Ice cream shopping when you have cancer; Medi-port bruising; Another Day, Another Anti-Cancer Food

It’s Saturday, 44 days after The News. The medical oncologist had indicated that the FOLFOX chemotherapy regimen is generally well-tolerated. So yesterday I was at a loss as to why I still had some residual nausea, three days after the infusion. After carefully checking the medication list, I found I’d missed one: the weekly prescription… Continue reading Ice cream shopping when you have cancer; Medi-port bruising; Another Day, Another Anti-Cancer Food

Infusion #1 +2 Days

It’s Thursday, 42 days after The News and 2 days after the first infusion. Apparently the infusion nurses are the one set of medical professionals who are sensitive to the needs of the nocturnal. (Which is a bit odd since they’re also the only ones I’ve met who don’t hide in windowless basement offices all… Continue reading Infusion #1 +2 Days

Infusion Day!

It’s Tuesday, 40 days after The News and the day of the first infusion! I crawled out of bed at 6:30 this morning to make the 8:00 infusion session. This is even worse than the surgeon’s 9:00 appointment in Burlingame, when I needed to wake at 7. I wonder if they’re running some sort of… Continue reading Infusion Day!

Your life is experiencing technical difficulties…please stand by…

It’s Sunday, 38 days after The News. And T-2 Days to Treatment. Learning I had cancer was yet another excuse to get in touch with people. I’m not exactly a social butterfly, but after spending more than a year avoiding potential COVID-carriers (i.e. everyone) I’ve been looking forward to meeting in person now that we’re… Continue reading Your life is experiencing technical difficulties…please stand by…

Porting Day; The Guinea Pig

It’s Wednesday, 34 days after The News. zombie zom-bie | \zäm-bē\ a will-less and speechless human held to have died and been supernaturally reanimated. a person held to resemble the so-called walking dead, generally as a result of fasting, early morning appointments and sunrise phone calls associated with long-term exposure to medical personnel. I had… Continue reading Porting Day; The Guinea Pig

Trying To Get Ported (or Blue Cross Blues)

It’s Thursday, 28 days after The News. Over the last couple days I’ve learned that Palo Alto Dental (PADF) Foundation and Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) are conspiring to cure me of nyctophilia. Just compare these two calls… PADF: Hi Michael, this is Jane from Palo Alto Dental Foundation.M&M: Hi Jane.PADF: We have a cancellation… Continue reading Trying To Get Ported (or Blue Cross Blues)

Back to School – Infusion teaching Session

It’s Tuesday, 26 days since The News. The people at PAMF have apparently realized that calling me at 7:30 in the morning is causing significant harm. They have instead switched to calling me while I’m taking a shower. Exactly how they know when I’m taking a shower I’m not entirely sure…but maybe there was a… Continue reading Back to School – Infusion teaching Session