2007
Summer Update 2007
Tuesday August 21,2007
Aloha, and welcome to the summer 2007 update!
In contrast to news on our weather and volcano fronts, with regard to oncology - we got nothin - and nothin's plenty for us! Jim's 13th MRI yielded "no new findings in the head and neck regions." ( I tried - without success - to get the hospital to waive the cost of this test - in keeping with the baker's dozen notion, that when you buy twelve, they throw in an extra for free. They were not amused, and told me that the bill is in the mail.)
If you're doing the math out there, the six month check-up should have taken place two months ago, but we had to reschedule the planned trip in June because of a Father's Day earthquake swarm here on the Big Island.
As Scientist -In-Charge up at HVO, Jim was in the middle of overflights, mapping, staff concerns, and media attention. We decided that life in the medical lane would have to be put off for a while. ( But just a short while - you can rest assured that it wasn't a snap decision. We had a long talk about the whole life/work/health balance thing.)
It was the first time since Jim ended treatment in August of 2003 that he was just too immersed in work life to tear himself away. Cool, yeah? We know how important it is to be vigilant in these post-treatment tests and doctor consultations, but since we're no longer tracking active cancer, it seemed okay to wait. And the MRI result bears out the okayness!
There was way more excitement surrounding whether or not the bovine-named hurricane Flossie would put herself out to pasture quickly enough for us to fly over to Honolulu for Jim's check-up scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday this past week. Originally, Flossie threatened as a class four storm, due to hit our island sometime on Tuesday. Just as Flossie was weakening Monday night, Madame Pele decided to reclaim our attention with a 5.4 quake, so there was another flurry of heightened work activity for Jim, but he got everything under control so that we did fly out first thing Wednesday morning.
As usual, brother Dave, came to collect us from the airport and hang with us for the duration. Amazing, that guy - always calm, cool, and ready for adventure. Beers and lunch at Gordon Biersch brewery with Dave and our friend Marlene made for a very nice apres-MRI treat.
The current issue of concern is about the continued loss of hearing. It's been diminishing constantly over the past few years, but a recent hearing test shows that it's quite degraded in the right ear. Both doctors feel it could be due to the toxicity from the chemo ( cisplatin is a notorious hearing robber) and radiation. We'll be seeing our local ENT to explore hearing aid options in the next few months.
It's great to have my biggest challenge be about how to find new ways to express that everything is going well in this fourth year of remission.
Hope you are all well in this summer season. I'll keep you posted about the hearing situation. Look to hear from us in autumn, when the leaves fall and with some luck and grit, the Red Sox will be playing October ball.
In contrast to news on our weather and volcano fronts, with regard to oncology - we got nothin - and nothin's plenty for us! Jim's 13th MRI yielded "no new findings in the head and neck regions." ( I tried - without success - to get the hospital to waive the cost of this test - in keeping with the baker's dozen notion, that when you buy twelve, they throw in an extra for free. They were not amused, and told me that the bill is in the mail.)
If you're doing the math out there, the six month check-up should have taken place two months ago, but we had to reschedule the planned trip in June because of a Father's Day earthquake swarm here on the Big Island.
As Scientist -In-Charge up at HVO, Jim was in the middle of overflights, mapping, staff concerns, and media attention. We decided that life in the medical lane would have to be put off for a while. ( But just a short while - you can rest assured that it wasn't a snap decision. We had a long talk about the whole life/work/health balance thing.)
It was the first time since Jim ended treatment in August of 2003 that he was just too immersed in work life to tear himself away. Cool, yeah? We know how important it is to be vigilant in these post-treatment tests and doctor consultations, but since we're no longer tracking active cancer, it seemed okay to wait. And the MRI result bears out the okayness!
There was way more excitement surrounding whether or not the bovine-named hurricane Flossie would put herself out to pasture quickly enough for us to fly over to Honolulu for Jim's check-up scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday this past week. Originally, Flossie threatened as a class four storm, due to hit our island sometime on Tuesday. Just as Flossie was weakening Monday night, Madame Pele decided to reclaim our attention with a 5.4 quake, so there was another flurry of heightened work activity for Jim, but he got everything under control so that we did fly out first thing Wednesday morning.
As usual, brother Dave, came to collect us from the airport and hang with us for the duration. Amazing, that guy - always calm, cool, and ready for adventure. Beers and lunch at Gordon Biersch brewery with Dave and our friend Marlene made for a very nice apres-MRI treat.
The current issue of concern is about the continued loss of hearing. It's been diminishing constantly over the past few years, but a recent hearing test shows that it's quite degraded in the right ear. Both doctors feel it could be due to the toxicity from the chemo ( cisplatin is a notorious hearing robber) and radiation. We'll be seeing our local ENT to explore hearing aid options in the next few months.
It's great to have my biggest challenge be about how to find new ways to express that everything is going well in this fourth year of remission.
Hope you are all well in this summer season. I'll keep you posted about the hearing situation. Look to hear from us in autumn, when the leaves fall and with some luck and grit, the Red Sox will be playing October ball.