tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106626722024-03-05T08:21:42.067-08:00Occasional InsightsThe intersection of images from day to day life, and commentary of things that we sometimes learn along the way.Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-46396282632998013742020-06-11T15:30:00.000-07:002020-06-14T11:32:10.113-07:00Adventure #2, as of June 12<br />
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Hi Folks,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here's an update
on my adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes Floating in My Mind:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Sometimes things have to get worse before they get
better.</span></div>
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Marilyn Ferguson</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Tender love and care toughen you up, because they
nurture and strengthen your capacity to learn and adapt—including learning how
to fight, and find your feet, to hardship later in life.</span></div>
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Noam Shpancer,
Ph.D.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Your goal is to get busy living.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Even when the body says no.</span></div>
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My cousin Laly</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Most failures are one-time costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Most regrets are recurring costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The pain of inaction stings longer than the pain of
incorrect action.</span></div>
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James Clear</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">If you get the chance, take it. If It changes your life, let it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it</span></div>
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Dr. Seuss</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">"Each second we live in a new
and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will
never be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that
two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we
also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what
you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all of the world there is no
other child exactly like you. In the millions of years that have passed there
has never been another child like you... You may become a Shakespeare, a
Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a
marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is like you, a
marvel? You must cherish one another. You must work - - we must all work - - to
make this world worthy of its children."</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background: white;">Pablo Casals, on being unique:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">People who say a criticism write it in water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">People who receive a criticism carve it in stone.</span></div>
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Unknown</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">Feel the rain on your skin</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">No one else can feel it for you</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Only you can let it in</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">No one else can speak the words on
your lips</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Drench yourself in words unspoken</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Live your life with arms wide open</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Today is where your book begins</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">The rest is still unwritten</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">From "Unwritten", Natasha Bedingfield</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHFak4ubO_UboB15mIRiPssSeAaUg_BPn5CmnJH3mXC5XOqyzbVVWIaoRu5P48vcvo4QHt8KTj_M2BeOrIl_1UC_Sz8agalTRroDXvTp18_YCBhOJv82hxiG0d99w7RDmyecgFA/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0499-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHFak4ubO_UboB15mIRiPssSeAaUg_BPn5CmnJH3mXC5XOqyzbVVWIaoRu5P48vcvo4QHt8KTj_M2BeOrIl_1UC_Sz8agalTRroDXvTp18_YCBhOJv82hxiG0d99w7RDmyecgFA/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0499-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Smilin' at the sun.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Thanks You's</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Top of the list, as per
the usual, thanks to Mom for her bias for action, so that house, the boys,
the roses, and myself, all are moving in the right direction.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Big, big thanks to my
sisters Susan and Cindy, and brother-in-law Chris as we chart out the
potential summer treatment regime.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A thank you to my two boys
for schlepping around, completing exhausting errands on top of an already
desultory ending to the school year.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A huge thank you to my
extended family and friends for your well wishes and musings.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A very notable thank you
to a group of friends who are helping me cushion the financial stress as
the upcoming transplant puts me out of work for yet another 12 months.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thanks to Davis Uncle for
hunting down useful info about Duvelisib, a new part of my treatment
regime. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thanks to my cousin
Niseema and husband Sam, for the runs to CostCo and local Indian food
stores.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank you to the tireless
and vigilant medical team at SCCA, particularly Team Coordinator Joseph
Delos Reyes, RN extraordinaire Beatrice Franco, PA Hematology-Oncology
Megan Shelby and Dr. Andrei Shustov.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thanks to Mom, my sisters,
aunts, cousins and buddy Pat for meeting up for a daily Rosary. It's a key
part of my treatment regime.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last but by no means
least, a big thank you for including me in your prayers. It's perhaps the
oldest, and certainly one of the most powerful of antigens. </span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZGCR2nIdzSrdEu_vgRoLxfnZjtSrN5YJ4diTf-Kn-igHRhoQ7q0TVTpPbzx9XRW-DPQCt3ejVsBi-S0FPFK-1iXeyUrf_NtZHu5Dk7qSF6ALGzxmZJTZUdm9CdhLskdbsUlbUg/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0565-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZGCR2nIdzSrdEu_vgRoLxfnZjtSrN5YJ4diTf-Kn-igHRhoQ7q0TVTpPbzx9XRW-DPQCt3ejVsBi-S0FPFK-1iXeyUrf_NtZHu5Dk7qSF6ALGzxmZJTZUdm9CdhLskdbsUlbUg/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0565-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Up early in the morning.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
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Since I last
shared an update, we have gone thru one set of drugs and ditched it for
another. Lots of activity. </div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tumors…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> They continue to wage a
determined battle. The only entities more persistent are the SCCA team,
and myself.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Energy
& stamina… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Steadily
declining - I can feel it on the uphills of my walks. Yet I can still
muster 2 1/2 miles so I am less worried.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
chemistry… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Generally
in the normal range. Immunity factors continue to hobble along.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
pressure…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
Rising a bit.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Heart
rate… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Back up
in the ~110 range. Hmmm…</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Face
geometry…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
Lopsided, again.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Weight…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Slowly trending back up.
From a starting point of 172, to a low of 139, I now hover around 163. At
least, it is not dropping which was my greater worry in the past few
weeks.</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFWEdavR0Naadk6IuVSCJ9o3xcAAfQPSD6547D2q8_q9LemdSXr4IdQVd7nYPyGd0nztOKMEMgtZXd-Vi83Sl1h_F5PlIwV1qoD5SE0QuGGquLCVnqdUJhRrwNREAr7SkM2Dqhw/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0614-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFWEdavR0Naadk6IuVSCJ9o3xcAAfQPSD6547D2q8_q9LemdSXr4IdQVd7nYPyGd0nztOKMEMgtZXd-Vi83Sl1h_F5PlIwV1qoD5SE0QuGGquLCVnqdUJhRrwNREAr7SkM2Dqhw/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0614-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>They only get prettier the closer you get.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Malady Strikes Back</span></div>
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<a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2020/05/adventure-2-as-of-may-12.html">When
last I wrote</a>, my tumors were raging back into prominence. The new plan was
2 full cycles of two "biologicals" to help secure oncological order:</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">First, 7 consecutive days
of Azacitidine, which had a vivid effect. My tumors' growth stopped in
their tracks. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Second, 3 Mondays of
Romidepsin. But the malady ignored this drug. I saw the tumors begin to
bloom again. And fast. Uh oh… I was shining </span><a href="https://dcau.fandom.com/wiki/Bat-signal"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Batman's signal for help bright</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> in the sky. Again.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
We cancelled the
2nd cycle of Aza / Romi. Time to try fall back on our first "backup"
- - a pretty new drug called Duvalisib. It has the status of "orphan
drug" - - the FDA provided financial incentives for its development
because it treats a rare disease with limited business value to the drug
makers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So what is
Duvelisib? Per <a href="https://lymphomanewstoday.com/2019/10/10/copiktra-receives-fda-orphan-drug-designation-for-t-cell-lymphoma/">Lymphoma
News Today</a>, this drug blocks the activity of two enzymes that enable
malignant B and T cells.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I keep my
expectations at bay - I don't need or want the emotional swings from an outcome
out of my control. To be sure, a lot rides on the success or failure of this
drug. </div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If Duvelisib succeeds and
puts the malady back to remission, then we get to undertake a less harsh
transplant procedure. A lower dose of chemo. Little to no total body
irradiation (TBI). Less damage to my body. An entirely outpatient
procedure. Yes!</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If Duvelisib fails, we
"fill the gap" with the usual thunder and lightning: high dose
chemo and total body irradiation. That pairing will damage my organs; and
mean more extensive Graft vs Host Disease afterwards. An in-patient
procedure with me & my body on life support for 2 - 3 weeks. A harsh
journey, indeed.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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Under my breath,
I chant, "Go Duvy! Go Duvy… "</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATc3ZQ0ZhrMU2r5odxde4UKecG0iwD5uM1ft0BFN7JTLcMJEyLeEVEm97Vt1cln_e59hbSDk6cyjBvAGwCBNaqY3wCnJYdm5YOo6k9v9cPhc0AWRfcJU9vO3hq6b7rxtyOSl8bg/s1600/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0014-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATc3ZQ0ZhrMU2r5odxde4UKecG0iwD5uM1ft0BFN7JTLcMJEyLeEVEm97Vt1cln_e59hbSDk6cyjBvAGwCBNaqY3wCnJYdm5YOo6k9v9cPhc0AWRfcJU9vO3hq6b7rxtyOSl8bg/s320/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0014-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Another great neighborhood.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Duvelisib = Relief Pitcher</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Oddly, the
paperwork indicates that this new drug Duvelisib is used only after other
regimes have failed. It is akin to a relief pitcher in baseball, eh? I wonder
why? Hmmmm…. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyUbFK0Kcqf4HyA1axI33tN2hs2tu0Z7fbUBQU4dllWWKrftCHBRsWQ12qVU3tDfZVXAe1vZFsBQPkqELjtXPYg5bgrqRaSnd_qyfX9GBDaBqVKVHGcoOKPPkCnltqdZWaLpd0A/s1600/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0004-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyUbFK0Kcqf4HyA1axI33tN2hs2tu0Z7fbUBQU4dllWWKrftCHBRsWQ12qVU3tDfZVXAe1vZFsBQPkqELjtXPYg5bgrqRaSnd_qyfX9GBDaBqVKVHGcoOKPPkCnltqdZWaLpd0A/s320/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0004-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Undulating, Part 1</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Spear? Phaser? Stun Gun? Water? Electric shock?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I believe cancer
treatment is perhaps as simple as choosing the right weapons. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
What will you
hurl, poke or otherwise apply at the opponent? And cancers have an ingenious
way of rolling with the punches. They take a beating from your weapon of
choice, retreat, seem to go into a period of introspection (it may be too much
to say greater self-awareness, but, I don't know) and emerge mutated and
smarter. The "old" weapon has failed to have a lasting effect. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
What we need is a
weapon that delivers a "lasting effect." That is, at least 5 years of
remission. Plain and simple.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Picture going
into a cage match. Your opponent is T-Cell Lymphoma. Someone whispers in your
ear that "the last guy to beat this bum used num-chuks." So you pick up
some num-chuks before entering the cage. A crazy, frenzied, wide-eyed battle
ensues. Num-chuks work this time around - - but only for a bit. When you stop
battling, your opponent is visibly healing and getting up to come after you.
Like one of the Terminator robots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sheesh, what's going on? You need to grab something else. And quickly!
Someone hands you a spear. And a concussion bomb. They don't work. Remember, we
are looking for a "lasting effect." Uh oh. You try boiling water.
Leaning on your creative side, you grab a simple blanket and a baseball bat
(Tony Soprano may be proud). No? Okay, then a bright light. Then a Star Trek
phaser. Followed by a Gatling gun. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
No? Seriously? <span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Shit. Shit. Shit.</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This opponent keeps getting back up. Oh man, this is
going to be a long match. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">There's only one round. And it ends in a consistent,
clear cut manner.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx6a_bcGIibHukfZwKybnCsL5PVnL5M93PH0vpE-z44AwHiE-BZWJZeRaiBChB7Vm1b9ybWt3nSah1HZIOdx6WnAgsHNHoAwHFXf76f0oTAAINVjQ1ZmBs0jrwk_CebDWKMb_tw/s1600/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0039-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1600" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx6a_bcGIibHukfZwKybnCsL5PVnL5M93PH0vpE-z44AwHiE-BZWJZeRaiBChB7Vm1b9ybWt3nSah1HZIOdx6WnAgsHNHoAwHFXf76f0oTAAINVjQ1ZmBs0jrwk_CebDWKMb_tw/s320/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0039-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Painted by the sunset.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">The Canary in My Coal Mine</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I am happy to
have personal "canaries in a coal mine" to help me see my cancer more
clearly. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As background - -
the more general term is "Sentinel Species." Historically, a sentinel
stands and watches over a problem area. Sentinel species were animals we used
to detect if there was a point of risk to humans. Different animals for different
warnings. To detect carbon monoxide in coal mines, us humans used canaries. For
air pollution, bees. Bubonic plague, rats. West Nile virus, crows.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
My "canary
in my coal mine"? I have two.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
First, a distinct
tingling in my underarms. When my cancer empire was at its height, my underarms
tingled all day long. That, even as they hid the largest and perhaps most
aggressive tumor - - the one I called "the Death Star" as an homage
to Star wars. The right underarm housed "Junior" - - a slightly
smaller tumor. The tingling stopped when drugs succeeded to contain my cancer.
I think it is nerve endings pinched when the tumor grows.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Example: My
tingling subsided during the TEC chemo regime. 3 weeks after the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>chemo stopped, the tingling was back. When
the Azacitidine began, the tingling diminished but did not go away.
Nonetheless, nothing was growing after we began the new regime. Then, between
dose 2 and 3 of Romidepsin, the tingling returned, big time. Throughout the
day. Think of a neighbor who makes uninvited visits, says some niceties, and
walks out. And returns in 30 mins. No pain. Just oddness. Hmmmm…</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The second
canary? Mom. I just have to look at her face as she looks at my face, and I can
see that something is amiss. Reading this canary is a bit trickier as the whole
reason she is here is that something has been amiss since November. Mom has
bursts of worry unrelated to the malady - - for example going for a walk in the
chill air will trigger "a look." Yet, akin to my tingling, I notice
when the level of worry adorning her face becomes more pronounced. The worry
morphs when it's not about the rain, the cold air, etc. but about the lymphoma.
Like going from a thin layer of makeup, to a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=kabuki+mask&sxsrf=ALeKk03HH_v4bzw63TgT60Eh8eAOAgYsqg:1591801166544&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiKu9a4wffpAhU8CTQIHUjtBa0Q_AUoAXoECBQQAw">Kabuki
mask</a>. At that point, I see nothing subtle. It makes sense too. There is few
things as unenjoyable as being the parent of a child gripped by a malady, no?</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
My canaries are
not worried about being polite to me. Or the medical team. Or finding the right
time to chime. They just do…</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHwN4PIwjvtWpwbO4DBhpy0MXK6XJVtKcZLUKzC4-gSClsu8EAT9JN61rMyyWt0K-3t8ftSo_siZVpJ87RJZqANE89ZQ7Bv0qtE5iGMLZNdchPWPYbyl1LzYypiqJoq8l3l8amA/s1600/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0137-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1433" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHwN4PIwjvtWpwbO4DBhpy0MXK6XJVtKcZLUKzC4-gSClsu8EAT9JN61rMyyWt0K-3t8ftSo_siZVpJ87RJZqANE89ZQ7Bv0qtE5iGMLZNdchPWPYbyl1LzYypiqJoq8l3l8amA/s320/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0137-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Inspecting everything and everywhere.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">The Plastic Nature of Our Faces, and Bodies</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
In losing 33
pounds, my face took on a lean look. Frankly, I didn't mind. I've been looking
for my cheekbones for years. I parted ways with "angled" and
"chiseled" when I graduated from U of I. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But I am now in a
very different place. The lean look is replaced by an odd geometry. A tumor by
the left ear has given my face a distinctly leftward lean. And a much larger
tumor under my right jaw extends my face in the opposite direction at the same
time.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJfLozmqolpyWe-yWk4suG2iIDfsYGaCns2Ry6bFr7KeDEqEtvPhRlxcUPDENC2ll5jDpC7boT9hMS-ow9w27nOvdEMaowHvRUhntr3gXq-aJAuuHPdF94HCWPCup-44WkfWdvA/s1600/3+Different+Faces+20-06-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJfLozmqolpyWe-yWk4suG2iIDfsYGaCns2Ry6bFr7KeDEqEtvPhRlxcUPDENC2ll5jDpC7boT9hMS-ow9w27nOvdEMaowHvRUhntr3gXq-aJAuuHPdF94HCWPCup-44WkfWdvA/s320/3+Different+Faces+20-06-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Evolution.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The odd shape of
my face - - right now - - </span><a href="https://dicktracy.fandom.com/wiki/Pouch" style="font-size: 11pt;">reminds
me of "Pouch."</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> He was one of the bad guys in the Dick Tracy comic
strip I used to read as a kid. The backstory goes that Pouch used to be
extremely obese and a circus attraction, but then he lost his weight, lost his
circus job and went into crime to pay the bills. And his face had folds and
wrinkles where he hid jewels, contraband, etc.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQRPjlxQbxjstpBeliCXwjqb1FaT4KG79swOKxbA37fG02fnclQkp7Pck5Vi_XkQFtMTFNqGoFXeOSaHMMv1V1W6GOBqD4eC33H2cTDGKqYrAAc8_hNWd8hcgYSswHLRc-f1k8w/s1600/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0060-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQRPjlxQbxjstpBeliCXwjqb1FaT4KG79swOKxbA37fG02fnclQkp7Pck5Vi_XkQFtMTFNqGoFXeOSaHMMv1V1W6GOBqD4eC33H2cTDGKqYrAAc8_hNWd8hcgYSswHLRc-f1k8w/s320/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0060-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>With my closest buddies.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Why Do We Pray?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I wonder, why do
I pray? The question arises every day when we meet to say the rosary. And when
I am alone and pray at the beginning and end of the day. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I am also curious
- - what does God want me to gain from my prayers? Does God care, or want, me
to pray? </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
All too often I
am praying with a simple intent in mind: I want a celestial cavalry to come in
to crush this stupid cancer. That has the simplicity one expects from a 6 year
old, no? </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But I wonder what
does God want? What's he looking for me to gain from the prayer? Perhaps it's a
deeper awareness of life? Perhaps God is less concerned about individual items
like cancer, disease, pestilence, disasters, war, unemployment, a new Xbox, dying
and death, or our successes. What if God's hope is that we better know all
about life? How good life is, how colorful, how fleeting, and how terrifying?
Perhaps a deeper view of such nuances help make external factors like cancer
more trivial, or at least a little less significant. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I don't know…</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKP9avEmbibOmU8tjW2hIUajW5PwVg32-jDL04KiRa39bF4rPJOoattbNBepfef5Tl98ZMkuH6AwrbAAEC7VqZCYBPgBHl94wGrjj5JlkkmrfeAxdXbwzrQhSH7iDj-rSd2lkv8A/s1600/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0170-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKP9avEmbibOmU8tjW2hIUajW5PwVg32-jDL04KiRa39bF4rPJOoattbNBepfef5Tl98ZMkuH6AwrbAAEC7VqZCYBPgBHl94wGrjj5JlkkmrfeAxdXbwzrQhSH7iDj-rSd2lkv8A/s320/US-2020-06-07-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0170-ToWeb.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Organic tower.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">We Don't Plan Our Passage</span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">An earth shattering event occurred in the life of a
friend from my MSFT days. This past week, his healthy & strapping 18 year
old son passed away in his sleep. How is this possible? </span>Just when I am
lulled into thinking there is a rhyme and reason to life, I am re-educated, by
life itself. One of the few truths is "now" and "today."
Even yesterday is a bit of a mirage in terms of my recollection of what exactly
happened, versus yours.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Yes, I have
cancer, but I've also had the sublime gift of many rich experiences
over several decades. I can laugh at my malady as it's "too late" for
the illness to take those away. When I hear of a young human who is gripped or
overtaken by an ailment or other event, I feel many precious future moments
being plundered from their timeline. And I feel very low. </div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkna0A_XCV1bdsRYDKXtmbohu5hMisS9QDyU_r6x-yRk0uqxvfFSfzBZYw2vhitIXX70Bu_JM6E4gNbkviZwiuKzVJm37cWRtBbkVpUNMvts5id9dxgELu3jSUDsp9JGaSQSOBZA/s1600/Winnie+Piglet+Today.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkna0A_XCV1bdsRYDKXtmbohu5hMisS9QDyU_r6x-yRk0uqxvfFSfzBZYw2vhitIXX70Bu_JM6E4gNbkviZwiuKzVJm37cWRtBbkVpUNMvts5id9dxgELu3jSUDsp9JGaSQSOBZA/s320/Winnie+Piglet+Today.png" width="247" /></a></div>
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<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ministry of Silly Walks</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
This
past Friday was one of the trippiest, surreal, moments of my life. Keep in
mind, it was "day 1" of the new drug too. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Again
all things begin with assumptions. I assume I will always be able to walk.
Smoothly. Without event. And with full control over my legs, my stride, my
gait, etc. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">The last mile of our normal 2.5 mile route was hard to
describe. What I experienced made me think of </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCLp7zodUiI">Monty Python's Ministry of
Silly Walks</a><span style="color: #222222;"> skit... </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My legs took odd strides.
At times, they were too straight, then too bent, & all other manner of
action in-between. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My left leg crossed over
my right leg. Again. And again. Then the right did the same so that I was
crossing over myself like a fashion model with an overly dramatic runway
walk.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Resting more during the
walk helped a bit as did taking much smaller strides. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Never
have my legs ignored orders. I watched in a combination of puzzlement and mild
terror. What the…? Will the same happen to my arms and fingers? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I
worried if Mom would notice and then worry. I did not want the Kabuki mask of
concern to return to her face. Then she asked, "why are you walking that
way?" So much for secrets, eh?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Later that night I experienced some slight loss of control in my hands. SCCA
indicated later that since it occurred on both sides of my body it's probably not related to a stroke or other such neurological event. Rather, my body may have been adjusting to the new drug, Duvelsib, introduced that same day, in addition to the presence already of Azacitidine. Hmmm…</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3MBvBrg8KXJ_hNZDwoP84OeRe1VfeSoYTWvctr19cS3o6lntGbnV9xiTLSFZ2GrPi9wWO4tXft-SVfqhnQbzNIl3hcrSjnj0XDOSc-JRIsNlQT2UawDeIXiWbJjj_p44w3933A/s1600/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0163-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3MBvBrg8KXJ_hNZDwoP84OeRe1VfeSoYTWvctr19cS3o6lntGbnV9xiTLSFZ2GrPi9wWO4tXft-SVfqhnQbzNIl3hcrSjnj0XDOSc-JRIsNlQT2UawDeIXiWbJjj_p44w3933A/s320/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0163-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Explosion of delight.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">A Time to Engage</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Lastly,
I sit in my immune-collapsed state and watch the world from a safe distance. In
shock and awe. Our world is in shambles. Disease. Then, rampant unemployment.
Then, a blithe disregard for prudent practices as bars, businesses open. Then,
protests from a festering lack of civil rights. Now, massive, spontaneous
crowds that seem more coherent than the federal gov't. Is that even possible? I
want to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">do something</span>
physical and kinetic. Work in food pantry. Protest in the streets. Embed myself
in the chaos and photograph the way police and looters are lashing out. In
truth, I have conveniently overlooked ways to engage from a distance as it is
less my preference - - like being part of the current political cycle. Yet I
will rethink my approach and stubborn mindset.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObAr5eK69JoZg2tV0-6DSm2OWrcuMhPD4vVDsILJK8-rJUrXo-5My5P8h2zx8ZQ1jxTjCTrhOuYw0jEPlWE07xh0QwhjMn0CdLC30UcNDqbfSSr_-Lyz1wVHQMipUKiZE_1zKcA/s1600/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0113-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObAr5eK69JoZg2tV0-6DSm2OWrcuMhPD4vVDsILJK8-rJUrXo-5My5P8h2zx8ZQ1jxTjCTrhOuYw0jEPlWE07xh0QwhjMn0CdLC30UcNDqbfSSr_-Lyz1wVHQMipUKiZE_1zKcA/s320/US-2020-06-09-Bellevue-Lymphoma+Flowers-0113-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Undulating, Part 2.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" style="color: blue; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Here is where you can find</a></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> related posts.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Have a wonderful day.</span></div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-86370004137552327792020-05-12T13:44:00.008-07:002020-05-15T07:32:31.077-07:00Adventure #2, as of May 12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Hi Folks,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Here's an update
on my adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes Floating in My Mind:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">God put rainbows in the clouds for a reason. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Maya Angelou</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what
life is made up of.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">~~~</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength
to endure a difficult one.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">~~~</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack
away at the unessential.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">~~~</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It’s not what you give, it’s the way you give it.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">~~~</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">A wise man can learn more from a foolish question
than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">~~~</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not
be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or
through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose
themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put
water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it
becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water
can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Six quotes from
the incomparable Bruce Lee</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Dear God, grant me </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity to accept things I cannot change,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Courage to change the Things I can, and</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Wisdom to know the difference.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Prayer of
Serenity</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these you learn to live again</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these you give and give again</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these you learn to love again</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these time and time again</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Foo Fighters,
Times Like These</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN291OZIFjctN0PtoRc5-4-5eLBK5JZMaxLWIB65Q-cOdz2LMXeFuSxsvaiQPflL4HQmkfEBMcV14xPa8yVZd8h1Qa4UJ428Cz-Hbjtm-uTRAS2h4gUSIoEjvJkBsFVPUrkmD4FQ/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0110-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN291OZIFjctN0PtoRc5-4-5eLBK5JZMaxLWIB65Q-cOdz2LMXeFuSxsvaiQPflL4HQmkfEBMcV14xPa8yVZd8h1Qa4UJ428Cz-Hbjtm-uTRAS2h4gUSIoEjvJkBsFVPUrkmD4FQ/s400/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0110-ToWeb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>A Bouquet Above</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Thanks You's</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">To Mom for all things
ranging from helping with the roses, the meals, and keeping things ship
shape.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Big, big thanks to my
sisters Susan and Cindy, and brother-in-law Chris.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">A huge thank you to my
extended family and friends for your well wishes and musings.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">A very notable thank you
to a group of friends who are helping me cushion the financial stress as
the transplant puts me out of work for yet another 12 months.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Thanks to Davis Uncle for
helping me understand my current treatment. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Thanks to my cousin
Niseema for the runs to CostCo and local Indian food stores.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Thank you to the tireless
and vigilant medical team at SCCA, including counseling, nutrition, social work, physical therapy and financial services; and particularly Team Coordinator Joseph
Delos Reyes, RN extraordinaire Beatrice Franco, PA Hematology-Oncology
Megan Shelby and Dr. Andrei Shustov. It's akin to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_strike_group" target="_blank">a carrier strike group</a>, mobilized against my cancer. I am humbled.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Last but by no means
least, a big thank you for including me in your prayers. It's perhaps the
oldest, and certainly one of the most powerful of antigens. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
It's been about 5
weeks since the 4th of 4 heavy cycles of chemo. We have changed strategies
because…</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Tumors…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> They are coming roaring
back. My underarms tingle, sometimes in an uncomfortable manner, from all
the hypermetabolic work underway. Again. Sigh…</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Energy
& stamina… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">So
far, things are okay here.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
chemistry… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">All
elements are in the healthy range, albeit at the low end. One exception is
my all important lymphocytes - - they continue to be just below the
recommended minimums.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
pressure…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">
Rising a bit.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Heart
rate… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Rising
a bit.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Body
geometry…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">
"Geometry" - - yes it's an odd term to use. But my tummy seems
to be growing, as is the left side of my chest (my left
"moob"?). But my muscles are still pretty minimal. Something is
afoot.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Weight…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> After a high of 162.8, I
am drifting down. Now at 160.8. This may be the weight scale itself as
it's no more than a consumer grade product. Or the lymphoma again
consuming tissue. Time will tell. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Financials…
</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">As of Jan 1,
the treatment cost is: $362,349.33. The discount the insurance company
received: $162,114.63. The amount my insurance company paid: $193,620.29.
My personal bill is now maxed at $6,900.00. More frightening: if I add the
Kaiser costs from Nov / Dec 2109, the tally is $483,470.72. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPnefNUiA7Qd4bhcK0EJaOO2MvVc9m3X5-C_wxtQYNnK3l-6BAA1P83qqNmvWfd-rG9ARmg8X2cKm6VaYacY6chcY6UvLQc_S5mAj3rfspnpcG49R7GDgS5v5j_0A_Qjhsj05-g/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0212-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPnefNUiA7Qd4bhcK0EJaOO2MvVc9m3X5-C_wxtQYNnK3l-6BAA1P83qqNmvWfd-rG9ARmg8X2cKm6VaYacY6chcY6UvLQc_S5mAj3rfspnpcG49R7GDgS5v5j_0A_Qjhsj05-g/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0212-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Out of Control Good Looks...</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 10.4px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
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<pre style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></pre>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Shape Shifter</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I wanted to share
an update. Less using facts and figures. More as a story. Please forgive the
length. Here goes…</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Consider a fast
moving illness. It doubles every week in my body. Like a car, moving at 130 mph
in the inky night, headlights turned off. Loaded with scary people inside. But
the sickness also responds just as fast to treatment, if and only if I find the
RIGHT treatment. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>That's my T-cell
lymphoma.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
By the time I get
to the right treatment, the lymphoma has a near stranglehold on my body. It's a
30 foot long anaconda that's engulfed its prey. I am the prey. I struggle to
exhale when I lie down, as odd as that sounds. (For myself, it was far more frightening
than odd.) I can barely walk 15 feet at a time. I need to sit in the shower and
on the toilet from the sheer exhaustion of "getting there." I've lost
30 pounds in 6 weeks, lost my appetite and struggle to stay hydrated. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>That was my
situation by the end of January, 2020.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Then I start my
treatment. The right treatment. Voila! It's clearly getting the right response.
Picture Genghis Khan and 400,000 warriors flooding the battlefield. Or
Alexander the Great and his carefully orchestrated Macedonian armies. Boom!
Literally the day after the first round of chemo, my tumors are 40% smaller!
Yes, that's right, in 24 hours, millions of tumor cells lie dead across the
fields and valleys of my body. It visibly shrinks bulky tumors. When I go home,
I can exhale. For goodness sakes, I can walk to the mailbox 3 houses away. I
notice the desire to eat, and guzzle a very, very large glass of water.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>Things are
looking up. </i></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
And they should -
- I have taken a chemo cocktail that's been carefully researched and tested at
Fred Hutch Cancer Institute. A heavy dose of 3 different drugs. Truly, SCCA
delivered a bludgeoning. A walloping. A heartless pounding to the malady.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Think of a person
scared of spiders, who comes across one. And beats it into the oblivion for no
good reason other than fear, or anger, or vengeance, and the need for peace of
mind that the problem has "gone away." That was the whipping my chemo
treatment delivered to my lymphoma.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>I feel good.
Cautiously good, of course. We never get our expectations up in this game.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
4 cycles later,
there's little to show for the T-cell lymphoma. But, there is… a little. Could
that be possible? Alas, the answer is yes. The PET scan indicates there is no
trace in many parts of your body, and in all but two remaining areas, it is
minimal. That's what we wanted to see. It's well below the all-important <a href="https://radiopaedia.org/articles/standard-uptake-value?lang=us">"SUV"
score</a> of 2.5. But, there are those two locations, the lymph nodes in my
underarms, where the score is 3.1 and 3.8. Sigh…</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Dr. Shustov, my
intrepid oncologist, suggests right then and there that we should shift to
biological drugs.<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">An "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetic_therapy" target="_blank">epigenetic approach</a>" - - where
you don't change the underlying genes in your DNA, but rather you help your
genes (currently fooled by your cancer) to again take the action they were
designed to take. Such treatment is more targeted as it does not harm healthy
cells the way that chemo treatment does.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Why? He says,
"If this lymphoma can survive 6 cycles of CHOP treatment, and 4 cycles of
TEC treatment, more chemo won't be useful to our goals. It will only be toxic
to the rest of your body. We need to change our approach." He explains
that somehow, the lymphoma has gained the ability to not permit enough of the
chemo to reach the nucleus of the malignant cells. It does not poison the
desired destination, just the rest of my body. And the effects of all chemo
treatments are cumulative on the body. Sheesh…</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
More incredible,
just 3 weeks after the final treatment, a new tumor begins to bloom, under the
right jaw. What starts as a puny but belligerent bump grows in 7 days into a
noticeable 1/2" sphere. And one of the former tumors by the ear that
disappeared after cycle 3 begins to re-emerge. And the tumors in both underarms
- - my version of "<a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Spidey%20sense">spidey
sense</a>" - - are tingling, again. Uh oh. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>If this was a
sci-fi movie, we would say we have a shape-shifter on our hands. </i></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
In 2016, my
lymphoma needed 6 rounds of CHOP to go into remission, and 3 years to bounce
back. But now after 4 rounds of TEC, it has bounced back in 3 weeks. From 3
years, to 3 weeks. My gut reaction? It is learning, mutating and morphing, like
a cancer. Shit, IT IS a cancer. Oh my. The bullet train in me is picking up
steam. I know this movie and I am ready. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
How do I feel?
Part of me sits in a cold, low level dread. Another part is in awe of my
malady's athletic ability. I've got an Olympian on my hands, or should I say in
my body? I am also dismayed. Preparations for the "next stage" - -
the stem cell transplant - - is making tremendous progress. From a pool of 18
possible stem cell transplant donors - - worldwide, mind you - - we have
identified a donor who is a) vetted for COVID-19, b) is still medically
eligible, and c) is a 10 out of 10 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_leukocyte_antigen">HLA match</a>. Why
the dismay? Because we need to put this current pesky issue to rest, before I
am eligible for the transplant.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
I meet again with
my oncologist. He is now even more defiant about the need to shift to
biologicals. Goodness, gracious me - - I am so lucky to have this guy on my
side. (I met Dr. Shustov pretty randomly, in a manner that can only be an act
of Divine providence. Proof of God can be found in so many places, no? ) We'll
undertake a different cocktail that has a dataset of good results. Shustov is a
data driven guy and I love this. The combo? </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">An </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histone_deacetylase_inhibitor"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">HDAC inhibitor</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> (drug: Romidepsin) helps
stop tumor growth by inducing cells to stop dividing rampantly, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">appropriate cell death</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_differentiation"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">cell differentiation</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">A </span><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/dna-methyltransferase"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">DNA methyltransferase</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> inhibitor (drug: </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azacitidine"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Azacitidine</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> or 5-azaC ) which is a DNA-modifying
enzyme that helps genes regain their ability to suppress
tumors. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Results to date
indicate a 50% response rate from Romidepsin + Azacitidine. I'll take those
odds.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
One good sign -
my health insurance approved the drugs. Both have been around long enough to be
available as a generic, which is good. But combining them is a rarity, so there
was a chance of pushback. But that did not happen.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>What if this
fails? We have backups.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
The first backup?
We will go for something that is newer, perhaps more interesting but has lower
response rates so far - - around 20% or 30%. It's called <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/immunotherapy/immune-checkpoint-inhibitors.html">Checkpoint
Inhibitors</a> such as Pembrolizumab (Keytruda). You see cancer seems to fool
our immune system <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6muq1smaVCQ">just
like this crook fools Inspector Clouseau</a>. This group of drugs helps the
immune system turn back on, take action and attack the cancer. It falls in an
area called immunotherapy.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
The second
backup? DNA analysis is underway of my tumor tissue to inspect 800 essential
genes. If any of 5 specific genes is not functioning as it should, we have a
druggable option that has an ~80% response rate. If I recall my stats courses
right, the overall probability is low - - 5/800 = 0.6% chance the druggable
genes can help. Now apply 80% for the outcome from applying the right drugs.
Total expected response rate - - 0.5%. I will take one step at a time.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
The "next
round" began last week. Let's see what transpires, no?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m_RdkHhamqksJkJkoqUjX-27I242wnlxG3maQF1_vBN8AYCPESSld0mlVl-6mp55rPjAQV6LaSuVTgIQLGh04vXGDi9_JMe31a8sjfS1wMfA6D4R1Qi3EO5xEXRJ4pjFHHoiWA/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0113-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="1600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m_RdkHhamqksJkJkoqUjX-27I242wnlxG3maQF1_vBN8AYCPESSld0mlVl-6mp55rPjAQV6LaSuVTgIQLGh04vXGDi9_JMe31a8sjfS1wMfA6D4R1Qi3EO5xEXRJ4pjFHHoiWA/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0113-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Another Beauty</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkC0xg2qQkvp4HHRCOAJ8a0tu7AXCxyaKffGGQEKs1NirnLFjsxU23y8ew7ZvPu-bERj2HrufkaLsOvzAT6kaaQaBVdngn-iDopP6qrTerYbwHO4QK1ol0UmWJs3ht6UyGy5Zdg/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0131-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwknnqzx6f4einc-3g6Po5g3QBoLg7kpYVs7onejZV0BaSdCpwuCCwH1eg674i6ngH_gw544t4rExBVuAfDFkOJmOu64PQV-p8flkmDA64xxor2WmsRfrwAnMPHD1yTKckbdX_w/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0131-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwknnqzx6f4einc-3g6Po5g3QBoLg7kpYVs7onejZV0BaSdCpwuCCwH1eg674i6ngH_gw544t4rExBVuAfDFkOJmOu64PQV-p8flkmDA64xxor2WmsRfrwAnMPHD1yTKckbdX_w/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0131-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b style="font-size: 11.7333px;">Other Worldly </b><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Bachelor's</b></span><b style="font-size: 11.7333px;"> Button</b></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Health Insurance For All</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Question for you
- - how would you feel if a $500k bill landed in your lap. Sounds nutty, no? I
know you're not an impulsive type. $500k = a new house. But you already have a
place, a mortgage, car payments, etc. Why did you do this, again?</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
But this bill's
not for a house, it's for medical costs. Damn! One of the few unplanned items
in our lives is sickness. Take my situation. I had no plans for cancer. 6
months of bills adds up to $483k. And fortunately I had insurance. Thanks to
Obamacare, in Washington State, my insurance cost about $20k annually between
premiums and deductibles. That's a lot, but less than $483k, no? But how about
the 27 million Americans who just lost their job-based health coverage (per
Kaiser Family Foundation)? They're in frightening territory, no? </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Hence, I am
increasingly a fan of some manner of national health insurance. It would lift
be a BIG worry for all Americans. About what? An unplanned and explosively
massive medical bill. It also has upside - - for anyone who has a new business
in mind, they are not chained to their current employer. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4QgvGO-NJUUgMyie3r3Ekfn0GViRQBGwq2FG43Fn6yZWd-Y2OMzSJA1sOIIoFYyxaF4Le5AfA4zVt-NSFH4AsX8fZm50LscrzfJFTy_kxAKS7P5QijbeuwbP-QY8cQTLci4m9w/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0165-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4QgvGO-NJUUgMyie3r3Ekfn0GViRQBGwq2FG43Fn6yZWd-Y2OMzSJA1sOIIoFYyxaF4Le5AfA4zVt-NSFH4AsX8fZm50LscrzfJFTy_kxAKS7P5QijbeuwbP-QY8cQTLci4m9w/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0165-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Two Precocious Twins</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Life Carries On</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
I think it is
helpful to have reminders, proof-points, and indicators that life carries on.
In a good way. All around us. In addition to, or oblivious of, our maladies,
struggles, etc. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
My intent is not
to suggest Life is callous. Rather, Life is a wide, wide river that does not
stop. At any moment when there's hardship, there's also grandeur, whimsy and
progress. </div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pop Quiz: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">What are 3 examples that come to mind of life
carrying on, in your life now? </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
For myself,
"Life Carries On" includes the following 7 examples. </div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">My
older one turned 18.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> Shoot! No way! When did he get past being this toddler
with a tummy that was not just roundish, but so perfectly rotund it makes
you think of touristy sculptures of Buddha? Now, he's lanky, sinewy, low
key and quietly mapping out a very different college future from that he
had in mind just months ago. One of the unchanging aspects of Paul is a
hearty, loud laugh. Some goodness stays the same, eh?</span></li>
</ul>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
</ol>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Sidd's Fab Cake; Mom's Feast; Lighting the Cake; Celebrating Via Zoom; One of Susan's Many Creations</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Another age related
example of "Life Carries On" - - </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">my younger sister turns 50.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> 50?? To paraphrase a
friend, "When did this happen? At times, she's still 9 in my world,
and I her teenage brother." I literally had to recount my sister's
life by decade. So much has happened. Geez, there's a lot of goodness
contained in such a long duration no? Do I only focus on my cancer, or do
I smile in disbelief? </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Unrelated to age, there's
just the idea of physical growth itself. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">One of my lads is 5' 9
1/2", the other just a pinch less than that.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; width: auto;"> Again, I ask,
"seriously?" I think there was a worry among my boys - -
"will I only be as tall as the shortest relative I know of, across
both sides of my family?" That is no longer the detail that they need
to fret over. And compared to the two toddlers that awkwardly rough housed
15 years ago, today's horseplay by Paul & Sidd is scary to watch,
given their speed, size and strength. Again, I get to choose what I
observe - - Do I watch this glorious rise, or let the cancer distract me
to lesser attractions like tumors? </span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJf4OUl8D2uKvEijnp5rUc5tvuoy-UVj4gQwuUx2E-cq_W2YuhpJWY-2qOCPwnyuNz-WuXYJP1BE-uZ5LufjW8jUQx8AgLRa-ufk7iba_7g34d4M3D43iYDP7mi7U2MttK3MyHkg/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0610-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJf4OUl8D2uKvEijnp5rUc5tvuoy-UVj4gQwuUx2E-cq_W2YuhpJWY-2qOCPwnyuNz-WuXYJP1BE-uZ5LufjW8jUQx8AgLRa-ufk7iba_7g34d4M3D43iYDP7mi7U2MttK3MyHkg/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0610-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;"><b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Three Amigos (or... Mom and the Two Behemoths)</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">In the
land of cooking,</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
I have always tried out new stuff. Having Mom here with myself means a
steady conversion of nuanced Indian dishes, from cryptic proportions and
actions, into a codified recipe. There's deep selfish value in having each
relative come and stay for an extended period of time, if you ask me. The
resulting recipes become an esteemed, permanent part of one's
"intellectual property of living." </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">One more
piece of cooking goodness</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - - 3 times in the past few weeks, I have had good luck
cooking new recipes. A lamb dish. A pork dish. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3TXMSv6Lw"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">And a pizza crust</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> so oddly simple to make
and yet, my boys said it was </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">the</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> best crust they had had,
anywhere. All this occurred under my roof? No way. ( I will paste the lamb
and pork dish recipes below.)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Mindful
walking.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Yes,
"mindful anything" always struck me as a high falutin' term.
What is that? But I have a better understanding of it now. When Mom and I
saunter around the neighborhood, we stop to scrutinize and marvel at
what's new in terms of buds and blooms. We're akin to flower cops, walking
our beat. She brings her deep and wide botanical knowledge, and I bring
nothing more than my camera to document a new flower from different
angles. By the end of each day's walk, we feel at ease, as we know of some
of the goodness being compelled out of the ground by the sunshine, water
and nutrients. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDkL9M7CLFVLAYORDqtuayTHh9CcvI_-HksF8BZTUDtqOLayxJFnu8RGZuiTdeOXytVrvBqjss0fWaqwLiinVDmkRDG2ipDbvCl9HjIB2_VBuVk35P63oQATHLgVT8F7Q_flTug/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0404-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDkL9M7CLFVLAYORDqtuayTHh9CcvI_-HksF8BZTUDtqOLayxJFnu8RGZuiTdeOXytVrvBqjss0fWaqwLiinVDmkRDG2ipDbvCl9HjIB2_VBuVk35P63oQATHLgVT8F7Q_flTug/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0404-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;"><b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Just Us Dandelions Here</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
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</tbody></table>
</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">One last example… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Daily
rosary prayers as a social habit.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> For me, prayers = more religion; pretty quickly, too
much religion. In truth I have learned my "religion tank" is
smaller than I had envisioned. Okay, so be it. But I had not expected that
meeting - - via Zoom - - to say a Rosary would be the vehicle for a daily
chit chat with some good folks. I have been self-quarantined since
December 2019 and this habit is very, very similar to friends meeting
after work for happy hour, or neighbors meeting at the backyard fence with
genuine curiosity and companionship for a "hello, how are
things?"</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
So yes,
"Life carries on" in so many ways. And all these help put my malady
in perspective.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5 Random Bits and Pieces</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Good News
Video.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> If you
need a smile, the latest </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDjNX3nEfYo"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">"Some Good News" video will help</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Good
Music.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> Thanks
to former colleague Dan Piling, I discovered Times Like These by the Foo
Fighters. Here's a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GElP4YdrBE"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">new version on BBC</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">. And an old one </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCUXXsP5WE"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">that gets my blood pumping</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">. (Thank you Dan from the
bottom of my heart.) </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">What will
"college" be in the fall?</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> My older son wonders, what just vanished? Typical
Freshman traditions seem shattered by COVID - - laboratory format classes,
football / basketball games, after-parties and after-after eating,
everyone seemingly smarter than you, meeting up with a new set of thought
provoking people, etc., etc. Who knows if colleges will really open up,
and for how long if they do before shutting down due to the second wave?
No longer does Paul assume he's physically moving into dorms for Freshman
year of college.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Time
flies. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">In
getting ready for my younger sister's 50th bday, a question arises again
and again: do I really know someone from 50 years ago? Do you ever ask,
"Wait, do I actually have a memory that is more than [ 20… or 30… or
40 ] years old? How much time has
passed in my life?" </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Time
vigilance. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">As
my health improved, so my use of time deteriorated. One example - I was
going to take photos of myself in my journey back to my target weight. But
instead, I have no progression of shots. Such a photo series would have
also captured the unexpected, like my left "moob" is larger than
my right due to the returning lymphoma, and my face has gone from too
skinny, to slender, to repopulated with tumors. I did not use time to
capture this morphing back to the odd side of the world. But I can restart
my time vigilance today.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Funky Side-Effect: Dysgeusia </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
This HAS to be a
classic spelling bee word, no? D-Y-S-G-E-U-S-I-A.</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
A new and trippy
phenomenon I am experiencing. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgeusia">My
sense of taste is distorted</a>. For starters, my tongue has a green tinge when
I wake up. Water has a metallic taste. And it goes downhill from there. It
lasts anywhere from a day to a week, depending on the individual.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BDxD70tq4EukYxzppascTVrzJ_a76IVjjxf79tYrarRZ_Xu6MmvDDF3Ky7N_KoN5Q0omA44aVSwbr2x-WM8pNSprcsYoCsJzqzOC7Q8yKDPQfAwlvTrHycYnSO_msjYk5_sylA/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0490-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BDxD70tq4EukYxzppascTVrzJ_a76IVjjxf79tYrarRZ_Xu6MmvDDF3Ky7N_KoN5Q0omA44aVSwbr2x-WM8pNSprcsYoCsJzqzOC7Q8yKDPQfAwlvTrHycYnSO_msjYk5_sylA/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0490-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>18, at Last... Thank God Almighty, 18 at Last!</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Two Recipes I Promised Above</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Lamb & Crispy Chickpeas, w/ Yogurt</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Serves 4</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">From the cookbook by </span><a href="https://amzn.to/361WWLD"><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Alison
Roman called Dining In</span></a><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Garlicky Yogurt</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 cup
full-fat or 2% Greek yogurt</span></li>
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 garlic
clove, finely grated</span></li>
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1
tablespoon fresh lemon juice</span></li>
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Kosher
salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Chickpeas ad Lamb</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">6
tablespoons olive oil</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">12 ounces
ground lamb</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">3 garlic
cloves, finely chopped</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1
teaspoon cumin seed</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Kosher
salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1
(15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1
teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #fa0000; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 large
or 2 small bunches of kale, or Swiss chard, or mustard greens</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Fresh
tomatoes, quartered, or Olive Oil–Roasted Tomatoes (page 38), for serving</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">DO AHEAD: Garlicy yogurt can be made 5 days ahead and
refrigerated; just know the garlic flavor will intensify.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">MAKE THE YOGURT SAUCE: </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Combine
the yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. </span></li>
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Season
with salt and black pepper and set aside.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">MAKE THE CHICKPEAS AND LAMB: </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Lamb: </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Lamb: </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in
a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, garlic, and cumin,
and season with salt and black pepper.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Using a
wooden spoon or spatula, break up the lamb as it cooks until it’s browned
and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes (the lamb will not be rare here; that’s more
than okay because it will be crispy, and in times like these, crispy is
better than rare). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl,
leaving the drippings behind.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Chickpeas:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">NOTE: I’ve tried to cheat the amount
of olive oil here, always astonished that I’d need that much to get the
chickpeas to be truly delicious, but it’s true. With too little oil, they’ll
burn before they crisp and become soggy rather than crunchy.</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Combine
the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, the chickpeas, and red pepper
flakes in the skillet with the lamby drippings and season with salt and
black pepper. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the chickpeas
are very well browned and starting to crisp up, 8 to 10 minutes. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Return
the lamb to the skillet and toss with the other ingredients, letting
everything mingle together. Remove from heat and transfer to a large
serving bowl, leaving anything in the skillet behind (you’re not done with
that skillet).</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Greens: </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #fa0000; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Separate
the leaves and stems from your greens, then thinly slice the stems and
tear the leaves into 2-inch-ish pieces and set aside.</span></li>
<li style="color: #fa0000; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Add the
chopped stems to the skillet and season with salt and black pepper. Cook a
minute or two, just to soften slightly; they should stay pretty crunchy
and fresh. Add the leaves and toss to coat until just wilted, 30 seconds
or so. Season with salt and black pepper, if needed.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Combine:</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">We add
the greens to the serving bowl of chickpeas and lamb </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Assemble: </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Option 1:
We will prep Indian chapatis, or you can use similar alternates like
tortillas. Smear yogurt sauce on a chapati, and add the mix of lamb,
chickpeas and greens. Eat.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Option 2:
Per the original recipe, smear yogurt sauce onto the bottoms of four bowls
and top with the chickpea and lamb mixture, sautéed greens, and tomatoes.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pork Noodle Soup w/ Ginger & Garlic</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020927-pork-noodle-soup-with-ginger-and-toasted-garlic?te=1&nl=cooking&emc=edit_ck_20200315&campaign_id=58&instance_id=16733&segment_id=22252&user_id=54bc99d087256861c5a9d9ffbb284270&regi_id=3479786220200315">NY
Times</a></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Serves 4 - 6 in
35 minutes</div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">3 tablespoons neutral
oil, grapeseed, vegetable or canola</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">8 garlic cloves,
thinly sliced</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 pound
ground pork</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1
½ teaspoons red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> Kosher
salt and black pepper</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">4 cups
chicken broth</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">3 tablespoons
soy sauce or tamari, plus more to taste</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 large
bunch pea leaves or spinach, thick stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 tablespoon
finely grated fresh ginger (from about a 1 1/2-inch piece)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">6 ounces
rice noodles (thick- or thin-cut), cooked and drained</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">½ medium
red, yellow or white onion or 3 scallions, thinly sliced</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">1 cup
cilantro, leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">PREPARATION</span></div>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Heat vegetable
oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Add garlic and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the slices become nicely toasted and golden
brown, 2 or 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic and set aside.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Add pork and
red-pepper flakes to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, using
a wooden spoon or spatula to break up large pieces, until the pork is well
browned and in small bite-size pieces, 5 to 8 minutes.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="color: #fa0000; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" value="4"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Add chicken broth, soy sauce and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer
and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes or so, until the pork is very tender and
the broth tastes impossibly good. (Give it a taste and season with salt,
pepper, red-pepper flakes and soy sauce, if you want.) </span></li>
</ol>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" value="5"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Add
pea leaves, half of the onion slices, and all of the ginger. Stir to wilt
the leaves.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">To serve,
ladle soup over noodles and top with remaining onion, cilantro and toasted
garlic..</span></li>
</ol>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-86188777564370612422020-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:002020-04-29T12:40:49.616-07:00Adventure #2, as of April 26<br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Hi Folks,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Here's an update
on my adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>. To acknowledge spring, I will include a few shots of blooms in our neighborhood.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes Floating in My Mind:</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">“You are only entitled to the action, never to its
fruits.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Bhagavad Gita,
chapter 2, verse 47</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">“Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Jack London,
American novelist</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">"Never postpone a good deed which you can do
now, </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Because death does not choose whether you </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">have or haven’t done the things you should have done.
</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Death waits for nobody and nothing. </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">It has neither enemies, nor friends."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Indian proverb (
see "This Magic Moment" below )</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The highest level of mastery is simplicity.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Most information is irrelevant and most effort is
wasted, but only the expert knows what to ignore.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
~~~</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">When you say no, you are only saying
no to one option. </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">When you say yes, you are saying no
to every other option.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">No is a choice. </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Yes is a responsibility.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
~~~</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">You are only as mentally tough as your life demands
you to be.</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">An easy
life fashions a mind that can only handle ease. </span></li>
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">A
challenging life builds a mind that can handle challenge. </span></li>
<li style="color: #0070c0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">Like a
muscle that atrophies without use, mental strength fades unless it is
tested.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">When life doesn't challenge you, challenge yourself.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
James Clear</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">You know that old trees just grow stronger</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">And old rivers grow wilder every day</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Old people just grow lonesome</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there,
hello"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
John Prine, Hello
in There</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">You cannot give orders to a volcano, the volcano
decides.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Dr. Andrei
Shustov, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, commenting on the Federal response to
COVID-19</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Treating a disease is science, treating a patient is
art.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Dr. Andrei
Shustov</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks You's</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mom has always been a
personality of her own, and her presence for me is peerless. Thank you!</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Same huge thanks to my
sisters Susan and Cindy, and brother-in-law Chris, for the questions
raised and ideas shared.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A huge thank you to my
extended family and friends for your well wishes and musings.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A very notable thank you to a group of friends who are helping me cushion the financial stress as the transplant puts me out of work for yet another 12 months.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A special note to my
cousin Lena for pointing out things like John Krasinski's "</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug/videos"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Some Good News</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">" network.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank you to the tireless
and vigilant medical team at SCCA, particularly Team Coordinator Joseph
Delos Reyes, RN extraordinaire Beatrice Franco, PA Hematology-Oncology
Megan Shelby and Dr. Andrei Shustov </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last but by no means
least, a big thank you for including me in your prayers. It's perhaps the
oldest, and certainly one of the most powerful of antigens. </span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3B6dF0i6s0nbKI3zIT3fpAQ71DmxCzCGCuqE904fPGLgX6IPWd6_ul0A35gkW1mdRZGMSu52JHnlr9EL6Sk_wH-4ofwellF18opTfMQV9I1dMY__MEkhpCXnSXILe14I2kFgT3Q/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0078-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3B6dF0i6s0nbKI3zIT3fpAQ71DmxCzCGCuqE904fPGLgX6IPWd6_ul0A35gkW1mdRZGMSu52JHnlr9EL6Sk_wH-4ofwellF18opTfMQV9I1dMY__MEkhpCXnSXILe14I2kFgT3Q/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0078-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">The view on our </b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>daily</b></span></span><b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;"> walks</b></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I just completed
a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography">PET scan</a>
and we have updated our gameplan - see below. </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tumors…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Pretty much gone after 4
rounds of heavy chemo treatment. In all instances the tumors are either
not to be found or dramatically smaller.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Energy
& stamina… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
addition to the long daily walks, about 4 - 5 times a week I follow along
to a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBMk30rjy0o"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">20 min full body workout</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> (poorly, to be clear) and
then take a short run (if you can call it that) of about .4 miles. It's
pretty unsightly, but it's a start. "Don't let the perfect get in the
way of the good" as they say.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
chemistry… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It
is recovering but very, very slowly. The slow rise into normal ranges is
proof of the deep damage to the bone marrow.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
pressure…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
Looking good.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Heart
rate… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Looking
good.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Weight…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> I am approaching my 165
lb goal - - in this case, the trick is to </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">NOT </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">surpass it. My weight has
risen from a low of 139 pounds, to now 160.2 pounds. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cancer Treatment Gameplan - Any long journey has tunnels…</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">And this tunnel is a long one… </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography">PET scan results</a> are good, but not stellar. </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The "SUV" (</span><a href="https://radiopaedia.org/articles/standard-uptake-value?lang=us"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Standardized Uptake Value</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">) should be less than 2.5 but
the tumors in the underarms were 3.1 and 3.8. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This could be either a)
normal if the lymph nodes are responding to sickness, but I am not under
the weather; or b) low level lymphoma still persisting. We don't know for
sure. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Two pathways
exist, each with its own non-trivial risks:</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Proceed "as is"
to the stem cell transplant.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Take time to administer
biological drugs, then undergo a transplant.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Proceeding
"as is" to a transplant requires starting with a very high-dose of
chemo and radiation. High dose = a hospital stay of 3+ weeks. High dose =
damage to all my organs. High dose = a longer period of added vulnerability to
COVID-19. On the other hand, high dose should wipe out any lymphoma that's
present. </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">The risk:
</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If the
initial dose doesn't eradicate the lymphoma, the malady has free reign on
a defenseless body for the following month at least.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Taking time for
biological drugs may eradicate any measurable presence of the lymphoma. That
lets the stem cell procedure begin with a lower dose of chemo and treatment.
Lower dose = an outpatient procedure; I sleep at home at night, not in a
hospital room. Lower dose = easier on my organs. Lower dose = less
vulnerability to COVID-19. </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">The risk:
</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We need a
treatment regime that actually works. If the biological drugs fail and the
lymphoma grows, the stem cell treatment is "off the table." </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Therefore, in
both treatment approaches, failure has big implications.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">So we are taking
5 actions:</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Biopsy: </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tue, 4/21, I had a </span><a href="https://www.oncolink.org/cancer-treatment/procedures-diagnostic-tests/biopsy-procedures/core-needle-biopsy"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">core needle biopsy</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to pull samples from
right underarm. Why? To do a battery of tests and in about 2 days, know if
I still have lymphoma.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Biological
drug regime: </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thursday
I will start getting a biological drug for 2 cycles of three weeks. Why? </span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If there is lymphoma, it
has "survived" 2 different treatment regimes (CHOP in 2016, and
TEC in 2020) comprising 6 different chemo drugs. It reminds me of an old
Timex slogan, "</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">takes a licking and keeps on
ticking</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">."
The lymphoma could prob take 10x more chemo according to Dr. Shustov and
survive. But more of the same would be bad for "the rest of
me." The toxic nature of all the chemo treatments is cumulative on
our bodies. Yikes.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To use a biological drug
is to shift gears - </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histone_deacetylase_inhibitor"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">it is an HDAC inhibitor. </span></a></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Try an
unproven treatment, perhaps:</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> There was a recent very limited trial that showed
promising results from combining a different drug called Duvalisib </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">when combined </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">with an HDAC Inhibitor. If the biological drug I take
does not do enough, this may be something Shustov will recommend but it's
still early stages in terms of its effectiveness.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">DNA
analysis: </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We'll
be analyzing the DNA of the biopsy tissue. Why? It is a long shot - - but
we are on the hunt, like the FBI or Interpol. Of 800 essential genes, 5
genes (TET2, IDH1, IDH2, RHOA, DMT3A if my notes are accurate) play a role
in suppressing tumors. If we find these are in play, there's a drug that
has good outcomes that can help these genes.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Transplant:</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> We are on "wait and
see" until COVID-19 chills out in state of WA, and, to some degree in
the US. Sigh…</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">…but there's one piece of light at the tunnel's end:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
SCCA notified me
that from the worldwide database of possible donors, not only were there 18
people who may be a match ( "that's a lot," according to Dr. Shustov
), but one has a 10 out of 10 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_leukocyte_antigen">HLA match</a>, has
agreed to be a donor, and has been tested for COVID-19. That sounds like light
at the end of this long tunnel.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
If you want to be
a similar source of light for someone, be a donor. Visit <a href="https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/">Be the Match</a>, the <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/clinical-research-division/research/cceh-donor-program.html.html">Fred
Hutch website</a> or <a href="https://wmda.info/donor/basics-donation/">World
Marrow Donor Association</a>.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaT6bUsLBYPF4J_CP5HT9ZHSWUeBZl_FMb3uVZ4I36wqJWoaib22Lv0RlIlwMI56P7Uf8mVTudlwaOB0LAX8lQv9Hw5sciRY6RfweESGLCX9PUcekO_g6fp4Dpt-K-_u-xl8n-Q/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0060-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaT6bUsLBYPF4J_CP5HT9ZHSWUeBZl_FMb3uVZ4I36wqJWoaib22Lv0RlIlwMI56P7Uf8mVTudlwaOB0LAX8lQv9Hw5sciRY6RfweESGLCX9PUcekO_g6fp4Dpt-K-_u-xl8n-Q/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0060-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>No such thing as getting too close to a flower, no?</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">How drastically will COVID-19 change our lives? From caterpillars to butterflies?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
We <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">were</span> in "Phase 1" of life, before COVID-19. Over the next few months we <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">will</span> change, as we finally figure out and settle into a "Phase 2" - - that may last 2 years. When a vaccine is widely available, and the COVID-19 era ends, we'll <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">discover</span> "Phase 3." Everything will change, yet again.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
I have visualized our current world as a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=caterpillar+entering+its+chrysalis&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&sxsrf=ALeKk03bNnnFeZ1UJzgNekbP0EhkM0-EKw:1587565384110&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwid45v2nfzoAhXUuZ4KHVSFBy4Q_AUoAXoECBUQAw&biw=1707&bih=803&dpr=1.13">caterpillar, entering its chrysalis</a> (or many caterpillars and many chrysalis, for the many different situations and scenarios being challenged worldwide). A new world, and our new lives, will emerge from its cocoon, or innumerable cocoons. The new habits may be as unrecognizable to the old routines, as a butterfly is to the caterpillar, no?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikD99MFbq2kcK2Y8DCOsRv3G1MslfNZ3LXFZvIuuHiR-B4jRfco-DaQ41jLDgHk0Z3GffV755ZzAbaDvaJSjTEkqdtwxNc7V9eUG2jFAa3OyrBz5B835czN_0eIGzMEy0VC-Y4aw/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0137-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikD99MFbq2kcK2Y8DCOsRv3G1MslfNZ3LXFZvIuuHiR-B4jRfco-DaQ41jLDgHk0Z3GffV755ZzAbaDvaJSjTEkqdtwxNc7V9eUG2jFAa3OyrBz5B835czN_0eIGzMEy0VC-Y4aw/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0137-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>From dandelion to amazing puppa</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sometimes, a B+ grade sucks.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
When I was in
grade school, only one grade was acceptable to me. An "A." It was a
loose indicator that I understood the material. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
In similar
fashion, I was looking for the PET scan to report<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> great</span> results. That would suggest the tumors are so minimal we no longer can detect them.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Alas, such was
not to be. It boils down to a <a href="https://radiopaedia.org/articles/deauville-five-point-scale?lang=us">Deauville
score</a> - - mine was "<span style="font-style: italic;">partial response 4</span>"
- - a good score but not a stellar one. I was looking to achieve a 1, 2, or 3
from this round of chemo. Dr. Shustov indicated that when you have bulky tumors
(the one in my left underarm was the size of a large lemon) it's not surprising
some of it remains. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But… I am still
stunned and dismayed. Hadn't we just delivered a massive pounding to the cancer
(and the rest of my body) with 4 heavy cycles of chemo? Think of a large
squadron of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress">B-17
Flying Fortresses</a> pounding a target in WWII, or <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=B-52s+carpet+bombing+in+the+Vietnam&sxsrf=ALeKk02PmQ0ZpxLlnFk8DHji-I1gYsPKEA:1587533356343&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXipjOpvvoAhUVJjQIHRc6CDwQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1920&bih=937">B-52s
carpet bombing</a> in the Vietnam War. I am astounded that in the end, some of
the mutated malignant lymphocytes still survived. Inconceivable, no?</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Sigh. We can only
focus on what we control. Yes, a "great" score would mean this threat
has passed, at least for now. And that we can choose a less toxic transplant
procedure, which is all the more important in a time of COVID-19. I am pretty bummed
but less than I expected, as I kept my expectations muzzled. Perhaps our
updated gameplan will get to full remission. Let's see, no?</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-YGISgacwsd1KNtzOsi5kQ15JxzFzzoDq0KtsGbYoAFOSXKMKJRhFJoVvsFc0Kg-jw1IgTbu5uTD8Tz3gXvCQ-fyGtEO8P4n99xqxcJyv8RrmbH_Z6z0wO7XCckd1DsWS66QEQ/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0103-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-YGISgacwsd1KNtzOsi5kQ15JxzFzzoDq0KtsGbYoAFOSXKMKJRhFJoVvsFc0Kg-jw1IgTbu5uTD8Tz3gXvCQ-fyGtEO8P4n99xqxcJyv8RrmbH_Z6z0wO7XCckd1DsWS66QEQ/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0103-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Look up, and what do I see?</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Laughable stamina and strength. For me, that is…</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
On Sunday, April
5th, I resumed a tradition from last summer. Working out. It was pretty funny
for me to watch myself. ( "Meta-watching," perhaps?) Particularly
compared to last summer. Back then, most days I would follow along <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBMk30rjy0o">to a 20 minute YouTube
workout</a>, no problems. About 3 times a week, I then headed out for a 3 mile
run. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
What was it like
on April 5th? The polite answer is "ambitious." More bluntly,
"you gotta be kidding me." A clumsy and embarrassing affair. I was so
happy no one watched me. Each of the 30 second exercise segments was at least
18 seconds "too long." Lungs heaving. Eyeballs popping. Muscles not
just failing, but in outright protest. To my surprise, it was also illuminating
- - I learned I have no shoulder muscles. They are in worse shape than my
glutes. Pushups were the litmus test. I could get in the starting position, but
did I have the strength to lower myself? Nope. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Then came the
run. How long? I decided to try to run down the street about 200 yards - -
that's right, I am measuring in yards, not miles - - stop, turn around, and run
back. Again, not an elegant affair. Tiny strides. No power of any kind. Inhales
that pulled in a thimble's load of air instead of buckets. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Nonetheless,
getting out into the spring air is sublime. I have repeated this routine
perhaps 7 times, with very little progress. But it will change. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCko1Z7RtXee8tJszL-XkczfckAeqxC0dV4ggafy3gigr5yfl1q9ffZ1P_sG1Yw2ocIpuKwy5hTaoiVza6wHjK73JhUv3JivlN6du7BdAuJj-CJZXS6wmrkLJGPzge8r2ZJhKmTg/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0256-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCko1Z7RtXee8tJszL-XkczfckAeqxC0dV4ggafy3gigr5yfl1q9ffZ1P_sG1Yw2ocIpuKwy5hTaoiVza6wHjK73JhUv3JivlN6du7BdAuJj-CJZXS6wmrkLJGPzge8r2ZJhKmTg/s200/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0256-ToWeb.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Almost jumping jacks</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKj4byNtQUB4B2NeAe_mi-xdoqXecvEeYecc12MziHNeqW2znOmqvgsNgjbqtkkGopYg2jIUqgXuWhKg3LKPqhWvxeN6al8-eqHIPzEb5-yuBbQgmTltvzItRCke3hgH6UMoYUA/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0260-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKj4byNtQUB4B2NeAe_mi-xdoqXecvEeYecc12MziHNeqW2znOmqvgsNgjbqtkkGopYg2jIUqgXuWhKg3LKPqhWvxeN6al8-eqHIPzEb5-yuBbQgmTltvzItRCke3hgH6UMoYUA/s200/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0260-ToWeb.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>A very, very short run. But run it is...</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">"This magic moment" may never happen again.
Don't wait until tomorrow.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
You NEVER know
which is the last instance of a particular routine. Our only choice? Act
"fully" in the current moment. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
A recent example:
a few times a week I have dropped the boys off near their high school. My
intent: take THE canonical photo of them walking to school. Capture how they
chat along the way. How they are dressed. How they are loaded with backpacks
and duffle bags. How they are surrounded by fellow students all going the same
way. Buses rumbling by, sunrise shining through, and a morning rush
crescendo-ing to the 8 am start time. One Friday I had in mind to take
"that shot" but did not push myself in that moment.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
To date, I did
not achieve this mythical photo. "Next time," I would say - - we have
the rest of the school year to get the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">right</span> shot, right?</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Perhaps
"Next time" is a terrible mindset? It makes us soft in the moment. We
don't bring our best game to bear. One alternative: a "Never again"
mindset. As in, we are not repeating this moment, or coming back here, anytime
soon. Think about vacations. We apply a "Never again" attitude. I
know it does something different to my head. I think of our trip to Vietnam, or
any other notable destination. The <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">only</span> phrase in our heads and hearts is "Never again."
The upshot: we take in every moment - - be it a walk, a meal, or a photographic
moment.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As for that
perfect shot of the boys heading to school… you know the outcome. That very
day, my fair State of Washington declared schools would close for 3 weeks. All
instruction would occur online only. This was followed by news that school
would occur online for the rest of the year. And Paul will graduate so there is
no future school year to get that photo "next time." </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Sigh. Do it now.
Whatever it is that's important to you. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheihp-mtqkHrKhX8_GEurIeBZ4BzcvxDXElqlAtxLVGWwt29pCWmQ_5xAT0FedgT7rCVTTCAKZcnU-6VPtdQbMwZivwwCZINJDM5IfaGbnWrlViEeYbPYKdRO2qxllo8zImOoLPQ/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0075-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheihp-mtqkHrKhX8_GEurIeBZ4BzcvxDXElqlAtxLVGWwt29pCWmQ_5xAT0FedgT7rCVTTCAKZcnU-6VPtdQbMwZivwwCZINJDM5IfaGbnWrlViEeYbPYKdRO2qxllo8zImOoLPQ/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0075-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Look up again!</b><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Free Courses from Coursera! And
Content from Netflix</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">COVID-19 means more time on our hands.
What to do with it? Here's two choices that are promising. For a limited time,
Coursera is offering free certificates for 85 courses. </span><a href="https://eventing.coursera.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.Gzhw-BYPoBuyUOb2nJ4VtO7MRryOPr5MV-NCZqhN2W8"><span style="background: white;">Here is the full list</span></a><span style="background: white;">, instructions with to access them.
And in similar stride, Netflix has enabled free access to some shows </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2020/04/18/netflix-just-put-a-ton-of-its-shows-and-movie-on-youtube-for-free/#1e0d869037c1"><span style="background: white;">by putting them on their YouTube channel</span></a><span style="background: white;">. Nice!</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">Prescient Passage?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I am not one to
make 1:1 connections between a religious passage and the current world
(frankly, I have enough struggles just "acting like Jesus" to quote
my Dad, and with the core tenets from the established religions)… But, on a
recent walk, one of our neighbors shared the passage below. What struck me was
the 3 calamities cited and how they map to today's world.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">“When I shut up the heavens so that
there is </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">no
rain</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">, or command </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">locusts</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;"> to devour the land or send a </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">plague</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;"> among my people, if my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their
sin and will heal their land.”</span> — 2 Chronicles 7:13-14</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
3 phrases jumped
out at me…</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"no rain"</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - is that what caused the massive fires in Australia?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"locusts"</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - is that referring </span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=locusts+in+africa&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&oq=locusts+in+af&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l6.2826j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">to the 200 billion now in
Africa</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"plague"</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - is that COVID-19 engulfing our entire Earth?</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Perhaps now is
when we take a moment to pause, reflect and retool our ways. Not that we have
evil ways but gosh life is pretty blustery. All too often, we carry on at a
breakneck speed, no? If you drive a car like that, you're bound to bump into
something. Our current moment has allowed for the land to heal -- both in a
literal sense - - see how <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/23/coronavirus-pandemic-leading-to-huge-drop-in-air-pollution">pollution
is clearing up</a> - - and in terms of our day to day routines. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Battle Gear</span></div>
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All the
discussion of PPE brought a memory back. In early January, I was admitted to UW
Med Center under the suspicion that I may have some manner of contagious
"herpetic response." It turned out to be nothing more than mucositis
which is not contagious. But in the meanwhile, I was placed in a "reverse
pressure" room and all visitors had to be equipped accordingly. Including
Mom. Today, I would not have been admitted - the focus is COVID-19. I cannot
imagine being rejected by the hospital, going home to live thru my miserable
state without help from skilled staff. It's such a new world for all of us.
Pray for the sick folks who need attention despite COVID-19.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJEYOsZoc3lWpeQOKG7E01E9h-LumG5SZboY0dcln2Z9AhH5eKMCa3H2hhdVEj5k9LxrL04r24COtwtrthwPW8t_JTzFyVk7amqbLIiwOPG2N59jDe8bAjJ-gfNJ2GsrRRAGyvg/s1600/Mom+in+gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="1600" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJEYOsZoc3lWpeQOKG7E01E9h-LumG5SZboY0dcln2Z9AhH5eKMCa3H2hhdVEj5k9LxrL04r24COtwtrthwPW8t_JTzFyVk7amqbLIiwOPG2N59jDe8bAjJ-gfNJ2GsrRRAGyvg/s320/Mom+in+gear.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Protection in today's world...</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Working at home, with kids present, around should earn
overtime pay</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I was on a call
with one of my sons' teachers to share tips about using Microsoft Teams. I
think I learned as much as she did. But not about Teams. For me the lesson was
a re-introduction to the distractions and stress of working from home with kids
orbiting continuously. Her young daughter interrupted on a regular basis, her
best friend had just been furloughed for 90 days, her lesson plan needed to be
100% online with less than a week's notice, and her primary teaching tool was
something completely new to her. All her colleagues were in a similar boat but
didn't have the usual in-person interactions to commiserate and iterate
together. What a hot mess.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At the end of the
call, I remembered when Paul was a toddler… </div>
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<br /></div>
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I
would be up very early each morning to take care of the boys and use the time
to catch up on work. When he awoke, he would amble over in a fuzzy onesie,
wearing a big grin. After getting him a milk, he insisted on sitting on my lap.
Picture a delicate mop of baby hairs obstructing my laptop screen. The
situation takes touch-typing to a new level. Once he was done with his milk, I
could buy some time by handing him a small, chunky "DK Publishing Visual
Dictionary" to thumb thru.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
One
day, my toddler son made a big effort to turn around in my lap. Wearing a
triumphant smile, he handed something to me. A gift? How nice! I stopped what I
was reading. It was a tiny thingamajig. A letter "P" - - where did he
get that? Then it became clear it's some kind of tile that has the letter P on
it. He's babbling in a melodic, excited way as I look at this trinket. Oh no,
it all makes sense. I look at my keyboard: like a tooth knocked out of a
boxer's mouth, the keyboard has a concise gap between the "O" and the
"[" keys. His baby hands were small enough to pry out a keyboard key.
The letter P. My son slides out of my lap, still jabbering on about his
accomplished mission, takes the 2nd sippy cup of milk to his little brother,
and goes back to bed. My email will need to wait as I figure out how to return
this esteemed gift to its original location. ( Luckily, it snaps back into
place - how ingenious. )</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
A whole day of
such distractions? Sheesh, that's a different story altogether, no?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVput5FnWQ4buEQ1aQFNRBydZHm9L2pGY3LkryEZQHceg5FA7jEWQuBLSrn1uKTl2YyMWmQUumpdTh7TbmGu1C-55NM4LdGfjGi-LFrKXvqiiHuIb0DxHr9-bmLYwpui3TvxbmA/s1600/0397530-R1-066-31A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="768" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVput5FnWQ4buEQ1aQFNRBydZHm9L2pGY3LkryEZQHceg5FA7jEWQuBLSrn1uKTl2YyMWmQUumpdTh7TbmGu1C-55NM4LdGfjGi-LFrKXvqiiHuIb0DxHr9-bmLYwpui3TvxbmA/s320/0397530-R1-066-31A.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Hard to imagine productive work if the boys were this young. <br />(Sidd ~few months, Paul 1 1/2 years old)</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Life carries on</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Yes there's
maladies that change our lives in huge ways. Be it cancer, COVID-19, or one of
many others. But it's still only a part of our existence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Hard as it may
be, celebrating these "other parts" of living is vital. Each includes
moments that only come by once. In our case, my older son, Paul, has heard from
the 4 colleges he applied to (he had a 50% success rate and he is elated of where
he can choose from), he turns 18 in a couple of days, and will take his
driver's test too. So…. we had a grand feast yesterday. The chef was Mom, the
sous chef was Sidd. The featured items on the menu? Cutlets. And of course,
Biriyani. Both reviewed and approved by Paul. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The first toast?
It was Mom, declaring <span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">"To life!" </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Let's "Coronavirus" together</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
For all of us
life is both terrifying and amazing. On the one hand, COVID-19, Lymphoma, other
maladies & calamities. On the other hand, family celebrations, friendships,
humor, whimsy. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The quarantine is
a great chance to flex our muscles, dial up the amazing, dial down the terror. We create magic when we are kind and connected to our physical and virtual village of
neighbors, family and friends. So make time, say hi (by phone or computer) and
check in on each other. For all parties, the kindness will feel good and not be
forgotten.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-0jts62dVRrsU-RmjcSgsgODRhWlF2KYtN0QpJPeCY7b_rH-mH3HkpZeFtM-99lXUbd5Wzk7f_DtObnkM2q4kriC1WNYuUM_4VMcjYYE47LV6n9ZboiyTXy44P2fSbJc8hfHpw/s1600/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0226-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-0jts62dVRrsU-RmjcSgsgODRhWlF2KYtN0QpJPeCY7b_rH-mH3HkpZeFtM-99lXUbd5Wzk7f_DtObnkM2q4kriC1WNYuUM_4VMcjYYE47LV6n9ZboiyTXy44P2fSbJc8hfHpw/s320/US-2020-04-22-Bellevue-LymphomaCovid19-0226-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Mom and I wish you the best - stay safe!</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara (click for larger image)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> related posts.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span> </div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-71253738855300382972020-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:002020-03-30T20:05:37.429-07:00Adventure #2, as of Mar 30<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Hi Folks,</span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
My chemotherapy is done. I am <i><b>so elated</b></i>. Day 3 of 3, of
cycle 4 of 4, as of Saturday, Mar 28. So, I thought it good
to send an update on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
<br />
<br />
But given the stress of these times, if you would like, "virtually" join me to dial down our daily stress. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Breath in, hold for 5 or 10 seconds. Breath out,<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">hold for 5 or 10 seconds.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> Repeat 5 times. Okay let's go...</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes Floating in My Mind:</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Difficult days need not be dark. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
JFK in the 1963
state of the union address:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">It is not that we have a short time
to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently
generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were
all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no
good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize
that it has passed away before we knew it was passing. So it is: we are not
given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but
wasteful of it… </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Life is long if you know how to use
it.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Seneca</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Friendship is unnecessary, like
philosophy, like art, like the universe itself… it has no survival value;
rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
C.S. Lewis on
true friendship, from one of his classic, brief books, <a href="https://amzn.to/3ayOvZG">The Four Loves</a>.</div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">A village is so central to us humans. And yes, I have
often pondered, what happens when we are alone, or without a web of people to
help and cheer us on? COVID-19 is forcing the same observation on millions. Man
oh man, I doubt I would survive without my family & friends. I am an
extreme case, what with about 50 cousins, uncles and aunts (and friends on top
of this). I live a rich, perhaps peculiar life I like to call the
"intangible jet set." </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Abe…</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Set aside 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in
the evening to do nothing but worry about the future. Sit at a table, make a
list of all your problems and then think about them. But as soon as the time is
up you must stop worrying, and whenever those worries come back into your head
remind yourself that you can’t contemplate them again until your next worry
time. You have given yourself permission to postpone your worrying until the
time of your choice. Remarkably, it can work. It puts you in control.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Ad Kerkhof, Dutch
clinical psychologist</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks You's</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A big thanks to Mom for
more things that I can include here. One example is the extra caution
during COVID-19. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thanks go to my sisters
Susan and Cindy, and brother-in-law Chris, again for the COVID-19
vigilance.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To family and friends
dialing in daily, via WhatsApp and text messages to check in. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last but by no means
least, a big thank you for including me in your prayers. It's perhaps the
oldest, and certainly one of the most powerful of antigens. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
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I have completed
4 rounds of chemo - with no side effects, which I find surprising. I am so <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">very</span> happy. Each round was an
intense, 3-day, 3-cocktail dosage. While it did real damage to the tumors, it
also has been very hard on my bone marrow. There's only so much of this
pounding it can take.</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tumors…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> "Round 4" of
chemo is doing the desired damage. The tumors have pretty much vanished.
Now it's a waiting game until we get the PET scan where we can
definitively assess progress. I need full remission to proceed to a stem
cell transplant.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Energy
& stamina… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mom
and I now walk about 90 mins a day. And I am using 5 pound weights in my
exercises. So good progress compared to January.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
chemistry… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If
you look at my #s, you'll see I am anemic, and most aspects of my blood
chemistry are low. That's to be expected but it's slowly coming back.
We've limited the # of transfusions, which is good.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
pressure…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
It's also in a better place. On Sunday, Mar 29, it was 112/68, way down
from where it's been for the last 3 months, at around 130/85.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Heart
rate… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I was
thrilled to see today it was 84, down from a zippy 100 to 120 beats per
minute for most of the past 3 months.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Weight…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> The rise is steady but
the "distribution" (on my body) is not. I am now up from a low
of 139 pounds, to 154.2 pounds. My goal is 165. But I see it first
accumulating on my tummy (why always the tummy, no?) and my face. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Financials…
</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I just
realized I have not included this. It's pretty stunning and an example of
why everyone needs health insurance. Billed since Jan 1, 2020: a whopping
$242,066.03. The discount the insurance company received: $117,887.58. The
# amount my insurance company has paid to date: $111,263.59. My personal out of pocket is now maxed at $6,900.00 (aside from monthly premium payments).</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The less obvious implications of COVID-19 for
healthcare</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The COVID-19
dragon is putting all non-COVID medical procedures under pressure. Including
cancer treatment - it's relevant to any non-trivial medical procedure.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">COVID-19's Messy Underbelly: </span><span style="background: white;">COVID-19 engulfed China's healthcare systems in a way
that is less known. People with critical "non-COVID-19" medical
situations were often told their time-sensitive treatment was delayed or
cancelled due to the lack of availability of beds, staff and supplies. All
medical resources were diverted to COVID-19. We know how many people died from
COVID-19. What's undocumented is the # of people who died as a result. So, we
don't know how many people COVID-19 killed.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background: white; font-weight: bold;">The Underbelly's Implications To My
Treatment Plan: </span><span style="background: white;">Now we see COVID-19
complications arising in the US of A. How funny - we have viewed the US as a
nation with bottomless resources. That was a mirage. The reality - we have had
it good for decades and sat on our heels. We had a </span><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/25/trump-coronavirus-national-security-council-149285"><span style="background: white;">pandemic playbook</span></a><span style="background: white;"> and supporting team, both of this were tossed aside. And then our
President and his surrogates meandered from it is a "Democratic
hoax," to "It's a pandemic" and then to "We can go back to
normal life by Easter" - - well that creates a real kettle of fish, no?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background: white;">In a discussion with my oncologist, Dr. Shustov, he
indicated that many stem cell transplants are being delayed if: their chance of
success is low - - a Hail Mary if you will; they err toward the other end of
the spectrum.</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background: white;">Why the delays? Because COVID-19 creates three
categories of risk:</span></blockquote>
</div>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Infection related risk</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> - - that
is, while undertaking the stem cell transplant and being severely
immuno-compromised, one could acquire COVID-19.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Logistical
risk</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal;"> - - that is, from travel issues created by
COVID-19: at the time we are to execute the procedure, what if the donor
tests positive for COVID-19? Separately, will the airlines permit the
courier who normally accompanies the donation? If not what happens as the
protocols are pretty hard and fast. "Thinking out of the box" in
these situations can create added chaos.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Infrastructure
related risk</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal;">- - that is, from shortfalls in the medical
infrastructure in case of complications during the treatment: UW bed
capacity; shortage of nurses, physicians and other staff; intubation
capacity; shortage of blood supply as transplants can be blood intensive.</span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
have competing problems. First, if we wait, there's risk of the cancer
rebuilding itself as not ALL malignant lymphocytes were eradicated. Second, we
proceed now, I may encounter the infection / logistical / infrastructure risks
mentioned above. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">So what to do? Focus on what we control. It's the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer"><span style="background: white;">Prayer of Serenity</span></a><span style="background: white;">, in action.
Get a PET scan in a few weeks as that is needed in any event to prove we are in
remission. Get a DNA profile of my tumors (we did a biopsy so we have the
tissue) to see if there's a "biological" drug that can help keep the
cancer at bay, potentially. Finally, see how COVID-19 progresses in the US over the next
couple of months and decide how that changes timing for my transplant.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_fl_G5h-yHA71ICXIXKD7ot0YrlosbZ-zjL63G5gy0PuHsVFCATvxqHRbtEDuFQYAQ_vuG9GdZdLTzw6qvBqcc9YapeAZwXfCWoHunJ5xttUddz8S3y3CUgVr3CRBDnZTV2tfw/s1600/US-2019-11-16-Bellevue-Lymphoma-0046-2-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_fl_G5h-yHA71ICXIXKD7ot0YrlosbZ-zjL63G5gy0PuHsVFCATvxqHRbtEDuFQYAQ_vuG9GdZdLTzw6qvBqcc9YapeAZwXfCWoHunJ5xttUddz8S3y3CUgVr3CRBDnZTV2tfw/s320/US-2019-11-16-Bellevue-Lymphoma-0046-2-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>With Dr. Shustov before starting "round 4" of chemo...</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Finally, I am getting meat on my butt</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
For the past 3
months, I have not sat on a wooden chair - it's a collision of my butt bones
and the chair. But, as my weight goes up from 139 to the 150's, my "own
cushion" is coming back. Now, I can sit on a wooden chair for more than 3 mins.
How nice!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">COVID-19 primer and other useful resources</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Mostly for my own
education, I jotted down a list of items regarding the virus. You can <a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-19-primer_24.html">find
it here</a>. NY Times has a vivid, visual article, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/11/science/how-coronavirus-hijacks-your-cells.html">How
Corona Virus Hijacks Your Cells</a>. And here's a video that does a nice job
giving a historical view of the past few months.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwjgBOZfd3cRtOKsTLTqo0fbXvLz5JjIQ8CINomXIYdPWRFly8IWK8S3lgC-8kVnsocOtqYkeg0ISY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Humor and prayer are vital nowadays, no?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I have been
thinking a lot about how humor helps in these times that put uncertainty and
worry into our minds. "Good foolishness" fills our lungs with laughter and releases the
pressure we feel in our chest and hearts. Jimmy Kimmel has shared some
excellent whimsy. Like this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LNc6B4JrI">41 second silliness</a>. Or
what happens when an <a href="https://youtu.be/1yS4MBk-y1E?t=316">Italian
priest tries to use SnapChat for a mass</a>. And Trevor Noah's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JINuIu0Th-Q">Daily Social Distancing Show</a>.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The sidekick to
humor? Prayer. To the extent we can pray more, I think it helps. And in truth,
I know I don't pray much at all as a fraction of any 24 hour day. It's such a
potent tool. <a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2020/03/side-convo-your-lessons-on-reflection.html">Here's
a reflection I jotted down</a> about this topic. Below is a screengrab of
"connecting with my village" via a Zoom call with my sisters, an aunt
and an old friend.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Pyef9v45PWKqwIBX_y9cG9-U0F4PJvljRO4u4FUL0LV6pvlj0WZynw6RuMY1bxd3dQ9WB3s0l6D2ST_K33VylCjjdJWv60ewOr3r8c41fa6Zc9QJf6mJEKAuF-E5KYPLqzPOKQ/s1600/Rosary+Zoom+call.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1133" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Pyef9v45PWKqwIBX_y9cG9-U0F4PJvljRO4u4FUL0LV6pvlj0WZynw6RuMY1bxd3dQ9WB3s0l6D2ST_K33VylCjjdJWv60ewOr3r8c41fa6Zc9QJf6mJEKAuF-E5KYPLqzPOKQ/s400/Rosary+Zoom+call.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Daily Zoom call, to pray, & catch up with each other</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Living Mindfully - 9 tips</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Here's a few
points that I thought are good, quick reference as we hunker down in our homes.</div>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Perspective -
choose how you see your life</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kindness - towards
yourself and others</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Compassion - be in the
shoes of others </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Acceptance - resistance is
futile</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Composure - let go of
impatience</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Communication - engage
gently</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Appreciation - smell the
roses</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dedication - stick with it</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Presence - live more aware of each moment</span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Closing thought, part 1: from British philosopher, Alan Watts</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
There is merit to
the underlying idea - - learning not to think in terms of gains and losses.
Life's too nuanced and complex, no? Here's an observation and timeless story I hope
you like.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Observation: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">The whole
process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s
really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad —
because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you
never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Timeless story: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">Once upon a
time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his
neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your
horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.” The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">The farmer steadfastly refrained from thinking of things in terms of gain or loss, advantage or disadvantage, because one never knows… In fact we never really know whether an event is fortune or misfortune, we only know our ever-changing reactions to ever-changing events.</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<b>Closing thought, part 2: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Of note, it's well worth our collective time to pray for the health of all the front line workers across the world. Nurses, EMTs, doctors, fire fighters, etc., but also grocery workers, those in warehouses, driving trucks, etc. They all make our world go round the "right way" in the face of COVID-19.<br />
<br />
And... pray for all the folks whose medical procedures are delayed and in limbo. Give them strength.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" style="font-size: 11pt;">Here is where you can find</a></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> related posts.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Have a wonderful day.</span></div>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-55549765942308070202020-03-27T12:48:00.000-07:002020-03-30T11:07:18.204-07:00Side Convo: Your Lessons on Reflection & Prayer<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">It strikes me
that prayer & reflection are central to a life of high self-awareness. It's
a powerful element in our arsenal of good living. Be it the bad stress created
by COVID-19, or stage 4 cancer, job issues, relationships, etc. Or the good stress of something mildly to
deeply enjoyable.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">I am very curious about your lessons on prayer and
reflection. </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">How often do you do it?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Is it conversational for
formal?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Is it explicitly with your
God or higher entity, or more general, a reflective discussion with
yourself, or both?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">What do you most often say
or do?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">What's your habit when
there's a "big moment" coming in the next week, day, hour, or
most importantly, in the next minute? </span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I would often start a
day, or go into a stressful moment by whispering, </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"Dear God, I pray I am with you in the baptism of
today."</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
Baptism refers more to the act of plunging into a depth of water. The
idea being, in my view God is always with me, but I may have a tendency
to go it alone when I get stressed. The poem </span><a href="https://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/38987.html"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Footsteps in the Sand</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> made me ponder this
notion years ago.</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Are there phrases that
slip out of your mouth in good times and also in bad that you would share?</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When I went to college
and was wowed by a good looking girl (happened very, very often) I
discovered myself saying,</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;"> "Thank you
God. Thank you God. Thank you God."</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Why three times? I don't know. I have since
expanded it to the many things that mystify me - my boys, great food, an
exquisite moment with someone or some people, etc.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But at my age I
am pretty set in my ways, hence the desire to expand, hard as it will be. I am
curious, how can I do it better? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">More questions…</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
What do you find
"works for you" in terms of prayer and reflection? </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Is there a cadence:
weekly, daily, hourly or other? </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Is it spoken, or more done
in written form?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Is there a time of day -
mornings, end of day, something else?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you pray or reflect
alone or with someone, or more than one person?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you follow the
traditions of one of the formalized religions? If so, what do you like to
do? </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you have set prayers
akin to the ones Catholics use? </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Or do you have a different
focus like Life, Mother Earth, or some higher being you choose. Again, how does that come to life? </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Some of my own observations</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm NOT spending too much time praying</span></div>
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I find it's easy
to think I am over investing my time into prayer. But is that true? </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The other day I challenged
myself to look at the numbers, </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"Abe, in 24
hours how much time are you talking about? Okay so let's look at the
data."</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
have timed myself saying the Catholic Rosary. On my own I can complete it
in 17 minutes. Yes that's zippy - - one may say too zippy. But, it's only
1.1% of a 24 hour period. Seriously? 1.1% of a day is over investing? </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>There's goodness in informal and formal approaches</b></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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Yes, I do have
fleeting comments to God all day long, every day. About worries, victories and
mysteries. This started perhaps at 10 years of age, I think. That's why I like
and the quote by Elliott in the prior posting, </div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Dear God, I think about you
sometimes even when I am not praying… Elliott</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Yet, there's a
power to setting aside time.. to "pray." Full on. No distractions. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Some memorized
prayers are my favorite as they are so well written. Akin to an elegant,
concise, & articulate poem. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But canned
prayers carry risk: they let me day dream. Of grocery lists. Laundry. A joke by
Trevor Noah. So many things. So I read the prayers out loud even though I know them by
heart - it seems to help a lot to focus my mind.</div>
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<br /></div>
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One counter to
day dreaming (if you can find ways to minimize this tendency) are that the
benefits of prayer are very similar to mindful meditation. You have a focus,
and then you lose it. You regain it. Each time you regain it, it's akin to
lifting weights and building muscle. In this case, of your mindfulness.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxcqKj8cpp5z1UNoh84_hgOBgoYI7OoCDd5FOBzXZcWlxTVgKoAepp4h469nuBFjYddX6nq-4e4O1l7D4tU2KY0e9PwlpGEICm2Bu63ZHnVlcTilnBxOF5kDMpNusOvv2nk8gvg/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0223-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="1600" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxcqKj8cpp5z1UNoh84_hgOBgoYI7OoCDd5FOBzXZcWlxTVgKoAepp4h469nuBFjYddX6nq-4e4O1l7D4tU2KY0e9PwlpGEICm2Bu63ZHnVlcTilnBxOF5kDMpNusOvv2nk8gvg/s200/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0223-ToWeb.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>From Rome - it still has the fragrance of roses after 3 years</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKosl9ZtOdwwoktt3Zl00EfmveDq25V9MuFGRyY-tRUH2nYyLtprbnCvzDt83C-esLxckSmNTnSjckdiEgM_DsxqiqvRj8nSK1tBRO7LPPSSO3z_oHBToUjbhagWxT8nvi8xmYg/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0224-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKosl9ZtOdwwoktt3Zl00EfmveDq25V9MuFGRyY-tRUH2nYyLtprbnCvzDt83C-esLxckSmNTnSjckdiEgM_DsxqiqvRj8nSK1tBRO7LPPSSO3z_oHBToUjbhagWxT8nvi8xmYg/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0224-ToWeb.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Close-up of the necklace</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_ad9LA2nAV2VdXYvRI3TaNt5e0evVgdQkHYWJX34KO28VwUZnRhgeFJpojIkRKvHYVdD4AvIiSiaoJ_6uK1g6Kq1wVhbuy35swCtDYUIQ7QtXeyoyh906uXMAo2srtoKzBsXiQ/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0225-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_ad9LA2nAV2VdXYvRI3TaNt5e0evVgdQkHYWJX34KO28VwUZnRhgeFJpojIkRKvHYVdD4AvIiSiaoJ_6uK1g6Kq1wVhbuy35swCtDYUIQ7QtXeyoyh906uXMAo2srtoKzBsXiQ/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0225-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>My Aunt Valsa brought this from Lourdes, France</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQbExGgsG7_Mm4EFTaqWqfbv2bQbkQKC8s4CHE_HhJ3Wi9u0-89OVX_Y5jiYkYEXGPYUeNk5XmzPgd130U29xhaPCz4Bv21-qgwhTyxSkjxm-UYeDtX1Keo3K9noCvHxKVH7PXQ/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0226-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1600" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQbExGgsG7_Mm4EFTaqWqfbv2bQbkQKC8s4CHE_HhJ3Wi9u0-89OVX_Y5jiYkYEXGPYUeNk5XmzPgd130U29xhaPCz4Bv21-qgwhTyxSkjxm-UYeDtX1Keo3K9noCvHxKVH7PXQ/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0226-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>In this space is some of the holy water of Lourdes</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">A new habit: The Catholic Rosary</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 14.6667px;">I find prayer needs to be a habit. Twyla Tharp, in her excellent book, "</span><a href="https://amzn.to/2ycUS6l" style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 14.6667px;">The Creative Habit</a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 14.6667px;">" mentions that you don't negotiate with your habits. For decades she has woken up at 5:45 am, changed, hopped in the cab and headed to the dances studio. Boom.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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To my surprise, I discovered, or created, a non-negotiable habit: the Catholic Rosary. Frankly, it seemed too much to do daily. The ~20
mins sounds like <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">forever</span>.
Now, due to my cancer treatment, we invited others to join, and join daily.
Inviting others took away my chance to negotiate with myself. Later? Earlier?
What about dinner? Etc., etc. All of that went away. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We meet via Zoom
at 6 pm PST. That let's folks in other time zones in the US join. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The varying lag
times for the audio is not ideal. Yet, there's magic in doing it together. I
cannot pin down exactly why. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I am still pretty
new to a Rosary - I have done it partially right / wrong for decades. Here's a
cryptic summary followed by the prayers, as an FYI:</div>
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A = Apostle's
Creed</div>
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O = Our Father</div>
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H = Hail Mary</div>
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G = Glory Be</div>
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My = Mysteries -
said before each "decade" </div>
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M = Memorare</div>
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HHQ = Hail Holy
Queen</div>
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P = Prayer to St.
Peregrine, Patron Saint of Cancer</div>
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<br /></div>
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The overall flow
of the prayers is as follows:</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Apostle's Creed, Our
Father, 3 Hail Mary's, then Glory Be. That is: A,O,H,H,H,G. I like to say
a possible Aramaic version of Our Father for this instance. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">See below.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Then 5 "decades"
of: declaring one mystery based on the day of week, then 1 Our Father, 10
Hail Mary's, and a Glory Be. That is: My, O,H,H,H,H,H,H,H,H,H,H,G</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ending with Memorare, Hail
Holy Queen and St. Peregrine: M, HHQ, P</span></li>
</ul>
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Two points on
"how" it is carried out:</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Text in black is what the
person leading a section says, </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">text in blue</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> is said by everyone else.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Each decade can and
usually is said by a new person</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<span style="background: white;">The Apostles'
Creed</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">I believe in God, the father
almighty, creator of heaven and earth,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">I believe in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">He was conceived by the power of
the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">He descended to the dead.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">On the third day he rose again.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">He ascended into heaven and is
seated at the right hand of the Father.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">He will come again to judge the
living and the dead.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">I believe in the Holy Spirit,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">the Holy Catholic Church,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">the communion of saints,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">the forgiveness of sins,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">the resurrection of the body,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and the life everlasting. Amen.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">Our Father</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">ARAMAIC VERSION </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">(Not sure of the veracity of this
but I like it and say it for the 1st instance)</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">"Oh Thou, from whom the
breath of life comes,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">who fills all realms of sound,
light and vibration.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">May Your light be experienced in
my utmost holiest.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Your Heavenly Domain approaches.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Let Your will come true - in the
universe just as on earth.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Give us wisdom for our daily
need,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">detach the fetters of faults that
bind us,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">like we let go the guilt of
others.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Let us not be lost in superficial
things,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">but let us be freed from that
what keeps us off from our true purpose.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">From You comes the all-working
will, the lively strength to act,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">the song that beautifies all and
renews itself from age to age.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Sealed in trust, faith and truth.
Amen"</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">TODAY'S VERSION:</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Our Father, Who art in heaven</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Hallowed be Thy Name;</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Thy kingdom come,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Thy will be done,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">on earth as it is in heaven.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Give us this day our daily bread,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and forgive us our trespasses,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">as we forgive those who trespass
against us;</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and lead us not into temptation,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">but deliver us from evil. Amen.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">Hail Mary </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Hail Mary, full of grace,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">the Lord is with you.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Blessed are you among women,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and blessed is the fruit of your
womb, Jesus.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Holy Mary, Mother of God,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">pray for us sinners,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">now and at the hour of our death.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Amen.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">Glory Be</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Glory be to the Father,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and to the Son,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and to the Holy Spirit.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">As it was in the beginning,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">is now, and ever shall be,</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">world without end.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Amen.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">The Joyful
Mysteries (Monday and Saturday) </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">1st joyful mystery - The
Annunciation of the Angel to Mary </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">2nd joyful mystery - The
visitation of Mary to Saint Elizabeth </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">3rd joyful mystery - The nativity
of Jesus in Bethlehem </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">4th joyful mystery - The
presentation of Jesus to the Temple </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">5th joyful mystery - The finding
of Jesus in the Temple </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">The Sorrowful
Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">1st sorrowful mystery - The Agony
of Jesus in the garden</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">2nd sorrowful mystery - The
scourging of Jesus at the pillar</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">3rd sorrowful mystery - The
Crowning with Thorns</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">4th sorrowful mystery - The
Carrying of the Cross</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">5th sorrowful mystery - The
crucifixion and death of Jesus</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">The Glorious
Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday)</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">1st glorious mystery - The
Resurrection of Jesus Christ</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">2nd glorious mystery - The
Ascension of Jesus to Heaven</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">3rd glorious mystery - The
Descent of the Holy Ghost </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">4th glorious mystery - The
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">5th glorious mystery - The
Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">The Luminous
Mysteries (Thursday)</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">1st Luminous Mysteries - The
Baptism of Jesus</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">2nd Luminous Mysteries - The
wedding of Cana</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">3rd Luminous Mysteries - The
proclamation of the Kingdom of God</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">4th Luminous Mysteries - The
Transfiguration</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">5th Luminous Mysteries - The
institution of the Eucharist</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">Memorare</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Remember O Most Gracious Virgin
Mary,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">that never was it known</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">that anyone who fled to your
protection,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">implored your help or sought your
intercession,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">was left unaided.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Inspired with this confidence,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">I fly onto you O Virgin of
Virgins, my Mother;</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">to you I come; before you, I
stand,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">sinful and sorrowful,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">O Mother of the Word incarnate,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">despise not my petitions;</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">but in your mercy hear and answer
me.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Amen.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">Hail, Holy Queen</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Hail, holy Queen, Mother of
mercy,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">hail, our life, our sweetness,
and our hope.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">To you we cry, the banished
children of Eve;</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">to you we send up our sighs,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">mourning and weeping in this land
of exile.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Turn, then, most gracious
advocate,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">your eyes of mercy toward us;</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">lead us home at last</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">and show us the blessed fruit of
your womb, Jesus:</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">O clement, O loving, O sweet
Virgin Mary.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Pray for us, oh Holy Mother of
God,</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #2f5496; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 2pt;">
<span style="background: white;">St. Peregrine,
Patron Saint of Cancer</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">St. Peregrine, whom Holy Mother
Church has declared Patron of those suffering from Cancer, I confidently turn
to you for help in my present sickness. I beg your kind intercession. Ask God
to relieve me of this sickness, if it be his Holy Will. Plead with the Blessed
Virgin Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, whom you loved so tenderly and in union
with whom you have suffered the pains of Cancer, that she may help me with her
powerful prayers and loving consolation.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">But if it should be God’s Holy
Will that I bear this sickness, obtain for me courage and strength to accept
these trials from the loving hand of God with patience and resignation, because
he knows what is best for the salvation of my soul. St. Peregrine, be my friend
and patron. Help me to imitate you in accepting suffering, and to unite myself
with Jesus Crucified and the Mother of Sorrows, as you did. I offer my pains to
God with all the love of my heart, for his glory and the salvation of souls,
especially my own. Amen.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">O great St. Peregrine, you have
been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker," because of
the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had
recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous
disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the
source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored
with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction.
Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you. </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">(Pause here and silently
recall the names of people who </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">are alive and have cancer
for whom you are praying)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Aided in this way by your
powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song
of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-85223439528595911872020-03-24T15:17:00.002-07:002020-04-05T12:07:18.596-07:00COVID-19 Primer<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt;">My cousin Lena forwarded a summary from an assistant professor</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt;">at Johns Hopkins University,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt;"> focused on infectious diseases. This expert put together a fantastic list of bullet points regarding
COVID-19 which I found super helpful. After some thought, I regrouped them into
3 buckets to make it easier for myself to digest.</span><br />
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">Hope you find this helpful too.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">About the Virus</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">The virus is not a living organism, but a protein
molecule </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat), which,
when absorbed by the cells of the ocular, nasal or buccal mucosa, changes
their genetic code (mutation) and convert them into aggressor and
multiplier cells.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since the
virus is not a living organism but a protein molecule, <b>it is not killed,
but decays on its own. </b>The disintegration time depends on the
temperature, humidity and type of material where it lies.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">The virus is very fragile;</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> the only thing that
protects it is a thin outer layer of fat. That is why any soap or
detergent is the best remedy, because the foam CUTS the FAT (that is why
you have to rub so much: for 20 seconds or more, to make a lot of
foam). By dissolving the fat layer, the protein molecule disperses
and breaks down on its own.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">The virus molecules remain very stable in cold, moist,
dark environments.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> For instance, in external cold, or artificial
cold like air conditioners in houses and cars. They also need
moisture to stay stable, and especially darkness. Therefore,
dehumidified, dry, warm and bright environments will degrade it faster.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">The virus CANNOT go through healthy skin.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">What Works / is Helpful</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Hand washing is critical. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You have to wash your hands
before and after touching mucosa, food, locks, knobs, switches, remote
control, cell phone, watches, computers, desks, TV, etc. And when
using the bathroom.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Warm water helps a LOT as heat melts fat and hence, the virus;</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> this is
why it is so good to use water above 25° Celsius / 77° F for washing
hands, clothes and everything. In addition, hot water makes more
foam and that makes it even more useful.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">You have to moisten hands that lose moisture from so
much washing</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">, because the molecules can hide in the micro
cracks. The thicker the moisturizer, the better. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Also keep your nails short </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">so that the virus does not
hide there.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Alcohol </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">or any mixture with alcohol over 65%
dissolves any fat, especially the external lipid layer of the virus.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Listerine may work! </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt;">The product sold in Canada is 65% alcohol.</span></li>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Bleach... </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12pt;">Any mix with 1 part bleach and 5 parts
water directly dissolves the protein, breaks it down from the inside.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Oxygenated water</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> helps long after soap, alcohol and
chlorine, because peroxide dissolves the virus protein, but you have to
use it pure and it hurts your skin.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">UV Light appears to break down the virus protein</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> on any
object that may contain it. For example, to disinfect and reuse a
mask is perfect. Be careful, it also breaks down collagen (which is
protein) in the skin, eventually causing wrinkles and skin cancer.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Added item) <b>Microwaving food, clothing, etc. appears to be useful.</b> Microwaves agitate water molecules and other "hydroxyl groups" that have a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an oxygen atom. So heat up take out food - 2 mins at least if you have an 800 watt device. <a href="https://regenexx.com/blog/coronavirus-episode-12-does-a-microwave-kill-coronavirus/" target="_blank">See more info here</a>.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">(Abe suggestion) </span><b style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Gloves are more useful than masks. </b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Per the guidance of my medical team at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, i</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui";">f you don't show the symptoms of COVID-19, wearing an N95 mask has no advantage, especially since they require fit-testing for a good seal. You, with no symptoms, wearing one </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui";">simply means one less mask for a healthcare worker who really needs it on the front lines. Puh-lease, don't do that! A better practice? </span><b style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Use old fashioned gardening gloves</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui";"> to protect your hands when you shop - - and touch things like a shopping cart, buttons on credit card machine, gas pumps and door handles. An added plus: while your wearing them it'll remind you to NOT unconsciously touch your face. Once home, wash the gloves in warm water and soap, or douse with 65% alcohol. Then, then wash your hands with soap and warm water.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="background-color: white;">(Abe suggestion) <b>Wash / clean your cell phones and other devices at least weekly.</b> You bring your mouth to your cell phone when you talk. You put your fingers all over your laptop, iPad, etc., a LOT. And it sits in a 100 different places, from car seats to purses to back pockets. Could it use a cleaning? Yup. Regularly? Yup. At the least, clean the front glass surface with a soapy sponge or a swab containing 65% alcohol.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">What Does Not Help</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Bactericide is not useful.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The virus is not a
living organism like bacteria; they cannot kill what is not alive
with antibiotics, but quickly disintegrate its structure with everything
said.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Vinegar is NOT useful</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> because it does not break
down the protective layer of fat.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Typical Spirits, such as vodka are not useful</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.
The strongest vodka is 40% alcohol, and you need 65%.</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">NEVER shake used or unused clothing,
sheets or cloth.</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> While it is glued to a porous
surface, it is very inert and disintegrates in varying durations.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> But if you
shake it or use a feather duster, the virus molecules float in the air for
up to 3 hours, and can lodge in your nose</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">. Here's the
varying durations based on surface:</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> 3 hours (fabric and
porous), 4 hours (copper, because it is naturally antiseptic) and wood,
(be</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">cause
it removes all the moisture and does not let it peel off and
disintegrates), 24 hours (cardboard), 42 hours (metal) and 72 hours
(plastic).</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Avoid confined spaces: </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The more confined the space,
the more concentration of the virus there can be. The more open or
naturally ventilated, the less.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-37279592438187350432020-03-17T18:00:00.000-07:002020-04-05T16:56:23.285-07:00Adventure #2, as of Mar 17<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Hi
Folks,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here's
an update from my musings and activity from the last 5 weeks on this adventure
back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Quotes Floating in My Mind:</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">" 'Tis but a moment from
the sublime to the ridiculous." </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
Napoleon</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">“What would be the point of
living if we didn’t let life change us?”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
Carson,
Downton Abbey, Season 1</div>
</div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">“To live
content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement
rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to
listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to
think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a
word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the
common. This is my symphony.”</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background: white;">William Ellery Channing</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I am done with dating sites. I
am now focusing on pizza delivery guys, because at least I know they have a
job, a car, and pizza. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
Linda
In Disguise</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">“Have patience
with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions
themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do
not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could
not live with them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need
to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it,
find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Rainer Maria Rilke, </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1208289"><span style="background: white;">Letters to a Young Poet</span></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Human nature
has a tendency to admire </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">complexity</span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"> but reward </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">simplicity. </span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Complexity has
an inverse effect on your business’ ability to scale.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">All too often
we are trying to impress ourselves.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Not sure of
author</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">“This is the
true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty
one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of
ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to
making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole
community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I
want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I
live. I rejoice in life for its own </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">sake. Life is
no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of
for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before
handing it on to future generations.”</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background: white;">George Bernard Shaw</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Dear God, I bet it is hard to
love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family
and I can never do it… Nan</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Dear God, I think about you
sometimes even when I am not praying… Elliott</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
Comments
from 2 children</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks You's</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Top of the list is the
whirling dervish who is my Mom: the house is ship shape, Indian cuisine
rolls out daily, the roses are trimmed and she noodles on how to make a
visit by anyone the best of visits. With the coronavirus threat, I think
often of how to ensure she is not put at risk. Yikes. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also thanks to my boys for
helping with logistics around the house and things like runs to the
grocery store given Mom and I are "immuno-compromised." </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Of course, thanks go to my
sisters Susan and Cindy, and brother-in-law Chris for their thoughts,
ideas and help from far away. And close up - Susan and Chris made a huge
commitment, coming out for the week that Mom and the boys went to M'boro
for Mom's gallery opening. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Speaking of logistics, a
big thank you to our neighbor Anne for taking the boys to school when I
was out of pocket at UW Med Center. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thanks to family and friends who made visits: Pat & Teresa, Machayan and Annu Auntie, my
cousins Renju and Peter… </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">…And to those who intended
to visit but prudently cancelled trips given the travel risk, Sobhana
Auntie and Davis Uncle, and my buddies from high school, Sevmo, Kevin and
Russ Ward. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A big thank you to Russ
and to Amy Mills for shipping a big box of lip-smacking BBQ food from none
other than 17th Street Bar and Grill in my hometown of Murphysboro IL.
(Amy runs this fine establishment.) We treated the shipment like crown
jewels when it arrived, and then devoured its glorious contents. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Thanks for the whimsical, meandering visit paid by Adi who leads the Windows Commercial Marketing Team I supported until recently, and Piper who "keeps the trains running" on that team and whose title could be Catalyst of Joy.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Thanks to Sebastian in Munich for the regular WhatsApp calls - it's great to have a friend whose a doctor to check in on me.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Similarly, the oncology team at SCCA who aggressively watches my numbers and charts out my journey with skill and deft - - Clinical Nurse Coordinator Beatrice Franco, Physician's Assistant Megan Shelby and Dr. Andrei Shustov.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank you to Davis Uncle
and Sobhana Auntie for burning a candle 24 hours a day on my behalf.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last but by no means
least, a big thank you for including me in your prayers. It's perhaps the
oldest, and certainly one of the most powerful of antigens. I have family
and friends who say a daily rosary me, some who dedicate a decade of their
rosary, and some who include me in their daily prayers. All powerful
tactics, in my book.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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I
have to wonder, if the cancer triggers all this goodness, is the cancer all
bad? And, do we not live in a life of abundance? </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfNYdiZkvTN6zKjoI5nPVZmGFT1HwTUZOfA4EEDPiGeaUaSsi2mXixjcI1WMj-ZMuGdBXQbHD1w95_uQcHiResxdTslfatHSGCjpQhKk0YGrFmeM3Sfoj8vkxJVm7TYld6RFolw/s1600/Mom+and+I+across+3+months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="1600" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfNYdiZkvTN6zKjoI5nPVZmGFT1HwTUZOfA4EEDPiGeaUaSsi2mXixjcI1WMj-ZMuGdBXQbHD1w95_uQcHiResxdTslfatHSGCjpQhKk0YGrFmeM3Sfoj8vkxJVm7TYld6RFolw/s640/Mom+and+I+across+3+months.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Mom and I</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
am much more aware how a malady can cause havoc throughout my body. And vice
versa, how so many problems clear up when a disease recedes. </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tumors…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> "Round 3" of
chemo has nearly obliterated the tumors. The report from the PET scan that
we ran after Round 2 indicated very solid progress. In some places like
around my lungs, the lymphoma is no longer detectable. God willing - -
"inshallah" as my Muslim friends will say - - we will get to a
full remission by the end of Round 4 - so we can proceed with the next
stage of this small, grand war.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Energy
& stamina… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Both
continue to rise. Mom and I now go out for a daily 2 mile walk, and the
route is hilly. Even when my blood chemistry is anemic (most of the time),
I don't show the symptoms like dizziness, etc. I cannot describe in words
how good it is to be progressing towards to my former level of
get-up-and-go.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
chemistry… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Blood
composition comes in and out with each round of chemo, akin to the tide. I
am right now 10 days out from the 3rd round of chemo and everything is
slumping. Even plummeting. As expected. Red blood cells are below range.
So is my </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoglobin"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">hemoglobin</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematocrit"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">hematocrit</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. Platelets are also down. Again, as
expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My immunity is also low
despite taking a drug that boosts bone marrow activity. Chemo therapy is a
carpet bombing of the whole body. My blood test yesterday (Mon) indicated
my chemistry is much lower, and hence I had another transfusion last
night.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Heart
rate… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">No
different from prior weeks - still hovering between a zippy 100 to 120
beats per minute. It was as low as 90 last week which was good to see.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Weight…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> I have seen a slow but
steady rise from a low of 139 pounds, to now at 147.4 pounds. My goal is
165 and I need to get to this sooner rather than later. Why? To be ready
for the transplant stage which will be hard on my body.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 12.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">I think I'm becoming a skinny, but lumpy guy</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Did
you ever see the TV show, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CPJ-AbCsT8">The 6 Million Dollar Man</a>"?
It ran from 1974 to 1978 and man I loved that show. Now, with some whimsy, I
view my own rebuilding as the chance to be the toned, muscular physique that
has eluded me for, well, decades. "We can rebuild him. We have the
technology" is one of my mantras.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
One
part is to focus on regaining my former weight, minus ~5 pounds. So, I do think
there's some days I eat +3,000 calories. But I'm realizing this may be pretty
stupid - - gaining it "fast" will probably mean gaining in the
"wrong" places. Already, I see that it's my tummy that is growing
faster than other body parts. Again??? Clearly, I need to change my gameplan.
My muscle tissue is improving very, very slowly. But gosh it is great to eat 6
times a day, sometimes seven. :-)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">On the Horizon: the Transplant Battle</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
In
the realm of traditional medicine, the next phase would be a transplant of
someone else's immune system into my bone marrow. <br />
<br />
The medical professionals call it a "bone marrow transplant" when the stem cells are extracted directly from the donor's bone marrow, a "peripheral stem cell transplant when it is extracted out of the blood. But I think a better term is simply an "immune system install."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Donating your immune system maybe the closest for now to donating a critical software system in your body. You keep all of it, you share a bit of it, and it then runs on another "machine" - - someone else's body. </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In that respect, it's pretty wild.</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
"Why
do you think I need this?" I asked Dr. Shustov. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
His
logic was simple and compelling. The current chemotherapy is the most potent
suite of drugs available to me. Based on the PET scan report, it is doing the
trick and destroying my cancer. But, but, but… there will STILL be some number
of malignant lymphocytes that will survive, mutate and be floating around in my
body. All may look fine, but akin to battle-hardened soldiers, these
lymphocytes will grow in numbers and stage a comeback. And there's no chemo
treatment that will stop these mutated cells. So a new approach is needed.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Our
bodies are like an outpost in the wilderness, and cohorts of wildlings are
attacking and attacking. Each time they get better at their tactics. And if our
immune systems are working, they still outwit the adversaries. For now I am
winning against my T-cell lymphoma wildlings. With the help of the current TEC
chemo cocktail. But someday, they will come back in larger numbers and know how
to withstand my best weapons. And there's nothing better than TEC right now.
So, I need to be ready with a new set of tricks before they devour me alive.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Hence
the "stem cell" transplant. Essentially, replace my immune system with someone else's to bring a new fight to the battle with these mutated cells.
(This is called the Graft Versus Lymphoma Effect.) </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
have five hurdles to overcome to get to the "other side." With the
help of SCCA, I MUST:</div>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Go
into full remission</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> from the current chemo treatment. The cancer must be
"below detection." (There's a ~50% chance this will happen. If
not, all bets are off.)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Receive approval from my
health insurance provider to </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">the $1 million cost</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> for the procedure. (Or
find an alternative, such as going to Canada as the UBC Medical Center is
world class, or to India as this treatment at a place like Christian
Medical College, Vellore costs a "mere" $30k to $50k.)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Find a
donor </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_leukocyte_antigen"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">whose DNA profile</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> matches mine. Evidently,
I have 18 possible matches worldwide.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Cope with
the GvHD</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - - </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft-versus-host_disease"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Graft versus Host Disease</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - - that will be
triggered because the foreign immune system incorrectly thinks everything
in my body is an invader. Immuno-suppression can be as little as a skin
rash to a full-on attack of one's own heart. (There's a ~20% chance of not
surviving this stage.)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Potentially
contend with a recurrence of lymphoma</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> that the new immune system cannot stop. (There's
another ~20% chance of not surviving this stage.)</span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">In the Present: I Need to Live Fully Now. "The
Other Side" is Unclear</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Clearly,
a transplant procedure is far from perfect. What I like - - a lot - - about my
oncologist Dr. Shustov is his candor. And context. As example, I had a long
initial discussion with an oncologist from the SCCA transplant team, yet came
away unclear about a few things. One was the sentence, "<span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">50% chance of disease control after 3
years</span>." Huh? </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Words
are powerful. They frame how we view a situation. What does this phrase above
in blue mean? Do I have a 50% chance to be "alive and kicking" after
the treatment? Well, perhaps… </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
So
I asked Dr. Shustov, "What does <span style="font-style: italic;">'</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">50% chance of disease control</span><span style="font-style: italic;">'</span> mean, in lay terms?" </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Here's
what he said. 3 years after the transplant, 50% of the patients are not dead,
and are carrying on with their lives. (Yes the 50% made me say
"Yikes.") Just the rephrasing from words like "disease
control" or "alive," to "not dead" are very different
interpretations of the same situation. The first 2 sound pretty good, even
rosy. I will emerge victorious. The latter, "not dead," sounds like
the battle continues.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Here's
why:</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
The
"50%" who are survivors will experience a quality of life that varies
widely. Some people will have mild and manageable issues from GvHD. Some will
be bedridden at best. And the rest will be somewhere along this spectrum. Per
Shustov, getting to "50% disease control" simply means my quality of
life will be somewhere from okay to terrible. If you ever read the excellent
book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2wXY5X3">Being Mortal</a> by Atul Gawande, you
will learn that quality of life is often overlooked in the medical profession.
Too many doctors focus on "the cure" regardless what this means in
terms of your ability to have a normal lifestyle.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
The
upshot is threefold: </div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A transplant is a great
option if all others are worse. So we charge forward, full on. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My level of GvHD may be
lower, as I scored a zero on the </span><a href="http://www.hctci.org/"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hematopoietic Cell
Transplantation-Comorbidity Index</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> (HCT-CI)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">Most
important</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> - -
holy moly, the next 6 to 8 weeks before the transplant may be my best
remaining weeks... <i><b>of my entire remaining life</b></i><b>.</b> I better enjoy each day and night to the fullest, no?
But… should we not live like this </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">always</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">? To quote Master Oogway
in Kung Fu Panda, </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">Yesterday is history, tomorrow
is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the 'present'.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">" </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Our Medical Costs are Nutty</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
How
is it that a stem cell transplant costs $1 million in the US, and between $30k
to $50k in India's best places. And these include world class institutions.
That's a 20x to 30x difference. We have lost all control of our medical costs,
no?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Be an "Immune System" Donor</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
It
never dawned on me to be a donor of my immune system. Until now. In the state
of Washington, one can indicate on their driver's license that they are an
donor of such organs as heart, lungs, etc. That does not include your immune
system from what I understand. But I could have done the same and declared
myself an immune system donor, via a different process. Wow.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
It's
incredibly helpful to do so, if for no other reason due to what I'll call
ethnic limitations. Evidently, donors need to be in the same ethnicity as the
recipient. So some groups are in dire need, like Native Americans, African
Americans, Puerto Ricans, etc. People simply don't know, and don't act. But in
general, the # of donors is not huge.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
It's
not hard to be a donor. There's a phone call to see if you're eligible (e.g. a
history of cancer will knock one out.) Then there's a blood test that can occur
anywhere like Quest Diagnostics, which will be free. This creates your <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_leukocyte_antigen">HLA profile</a> to
help match you to people who need a transplant.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
It's
easy to donate. Nowadays, most donors don't donate by a direct extraction from
the bone marrow. That's actually a cleaner way with lower GvHD issues, as it
means purely stem cells. But it's more painful and involved. The other way is
"peripheral stem cell transplant" - - for a few days you get
injections to draw out stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood stream.
Then, akin to an IV, they draw your blood using a process similar to kidney
dialysis, filter out the stem cells and return your blood to you. The small but precious
bag of stem cells is then airlifted to the donor, anywhere in the world. Wow.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Evidently,
I have 18 potential donors, worldwide. Dr. Shustov said that's a lot. Sounds
like very few to me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
To
learn more on how you can be a donor, you can visit <a href="https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/">Be the Match</a>, the <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/clinical-research-division/research/cceh-donor-program.html.html">Fred
Hutch website</a> or <a href="https://wmda.info/donor/basics-donation/">World
Marrow Donor Association</a>.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Have a Swimmer's Body </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
No,
I don't mean it's sinewy and built for aquatic speed. I mean that at a steady
pace, every shred of my body hair is vanishing. I recall, "in the old
days" when I was in college my friends on the swim team would shave their
entire bodies. From head to toe. (This is decades before the high tech body
suits that are now used by our Olympian swimmers.) That's where I am rapidly
going, due to the chemo. I do have one question - - Why do the grey hairs
survive longer? That's what's left on my face. Just the grey hairs. I need to
ask the medical team.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LNDaf33WJkSTc-7d4l5sDxN0lljFTz8Twm5R309lUTpDZo9vaK3DtkmjYkwrj5OpjeaegP0EOKXLtfBNnDoilIRjn5joWX3_i6ryeUoIXTs7rGADeD9_blO3Knb4ADwMK65CJw/s1600/US-2019-11-16-Bellevue-Lymphoma-0302-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LNDaf33WJkSTc-7d4l5sDxN0lljFTz8Twm5R309lUTpDZo9vaK3DtkmjYkwrj5OpjeaegP0EOKXLtfBNnDoilIRjn5joWX3_i6ryeUoIXTs7rGADeD9_blO3Knb4ADwMK65CJw/s320/US-2019-11-16-Bellevue-Lymphoma-0302-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>My Grey Hairs: Fighting back the lymphoma wildlings</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
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<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">A Very Big Care Package</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Here's
a few shots of the massive box overnighted with yummy BBQ food from 17th Street
Bar and Grill. Thank you Russ and Amy!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZTM-boULGTS5sAFDlP0CnB7hfmMeGDqCzW0XcPY5T_BmAqIvLkP7dPn-Z_zVZ1J06ujB82ncb0tD-8ckxeaLy8355afyqGDBSJB4hjSDxKay_akEAJrzeKQB3aG0xpeJnYFsGw/s1600/17th+Street+Gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZTM-boULGTS5sAFDlP0CnB7hfmMeGDqCzW0XcPY5T_BmAqIvLkP7dPn-Z_zVZ1J06ujB82ncb0tD-8ckxeaLy8355afyqGDBSJB4hjSDxKay_akEAJrzeKQB3aG0xpeJnYFsGw/s320/17th+Street+Gift.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Sadly, there's no evidence remaining of any of this...</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Starting CBT - I am Super Excited</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
have decided that all of this cancer is a bit much for me. Normally, I would
carry on and disregard my mental workings. Not this time. I know psychological
guidance will be good. So I asked for help from SCCA's counseling services.
Last week I met with a chap who has a PhD in Psychology and also is trained as
a psychiatrist. He indicated he's going to take me thru "Cognitive
Behavior Therapy" sessions. Damn was I happy to hear this! I have wanted
to better understand CBT for a while. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
What
do I know so far? Well it's tough to control our emotions. But we can influence
our a) behavior and b) our thoughts. And these two elements then positively
affect our emotions. A great tool for this is mindfulness meditation. I have
read portions of two <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">excellent</span>
books by Jon Kabat-Zinn: <a href="https://amzn.to/2Wj5f2M">Wherever You Go,
There You Are</a>; and <a href="https://amzn.to/2TXExuZ">Full Catastrophe
Living</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
One
of my favorite quotes out of the first book is, "<span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">the water boils but not the pot</span>."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I'll
let you know what I learn. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Good Habits to Help Blunt the Chance of a Malady</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
have been reading a few books on alternatives to traditional medicine as a way
to treat cancer. And to minimize it happening in the first place. I think good,
balanced living can only help deliver better health. Better immunity. And fewer
maladies. It's easy to do, and if anything, just as easy to stop doing. Life is
full of stressful, and fun, distractions. Here's 11 ideas.</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Avoid negative
personalities -</b> "friends" & personalities who see the world
as 3% empty, not 97% full, well, it's doubtful they make you more
resilient.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Exercise - </b>6 days a week,
ideally for 40 mins or so. A great book on this is </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3b2d8gO"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Younger Next Year</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Eat lots of organic
veggies and fruits - </b>Organic for 2 reasons: 1) You don't need the
pesticides in your system; 2) Organic means the farmworkers won't be
exposed to pesticides either.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Consume humor - </b>Listen or
watch comedy on a VERY regular basis. For example, enjoy a whimsical
YouTube video before going to sleep. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7IXTOPvOs"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Like this one by Maximbady</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Crystalize your gratitude
- </b>For example, try my </span><a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2017/03/deforestation-life-is-epic-exercise.html"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Life is epic"
exercise here</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Nurture your own village -
</b> Steady interaction with family and close friends. It will take work at
times - - you know, people can be such a pain in the butt, right? - - but
we all need a village.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Practice mindfulness
meditation - </b>As one place to start, </span><a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/getting-started"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">check out UCLA's free
program</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Pray - </b>they say prayer has
similar benefits to meditation. Why not do both?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Reflect via journaling -
</b> start the day by writing what's on your mind for 5 mins. Just 5 mins.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Settle "the
record" in a good way - </b>Be in a good place with your loved ones. </span><a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2019/09/just-so-you-never-wonder-what-in-blazes.html"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Here's an example.</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Get outside
regularly - </b>for the fresh air, the Vitamin D, and the happiness delivered via
our sun.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMDdSefK8zGHWFZhwZyrfCoezu2Myb8rK4Y8iikwKsh2l3R0YEJdgQcX9F2gPLkHhlVEBFGIJdqWOCV3VZpLW9bP1Zp-HMQtFfJofpq7KEg4sT-qYYjcXC13VWtwDcCrTF5SgOg/s1600/US-2019-11-16-Bellevue-Lymphoma-0179-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMDdSefK8zGHWFZhwZyrfCoezu2Myb8rK4Y8iikwKsh2l3R0YEJdgQcX9F2gPLkHhlVEBFGIJdqWOCV3VZpLW9bP1Zp-HMQtFfJofpq7KEg4sT-qYYjcXC13VWtwDcCrTF5SgOg/s320/US-2019-11-16-Bellevue-Lymphoma-0179-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Chemo poison in my nails. Also why we should only eat organic. </b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Cancer's Progress</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
If
you want a picture that supports eating organic, look at this photo of my left thumb. That is the chemo, in my system. [show your thumbnail, show you and
Mom] Note: in a similar yet invisible fashion, non-organic foods are embedded
with pesticides, chemicals and growth hormones. You don't want those in you,
no? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mundane Things I Can Do Again</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
When
the malady hit last October, I did not realize how my body was going into a
deeper and deeper stage of siege. Normal actions stopped occurring. I watched
myself and wondered, "now what the heck is going on? One more thing I
can't do? You gotta be kidding me." The extreme fatigue, and swelling in
my legs, left arm and tummy got in the way of so many normal routines.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
But
now, with the chemo treatments, some aspects of body function, flexibility
& strength have returned. And this "shroud of inability" is
lifting. It's an understatement to say "it's been great." I now
better see and appreciate actions that evidently I took for granted. Here's 14
that come to mind.</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Walking at a normal pace.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My legs lifting themselves
when putting on pants.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Lifting my arms straight
upward without feeling discomfort.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Eating more than a small
bowl of food.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Eating any food, of any
texture, without extreme discomfort in my mouth.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Fitting into my shoes
again.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Fitting into my jeans
again. Actually zipping the zipper.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Standing up from a chair
without having to negotiate with myself.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Being able to stand for
the entire length of a shower; no more need for a chair in the shower.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Pivoting my ankles to the
left and right, up and down.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Wearing normal underwear
as my thighs are no longer like tree trunks.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sleeping in a bed instead
of an easy chair.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sleeping on my left or
right side; there's no swollen tummy to cause pain.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sleeping thru the night,
rather than getting up to pee every 90 mins (due to the drainage of the
lymphedemas).</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Roller Coaster Ride Inside</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
am convinced our bodies can take a MASSIVE beating. I also think our bodies can
serve as inspiration for our mindsets and outlooks. Why? If we could only see
how physiologically resilient our bodies are, perhaps it would help us be more
psychologically resilient. Below is one example. In the course of 6 weeks, my
platelet count went from the 300,000s to 4,000 and back. My platelets took a
beating but came back. To quote <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh8mNjeuyV4">Monty Python, "I'm not
dead yet.</a>" Damn!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
know they say "the mind leads the body," but I think the observant
mind would be inspired by the body and be that much more of an effective guide.
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTg39JgKoTPLiRfSoZ7z0aXuGYi0hxEWL5X3-r8921JCE0y_EDzq5kyvx_uVTx_LrWG_SRTAC9mUuQqLG1L5rQMGKmUraMnfz8ItFoXXo8KMtuuAO3OpADjBRnnAtnjcDncY-k5Q/s1600/Plateleet+rise+and+fall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1591" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTg39JgKoTPLiRfSoZ7z0aXuGYi0hxEWL5X3-r8921JCE0y_EDzq5kyvx_uVTx_LrWG_SRTAC9mUuQqLG1L5rQMGKmUraMnfz8ItFoXXo8KMtuuAO3OpADjBRnnAtnjcDncY-k5Q/s400/Plateleet+rise+and+fall.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>My platelet count and the beating it survives from chemo - inspiring my mindfulness</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Champion Roses are Coming!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
It
imperative to celebrate the details. Back in 2018, during the Labor Day
weekend, Mom paid a visit to me. We went to Portland, OR. The highlights were
stopping by the Trappist Monastery, lunching on Vietnamese cuisine at Lac Luc,
and visiting the <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=ViewPark&PropertyID=1113">fabulous
experimental rose test gardens</a>. There, we came across the breathtaking
"Mother of Pearl" rose. Of perhaps 1,000 varieties, this stood out
for me. Finally, last week I took action, placed a mail order from <a href="http://www.witherspoonrose.com/mother-of-pearl/">Witherspoon Rose Culture</a>
in Durham, NC. They arrive this Thursday. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-OgJJokLL6f2Cp6gbSCZRd97h51-jtT98u9XLonYS65XljRsGqGxQSEoPknuXOBnb52pGIPq4xvaa6qpr5p8JD-K5KYb4dwtkfjTVB_dFlkhTPcvEpSeEwJ6HEWikhOWYrEuKA/s1600/2018-Bellevue-LauraDavis-180816-0325-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-OgJJokLL6f2Cp6gbSCZRd97h51-jtT98u9XLonYS65XljRsGqGxQSEoPknuXOBnb52pGIPq4xvaa6qpr5p8JD-K5KYb4dwtkfjTVB_dFlkhTPcvEpSeEwJ6HEWikhOWYrEuKA/s320/2018-Bellevue-LauraDavis-180816-0325-ToWeb.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Luxuriating at the </b></span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>International Rose Test Garden</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright 2018 Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bathroom Night Treks: Part 1</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Late
last night, on a visit to the loo, I realized something: my ankles don't have
spikes of pain. It was so nice. You see when my legs were swollen, I elevated
them under a few pillows and magically they were visibly skinnier by morning.
(Why? Because the interstitial fluids had drained to my bladder. Elevating the
legs and left arm was a <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">fantastic</span>
idea by mom.) But this meant my legs went from elevated (a downward slope to my
torso) to vertical when I stood up. For a geometry wonk, perhaps a 120° swing.
In some manner, the fluid in my legs would head for my ankles and each step was
a spike of pain. But each step was about 50% less painful than the prior until
things sorted themselves out. But now, I have no swelling, so no late night
pain. How nice.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bathroom Night Treks: Part 2</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
400
- 500 times. That's how often I think I prayed to say thanks about my heating system between
December to February.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
How
so? First between the lymphoma and the treatment, I always felt chilly. In the
daytime, that translated into wearing two hoodie jackets, or a hoodie draped
over with a blanket. Pretty odd sight, yes. But in the middle of the night…
hopping out of bed without layers felt like walking to a bathroom out in the
backyard. Yes it was in my brain, and that's what drugs do you to. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Second,
just walking to the bathroom was exhausting. So I had a new habit: sitting on
the toilet even to simply relieve my excess fluids. Right in front of me was
the vent to the heater. More than 50% of the time, warm air (correction, fabulous,
ambient, post-caveman warm air) was wafting up towards myself. The heating
system was reliable like the sunrise. Man that warm air was an awesome
sensation! </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
I would just stare at the heater vent and say a little prayer, "</span></span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui";"><i>Oh man, it's running again. Thank you for an insulated room, a roof that works, great landlords, and the maintenance work we did back in September. It would truly suck if this conked out.</i></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Because
I felt like it was 60° in this room (though it wasn't as I had set the temp as high
as 72°), my mind may drift into recent news of local homeless camps in Seattle.
Then I would ponder what it's like to sleep outside wrapped in a whole bunch of
worn out clothing trying to stay warm. And then I would trot back to bed and
fall asleep for another 75 to 90 minutes. Only to repeat this ritual.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">I prayed about the heater more times than about
my Mom and Dad. Outrageous? Yes. But just do the math. Five to six visits per
night, for three solid months. That's 3 months x 4 weeks / month x 7 days /
week x 5 bathroom visits / night = 420 prayer sessions. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji";">😊</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Passed the Coronavirus Test</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
On
Thursday evening, Mar 5, I had a 100.7° fever. Yikes. I needed to get it below
100.4 or be forced to visit the ER. So I slept for an hour. When I checked, my
body temp was 103.3° F. So I went to UW Med Center. One of their first
observations was "you need to be tested for coronavirus. We'll get the
results in about 24 hours." </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Yikes.
I asked what happens if test positive. "We don't know. There's no protocol
yet for cancer patients with COVID-19." So no idea how long I would be
held. And no idea what happens to my chemo treatments. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
But
the test came back negative. Whew… </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Coronavirusing" Before it Was Fashionable</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Life
without human interaction is so different. We live for crowds, don't we? Mom
and I have largely been hunkered down since December. It's been strange in some
ways. Now it's stranger. We shop just when the Fred Meyer grocery store opens
at 7 am. Best selection. Fewest people. And the whole world is trending to
this. No visitors. No going out. No attending church, movies, diners, plays,
soccer games, etc. Lots more time with our loved ones, "for better or
worse" as the saying goes. More reading, Netflix and other such habits.
Life sure is different, no? As for being smart on the coronavirus, here's resources to tap:</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A great in-depth post by
Tomas Pueyo </span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 site</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Info from </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://www.statnews.com/staff/helen-branswell/">Dr. Helen Branswell from U
Toronto</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfeZlKu8M7A" target="_blank">great COVID19 public service announcement</a> from Vietnam, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctF5aMV05kM" target="_blank">1 of a 1,000 Tik Tok videos</a> (you may dance to this at a club someday)</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">A 15 sec Tik Tok video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOJ8Lc-TfNg" target="_blank">with a very smart hamster</a></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Coronavirusing" Together</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Until
this coronavirus thing blows over I won't enjoy too many more visits from
family or friends, from which I have gotten very spoiled. It will be back to
video chats on Zoom and WhatsApp. Yes video calls are delectable but still not the
same as in-person meet-ups. It's akin to the stark difference between non-fat
and full-fat ice cream.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
can tell you as someone who has self-quarantined for a few months that the
isolation can get a bit buggy in your head. I cannot imagine what it's like
when the society of Earth. I do like how Donald Trump uses the prefix
"super." In this context, it's going to be important that we are
super-kind and super-connected to our physical and virtual village of
neighbors, family and friends. Otherwise, we'll all feel disconnected pretty
quickly. Not having sports to scream at, restaurants to lounge at, and in
general mingle with other human beings - - for most people, it is going to feel
like living in a dystopian sci-fi movie. So make time, say high (by phone or
computer) and check in on each other. For all parties, the kindness will feel
good and not be forgotten.<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">No More In-Person Visits - So Relish What Happened, No?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Here's a few shots from the memorable visits before the COVID-19 dragon flew into our lives...</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIkaRiigwZ1PJhvGp94DbhUf8Sv3LJ9QfIYx2sNZG7zYY2_ZxhkjpBe5wexobLleDV_w6RaUiTLLGQF03t70bfutppXG1NKDWMOq6fG0sEQamWUqFAMCgto5f3IGoRWammvBwug/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0098-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1600" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIkaRiigwZ1PJhvGp94DbhUf8Sv3LJ9QfIYx2sNZG7zYY2_ZxhkjpBe5wexobLleDV_w6RaUiTLLGQF03t70bfutppXG1NKDWMOq6fG0sEQamWUqFAMCgto5f3IGoRWammvBwug/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0098-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>In the Cascades, w/ Pat & Teresa, & Chris and Susan</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 12.32px;">
<i style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright 2020 Abe Pachikara</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyrxDNwO2rA9SgE0xBoZREtJbU1ZSA4rbcDeLKR7AmSWdGcILzs45EfnUWxCH2kHSBUrbVGPZDiuIYljNQBOreH2i0SwZCyE0HJSy76SG-Bubufubzvn5HGvY4_1jOV4OmiZ6UQ/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0122-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyrxDNwO2rA9SgE0xBoZREtJbU1ZSA4rbcDeLKR7AmSWdGcILzs45EfnUWxCH2kHSBUrbVGPZDiuIYljNQBOreH2i0SwZCyE0HJSy76SG-Bubufubzvn5HGvY4_1jOV4OmiZ6UQ/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0122-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Taking Machayan & Anu Auntie on the Ferry</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCYylL8p-H4uKNE-YDIcWzN-QkrHDAer7j3HWAUPPfJ7oE8BFboaKbvMLFRm3Xz9GKQHY2z48Xqjl4ddJd4fvH_CjllCPw45oYTVxqg-WDjhPQhB1zBWlTzTS43ryBEYIqrMFfw/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0127-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCYylL8p-H4uKNE-YDIcWzN-QkrHDAer7j3HWAUPPfJ7oE8BFboaKbvMLFRm3Xz9GKQHY2z48Xqjl4ddJd4fvH_CjllCPw45oYTVxqg-WDjhPQhB1zBWlTzTS43ryBEYIqrMFfw/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0127-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Just stay out of the kitchen...</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxK3vuO0QDJC6Gu7ug6N0d1AkceUxm4vyviAufi8yrwCXoaQEHIkk4FlJiMQZI4I_x1tqo5PaqBMWl-LeoB63NRmKhgEgB9R8c3BP8rS58VOQpPDLAFzf9ocl81HxMoW0XfC26A/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0133-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxK3vuO0QDJC6Gu7ug6N0d1AkceUxm4vyviAufi8yrwCXoaQEHIkk4FlJiMQZI4I_x1tqo5PaqBMWl-LeoB63NRmKhgEgB9R8c3BP8rS58VOQpPDLAFzf9ocl81HxMoW0XfC26A/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0133-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>...and this kind of magic happens.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns8f1WM8RdSs9ZPMmG3Mv6aD7tDQq_gbLFNwwwFAsxo7PeDw9tujW28wEnjubuJvN0GPstBhsl6XGNrJ5wwaZuMwV_jXzI8Q4i6vKQAjH3tApGqw7wxUpFLj0yZS1N8fWhHsYdQ/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0134-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns8f1WM8RdSs9ZPMmG3Mv6aD7tDQq_gbLFNwwwFAsxo7PeDw9tujW28wEnjubuJvN0GPstBhsl6XGNrJ5wwaZuMwV_jXzI8Q4i6vKQAjH3tApGqw7wxUpFLj0yZS1N8fWhHsYdQ/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0134-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Mom saying good buy to her younger bro, Mathew</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GU9ASJ_EfLKioVZ9574kK4XibyADw23MLSH17N7E5kHPKyCbXaWh4qfIZygObA__puSP_8NVDFklgwxuw4cdRE2LB6rVf6vhmqTMQGU50SGO5DyB6PJCv43OC-_rzPZfmQoDTw/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0137-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GU9ASJ_EfLKioVZ9574kK4XibyADw23MLSH17N7E5kHPKyCbXaWh4qfIZygObA__puSP_8NVDFklgwxuw4cdRE2LB6rVf6vhmqTMQGU50SGO5DyB6PJCv43OC-_rzPZfmQoDTw/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0137-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Renju arrives, how tremendous...</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEY3vVThyDud8Vqs3x2f-XcUo2KFZirea7Tn0PpwWdE6x-re415mLvd5bGEKMkQuGaJoghCpSgoJSWSum_y8eM0e09sSeDzqM2aKDFltLOFrGrZ9OKD1iB7p4m5Ha-xBqX6pkLA/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0144-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEY3vVThyDud8Vqs3x2f-XcUo2KFZirea7Tn0PpwWdE6x-re415mLvd5bGEKMkQuGaJoghCpSgoJSWSum_y8eM0e09sSeDzqM2aKDFltLOFrGrZ9OKD1iB7p4m5Ha-xBqX6pkLA/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0144-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>...then Peter, even better.</b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright <i style="font-size: 11.7333px;">2020 </i>Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTP7ZQf2RQXtTODqVzzJO5gY0p5KO1qqSBw3lau5_csW3Zsx47jAA9n-z5NZVVaGdmrjTCpcIhdX9bJl36VyZApXEIQMMJNlfV2SqGBUaHJwq6m4SNs3pFmkP4z6Y0LkRkTEWRg/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0140-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTP7ZQf2RQXtTODqVzzJO5gY0p5KO1qqSBw3lau5_csW3Zsx47jAA9n-z5NZVVaGdmrjTCpcIhdX9bJl36VyZApXEIQMMJNlfV2SqGBUaHJwq6m4SNs3pFmkP4z6Y0LkRkTEWRg/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0140-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Cruising around town...</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6aFhqZJmt_BUYsfQ5EhZk5SycyvwXEPA7GysEoWlpOfgIGcTWj41_XO6lW8QWMYbZDhsNr-JvkS6xfXOTpYy2dkfl84J78weCvmhbU-Y_Z4etmithG5fW-3c7zs5yp6fi6FpXQ/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0145-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6aFhqZJmt_BUYsfQ5EhZk5SycyvwXEPA7GysEoWlpOfgIGcTWj41_XO6lW8QWMYbZDhsNr-JvkS6xfXOTpYy2dkfl84J78weCvmhbU-Y_Z4etmithG5fW-3c7zs5yp6fi6FpXQ/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0145-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>...and savoring Mom's brilliant Indian cuisine.</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5aKudEpXNOlTIGRlF9m4aoX5mKWDbF2QnAHm_sxpAAjaLPR2fo8_e84Ci1ms4_uu3X0kc1tFqElUd3wE-6NuvIY5NizU-6DP8s7rOg9dklU7BlBHrBmaVuzwzPj4BDTa4DRQYQ/s1600/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0147-ToWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5aKudEpXNOlTIGRlF9m4aoX5mKWDbF2QnAHm_sxpAAjaLPR2fo8_e84Ci1ms4_uu3X0kc1tFqElUd3wE-6NuvIY5NizU-6DP8s7rOg9dklU7BlBHrBmaVuzwzPj4BDTa4DRQYQ/s320/US-2020-02-22-Bellevue-LymphomaVisits-0147-ToWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Back from unstated shenanigans with Peter Uncle.</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> related posts.</span></div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-76021242580011877902020-02-11T15:37:00.000-08:002020-02-15T14:35:18.956-08:00Adventure #2, as of Feb 12<br />
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Hi Folks,</div>
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Here's an update
from my musings and activity from the last 3 weeks on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes I Kept in Mind Last Week: </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The matador beats the bull. The
bull is the strongest. The bull hits the hardest. But the matador is the
smartest… </span></div>
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Muhammad
Ali</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Have courage for the great
sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously
accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.</span></div>
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Victor
Hugo</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The gem cannot be polished
without friction, nor man perfected without trials.</span></div>
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Confucius</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Make the best use of what is in
your power, and take the rest as it happens.</span></div>
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Epictetus</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks You's</span></div>
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Top of the list
is Mom, who tirelessly takes care of the house and my needs. She pesters me in
good ways like, "Did you take your morning medicine." Now she asked
it 15 mins ago and while I may find that tiresome, well, all too often, I
probably did NOT take my morning meds 15 mins ago when she first asked. So thank
you, Mom. Also thanks to my sisters Susan and Cindy, for helping with logistics
from far away. As example, we have family clamoring to visit so Cindy put up a
Google sheet to coordinate who comes when. Thank you to my sisters Susan and Cindy, to Joy
Uncle, Monikochamma (aka Aunt Anna), Regi Auntie and cousins Ashley and Petey
for making visits from far away. Thank you to all who call, text, WhatsApp and
email to check in. To John, Shannon, Joe and Anne for chauffeuring Mom and I thru inclement weather to procedures. To Anne for the seat cushion to help by beleaguered butt. And of course, thank you for your prayers. As you'll see
below, I think that's among the most powerful medicines.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
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I am much more
aware how a malady can cause havoc throughout my body. And vice versa, how so
many problems clear up when a disease recedes. </div>
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<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tumors…</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My tumors are overall much
smaller - say 30% the size prior to "round 1" of the chemotherapy I received on Jan<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>18-20. This
is due to recent research at Fred Hutch Research Institute that developed at a 3 chemo
cocktail, called TEC, that is more effective and less toxic. (We call that
the "therapeutic window" and this one is way larger.)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Lymphedemas…
</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also, the
very vivid swelling of my left arm and legs has passed away. I think
enough lymph nodes are functioning to move the interstitial fluids as
intended. At one point back just before the chemo, my knees were as wide
as the arm rest on a living room couch. My thighs were jiggly with fluids.
It was certainly a trippy moment to see all this and wonder "how long will this last?" (I have since learned that when the lymph nodes in your underarms are
removed - - this occurs for breast cancer related procedures - - it can result
in <i>permanent </i>lymphedemas for the arms. Gosh.)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Energy</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> is rising even if I have
far less muscle tissue (more below). Yesterday, I went on my first walk of
a mile. That's a dramatic increase from when I struggled to walk from my
living room to the bathroom a mere 8 weeks ago.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Blood
chemistry… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
one area of struggle is my bloodwork. Here's the problem, stated like an
SAT sentence: </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">A dose of chemo flooding the bone marrow is like a large
hammer striking upon soft wood.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Each additional dose, or strike, creates chaos. There's only so many times
you can do this before it (bone marrow, or wood) never recovers. The
problem is that I need a number of elements of my blood to return to
higher levels before I can A) have a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=port-a-cath&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&sxsrf=ACYBGNR9NAgP-zzdrmD_gnuhxzij07Udqw:1581619784497&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjqtbLrmM_nAhUeJTQIHYZOC3YQ_AUoAXoECBIQAw&biw=1707&bih=803&dpr=1.13" target="_blank">Port Catheter</a> surgically implanted to
use for future chemo treatments and B) then receive more chemo treatments.
Good blood chemistry is vital to my treatment. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Heart
rate… </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Before
the malady, my resting heart was perhaps 60. I was pretty proud to have a
steady but slower rate. Now it's still around 110. And that's when I wake
up in the morning. Not sure when it will come down.</span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ricochet #1 - Clothing and Body Weight </span></div>
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I am writing to
you wearing jeans. For the first time since mid-December. Why could I not do so until today? Because my tummy
had swollen so much that the only usable clothing I had were sweats and a pair
of cargo pants that had an elastic gather, akin to toddler clothing. Similar for my swollen thighs. I could not get them thru the leg holes of my underwear. Nuts! I had to
get larger and larger size underwear to accommodate the girth of my legs. Same
for my feet: shoes were out of the question. I could only stick the front half of my feet into my Keen sandals, but without
socks, for the past winter months. (Oddly, at some point in 2018 I had bought
size 12 work boots from the local Goodwill store - - these could house my
bloated feet! So I occasionally wore these massive beasts to get around with my
feet fully covered.)</div>
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But to quote a
famous saying, <span style="font-style: italic;">"this too shall pass."
</span>Now I re-define "skinny." Now, I am swimming in my jeans like never
before. Same for the rest of my clothing. Why? Because as the lymphedemas
collected an ocean of water, my body was converting any fat and muscle tissue it could find to meet the ravenous energy needs of the cancer. Then the swelling subsided and I am left with the skinniest physique of my life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RTh-sZLx2ZOOCdiXsudyqwd-LtD5gRlPrUm8YSELcASUdMJESL8xZY9JBbkjp29EO8EZgd4z7Ps1LQFZntJyUR2OgM_zDmmzTqoOm0UtUl9dwITWlhAXDJlhV8n4rp6qDzmOiw/s1600/Lymphedema+befoe+and+after+19-12-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="1280" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RTh-sZLx2ZOOCdiXsudyqwd-LtD5gRlPrUm8YSELcASUdMJESL8xZY9JBbkjp29EO8EZgd4z7Ps1LQFZntJyUR2OgM_zDmmzTqoOm0UtUl9dwITWlhAXDJlhV8n4rp6qDzmOiw/s400/Lymphedema+befoe+and+after+19-12-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Progression</b></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>: the tumors; the tummy; the tissue in my upper chest</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Upshot: my body
weight went from around 172 (where it's been for 15 years at least) up to 186
with all the fluid gains, then down to a whopping 144 as the fluids and
swelling departed. This emaciation and muscle loss occurred in the past 2
months while I was distracted by all the swelling from fluids. Pretty sneaky
and nutty, no?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Note, I have
wanted to lose about 5 pounds for years and years and pretty much failed. Then an invading disease outdoes my best efforts by what, nearly 600%? </span><a href="https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQYiCP1kxL1E&data=02%7C01%7Cv-abepa%40microsoft.com%7C10bdf87139cc4d1984dd08d7b0bcc576%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637172197127089670&sdata=qwvMk13ry7mQqM9IWJJVWz1uV6ZqEmaMtbejc%2BO8hZw%3D&reserved=0" style="font-size: 11pt;">I
think of Yosimite Sam in Looney Tunes saying</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">“Whoa
mule, whoa mule. When I say whoa, I mean WHOA!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I now weigh less
than my teenage sons. The difference: with all the running and conditioning
they do, my boys have proportioned, sculpted physiques. Something that would inspire Michelangelo. My body looks like
something from The Cat in the Hat. It's pretty odd.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Richochet #2 - Blood Work</span></div>
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As mentioned, the
chemo treatment has been scrambling my bone marrow. Perhaps it's akin to when a
football player gets hammered in a play - it takes a while to get his bearings
again. As one example, here's some numbers for my platelets, which are central to
clotting when you cut yourself. </div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">323,000: that was my
platelet count just before my 1st round of chemo. You want it above
100,000, so I was in a healthy place. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">35,000: that was the count
two weeks after the chemo, on Wed, Jan 29.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">4,000: that was the count
the following Monday, Feb 1. Sheesh. So I spent 4 hours to get infused
with one bag of platelets to get my count artificially up to 24,000. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">20,000: this was a good sign. Platelets don't last, so this # indicates the marrow is generating its own population. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">123,000: by Monday, Feb
10, we are back in a positive range. Nice.</span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Miss My "Polar Bear" Fat</span></div>
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I am constantly
feeling chilly. So while at home you'll find me with a blanket draped around myself. On errands, it's layers of clothing. Why is this occurring? One reason is I have no
insulation in the form of body fat. But that raises the question - - gosh, did
I have THAT much body fat before? I mean, I never felt chilly before. Hmmm.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Miss My Glutes</span></div>
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Yes, your gluteus
maximus helps power your legs and other good things. It (and other tissue) also
lets you sit for long periods of time. I have nothing but bones on my rump
right now and so I have to insert <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V2L5JRA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1">a
cushion like this one</a> between me and whatever I sit on. I have a newfound
respect for big butts. </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Family Visits - the Minimum Recommended Dose</span></div>
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For myself, few
things are as good as visits from the immediate and extended family. I get
along with all of them and love to see them. WhatsApp is fantastic for those
very far away (think India, Dubai, etc.) but in-person cannot be beat. To be
clear, I have a LARGE extended family - I did a count last night. The sum of all my
aunts, uncles and 1st cousins is 51. It's a different kind of <i>good </i>medicine
to sit around with them, shoot the breeze, break bread, compare books, movies, videos,
games, etc. and maybe visit a bit of the local highlights, like the snowcapped Cascade Mountains, about 40 mins away. </div>
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Of note, like any
good medicine, I shared that the minimum dose (for myself) is 48 hours. Longer
is better and perhaps there is an overdose level but given today's busy lives,
the more common problem is people cannot stay long enough. To be clear, I think
Mom, as the caregiver, gets 2x the goodness I do from the joyful distractions
of good hearted visitors.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Actions Speak Louder Than Words - is Prayer Important To Me?</span></div>
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I have had a
question pestering me for some time. If I keep saying to all of you, "pray
for me, it's one of the most powerful medicines," why am I not praying all
that much? I mean, actions speak louder than words, no? Yes, I say short
prayers thru the day but to be clear, they are VERY short. Like, "Dear
God, I hope the blood work results are better today." That's perhaps 5
seconds? </div>
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Then a good
catalyst occurred. Regiauntie suggested we dial in and do a daily rosary at
7:30 pm for the rest of that week. She left for a trip to India but Mom and I still
carry on with this ritual. I love the meditative cadence that is created. It's
made me more aware that, goodness, I do need help, both to cure this disease,
and to have the fortitude and serenity to carry on thru these days. The mindfulness is a precious thing, no? And, perhaps, my actions to a little better job to show prayer IS important to me, no?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Strength is going up</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Back in
mid-January, I struggled to walk from the dining room to the bathroom. And I
can promise you, I was VERY motivated to get to the bathroom in a swift manner.
Standing up from a chair took as much 5 minutes to work up the determination as it was no small
feat. But with the 1st round of chemo, I feel that the lymphoma's hammerlock on
my body and also on my mindset was broken. Mom and I walked a mile yesterday. I
was slow, and puffing when trudging uphill, but it was still a magical mile.
There's much more to do, and the next 3 chemo cycles will be akin to 2 steps
forward, 4 steps back. I'll take it one day at a time.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Here comes the hairloss!</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Okay,
yes I am bald. But there's eyebrows, and facial hair. Just today I realized,
"Hmmm, I have not shaved in 4 or 5 days…" A 5 day shadow? No, that's hair loss at
work. Not much to shave. Some people are very disturbed when this occurs.
That's where baldness is a good thing. I endured the whole trauma of hair loss
long ago. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji";">😊</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rough Gameplan</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Last Thursday,
Dr. Shustov clarified "what's next." 3 more cycles of TEC chemo, followed
by an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematopoietic_stem_cell_transplantation">allogeneic
stem cell transplant</a>. But there's a number of hurdles to this journey:</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I need to go into full,
squeaky clean remission from the current chemo treatment</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Insurance has to agree to
pay the ~$1 million price tag for the transplant treatment</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I need to find a donor who
is a good match </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Closing Request</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As you may
suspect, critical to my success is to complete the upcoming cycles of chemo in
a timely manner. Without that, I don't proceed to the transplant stage. If you
would like to narrow or focus your prayers ( for those who find prayer is your
preferred approach ) then, pray that my bone marrow can handle all the cycles
of chemo, and do so in a 3 week cadence.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzso1Rd9aQ-W8CSRoeSJ-GctZC2T4LBoo2FHwdEJB8xDwUQZChE0mLMMGvf2ROqpeUfQiVaYbbiIUnWDbZDR52slOvRmnSLIYu8KJ_D4BRdL4OHm4Y0vZsQ0k0nnsNejmP5hDrIQ/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzso1Rd9aQ-W8CSRoeSJ-GctZC2T4LBoo2FHwdEJB8xDwUQZChE0mLMMGvf2ROqpeUfQiVaYbbiIUnWDbZDR52slOvRmnSLIYu8KJ_D4BRdL4OHm4Y0vZsQ0k0nnsNejmP5hDrIQ/s320/Slide2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.7333px;"><b>Progression: 173 lb - late Nov 2019; 144 lb - late Jan 2020</b></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;">Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.7333px;"><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt;"> related posts.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt;">Have
an <i><b>awesome</b></i> day.</span></div>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-6182639712194046352020-01-26T22:02:00.000-08:002020-01-29T00:24:39.019-08:00[ Belated ] Happy Holidays, 2019!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">Hi Folks,</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">As
always, I do hope this note finds you happy, healthy and ahead of your own
gameplan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope 2020 is amazing. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> …</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I am always
curious - - what were your top 3 experiences in 2019? They could have been fun or
arduous - we learn and get deeper from all of the, no? I no longer say
"good" or "bad" - one quote that has sunk deep into my bones is from
Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2, <span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">"There
is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Boys</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Overall, I think
they are largely out of the "growing like a weed" era. Both are
taller than myself, a fact about which they are quietly elated. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG0FjRzQD1TadKMNZeWFAdTZRwSJQyKeatGOfmc6txJKhntAY3UQhp6z4vPy30bXOztRE3z4dfzXUGm8Ydkv0Q0L2hceto425uIm0ASpzJBC7PC-aMzBJT4iqixzdQbVWvnCfYw/s1600/P1130421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG0FjRzQD1TadKMNZeWFAdTZRwSJQyKeatGOfmc6txJKhntAY3UQhp6z4vPy30bXOztRE3z4dfzXUGm8Ydkv0Q0L2hceto425uIm0ASpzJBC7PC-aMzBJT4iqixzdQbVWvnCfYw/s400/P1130421.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>3 Spring Tigers, at Temple of Literature, Hanoi</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Paul</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Seems more self-aware of
his time and position in life. He has pushed at the edges of his
introverted persona - not in an unnatural way from what I see - and the
upshot is a far more diverse social group, and kids that I think inspire
him.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He is also managing
himself better than ever. Not once did I ask about his grades in the fall
semester, and yet, he had perhaps his best interim report card. Not a
moment too soon.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He is in the passage of
many - applying to schools. I am securing the boys their Canadian
citizenship which opens up places like UBC and Simon Fraser. I think Paul
may like living in the Vancouver area actually.</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPzk6wEPmygpleWmiKWJIoYzWWhRcAiefNYQ2X7_q9ZQ_1pwHalOESTFheBNgKLehe2psc4Xsm4TeA2ZSZDcNsuqW2jf3iglv23pYpKgHHjpAUkSbT-_n6-F_N00wkOaZ2dWmeQ/s1600/P1140761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPzk6wEPmygpleWmiKWJIoYzWWhRcAiefNYQ2X7_q9ZQ_1pwHalOESTFheBNgKLehe2psc4Xsm4TeA2ZSZDcNsuqW2jf3iglv23pYpKgHHjpAUkSbT-_n6-F_N00wkOaZ2dWmeQ/s400/P1140761.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "segoe ui";">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Paul, Loving the Bigger World he is Discovering Every Day</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui";">
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sidd</span></div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sidd has been a method-man
since he was a toddler and in high school it is helping his explore far
deeper than Paul did. Each person's path is different, no?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He can look ahead, which
is a gift. He felt he barely secured a spot on the Freshman soccer team,
so near season end he did some interesting research. He a) found a team
that was down 2 players on a competitive league that was open to him
trying out with them; B) figured out the bus routes from my place and
Molly's to go to and from practices on his own; C) finally came to me
asking if I would pay the season fees with the idea he would be in a
better place 8 months later. When I realized the homework he had done (he
did not mention at first) I had to say yes.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AbkhzsnG9YE34o_dicvqjv-yf-Pf90I8Saii9j98n3Dl0itW-porcLlT4b0_uoERQDraOLoiSyQX6A-cHv_BxXNZaBsc28PcqHXxBy4AOdUUzj7nOCxwh4-Hp7y8tYIs9uwkTQ/s1600/P1020728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AbkhzsnG9YE34o_dicvqjv-yf-Pf90I8Saii9j98n3Dl0itW-porcLlT4b0_uoERQDraOLoiSyQX6A-cHv_BxXNZaBsc28PcqHXxBy4AOdUUzj7nOCxwh4-Hp7y8tYIs9uwkTQ/s400/P1020728.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "segoe ui";">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Sidd Loves His Dragons</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui";">
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Myself</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Work carries on well and
still lets me be wired into the lives of my boys in these fleeting high
school years. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My proudest chapter?
Figuring out how to raise a modest $7k for an NGO in Cambodia. Now I know
how to repeat this for every trip going forward. It's hard to say how
raising the funds made the trip "better." My best analogy is the
difference between 2% milk and 2% organic milk. Both are milk, but one has
more goodness in it. It took more work, but you feel it is worth it. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">On balance it was a rock
solid year - travel, sports related photography (of high school track and
cross country), writing, getting in shape. All goodness.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I decided the boys needed
to see something non-European - how about Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and
Singapore? Why? I have always worried my sons' world view is a very narrow
span in terms of culture, economics, topography, architecture, weather,
etc. That is, from Bellevue, all the way 20 miles nothward to Redmond.
Yikes. Here was a chance to see people living vertically (Hong Kong), new
countrysides (Vietnam), old architecture and the merits & vagaries of
a true banana republic (Cambodia), and one of the great social experiments
of today (Singapore). It was a worthy 18 day education, in my opinion.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The 2019 journey ended
with the equivalent of two flat tires and a busted windshield. That is, a
relapse into stage 3 T-cell lymphoma. The initial targeted drug did not slow it down, which is now stage 4. We have reverted to a 3 drug chemo-cocktail developed by Fred Hutchinson Research Institute. As of this writing, this new carpet bombing (which is what chemotherapy is) appears to be having the desired effect. I will be out of work due to my depleted state and more cycles. But on balance, thank God. To be clear, the lymphoma does not & did not take away
from the goodness up until that point or the goodness that continued thru
the Holidays. One of my mantras became, "</span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">My body is broken, but life is still grand.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">" I captured </span><a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">notes during my infusions
here</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.
Flat tires happen. All you can do is take care of these glitches as best as possible
when they occur, right?</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgWHikxyOR0M1l_flwEthuuxE3vTcTNzsWIGF408J3Ejmq_lHlE8-p0mSy9gbXocerZwo4Agi2SsThZBzDJPL8H3n2mp3VP2Noq_hYupkysFMg9_O5yAO0JY3x_Z6BWxgVHZ3fg/s1600/P1140747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgWHikxyOR0M1l_flwEthuuxE3vTcTNzsWIGF408J3Ejmq_lHlE8-p0mSy9gbXocerZwo4Agi2SsThZBzDJPL8H3n2mp3VP2Noq_hYupkysFMg9_O5yAO0JY3x_Z6BWxgVHZ3fg/s400/P1140747.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "segoe ui";">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Enjoying A Much Anticipated Sunset, Lying Dragon Mountain</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui";">
<i>Copyright 2019 Paul Pachikara</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Musings:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Do it now - whatever's important to you</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
I
now know that the 2016 lymphoma did a great job instructing me on at least one
thing - - life is fleeting. Hence, "now" is the best time to do what
is important to you, or to confirm all arrangements. I have a long list of
things I want to do. But, until 2016, I had no firm plans to do any of them.
"Sometime later," was my most common reasoning. Yet, "Sometime
later," is as good as never. The other element of procrastination was to
wait for the perfect time, flight, ticket price, etc. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Forget all of that. For me, the 3 years from lymphoma #1 to #2 were arguably full of the best experiences. Like more time with friends, at my boys' school events, taking photos, writing. And in my case, travel (yes that was sublime to the Galapagos, Normandy, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.) As a dad, one ulterior motive was to expand the world views of my boys. I made a real dent with this travel.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7zwXJHRu3cbSEQWT9hyJu-2TSg9SRAczH-NO_3u26YJhbtfZZnNPrn0Vp99rKEXcuVZkLdWw7Alful2CP4iUcJV4Gwwa5YvujF0VZai6W9Kt1iVIg98VMGEOfjPf7DojTveGUQ/s1600/P1000821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7zwXJHRu3cbSEQWT9hyJu-2TSg9SRAczH-NO_3u26YJhbtfZZnNPrn0Vp99rKEXcuVZkLdWw7Alful2CP4iUcJV4Gwwa5YvujF0VZai6W9Kt1iVIg98VMGEOfjPf7DojTveGUQ/s400/P1000821.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Mesmerizing View of </b><b>Hong Kong from Victoria Peak</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">All
of these delivered joy for me. So… do it now.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMN0eXxZNyRF1kdX4MrpBrwWmj5V0ujOVDnNh_wwvCjeBR845xGLvndw2eOwUbD24WBt6igwz5ryn85nPPvajbnn5nNT2gqpyt8yrN1yrBgkrTMNWP-1C4cgC81ZpCsJ0D3vUvnw/s1600/P1050345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMN0eXxZNyRF1kdX4MrpBrwWmj5V0ujOVDnNh_wwvCjeBR845xGLvndw2eOwUbD24WBt6igwz5ryn85nPPvajbnn5nNT2gqpyt8yrN1yrBgkrTMNWP-1C4cgC81ZpCsJ0D3vUvnw/s400/P1050345.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>At Mont St. Michel - A Humbling Experience</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Mary Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Say it now</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
A
friend of mine, Leslie Tsui is also a cancer survivor. She raised an
interesting point. Just in case some untoward event occurred (these happen),
she wanted her kids to know with zero doubt that she was their biggest fan. No
regrets. No speculation. 100% support for their decisions. So she crafted a
note and took them thru it. I loved this idea. Being clear with Paul and Sidd
about where I stand with them strikes me as deeply important. So I did the same
- <a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2019/09/just-so-you-never-wonder-what-in-blazes.html">you
can see mine here</a>. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Setbacks don't take away anything from everything else</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Let's
say you drive out to Yosemite National Park, camp for a glorious 10 days and
come home. 70 miles from home, boom! You wind up with two flat tires and a
cracked windshield. Sheesh! </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Question?
What do you choose to remember from this trip. Only the car issues? Only
Yosemite? Or both in a balanced manner?</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
In
late October when I had a funny tickle in my left underarm, the first notion
was the "flat tire" - - gosh, the cancer is back. Yes it was. But,
that did not take away from months of fabulous fun. Unless I chose to block all
that out. But why do that. For me, it would have only made the cancer adventure
harder, had I jettisoned the great year to date. Hence the mantra, <span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">"My body is indeed broken, but
life is still fabulous."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's less scary than it first seems, by a lot</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Planning
out the trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was pretty imposing for myself. At first.
Everything seemed so different. Should we do this? It was easy to have many
"what if's" come to mind that suggested, "Abe why not go
elsewhere?" And we could have also ensconced ourselves in nothing but
private cars, etc. to take us door to door everywhere. How about a canned tour?
But I decided my worries were tricks from the cautious side of my mind. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Reading
unveiled so many enticing details. Cooking classes. Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum.
Free walking tours by college kids wanting to improve their English. Historic
sites in the countryside. So many alternatives to hotels. Each detail made the
trip less imposing, more inviting. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
The
upshot? When we landed in Hanoi, we picked up SIM cards pre-ordered from <a href="https://www.klook.com/en-SG/wifi-sim-card/">Klook</a>. Google maps lit up
on our phones. We chose the city bus from the airport to a local terminal, and
wove thru the bustling Old Quarter. The moment we stepped on that bus with its
silent AC, our trip doubled in its spiciness. In a great way. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sleeper cells, everywhere.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
When
I mentioned the lymphoma to family, friends and a few acquaintances, up leaped
clusters of people offering to help. Prayer. Food. Rides. Taking notes at
consultations with the oncologist. These people are the oddest forms of
treasures in my life. I have thought about this often and one term comes to
mind - "Sleeper Cells."</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
If
any of you are movie buffs, one movie that is part of basic training worldwide
for new hires going into intelligence agencies (CIA, MI5, Mossad, etc. )
is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058946/"><span style="background: white;">Battle for Algiers</span></a>. The movie clarifies what
sleeper cells are in a terrorist or revolutionary network. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Just
like terrorist networks have sleeper cells, I believe in the land of "goodness
& sunshine" sleeper cells exist that spring to life in
times of need. I have an array of sleeper cells working on my behalf. They are
friends and family. Neighbors. <span style="font-size: 11pt;">Parents of the cross-country team.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> Just to name a few. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They don't
intrude. But when summoned they come out of the woodwork. Boom. They joke, they
reason, they prognosticate. They ruminate about one's malady. And take action as
needed to help. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They bring over food. They drive me to the hospital.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I hope I am doing as much for others.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The grandest of trips</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Getting
to travel to Normandy and Paris with Mom and the boys was hard to beat, not so
much due to the destination (which was sublime), but because creating
experiences for grandkids and their grandparents is quite amazing. The boys
love her irreverent nature and she loves how they don't worry about life the
way adults do. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMDXhsNFODIXXjQgjEUTDK5DlryAA6yAEA14I5HvbBL3JhanhXmO3t_krcK_Jb_Cr1Rf6iIG8N6ZeBnC5ZMt5EfsOVZFRv4LCXw6LjVBwmnmJMHjh6cpmBr0UBlZOUKz3tUFAlg/s1600/P1050304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMDXhsNFODIXXjQgjEUTDK5DlryAA6yAEA14I5HvbBL3JhanhXmO3t_krcK_Jb_Cr1Rf6iIG8N6ZeBnC5ZMt5EfsOVZFRv4LCXw6LjVBwmnmJMHjh6cpmBr0UBlZOUKz3tUFAlg/s400/P1050304.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Mom and the Boys, Mont St. Michel</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Z9SjjgxeULr7_YIIyTa2BywlMpthJUG8AQxRj0RDgl2Kplm0z-pNAZndDkHKhcBD7tkjIsBjl73-RRpAPHeOakjStA2IoafTd2aayjit-jaa-tI1Vkb-flcEBvOyM0uhPAbGZw/s1600/P1050457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Z9SjjgxeULr7_YIIyTa2BywlMpthJUG8AQxRj0RDgl2Kplm0z-pNAZndDkHKhcBD7tkjIsBjl73-RRpAPHeOakjStA2IoafTd2aayjit-jaa-tI1Vkb-flcEBvOyM0uhPAbGZw/s400/P1050457.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Main Dining Hall, Mont St. Michel</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our
first meal in Paris was at a creperie. The waitress was perhaps 25, light
hearted, and beautiful. Little did my boys know my mom is always on the hunt
for a good prank. She has a PhD in this, as the 2nd oldest of 7 kids.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
As
she casually sipped on a water, she said, "Oh my, look at the smiles on
your faces. Both of you clearly think our waitress is VERY good looking."
They looked at her dumbfounded. And flatfooted. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Then
the younger one, who litigates everything, rolled his head, and said,
"Amma, what a sexist thing to say!"</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
To
which the older brother candidly said, "Sidd, you sound seriously stupid.
Sexist? That is not sexist. Amma can see we think the waitress is seriously
cute. Admit it." </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
My
mom just kept sipping on her water, waiting for the food and wine. Mission
accomplished. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Keep
in mind, the window of opportunity is narrow too. Travel is an athletic pursuit
- many grandparents find the sort of trip their grandkids want to do is beyond
their abilities pretty quickly.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Some things may be better "over there" -
like healthcare costs</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">When we were in a rural part of Vietnam, my
younger son had a fever of 102.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F fever. Yikes. So a local pharmacist took us to
a private hospital. Within 45 seconds of arriving, the chief doctor received us
and assessed him. 10 minutes later, they performed an ultrasound on him,
followed by IV for antibiotics and fluids. Cost? The hospital fee was $3 USD;
ultrasound was $4 USD; IVs cost $7. Grand total: $14 USD. Hmmm…)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">You're Never Too Old</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
My
Mom just turned 80 back in September. What's on her plate? Well, back around
Jan 2019, she landed a slot at the gallery in Southern Illinois University for
a show. "My last show! It will be the biggest."</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Yup.
About 64 watercolors. <a href="http://www.marypachikara.com/" target="_blank">Here's a sample of what will be there</a>. The opening is Feb
21. The worry I hear her mumble under her breath? "What am I going to do
next?"<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoccyKhRo5H_djS5uosDgjS99nK9dXDPT9bTRGlf-SYNW9DBI36XA3wKeCQOp38ZO9xwv3o9xh49RbLnYNJb0DhZHVFCefHh_zkaxXlDa2MdkgY8tzqN79rbu0hJd8Y1FDJOJRA/s1600/Moms+Postcard+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1112" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoccyKhRo5H_djS5uosDgjS99nK9dXDPT9bTRGlf-SYNW9DBI36XA3wKeCQOp38ZO9xwv3o9xh49RbLnYNJb0DhZHVFCefHh_zkaxXlDa2MdkgY8tzqN79rbu0hJd8Y1FDJOJRA/s320/Moms+Postcard+Front.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Invitation to Mom's Latest Show</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Mary Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">It's
a great question. What am I going to do next? How about you?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Three Quotes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;">
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The grapes of my body can only become wine</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">After the winemaker tramples me.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">I surrender my spirit like grapes to his trampling</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">So my inmost heart can blaze and dance with joy.</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<b>Rumi</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his
grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">He said "my son, the battle is between two
'wolves' inside us all. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow,
regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies,
false pride, superiority, and ego.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope
serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith."</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The grandson thought about it for a minute and then
asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?..."</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The old cherokee simply replied,"the one that
you feed."</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><b>Cherokee
Fable</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;">
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">
<br />
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Be kind, for everyone wages a great battle.</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><b>Philo of Alexandria</b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">INPUTS:</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Books:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
What
books, podcasts and movies did you love from 2019? Please let me know - I am
always on the hunt. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Alas,
I no longer physically read many books. I have failed at setting aside time in
my day for this. But I take walks. And drive from place to place. And find many
timeslots (vacuuming, lawn mowing, cooking) where my mind is pretty free. And
that means audio based books. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
Here
were some I liked that you may too:<br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Business</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Atomic+Actions&qid=1579572708&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Atomic Habits</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Success-Principles-TM-Anniversary-Where/dp/0062364286/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Success+Principles+-+Jack+Canfield&qid=1579572741&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Success Principles - Jack
Canfield</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Antifragile&qid=1579572773&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Antifragile</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21AMND00Y78U8&keywords=zero+to+one+peter+thiel&qid=1579572801&sprefix=Zero+to+One%2Caps%2C581&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Zero to One</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Memoir</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Light-World-Memoir-Elizabeth-Alexander/dp/1455599875/ref=asc_df_1455599875/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312064602668&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13420368908747644091&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033257&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-492550571732&psc=1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Light of the World </span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Found-Pacific-Crest-Trail/dp/0307476073/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wild+memoir&qid=1579573340&s=books&sr=1-3"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Wild: From Lost to Found
on the Pacific Crest Trail </span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Becoming+-+Michelle+Obama&qid=1579573420&s=books&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Becoming - Michelle Obama</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fiction</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Wine-Novel-Master-Editions/dp/0553277537/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Dandelion+Wine&qid=1579573450&s=books&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dandelion Wine</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Song-Solomon-Toni-Morrison/dp/140003342X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Song+of+Solomon+-+Toni+Morrison&qid=1579573480&s=books&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Song of Solomon - Toni
Morrison</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Misc</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Astrophysics-People-Hurry-deGrasse-Tyson/dp/0393609391/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Astrophysics+for+People+in+a+Hurry+-+Neil+De+Grasse+Tyson&qid=1579573508&s=books&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Astrophysics for People in
a Hurry - Neil De Grasse Tyson</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Why+We+Sleep&qid=1579573676&s=books&sr=1-3"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Why We Sleep</span></a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wright-Brothers-David-McCullough/dp/1476728747/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Wright+Brothers+-+David+McCullough&qid=1579573706&s=books&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Wright Brothers -
David McCullough</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Movies</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4633694/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Spider Man into
the Spider Verse</a> really surprised me in 2019. Yes it is animation but wow
the storyline and the animation will surprise you. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-weight: 700;">Hidden Bullets to Dodge</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
As
far as I can tell, the fall high school sport of cross country, and the kids in
it, have helped my boys navigate away from vaping - perhaps my greatest worry
in their high school years.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
At
one point, Paul asked me, "A friend asked if I wanted to try vaping. What
do you think?"</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
I
replied, "I am curious what's your thoughts."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
He
said, "I don't know. That's why I am asking you."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Hmmm,
how do I say this in terms relevant to him? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
So
I said, "Two useful things to know. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
First,
vaping uses a substance called nicotine which is easily one of the most
addictive things out there. Right up there with cocaine. So if you take one
hit, you are most probably hooked. For how long? Assume 10 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either as vaping, smoking or chewing. 10
years includes the years and years it may take to kick the habit. I smoked very
lightly for about 4 years - a half a pack a month. Ask any smoker and they will
laugh if you tell them that amount. But it took me 4 years to kick my habit. That freaked me
out.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Second,
assume it will cost around $2,000 per year. Just to be on the safe side. How
many gadgets, cool travel, or upgrades to the future car I know you plan to buy
and love will you never see as a result? A lot. Year in, year out. For 10 years.
$20,000. From one puff. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
It's
a big world. Why narrow it with one puff. Just do your polite, trademark
shoulder shrug, and say "that’s ok" as you do when I suggest
something you won't want to do."</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
Paul
replied, "Huh…" and walked off. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
So
far, about 2 years later, I don't think he has tried vaping. Running 40 - 60
miles / week in cross country and track certainly help. They feel their lungs
heaving, and I think there is a more obvious connection that this vaping thing
will make that harder and lower race times. Thank goodness.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's to a FANTASTIC 2020 adventure</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
You'll see I said
"adventure." Because that is life. It goes forward, but also left and
right. We all grow deeper from it. Some of it we like at the time. Some is, well, to be appreciated later. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Wishing all the
best, Paul, Sidd and Abe…<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95mHQid4CvSiXJUC7OcaWPA9V6zwxCcXf0-HWQz9yqcSvhOl-pS2CKG3udB4WJSl8Rh_j_zGnVlCP9hgqKUvlM6Qt7QoBFuVEEK8DeDkpi45-BAYokrU4WNd7yoItx2LWKyelNg/s1600/P1140176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95mHQid4CvSiXJUC7OcaWPA9V6zwxCcXf0-HWQz9yqcSvhOl-pS2CKG3udB4WJSl8Rh_j_zGnVlCP9hgqKUvlM6Qt7QoBFuVEEK8DeDkpi45-BAYokrU4WNd7yoItx2LWKyelNg/s400/P1140176.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Another big day for 3 travelers in this wide world, no?</b></span><br />
<i>Copyright 2019 Abe Pachikara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-61269755541453561712019-12-31T16:40:00.000-08:002020-01-01T22:17:54.637-08:00Adventure #2, as of Dec 31<br />
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Hi Folks,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Here's an update
from my musings and activity from Dec 23 - 31 on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes I Kept in Mind Last Week: </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">"Dear God, give me wisdom, I am very much in need of it for this
moment."</span></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">"I pray I am with you in the baptism of
today." </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Abe,
many times a day</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks Yous</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
To Mom, my
sisters Cindy & Susan, and brother-in-law Chris for making the Holiday Week
so nice. And special kudos to Chris for a real life version of the Netflix show
Maria Kondo - he doubled the free space in my garage. Just amazing.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I have completed
all six infusions as of Dec 30th and had a PET scan on the 31st. (However, I
just got a note that the PET scan equipment had a failure - - it is contained
in a truck trailer that drives from one Kaiser facility to another - - so my
plan to avoid a 2020 cost by squeezing this in 2019 is a bust. Plus it means
more radiation to my body that I would have preferred avoiding. What to do?)</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Things seem about
the same. The oncologist indicated that B-cell lymphoma responds rapidly to the
biological drug I am taking, Folotyn, but T-cell lymphoma is much slower to
respond. Assuming the cancer does respond to it. So I need to sit tight. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Meanwhile,
the lymphoma still triggers low level fevers that rise above the 100.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F
allowable limit. I am now 4 for 4 in terms of visiting Urgent Care in the past
4 weekends. Nothing happens fast on these visits - they take from 4 - 8 hours.
The one saving grace is Mom and I saw 1 1/2 seasons of The Crown on Netflix as
we waited for results of blood tests, cultures, xrays, and ultrasounds. Thank
goodness for streaming TV services.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Doubts and Questions</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The ongoing
mental baggage from the lymphoma has unsettled me at times. It's at a low level
but I "see" my unease lurking in the shadows of my house, like an
uninvited guest. To help counter it, I just learned of and have ordered two
books: <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Fear-Essential-Wisdom-Getting-Through/dp/0062004735/ref=sr_1_3?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=Thich+Nhat+Hanh+fear&qid=1577809433&sr=8-3#customerReviews">Fear
by Thich Nhat Hanh</a>, and <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Awareness-Opportunities-Reality-Anthony-Mello/dp/0385249373/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=anthony+de+mello+awareness&qid=1577809528&s=books&sr=1-1">Awareness
by Anthony de Mello</a>. Perhaps they will help reframe my outlook.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Slow Leak in a Buoyant and Optimistic Balloon</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I am humbled by
people with long-term, chronic pain. I have short term, chronic irritations,
not pain. My left underarm's tumor has an uncomfortable sensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The skin on my chest has bursts of itchiness.
My swollen leg feels stiff when walking. My bloated tummy makes small meals
feel like I have eaten 3 deep dish pizza slices. Again, all are irritations.
Nonetheless, the effect is akin to poking a small hole in a balloon that is your
constitution or disposition. Or a determined beaver chewing away at the
foundation of a log cabin.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
What’s that like?
Day to day living is less shiny. Food, comedy, conversation, errands are
dulled. It goes with you everywhere, like a cheap suit. I am astounded by the
mental feat of people who live with chronic pain for long periods. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The one blessing?
I am that much more aware of how good my health has been, literally for
decades. Even unremarkable days are better than winning the daily lotto.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Powering Through</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Regardless the
irritations, there are times where you need to ignore them and treat some
moments for the special, fleeting status they hold. During the Christmas week,
I did not do that - - I let the discomfort get in the way and was not the host
I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">could</span> have been.
That's a shame. (I think back to a saying by a wrestling coach with a heavy
Boston accent, <span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">"Coulda,
woulda, shoulda, 3 words of the loosa."</span> ) It was the first time
having everyone here since 2010. Sheesh. Uncommon moments require uncommon
effort. Overall, I give myself a "C-" grade.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Actions Always Speak Louder Than Words</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
After much
research, for our trip to India I had secured a driver from a company called
Swagatam Tours to take us from New Delhi to Agra and back. Then I sent a note
saying I need to cancel the trip due to the cancer. I asked if he has a
cancellation policy. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
So, what was the
response of Mahi, the owner? He replied in about 15 minutes. "So sorry to
hear this, I have refunded your fees using the payment tool you had used to
forward the funds." A 100% refund. When I go back to India, I will most
certainly get a driver from Mahi. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Machu Pichu</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
[ Note: this
blurb may have "too much information."] Last Friday, I emerged from
the shower and did something I never do: I spent a long time on a full visual
inspection of my body. One surprise - - I have wrinkles on my butt. And, it is
greatly diminished to boot. Why is this a surprise? I have run long distance
from age 13 to 37. Then from age 45 to now, it's been a mix of running, long
walks locally and hikes in the Cascade mountains. The upshot: at the least,
your lower body is toned from your legs to your glutes. Oh my gosh, what a
site. This is me? Really?</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Then, 2 words
raced thru my head - - Machu Pichu.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As some of you
may know, since the first round of lymphoma, I have decided to visit places I
think would be hyper-interesting, and bring the boys to expand their view of
the world. Hence: the Galapagos; Angkor Wat; the country side of Vietnam; etc.
In the back of my mind, I planned to visit <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Machu+Picchu,+Peru&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&sxsrf=ACYBGNREFZNHxRsKtWupPQPX27-id591Wg:1577906234913&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixpPvkjuPmAhVFqZ4KHcv_A8kQ_AUoAnoECBQQBA&biw=1707&bih=748&dpr=1.13">Machu
Pichu, Peru</a> right after Paul graduates from high school this June. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But Machu Pichu
is 8,000' above sea level, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&biw=1707&bih=748&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNQmo4YY3vwtPlUw4sNttWbx58v2Eg%3A1577906238471&sa=1&ei=PvAMXrqyHJae-gTE2YKgBw&q=Cusco+%2C+Peru&oq=Cusco+%2C+Peru&gs_l=img.3..0i67l3j0l7.1160.1160..1597...0.0..0.77.77.1......0....2j1..gws-wiz-img.jg0C9QnQ_7c&ved=0ahUKEwi6ydTmjuPmAhUWj54KHcSsAHQQ4dUDCAc&uact=5">Cusco</a>
11,000', and the nearby <a href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&biw=1707&bih=748&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNQmo4YY3vwtPlUw4sNttWbx58v2Eg%3A1577906238471&sa=1&ei=PvAMXrqyHJae-gTE2YKgBw&q=Rainbow+Mountains++Peru&oq=Rainbow+Mountains++Peru&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i7i30j0i7i5i30j0i5i30l5.32579.32579..33136...0.0..0.84.163.2......0....2j1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67._2IICJLiTgo&ved=0ahUKEwi6ydTmjuPmAhUWj54KHcSsAHQQ4dUDCAc&uact=5">Rainbow
Mountains</a> are 17,000' above sea level. I need ALL my glutes back, and 130%
of my prior stamina. In truth, a laughable notion - - I cannot walk more than a
mile now.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So… maybe Machu
Pichu in 2021? Something flatter for now like Cinco Terra? Winnipeg?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thoracic Something or Other</span></div>
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My entire life, I
have slept on my left or right side. For the past 12 weeks, due to the tumors
in my underarms and the need to drain the lymphedema in my left arm and right
leg, I have slept on my back. How confining!</div>
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<br /></div>
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On Friday, I
decided to sleep partially rolled to the right. Ah, how nice. That is, until I
awoke an hour later with a piercing pain each time I inhaled. A few ribs on my
right chest were singing a harmony of agony that would have impressed groups
like the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PTEqZURh4o">Eagles</a>. I
was wide awake, massaging those muscles and bones, but with no success. Fuck it
hurt! What is going on? What is doing what to what? In desperation, I sat on
the edge of the bed. And, the pain vanished. 100%. How is this possible? And
why don't I know?</div>
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That's when Dad
came into my mind. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the human anatomy and
would have told me something about how lying down, muscles are needed to lift
the rib cage and chest cavity, but how everything changes sitting up. I am
making this up but he would have pointed at his own chest and said something
like, "Lying down, you use the diaphragm and the internal and external
intercostal muscles - but when you sit up, it is mostly the diaphragm. This was
first discovered in 1847 in Edinburgh by a gifted surgeon named…" </div>
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Why do I know so
little about my anatomy? Why do most us know so little? We have <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">one</span> body. If, as Warren
Buffett said, you could buy any car at any price, but had to use it for the
rest of your life, how would you take care of it? How well would you come to
know it? But we have one body. We just don't really know diddly about it,
right? Nor take care of it like it has no replacement. Isn't that a great
example of ignorance?</div>
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For 2020, I will
find a course on <a href="https://www.edx.org/">Edx</a> or <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a> to eradicate this ignorance.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Manual vs Automatic Pumping</span></div>
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When we get out
of bed, for the most part we just walk to the place we had in mind. No issues.
It's as if something is making sure all the right fluids are getting to the
right places. Some manner of automatic apparatus gets enzymes, proteins or
whatever to the right destination. </div>
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But my leg with
the lymphedema is more like some old two stroke motor - that is, the oil and
gasoline can easily get held up, and then each step is akin to manually pumping
this mix into the cylinders. The automatic mechanisms can get sidelined.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The downside - -
pain. The first step has a piercing pain as I put my weight on it. Wow! The
second step is about half as bad. The third step? One quarter as bad. The
fluids are pumping and the nerves who act as snitches when there's an issue are
settling down. If you watch me, it's akin to a pirate on a stump leg, hobbling
in the dark to the bathroom</div>
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<br /></div>
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I pile two big
pillows to hoist my legs at night. Next to them to build a ramp is a rolled-up, dense wool blanket. But
I think it was pinching some parts of my swollen leg. So, I swapped out the
blanket for a poofy pillow - problem solved. The pillow did not pinch something
or other somewhere the way the blanket did.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Magic Mushrooms?</span></div>
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This is a topic
that really bothered my Mom when I mentioned it to her. But here we go anyway. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Since I was about
16, I have always considered the worst-case version of a problem I am facing.
So, in my current situation, what's the worst case? Perhaps that none of the
treatments work. Then what? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Well, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychedelic-drugs-lsd-active-agent-in-magic-mushrooms-to-treat-addiction-depression-anxiety-60-minutes-2019-12-29/">60
Minutes recently had an episode</a> - - it is a worthwhile 13 min video to
watch. They discuss tests underway in places like Johns Hopkins to see help
people with addictions and extreme depression. The results are still early but
remarkable. Why? It appears to give people a far broader context of where their
own existence is in the backdrop of life. ( Last year, I read "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Change-Your-Mind-Psychedelics/dp/0241294223/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=michael+pollan+mushroom&qid=1577911092&sr=8-6">How
to Change Your Mind</a>" by Michael Pollen about psilocybin - the
hallucinogenic substance in magic mushrooms that triggers wild dreams, and it's
influence on people's worldviews. )</div>
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No I am not
depressed. But if the treatments go sideways for myself, it's an option I will
certainly consider for navigating my situation.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2019 - Report Card</span></div>
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All of this MUST
sound so dreary. But it is a very "cancer only" micro view. Overall,
the year of 2019 was magnificent. Mom has prepared a massive show of about 70
watercolors <a href="http://www.marypachikara.com/">akin to these</a> - the
opening is Feb 21, 2020. Cindy has a new place in Detroit designed by Mies van
der Rohe. Susan and Chris are swimming along. My boys are healthy, both taller
than myself, traversing high school with a good balance of academics, sports,
and social. Travel in 2019 was out of this world - to Normandy and Paris with
Mom and the boys, and to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore with the
boys, including a visit with dear friends in Singapore. Work has been steady
for me. And despite my hermit ways, I was invited for the 2nd year in a row to
participate in a Chicago / Booth School of Management event for incoming
students. </div>
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So, the cancer
has been like an annoying flat tire on a long, merry road trip. Nothing more. As said before, "My body is broken, but life is grand."</div>
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So here's to a grand
2020. It will be wild, unexpected, and it's own Indiana Jones-style adventure.
Relish the ride.</div>
<br />
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<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> related posts.</span></div>
</div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-40983237010091624612019-12-24T15:06:00.000-08:002019-12-28T09:13:46.832-08:00Adventure #2, as of Dec 23<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Hi Folks,</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Here's an update
from my musings and activity from Dec 16 - 23 on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes I Kept in Mind Last Week: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">"Waking up this morning, I smile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all
beings with eyes of compassion.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Thich
Nhat Hanh </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">"Life's what happens while you are making
plans.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Front
cover of Winnipeg Free Press, sometime in 1974</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks Yous</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
To my Mom and
sister Cindy (she flew in last week) for all the ways they are helping out. Day
in, day out. And to the family and friends who send in notes to wish me well
and mention they are praying for me. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Status</span></div>
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I have completed
5 of six infusions. Still no nausea or other side effects. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I'll admit the
"Junior" tumor in my right underarm feels different. Whether that
means it has grown or shifted is hard to tell. Fatigue is high, mostly due to
the cancer and perhaps aggravated by the Folotyn. It's eye opening as I think
of people with my condition who then get high doses of chemo - the exhaustion
can only be worse. Heart rate is up - sometimes as high as 130 bpm, from I believe normally
around 67. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Musings</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Travel plans</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Last week I
received a text - "You're Emirates flight is around the corner." Oh
no, I had not cancelled the flights. I had taken care of all the trip
interruption insurance documentation… but the actual trips? It was a funny
feeling to go to the airline site and walk thru the needed steps.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Gosh I had so
looked forward to the trip. At one point, I was certain that come hell or
highwater, we were going. That's a classic and somewhat humorous example of
theory and reality. My persistent discomfort now, and even greater fatigue,
would have tainted the whole trip for me. Mom would have worried every minute.
The boys would have experienced one more wonky visit. I think of a grand meal
served in a smelly room. Where's the enjoyment in that? Better to find a
different instance. Sigh.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Odder and odder geometry</span></div>
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When in the
driver's seat, I cannot easily twist my torso to get the seatbelt with my right
hand. Odd. But here's why… the fluid that collected around the left side of my
tummy (front and back) has now worked its way into the tissue. The left edge
has a visible overhang that is pretty firm too. Now I have a de-facto, sculpted
beer gut - about 8 pounds of it. And twisting is harder, for things like seat
belts. Along these lines, weight is up from around 172 to about 188. And I
think my left upper arm is about to get stretch marks from the lymphedema - it
is that tight on some days.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Internal geometry?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I think this new
beer belly like shape on my gut is perhaps pushing on my stomach also. I have
noticed I get full quicker - that sort of stuffed feeling when you eat way too
much. But I have not. The oncologist prescribed a diuretic called Lasix - I
will see if that helps relieve some of this.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">I am a load on others</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=10662672" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I have noticed
that the persistent discomfort has made me cranky and impatient, at the expense
of Mom, Cindy and the boys. Jon Kabat Zinn has a saying related to meditation,
"The water boils, but not the pot." On some instances I feel I am
watching myself, the pot, get worked up and boil over.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I tell you, being
the person taking care of a sick person is hard. It's important to let them go
out of the house, do "something" with other people and blow steam. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Who are your "First Peoples"?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Back on Thursday,
Oct 17, as I watched a recording of Stephen Colbert, I had a funny tingle in my
left underarm. Uh oh. Only one other moment was similar to this. That was from
late May, 2016 when I had a scratchy tingle in my throat. Perhaps this was cancer,
again? Oh man…</div>
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<br /></div>
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The next morning,
in my journal, I asked myself, "Whom would you tell first?" And my
answer to the following exercise was not what I expected. At the top of the
list were a few close friends. Not family. Why? I knew it would take weeks to
clarify the problem. I may be entirely wrong, but my hunch was friends would
not plunge into worry the way a parent or sibling may. Why cause such angst for
family? Since I wanted to chat with SOMEONE, start with a few friends.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Certainly, if you
are married or have a significant other, the order of the list may be
different. But the question remains - who would you go to first?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Convergence</span></div>
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Tomorrow,
Christmas Day, around noon, my sister Susan and her husband Chris. Then the
whole family will be under one roof for a couple of days, with Dad smiling at
us as he lollygags from some new endeavor he is undertaking, somewhere, in some
timeframe. I cannot wait to see everyone.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I hope that this
Holiday Period is smashing for you. To paraphrase a comment from my home town
in So Illinois, "I hope you have 10 pounds of good loving, in a 5 pound
bag." :)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> related posts.</span></div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-15282729789308838192019-12-18T15:49:00.001-08:002019-12-23T11:14:56.471-08:00Adventure #2, as of Dec 16<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Hi Folks,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
Here's an update from my musings and activity from Dec 9 - 16 on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>. Please note I have no intent to make people feel dismayed (some of you commented some of this is bleak - yikes). Life is good, in a 1,000 ways. These notes are about that sliver of existence that runs in parallel to that river of whimsy, that's all, and what has surprised me along the way.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes I Kept in Mind Last Week:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I cannot change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust the sails to reach my destination.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
James Dean.</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 10.5pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Day after day, O lord of my life, shall I stand before thee face to face?</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">With folded hands, O lord of all worlds, shall I stand before thee face to face?</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Under thy great sky in solitude and silence, with humble heart shall I stand before thee face to face?</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">In this laborious world of thine, tumultuous with toil and with struggle, among hurrying crowds shall I stand before thee face to face?</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">And when my work shall be done in this world, O King of kings, alone and speechless shall I stand before thee face to face?</span></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gitanjali"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Gitanjali</span></a><span style="color: #252525;">, </span>Song <span style="color: #252525;">76 </span><span style="color: #252525; font-style: italic;">by </span><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Rabindranath_Tagore"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">Rabindranath Tagore</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks Yous</span></div>
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So many. Here's just a few. To Mom for a 1,000 things she does, pesters me about and dotes over. ("Our kids" are, well, always our kids, no?) To my cousin Niseema who chauffeurs Mom and myself to & from my infusions. To Mary, one of the parents of the Interlake HS Cross Country, who brought over breakfast last week. To my sisters, aunts and uncles who pray for me, call in (mostly to my Mom,) to get updates, share LOTS of ideas, and wish me well. To Sebastian for yet another long meandering WhatsApp call over the weekend from Munich, to verbally loiter, strategize and catch up. This is the lesser noticed part of my treatment regime.</div>
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I have completed 4 of six infusions. So far, no nausea or other side effects.</div>
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I try not to think much as to whether my treatment is working. Speculation can be a double edged sword. I do know that a number of painful bumps around the base of my skull have largely diminished. And one of my lymphedema's is now also much smaller. But the "Death Star" tumor in my left underarm, and the junior sized one in my right underarm do not appear to have changed. As we say now and then, it is in God's hands, no?</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">New Insurer as of Jan 1</span></div>
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To quote Wizard of Oz, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPIdRJlzERo" target="_blank">ding dong the witch is dead</a>." That is, Kaiser Permanente of Washington. I have used our ObamaCare portal and swapped out Kaiser, who was a kettle of fish in terms of denying me access to SCCA, and will start a different insurance provider as of Jan 1. From both rounds of lymphoma, I have the same observation: your healthcare insurance & providers can create more stress and worry than the malady itself. All too often, it will not be apparent in advance that trouble is brewing. It is what it is.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Toes and Needles.</span> </div>
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What's the most painful action you could take to yourself? It's simple for me: stub my toe. There have been times I slammed my big toe into a door or wall so hard, I was sure I broke it. Yet I have no fear of doors and walls.</div>
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But, I am very skittish about needles. It's up there with spider webs. It makes no sense. The sensation is a very, very minor pin prick. Nowhere in the league of toe stubbing.</div>
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For each blood test and infusion, I need to chill, breath slowly and hold down my mental fort.</div>
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So last week, I decided to watch every second of the infusion prep. First some context. Infusion nurses are super experienced and super dedicated to helping people in harsh medical situations. … it's whom you want on your side.</div>
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As the attending was prepping the various gadgets and materials, I asked, "Why do you look for a vein in the back of my hand?"</div>
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She answered, "Blood in your veins flows from the extremities to the heart. If we don't get it right on the first try we want to go downstream. That avoids any risk of the prior puncture being a place the drugs can leak."</div>
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Made sense. And in all my time getting infusions and IVs, we have always nailed in the 1st time.</div>
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She tourniqueted my forearm, found a vein, swabbed it with cotton and inserted the tiny needle. I took long slow breaths, and forced myself to notice the scale of the pain if measured on the "Toe Stub Scale," - - TSS. Perhaps .01 TSS. Yes, I felt a whisper of pain. Almost inaudible.</div>
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Once done, a plastic, flexible tube (a super narrow catheter) slides over the needle, below the skin and into the blood vein. Then she hits a button and the needle retracts. Nice! All in 7 seconds.</div>
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If successful, the tubing should fill with blood. But, nothing. The nurse said, "Hmmm I think we hit a valve in the vein." It was pretty wild. This teeny, tiny mechanism in my vein was not allowing any flow. I felt kind of happy - this particular valve was working. Working great actually.</div>
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The nurse removed the apparatus, and chose a location in my forearm. Here my veins are harder to see. I watched something I would never have in the past. The needle went in. Another teeny, tiny prick. She slid it to the left. Nothing. Back out a bit, slide to the right. Nope. She tried a few more times with no luck. My emotional side was thundering at me. My logical side said, dude, there is zero pain of any kind. Wow. Mom was looking away the whole time.</div>
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When you miss twice, they have another infusion nurse try. The second nurse went for the big vein on the inside of my elbow. Done. I thought of my fear of needles and lack of fear of stubbing toes. Odd.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">An Uncommon Oncologist</span></div>
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I am blessed that the specialist at SCCA, Dr. Andrei Shustov, is a medical all-rounder. He cares. He listens. He explains in simple yet eloquent terms the available options and implications. And collaborates on the treatment decision. That's on top of the required smarts. If anything, I felt dismayed to think many folks have a "command and control" oncologist who won't be guiding their patients as he does.<br />
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He also runs an annual patient community meetup to share the latest in lymphoma research. I learned 3 interesting things at the event this past Saturday.</div>
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<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You "live with" your immune system, which is akin to a Mafioso. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">My colorful view is your Immunity is the Mafia Don that runs your body. It has the power to wreak havoc both on invading pathogens and on your own organs and systems. But the Don learns what is part of "you" and if it functions correctly, will not harm "you." When outside bacteria invades? That's a different story. The Don sends its consigliere, Helper T Cells, to "case the problem." With such substances as cytokines, the consigliere, Helper T Cells, identify the right henchman needed for this job (you know, the head crackers, knee poppers, and knuckle breakers), replicate a couple of million of them and unleash them. These are the Killer T-cells. The battle is merciless and almost always, successful. When the problem is over, the excess T-cells are literally killed off. Yes, immunity is a brutal world, no? So a symphony of terror and thugs live in you every day.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Pre-positioned for trouble. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">You inhale 10,000 bacteria with each breath. That's why your lungs and chest cavity have a concentration of your immune system. So too, around the mouth and throat, given "trouble" enters this way. Where else? The underarms. Why? Back in our hunter-gatherer days we routinely cut our fingers and hands. So as pathogens flow up the blood system, T-cells meet them. Lastly in our groin, as we also used to lacerate our feet. Again, our immune system greets the invaders as they arrive. Wow.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Exaggerated word.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"> Dr. Shustov explained two broad treatment paths exist (I think I shared some of this before.) </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Treat versus Cure.</span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"<b>Treat</b>" is akin to using insulin if you have diabetes. You don't cure the diabetes but you have good quality of life. Medicines that are in the treat category aim to trigger remission for a few years and enable quality of life.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"<b>Cure</b>"… that is a super charged word. It annoys me frankly. It suggests we will eradicate this malady. But at a stunning physiological cost. Deafening levels of chemo are unleashed in the process of transplanting someone else's immune system. After year 1, as much as 30% of patients have perished.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Those who do now have an immune system that does not know your body. Like a Mafioso mentioned above who cannot tell local shop owners from external thugs. So you live with </span><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10255-graft-vs-host-disease-an-overview-in-bone-marrow-transplant"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Graft Versus Host disease</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> (GvHD) for the rest of your life.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Then there's the non-medical costs. You may be in the hospital for 4 months. Family members will turn their lives upside down to be with you, and financial issues can crop if jobs are lost in the process.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"Cure?" Seriously? It's not the best word, no? (In similar manner, if you read </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography-Cancer/dp/1439170916/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Emporer+of+All+Maladies&qid=1576562531&sr=8-1"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Emporer of All Maladies</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, you learn how Dr. William Halsted invented the mastectomy and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">radical</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> mastectomy. If a cancer has spread beyond the breast area, surgery was irrelevant. But dire situations make people look for extreme measures. "Radical mastectomy" just sounds like more firepower than "chemotherapy." The damage was profound for many women and it took a long time to correct.)</span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hiking Poles</span></div>
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My fatigue is a real battle. Walks are vital but feel like mountainous affairs. Then I recalled meeting <a href="https://andrewskurka.com/">Andrew Skurka</a> at a team event at Microsoft years ago. He's an extreme solo hiker and all-round great guy (he has hiked: across the US; the perimeter of Alaska; every major trail in North America). He has an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Andrew+Skurka&qid=1576562854&sr=8-1">awesome gear book</a>. He mentioned hiking poles offload 25-40% of the workload from your legs to your arms. So I used my hiking poles for the evening walks with Mom. What a great difference it made. Thank you Andrew!</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Never Forget Home Remedies</span></div>
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My throat has been ridiculously sore at night. Why? I don't know. It's not tonsillitis nor mucositis. Just soreness. After 4 weeks of this, my Kaiser oncologist suggested "Do you do salt water gargles?" Ah, of course. A hot glass of water with a lot of salt. Gargle. Ridiculous how much better my throat feels. (How? The salt concentration creates osmotic pressure - drawing out fluids in your mouth and throat tissues, and breaks up thick mucus. The salt also creates a barrier that locks out water and harmful pathogens from getting back inside.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Happy, Happy, Holidays</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">While some parts of my body </span><b style="font-size: 11pt;">are </b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">broken, life is </span><b style="font-size: 11pt;">still </b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">grand. The Holiday Season and all its puzzling excess, but also the great food, companionship, all of this abounds. I hope you are part of this in a big way in the coming weeks and carry that frame of mind into 2020. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> related posts.</span></span></div>
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Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-45207691918389819222019-12-09T11:12:00.000-08:002019-12-23T11:20:10.629-08:00Adventure #2, as of Dec 9<br />
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Hi Folks,</div>
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Here's an update
from my musings and activity from Dec 2 - 9 on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes I Kept in Mind Last Week: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">"My body is broken. But my life is
still grand</span>." </div>
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I am sure many have said this - I cannot find one
source. </div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these you learn to live again</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these you give and give again</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these you learn to love again</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">It's times like these time and time again</span></div>
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Foo Fighters, <span style="font-style: italic;">Times Like These </span>(see two great videos: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhzmNRtIp8k">studio version</a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCUXXsP5WE">live version @ Wembley
stadium</a>.)</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks Yous</span></div>
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The parents of
the Interlake HS Cross Country team brought over 3 waves of sumptuous food.
Thank you to Margaret, Eugenia and Michelle. It all felt far above my pay
grade. In a very, very, nice way.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">I
have completed 3 of six infusions. So far, no nausea, only some slight </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucositis"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">mucositis</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">. Each of these 5 minute injections is a
whopping $15,000. Yup, healthcare costs in the US is staggering. (FYI, last
July the boys and I were in Vietnam and Cambodia. My younger one had a 102.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F
fever. So a local pharmacist took us to a private hospital. Within 45 seconds
of arriving, the chief doctor received us and assessed him. 10 minutes later,
they performed an ultrasound on Sidd, followed by an IV for antibiotics and
fluids. Cost? The hospital fee was $3 USD; ultrasound was $4 USD; IVs cost $7.
Grand total: $14 USD. Hmmm…)</span></div>
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Is my treatment
working? I don't really know but I recall 3 years ago it took at least 3 cycles
(each was 3 weeks apart) to see any changes. I have a check-in with the
oncologist - perhaps I will learn something there.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">How to Really Love Your Luxuries</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 1: </span>As some of you know, for over 4 weeks I
have slept in a concise Ikea reading chair and ottoman. Why, you may ask? The
tumors in my underarms pinch nerves when I lie down. Think of hitting your
elbow's funny bone every few minutes. So no worries. Pillows elevate my feet.
Pillows elevate my left arm. The upshot: much of the collected fluid from
lymphedema drains away into my torso.</div>
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Everything
changed on Saturday afternoon. I was dog-tired (happens a lot now) and mumbled,
"screw it, I'm napping on my bed." And it worked. Man, oh man! Not in
20 years has my bed felt so luxurious! Same bed. Same pillows. Same everything.
But to revisit it after 4 weeks on a minimalist version of a Lazy Boy? What a
delectable reunion. </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 2: </span>The water heater blew on Sunday. So on
Monday, the bath was more akin to camping: mix cold water with boiling water
from the electric kettle in a 2 gallon bucket. Use a quart sized Chinese
takeout container to pour water over oneself. I was surprised that this was
about 85% as enjoyable as a regular shower. Hot water, well, it's awesome if
doled out in a cup or via a showerhead. Mom was giddy with the chance to the
same (but she's sturdy like a plank of carbon fiber.) A technician replaced the
water heater the next day. The "standard shower" was like a fine dish
at a fancy restaurant. Again, so odd. Same shower, showerhead, etc. But you
should have seen my smile.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Our Bodies, as Balloons</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 1: </span>Now I have a night time routine: before
going to bed, put a compression sock on my right leg, (which is more swollen)
and a compression sleeve on my left arm. Each has an inflated appearance from
fluids that did not drain that day. Elevating my arm and leg shows the power of
gravity. My lymph nodes may not be able to flush the fluids, but when I wake
up, voila! Both limbs looks pretty close to normal. Until the days end comes.
Ah well.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=10662672" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmy_tH2wuK-NS_F2I8RBmF3VrcTer5N7xB3DaIjql_XLB7Dflx8nBUHq-QhENPUucvfbjaYELjHWc4X2xR2Q-MmJD_PrNILKgOEJVyDK_VVcMrAd2yz_DigJRbBrbv0YqvkgUbYg/s1600/lymphedema.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmy_tH2wuK-NS_F2I8RBmF3VrcTer5N7xB3DaIjql_XLB7Dflx8nBUHq-QhENPUucvfbjaYELjHWc4X2xR2Q-MmJD_PrNILKgOEJVyDK_VVcMrAd2yz_DigJRbBrbv0YqvkgUbYg/s640/lymphedema.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-weight: bold;">Part 2: </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">One
impact of the lymphedema is walking in the cold. Ouch! It's only 45</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but all my toes were freezing. How is this
possible? Then I realized, there's less fluid flow in both legs. The first mile
is not fun. But oddly, warmth comes in to my digits. I guess the calf muscles
overcome the indolent elements. Again, I realize how smoothly things normally
work. How nice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cross Dressing?</span></div>
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The skin around
my left breast is reddish and tender. This condition wraps around to the back
shoulder. It's physically warmer to the touch. The patch was much larger 4
weeks ago, and a GP prescribed Bactrim, surmising it may be a skin infection.
The aggravated skin shrunk by a half. But it was not gone. And foolishly, I did
not arrange a follow-up. At Kaiser Washington, patients arrange follow-ups, not
the physicians. I am not a fan of this approach. Perhaps it reduces costs
because some people don’t take action, myself included?</div>
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<br /></div>
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My left boob is
materially swollen compared to my right one. My boys call them
"moobs" (<span style="font-weight: bold;">m</span>an b<span style="font-weight: bold;">oobs</span>). Driving is no fun. I feel a slight pang
of pain with each bump. My answer has been to put my right hand under my shirt
and hold this moob as I drive. I even walk around the grocery store like this
at times. One side benefit: a cool hand is a sweet answer to the burning
sensation. Does it look odd? It must. But desperate times require such actions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Then I wondered,
how about a jogging bra? Wouldn't that "tie things down" for the
drives? No one will know what I am wearing underneath. It would also be my
first foray into women's clothing. Hmmm… But, better alternatives came along. </div>
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<br /></div>
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At night, I slept
with a damp towel in a plastic bag (to keep it damp) and when the irritation
woke me up, I would apply the cool towel. So nice. Could there be a better
option? At Thanksgiving, my brother-in-law had some tea with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol">CBD oils</a> in it. Hmmm. My
local grocery had lip balm made of CBD / hemp oil. It's been fabulous. I crayon
the irritated skin with this wonder product when the itching flares up… and
everything goes quiet for at least a couple of hours. How lovely. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yikes, the ER</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Last
Saturday, I could not shake a fever. The goal is to stay below 100.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F. But
no amount of water and sleep slowed it down. 99.8</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F. Then 100.4</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F.
Finally, 101.8</span><span style="font-family: "symbol";">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">F. So the boys, Mom, and I brought things to
read and watch, and tromped off to the ER. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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My worry were all
the super bugs I hear about. But the real concern should have been, "why
am I getting fevers in the first place?" Recent blood tests showed my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrophil">neutrophil</a> count was sky
high, as was my white blood cell count. Hmmm, my body was in active battle with
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">something</span>. The
conclusion after a battery of tests: it was the infected patch of skin. The ER
sent me home with a prescription of an antibiotic that won't interfere with my
infusions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The redness
appears to be slowly shrinking. The irritation still abounds at times (I keep a
hemp oil lip balm at the ready always). But my window of opportunity to try a
jogging bra appears to have closed. Ah well. </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Shapeshifting into a Sloth</span></div>
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I am more
exhausted now than I ever was in my treatment 3 years ago. Perhaps it is the
more advanced malady. Even at the outset in late October, I recall how my walks
puzzled me. "Why is this such a slog?" Now, I think the Folotyn
infusions are adding to the fatigue I feel. Certainly there's the greater
difficulty to surmount a hill. </div>
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<br /></div>
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My current
fatigue is from a different league than any I have experience before. Maybe not
from the big leagues, just semi-pro perhaps? It triggers a more subtle and
insidious behavior: to hesitate on the "next action." Said another
way, for transitions from stationary to moving, an oversized Newtonian inertia
engulfs me. I don't just get up from the dinner table. I don't just hop up from
my laptop. For any such action, I sit, wait, think of standing up, ask if I
really must do so, and wait more. I ask myself, "What is going on? Why are
you waiting?" Finally, I summon my legs and move. </div>
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It's been so eye
opening. I have never thought of the challenges of low energy for others. When
I see an elderly person moving slowly, I scratch my head and just zip by. No
more. When you have the energy, it's a blessing. Actually, a blessing hiding in
plain sight. A blessing I never thought about. When you don't have energy, you
actually need to double down and choose to move. How wild, no? </div>
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<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11pt;"> related posts.</span></div>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-53215205765683766802019-12-02T10:59:00.000-08:002019-12-23T11:01:21.327-08:00Adventure #2, as of Dec 2<br />
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Hi Folks,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here's a quick
update from my musings and activity in the week ending Dec 2 on this adventure
back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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I have been in
Southern Illinois at Mom's place since Wednesday for the Turkey Day holiday.
Now, Mom is next to me on an Alaska flight winging back to Seattle. She will be
"local" for the rest of the treatment regimes. Luke Skywalker had
Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi. I have Mom who is the Zen master I lean on, and Dad
sending me stories and jokes from some place faraway, like Obi Wan. Everyone
needs characters like this when they run headlong into a malady, no?</div>
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<br /></div>
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The past week was
blustery, as my sisters, brother-in-law and I helped Mom identify the best 67
or so watercolors for an art show that opens in January at Southern Illinois
University's Art Gallery. "My last show!" she declared a number of
times. She's as artistically productive at 80 as she was 35 years ago. You can
see examples of her work at <a href="http://www.marypachikara.com/">www.marypachikara.com</a>.
</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quotes I Kept in Mind Last Week: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-style: italic;">"Thank God ahead of time</span>."
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
Father
Solanus Casey, beatified in 2017 and 1 step from saint hood.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">God grant me the serenity to accept the things I
cannot change, </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The courage to change the things I can, </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">And the wisdom to know the difference. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
The
inimitable Prayer of Serenity by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Finally, We Stop Planning and Testing, and Take
Action!</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Fri, Nov
22: Deep Prayer. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I don't have the intensity in my prayer that this situation calls
for. I pray in many moments throughout the day. But not with the force
that pushes down walls. So I resorted to the Indian Catholic Group at my
church. If you could earn something as pedestrian as black belts for
prayer, here's where a collection of athletes of prayer make entreaties
and invocations to God. The upshot: deep, soaking, prayer.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Mon, Nov
25: Round 1 of 6 Rounds of Treatment.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Few things will give you a bias for action like a fast
moving malady. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">THANK YOU </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">to my cousin Niseema graciously came with me for the
infusion of Folotyn. It was odd. Why? Because 3 years ago, the chemo I
received (known as CHOP) took around 5 or 5 1/2 hours to complete. As
example, I watched the entire day of the Republican national convention.
(Chemo + the RNC was quite a combo for myself.) How about Folotyn? 5
minutes. What? Done? Already? Nice! It will take some weeks to see if my
lymphoma responds but I was super exhausted with the mental wrestling with
Dr. Chen about his unilateral points of view. A HUGE thanks to Dr. Puronen
for landing treatment slots.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Wed, Nov
27: Super Foods. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My sister Susan and brother-in-law Chris brought a bona fide
juicer and each day made variations of the same baseline of ingredients.
Ginger. Lime. Arugula. Swiss chards. Cucumber. Celery. Pears. Granny Smith
apples. Some vintages were too tart, or too gingery. But some were pretty
damn fine. I thought it needed some alcohol to really tie it with a bow,
but… not now. :)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Wed -
Sun, Nov 27 - Dec 1: Home Cooked Foods.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> As can be the case in many Indian homes, for
Thanksgiving, we skipped on the venerable turkey and fixings. We all love
it. But… instead came a steady flow of home cooked Indian food, and
American fare, all of which was divine. All based on cancer fighting
ingredients like cruciferous veggies and shitake mushrooms.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Broken Assumptions</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I always assumed I would
always be symmetrical when I compare the left and right sides of my body.
But not now, not even close. My left belly is that of a guy weighing
another 25 pounds. It's again fluids that are not moving as they should.
It's pretty weird.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Same for my limbs as
mentioned last week. My right leg is steadily swelling, and my left arm
has at times been so expanded the skin is tight, literally like a balloon.
Some people's bodies are contoured because<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>of working out and diets. Mine, right now is a mild version of
"</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphedema"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">lymphedema</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">".</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Experimenting on Myself</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My buddy Sebastian in
Munich tossed out an idea. "Abe, why don't you see if some
established studio in Seattle has some kind of Thai massage for your
swollen arm? If the masseuse is cute, all the better." </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">That led to a few phone
calls to massage studios near me. Lo and behold, there's something called
"lymphatic massage" but it needs a doctor's permit. And it's
$135 for 60 minutes. I think I would need lots of sessions but I'm too
damn cheap to pay that!</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Next was YouTube and some
very dry videos on how this lymphatic massage works. Like </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0FA1_THKAA&t=48s"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">this one</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS_WzAdfcSk"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">this one</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. One mentioned "after several months to
a year, your lymphedema will be less." Hmmm, a year? What could be
faster? </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">How about gravity? I
stuffed 4 pillows under my left arm one evening so it was pointing
upwards. Next morning, my arm and hand were visibly more slender. Nice.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">How about a compression
sleeve and gravity? Wow that was even better. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">How about a compression
sleeve and no gravity? I got rid of the pillows and only relied on the
compression sleeve. Yikes, what a disaster. My left hand looked like one
of those clown hands.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Clearly there's a
hierarchy. Gravity first, always, Abe.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Facing Down a Scare</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Two rules of thumb are
central for t-cell lymphoma, given it is an immune issue: </span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">No Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
If you get a fever, the medical community needs to know. Don't suppress
it.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If your body temp is more
than 100.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">F, go to the emergency
room. Anyone with kids or any history of sickness knows 100.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">F is NOT very warm.</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Saturday early evening, I
realized I felt warm. I was categorizing the scores of Mom's paintings and
had forgotten myself. The reading? 101.2</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">F. Damn. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But to me, the LAST place
to go is where there are colonies of super bugs - the ER. Let's first try
something else - take an honest shot at addressing this. After a quick
dinner, I followed Dad's age old advice - - "Few things reduce a
fever like fluids and sleep" - - guzzled a few glasses of water and
took a 2 hour nap. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The thermometer read 99.5</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">F. What a relief. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Vigilance is the better
path so one never has to dig out of unforced errors like this.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sunday I was better to
recognize the warmth. 99.9</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">°</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">F. Fluids. Sleep. And the temp was back down.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Meet Inspiring People as Part of the Treatment Regime</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I think old friends are
anti-cancer agents, unto themselves.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Most everyone has that ONE
job they feel was the best to date. Mine was during 2 summers of my
college years, working at a summer camp for physically and mentally
challenged. "Touch of Nature." I worked with different
populations of campers, young and old - blind, deaf, violent nature,
mentally challenged, cerebral palsy, etc. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Yes that work assignment
as a camp counselor.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But the true brilliance
behind it, in my opinion, was the camp director. A big hearted, smart,
garrulous, laughy mountain of a man named Butch Davis. His wife, Laura, is
equally enthralling. That was 38 years ago. But we always kept in touch.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">They had moved back to the
area near my home town, after retiring from faculty positions at a college
in Pennsylvania.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I called and they dropped
by. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you ever feel a room
gets larger, brighter, certainly louder and crackles with optimism when
some personalities enter? This is always the case with these two. I don't
know how they do this. But it happened again when they came to Mom's
place.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It made for a magical,
meandering conversation on Saturday.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Benchmarks for Toughness</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Who's the toughest person
you know? One who is undaunted? Someone who demonstrates how to wrestle
with life? </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mine is Mike Ryan. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He was a camper at Touch
of Nature, in his late 40s or perhaps 50s. Had pretty acute cerebral palsy
(CP). CP basically disconnects commands from the brain to the muscles.
Mike's brain is clear, but his body is prisoned to a wheelchair, and needs
someone to feed him, bathe him, take him to the bathroom, and clothe him.
Fact is, Mike changed my view of things </span><a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2016/03/when-was-last-time-you-bit-your-fork.html"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">at the first meal where I
needed to feed him</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But had had this twinkle
in his eyes. Always. And he's one of those guys who cracked a joke every
10 minutes from morning to night. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For days on end I
struggled to understand his slurred speech. He would patiently repeat his
very, very funny punchlines as many as 5 times. When I sorted out what he
was saying, I would always chuckle and I noticed he mumbled something.
"What was that Mike?" I asked and finally learned his comments
was, "The timing's all gone to hell." Like a true comedian,
delivery is central.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">How would Mike deal with
the lymphoma? Seriously, for sure - he was a very smart guy and would
recognize the gravity of this malady. But he would not be consumed by it.
Life is big, abundant, bodacious and fleeting. Why miss a minute?</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The tenet Mike exuded thru
his actions was, "My body may be broken, but my life's pretty damn
good." </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Here's to Mike, no? </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzN_e2rQCEF-balhQEDzGXPE3DR3KdTsZcloYmc_N7XdrcBbm2_h76Q-cxSGr_cnAN_6AGigQZpq2C0yRGURVhprG2jRCgwLEh6vj8rP8y4Lal1N-fTKyftZL0TUEJnO0PxOW8Dg/s1600/IMG_20191223_104846345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzN_e2rQCEF-balhQEDzGXPE3DR3KdTsZcloYmc_N7XdrcBbm2_h76Q-cxSGr_cnAN_6AGigQZpq2C0yRGURVhprG2jRCgwLEh6vj8rP8y4Lal1N-fTKyftZL0TUEJnO0PxOW8Dg/s320/IMG_20191223_104846345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i>Saying Farewell to Mike, July, 1983</i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Abe Pachikara, copyright 1983</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span id="goog_359636489"></span><span id="goog_359636490"></span><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Thank you</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> for how you are making these days
flow by more smoothly. As example, John Devadoss dropped me </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">and</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> picked myself and Mom up
from the airport. And the parents of the Interlake HS Cross Country team
commence a MealTrain this week.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Tremendous, no?</span></div>
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<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" target="_blank">Here is where you can find</a> related posts.</div>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-83632825162881137082019-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:002019-12-23T11:02:17.993-08:00Adventure #2, as of Nov 25<br />
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Hi Folks,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Quick update from
the week of activity from Nov 17-25 on this adventure back into <a href="http://www.tcllfoundation.org/service/for-patients/subtypes-/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma-not-otherwise-specified-ptcl-nos">PTCL-NOS</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote I Keep in Mind: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">"There is nothing either good or bad, but
thinking makes it so." </span></div>
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Hamlet,
Act 2, Scene 2</div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Feel Good Progress Was Made, Finally.</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Mon, Nov
18: The Last Straw. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sometimes you need that one last irritation to take action. Today,
the original oncologist assigned to me, Dr. Chen, emailed me to say,
"I have spoken to a general surgeon. And I have decided to refer you
for a needle biopsy [which only gets you fluid, no tissue to analyze] in
your left underarm." This is one day before the PET scan and a trove
of useful data. And a needle biopsy ran opposite of the advice from the
T-cell specialist at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). I replied,
"Isn't the whole point of tomorrow's PET scan to know we have the
richest, lowest risk site for a biopsy." He did not reply. I asked
myself, Abe, why are you fighting this? Just find someone else - Chen is
not the only option. So I looked thru the list of Kaiser oncologists,
found Dr. Camille Puronen, who was trained at UW, researched T-cell
lymphoma and even interned at SCCA. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tue, Nov
19: The All Important PET (positron emission tomography) Scan.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> For PET scans, you are
injected with a dose of sugar where a radioactive isotope is attached to
each sugar molecule. The parts of your body with oddly high metabolic
rates consume more sugar. Cancerous cells have very high metabolic rates.
Bingo, the scan shows where the action is so you can remove a sample of
that active tissue (a biopsy) and determine what malady you have. I drove
60 miles to Olympia for the first available slot for a PET scan.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Wed, Nov
20: New Oncologist. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I met with Dr. Puronen at 11 am Wed. She struck me as empathetic,
collaborative and nimble. I switched oncologist. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Wed, Nov
20: Traction. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dr.
Puronen called 5 hours after our meeting to say, "I have spoken with
your oncologist at SCCA, lined up a core biopsy for Friday and your first
round of treatment for Monday." That's the best call from Kaiser I
have had in 7 months. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Fri, Nov
22: Biopsy.</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
Armed with the PET scan results, the general surgeon toured my body using
the imaging software. He went out of his way to ensure I was "all
in" and while we kept to the same underarm, it was based on data. The
procedure is interesting: apply local anesthetic; use ultrasound to have a
live image of the target site; insert a fat, spring loaded needle into the
tumor, hit a trigger; pop! a cylinder of steel pierces into the tissue and
you retrieve a section of cancerous lymph node. I watched it live on the
ultrasound machine (I wish I had video'd it) and told the surgeon,
"Doc I'm not here to minimize pain. I'm here to maximize the tissue
we get. If you need 10 or 12 cores, go for it." He paused, then told
his team, "let's up it from 3 to 6 cores." The whole procedure
took 30 mins. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">A BIG THANK YOU</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to Anne Miano for driving over, picking me up, bringing
me home and plowing thru rush hour traffic.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Am Growing, in a Puzzling Way</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the past 2 weeks, I
have gained about 6 pounds and it shows: a bloated left arm; similar right
leg; a bloated left abdomen; and a bulge just below my tummy and above my
groin. My left arm's skin is tight. Like a balloon. What an odd feeling.
Some parts of me have the shape of a person 60 pounds heavier than myself.
From what I can tell, the lymphatic fluid is not moving like it should. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have aggravated this
problem actually. Sleeping lying down does not work as the tumors in my
underarms seem to pinch something. So I sleep in a reading chair with an
automan. I sleep better now than in my bed. But after seeing the arm /
balloon problem, I now stack a few pillows to elevate my arms and today
the swelling looks to be a little less. Being versatile is important, no? </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Am Arming For the Battle</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bloopers</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It's vital to remove
things that create aggravation, or see them in a different light. I now
feel that Dr. Chen, the original oncologist, could have been a writer for
Saturday Night Live. He's just too good at foolish comments. Here's 3.</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"Wow, that's not a lipoma, you DEFINITELY have
lymphoma!"</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
As if he is talking to a colleague and not a patient, this was Dr. Chen's
way of sharing his POV about the malady he saw.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"Who would ever drive to Olympia for a PET
scan?"</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
I raised the point that my lymphoma is very fast moving, so what are
earliest options as the local Kaiser PET facility was booked. He felt
driving 60 miles to a test this week was less optimal than waiting a week
to get the test in-town. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">"I booked you for treatment this Monday, Nov 25, did
you want to keep it?"</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> The other option was Dec 12th. He had booked this at
the urging of Dr. Puronen and I think he was looking for acknowledgment.
Hmmm.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Food, Part 1</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">big thanks </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">to my sister Susan, who sent me 3 very useful books on
how to bolster medical treatment with diet and a holistic approach: </span><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Second-Nourishing-Big-Flavor/dp/0399578714/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Cancer-Fighting+Kitchen&qid=1574703662&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cancer-Fighting Kitchen</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">; </span><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Radical-Remission-Surviving-Cancer-Against/dp/0062268740/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Radical+Remission&qid=1574703693&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Radical Remission</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">; </span><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Chris-Beat-Cancer-Comprehensive-Naturally/dp/1401956114/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Chris+Beat+Cancer&qid=1574703710&sr=8-2"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Chris Beat Cancer</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. This is in addition to </span><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Anticancer-David-Servan-Schreiber-MD-PhD/dp/0452295726/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Anticancer&qid=1574703739&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Anticancer</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> sent a few years ago.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">An example of foods that
can help: shitake and maitake mushrooms; "Cruciferous" greens
like kale, cabbage and bock choy; and green tea.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Food, Part 2 (and Sleeper Cells)</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The parents of my sons'
high school cross country team have mobilized a "Meal Train" -
and will deliver food to our place. A </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">huge thank
you </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">to
Eugenia Yen and Francine Wiest.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I feel very odd being the
recipient but eyes well up thinking of the intent behind it.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For me, it is the best
example of the hidden goodness. If any of you are movie buffs, one movie
that is part of basic training worldwide for new hires going into
intelligence agencies (CIA, MI5, Mossad, etc. ) is </span><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058946/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Battle for Algiers</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. They clarify what
sleeper cells are in a terrorist or revolutionary network. I have decided
just like terrorist networks have </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">sleeper</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">cells</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">,
goodness and sunshine has </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">sleeper</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">cells</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> that
spring to life in times of need.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Good Living</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">These are the standards:
sleep; meditation; prayer; laughter; friendships; reflection.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Vital Signs</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In general my blood work
is holding steady. But I see that the WBC is up, as are Neutrofils and my
all important Lymphocytes (they do the hard battle against disease) have
fallen below the healthy range. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All the more reason to get
into treatment today and wage battle back.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Choosing Medical Weapons </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There are two basic
approaches. "Cure" and "Treat."</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Cure" means
treatment intended to obliterate the cancer if all goes well. Higher dose
chemo is used as these returning malignant cells survived the initial
treatment 3 years ago. If you go into remission, then you can proceed as
follows: extract stem cells from yourself or someone else, drop an atomic
bomb sized amount of chemo to obliterate every bit of the immune system,
and insert the stem cells. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Treat" is to
use a different category of drugs that are not chemotherapy. Think
instead of how insulin treats diabetes but does not cure it. </span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have chosen the
"Treat" lane of action. All the medical innovation is here, and
my hope is this buys me time as more invention occurs. It will also do
less collateral damage that the Cure approach. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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Sorry for the
long note. Have a tremendous Thanksgiving for my US based friends.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019" target="_blank">Here is where you can find</a> related posts.</div>
<br style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" /></div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-41269393123913778062019-11-17T11:09:00.000-08:002019-12-23T11:09:57.538-08:00Adventure #2, as of Nov 17<br />
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Hi Folks,</div>
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<br /></div>
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A few
developments to share about my adventure.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">First of all,</span> I had meant to include Rekha
Thomas and Peter Blossey, who live in Seattle and whom I have known for a long
time. Rekha is a professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Peter is a
researcher in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Second, status:</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The bumps on my body are
measurably, visibly growing</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Now there's one from
impacted lymph nodes in my other underarm</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have added </span><a href="https://abepachikara.smugmug.com/Family/Health/Malady-2019/n-V268TX/"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">a few shots in this
unlisted gallery</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thu, Nov 11, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance</span></div>
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This past
Thursday, I met with my original oncologist, Dr. Andrei Shustov. This only
after the Kaiser oncologist gave a referral. From what I can tell, the two
oncologists have a long, unproductive history with each other. </div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a>Shustov laid out
the options. It was another thought provoking discussion. I have spelled this
out here in my OneNote: <a href="onenote:Treatment%20Options.one#Cure%20versus%20Treat&section-id={A238641B-9700-4A54-A15D-D9E40FAF3E3F}&page-id={08109CDE-89C1-43C6-93B0-02546BC1CEC2}&end&base-path=https://d.docs.live.net/caf5cb97cdaef561/Health/Lymphoma/Adventure%20Number%202">Cure
versus Treat</a>. The upshot, do I undertake :<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">High dose chemo, which if
successful, will drive a remission, drop an atomic bomb of chemo to
obliterate the bad (and good) guys and then insert stem cells to
re-establish my immunity</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Biologically based drugs
that work akin to insulin in that it will not solve the lymphoma, but if
successful, will make it go into remission for some period of time. When
it returns, try another biologic drug.</span></li>
</ul>
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We agreed to the
second option. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The gameplan: </div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Get a PET scan</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">From the results, identify
where to do a biopsy</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Start on a course of
Folotyn.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">On Deck:</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Monday,
Nov 18:</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Get a
complex care management person to help me. At the suggestion of Anne
Miano, I called and complained on Friday. This Dr. Chen will refer a test
(like CT Scan or PET scan) but not the follow-up with him go over results
and next steps. That's lame. So, I did two things:</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Called to Kaiser's
Bellevue oncology and pushed for something to fill this huge gap</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Responded to a "How
are we doing?" survey to say that Chen leaves a lot to be desired</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I will also use LinkedIn
to message the exec at the bottom of the email to say I would like to
chat with her</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Tuesday,
Nov 19:</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Drive
to Olympia to get a PET scan. </span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Trivia point: Dr Chen
said PETs occur in Bellevue on Thursdays and Olympia (~60 miles away) on
Tuesdays. Then he said, "why would you want to drive to
Olympia?" I think most of his time is spent reading things, not
being a warrior curing patients. Otherwise why would he make such a
comment for a patient who has aggressive cancer? </span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Wednesday,
Nov 20:</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Get
the PET results</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Okay this may come on
Thursday but I am going to talk to the PET technician to help expedite
this, and share to SCCA</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Thu -
Mon, Nov 21 - 25:</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> get a biopsy based on SCCA guidance</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We need a very active
site that "lights up" on the PET scan</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We need an incisional
biopsy so that we get a LOT of tissue. No needle biopsy or core biopsy.</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Perhaps
Mon Nov 21:</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
start the Folotyn.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Appendix</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Cure" Option</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Autologous</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hi dose Chemo to drive the
lymphoma back to remission</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Extract my own stem cells
from my blood</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Drop an atomic bomb sized
dose of chemo that will obliterate my immune system and reduce the
capacity of organs like lungs, heart, by 40-50%</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Insert my stems cells into
my bone marrow</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><30 span="" survivorship=""></30></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If the stem cells include
malignant ones, the lymphoma can come back</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Allogenic </span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hi dose Chemo to drive the
lymphoma back to remission</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Extract someone else's own
stem cells from their blood</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Drop an atomic bomb sized
dose of chemo that will obliterate my immune system and reduce the
capacity of organs like lungs, heart, by 40-50%</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Insert their stems cells
into my bone marrow</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><30 span="" survivorship=""></30></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If the stem cells include
malignant ones, the lymphoma can come back</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If you survive this (I
need to find the #s) you will then face GVH - Graft Versus Host </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The new immune system
thinks every organ is an intruder and unleashes everything it has to snuff
them out</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">So you get treated with
immuno-suppression drugs to manage this</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But you need to find the
right balance as otherwise, you have no immunity a cold from someone will
kill you</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 13.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Treat" Option</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Biologics</span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Use a biopsy to better
understand your DNA profile</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Them administer drugs that
act at the sub-cellular level</span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="circle">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Folotyn</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Others </span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Does not impact body
systems the way that chemo does</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">You will not cure yourself
of the disease - you are trying to compel remission</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a high chance the lymphoma will return
at which point you explore other biologics</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This approach does minimal
to zero damage to the rest of your body systems</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI"; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Lymphoma%202019"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";">Here is where you can find</span></a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui";"> related posts.</span></div>
<br />Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-47227449815323971202019-09-04T10:07:00.000-07:002020-01-30T13:53:46.471-08:00Just so you never wonder what in blazes I was thinking… <br />
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">A friend and fellow cancer survivor, Leslie Tsui, mentioned to me that she had "set the record straight" with her kids after she was in remission. I loved that idea and shared the following my boys back in Sep 2019. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">Paul and Sidd, my adventure with cancer clarified that
only God knows what happens next. Therefore, I wanted to share some thoughts.
NOW. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊 </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI";">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Forgiveness: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
forgive you guys for anything you have done or will do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI";">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Luck: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
am luckier than I can ever have envisioned to have the blessing of being your
dad. Plus, I have been given the chance to live the years that are most
important to me – your childhood years. (At least most of them, and perhaps all
of them.) I am “biologically successful” and now I am shifting into the “bonus
years.” I always had a good feeling about being a father, but "good"
is a far cry from "sublime". I live in a province called Sublime.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI";">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Support, part 1: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
support your life choices pretty much regardless what they are. The only catch:
think thru your choices, be purposeful. Some pathways are going to be very,
very hard. Your choices will span from: "longshots" with a lot of
potential upside on one end; to "sure things" with no stress on your
skills and talents, but little to no personal growth; to some pretty stupid
ones, but what to do? These choices can be hard to make, and harder to live by.
It's important to love yourself, to forgive yourself and to push yourself thru
all of it. We make the bed we sleep in. But I will support your choice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Support, part 2: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
hope you actively support each other too. Each of you is a treasure unto the
other. But, ONLY if you choose to do the required work to love each other. And
choose to watch each other’s back. Please do so. Too many people nowadays say
they are lonely but have forgotten their choice of not including family in
their own lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Zero: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
have zero, truly zero, regrets of you guys as my sons. You guys “hang my moon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why me? </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
anything, you should know on many occasions I have directly asked God why I was
given this treasure of fatherhood and to you two. I did not earn it, by any
means. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gratitude = personal teflon:</span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
The greater your gratitude, the more unstoppable and indestructible you are. Create
your own "compass of gratitude" to outlast challenges in your life.<b>
</b>It’s easy. I call it the “Life is Epic” exercise.<b> </b>Make a list of
your “TTT”, that is, your <b><span style="color: #0070c0;">T</span></b>reasures
(things given to you without any work on your party), your <b><span style="color: #0070c0;">T</span></b>ime (experiences from which you grew, be it
joyous ones or difficult ones), and <b><span style="color: #0070c0;">T</span></b>alents
(skills you personally worked on to make them better and better). Now make a
list of the setbacks that are on the same scale as your TTT. Compare the two.
If you did this in a rigorous manner, you will see your blessings far outstrip
your difficulties. That helps you remain open, optimistic & vulnerable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You, not them: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Expect
a lot of yourself, and much less of others, and you will be a happy human
being. The only person we can be sure to order around, is ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The secret is the present: </span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Know
that, "Life's what happens now, while you, and anyone else, are making
plans." That's why the current moment is so important. It is all you
control. We can't change yesterday. We don't really know what tomorrow is going
to be about. Remember the words of Master Oogway:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yesterday is history,</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tomorrow is a mystery,</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and today is a gift...</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that's why they call
it the present”</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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abundant.</span></b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It’s a life of abundance. And your generosity will feed
your own soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When things get hard, stop for a moment, and breathe 10 times, slowly.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With all my love, every moment of every day, Dad...</span></div>
Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-71632922572831968862018-12-26T19:38:00.005-08:002018-12-26T21:02:00.273-08:00Happy Holidays, 2018!<p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Hi Folks,</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">I do hope this note finds you happy, healthy and ahead of your own gameplan. May your 2019 be amazing. (<strong>I know, this is too long of a note.</strong> Worst comes to worst, <strong>enjoy the photos, quotes and book recommendations</strong>. )</font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w7gDM0Ou9Uw/XCRK17S8vyI/AAAAAAAALig/luHmVr6vNScw9uMHqgUF5cNeunQkSOZKwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0350-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="180" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0350-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0350-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jaINKIvqOCI/XCRK2t7au8I/AAAAAAAALik/msEeqAVUye8aaS5kwBCFijFN4D2-KF7SQCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0350-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
In a Forgotten Land<br>
</font></strong>Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em></p><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Pop quiz to start things off… I am curious, what was one good surprise for you in “your” 2018? What did you learn that will be useful going forward? What’s something you tried that didn’t get the outcome you had in mind - - we never share these though most good experiments have unexpected outcomes, right?</font><a name='more'></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">At the risking of sounding like I am boasting, 2018 has in many respects been an uneventful year for the boys, my siblings, my mom and myself. That is, nothing notably bad happened. We just carried on. It's akin to a boring flight, and that is the best kind in many respects. But each day does move just a bit faster. I work to be more aware of every waking moment, yet I fail more often than I care to admit. But I don’t mind - - being weighed down with "good problems" - - well that's a good thing. How about we pause to say thanks for these? </font><p align="center">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r2_0mBrHV04/XCRK3daf0cI/AAAAAAAALio/3hCLNg3kF2ElPXCFcVlUKlbaNsOKDQwzwCHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-Bellevue-PaulTurns16-180429-0014-ToWeb%255B8%255D" target="_blank"><img width="261" height="200" title="2018-Bellevue-PaulTurns16-180429-0014-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="2018-Bellevue-PaulTurns16-180429-0014-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dnrkge-bmRE/XCRK4IFXAdI/AAAAAAAALis/IrOD3u_IVCgmf0T52B6igY1AXXPtACdVgCHMYCw/2018-Bellevue-PaulTurns16-180429-0014-ToWeb_thumb%255B4%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EQeRHoYtquY/XCRK4uZ49QI/AAAAAAAALiw/2FoAk9MKNzUT3XHDhLkx1ErgCTCryzd4QCHMYCw/s1600-h/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0321-ToWeb%255B6%255D" target="_blank"><img width="144" height="200" title="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0321-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0321-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HRPQO5nzMUA/XCRK5eX5fEI/AAAAAAAALi0/cvCocNUiDW0FxspTSTXGjVXr3pPt--hIgCHMYCw/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0321-ToWeb_thumb%255B4%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Happy to be 16</font> </em>|<em> <font color="#8000ff">Approaching the Finish Line</font><br>
</em></strong><em>Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em></p><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Paul is 16 and about 5 inches taller than 14 months ago. More important, he is taller than me. Back in July, we both looked into the mirror, and he said, "Hey I am taller!”" I looked closer and said, "No Paul, you are comparing the altitude of a bald guy to that of a dude with a very, very full head of hair. Use the eyes as reference." Sigh. 4 long months later he crossed that milestone. What a relief for him… and I don't think he is done either. Want to make him smile? Next time you see him, say "wow, you're taller than your dad!". A small grin will emerge in his mouth, and in his eyes.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">I am wistful at the speed of his transformation into a charming young man. Thoughtful. Soft spoken with a big hearty laugh. Steadily clarifying his path forward. Junior year of high school is tough. The anxiety among students is palpable. I worry that we parents put too much weight in what seems to me to be an overly academic environment. I wish humans explored more. As example, he loves coding but doesn’t steal away enough time for it, IMO.</font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O51ptw2ovP0/XCRK6MZYZ6I/AAAAAAAALi4/FsovybsaeTgZQhrNr6nfK4c3F7WCGwp3QCHMYCw/s1600-h/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0149-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="200" title="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0149-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0149-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aaWApWvyaYc/XCRK6jKjzyI/AAAAAAAALi8/Kd1b1jMGcewvl6oaCBp6q5M4dd4rwWGegCHMYCw/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0149-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wAIVqORjfT0/XCRK7b5hEgI/AAAAAAAALjA/kx7hF4cM1vAl1IP8FHObmgXQR4q3whQZgCHMYCw/s1600-h/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0122-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="153" height="200" title="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0122-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0122-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gtqLjYxCvQg/XCRK8MPy_xI/AAAAAAAALjE/cw84QKng2dAL3i45BkecQF8P2QRu7XjJACHMYCw/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0122-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><font color="#8000ff"><strong><em>
Navigating Heavy Traffic</em> <font color="#000000">|</font></strong> <strong><em>A Good Day</em></strong></font><br>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)<br>
</p><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Sidd, 15, has transitioned to high school very smoothly. As said in prior notes, he has always had the headlights of his older brother to demystify some of his future. That was very clear for his Freshman year.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">He is testing the waters of juggling far more than he did in middle school. 3 clubs, rec soccer, high school cross country. He slipped on some assignment deadlines, teaching the hard lesson that outcomes matter. For better or worse, good grades = on-time delivery of a high-quality product. Not just doing lots of things.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">He’s still gregarious, very competitive, and likes the mix of students in high school – a relief to me. Yet, I see and hear dismay and cynicism creeping into his world view from observing the gaps between the logic & philosophies he finds in books versus the realities of life, politics and human nature. He wears his emotions on his sleeve - - which is very different from Paul - - and a surprise to me. In truth, we are all passionate about some issues.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Mom continues to be the gold standard of how to juggle family and personal pursuits. She is vivid, engaged and curious about new things. Examples: she has locked a gallery show for 2019; she sold her first painting online to a buyer in Australia (<a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/Painting/Serene-Landscapes-of-Southern-Illinois/995251/207273/view" target="_blank">via her collection on Saatchi Gallery</a>); and Mom still embraces the personal credo, “when in doubt about what to do next on your laptop, click on things.” </font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zfbdAMDqkys/XCRK8y3a-TI/AAAAAAAALjI/z6mNw2xQb1MIOR6pHbyQ1LQo745JbCJNwCHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0233-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="200" title="2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0233-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0233-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WrXiMq8WMV8/XCRK9fDP0_I/AAAAAAAALjM/bjvs8bNwjXszz9uHXMT1aw14uLaI8QorACHMYCw/2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0233-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xD3B4s2pcp4/XCRK-EbiPcI/AAAAAAAALjQ/OEu3mCC6tSYvbqku-b1-8KeNmY4RNFrzACHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0223-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="182" height="200" title="2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0223-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="2018-MboroChicago-SummerTrip-180708-0223-ToWeb" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1l8nL4ufw-6P-iAacd9uipTy9H8XjpHOuSjwUpTqIwEjQXXKj5-lGG5v8fTIr0DlqXdWVZajtUxlB2796yXCQh97yWxrPgdMquOBteYt_jBhJs3abXfYbiTnai4FrI4kc9Fgyg/?imgmax=800"></a>
<br><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
3 Generations</font></em> | <em><font color="#8000ff">Summertime at the Homestead</font></em></strong><br>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</p><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">On Jan 1, she will have traversed two years living as a widow. It’s a journey into a new land, traveled with serenity and courage.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">My sisters, Cindy and Susan, carry on with pursuits that put fire in their belly. Their passions are both part of and help to juggle and balance careers as the larger world shimmies to the left and the right. </font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cveQWkzxmWw/XCRb3Nj87lI/AAAAAAAALlo/eHpACawXqV8HN2ygIpDcLveehJZo_yAqgCHMYCw/s1600-h/point%2Bipad%2Bi-pJPjNfr-X4%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="point ipad i-pJPjNfr-X4" style="display: inline;" alt="point ipad i-pJPjNfr-X4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j2KGtaa0Axs/XCRb3j4jCmI/AAAAAAAALls/s7fe9sJPP5wLUh52AFVam_Xll1niS7fSQCHMYCw/point%2Bipad%2Bi-pJPjNfr-X4_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Cindy’s B-Day Soiree in Chicago</font></strong><br>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3">Myself, I had my 6th cancer check-in 2 weeks ago. (I think it may be akin to seeing your probation officer, but I don't have direct experience). The tests - - CT Scan, bloodwork - - came up clean. So, I am cancer free for 2 years. Halleluiah! Each incremental day lowers the probability of a relapse a bit more. In fact, I have been in such good health, sometimes a close friend will lean forward, stare into my eyes and ask in a quieter, more serious tone, “So… how are you?” I get wound up and whisper to myself, “<i>Oh no! What the hell is this about? Did I forget to do something? Did I do something?”</i> Then I realize, ah, they are asking about the cancer. And I think to myself, <i>goodness, I am in a good place if I no longer think about that scourge on a daily basis.</i></font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">2018 was a year of experimenting with different ways to work. I had some interesting assignments with a couple of blockchain startups, and I had a chance to work with a couple of super sharp people. Undertaking projects on a contract basis carry some real merits. The biggest downside is healthcare coverage and its sketchy future (at least at this moment). People say a single-payor healthcare system = socialism. On the contrary, I think it would free us up to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Travel</b> </font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Travel was about as good as it may ever be for me. I am always looking for ideas and would love to know of places you love visiting. </font><blockquote><p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Galapagos:</b> The boys and I had the rare opportunity to spend a week in the Galapagos Islands. Please visit if at all possible. You will see the Earth "as it was" - - a place where the animals look at humans with curiosity or irrelevance. Call me if you need tips. I could not recommend it enough. </font></font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bHQqoYL5GSY/XCRK_YQO7xI/AAAAAAAALjY/uYJWRNN-hgcAMVRwk3lVnJvPdxwpLPpIgCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0220-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="181" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0220-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0220-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lBJexXK2N7M/XCRK_7qytDI/AAAAAAAALjc/GTm4L8PT0RYTzOD0FYMx8aIt5VEOtPJhgCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0220-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Socializing With the Locals</font></strong><br>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em> <br>
</p><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Park City:</b> My best-case travel scenario is visiting good friends. It never hurts if it is an iconic location. I suspect Park City is stunning any time of year, but what really stood out was a meeting of college buddies met to yammer for hours.</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Munich:</b> I made a trip out to a "99 Year" event, coined by adding the birthdays of longtime friend Sebastian (turning 54), and his wife Ulli (45). The upshot was a few days of vibrant fall colors, and a gathering filled with music, conversation and food.</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Illinois: </b>The boys and I also made our annual summertime trip to Southern Illinois. On top of goofing around with the family making things like tie-dye T-shirts, I met up with high school friends (none of whom have lost their glow, I am happy to say). Few things are as nice as an evening tooling around Lake Kinkaid on my friend Tom Aken's pontoon boat. The sunset is stunning, as is jumping off the cliffs if you drum up the courage. But better yet is Tom weaving stories that delight and confound me and the boys. A truly rare elixir. </font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Two more travel gems were 2 visits to Chicago, hosted with gusto by my sister Susan & husband Chris. On the 1st visit, the boys took my suggestion to run along Lake Michigan as they prepped for Cross Country season. I don't know why seeing the two of them cruising along tickled me as it did. Perhaps it's that they are always growing so fast and this felt like a one-of-kind moment.</font></p></blockquote><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Definition - - Travel Related Gem: </b>Do you ever pause in the middle of a moment with someone - - to just take in what's going on, and ask yourself, " Gosh this is so nice, isn't it? When did I do this last? When will I do this again? Could this be the last one?" You are holding a gem.</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Photography: </b>During track and cross-country seasons, I revert to an industrial style, taking about 20,000 photos and sharing about 4,000 with the athletes - thank goodness for smugmug.com. But capturing the boys and my extended family is the real prize - you see how fast time moves when looking at these images across the years. While the stock market thunders up and plummets downward, photos and the related memories only increase in value - - in my opinion. :)</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="5">2018 Insights<hr></font><h5 align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><font size="5" style="font-weight: normal;">Living</font></font></h5><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><strong>Bird Feeders Need to be Next to the Window. </strong>I moved 3 feeders from out in the backyard. Now they hang in front of couple of windows. Why this can be called entertainment, I don’t know. But it is. I see the bossy hummingbird, hoarding food away from others, though in truth will never run out. And a wide array of gossiping local residents – most of whom I don’t recognize but maybe they are warblers, vireos, flycatchers, swallows, wrens, waxwings and a few unwieldy Steller's Jays.</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Why Don't We Question Illogical Goodness? </b>We humans love to stamp our feet and demand to know why a bad event was dropped into our lap. But when something good happens, hey, we usually take it, no questions asked! :) We don't shake our fists at the skies and ask in a similar way, "Why me? This is clearly a mistake! There was no logic to your decision!" Funny no?</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Friends Need to be Met Regularly. </b>Do you get fired up after spending time with old friends? I sure do and after each time, I ask, “why did this take so long?” Also I am amazed how technology can eradicate distance. Three examples: in person, with Barb Mousigian (we had not met in 14 years); phone call via WhatsApp with Luis Miranda in Mumbai (closing a 29 year gap); and video via Skype with Sebastian in Munich. The only hurdle (sometimes a big one) is time zones. </font></font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o9SqAPk_og8/XCRO5lKzNQI/AAAAAAAALkA/yxoHb1Q5DTUY7-_rdYzWVnraBM1Yv3VtACHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0042-ToWeb%255B6%255D" target="_blank"><img width="225" height="150" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0042-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0042-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VJTzEL_v5iA/XCRO6Oy0FBI/AAAAAAAALkE/xJk_GbcCEuEeKsaF9YVSiL7THQciy_k1ACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0042-ToWeb_thumb%255B4%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TJwf-AtlvSY/XCRO637hSlI/AAAAAAAALkI/lOilNbZxg9IoLzek6Cq0Jn26tDNFgvYVQCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0044-ToWeb%255B15%255D" target="_blank"><img width="225" height="150" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0044-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0044-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UwgX6n46QiQ/XCRO7UdutYI/AAAAAAAALkM/WnVTA3SnrJoaLgKLK-VW8F9w0XFUqVpAgCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-SanCristobal-180223-0044-ToWeb_thumb%255B13%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jWfITAoSDJc/XCRO8BTyOLI/AAAAAAAALkQ/ysIwFpn9OdoRlOBhyDVwViDrGLtZhTjtwCHMYCw/s1600-h/IMG_3579-ToWeb%255B6%255D" target="_blank"><img width="96" height="150" title="IMG_3579-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="IMG_3579-ToWeb" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJgobArTLCRw_0PlRoh1jQVrJt1Q2hwHW19bNIRTH0AaeZ8KgsD0YJSVJLAPaSSxlFn8I4Foye1gfLREb-ZADIzBK7fu9I2iLlzC1mF-5EYvGsxMHlBBF0SfiUiMkdIgkJ8xxag/?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Two Travelers and Compadres</font></strong><br>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Do what is easy to do, now; it may hard to do later.</b> I scolded the boys back in October. I saw them walking home from school, one 15 feet in front of the other. Both looking at their phones. "Do you realize how foolish you are being? In 2 years, Paul will take off for some other place, and the chances are high that for the REST OF YOUR lives, making time to chat will be a lot harder. As example, for me to catch up with Susan and Cindy means navigating time zones, schedules and colliding commitments. It's easy to say "be here, now" but more important, these are windows that close, sometimes forever. Each of you has a treasure called a brother who is a great person. So use every one of these small moments to shoot the breeze." (Parents go on tirades. What to do?)</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>What will life be like in 18 months?</b> I ponder this often. June 2020, Paul will graduate. But more useful than wasting time stressing about the future, or the past, how about I figure out the best gameplan for today with him, and with Sidd, no? The urgency of an 18 month window is my catalyst, (sometimes).</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>I miss my Dad.</b> I just listened to a </font></font><a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/pauline-boss-the-myth-of-closure-dec2018/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">podcast describing "ambiguous loss"</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> and for me it made sense. We don't get over some setbacks. Divorces. Calamities. Loved ones who pass away. Being at peace with setbacks is a different path, with less dissonance than expecting them to simply vanish. </font></p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Big trips are just that, mountains in my memory.</b> Our brains quickly forget what we buy - gadgets, clothing, cars, houses. Until we get another one. But experiences, I think that is different. A year after planning and prep, the boys and I went to the Galapagos. Each moment was akin to being in a dream. And I can go back to the various moments in an instant. (Here’s </font></font><a href="https://abepachikara.smugmug.com/Travel/South-America/Galapagos-2018/n-FfZJGW/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">some photos</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> and </font><a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/search/label/Travel%20-%20Galapagos"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">an unfinished set of posts</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">.) Swimming with Zen-like turtles. Playing with inquisitive sea lions. Conversations with others who have an addiction to traveling. I wish every day was like that. In truth, 97% of our existence is the pedestrian tasks that nudge life forward. And set up the sublime 3%. But I do want to step up my diet of adventure. I am inspired by friends who get out on a regular basis. </font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fHBtj0YdxuY/XCRO9edbGUI/AAAAAAAALkY/m_YR_2G3UOwmZipIqbzhBt8uuwmX3d8NwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0009-ToWeb%255B8%255D" target="_blank"><img width="270" height="180" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0009-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0009-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wM7s6y1ifzM/XCRO95s2bmI/AAAAAAAALkc/zFDgCPecDVwl-B-vAC32joNxrMXuYD8KACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0009-ToWeb_thumb%255B4%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YuKqO_YRr5w/XCRO-0oTu0I/AAAAAAAALkg/gdpjwwnp5JUotSzz1SB4r4KUyrdcTj6mACHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="180" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ntGu-jAGj-k/XCRO_qUq6jI/AAAAAAAALkk/mDz25NX-dSUfPWSTneTQn-ri0OjKYJX_wCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Toasting Another Magical Day on the Endeavor 2</font> </em>|<em> <font color="#8000ff">Capturing the Day</font></em></strong><br><em>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em><br>
</p><hr><h5 align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="5"><font style="font-weight: normal;">World Views</font></font></h5><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><strong>Being a Good Samaritan is Hard.</strong> “A happy-go-lucky guy.” - - that will be your first impression of my longtime friend Mike “the Mushhead” Carroll. But what influences his temperament is his kindness, often occurring at moments every inconvenient to him. </font></font><a href="https://dadsguideto.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/carroll-family-christmas-lesson-24-picking-up-strangers/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Here’s a great example</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Losing My Religion.</b> The boys are more detached and that has been a worry. What will happen when they are on their own? From our chats, I do think the church scandals leave a deep impression. It is easier to see life as generally less mystical. For a great discussion about this, read Yuval Harari's book </font></font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Homo-Deus-Brief-History-Tomorrow/dp/0062464310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545717733&sr=8-1&keywords=Yuval+Harari%27s+book+Homo+Deus"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Homo Deus</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Thinking Fast Overcomes Thinking Slow, for the most part.</b> Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman </font></font><a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/daniel-kahneman-why-we-contradict-ourselves-and-confound-each-other-oct2017/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">talks about "Thinking Fast and Slow.</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">" When we think fast we let our beliefs decide what data we consume. Thinking slow means we mull thru facts and opinions and permit our world views to be challenged, and even changed in fundamental ways. I have largely surrendered to the dismaying notion that thinking fast is winning. Engaging with opposing perspectives has been interesting for me, but I sense frustration from the other parties. Are we losing this ability, as a species?</font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Will I be happy or dismayed when I get older?</b> As I watch people I know, I see two tendencies: some focus on the goodness in their lives; and some notice the gaps. Inputs that I assumed drive the outlook, such as wealth or health, appear to be irrelevant. It's either a focus on how my cup is 99% full cup, or, who, what and why are there empty parts? Life is viewed as abundant and good, or one of vexing imperfections. Why does it go one way, or the other? For me, it is a mystery. The </font></font><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Prayer of Serenity</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> is useful only if it is embraced. The prospect of an angst-ridden outlook truly scares me. More than bad physical health.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>What happens after you try to fool all the people all the time?</b> I watch the strife in the Catholic Church and US politics - - and wonder about both. I am a Catholic and dismayed to my bones. Every priest I personally know has been a man of deep, inspiring character. Programs like </font></font><a href="https://www.crs.org/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Catholic Relief Services</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> act out the tenets of Christ, at scale. Yet each month more secrets come to light - - perhaps due to the church’s roots as a secret society - - and we see a minority of predatory priests and confederate bishops who were (and are) “company men.” Together they are inflicting deep damage on the institution. I am also a proud US citizen. Yet the bad behavior in our politics, oh my how I watch in disbelief. In both cases, it seems that truth is catching up to them. In both cases, my optimism says it will be corrected. But my cynical side says if we don't hurry, a new, very different and potentially unsavory chapter is about to be hatched that will be with us for a very long time.<hr></font><h5 align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><font size="5" style="font-weight: normal;">Dev & Careers</font></font></h5><p>
<font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><strong>Are Great Coaches More Important than the "Right Sport"?</strong> It’s important to follow a passion. But I now wonder, is it more important to gain the lessons and fortitude of world class mentors and coaches? At the high school the boys attend, the cross-country coach is not only an alum, nor holds the 1 mile record at 4:07 (unbelievable), but he competed in the 10k at the 1996 Olympics. His guidance is nuanced, to-the-point, and akin to having Yoda to shape your development. He resets the young athlete’s personal expectations to the size of the opportunity offered by the world in front of them. And his lessons about grit, competing smart, rest and recovery - - all are transferrable to many walks of life. Including ones where one may have more passion.</font></font></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Success vs Humility.</b> I have heard that success is the greatest test of one’s character. Earlier this year I had the chance to collaborate on a promising idea - working with blockchain startups. But at the very first meeting, my gut said that the actual collaboration may be less than optimal. Success had engulfed & hijacked one of the team members. To the point that when we parted ways months later, he demanded that I remove any reference in LinkedIn. "Working with me is like a licensing deal. When it stops, so does anyone's privilege to mention it and reap the benefits of my reputation." Nutty. Your gut feel is important to follow. Just walk away up front.</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Commitments = Daily Investments.</b> A new idea is enticing, but making it happen is a slog. I am inspired by people who translate a goal into a set of daily habits. After my cancer treatment, I was intrigued by the notion of reworking my reflections into something other patients may find of use. Now I am in the middle of it. And pushing it thru - well, some days are easier, some days are harder. I reread the </font></font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1545682741&sr=8-2&keywords=War+of+Art"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">War of Art</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> to help me.<hr></font><h5 align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><font size="5" style="font-weight: normal;">Health</font></font></h5><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><strong>The Mind is Willing, But the Body?</strong> Ah, denial of aging only takes one so far. Every time I get out and run for a few weeks, my knees start to sing an aria to me. But damn - I do love running. Another era passes, perhaps? And gone are days I can ignore all of this. To wander the world and take photos, I need my knees. The PT told me the issue is a weak </font></font><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/caf5cb97cdaef561/Writing/Various/gluteus%20maximus"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">gluteus maximus</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">. My butt muscles need to get off the couch, so to speak, and do more. So, I ping pong between walks and less interesting, preventative exercises for my back and legs. Sigh.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Don’t wait for winter to come.</b> My oncologist had a meet up with his patient community to share latest trends in lymphoma research. Very inspiring. Cancer treatment is undergoing metamorphosis, going from regimes of chemo and radiation that are, in and of themselves, carcinogenic (nutty) to attacking the malignancy at the sub-cellular level. Then he said, <i>"standard chemo means 70% of patients will relapse within 5 years." </i>Come again? I had chemo. Perhaps my path will be different as I had combined one of those futuristic drugs with my chemo. But my reaction also means some complacency has returned. Don't bank on the future, Abe. It's unknown. Just focus on the gameplan and relish it.</font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Creating Your Own Iron Man.</b> I am blessed with healthy boys. The one small nit: Paul’s race times were barely better than last year, despite putting in more miles. After getting a ferritin test, we discovered his iron levels had plummeted despite eating like a horse. So we made dietary changes: add red meat and clams (they have 10x the iron of beef!); supplement with iron tablets; also, to avoid inhibitors, limit calcium to breakfast & lunch (milk, spinach, cheese, etc.); to accelerate absorption, take vitamin C with dinner (mango juice has 100% RDA). The upshot: in just 3 weeks, Paul improved his 5k race time by 90 seconds purely via dietary changes. Wow!</font></font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KHbX5Bw3r6U/XCRPAVZKotI/AAAAAAAALko/h_Yt6PdiDuUjwNtMBDclGP1Fk8sLhdI_gCHMYCw/s1600-h/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0254-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="154" height="240" title="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0254-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="US-2018-Bellevue-XC KingCo-181017-0254-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hdPFUdiCV9c/XCRPA5VpFJI/AAAAAAAALks/MN8-q6SX920BcRdrXIyB3bIPzNNJDw17gCHMYCw/US-2018-Bellevue-XC%2BKingCo-181017-0254-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
The Smile of Ending Strong<br>
</font></strong>Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)<br></em></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>End the Day With Something Foolish and Fun on YouTube. </b>Every day the news is crazy and bleak. So, how do you end on a high note? LeBron James and other super athletes often speak of the importance of peaceful sleep. To settle the mind, one thing I find helpful is the endless lighthearted videos on YouTube. For example, </font></font><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEQuDyuQFKE"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">did you know parrots like dancing to Elvis</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">? </font><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTl1asCDOgs"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Or Gangnam Style</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">? Or </font><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sSb1qF7m3w&list=RDPHb_hheApvo&index=4"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">RiverDance</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3">?<b></b></font></font><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Muscle Memory Never Forgets.</b> I went for runs with the boys in July while visiting Mom in Southern Illinois. I was amazed how the high humidity impacted their performance. But my body had not forgotten how to run in the putrid heat. FINALLY, I could keep up with them. Nice.<hr></font></font><h5 align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="5"><font style="font-weight: normal;">Inputs</font></font></h5><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3">What books, podcasts and movies did you love from 2018? Please let me know - I am always on the hunt. Here's what I liked a lot. </font></font><blockquote><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><b>Business:</b> Ben Horowitz - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685153&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Hard+Thing+About+Hard+Things"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">The Hard Thing About Hard Things</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Ed Catmull - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685173&sr=8-1&keywords=Creativity%2C+Inc"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Creativity, Inc.</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Ray Dalio - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685195&sr=8-2&keywords=Ray+Dalio+-+Principles"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Principles</font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><b>Fiction:</b> Earnest Cline - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685787&sr=8-2&keywords=Ready+Player+One"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Ready Player One</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Markus Zusak – </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375842209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545876946&sr=8-1&keywords=the+book+thief"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">The Book Thief</font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><b>Self Help:</b> William H. McRaven - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Bed-Little-Things/dp/1455570249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685813&sr=8-1&keywords=William+H.+McRaven+-+Make+Your+Bed"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Make Your Bed</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Brene Brown - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rising-Strong-Ability-Transforms-Parent/dp/081298580X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685832&sr=8-3&keywords=Brene+Brown+-+Rising+Strong"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Rising Strong</font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><b>Memoir / Writing / Biography: </b>Jeannette Walls - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls-ebook/dp/B000OVLKMM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685855&sr=8-4&keywords=Glass+Castle"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Glass Castle</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Ta-Nehisi Coates - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Between-World-Me-Ta-Nehisi-Coates/dp/0812993543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685876&sr=8-1&keywords=Between+the+World+and+Me"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Between the World and Me</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Stephen King - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685905&sr=8-1&keywords=stephen+king+On+Writing"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">On Writing</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">; Walter Isaacson - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leonardo-Vinci-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1501139169/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685923&sr=8-2&keywords=Walter+Isaacson+-+Da+Vinci"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Da Vinci</font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><b>Parenting: </b>Shefali Tsabury - </font><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Parent-Transforming-Ourselves-Empowering/dp/1897238452/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545685941&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Conscious+Parent"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">The Conscious Parent</font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><b>Podcast episodes: </b>In this holiday season when people can feel wistful, Pauline Boss, </font></font><a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/pauline-boss-the-myth-of-closure-dec2018/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"The Myth of Closure"</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> was thought provoking. Another was Alain De Botton </font><a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/alain-de-botton-the-true-hard-work-of-love-and-relationships-aug2018/"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"The Hard Work of Love and Relationships"</font></a><p><b><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Movies: </font></b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829482/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Superbad</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"> (stupid funny but it's very R rated, let's be clear); Spike Lee’s </font><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7349662/?ref_=nv_sr_1"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">BlackKlansman</font></a></p></blockquote><hr><p align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="5">Quotes </font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">“All of our miseries are nothing but attachment.” — </font><a href="https://el2.fourhourmail.com/c/27u7zg7rgsohe0qmn/7gh7h8hm72545/aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvUmFqbmVlc2g="><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><strong>Osho</strong></font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">“Since the initial publication of the chart of the electromagnetic spectrum, humans have learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear is less than one-millionth of reality.” - </font><a href="https://el2.fourhourmail.com/c/92u9gp9dpbnh3k33r/2ou2ho/aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvQnVja21pbnN0ZXJfRnVsbGVy"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><strong>R. Buckminster Fuller</strong></font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” </font><a href="https://el2.fourhourmail.com/c/68umv7m07c8h690oq/52hvh7/aHR0cHM6Ly90aW0uYmxvZy8yMDE4LzAzLzA1L2phY2sta29ybmZpZWxkLz91dG1fc291cmNlPWNvbnZlcnRraXQmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1jb252ZXJ0a2l0JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj01YmY="><font face="Segoe UI" size="3"><strong>Jack Kornfield</strong></font></a><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Sufi</font><blockquote><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Beyond the rightness or wrongness of things there is a field, I’ll meet you there.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">When someone beats a rug, the blows are not against the rug, but against the dust in it.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop</font></p></blockquote><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">“ 'To give' is the privilege of the few. 'To receive' is the misfortune of the many" - <strong>My Mom's Mom, source unknown.</strong></font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." <strong>Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</strong><hr></font><p align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="5">Lastly, Always Remember, Life Could Be Crazier</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">My Dad loved Napoleon’s quote, " 'Tis but a moment from the sublime to the ridiculous." So true. Years ago I took the bus from Detroit to Chicago. I had just visited dear friends Sooney and Mike. The vehicle was largely empty. A few of us were sitting in the 1st couple of rows. The chatty bus driver asked about where we are heading. "Wyoming" one of them said. [ ‘What!?! That's another 1,000 miles’ I thought. ] This fella, in his mid-20s, then explained why. </font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"A week ago, I was sitting in my girlfriend’s trailer watching TV. She's 48, likes younger guys and was at work. Someone was banging on the front door, and I yelled for them to buzz off, I ain't buying whatever you're selling. And I was near broke anyway. Next thing I know, there's a huge bang and a guy is pointing his rifle at my head. I knew what was up right away.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"I told him, 'Dude you want my brother, not me!' See my older brother Timmy robbed a convenience store in Detroit but first used my driver's license to buy a 12 pack of Coors. Why I gave him my ID, shit I forget. It was stupid, I know. So, the cops had pinned the robbery to me but couldn't find me as I don't get in trouble with the law and have been staying with this new girlfriend in Cheyenne for a while now.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">He says, 'I'm taking you back to Detroit because you jumped bail.’ I tried to tell him he had it all wrong, but he didn't listen. He put cuffs on me and put me in the trunk of his Chevy Caprice. "</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">[ In my head, I am thinking this is one fantastic story. Then he shows his wrists. They are covered in dark bruises. Holy smokes, could this be for real? ]</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"That asshole drove me from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Detroit and only let me out to eat, pee, and shit on the side of the road. Do you know how much it sucks to be in the trunk of a car for that long?" I had never thought about that question, but suddenly, any seat, in any car, sounded divine.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">"Well that bail bondsman dropped me at some police station Thursday night, and I said, take my finger prints, you'll see they don’t match. They took them but said it was too late to check the records or something. On Friday some officer tells me they got too much to do and so they won't get to looking at my fingerprints until Monday. Can you f****** believe that? So on Monday, they come up and say, 'You're right, the prints don't match. You can go.' </font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">“Just go? How crazy is that? So I ask him, 'How is that supposed to happen? I live in Cheyenne.' The dude looks at me and says, 'Look I just take care of things here. How about you call someone?' I have to give credit where credit is due. That was a pretty good idea. So I called my girlfriend, explained why I was gone since Thursday. She was happy I was ok and hadn't ditched her, and she wires me money $200 for the Greyhound. You gotta love older girlfriends - they are way nicer." </font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">I told him she is a blessing. </font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">I have thought of this adventure off and on. My worst day was never as nutty as that. Not even the cancer had the whacko elements of "fear from a crazy man pointing a gun at my nose." </font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Life is relative, no? Good to say thanks to your God or to Life for obvious blessings like family, friends, dry warm soft spaces, and only traveling on seats! Good to be self-aware & grateful of that which is self-evident.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">I hope your 2019 is a wonderful one… strictly traveled in the passenger compartment.</font><p><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">Paul, Sidd, and Abe…</font><p align="center"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">(P.S. For old annual musings, </font><a href="http://occasionalinsights.blogspot.com/2017/12/happy-holidays-2017.html#more"><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">go to here</font></a><font face="Segoe UI" size="3">.)</font><p align="center">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-23hHrFwMVOg/XCRPBgCX9xI/AAAAAAAALkw/lr6HrLg7TrMNnvWNy0K714klP65VL1i2QCHMYCw/s1600-h/-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="205" title="-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BxlokkyRP8w/XCRPCOWPb_I/AAAAAAAALk0/Ovb0i9hThC4XEQKmbXvjmfmRqSl-yGSZgCHMYCw/-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Wishing You the Very BEST in 2019</font></strong><br>
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</em></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p><p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-73849961825242093242018-04-21T22:25:00.001-07:002018-04-30T22:24:58.200-07:00Two Gentlemen Meet<p><font size="3">One frigid evening in the dead of winter of 1970, my dad was tromping around from door to door. Why? He was selling peanuts to raise money for the Kinsmen. (Kinsmen is a men's community service club.) But “frigid” was an understatement. Winter in the Canadian prairies is cold by anyone's standards. Needless to say, underdressing worsens matters. </font><p><font size="3">When Dad knocked on the door of Abe and Elsie Suderman's home, Mr. Suderman greeted him. Being an inquisitive man with a whimsical way of being, Abe noticed my dad's low cut dress shoes, soaked by the snow that stumbled in. So, he asked, "Is that the shoes you're walking around in?" <p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QRcCN7N7Als/Wtwc3jg7aXI/AAAAAAAAIWY/Omg6JOg9ofAPWuESJDeMUZ16a8cemdGOgCHMYCw/s1600-h/80_Supers_mboro%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="238" height="240" title="80_Supers_mboro" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block;" alt="80_Supers_mboro" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eL4wLgnJldU/Wtwc4CepWII/AAAAAAAAIWc/wC0jkjd-NCEfuzQS57fo2ZihO6QQNEPYwCHMYCw/80_Supers_mboro_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><font size="3"><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Two Families, Out on an Excursion</font></em></strong><br>
Mary Pachikara, Copyright 1975 (Click for larger image)</font>
</p></font><a name='more'></a><font size="3"><p align="left"><font size="3">My dad looked down, chuckled and said, "Yes." </font><a name="more"></a></p></font><p><font size="3">In fact his feet were freezing and the evening of volunteering was not what he had expected. The two men knew of each other by name at best. Then again when you live in a town of 2,700 people, you kind of know everybody. One was the postmaster. The other was a surgeon. </font><p><font size="3">"Well come on in, let's get those shoes dried off and warm up your feet," Mr. Suderman said without hesitation. He was always a generous soul, and always one of action. Mrs. Suderman made some coffee to warm up my dad. Together, they mused about the winter, clothing, and other topics with surprising ease. This conversation would be the first of many. </font><p><font size="3">"Here," Mr. Suderman said, holding out a pair of rubber overshoes as my dad prepared to leave. "You should use these on for the rest of your evening. Don't bring them back, I can come by the clinic tomorrow and get them." </font><p align="center"><font size="3">- - - - </font><p><font size="3">A year later, Mom and Dad had decided to find an empty lot and build a house. Such a lot was right next to the Suderman's house. </font><p><font size="3">In a phone call today with Mr. Suderman, he recalled his second conversation with my dad. "Your Dad came to our place in 1971, mentioned his desire to build next door and asked for our permission. I have never in my world met a guy like your dad. Who asks for someone else's permission like that? I have to say we were so lucky your family moved next door." </font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vBNsUCKla_o/Wtwc5C57SZI/AAAAAAAAIWg/4UG4VOljYykdpq1ceP63RnLcWJr2EmXzQCHMYCw/s1600-h/2011_Dad_Supers%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="2011_Dad_Supers" style="display: inline;" alt="2011_Dad_Supers" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qeSEnxXmqDU/Wtwc5YOUNlI/AAAAAAAAIWk/0kfjps14ouUR5Yyc0oiFb189E3Hk1A_vgCHMYCw/2011_Dad_Supers_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><font size="3"><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Visiting So Many Years Later</font></em></strong><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)
</font><br>
</p><p><font size="3">It was the meeting of goodhearted people, who inspired each other for decades to come. We had many good days across our two homes that I have often remembered. For example, on countless afternoons my sisters played, and squabbled with their son Carrie. In the end, those three always came back together. With a chuckle in her voice, Mrs. Suderman recalled, "Carrie would come home in a huff. Then 15 minutes later the front doorbell would ring and your sisters would say, 'Can Carrie come out to play?' I would go ask him and he would always go right back out." <font size="3">Their two older daughters, Deb and Barb, babysat us when needed. </font></font><p><font size="3"><font size="3">Our friendship made those fleeting six years so much richer.</font></font><p><font size="3">Wouldn't life be so different if the less obvious factors of living influenced our decisions? For example, choosing a home based on the neighbors, rather than the floorplan. </font><p><font size="3">It many instances, it would turn our existences upside down, in a good way, no?</font>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-18385859948499277742018-04-08T12:14:00.001-07:002018-04-09T13:25:03.217-07:00Jeff Shushan's Intrepid Guidance<p><font size="3">After a number of meetings with Jeff Shushan, a seasoned advisor on relationships in stress, Molly, myself and Jeff had agreed to prepare for a profoundly important milestone: we were going to undergo a trial separation. It was November of 2013.</font><a name='more'></a><p><font size="3"><font size="3">The suggestion of a trial had been mine, based on how companies undertake a big bet. </font></font><ul><li><font size="3">Why put all your efforts into one place, when you can undergo a pilot, learn from it and course correct? </font></li><li><font size="3">If Apple or P&G does this for ad campaigns, why not pursue the same for something as potentially cataclysmic as proceeding towards a divorce? </font></li><li><font size="3">Perhaps, just perhaps, this would help us get to a better place together. If not, it would help us know how to live apart.</font></li></ul><p><font size="3">Yes, there's all the important logistics of where, when to start, what to start with, what comes from the current home into the "new place."</font><p><font size="3">But to me, and confirmed by Jeff, the most important detail was sharing this decision and set of actions with Paul and Sidd. To paraphrase Sidney Poitier's character in "</font><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061735/"><font size="3">Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</font></a><font size="3">," we as parents owe them everything. The life at our house was strewn with many small conflicts and the occasional big one. Yet, stepping across the deep chasm from both parents living under one roof, to a separated arrangement - - that struck me as one filled with as much risk as when climbers cross a physical one. Nobody was going to fall in this crossing - - that was my personal promise.</font><p><font size="3">If there is one datapoint vividly held in my mind, it was the words from a very smart, attractive lady by the name of Andrea I briefly dated decades ago. In one of our long meandering moments shooting the breeze, she recalled an unforgettable moment from her youth: standing on the living room couch as a little girl with tears streaming down her face, looking out the window, as her father "moved out" and drove away. I was struck by how every nuance of that moment was still clear in her memory, so many years later. I didn't say this to her but as someone whose parents got along, I realized yet again my ignorance of so many things in the world. And, it made me sad to realize how kids are probably more affected by a divorce than the divorcing parents. Years later, here I was, acting out that same story, in the role of the dad. But nobody was going to fall into this chasm we were crossing. Particularly my sons.</font><p><font size="3">Jeff's guidance about how to unveil this new reality made me smile as it was in some respects so obvious and yet I have to believe it is rarely undertaken. Here's the core elements of it:</font><ul><li><font size="3"><strong>Practice, together, from a talk track: </strong>The parents should write down what they want to say, keep it centered on the interests of the children. Then practice it, together, out loud. More than once, definitely.</font><li><font size="3"><strong>Tell supporting players: </strong>Prior to talking to your children, contact the counselors at the schools your children attend, so they can be explicitly on the lookout for any signs that this event is being received poorly by your kids.</font><li><font size="3"><strong>Get food in advance: </strong>Be ready to have something to eat as a full dinner for the event itself.</font><li><font size="3"><strong>Set up what you can, in advance: </strong>My boys have simple tastes & modest needs. I knew an Xbox and a TV would go very far in an empty space.</font><li><font size="3"><strong>Dial down the perceived risk: </strong>In the actual discussion, right from the beginning, share that <em><font color="#8000ff">"We are always one family, you always have mom, you always have dad. We are not going away, ever."</font></em></font><li><font size="3"><strong>Share what’s going to happen: </strong>Admit that yes, life has been tough at home as you certainly know. They will agree and may chime in with examples. Our children document home life with remarkable detail. So we are going to try something new, we will be <font color="#8000ff"><em>"one family, in two places, where </em><font color="#000000">[in this case, dad]</font><em> will be moving out"</em></font> and indicate the place and location. OF NOTE: the "new place" needs to be chosen based on your kids' needs, not your own. Meaning, one that's in the same school district, has some of their friends nearby, perhaps is also easy to get between homes. It's not chosen because it has a dramatic view, is near other adults you hang out with, or restaurants, nightlife, etc. etc. </font><li><font size="3"><strong>Show, don't tell anymore: </strong>When they ask something like, <em><font color="#8000ff">"where exactly is this?"</font></em> you will say, <em><font color="#8000ff">"let's all go there and see it." </font></em>The whole family will jump in the car and pay a visit to the new place. Here it's vital that both parents go along to bring the "One family, Two homes" mantra to life. When there, tour all its nooks and crannies, where each child will sleep, etc. You will have removed a vast amount of the speculation that can spiral in counter-productive ways.</font><li><font size="3"><strong>Bring along a keepsake. </strong>Before you leave the 1st house, have the children bring along something of importance from the "first home" to have at the "second home." In the next few months, have them do the converse. That way if they have a moment that is difficult, they will have a memento to help them along. (Ideally, the parents participate in this but that is less vital.)</font><li><font size="3"><strong>Break bread. </strong>Tell them, <em><font color="#8000ff">"Hey, since we are one family, in two places, let's eat as a family."</font></em> And then do so. As always, actions speak louder than words. Bring out the food you had with you, and sit and eat. </font></li></ul><p><font size="3">It is still a hard, tricky chapter, fraught with potentially brittle moments. It may be akin to pulling a band-aid off a wound, in terms of the immediate pain this moment may create, in and of itself. Yet, it’s vital to firmly and deftly guide our fellow humans through the passageways of life, particularly those inflection points that can otherwise create unwanted barnacles that seem to forever stick to our memories. </font><p><font size="3">A few observations from our experience.</font><ul><li><font size="3">Paul was without words when we shared the news, his eyes glassy and just staring at me, as he listened intently. That very nearly derailed my entire train of thought. Gosh, this was really happening, eh?</font><li><font size="3">Sidd carefully asked a few questions, unclear how these would be received.</font><li><font size="3">When we pulled into the apartment complex, surprise was in Sidd's voice when he said, <em><font color="#8000ff">"Wait, do you realize my 2 best friends live here?"</font></em> </font><li><font size="3">After undertaking a very close inspection of the whole place, Paul's sense of design & pragmatism framed his observations as he commented, <em><font color="#8000ff">"The rooms are nice in this place, and we have an Xbox.”</font></em></font><li><font size="3">The schools' counselors shared surprise when we notified them. One said, <em><font color="#8000ff">"No one in my 15 years has told me in advance. It is so helpful. And what I hear usually after the fact is the family went to a very fancy restaurant to share the news at the end of the meal. I think that makes matters worse by adding confusion and dissonance."</font></em></font></li></ul><p><font size="3">It's by no means an exercise I would wish upon anyone. A fruitful relationship is better. But when this hard moment needs to be traversed, I will always be grateful for Jeff Shushan's thoughtful advice.</font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-13028536181557896282018-02-23T14:55:00.001-08:002018-08-05T11:23:46.620-07:00The Curious Sea Lion Pup<p><font size="3">(Day 7 afternoon. San Cristobal, GALAPAGOS!) Alas our last full day! And it’s the afternoon already on San Cristobal. :(</font></p><p><font size="3">When people are less relevant, you really see how animals act. There's nothing to fear from humans, so as example...</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Here's a frame from a GoPro video just before a young, curious sea lion poked my video cam, physically that is, while I sat in a tide pool last week.</font></p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D2iRUMYYywE/WqDdhZ5Sq_I/AAAAAAAAHl0/m_V6Yh7dolkyjBP778lAoem0e8qxUSUVACHMYCw/s1600-h/image%2B%25281%2529" target="_blank"><img width="244" height="133" title="image (1)" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image (1)" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ITmHMA6g1Ys/WqDdh8eUkBI/AAAAAAAAHl4/pNZfAzLJXds2h9Mdw0kro6GzDIdokOh9gCHMYCw/image%2B%25281%2529_thumb?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><br><font size="3"><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Taking a Close Look at my GoPro</font></em></strong><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)<br>
</font></p><p><font size="3">
All the animals, be it iguanas, boobies, sea turtles, tortoises or dolphins, simply "got on with their business," walking thru our legs if needed to carry on.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">I found it enthralling, thought provoking and deeply inspiring, yet often was wistful to be in the middle of a tiny slice of what "Mother Earth" was like at one time, but won't be again for a long time, [ and what remains is potentially passing away too ] due to us.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">If you can, visit these nooks and crannies of our planet. You will be happy you did.</font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-84983087386270123922018-02-20T22:29:00.000-08:002018-08-06T11:31:24.943-07:00What Was Today's Gift?<p><font size="3">(Day 4, Isabela, night time)</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Two young fish swam by an old fish. When the older one asked, "How's the water?" one of the young ones asked his buddy, "What's he talking about?"</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">"Seeing the water" all around us takes effort. One action that helps is to take stalk of life on a regular basis. That is, one's day, one's projects, one's relationships, etc.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Travel requires reflection as much as any part of life. Last month's journey is akin to last night's dreams. Both reduce to nothing but memories. Breathtaking memories, to be sure. Facts, opinions, conversations, observations and stories.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p align="center"><font size="3">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cuDT2CK3mMw/W2iT8P-1pvI/AAAAAAAAKHo/LUan_4nZDM4PArKuC33dCgyt_3lAxyXhwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382%2B%25282%2529%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="180" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382 (2)" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382 (2)" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H9RFhVHMbno/W2iT89F1o1I/AAAAAAAAKHs/lvtoj2BHaVwHxGV_mu_Yw_K-2udMKv_5gCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0382%2B%25282%2529_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Recapping the Day</font></strong></em><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font></p><a name='more'></a><p align="center"><font size="3"></font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">But each of these precious, scintillating recollections is a fleeting, ephemeral creature.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">To not welcome them into the halls of our memories is to tell them they are unimportant. In return, they act more akin to underfed street urchins, running into and out of the light. They avoid capture at all costs.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">The best antidote to this good problem is pretty much any writing tool, used in a regular manner. You don't have to spend a lot time either. Take 5 minutes to answer the question, "what's on my mind from today's travels?"</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">On board the Endeavor II, the boys stared me down when I posed this task. (The same reaction to the same daily task I pose on every trip.) "Okay let's write for a few minutes about what you learned, what was fun, or not fun. Anything that stuck out."</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Yes, it was the end of the day. Yes, they are tired. Yes, sleep looks SO inviting.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">But being the victim of a long, exhausting, eye-opening day is not a problem. It is a gift plopped into your lap.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">What happens if you take no action? Today's discoveries will scamper away, street urchins in a crowded bazaar. At best, you will recollect them in a ragtag manner at some random future date. And again, they will whisk themselves away after that moment.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">In Catholic parlance, you will be guilty of the "sin of omission." That is, failing to act when you can and ought to.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">But you can act right now, perhaps with a journal and pen, or laptop & keyboard, or a mobile device using speech to text. Grab a thought or a moment. Scrutinize it. Bag it, tag it. Date it. Locate it. Cross reference it by whatever dimension comes to mind. Knead it into its intended better shape. In doing so, you have dressed and fed each urchin. Now they are formal citizens in the annals of recollection.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">The descriptions captured herein will serve as coordinates to the residence of that memory, located deep within the back alleys of your own mind. Success!</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Now release them.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">I cannot say Paul and Sidd were fans of this practice, yet. But they complied as they now trust my instincts when it comes to travel. Each boy would crack open OneNote on one of the 2 laptops we brought along, and begin to jot notes.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">If weather permitted, we would get out of the room and go to the roof deck. Why not be out under the stars, with the breeze, and the lyrical sounds of the waves?</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p align="center"><font size="3">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z0faHRj2ba0/W2iT-cScXAI/AAAAAAAAKHw/e8bfZsHnPw0q3CEQsWzu4g5pP6wrTkszQCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0057%255B9%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0057" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0057" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xh_N9YJq_hg/W2iT-3BBMwI/AAAAAAAAKH0/6YrAXgaL8o4TrfrahydDcLdSQA77gUtvACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Santiago-180221-0057_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Getting Help from the Moon, the Waves and the Wind</font></strong></em><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">After they went to bed, I would follow the same practice. The only difference? I wrote for longer.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">The upshot is puzzling and wonderful.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">When you visit these memories in the future, these former street urchins will come forward, well dressed, articulate, and willful. Akin to a guide eager to educate (or re-educate) you, they carry you back to those amazing moments.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Again, you will see and enjoy your travels in vivid detail.</font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-4826192532549561632018-02-19T19:36:00.001-08:002018-04-30T23:37:01.595-07:00Motoring with the Dolphins<p><font size="3">(Day 3, in the evening. Isabela, Galapagos!) </font></p><p><font size="3">We were out on one of the Zodiac boats - -smallish inflatable craft with outboard motors - - looking at many marine birds off the cliffs of Isabela Island. </font></p><p><font size="3">
Then, the ship radioed our boat's seasoned Ecuadorian skipper, Washington, reporting that a pod of dolphins were moving gleefully further out in the ocean. <br>
</font></p><div align="left"><font size="3">
Washington gunned the engine, hurtling our vessel out into the ocean and taking up chase... landing us in the middle of perhaps 40 magical creatures.</font><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YOu2fp4R2OQ/WqBrCGbir5I/AAAAAAAAHks/4Y4hzO49T6ESCHW4tBPZYKChRnODcsPFQCHMYCw/s1600-h/AbePachikara-006%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="AbePachikara-006" style="display: inline;" alt="AbePachikara-006" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-giG35u0-Lp4/WqBrC4D3ncI/AAAAAAAAHkw/CyqTntikC8wGPd1raFWJiV7qYsdxBU9HwCHMYCw/AbePachikara-006_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<font size="3"><strong><em><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 255);">
A Magical, Whimsical Troupe, Cruising the Seas</span></em></strong><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font></div><a name='more'></a><div align="left"><font size="3"><br></font></div><div align="left"><font size="3">Those 10 minutes seemed to stretch for a mesmerizing eternity. </font></div><p><font size="3">
They surged out of the water in pairs, trios, singles. I wished for eyes on the back of my head as the playful scene was everywhere I looked, and did not.</font></p><p><font size="3">
They were on our left, then our right. Back on our left. In front, then behind. To miss on microsecond of it in any direction was a crime.</font><br>
</p><div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CX5Ioh0jyyY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CX5Ioh0jyyY/0.jpg"></iframe></div><p align="center">
<font size="3"><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
A Precious One Minute, On Just One Side</font></strong></em><br>
Salvador Cazar, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger video)
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</font></p><p align="left"><font size="3">To be clear, it was the dolphins’ choice, not ours. They had included us in their merry band, just cruising the oceans, like a bunch of bikers hauling ass and laughing the whole way. </font></p><p align="left"><font size="3">
As fast as it began, it ended. The dolphins vanished into the depths of the ocean, so we headed back to the ship. </font></p><p align="left"><font size="3">A dream could not have been more remarkable...</font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-59520831755020458182018-02-19T12:09:00.002-08:002018-05-17T07:55:57.916-07:00Girl’s Fight!<p><font size="3">(Day 3, Fernandina Island, mid-morning)</font><p><font size="3">February is right in the middle of the marine iguana breeding season. That requires a nest where the moms can lay their eggs. To my surprise, when it comes to creating nests, iguana seemed to fall into two camps - producers, and takers.</font><p><font size="3">Some of the expectant moms dig shallow nests in the soft sand on Fernandina Island. This is a slow process, as these creatures are by no means designed for excavating the loose sand.</font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TnZ0jJQAO2Y/WvpySHXtvRI/AAAAAAAAI5w/N-upgyNZF3UpSmAPgcNnyVgwKHR1CM0mQCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0081-ToWeb" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0081-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0081-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cabgrf27QDE/WvpySmMACgI/AAAAAAAAI50/audsneh6tYM7JXlxpgSJD3bTvwut9OdWgCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0081-ToWeb_thumb?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8cz5GVLn_lg/WvpyT2GxDbI/AAAAAAAAI54/-pVlukv8TqUYZ5D271y8GBeC3-4o04g4QCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0080-ToWeb" target="_blank"><img width="229" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0080-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0080-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wr8NxvJs-4w/WvpyUeG_5fI/AAAAAAAAI58/orSCa3MYwtwYmJrVWCwWXhfV2p1CO5MhwCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0080-ToWeb_thumb?imgmax=800"></a><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GO6dx997cE8/WvpyVmeTaOI/AAAAAAAAI6A/zALlccGKT1Aps8RDZ4C6LvNpMSudWfnvwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0079-ToWeb" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="143" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0079-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0079-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DIEm3TDcEF0/WvpyWGefyFI/AAAAAAAAI6E/N_Vp3e5mU88T5kKbaIUgSp1_HRMzJ5tTwCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0079-ToWeb_thumb?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cbUqE_BErKc/WvpyXP-T0XI/AAAAAAAAI6I/taXFIeb-kqIjIWirLie_6fTVdZi6jdVzACHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0077-ToWeb" target="_blank"><img width="214" height="143" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0077-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0077-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0TZkr8wCu50/WvpyXu3ELbI/AAAAAAAAI6M/skAmZaxhViEvQQcldsH-ihX0jcANFEnXQCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0077-ToWeb_thumb?imgmax=800"></a><br><font size="2"><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Creating a Nest for Junior</font></em></strong><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)
</font></p><a name='more'></a><p align="center"><font size="2"></font></p><a name="more"></a><p align="left">
<font size="3">And other females? Well, their plan is a simpler one - - waltz up to a good looking home, and take it.</font></p><p><font size="3">The reaction is pretty logical. "Take my newly created home? Damned if that's going to happen!"</font><p><font size="3">I watched in shock. Three letters came to mind: "WTF?" The nerve of this intruder.</font><p><font size="3">The upshot? An intense, Greco-Roman style battle. Two combatants. Very low center of gravity. Muscular arms and legs. To this, add a lot of emotion, and a muscular, marauding tail. The result is a truly intense combat, that only lasts a few minutes (like any round of Olympic style wrestling.)</font><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPL3uVvbI-fqlZqa0cC4i_1G4ggu0ooA6Z8G1HEUhehhk7xMqwomDW9IaDAGYjmXZRLNpZOYoDAfTBDKT_xQpqxQs0JRjQTruiVBbds3vgdjLCWDfEyo5IGnWHGE7funoF-e67g/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0086-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="225" height="119" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0086-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0086-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vo1DVfl3tVw/WvpyZB_vtnI/AAAAAAAAI6U/26lKWh6T3lUV6nu3KKQkPLmSeQCJbt0-gCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0086-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oJ8O7OBwOzY/WvpyaHLARSI/AAAAAAAAI6Y/oZsFeiFJN2gzvUI0giEaRLyF7adkASXoACHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0085-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="119" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0085-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0085-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KKnzFzlPwuY/Wvpyaj89UFI/AAAAAAAAI6c/guLZOknHsxIIEvA7WrKSOls9ICkXMH4MACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0085-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-27DR4GGGTNo/Wvpybu8grAI/AAAAAAAAI6g/FntN9N2j21UaceHtcr_BBXZS3oELtHUIwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0054-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0054-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0054-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qycbKDty7QQ/WvpycVCkbXI/AAAAAAAAI6k/lBSMw3uNuzI_qa9DISkZjLry2iF_L5lOQCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0054-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-25m-FUbUpHw/WvpydUZr27I/AAAAAAAAI6o/7FSTiKFaWLsmdmIh2iZHIEK3C1BWM7w3gCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0052-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0052-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0052-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RT4Sg0b0_LY/Wvpyd2BoMPI/AAAAAAAAI6s/Zgqhds3z0nAeN9-VMIGbPHR2dvuQRLIWACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0052-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OepOmHZF-qY/Wvpye1uZxaI/AAAAAAAAI6w/34JyvkjkPjkcny_NDeKOjNbZjJDnrCaKwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0053-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img width="240" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0053-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0053-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GeejxLT9SZk/WvpyfeZV8AI/AAAAAAAAI60/-14ISxNZDysPt9Jm0E2AzF_Vy74iHhTGwCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0053-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></font></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SJda08RApfw/Wvpygf8NyXI/AAAAAAAAI64/AD2dku89jIw8SmU4xgMyjmutKek0kW_pwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0051-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img width="240" height="160" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0051-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0051-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-feCy7vcZ6nI/Wvpyg0JD7qI/AAAAAAAAI68/0f4FnPySUBcbguCD_g8oVtNOFXbpjM26wCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0051-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></font></a><br><font size="2"><font color="#8000ff"><em><strong>
Defending One’s Home From Another Usurper</strong></em></font><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font>
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</p><p><font size="3">I could not tell if the makers or the takers won more of these battles. One not-so-surprising behavior given the high stakes: the victor (not necessarily the rightful owner) is by no means humble. Her mouth is open, head bobbing up and down, hissing as the vanquished ambles away. Perhaps on the hunt for a home to hijack?</font><p align="center">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VzYBPhkrzCM/Wvpz8qEwQ4I/AAAAAAAAI7w/52a2BMJlVAAumeXJjtvZpwgOT3EIzD8tACHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0055-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="206" height="150" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0055-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0055-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n2xx8vVmhH4/Wvpz8779XDI/AAAAAAAAI70/teyIl9JiWywU68Rr-s22P5StPn6lo30pwCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0055-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"><font size="3"></font></a><font size="3"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C_pTAKUDuGs/Wvpyi_TZDEI/AAAAAAAAI7I/EgwsbUcP40MJ4oyOLvw38SjjoeWcjqGXgCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-SeymourRabida-180218-0022-ToWeb%255B4%255D" target="_blank"><img width="240" height="150" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-SeymourRabida-180218-0022-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-SeymourRabida-180218-0022-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JbQA6IKGBi8/WvpyjGFWY8I/AAAAAAAAI7M/DsTkAeJcphQgIQtVnbXqeboo2AbDSwMLACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-SeymourRabida-180218-0022-ToWeb_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800"></a></font><br><font size="2"><em><strong><font color="#8000ff">
Send-off for the Loser, Then Settle into the Nest For a Quiet Moment</font></strong></em><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10662672.post-90689865978068407772018-02-19T10:48:00.001-08:002018-05-17T07:59:08.960-07:00An Uneasy Existence<p><font size="3">(Day 3, Fernandina Island, mid-morning)</font><p><font size="3">As we sauntered around the islands, all the local animals carried on like tourists. Life was nothing but relaxed and easygoing. Eat if you are hungry. Sleep if you are tired. Play if you are happy. Etc, etc., etc…The humans? They mean nothing to these routines.</font><p><font size="3">All the animals, that is, except for one - - the Galapagos Lava Lizard.</font><p><font size="3">In such a country club existence, you cannot help but notice what appears to be the life of a prey. Even to the untrained eye, this creature is nothing, if not nervous. </font><p><font size="3">They cannot and will not enjoy the oblivious living of their peers. A tiny denizen of the islands, they must continuously scan their surroundings. </font><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nLh2Kq7Gmuhc05cqYQStQpM35Vox9xeud5O0xXih2aRIQjDSRM1Md9oANzlSL0Zgtha7K80gX0H2wT1V9ERvrF2S53vvJskREjUtYp77aj25Lvre4WKeOeYRro-JiZnp7E09XQ/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0049-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="200" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0049-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0049-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ewVcFeIo0xg/Wvu8HqkdUTI/AAAAAAAAI88/1ylfcE6Pr90snRfTwaK0BBNCAWTjzCqSACHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0049-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yNKYmZVOSrQ/Wvu8Ilhc5ZI/AAAAAAAAI9A/S6ZtrITxJasHTB8UZHrhEGDlRaTYcVt8gCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0050-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="133" height="200" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0050-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0050-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rn09Pp7nPPU/Wvu8JIaehVI/AAAAAAAAI9E/eRV8C0r4FyAt_fTAH4Xv_C5cREuE1nKmgCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0050-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FfNnv3BlJls/Wvu8JwYHLxI/AAAAAAAAI9I/5q6EvMhP7OIiM1Pg8pVhQYiw9CChR1hQACHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0074-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="195" height="130" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0074-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0074-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFHxvcaiLrs/Wvu8KT7L3rI/AAAAAAAAI9M/uRBJsSt5m6sznTvPUWMaUFGG7zGdLrWMwCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0074-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KtVFpeGHXtY/Wvu8LN4bMCI/AAAAAAAAI9Q/8kEjPkDjbzYg1Ec5l0QlYr38P4aWqiXWgCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0083-ToWeb%255B8%255D" target="_blank"><img width="347" height="130" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0083-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0083-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NqVk87Hdodw/Wvu8Lu4FpYI/AAAAAAAAI9U/U3lApbZ494EltOBmd4iKyNAZ7zmotPH_QCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0083-ToWeb_thumb%255B4%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><font size="2"><strong><em>
Always on the Lookout</em></strong><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font></p><a name='more'></a><p align="center"><font size="2"></font></p><a name="more"></a><p align="left"><font size="3">Why? Because he has local predators: hawks, herons, snakes, scorpions... and, of all things, cannibalism from other lava lizards! The last part is a little crazy. And it brings a yoke of responsibility the rest of the animals don't carry.</font></p><p><font size="3">The Lava Lizard may be the only animal on the Galapagos with this malady. </font><p><font size="3">One helpful collaborator: the marine iguana. This vastly larger cousin serves as useful perch to eye the horizon and surroundings.</font><p><font size="3">I never did see the snakes that prey on these lizards. In truth, the lizard's lot in life is akin to that of many creatures across the world. Perhaps the other residents of the Galapagos Islands take notice in two ways: appreciate how good life is here; and think twice before deciding to take the very long trek to some other corner of the earth.</font><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9VCy7VmyaDY/Wvu8MmRRk_I/AAAAAAAAI9Y/sKeFSxEhwGoOODSukK-S0qVw8DA-v5QSQCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0082-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="200" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0082-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0082-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-utdvFTUBGPs/Wvu8Nd9-5MI/AAAAAAAAI9c/hMgzoM-R-Vo1VDLCOlbT90RjGRjjZvIhgCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0082-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uxurdFeENVc/Wvu8OblDCjI/AAAAAAAAI9g/O2lzHQusJeIEMayIswxvu9tMWpaZB04GwCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0093-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="189" height="200" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0093-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0093-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_rVZGHI-9Rs/Wvu8O1jAUPI/AAAAAAAAI9k/RSCOtyKg1mkodxDUGEet7oMLVMmcG34bgCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0093-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eiIzHPu9vGo/Wvu8PkYry0I/AAAAAAAAI9o/4ls6ExpoRbk6ZnNzDiRrzBqJYlOziTOpgCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0107-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="270" height="180" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0107-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0107-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-utWEwqJEydc/Wvu8QLGstGI/AAAAAAAAI9s/zy982c1Ii4IzMDYr71FtI7ia4aMAAdDKQCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0107-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DOVHX6P7k2U/Wvu8REqUUxI/AAAAAAAAI9w/Gx4E-fdNKWMSyU92Nn3ox6RBDLtnXZfmQCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0102-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="270" height="180" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0102-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0102-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x4ITVa9coCo/Wvu8RU23qWI/AAAAAAAAI90/_CVql4s3t1wTq6t-drXLdNvuZT27gIg4QCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0102-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TU8qHtuCyfc/Wvu8SnmitHI/AAAAAAAAI94/uGJIONdfbyMDW3I4cWrd-yhxpdFJkKlbgCHMYCw/s1600-h/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0144-ToWeb%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="200" title="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0144-ToWeb" style="display: inline;" alt="Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0144-ToWeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QkZKMsCvI8g/Wvu8TObZkuI/AAAAAAAAI98/Sq2mHqDNfhwTCHCJSsXM-G5VIV4oZG6iQCHMYCw/Ecuador-Galapagos-Ferandina-180219-0144-ToWeb_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800"></a><br><font size="2"><strong><em><font color="#8000ff">
Getting the Help of My Biggest Friends</font></em></strong><br>
Abraham Pachikara, Copyright 2018 (Click for larger image)</font></p>Abe Pachikarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18375140949796802021noreply@blogger.com0