Stairway to Geography

Geography will be the subject of today’s post. I am almost positive the majority of us can remember our “geography” teacher from junior high school. Geography is all that separates that special girl and myself from sharing good morning coffees and extra special goodnight kisses. Geography is that medium which distances myself from our two growing daughters who have certainly come into their own over the past couple of years; one a graduate from the USC and the other who readies herself for her freshman year at Humboldt State University. Proud parents for sure. ¶ So while Dad takes regular walks along the Pacific Ocean and Bonnie does her thing keeping the house effectively running there’s this thing called geography standing in the way of hand holding, some pecking, and perhaps even some PG-50 rated making out in the front seat … and then there’s possibly the best day at work ever which does nothing to minimize the distance between us – believe me. ¶ I realize it’s been a month of Sundays since I’ve posted and there’s been plenty of reason for that. 1. NHL playoffs – yes the Bruins are playing the hockey of their lives and I’ve been there for every minute of these frozen ice fanatics … 2. Work – the new job has completely wrapped me up, a good thing, but one of those things that has just consumed me physically and physiologically. The new command has just taken me in with wide open arms, laughter and even cab fare (more on that later). So suffice it to say that I’ve been busy busy busy after my brutal 1 mile commute after work to even entertain the idea of populating this page with my thoughts , my mind has been writing page after page almost daily but fingers to the keyboard have been another subject, until this evening. ¶ After a phenomenal day with the fair amount of members of the staff for a going away luncheon in nearby El Segundo to be followed up with a late afternoon Chiefs Mess call (mind you I’ve been a member of the civilian community since 1998) later this afternoon, beverages provided, has certainly been the highlight of my tour thus far and it’s not been the beverages, but the invitation to attend that’s made things especially inviting. ¶ From this world you get what you put into it … wouldn’t you agree? Wasn’t our attendance on The Ellen Show evidence enough of that? ¶ These guys I work with could care less about the gifts received, or the upcoming trip to Hawaii … what they care about is what they HAVE in place with regards to the WHO I am, WHAT I am, and really nothing more than that – and that’s all I care about. ¶ Tonight, after leaving perhaps the best bar I’ve been to within local driving distance; The Tavern in El Segundo I cranked the radio, peeled back the moonroof, opened all the windows and let KLOS 95.5 FM pump all the bass possible into the speakers while I did my best to lipsynch the words to Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. This anthem is possibly repeatedly the #1 song on request lists across the nation and as I did my best (while wearing my BOSOX hat) to manage the lyrics (which I should know by heart) I realized almost immediately I still have a long way to go in learning each of the words precisely which got me thinking about my bride. ¶ We had spoken to each other about 2 hours beforehand, both in good spirits, and regardless, I am ALWAYS thinking about Bonnie … good, bad or ugly, and when Jimmy Page and crew light off with the lyrics to STH I can’t help think about that special girl some 400+ miles north along the Pacific Coast Highway … you think you know the lyrics, and good on ya if you do, but I’m guessing the majority of you do not, and perhaps because you’ve got those Jensen triaxil speakers so juiced you can’t hear yourself missing those critical points of this phenomenal song … so let me help you out, at least with one of the choruses. Bonnie, before I get started, know this … we probably danced to more of Pinball Wizard and Dream On while we dated in high school, but I strongly believe Jimmy Page and Robert Plant had you in mind when they wrote this song: ¶ … and as we wind on down the road / our shadows taller than our soul / there walks a lady we all know / who shines white light and wants to show / how everything still turns to gold / and if you listen very hard / the tune will come to you at last / when we all are one and one is all / to be a rock and not to roll / and she’s buying the stairway to heaven … When we all are one and one is all … I CANNOT WAIT!!
Okay … finally a post worth publishing.
I love you sweetie.
Klink / Klink

Keep her close guys …

Love,

Paul

That Just Happened!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeWXbytIlg – THAT JUST HAPPENED!! ?? !!

So the link above is not only the title to our youngest daughter’s high school yearbook, but also helps give you an idea as to what just happened in our lives.  I think the five minute video clip will do far more justice than the words I can express to you right now.

Men and women come into each other’s lives for a reason, how little did I know how blessed I would be from a chance meeting on the high school dance floor in our hometown of Beverly, MA thirty-six years ago.

Thank you all for your texts, your emails, your support these past two years during Bonnie’s fight with breast cancer, and most importantly for keeping her close!

That just friggin’ happened … one Memorial Day weekend that will remain in our memories forever.

Thank you Ellen, her production staff and the American Cancer Society – you all rock!

Love,

♥

Paul

No Teases Left – It’s Showtime!

I left you last with a tease … this post will help guide to where the mocker leads today.  ¶ I’ve pulled a few gags on my bride in the past twenty-four years.  One of the gems was on her fortieth birthday when we figuratively took over a local nightclub with friends celebrating her birthday.  Birthdays are big with Bonnie, really big.  Her specialty on birthdays for our two girls begins at breakfast, goes through midday and does not end until the sun has long since left its mark on the day.  The quip that year included a mid-afternoon phone call indicating I was going to be late and please start without me.  “An emergency had come up at work requiring my presence, not to worry I will be there as soon as this problem is fixed.”  I had actually taken a half-day at work and my afternoon was spent at the Charleston International Airport where I awaited the arrival of Bonnie’s childhood friend Mary, inbound from Boston. 🙂 ¶ Upon arrival at the party I made my way in and found everyone already in a highly celebratory mood and when I found Bonnie amidst all the revelry I hugged her, said hello and slipped to the side and there was Mary standing there!  She knew immediately the wool had been pulled over her eyes and with Mary there for her party and to celebrate a weekends worth of toasts I was forgiven for the ruse. ¶ Phone calls and extremely heated texts yesterday have me completely on the edge right now as we are currently in Phase II of this new deception. ¶ Let’s first set the stage … it’s currently Thursday, the 23^rd of May, nearly 10:AM and here I sit in the bedroom of this rented apartment with my luggage on the bed.  I called Bonnie at 4:15 this morning to ensure she was awake and she was completely prepared for a morning drive to San Francisco International with Taylor and Logan alongside for a flight to Los Angeles.  She arrived at LAX approximately 8:45 this morning and I was not there to meet her and the girls. Why? The story I started yesterday morning included a network outage requiring my attention, etc., etc.  When she learned I would not be able to meet her at LAX – suffice it say the fireworks were of the type the male readers of this blog can certainly understand to be those we want to keep at an absolute minimum! ¶ I spent yesterday morning in Burbank, CA – in particular, at the Warner Brothers studio location where I met with Brian, Alyssa, Erin and Phillip, all employees of … “The Ellen” show!! ¶ We have all been invited to “The Ellen” show as guests and over the course of the past six or seven months have been engaged in regular communications with the production team putting together the story of Bonnie and Paul, highlighting our special girl’s breast cancer diagnosis, the toils, and her ultimate achievements.  ¶ The staff provided me directions to the Warner Brothers lot, the parking garage across the street, how to gain access to Studio #3, etc., etc., but I was not to inform Bonnie of this. ¶ Brian provided me a tour of this phenomenal studio, sound stage, production rooms, VIP rooms, Ellen’s office, et al yesterday where Ellen does her thing, and upon completion of this walk-around I was escorted outside on a golf cart where we were driven to a location to shoot a video of me explaining to Bonnie (as though she was there in the lens of Erin’s camera) how sorry I am not to be there today, how much I love her, how proud I am of her becoming a breast cancer survivor. ¶ This simple video shoot was extremely difficult to put together – for me anyways.  The Ellen production staff explained that during the taping Ellen herself may walk out into the audience, and ask Bonnie to the stage.  They were quite clear that this may NOT take place as well, as there are no guarantees, but under no circumstances did they want me to let the cat out of the bag. ¶ So now the girls are being chauffeured to Burbank in a Mercedes Benz limo with a full day of dealing with those same individuals I had met the day before. ¶ This entire process is quite surreal – believe me! ¶ The Ellen show has arranged for a driver who will arrive at my residence this afternoon at 3:30 to take me to Burbank where I will be met by Brian who will surreptitiously shuttle me to the green room where I can watch the show being taped.  I suspect at some point this afternoon I will appear on the stage where Bonnie, Taylor, Logan and Ellen sit and I can only simply imagine how fast my heart will be racing when this event takes place.  Again, there is no guarantee this will happen, and I I’m convinced my videotaping session from yesterday to be the reason.  I felt tight, strained and unnatural while discussing how I feel about the woman I have not seen for five weeks, yes, the same woman I have lied to about not being front and center in baggage claim when she and the girls arrived earlier this morning. ¶ Man, I hope this works …¶ Regardless, I will be with all my girls later this afternoon and staying at the Sheraton Universal City, courtesy of The Ellen Show, in Universal City, CA this evening.  Saturday morning a limo will then return us all to LAX for a flight back to SFO and a Memorial Day weekend back, one in which we will NEVER forget, in our home along the river in Petaluma.  I really got beat up yesterday, and deservedly so … fingers crossed that it was all worth it! ¶ No teases left … least not for now.

Keeping her closer than ever!

Love,

♥

Paul

Great to be Back

NO, I didn’t lose my fingers in a wood chipping accident, and YES it has been some time; 38 days to be exact since posting.  Perhaps the longest duration without providing any thought to paper on this page.  Let’s just say the past five weeks or so have been a challenge to the two of us. ¶ So what did it take to get me back in front of the typewriter today? Glad you asked. I facilitated a men’s cancer support group last night – the gathering was smaller than expected which provided me a wonderful opportunity to go one-on-one with the newest participant.  Cindi and I were able to share a few minutes with each other before our meeting started and I felt extremely comfortable exchanging thoughts and ideas with the gentleman who scheduled his time to share his thoughts, ideas and questions on the new journey he and his wife are on. ¶ I distinctly remember using the word “achievements” last night as I discussed the blog with him, and it turns out his wife enjoys writing so the first email of the day was sent to him with instructions for learning WordPress^® and the link to this blog. ¶ It feels great to be back in the game.  In my time away it was nice to see readership continued and we can welcome Japan as the thirty-seventh country who has visited the site to who I say “乗り物に乗って歓迎” ¶ While the gentlemen of Aerosmith fill the office this morning with their lyrics to “Mama Kin” I settle in for one extremely long day here in the office before our weekend begins. ¶ Happy Holidays to all of you and here’s hoping for a year that brings us health, peace, smiles and blessed fortune wherever your travels take you.  Great to be back.

Love,

♥

Paul

Serotonin Syndrome

We need to be our own doctor.  We’ve heard and perhaps said this from time to time, and allow me to further amplify this notion with today’s post.  We need to be our own doctor because doctors themselves are extremely busy individuals – period. ¶ For the past few weeks here along the river, we’ve been battling with a number of physiological changes in Bonnie that have made no sense at all.  I was really hoping the trip south this past Thanksgiving weekend with family was going to do the trick – it did not. ¶ In life we oscillate between sin and medicine.  The idea behind this quip is that negligence leads to illness.  The time to be concerned about sickness is when we are HEALTHY.  It is then that we can avoid damaging our system. ¶ Bonnie was a victim of a disease that struck without her complicity and I’ve said it more than once either in the form of a post or poetry – “Cancer F’n sucks!”  Through my research on a great number of cancer related medical terms on the disease which knocked at our door in January, 2011, I learned (or read) that cancer, et al, may very well have been averted if our society were to spend as much on the war against illness as it has on military wars.  We are also told there is a delicate connection between certain maladies and our nervous systems.  Undue worry may bring on illness as well.  To combat this threat we must have equilibrium, equanimity, a sense of humor and the capacity to play.  Here we are our own doctors. ¶ The initial intention of this blog was to keep our friends and family on the East coast aware of the day-to-day struggles and ultimately the achievements of kicking breast cancer’s ass and today we find ourselves wrestling with a whole new bag of tricks; the recognition and treatment of serotonin syndrome.  In a nutshell: This syndrome is an increasingly common adverse drug reaction, which can be life-threatening.  Despite the common use of medications with direct or indirect serotonergic effects, many physicians are not aware of the presentation and management of serotonin excess.  This is particularly true of less severe presentations of serotonin syndrome, which still contribute to patient morbidity.  Family physicians need to be more aware of serotonin syndrome. ¶ Bonnie visited with her primary breast care physician yesterday; Dr. Amy Shaw who researched serotonin syndrome and found Bonnie showed multiple symptoms.  I am extremely proud of the way Bonnie handled this entire event; from feeling poorly, having the shakes, not being able to go to the bathroom regularly, and mood swings and yet she finds the power to march into Dr. Shaw’s office at 3:30 yesterday afternoon and walk out with an entirely new game plan, a sense of relief and finally some much-needed sunshine. ¶ We sat down together last night when she arrived home with research materials on serotonin syndrome and now that we have a name for what’s been ailing her we can now start connecting the dots to fix it.  The intent of this post is to keep Bonnie’s Beautiful Boosters updated and for those of you battling breast cancer or any other form of cancer – trust yourself, trust your partner and trust your caregivers, but most of all – you need to listen to yourself – be your own doctor.

Special thanks to Rabbi Samuel Silver for his special to the Sun-Sentinel on “Being Your Own Doctor”.

Love,

♥

Paul

There Was a Time …

 There was a time when an entry on this blog was a daily routine; there was a time when our heads were inundated with new medical terms requiring research understanding and hope; there was a time when getting up at the crack of dawn for a trip down into Marin was also a regular part of our routine; there was a time when all I did to keep myself engaged was getting ready for that 4:PM whistle to blow and paint the town (again); there was a time when my musical tastes were centered on three of four rock  bands; there was a time when I knew the ocean was to be my friend, my home and the one place in the world I felt comfortable. ¶ This look back in time would appear as though many of these things were left in the rear view mirror and as I made my quiet little ride into work this morning, hearing a song from my past allowed me to realize the rear view mirror was offering a reminder that all is well, and the roads we’ve traveled, the big ticket items we’ve knocked off our bucket list and the direction we’re heading in is exactly where we need to be. ¶ I’ve provided plenty of my own poetry on these pages these past twenty-two months, but the song I listened to this morning was written by one of the best song writers the world of rock and roll has ever known and hearing it this morning provided all the clarity I needed to start the day … without further adieu, here’s the lyrics to “Gettin’ In Tune” by Peter Townshend of “The Who” who filled my head in the 70’s and makes me truly thankful for not budging nor forgetting where my musical tastes were born:

“Gettin’ In Tune”

I’m singing this note ’cause it fits in well
With the chords I’m playing
I can’t pretend there’s any meaning here
Or in the things I’m saying

But I’m in tune
Right in tune
I’m in tune
And I’m gonna tune
Right in on you
Right in on you
Right in on you

I get a little tired of having to say
“Do you come here often?”
But when I look in your eyes and see the harmonies
And the heartaches soften

(Chorus)

I’ve got it all here in my head
There’s nothing more needs to be said
I’m just bangin’ on my old piano
I’m getting in tune with the straight and narrow
(Getting in tune with the straight and narrow)
Getting in tune with the straight and narrow
(Getting in tune with the straight and narrow)
Yeah, I’m getting in tune with the straight and narrow
(Getting in tune with the straight and narrow)

I’m singing this note ’cause it fits in well
With the way I’m feeling
There’s a symphony that I hear in your heart
Sets my head a-reeling

(Chorus)

Baby, with you
Baby, with you
Baby, with you
Baby, with you
Baby, with you

I’ve got it all here in my head
There’s nothing more needs to be said
I’m just bangin’ on my old piano
I’m getting in tune with the straight and narrow

Getting in tune with the straight and narrow [repeat]

Bonnie meets with her doctor this morning for her two-week checkup while she remains on disability after her recent surgery.  While my bride works on getting in tune with herself, her medications and balancing her physiological makeup, she knows her other half and her children are three things that have been in tune with it all while we are all confident things will work out nicely as she really is the symphony I hear in my heart.

Love,

♥

Paul

Appreciating the Little Things

Last Valentine’s Day I presented a coffee mug to Bonnie as a way of tracing our steps together.  The mug was one in which you could paint your own artwork on it.  The coffee she drinks this morning is from this mug which includes a host of numbers; 810, 529, 3541, 3601, and 204.  This series of numbers is not to be confused with a Fibonacci sequence whatsoever – these numbers are the way we refer to where we were in our life at the time.  If we are talking “810” then we both know we’re discussing our times in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and our very first home together, and so on.  By painting these numbers, encircled with a heart with a path to the next number on her coffee mug helps make us both realize the number of miles we’ve traveled in our twenty-four years together.  Will “204” be our last residence? There’s really no way in predicting that answer as the gypsy blood in each of us takes very little convincing on placing the FOR SALE sign in the front yard and pressing on to our next adventure. ¶ I sat on the couch last night with my bride and came upon a wonderful email from Suzi down there in Melbourne, Australia who explained how well the first poem written during Bonnie’s Breast Cancer was received and while I read the email to Bonnie it made me comprehend “the little things” that help us move on in a healthy manner. ¶ Regardless of where we are, we are doing it together, and whether there’s a similar coffee mug in her future with an additional number is anyone’s guess, I’ll tell you this – we’re both enjoying our home here along the river and Suzi’s email (read below) makes things even that much better in appreciating “the little things”.

November 8, 2012

“Hi Paul, the Waiting Room was extremely well received yesterday … I wish you could have been there to hear the discussion and sharing that was stimulated by the images you portrayed. Many went on to pen their own thoughts about “Waiting”.

We also had great feedback from all 10 attendees, including 2 cancer nurses, so all in all a very worthwhile outcome. Again a HUGE thank you !

As I mentioned to Matt on FB earlier in the week, I am hoping to run a similar group closer to Melbourne in 2013 … if you are willing I would like to include your poem again. I think it is especially helpful and important to be able to include something written from a “carer” perspective.

Meanwhile, Keep on Truckin  🙂 ”

 

Enjoy the weekend everyone – hug each other and shake the hand of a Veteran when you see him or her and as Suzi inferred … Keep on Truckin’!  🙂

Love,

♥

Paul

Truckin’ Down Under

Having a certain appetite for bucking the system, defying authority, or simply throwing caution to the wind has provided me ample opportunities to quote a line from the Grateful Dead song “Truckin’” a great many times, and even though my music tastes have not changed one iota since listening to the first album I ever owned; Get Your Wings (Aerosmith), I continue to hold the creators of the Grateful Dead on a plane far, far above those musicians I have loaded on my IPOD for their creative genius, their lifestyle and the way they took on all comers leaving them all in the rear view mirror without worry, which is why I’ve reserved quoting this line but only twice in my life. ¶ This morning, while I should be capitalizing on the extra hour of sleep provided by the changing of the clocks, I find myself completely awake in this pre-dawn hour, with the eighty or so Rolling Stones songs playing on the IPOD while excited to be writing this piece for Bonnie’s blog all because of how this crazy planet of ours has been working recently. ¶ While the song “Truckin’” metaphorically describes the bands misfortunes for getting through the constant changes in life, the climatic refrain “What a long strange trip it’s been” has not only achieved widespread cultural use since its’ release in 1970 – I too have used it as a way of giving thanks to friends of mine throughout different periods of my of life. ¶ I have met some phenomenal people wherever my travels took me, and in the mid 1980’s when the results of a bar fight left me standing there shaking the hand of a man who provided me his own congratulations, coupled with an offer to become his bouncer at his establishment directly across the street the next three wonderful years and enough Heineken to flood a zip code later, allowed me the first opportunity to use this iconic phrase in the form of my two weeks’ notice in a poem which concluded with the line “what a long strange trip it’s been.”  Today we remain in touch with each other through today’s technology and if you could have had the opportunity to witness firsthand what or where I worked for him you’d completely understand what a beautiful relationship it was and has become. ¶ I recently joined two Facebook groups; Cancer Poetry and Pink Poetry.  I’ve penned some thirty or so poems since Bonnie was first diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, and using these two outlets to share my poetry with others going through the adventures of cancer is certainly surreal. ¶ In January, 2011, some ten days or so upon learning the news, we found ourselves at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation for Bonnie’s first MRI, and again it was one of those pre-dawn deals where we sat in the waiting room while those in smocks and sneakers went about their business.  Without ever knowing where this breast cancer journey would be taking us I sat there in the waiting room with my bride and quietly penned “The Waiting Room” as a way to capture the mood. ¶ Pay it forward some twenty three months later … I’ve since uploaded this poem to the two aforementioned portals and was recently asked for my permission for that one particular poem to be used and read in a public forum known as “Writing Through Life” which is a program specifically designed for those who have been impacted by a life threatening illness, either directly or through a caring relationship.  The objective is to provide the members with the confidence and basic skills to continue independently through their writings. ¶ A week ago, again in the pre-dawn hours here along the river, I received the request from Suzi, the organizer, who not only received my permission but my blessings in her amazing endeavor. ¶ Here’s the twist … I live in Petaluma, CA, and a native of a small coastal town some thirty miles northeast of Boston.  This poetry reading will be taking place in Portland, Victoria, Australia on the 7^th day of November, 2012 (a day after Bonnie’s birthday).  As much as I would love to head down under for this reading it’s literally impossible … but wait a minute … a friend of mine from my days in the Garden City lives in Melbourne.  Do you think Matt would be willing to take time out of his busy schedule and listen to a five line poem written by a guy he hasn’t seen nor talked to since the middle 1970’s? ¶ Technology strikes again and after making a simple request, not only has Matt agreed to attend but has also linked up with Suzi and upon receiving the following on my phone last night – it would appear it’s “game on”.  From Matt: “Suzi, although Cancer has reached into my life, the trip to Portland is more of respect and friendship.  I personally would to like to hear the poem.  Not sure if I can make it a five day weekend, Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.”  Matt is traveling three hours (one-way) to hear a five line poem written by a guy he played some baseball and hockey with some four decades ago.  The use of his two words “respect” and “friendship” prompted me to quote Jerry one more time in my response to Matt after realizing what a long strange trip it’s been! ¶ Suzi – best of luck with everything, and Matt – what can I say man?  Next time I’m in Melbourne? We never really know, do we?  Thank you brother!

Love,

♥

Paul

Recovery Requires Teamwork

The last time I had anything to post on this site was about rising gas prices and oddly enough as I sit here this morning a Weather Channel spokesman is informing all of those on the east coast to fill their tanks today as the pump you normally use may be either inoperative or out of gas in the very near future as Hurricane SANDY approaches the northeast.  While SANDY predicts to be a storm of extraordinary proportions for those along the east coast there’ll be aircraft full of San Francisco Giants heading west out of Monroe County in Michigan today with thousands expected to be waiting for them at San Francisco International upon their improbable and heroic four game sweep of the Detroit Lions and winning the World Series last night.  Under the glow of the full moon, I walked outside last night to rejoice with the locals and the park across the street was absolutely filled with smoke from neighbors rejoicing with their own fireworks.  Though we’re not Giants fans per se, watching them claw their way through each of the playoff rounds leading up to the World Series was truly impressive.  TEAMWORK has always been a mindset of mine and I’ll use that to segway into Bonnie’s status … ¶ Our home has become an insulated safety blanket these past twenty-two months for our special lady and like the Peanuts character Linus, Bonnie has felt very safe and comfortable in our little place along the river, and understandably so.  Many of you who know her understand her “Type-A” personality where managing EVERYTHING is not only a want in life, it is also a requirement and the need for outsiders to help her need not apply, although surviving Stage 2 breast cancer has changed this. ¶ As the calendar gets ready to say goodbye to what we would normally refer to as “SOXTOBER” and before the scheduled Pacific rains being to envelope our day to day operations, she is finding the courage to reach out to her sisters who are also battling this disease.  Not that long ago Bonnie attended a Cancer support group in Sonoma known as “Mending Under the Moon” and she returned from this retreat with a relaxed look on her face, along with that smile I’ve known for thirty-two years, coupled with a real sense of “life” in her eyes.  This retreat was designed to allow her to access her core tools to empower her to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges of cancer treatments and recovery and to experience the nurturing support and renewal with others dealing with similar challenges.  ¶ I met one of the women who attended Mending at the recent Catwalk for a Cure and we enjoyed each other’s company greatly before it was my turn to climb onto that stage and share my experiences with breast cancer with the four-hundred or so people who were there to support the cause ¶ Bonnie met with her breast cancer oncologist; Dr. Amy Shaw this past Friday as the recent changes in her medicines was providing a result she never expected.  Medicine is a funny thing.  As we [collectively] get older, and certainly in our house, the trip to the grocery store almost always includes a visit to the Pharmacy to pick up this or that to keep us all balanced.  Fortunately, the medicine cabinet in our youngest girls’ bedroom is void of any pharmaceuticals and we find joy in that fact every day.  For nearly a year now Bonnie has been taking Tamoxifen to assist her in the battle of any breast cancer recurrences, though after her Oophorectomy a few weeks ago her nightly regimen required a change to a nightly dose of Letrozole.  ¶ According to the University of Maryland’s Medical Center, and an international study of 5,187 postmenopausal women found that the drug Letrozole, when taken AFTER completing five years of Tamoxifen therapy, cuts breast cancer recurrences by almost half.  These results were so significant that the study was stopped early to get the news to women as quickly as possible.  Our problem right now is Letrozole itself, which required a trip back to Dr. Shaw (thank you for seeing her on such short notice) and upon seeing her [Bonnie] Dr. Shaw made the decision to place Bonnie back on disability – which means NO WORK AT ALL – until her medications are once again regulated.  Bonnie has been directed to visit with Dr. Shaw every two weeks over the course of the next six months and has been placed on full time disability status for that period of time unless she [Dr. Shaw] sees vast improvements in the regulation of her medicines and Bonnie’s overall physical and mental outlook. ¶ Yes – breast cancer takes a team of people that are willing to listen, acknowledge and understand this is not something you immediately return to work from, particularly after completing an Oophorectomy which removes the production of estrogen.  That team of people include those she works with during the forty-hour work week; those she receives support from (thanks again Dr. Shaw and her assistant Traci); the great folks at Sutter Medical; and those of you in her global network support staff that continue to reach out. ¶ Halloween is right around the corner … the night we met thirty-six years ago and with the MLB season officially over (WELL DONE GIANTS!) and while the NHL season slowly melts away, we’re thankful the gutters have been cleaned while we prepare for the rainy season and the remaining slate of NFL games on the schedule.  ¶ Bonnie is at home – she’s in good shape and TEAMWORK from all of you is and always will be one of the biggest reasons.

Love,

♥

Paul

Yes, We Still Hold Hands …

Good morning.  The ride in this morning included forgetfulness of the first speed bump (only fifteen yards from the front door) which rocked the nonsense out of my first cup of coffee and splashed it up onto the seat.  There’s absolutely no reason my pants should be wet this morning from coffee but fortunately I had not yet put my socks on so I had something to help minimize any further damage. ¶ If I don’t have your attention by now then the rest of this post should do the trick.  ¶ Today is Thursday, October 10^th and as recently as this past Monday while Bonnie and I walked the streets of this great little town of ours during the oft-forgotten Columbus Day, we both received some pretty darn good news from her doctor; Dr. Amy Shaw who confirmed there were no cancer cells in the two cysts removed during Bonnie’s recent Oophorectomy.  I love being home when good news is delivered like that. ¶ Bonnie and I must have held hands and smiled about this news a dozen times during the day. ¶ From attending recent events like To Celebrate Life’s Stepping Out and Sutter’s Catwalk for a Cure there have been moments recently where I’ve started to truly believe we (Bonnie and I) are on the mends with regards to any future battles with cancer. ¶ After starting this blog in January, 2011 with the title “Cancer … We “CAN” Beat This!” I am starting to fantasize about the victory right here in our own home over this disease.  Has it really happened?  Have we really “beaten” cancer?  Of course, only time itself will be the determining factor in all of this, and with this time I will do what I can to provide you with information on not only Bonnie’s progress, but also whatever I can in terms of dispensing new information on the development on how to help those of you in the thirty-two nations reading the words that come from this keyboard in front of me. ¶ Last night while the three of us watched the new fall lineup I was kicking around an idea in my head of providing an anagram of sorts focusing on the word “mammogram”.  After some research this morning I ran across an article on CNET.com which introduces something called a “smart bra”;a breast tissue screening bra which is in the works as a non-invasive, painless, and quite possibly an even more accurate test than our current 3D mammography.  I’ll leave it to you to decide. ¶ It’s been eleven days since we left Charlie Brown and Santa Rosa Memorial to begin our special lady’s recovery and from the consumption of these four-hundred or so words, you’ll be happy to know she’s at home recovering well and WITHOUT the angst of considering what other doors we may have had to open regarding those two ovarian cysts. ¶ It’s not yet even 8:AM and I could already use a beer to toast all of you who continue to support these words which focus on one thing: Breast Cancer (and all that results from it).

Love,

♥

Paul