Friends and Fitness

Brain cancer is...

Yes, that's the ocean.

 ...100% supportive.

Shortly after Darrell's diagnosis, people began asking me, "Yes, but how do you take care of yourself?"  It bugged me.

When people asked me that question, it felt like I was on 24/7 care.  When I wasn't taking care of Darrell, I should be taking care of myself.  What does any of us do to "take care of me"? Maybe nobody should be on 24/7 care.  Maybe we should be taking care of each other.

Now I can admit it.  The fact that I was bugged by this caring question is representative of the fact that I was pretty angry after Darrell's diagnosis.  (Long time readers will remember me wanting to punch someone--anyone--in the face.  Click here for an illustrative post.) 

Now, more than two years later (brain cancer is...so old!), I can recognize the true question that people were asking me when they asked, "How do you take care of yourself?"  People wanted to know that I was okay.  "How are you staying healthy?" is what people wanted to know...physically, mentally, emotionally healthy. (Click here if you want to broaden your definition of "health" beyond these four facets of health.)

You know my major answer to that question:  "I'm spending time with my husband.  And he is spending time with me."

But when I trained to run my 5.5 miles for my 55th birthday last August, I learned something new about myself:  How do I take care of myself?  Fitness.  And that realization brought forth another that had been lurking just under the surface.  How do I take care of myself?  I hang with my friends.

Friends* have never been more important to me (singular) or to us (plural) as they are now. 

Today Darrell and I celebrated fitness and friends with a heavy dose of both for me.  Fellow Adventure Girl Denise and I hiked 11 miles and an equivalent of 81 flights of stairs at Crystal Cove.  Above you see us at the summit.  Enough said.  But if you'd like to enjoy the incredible beauty of the hike, check out the slideshow version by clicking here.

Alternate You Tube Link (click here)

I am thankful for my friends, for fitness, for a beautiful world, and for my husband Darrell who is 100% supportive of my health.


PS...I am also thankful that while Denise and I hiked, Darrell mowed both lawns and did the grocery shopping.

*"Friends" include all the people we love and who love us, including the people we also call "family."

Best Turtle Ever

Brain cancer is...

 ...celebrating Friday the 13th.

Darrell really did say, “Best turtle ever!” as we got the shot, above.

Things felt a bit askew today.  But we were with good people and saw the best turtle ever.

How was your Friday the 13th?

Beginning Some Endings

Brain cancer is...

 ...beginning some endings.

Today we had the pleasure of sitting in the audience to watch Zachary present some of the research included in his nearly completed master's thesis. 

Presented for a CSUF Student Showcase and Research Symposium, his paper was entitled, "An Emperor's Journey with Trauma:  Basil II of Byzantium."

Yes, he loved that I took pictures...not! But the public has a right to know, darn it.

What a great 10 minutes for us as fiancee and parents to watch Zach command the audience and build a rock solid argument about the meanings of a life lived so long ago.

Darrell and I couldn't help but be struck by the notion that we face the beginning of some important endings.  Summer finished her master's degree in counseling with aplomb in December.  Zach hopes to finish this semester.  Did you know that it's been three years?  Three years we were fortunate to have with Summer and Zachary. 

But new adventures are in the wings for Summer and Zachary, beginnings that cannot commence without the endings to current adventures.  Out with the old, in with the new...adventures!

 

Fun Fact Bonus Content 

Did you know that, had Darrell not become an engineer, he would have become a historian?  Zachary gives Darrell much credit for his early love of history.  I was struck by this fact today too, as I was in the academic presence of two of my favorite men.  There is something wonderful about a passion passed from father to son. Rethinking this post, maybe "endings" and "beginnings" are transient things, and really what matters is what we give to each other throughout time.

Happy

Brain cancer is...

 ...so happy.

Darrell woke up this morning at 5, ebullient.  He was excited to think that he has no tests and no doctor's appointments for three whole months.  He had to get out of bed and start his day, he was so happy to be alive today.

More Happy

Coffee once...

Coffee twice...

...coffee with great friends is nice!

Coffee 1:  Ruth, Andi, and Hallie give Philz in Fullerton three thumbs up. 
Coffee 2:  Andi and Kristine enjoyed Aloha Java and spring time on campus.

Happy Happy-to-Be-Alive Wednesday!

"That's an important milestone!"

Brain cancer is...

 ...hitting an important [and not-yet well understood] milestone.

Darrell's appointment with Dr. Park went well today.  Dr Park confirmed:  The next MRI isn't until July.

When Dr. Park checked Darrell's records, he was impressed to find that Darrell has been finished with his total course of temozolomide (chemotherapy; TMZ) for a year.  Dr. Park said he was very impressed by "this milestone."

Somehow I was so busy being surprised about a "milestone" and taking notes that I didn't ask the question, "Why?"  Sigh.  Nothing in my pre-today research signaled "time post temozolomide" as a milestone.

Back to the computer for more research!  Nothing in today's research signaled the importance of this milestone either.  As close as I can get is this:  The preponderance of evidence* suggests that longer courses of temozolomide are associated with longer survival periods, both overall survival and progression-free survival. 

"Shorter courses" of TMZ are defined as 6 months or fewer.  "Longer courses" are 9 months, or more typically, 12 months in length.  Darrell had the recommended 6-week course of TMZ concomitant with his radiation and then he had 12 full months of 5 days per month for his maintenance course.  (Here's a link to the post that shows one dose of Darrell's chemotherapy, if a visual helps.)


And I call myself a knowledgeable GBM caregiver!  This question will not, however, die.  If you find out first, please share.  Otherwise, stay tuned...until July.

And Now, About the Cocky Photo, above

You see, above, that despite the continued So Cal heat, Darrell didn't need to chase the shade today.  We managed to avoid Optune alarms with his vented hat and a well chosen walking path.  We were feeling pretty cocky.

Back at home, a couple hours later, Optune alarmed incessantly.  Darrell did all his best, engineer-trained troubleshooting.  We finally just needed to change his arrays.  It's only the second time we have needed to pursue the last-resort option to stop alarms.  But it worked.  Darrell says the lesson of the day is:  Don't get too cocky.



*Want some evidence?  Click here for one study.  Click here for another.

Good News at UCLA

Brain cancer is...

...unchanged.

Dr. Cloughesy confirmed that Darrell's MRI is clear.  No changes from January's MRI.  Hurrah!  We see Dr. Park tomorrow, and then three more months of scan-free life. More hurrah!

We close this morning by sharing the marvelous efficiency of the UCLA routine.  Darrell's appointment was at 8:30. As he was paying his co-pay at 8:15, they called him back.

Here's what the clock said after our appointment, on our way out:

It's a pretty good day for a Monday, right?

Tucked in at Tiverton

Brain cancer is...

...tucked in at Tiverton.

We are all set for tomorrow’s appointment with Dr. Cloughesy.  But even better?  We saw Tara today at lunch (above).  You remember Tara.  You met her in November. (Click here for the Team T post.)

It was just wrong that Tara wasn't sitting at the table with us for the meal rather than being on the clock.  Tara is a person who represents everything that is right in the world.

Today marks 26 months since Darrell’s diagnosis.  Tara bought dessert.  

It’s a great day.  Thanks for being the reason, Tara!