One Year & counting…

A year ago I meant to post about the 50^th anniversary of going to a Santana concert (27 Sept. 1970) in Ft. Worth, Texas. However, I was sidetracked by a wildland fire assignment in northern Oregon. I am now a survivor of both of those events. 

The concert was pretty tame: I accompanied Marlyss Thompson (Skipwith). Look at those prices: now due to ticket brokers you pay 100-200 times that. Marlyss’ brother Patrick had helped me through some stressful times (on and around “Yankee Station”), which I will forever be grateful. Pat had a calm about him. With his smile and north Texas drawl he could sell ice-cold lemonade on the North Pole. 

It is many years down the road, and long overdue, but thanks Pat… 

 

Ten years ago, I was working in Petra Archaeological Park (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) with Bill Wade & Bruce McKeeman (“Two Wise men & Me”), helping the Park Rangers and Tourist Police with some of their Visitor & Resource Protection issues and programs. We were on our second sojourn there.

 

Now, about that fire assignment one-year ago: in the wee hours of the new federal fiscal year (10/01/20) I was ambulanced to the ER at Salem Health Hospital, suffering with Acute Urinary Retention (very painful). Through a battery of tests & scans they found (inadvertently) a cancerous tumor on my pancreas (Stage 3). So, as of this Oct. 1^st I became a one-year survivor of that: what a year it has been.

A quick review of medical memories includes: 25+ days of urinary catheters, varied chemo reactions (New Year’s Eve, while hospitalized, traveling to be with the ancestors, but coming back), radiation treatments, Whipple procedure/surgery and the 18-day hospitalization follow-up.  

Andromeda Galaxy taken by Tony Bonanno

Now the days, weeks & months are filled with efforts at regaining health and strength. I know so many cancer survivors: some a little older than me, some the very same age, some a little younger than me, and some a lot younger than me. Some are long time colleagues, and some are new friends. All cancers are very different. In common we battle them: fighting for selves and one another – LIVE ON COMPADRES! 

 

How have you been this past month? (Thank you for asking) It has seen my CA-19 (cancer antigen) numbers drop from 1,700+ to 400+. Good, but since it was in 40’s pre-surgery I have a ways to go: I’ll keep working on it. I’ve had another MRI (to go with last month’s PET/CT). I’ll be meeting with my primary oncologist to discuss the results. My next biliary drain change is scheduled to take place here in Santa Fe (IR at Christus St. Vincent) in a couple of weeks. That at least saves me one other trip to UC Health in Aurora, CO. The plan is to get my biliary structure to a condition where an internal stent can be placed: we’re not there yet. It could take a while. I’ll keep folks posted. 

 

Our kennel in Malibu: PCH & Puerco Canyon

A recent visit with dermatologist (first in 2-years: pre-pandemic) went very well. I’m prone to skin issues due to a life in-the sun: there was baseball, kennel in Malibu with 7 lawns to mow (and breaks at the beach), Navy duty, lineman for the phone company, archaeology, Park Ranger career, wildland firefighting, tennis umpiring. I often ask: how could I have gotten skin cancer? Anyway, spending lots of hours piloting my easy chair around the universe these days, it seems everything on that front is in check & good.

 

How is your neuropathy feeling? (Thanks again for asking) Still an issue, but not as bad as last Winter during chemo. I still have the feeling of pins-n-needles in my fingertips and foot bottoms feel like blocks of warmed Swiss cheese (cavities). When I asked my primary oncologist how long this may last he replied: “It should be lessening, but you might have it the rest of your life.”

 

During the past month: Justin has started his new job with the NM Office of the Public Defender in Albuquerque, transferring up from Carlsbad 2-weeks ago. He likes it. Meme continues with sport (rock) climbing efforts. She took a lot of time off nursing me earlier in the year. Lucy is rebounding from her bout with K-9 Cushing’s disease. She too is taking lots of meds, but considering that she’ll be 13 (or 91 in dog years) soon her amount of sleeping is probably appropriate. I’ve read a few books: Michael Punke’s 2^nd novel Ridgeline (Montana Road/Bozeman Trail - Red Cloud War); John Hough, Jr.’s novel Little Bighorn (Just for comparison. I like Mike); Robert Utley’s The Lance and The Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull (to read some history – well done). Recently started Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow (it is showing great promise).

 

PMA is still the order of the day – here is another view:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/08/caitlin-flanagan-secret-of-surviving-cancer/619844/

 

Congratulations are in order to the San Francisco (“It’s a jungle out there…”) Giants. I know, I know- I’m a fan of the Dodgers. But, even more so I’m a baseball fan and give credit where it is due. The Giants had an incredible year winning 107 of 162 games. The Dodgers tied a franchise record for victories, but the Giants did them one better – setting a franchise record for wins.

 

Coming next time – maybe some more concert memories: 

Derek & the Dominos concert in Dallas on Nov. 6, 1970.