The Stage IV Life

Hey everyone- hope you had a great weekend and a great Memorial Day! I am finally getting a chance to sit down and post as it has been a busy weekend for us. The weather has been amazing this week and I have been taking advantage of it as much as possible. But, first things first.

I am on my third day of my oral chemo and it has been a learning experience this time around. Nothing too bad, but after my last couple of days of round 2, I knew there might be some challenges. I take the pill at night on an empty stomach because, well, I just do. I’d rather it do it’s work at night. Nothing scientific there, just seems right I guess. That said, after the first pill on Friday night, I woke up on Saturday morning with a very nauseous feeling and it didn’t take long for the puking to begin. As I have mentioned, I try and stay away from any kinds of medicine if possible, and sometimes that can backfire on me. I have anti-nausea meds and just wasn’t taking them so….that’s what I get. Long story short of it, once those got brought into the mix, I’ve been good to go.

I will continue taking the oral chemo tonight and tomorrow night, and then I am done! I will post about next steps, testing, etc. later this week when I have better details, but the short version is after tomorrow’s last pill, I will wait the 25 days, just like I have been for the first 2 rounds, and then this time there will be an MRI and a blood test sent overseas that will determine where I am. Just that simple, right? I have to say… if how I am feeling is any indication of the effectiveness of this protocol, then I am golden!

I feel great (other than the short-lived puking stuff) and have been able to do all of my normal activities and more! I even invested in some “super” shoes for running. Full disclosure: I admittedly was the guy who always rolled my eyes and poo-pooed about buying the “best stuff because it makes you better.” I always thought that was lame and if you were good enough you didn’t need it. Now, while there is some truth to that, I can attest to the difference having good gear can make. Wow. I bought a pair of Nike Vaporfly 3 (serious-look-at-me shoes) and they are other level amazing. I wasn’t exactly running around in flip flops before, but the difference is undeniable. Worth every penny, for real. They literally make you run faster, and if that seems far-fetched, I would challenge you to try it. I ran a half marathon on Saturday and had my best time, by far. I had no pain and very little need for recovery either. I was able to get out earlier today and do a quick 10K before it got too hot, and again had a personal best time. I wasn’t even trying to! Super cool. Looking forward to strapping these on for the Rock Tahoe Half Marathon in a couple of weeks.

On another personal note, I was able to take Jen to her first Social Distortion (band) show last night and it was awesome! I have seen them many times over the years, but it was really cool to share that with her as I have been listening to these guys for so many years. We had killer seats (VIP) and were sitting next to the drummers mom, who told us lots of stories and anecdotes about the band, her son, etc. The music, of course, crushed and all in all, a very cool night—and Jen loved it! Win, win!

Alright, that’s all I have for today–I will update with more info this week after I get some details on upcoming stuff, but for now-have a great night and a great start to your week-

Here is a nugget from everyone’s favorite Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius for your week:

“Bear in mind as well that every man lives only this present time, which is an indivisible point. And that all of the rest of his life is either past or it is uncertain. Short, then, is the time which every man lives, and small the nook of the Earth where he lives.”

Good thing I have Heaven to look forward to because this is going fast…. Like me in these shoes….