In for 2nd session and so far eventless...a bit tired from the sed's they gave me but other than that, contstant flow and lot's of trips to the john down the hall.
The PET result from yesterday were as expected per the doc this am. Glass half full the tumor hasnt grown, glass half empty, the lymphs still on fire. So, no real change from the 1st chemo but as the Dr prefaced, this would be the case.
Liam brought me in and is picking me up for the ride home. Brad stopped in for several hours as did Charlotte Graham. All good visits and helped the time go by and I was able to introduce anther set of friends / supporters. All very good in my world.
So, that's about it. All in a days work and again, one day @ time.
Love to you all,
Randy
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Randy's update day before Chemo #2
From: Randy Broad
Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Subject: Fwd: Happy Spring!
To: Liam Scanlan
Randy
Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Subject: Fwd: Happy Spring!
To: Liam Scanlan
Liam,
Here's an update for the blog.
I've been a bit out of pocket and not updating the blog myself since the chemo but please know it's gone quite well. That said, I have had a couple of set backs. Some on the emotional and physical front and both were quite draining and thus, not particularly up to writing / posting / updating.
Upside, Brad and Liam are true troopers on all fronts. Not sure how I would be getting through this ordeal without them. They've been there daily/hourly and sometimes with little to no warning.
Thursday around noon I passed a bunch of blood during a bowl movement. No forewarning, no pain, nothing. Just a toilet full of deep red blood. I thought I was visiting the Red Sea. Called the doc and said get my 'ass' in there asap. So they did a complete exam, checked my blood count/cells, ran some more tests, rechecked my med's, etc. And low and behold, couldn't find a thing out of whack. Summation was hemorrhoids. I've had hemorrhoids maybe 20 years ago and know the feeling, etc. This was a completely a different experience. So, I'm not sure what to think other than they said if you pass more blood, call us and we'll get you into a proctologist and look 'deeper'.
The suck thing about this all is you just can't plan. I had two meetings set for that afternoon which of course I had to scramble to cancel at the last minute and subsequently spend the afternoon in the hospital. The good thing is it apparently was a false alarm with no real issue and the response from my Dr./staff team was/is amazing. One would think I was the only person in the building with a problem. I'm confident that if ever there was a better place to have cancer care treatment, it couldn't beat Seattle. It's truly amazing me every time I'm in the treatment centers.
I also started a complete regime of naturopathic supplements to go along with the rest of my treatment. I had my pharmacist (yes I have my own dedicated one @ SCCA) check them to ensure they coincide with chemo to ensure there aren't any counter agents at work. So my day begins with about 15 minutes dedicated to swallowing pills of one nature or another.
So that's the latest. 2nd PET scan on Monday, 2nd round Chemo on Wed. If I do no worse on the 2nd chemo as 1st, I'm in good shape.
Cheers,
Friday, April 25, 2008
it is nothing!
the word is so strong.
we had a little scare on thursday, Randy noticed blood in his stool and the doc's had told him to watch for anything unusual. he called the SCCA and they told him to come right in.
Liam and I met him there and we went thru 5 hours of questions and tests. a loving army of 6 standing by him, all silently afraid, but holding it back and holding him up.
False alarm- no big deal! we all felt exhausted after the relief.
The staff there is incredible. the doc told him to do anything he wanted and to have fun. it was great. i think there may be no finer care in the world- these people are so sincere and they bust their tails to do the best job they can.
we appreciate it!
out to dinner and toasted just being alive and having friends
love to all
brad
we had a little scare on thursday, Randy noticed blood in his stool and the doc's had told him to watch for anything unusual. he called the SCCA and they told him to come right in.
Liam and I met him there and we went thru 5 hours of questions and tests. a loving army of 6 standing by him, all silently afraid, but holding it back and holding him up.
False alarm- no big deal! we all felt exhausted after the relief.
The staff there is incredible. the doc told him to do anything he wanted and to have fun. it was great. i think there may be no finer care in the world- these people are so sincere and they bust their tails to do the best job they can.
we appreciate it!
out to dinner and toasted just being alive and having friends
love to all
brad
Monday, April 21, 2008
A Dog's purpose
A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old's perspective)
As a veterinarian, I was called to examine a ten-year-old Irish
Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners Ron, his wife Linda and
their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker. They
were hoping for a miracle..
I examined Belker and found he was dying. I told the family we
couldn't do anything for Belker. I offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Linda told me they thought it
would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure.
They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's
family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog
for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going
on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any
difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after
Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal
lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening
quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next
stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a
good life--like loving everybody all the time and being nice,
right?" The six-year -old continued, "Well, dogs already know how
to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
As a veterinarian, I was called to examine a ten-year-old Irish
Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners Ron, his wife Linda and
their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker. They
were hoping for a miracle..
I examined Belker and found he was dying. I told the family we
couldn't do anything for Belker. I offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Linda told me they thought it
would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure.
They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's
family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog
for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going
on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any
difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after
Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal
lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening
quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next
stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a
good life--like loving everybody all the time and being nice,
right?" The six-year -old continued, "Well, dogs already know how
to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
Friday, April 18, 2008
So far, so good
Well over a week has passed since the first phase of chemo. The color has come back to Randy's cheeks and he has returned to his original upbeat self.
The weekend was a bit rough, as the doctors told him it would, but it seemed to mess up no more than about 48 hours; Saturday and Sunday, then the discomfort cleared and he was able to concentrate on staying healthy, doing some work, keeping in touch with Emily and Riley, and generally gearing himself up for the next session on chemo which will be in less than 2 weeks (It will be another Wednesday 30th April.)
A long heart-to-heart with his PCP Doctor Cotton seemed to help a lot. Randy and Cotton go back a LONG way and her counseling of him over an hour and a half seemed to help him a lot.
Yesterday, the reminders of the phase after the chemo seemed to get Randy a little on edge, and I could tell he was interested in having some company rather than sitting home alone all evening. Perhaps the reminder that, when the time comes, doctors would do a full sweep of his body to look for how well his body responded to chemo would be a challenging time. Still, the signs so far are good.
We are all hoping for the best and are confident that Randy's constitution will serve him well over the next weeks.
Best of luck, Randy. We are with you all the way.
Liam
The weekend was a bit rough, as the doctors told him it would, but it seemed to mess up no more than about 48 hours; Saturday and Sunday, then the discomfort cleared and he was able to concentrate on staying healthy, doing some work, keeping in touch with Emily and Riley, and generally gearing himself up for the next session on chemo which will be in less than 2 weeks (It will be another Wednesday 30th April.)
A long heart-to-heart with his PCP Doctor Cotton seemed to help a lot. Randy and Cotton go back a LONG way and her counseling of him over an hour and a half seemed to help him a lot.
Yesterday, the reminders of the phase after the chemo seemed to get Randy a little on edge, and I could tell he was interested in having some company rather than sitting home alone all evening. Perhaps the reminder that, when the time comes, doctors would do a full sweep of his body to look for how well his body responded to chemo would be a challenging time. Still, the signs so far are good.
We are all hoping for the best and are confident that Randy's constitution will serve him well over the next weeks.
Best of luck, Randy. We are with you all the way.
Liam
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tips for a better life in 08
Tips for Better Life - 2008
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is theultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you haveto.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'Mypurpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. Theyprovide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that ismanufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskansalmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new andflowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues ofthe past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead investyour energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems aresimply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra classbut the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like acollege kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journeyis all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, willthis matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. GOD heals almost everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I'm thinkingof ya!
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I amthankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainlydon't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make themost of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.
May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing buthappiness come through your door!
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is theultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you haveto.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'Mypurpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. Theyprovide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that ismanufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskansalmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new andflowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues ofthe past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead investyour energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems aresimply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra classbut the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like acollege kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journeyis all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, willthis matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. GOD heals almost everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I'm thinkingof ya!
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I amthankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainlydon't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make themost of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.
May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing buthappiness come through your door!
Guardian Angel
From: Randy Broad <randy.broad@opalent.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Subject: SOMETING FOR THE BLOG...
To: me
_____
I am sending this to you to see how many actually read their e-mail.
Your response will be interesting. Pay attention to what you read.
After you have finished reading it, you will know the reason it was sent to
you...
Here goes:
p
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you
have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with
guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a
godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to
be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled,
their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to
share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other
relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
Send this to every friend that you have on-line,
including the person who sent it to you.
0 Replies - you may need to work on your 'people skills'
2 Replies - you are nice but probably need to be more outgoing
4 Replies - you have picked your friends well!
6 Replies - you are downright popular
8 Replies or More - you are totally awesome
(and that's probably why you're on MY list)
I wonder what mine will be.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
Forward this message the same day you received it It may sound
ridiculous, but it is right on time
We believe that something is about to happen. Angels exist, only
sometimes they haven't got wings and we call them friends; you are one of
them. Something wonderful is about to happen to you and your friends.
Tomorrow at 4:47 pm somebody will address you and tell you something you
have been waiting to hear. Please do not break it. Send it to at least 7
of your friends.
Date: Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Subject: SOMETING FOR THE BLOG...
To: me
_____
I am sending this to you to see how many actually read their e-mail.
Your response will be interesting. Pay attention to what you read.
After you have finished reading it, you will know the reason it was sent to
you...
Here goes:
p
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you
have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with
guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a
godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to
be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled,
their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to
share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other
relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
Send this to every friend that you have on-line,
including the person who sent it to you.
0 Replies - you may need to work on your 'people skills'
2 Replies - you are nice but probably need to be more outgoing
4 Replies - you have picked your friends well!
6 Replies - you are downright popular
8 Replies or More - you are totally awesome
(and that's probably why you're on MY list)
I wonder what mine will be.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
Forward this message the same day you received it It may sound
ridiculous, but it is right on time
We believe that something is about to happen. Angels exist, only
sometimes they haven't got wings and we call them friends; you are one of
them. Something wonderful is about to happen to you and your friends.
Tomorrow at 4:47 pm somebody will address you and tell you something you
have been waiting to hear. Please do not break it. Send it to at least 7
of your friends.
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