, 20 down.   My last day of radiation was Monday.  Very kind and sweet people at UTSW that I'll miss.   From Jerry the valet kid that just got engaged and has his bible open on his stand every morning.   To the girls in back that asked about soccer every Monday morning and the entire staff there that couldn't have been kinder or more professional.  If you have to get strapped to a Mega Radiator 2000, I would highly rec UTSW for all your "radiator" needs.   Even if you feel like you are "teetering on the verge of insanity", they will get you through the treatment.   (you're welcome Bart)

The side of my face and neck are still really burned.   Especially my ear and behind my ear.......so bad in fact that behind my ear started bleeding this morning.   Poor K in my office......she is a mom of 3, so I immediately call her in the kitchen to look at my ear, assuming correctly, that a mom could check it out and offer swift medical advice, which she did.   "Don't touch it and switch ears when answering the phone."   Good advice......thanks K!!!!!!   My throat feels better but my taste is completely jacked up.......everything tastes like paste or cardboard with a hint of metallic. 

So I head home after work on Monday to two very excited little girls that had made posters.    (is "that had made" correct, not sure......Mrs Ward or Becky, can you chime in here?)   Here are the posters:

 

 

 

The first one is from Campbell......."Let's have a party"  "Radiation's Over"  "No More" with the 'buster' thingy through it is my favorite.   And the second one is Avery's.........."Happy Radiation Day" and "Peace Love Joy" are the highlights.   Both of them came down to UTSW early on and got to see the machine and me getting strapped down, so they both attempted to draw a picture of that......so the stick figure with the mesh is ME!!!

 

Very sweet girls and I'm very blessed.

 

Dasha and I met with Dr. F yesterday, and we set a plan for treatment going forward.   In March I'll start back on Sylatron, but will try and do every other week to reduce side effects.   If they get bad again and start to affect quality of life, I'll stop all together.   (again, is it affect or effect and when??......M.A.W. help me out here)   We are keeping Yervoy as the drug to use if there is a reoccurance, and some other bad mamma jamma that puts you in the hospital for 10 days.  Over all very happy with Dr. F and the plan going forward.

 

So on to bigger and better things.    My boy Nicholas won Top Chef.    If I ever need an assistant for Full Draw BBQ you'll be in the running Nick!   And if Brad screws up the turn in times again, I just may be!!!!!!!!

 

Don Juan has his pick of 30 chicks on The Bachelor.   So I have a party trick........I can pick the finalists getting out of the limos......but only on Bachelors, not Bachelorettes.  Nobody cares about 30 dudes, they just hang out like a fraternity and have a great time.   Now the chicks on the other hand, they fight like rabid dogs........which makes it watchable.   So, back to the limos......the last 3 Bachelors I've been able to pick 3 of the 4 finalists, 4 of 4, and 3 of 4 as they got OUT of the limo.   It just shows, guys don't care if you have a kid, are psycho, talk like a duck or have wooden leg.......if you are smoking hot, you will have a shot at winning his heart!!!!!!!!!

 

I don't have a Big Momma or Lincee with I Hate Green Beans following, but I'm working on it!!!!    Hmmmmmmmmm..........Big Daddy or "I Hate Sweet Potatoes"......it has a nice ring to it!

 

Thank you to everyone for your emails, texts, calls and most importantly prayers.   I feel covered in prayer constantly, and am humbled and blessed daily.

 

Mike

 

(now as I hit "post" I also call Mindy to tell her there is a new post, my twin likes to be the first to read it...........it's a twin thing)





 







I Hate Bluebonnets

Don't get me wrong, there was a time when I loved the sight of the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet.   On a deer lease in Valley Mills I was on several years ago there was a field that was covered in bluebonnets, as far as you could see.....and there was nothing prettier than turning the corner to the blue blanket of spring.   But now, that pesky blue weed is going to haunt me......you see the kind folks at UTSW decided that I should get to see something "soothing" on the ceiling when I'm bolted to the table and the Mega Radiator 2000 spins around me.  So in the ceiling above the table, is a backlit picture, that looks like the one above.   So that is what I get to stare at, well kinda.  Imagine looking at the picture through a tiny peephole in the Hannibal mask......that is my view of the mighty bluebonnet.  Now you see why they are quickly becoming my nemesis.

So 16 down, 4 to go, because of the MLK holiday, I limp into my last treatment next Monday.  (thanks a lot Bin Laden)  I'm tired but that is nothing that can't be managed.   My taste is changing quickly, and not for the better.........not that I can think of any ways that your taste could change for the better other than everything tastes like Kent Rathburn prepared it.....but I digress.   Everything tastes "metallic".   Even water tastes odd, like I have a ball of tin foil in my mouth with the water.   And food just tastes odd, or muted with an odd after taste.   I'm really hoping that goes away at some point.   My throat is raw and swollen, but hasn't gotten any worse in the last week, so that is good news.   The side of my face and neck looks like a have a sunburn, and feels like it too, but nothing that can't be managed with a gallon of aloe vera lotion daily.  The hair on the right side of my face and neck has stopped growing all together, so the GREAT looking grey hunting beard that I have every fall will be a thing of the past.  Zoom in on the caribou picture and tell me that is not a great looking hunting beard!   And the hair on the back of my head on the right side is falling out by the second.........so I have that going for me!!!  And my right ear feels like it's swollen shut......but who needs two ears anyway.    I did mention the more annoying of the side effects to Dr. C last week, and her answer to everything is "that is expected, would you like some pain meds for that?"   If anyone would like hydrocodone, I'm a seller.   Philip Seymour Hoffman was a potential client, but I guess he switched to smack..........too soon?????????   (idiot.........but let's have a big tribute to him next year at the Oscars, by then he won't be the only one)

I'm cheering for Nicholas to beat Nina in Top Chef tomorrow night, even though I think Nina will win.       Actually we are ALL winners because they show Padma in a bikini in the previews.   Full Draw BBQ is registered to compete in Ft. Worth in March and Arlington Supercross is less than two weeks away.   Life is good.

4 to go!

Mike