Today they administered vincristine. They've also put me back on steroids for several days. I'm still eating well, no nausea. I consumed ~2400 calories today. Last night I learned a trick to sleeping well, two restoril and an ativan. There is a spinal tap scheduled for tomorrow. I've received platelets twice today and I'll receive platelets tonight in preparation for the spinal tap. I feel well, I slept well, and it has been a good day.
Emily and the boys arrived at 4 and left at 8:30. Emily and I somehow managed to slip in a game of San Juan. It's now 3-0 in my favor. She's playing a strategy that would work better with more than two people. I'll see how long I can get away with the weenie strategy that keeps winning before she decides to quit investing so much in production. As far as something the rest of the world would understand, I helped Jonas with his math homework while Emily worked with Max on shapes and colors. Max knows that an ellipse is the same shape as a regular oval. Jonas now knows how to find all of the factors for a given number. It's good stuff, folks. We had a great time. Too little food and water. Every time a staffer would walk in the door the boys would lay into them with questions. It is humorous and deafeningly loud. I'm a fan of the humorous part. I look forward to seeing them again very soon. Also, Emily is wonderful and beautiful.
My brother Scott visited and donated a blood sample to test for bone marrow compatibility. In my adult life I've grown closer and closer to Scott. As a child I looked up to him. I don't spend much time with him but no friend knows me better. We talk about everything that makes life what it is. I'm not sure if Scott is humoring me, if so he's doing an incredible job, but I don't have a friend who enjoys discussing philosophy, science, and the future as much as he does. Those are three of my favorite topics. I have hundreds of favorite topics, but those three are in the top five. I want everyone to know what Scott is to me and how much he means to me. In time, I hope to let all of my loved ones know how I feel about them and why they are special to me.
This writing is about letting people know what life means to me, what you people to me. Not to be depressing, but there is a powerful and present threat to my mortality. I may not have time to let those that I love know my feelings concerning issues they are interested in. So here I am, writing. I'm sharing and hoping that the result offers both comfort and hope in the present; and in another time I'd want these words to remind those I love of what they've meant to me. I want them to know of the love and respect that I feel when I think of them; I want them to know of the gratitude and appreciation I feel for them; and finally, I want them to know what an honor and joy it has been to share my life with people who made me feel as loved, trusted, respected, and important as they did.
Just in case you aren't sure who you all are: Emily's family, extended and immediate. My family, extended and immediate. The Ashby's, Bunton's, Thorpe's, Stevenson's, Turner's, Al and Martha, Hijas, all of my many awesome Ancestry friends, OrangeSoda friends, so many other professional friends, many people from the old Grandview 2nd LDS Ward where I grew up, all of my childhood friends and their wonderful parents, all of Emily's friends (especially her long-running book club friends), anyone who shows Emily love and support, our many loving neighbors, and anyone who has ever taken the time to get to know me and let me get to know them. These people are the foundation of my very happy life.
The picture of the day: Emily and Max, each with their own sweet set of wheels.
I hate why you are blogging again, but I am glad you are doing it. You see things in an interesting way and you are honest. Write a book of essays, would you?
ReplyDeleteTo hear you say you have a powerful and present threat to your mortality makes me realize that, while that is true for you, we all have mortality sneaking around trying to get us. Yours just isn't being very ninja about it.
I hope we can all keep that in mind and do the things you are doing. Life is a tricky balance and gets in the way of what is important at times. Each person in our lives changes us and we change them. That's a great place to spend your time and I'm glad you are getting to do it.
I'll leave Emily the responsibility of compiling my ramblings into a book of essays. She is both the better writer and editor. To imagine the quality of her writing, think of her grace; her writing is a form of grace equally sublime. Her prose is a pleasure to read. My writing requires endless editing, mostly for formatting and extra word removal; how I love my adjectives.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Everyone is under threat from Death. That bastard is going to take out ever last mother-loving one of us. He does generally lurk ninja, but in my case he's decided to start with the outright bullying and cheap shots.
I agree with you. If there were any message I could pass to everyone in the world it would be: "Love one another and never forget to dream". Death is coming, don't worry, the only thing to do about it is have a great life; have a better life because you know he's coming.
Ditto on Martha! And thanks for the shout-out-- we love you guys!!
ReplyDeleteWe love you guys. :)
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