A Kick Cancer’s Ass Update

Saturday==>Sorry, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, for the lack of timely postings.

As I am sure you probably understand, the reasons are related to the beginning of my fight to KICK CANCER’S ASS ... so ... we will simply get underway with ...

Thursday was a long long day, as I had anticipated.

I arrived at Winter Park Memorial Hospital, which is part of Florida Hospital, at 9:30am and it was about 4:30pm when I finally left.

My first test was the CT Urogram, which images the urinary system, starting just above the kidneys and ending just below the pubic bone.

It begins with the insertion of an IV unit and the administration of a drug. Then you are placed on your back on a bed that is connected to the screening machine and the process begins. The first part takes about 15 minutes and then the second is done with you on your belly. It also was around 15 minutes.

Frankly, both were uncomfortable, but tolerable.

When it was completed they kept the IV unit in for my second procedure and I was taken back to the waiting area.

Around noon a new technician came for me and we went back to another area in the hospital.

I was injected with a radioactive solution called tracers. The IV unit was taken off and I was taken back to the waiting area and told that I was free to do whatever I wanted until 3:15pm when the second scan would take place.

All this meant that I had about 2 1/2 hours to kill. I did a walk and wander session in the area then found a nice place in the shade and killed about an hour reading the New York Times.

I was back in the waiting area at 3:15pm and was taken back around 3:30pm for the second procedure, which was a NM Bone Imaging Whole Body Scan.

Man, this was really unpleasant because it was done in two parts each requiring total stillness for about 30 minutes. Talk about the clock slowing down.

But, we got through it OK and the technician couldn’t have been nicer. He complimented me on my ability to remain still for the entire process, saying that most patients my age are unable to do it and that means they have to re-start the process, over and over. 

I must say that I was very impressed with the professionalism exhibited during my time at the hospital. The staff couldn't have been nicer.

It was around 5:30pm when I got back to the apartment and I have to admit that I was totally emotionally drained and that is putting it mildly.

As I have previously posted, I will learn the results next Friday morning when I have a sit-down appointment with my urologist, Thomas Cangiano,  at his office in Altamonte Springs.

Interestingly, my walking mileage for the day was==>4.86 miles.

Spent the remainder of the day/evening in front of my 42” flat screen TV watching baseball, the disgrace known as the GOP Primary Debate, and then the final performance of the Daily Show, with Jon Stewart.

When I finally crashed around 1:30am I have to admit to being totally emotionally drained.

Moving on to Friday ...

Had a nice early morning walk and wander session, recording==>3.12 miles.

Then, I Ubered up to Altamonte Springs for my 1:30pm appointment for the first injection of my hormone therapy.

A very nice nurse gave me the shot in the right side of my butt with a syringe that had a needle that looked like an ice pick. She told me she was living the dream of a lifetime, that is, she was married and divorced 3 times and was now sticking needles into guy’s asses on a daily basis and getting paid for it. We laughed and then she plunged the needle into me and, it felt like an ice pick. No joke, it did.

The injection was Leuprolide. My next injection will be in 4 months.

It was around 3:00pm when I got back to the apartment and, frankly, I was in no mood to do anything in front of this ‘puter ... so ... I stayed in ... and ... 

The Yankees lost the first game of their 3-game series against the second place Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, on a 10th inning HR by Jose Bautista, at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built.

With the win the Jays are now only 3.5 games behind the first place Yankees.

Bummer.

Moving on to today, Saturday ...

When I woke up this morning my butt was swollen and very sore. This is one of the potential side effects listed on the information sheet I was given. The list is almost a page long.

I did do a walk and wander session, recording only 2.25 miles because, frankly, it was pretty uncomfortable.

At the moment my plans are to stay in the apartment to watch the 1:05pm game between the Yankees and the Jays ...

On the mound for the Yankees (61-47) will be Ivan Nova (4-3) vs. David Price (10-4) for the Jays (59-52).

Not sure about the evening because, frankly, I am feeling kinda blah ... so we will just wait and see.

So, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, you are now up-to-date on Billi Pod’s quest to ...

KICK CANCER’S ASS!!

GO YANKEES!! GO GATORS!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.26 miles (or, 9,318 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>908.38 miles (average 4.15 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”