You Gotta Make Adjustments...

So I was thinking of a way to compare the experience of first chemo against my encounter with second chemo.


If you're a baseball fan this analogy is likely familiar to you. The American League Rookie of the Year for 2022 was Seattle's Julio Rodriguez. He is a gifted centerfielder, has the so-called 'five tools', and is a matinee idol on the screen.

J-Rod

Last year he was everyone's darling and captured the Pacific Northwest with his fine play and magnetic persona. In his maiden campaign he had a sterling .853 OPS, which is a fancy statistic combining his on base and slugging percentages. 

Now obviously if you're a top Major League Baseball Prospect when you first come up to the 'Show', you can typically 'mash' a fastball. 

Then comes the hard part. 

The league learns something about you. Suddenly all you start seeing are breaking pitches and so-called 'filthy' sliders. They made a movie about this starring Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams called 'Trouble with the Curve'. Now Julio Rodriguez has an OPS under .700 as we near Memorial Day, and everyone is wondering what happened to the amazing player they saw last year.

Two folks on everyone's 'Hall Pass' list

That was my experience in the first two chemo sessions. Boy that first week I was Rookie of the Year I was mashing the fastball and I was on top of the world. Even in the off week, I really only had one bad day, and as noted in my first post some initial sensitivity to ice.

Then I went back for my second session two Tuesdays later, and they started feeding me the breaking ball.

Suddenly I was swinging at everything. I was woefully behind on the fastball and missing wildly. I'm talking about randomly vomiting, no feeling except tingling in your fingers, and an inability to drink a beverage containing any ice whatsoever without the sensation of swallowing razor blades. 

And as Julio Rodriguez and I are rapidly learning -- you gotta make adjustments.

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I'm no drinker, but I wouldn't be considered a lightweight either. That would be until last Sunday when I drank one single beer, and then explosively vomited 10 minutes after I left the establishment with my friends.

This morning, I took the nausea pill which they prescribe you that has been highly effective the two previous times I used it. Today I puked in the sink less than 3 minutes after taking the pill, so in this case I question its efficacy. Random vomit with no immediate onset of nausea -- something you got to make adjustments to.

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I'm not going to use this time or platform to advocate Medical Marijuana at the moment, perhaps we'll save that discussion for a future blog. I did get a greeting card this week from my 92-year-old great aunt expressing her concern and genuine caring, but she related marijuana use to hardcore drug addiction and I don't want to further upset my Aunt Esther.

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If you happened to read my previous entry, you may remember that I was quite casual when discussing neuropathy and perhaps may have even joked once or twice about this 'friendly' affliction. Clearly I pissed off someone in the Neuropathy Department, and would now be glad to tell you that this is no laughing matter.

Tingling in your fingers is a real thing, people. It's not painful but it is disconcerting. Of course I've not had the pleasure of having it in my toes -yet- but perhaps that too is something I will be able to elaborate on in the future.

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So I really want to keep everyone posted; but the last thing I ever want to be is a Debbie Downer. Please view this material as purely educational, and I want to stress to all my friends and everyone out there who may be experiencing this that you will get through even the worst of times.

Love the sound when she appears

But -- You gotta make adjustments.

Take advantage of every and any moment when you are feeling well. It's really important to live in the moment as much as you can, and have an equal appreciation for those times when you are feeling good. Do the things you like to do.

I am no longer in any kind of acquisition mode. I went through a period about a year ago when I was buying things on eBay and Amazon and getting a kick out of it.

Now all I'm really about are the experiences.

I had a chance to go to a ball game and sit in the Diamond Club with my 84-year-old friend on one of the finest afternoons God has ever delivered to the world. 

Mr Mo

I saw my niece, freshly home from her first year at college, and got to have a trendy dinner with her and my sister at a super cool place in Conshohocken (which if you're not from the area is a neat place to hang about 30 minutes outside of Philly).

Muy Bueno

My buddy drove up from DC and we met down in Delaware just on a whim. My best friend from college and his wife drove down from Princeton and we met up in Feasterville just on a whim and laughed and laughed.

A friend I love dearly in North Carolina got a shirt made up that said 'Banner Strong'. That's my last name by the way.

Love you too brother

These things mean more to me than anything I could ever own or wish to.

Every day you see the worst in other people, but now every day I also see the best in people and it in turn inspires me.

I know now that chemo is not going to be an easy road but I'm learning to hit the breaking ball.

You gotta make adjustments...

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And so friend I say to you:

I am not sad

I am not lost
I am not down

I am filled with joy
I have a purpose
I am lifted up by the love of my friends

my current location below

For my sister...I'll always miss you too.