Day 53: Monday with dates

Susie’s service is on 23 March 2024, at 4 PM, at First United Methodist Church in Beaverton.

Susie’s Michigan service is on 18 May 2024 ** at Grace United Methodist Church, Lansing, at 2PM.

** Not May 4

Today, I woke before my alarm, rested for twenty minutes, and finally rose before 6:30. After finding my robe and slippers, I could locate the kitchen without getting lost. It was a close thing.

Writing this Monday night seems a long time ago, but I had 1 1/2 bananas and Mexican coffee (thank you, Kramers). I cleaned up and got dressed. I soon was boarding Air Volvo, but realized I had forgotten my phone and wallet; I found them in the house and thus re-equipped, I returned to Air Volvo. The traffic was light as I left earlier and arrived in the office before most. I spent the morning in meetings and talking to folks about work. After missing its go-live in December 2023, the project is starting to get its feet under it again, and the focus is returning.

I got a text from the surgeons’ scheduler, and 20 May 2024 is my scheduled date. I then blocked my calendar and sent out emails to that effect. Next, I tried to access the leave system, the dreaded Sedgwick Insurance Company. I tried for twenty minutes to get a sign-on and help from a chat. I discovered I needed to use the correct link on the Nike HR page, and everything worked. For those who speak computer, this uses a SAML ticket to authenticate my access and to identify me. Once I did that, it was just following the process.

I have the letters from the two surgeons summarizing my last appointment and their findings. I copied the information and used it to fill in the forms and to schedule a two-month leave. I even uploaded one of the letters to attach to the form. The recovery time is six weeks to two months from the brain surgery. It is a major surgery. I am also cleared to fly just before the surgery for Susie’s memorial in Michigan. I have done this Sedgwick process before and await the next steps. With the surgery in May, there is plenty of time to get the paperwork in, but my leave will be denied if the paperwork is not finished in a month. The initial creation and submission are done.

I left around noon for Portland. I had my three-month check-in with my oncologist, Dr. B, at the Knight Cancer Institute at Good Sam. This is in Portland in the Nob Hill area. I circled back, as I forgot to get off the highways early to Elephants Delicatessen. There, I ordered a grilled cheese and a cup of chicken noodle soup. The soup was hot and burned my tongue, but it was delicious. The sandwich was plain but still excellent (tomato soup was recommended, but I never liked that soup). I read my book on my Kindle app on my iPhone until the time got close for my appointment.

Air Volvo was parked in the lot for the delicatessen, and I was inside when a gal reached the car next to Air Volvo, opened the door, hit Air Volvo with the door without the slightest emotion, closed it, and drove off. I was speechless. Hard to understand when people do that. I try to make every effort not to hit a car with my door when I open it.

I took Air Volvo to the parking structure and parked near the same place where I collapsed when exposed to cold air. This happened after my third infusion for Chemotherapy a few years ago, and I ended up in the ER and taking the shortest ambulance ride to the hospital across the street! I recovered and was fine; it is a strange side effect that is not life-threatening but very scary. The memory was with me as I headed back to the oncologist.

The doctor and I talked more about the brain tumor and that surgery than my colon cancer. My scans are good, and my chances of a reoccurrence are below one in ten. We will continue to meet every three months, but CT scans will not be every six months instead of quarterly–I thought I should buy CT scans in a six-pack!

The doctor’s leading tool, besides the CT Scan, is a blood test as colon cancer, the kind I had, produces a particular marker in the blood and can be checked. If my level remains level, then no new cancer is likely to be developing. That is checked every quarter at my appointment with my oncologist.

After that, I headed back, after crossing level C with care–no cold reaction. I return in Air Volvo in light traffic to the Volvo Cave. I found a few items I needed to read and one review to complete. It was a quiet Monday.

At the house, I made the trinity (chopped onion, celery, and green pepper in equal amounts) with the pope (garlic) and then let them sweat while I chopped up various sausages for Jambalaya. I let all that cook for a while with the sausage. I added a few handfuls of frozen and peeled (no tails) shrimp at the end of cooking. Next, I added Jambalaya mix from a box and some cayenne pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon) and simmered with some hot water for twenty-five minutes covered. Corwin was happy with it, and it reminded me of NOLA. Compared to what I had a few weeks ago, the Jambalaya is not quite as smoky flavored, and the flavors could be more robust, but it is still not bad for Oregon. I could not just have one bowl, but I did manage to stop before I was stuffed. Better.

I read for a while, took a short nap, returned to my Apple laptop, and wrote this blog.

I am staying below 2,000 calories a day and managed to do over 5,000 steps (except today). I am using the MyFitnessPal app to help.

Thanks for reading!