July 4th, 2009
Seven cycles of Pfizer’s oncology drug, Sutent, later I can say that things are improving a bit. I don’t know why, but I seemed to have things a bit easier this round. The taste buds did not go as fast nor as far, and ice cream almost tasted good through the entire cycle. I even managed to get to Primo for dinner while Jay and Anne were here, and things actually tasted good. The hand foot problems were almost non-existent, but the fatigue and dyspnea were still there, and daily doses of Vicodan kept the pain in my back and chest bearable. I go for new scans in August and we just wait and hope they show that things are stable.
I am really irritated with the woman who went up to President Obama during his recent town hall meeting on healthcare issues and claimed she had all kinds of problems with her health insurance because of her kidney cancer, trying to get sympathy for the plan she wants. Her story is full of holes from beginning to end, and it infuriates me that people think they need to lie and make up stories to further their cause. What is so silly is I am for the same cause. All I had to do was ask Pfizer for help and they are giving me the drugs to fight my kidney cancer. Medicare takes care of my doctor’s visits, lab work, and scans, but I believe I actually pay more in premiums than I get in services.
Had a great 4th of July with friends down river in Cushing, and the sun actually was shining most of the day. Now that summer in Maine has ended we are looking forward to a mild autumn and a not so cold winter.
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May 22nd, 2009
As I get ready to retire for the evening, I look forward to two weeks without my chemotherapy, Sutent. This last round was interesting as we played around a bit with the dosing, and I took a 50mg pill two out of three days. It really had very little beneficial effect… the taste issues still come back and the pain and fatigue are just as bad. I think I did have a tad more energy, but its getting warmer and I am more inclined to get out and do things.
I have also started taking Vicodan for the really bad pain and that is a big help, so I have decided that I will stay at the 50mg daily for each of the 28 days this next round. As long as the Sutent is working, why take a chance with a lower dose? If it gets too bad, I might change my mind, but I think it is best to hit it as hard as I can while I am able.
Back in August of 2007 when this whole kidney cancer adventure began I believed that I had 20 months to live if I just ignored the disease and did nothing. I, of course did not take that path, and we have been fighting it pretty hard with surgery and chemo, and I am now +23 days to the 20 months, playing with house money, and happy to be alive.
Tags: kidney cancer
Posted in Kidney Cancer | No Comments »
April 30th, 2009
wins. Here is a link to an Adobe PDF of my local network and various toys and gadgets attched to it.
network.pdf
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April 28th, 2009
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April 21st, 2009
I had new CT scans done yesterday of my chest and abdomen to discover the progress of my battle with kidney cancer, and it looks like I am still very much in the game. The report reads: “Bilateral pulmonary abnormalities continue to decrease in size when compared with 1/19/09 with no new areas of metastatic disease demonstrated.” Translated to English that says, “Your cancer is shrinking”, and that is the very best news I can get.
We are going to try a new routine this next round… I will take 50mg of Sutent for two days and then take a one day break. Hopefully this will lessen the side effects while continuing to fight the cancer, and then if this works (the CT scans continue to show favorable results) we may lessen the dosage to 35mg daily.
Tags: kidney cancer
Posted in Kidney Cancer | 1 Comment »
April 9th, 2009
Tonight I will take my last dose of Sutent for this round, and I am ready for my break. Actually, this has been one of the easier cycles so far, but the side effects still just plain suck, there is no polite way to tell it. On the positive side, the mouth sores are gone, and it is just tender gums now. Starting at day 14 the taste buds go and everything starts tasting like black pepper flavored cardboard. You know things are seriously screwed if I don’t care for ice cream. I guess it is a positive but I have lost a few pounds, but then I could really stand to lose a few more, and if the truth were to be told, I could stand to lose lots more.
The chest pain starts out in week three and just gets worse every day. A new one this cycle is the sore achy joint pain. My friends with arthritis just tell me that its about time I learned about what they have been going through, and its just me getting older, but I know better. My joint pain will go away in a few days.
But the biggie, just being tired and worn out 24-7, has not gotten any better. We are discussing lowering the dosage from 50 mg to 35 mg, hoping that maybe I will be left with a tad more energy after the drugs do their job, which they are doing, so all in all I am happy with my progress.
fcancer.com
I went to a site on the Internet last night called fcancer.com, and bought one of their baseball caps. They look like nice people, and I am planning on making it my summer uniform hat, and might even make a few fcancer buttons to pass around also.
Tags: Add new tag, kidney cancer
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March 25th, 2009
The global economic crisis isn't about money - it's about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution
The Big Takeover
The dirty Dozen
My new favorite writer, Matt Taibbi, does a really must read story on the economic mess we find ourselves in today. I just love it when things like GAAP accounting rules and Keynesian economic theories get debated by folks who have no real comprehension of what they are saying. At least a few people are honest enough to admit it is too complex for normal human comprehension. The links above will take you to Adobe pdf files of these must read articles
Posted in Rants | 1 Comment »
March 25th, 2009
(RAB) I just can not figure out if this is good or bad
To illustrate how material abundance increases for each generation under free market capitalism, W. Michael Cox, chief economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, has done several studies comparing the purchases that teenagers could make from a summer job at the minimum wage, in various years.
Mark J. Perry, a professor of economics and finance in the School of Management at the Flint campus of the University of Michigan, updated the Cox analysis:
- In 1949, the minimum wage was $0.40 per hour, and a full-time summer job (40 hours per week for 12 weeks) would have generated $192 in total summer earnings (ignoring taxes).
- Using a Sears catalog for retail prices, $192 would have only purchased the following four items in 1949: Typewriter: Smith-Corona, $84; Argus 21 35mm Camera, $52; Silvertone FM-AM Table Radio, $33; Silvertone 3-Speed Phonograph, $25; Total: $194.
Now contrast that with 2009:
- At the 2009 minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, a full-time summer job will generate about $3,500 this year.
- This would be enough to purchase the following 28 items: Dell Laptop Computer, $549; HP Color Ink Printer, Scanner, Copier, $99; Canon 8.0 Mega Pixel Camera, $99; Portable GPS System, $89; 32 inch LCD HDTV, $397; 8GB iPod Nano, $149; GE 1.1 cu ft. Microwave, $69; Haier 4.1 Cu. Ft. Refrigerator/Freezer, $239; Toshiba DVD/VCR Combo, $78; RCA 5-Disc DVD Home Theater System, $174; Uniden Cordless Phone, $27; RCA AM/FM Stereo CD Boombox, $29; HP 10bII Financial Calculator, $30; Camcorder, $149; Cusinart Blender, $99; KitchenAid Toaster, $50; Oster Rice Cooker, $40; Rival Slow Cooker, $40; Cuisinart Waffle Maker, $30; Breadmaker, $60; Oster Blender, $33; Sony Playstation 2 Console, $150; Nintendo – Nintendo DSi (Blue), $170; Weslo – Pursuit 360 R Exercise Bike, $200; Frigidaire – 6,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner, $180; Honeywell – Tower Air Purifier, $100; Hoover – Tempo Widepath Upright Vacuum, $75; Philips Sonicare Power Toothbrush, $100; Total: $3,504.
What a difference 60 years of free market capitalism makes, says Cox!
Add it all up. When it comes to their economic prospects, today’s young Americans are the luckiest generation in history — at least until their children grow up and forge an even luckier one. And even if real wages are flat, the explosion of new products over time at lower and lower prices translates into a rising standard of living for all income groups, even minimum wage workers, says Cox.
Source: Mark Perry, “Young Americans: Luckiest Generation in History,” Carpe Diem, Mark J. Perry’s Blog for Economics and Finance, March 13, 2009; and W. Michael Cox (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), “Capitalism’s Many Benefits Create ‘Luckiest Generation,’” Investor’s Business Daily, October 2, 2000.
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March 21st, 2009
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