Tag Archives: Health

Cancer, Health, Home/Life, Our Shetland Sheepdogs

Thoughts on my Health and the Year 2023

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Morning Walkies with Toshiro and Sachiko

Morning Walkies with Toshiro and Sachiko

Morning Walkies with Toshiro and Sachiko

After a week-long stay at the hospital with a few days of septic delirium, a week of IV antibiotics, and a month of Cipro, this is a loud-and-pronounced call that I need to focus on my health and getting control over my leg lymphedema as best I can.

Despite my best efforts for walking 60-90mi each month with the pups, doing frequent showers and moisturizing, I still seem to be getting cellulitis and sepsis several times each year. My last echocardiogram shows that it’s taking a toll on my heart health as I repeatedly get pumped full of IV fluids and antibiotics.

So, my goal now is to be thorough and persistent with my physical therapy at Kaiser and Virginia Hospital Center, to do more frequent/longer walks and cycling, and to hopefully get my leg into a healthier long-term state.

Or, at the very least, to be able to enjoy long walks, hikes, and cycling again?

Today was an exhaustive visit, but one of the best visits I’ve had with Kaiser about my short-term health, long-term health, and long-term treatment:

  • Yes, I do have a slightly enlarged heart and decreased ejection fraction, but it’s due to pseudomonas and sepsis as a blood infection. Seeing increased heart size and changes to ejection fraction are common. They’re scheduling me for a transesophageal echocardiogram in 2-3 weeks to verify my recovery once the Cipro is over. They’ll also schedule me for a full panel of bloodwork to verify my bloodwork, recovery, and level of immunity/immunocompromised.
  • Yes, I do have Stage 3 Lymphedema of my left leg. It’s pronounced. They want to photograph it monthly, document it, and do more aggressive physical therapy to see if we can’t see some recovery, improvement in mobility, decreased neuropathy. I’m being referred to Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) for my lymphedema care.
  • They’re documenting that I have a severe reaction to a flea bite, not uncommon for my lymphoma, lymphedema, decreased immune response. Pseudomonas itself was likely acquired during frequent clinical visits. MRSA and Pseudomonas are concerns given my health and history.
  • They recommended a Bifenthrin Insecticide fogger for front yard and back to reduce mosquitoes and insects, fog yard every 2-3 weeks. Safe for both me and our dogs. They recommended spraying my pants and shirts with Permethrin and/or DEET, to wear long pants and shirts for all walks outdoor exposure due to severe reaction to flea bite.
Everyday Life, Family, Fitness, Health, Home/Life, Slice-of-Life

Preparing for Our Lenten Journey

Reading, Gaming, and Health during Lent

So, this is our last weekend before Lent begins. Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) is this coming Tuesday, March 1st. Ash Wednesday is this coming Wednesday, March 2nd. This is our last weekend for Victoria to enjoy our “Farewell to the Feast.” 😆

For Lent, Victoria is devoting herself to mindful health and service to others. I’m focusing on mindful health and refocusing my time and energy.

With this Lent, I won’t be practicing complete abstinence from social media and the onslaught of news, but I certainly will be severely cutting it back. I’m planning on reading far more, gaming far more, practicing Intermittent Fasting (IF) where I only eat between 11 AM and 7 PM, and abstaining from chocolate and desserts.

By the end of Lent, I’m hoping to be happier and healthier, especially now that I’m resuming Physical Therapy for my lymphedema in addition to my Lenten practice of reading, gaming, and fasting.

Reading, Gaming, and Health during Lent
Cancer, Everyday Life, Health, Home/Life

Finished my First Virtual Marathon (26.2 miles)

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After fighting Stage 4 Cancer (Mantle Cell Lymphoma) for the past two years, it feels good to have completed my virtual marathon.  I’ve completed my first 26.2-mile virtual marathon as I finished the Inca Trail Challenge. I’m now well on my way to my first 90-mile virtual marathon as part of the Hadrian’s Wall Challenge.

All of my miles have been outdoor walks with Victoria, Kiyomi, and Toshirō, and indoor rides on the Peloton Cycle at home. This is all part of my cancer recovery, rebuilding my stamina, strength, and endurance.  I’m hoping to cycle actual 35-50 mile rides later this year on the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) trail later this year.

My first virtual marathon (26.2 miles of walking and cycling)
Cancer, Health, Insomnia, Johns Hopkins - Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

3:30 AM at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore
“Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again…”
 
No real reason, just a wonderful song to sing to yourself when wide-awake at 3 AM after little more than 3 hours of sleep. This is my first night of insomnia since coming to Johns Hopkins. My mind is racing with thoughts of home, thoughts of the office, thoughts of family & friends all far from here. I am bursting at the seams to be anywhere but here.
 
I wonder how my orchids are doing on the windowsill. I am not entirely certain what I’ll be returning home to. I’ve resigned them to their fate in the hopes they may be well-cared-for during my brother-in-law’s infrequent visits.
 
I wonder how Amitabh, Sam, Andres and the rest of our team at the office are doing. I felt so far-removed from office life being at home this past year for 16 months of chemo that their “telepresence robot (laptop)” felt like a ray of warm sunlight on a cold afternoon. We truly do have a wonderful team at what was once Invincea and now Sophos. I hope that I return to the same wonderful team, but both our office and our team has been through so much?
 
My mind often returns to Brad, Christina, Kiyomi, and Toshirō, but I feel like a character in a Peter S. Beagle novel when I try to form the words. I feel like Prince Lir in The Last Unicorn when I say:
 
I’ve had time to write a book
About the way you act and look
But I haven’t got a paragraph
Words are always getting in my way
Anyway, I love you
That’s all I have to tell you
That’s all I’ve got to say
And now, I’d like to make a speech
About the love that touches each
But stumbling, I would make you laugh
I feel as though my tongue were made of clay
Anyway, I love you
That’s all I have to tell you
 
My mind bounces and aches at Mo, Heather, Onalee, Julia, and others who live, love, and struggle through their lives. Phoebe & Corky were as much a beloved pair as Kiyomi & Toshiro. My heart is still missing a piece since I heard of Phoebe’s passing. Mo and Geo were extraordinarily loving parents. Vicky and I should be so fortunate to be as loving a family to our Shelties as Mo and her husband were to theirs.
 
And so many other thoughts from the phosphor glow on the other side of your monitor screen. I feel caught and helpless here; an animal stuck in amber awaiting his escape into life again.
 
I can read about others. My heart can leap with theirs in joy or ache in compassionate sorrow, but there is so much I wish to do and to give thanks for once I finally leave this most terrible time and place. 💕✌